The Beach Boys' 'Sunflower' Commercial and Artistic Flaw: No Mike Love Uptempo Rockers

I think that you're on the right track, Mal. It might have paired well with one of the Dennis rock 'n roll tracks.

 

S.P. Honeybunch, I always appreciate your enthusiasm for Mike’s contributions. And I mean that sincerely. Don’t let the haters get you down.

Did Mike have an uptempo number on offer for Sunflower? I don’t recall.

 

Usually Mike would write uptempo numbers with Brian. This is something that they should have considered engaging in prior to releasing the album, as a higher profile album track or single could have increased attention for the album.

 

The original post is clearly a joke. I doubt the OP will make a reappearance - he’s probably enjoying his handiwork from a distance. People would be better off not responding.

 

You have a point there. Mike Love has an instantly recognizable voice that's connected to the band's "fun years" (1962/65), the most commercially successful period for the band.

So, possibly, from a commercial perspective, a Mike Love-sung upbeat tune could have helped boost sales of the record.

 

I might maybe drop "It's About Time" for the earlier version of "Big Sur", but it doesn't really "rock", per se.

 

Looks like the band assembled the "Add Some Music" album in May 1970 with "I Just Got My Pay" included. Reprise wouldn't release it for the lack of a potential hit single.

UNRLEASED

 

That's a good thing.

That's a bad thing.

I'm often quick to criticize, but AIWD is a Mike Love career highlight.

I think it's his agent.

Or his mom.

 

I love many of Mike's rockers but I think Sunflower is an excellent album without them. The Beach Boys didn't have to do everything on every album.

 

This never occurred to me. I think Sunflower is nearly perfect and showed the group maturing in a positive way. I don't think it was likely the group could have had a strong selling album and/or single in 1970. The timing was terrible. However, if I had been in charge, I would have pushed Dennis forward commercially. Perhaps make "Forever" the first single.

 

For what it is, Sunflower is unimprovable and easily a top 5 BB record. If you’re curious how a Mike ‘rocker’ would influence the sound of the record imagine it with the other All I Wanna Do from 20/20. Not terrible, admittedly, but not an improvement either. This Mona Lisa doesn’t need a pencil moustache.

 

That song is titled "All I Want To Do". I think it's excellent and perhaps the hardest Mike ever rocked. It fits better on 20/20 than it would have on Sunflower.

 

For years, I’ve thought both songs had the same title. For what it’s worth, I quite like the earlier track though I find it as incongruous on 20/20 as It would be on Sunflower.

 

Uh? The OP has responded many times to this thread, including just 2 posts above yours.

 

S.P. Honeybunch is BACK!
We missed you!
Kind of.

 

"Student Demonstration Time" is just a blatant ripoff of "Riot in Cell Block No. 9", which only accentuates Love's limited talent and abilities.

 

Nah- the Mike Love Discussion is the OP's specialty. I used to get disgusted, now I'm amused by it!

 

But the band ROCKS on it! I quite like the song.
And NO- Im NOT a Mike Love apologist. Far from it. But 'Student Demonstration Time' rocks hard.

 

There is a place for Mike's style of presentation. When the group changed directions (for better or worse), Mike was the right guy for "Rock and Roll Music", "It's OK", and later "Getcha Back". But a less prominent role on the early seventies albums made sense.

 

On Surf's Up, it's the turd in the punchbowl.

 

Here are the greatest artistic flaws of Sunflower:

1. It contains two Bruce Johnston tunes.
2. Bruce was allowed to sing on the album.
3. It features the grossly overrated "Add Some Music to Your Day," which sounds like an indoctrination jingle played at an Amway recruitment event.

 

I believe Leiber/Stoller got credit on the LP, with new lyrics by Mike Love. Also
says based on Riot in Cell Block No. 9.

 

What was terrible about the timing of 1970?

 

It's not obligatory that we hate Mike Love. To appreciate the later work of the Beach Boys as their music matured and evolved.

.

 

I dig Student Demonstration Time