Mike Love autobio

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ajsmith, Dec 27, 2016.

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  1. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    This. Looking back now after a couple months I can safely say Mike's was a far superior read and the one that has left a more lasting effect on me. Of the two books it's the one I could see myself reading again in the not-too-distant future.

    I enjoyed many of Brian's free-flowing anecdotes but didn't really gain much from the book, overall.

    I have never hated Mike Love (though I have disagreed with him and his actions at times over the years) so that allowed me to enjoy the book without prejudice. He does have a chip on his shoulder...he wants the credit he feels he deserves and hasn't properly been given...but for the most part he's honest and fair and can back up his facts. And it was rather impressive to watch him convincingly dismantle David Leaf and the "Wilson Forever - Beach Boys Never" camp within a single paragraph.


    [​IMG]

    "The Beatles are still chickenspit to get on stage with The Beach Boys, and...and...they're standing right behind me, aren't they?"

    "...and then I said to Paul, "You ought to put something in about all the different kinds of girls around Russia..."
     
  2. 389 Tripower

    389 Tripower Just a little south of Moline

    Location:
    Moline, IL USA
    Can you imagine - Susan Atkins watching your kids??? :bigeek:
     
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  3. Peace N. Love

    Peace N. Love Forum Resident

    Was digging randomly into Brian's book again and reading some of his comments about Mike. It struck me that these are just two guys who were once very close, but the passage of time, success and the machinery that has grown up around each of them makes it hard for them to probably ever reconnect on the level they once met at. Mike wants to sit alone with Brian at a piano and write some songs; Brian says, no, you don't do it like that anymore. Mike is still preoccupied with Brian's drug use; Brian is still preoccupied with an arm-wrestling contest Mike lost to Dennis in the early '60s. To put it in Brian's literary style, it's a sad thing because they don't get along, but then it's a happy thing because we already have so much great music from them.

    P.S. Although Mike's book was more readable, both had some hilarious moments: Mike recounting the "Dance of the Flames" on the early Australian tour; Brian recalling a time (during one of his lowest periods) when he contemplated showing his daughter how he writes a song, but decided not to because, at that stage, it would have probably been a song about a dog or cigarettes. :)
     
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  4. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    I found this particular passage troubling. It didn’t ring true to me. Why wouldn’t Brian want to sit down and write a song together with Mike and try to get a hit? Why is that considered “70’s”? I honestly believe this is someone else’s feelings, included to continue to further distance the gap between Mike and Brian. Otherwise….what is the modern songwriting method for Brian? Let Joe Thomas sift through his piano riff tapes and fashion a song out of them? "Sorry Mike, we can't sit at a piano and write because all my riffs sounds like "Shortenin' Bread." I don't get it. I mean, I get having a beef with Mike and not wanting to work with him in general, but being dismissive of writing a song at a piano with a collaborator sounds wrong if it's coming from Brian. And I tend to agree with Mike...he could probably improve many Brian Wilson solo songs by 25% if he were involved in the lyrics, as long as he laid off the "Fun Fun Fun" and "Getting Around" puns.
     
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  5. Peace N. Love

    Peace N. Love Forum Resident

    Totally agree. I'm with Mike on this issue, too, and agree that it's probably the influence of others on Brian. Although Brian also comes across as maybe almost a little intimidated by the Lovester, so maybe he doesn't want to be alone in a room with him. But it's a common challenge with yer older rockers, just like Art Garfunkel saying, if the two of us could just get together to sing an Everlys tune without all the other crap, we'd be fine...
     
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  6. willy

    willy hooga hagga hooga

    I found Mike's book very calming, and will read it again very soon. I have a huge respect for Mike now.

    Brian's book... great, I loved lots of it but in particular the bit about his surprise birthday gathering in a restaurant at which not only Tony Freakin' Asher but also Van Dyke Heavens To Betsy Parks showed up..... wow! Imagine being at that table in that company...
    :bdance::pineapple:
     
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  7. oldsurferdude

    oldsurferdude Forum Resident

    Location:
    detroit, mi. 48150
    Whew, you've got to be kidding about the luHvster being able to improve Brian's (released) solo songs by, what is it, 25%? Really. Let's compare the solo output of the two. Slam! Case closed. Questions?
     
  8. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

    this is the best thread I have read on Mike since I can't remember when. I'm glad people are starting to come to their senses
    on the man. A lot has been written and said about Mike, to the point of demonizing him. A lot of people are like sheep however,
    they just follow and go along with what they have heard other say or was has been written about him.
    This book is great. The business has always been a strain on the family, but this is no fault really of the boys,
    but by Murry who set up 'SOT's. Murry really only protected his sons, and not cared for the rest of the guys.
    In those days, Brian probably just 'went with it', as per what Murry had set up, but unfortunately
    Mike got the ass end of the stick when it came to credits and royalties. Brian probably had little to no dealings with the business.
    Can you blame Mike for having a bee in his bonnet still 30 some years later? and still not been paid or credited properly?
    Unfortunately, it was Brian who had to pay out to Mr Love all because of the dealings that were done in the 60's.
    Tough business with music racket.
     
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  9. oldsurferdude

    oldsurferdude Forum Resident

    Location:
    detroit, mi. 48150
    myKe luHv has, for the last 35-40 years, had a bee in his bonnet and will keep that bee until he croaks his last wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen. While he likes to pontificate about all that is "due" to him, he is still on the hunt for a cash rich lawsuit from either Al Jardine or the guy that made him rich, Brian Wilson. But during his many tape loop interviews, he relishes in delving into Brian's drug use and how he needs to be medicated and handled. ********. Just sad old ******** spewed by a washed up, old ungrateful clown who hasn't penned a note of acceptable music during his career. Blame Brian, blame Murry, blame Carl, blame Dennis, but myKe luHv takes absolutely no blame for himself whatsoever and that is one of the reasons the man is hated like he is.
     
  10. ZackyDog

    ZackyDog Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    [​IMG]

    My library has an e-book version, so I have been reading this biography. It's pretty interesting, especially if you're a Beach Boy's fan.

    It's amazing what Mike endured. He's gotten death threats for many years, and for a long time, he was not given credit on songs that he contributed too. When his writing credit and royalty issues were resolved, he could have taken Brian Wilson to the cleaners, but didn't. Brian's mental condition and Murry Wilson's dominance and deception only made matters worse.

    The Beach Boys were musicians, singers and writers. Unfortunately they weren't businessmen (that's wearing too many hats, IMO), and they trusted people who screwed them. It's always the business side of music that ruins it for the artists, and sometimes for the fans.
     
  11. BlueTrane

    BlueTrane Forum Resident

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  12. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

    why wouldn't you start at the start? I don't understand this logic.
     
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  13. BlueTrane

    BlueTrane Forum Resident

    Because in my experience, the start of most bios/autobios is usually pretty boring: the history of parents/grandparents/childhoods, etc. This one might be different, of course.
     
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  14. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

    hmm ok, yeap fair enough, but isn't the point of getting a biography is to know about the parents/childhoods etc etc??
    And Yes, it does have the whole growing up in the 50's and parents etc lol!
    I asked, you responded, and it's appreciated.
    Thanks!
    :)
     
  15. BlueTrane

    BlueTrane Forum Resident

    No worries, didn't mean to be dismissive. I'm imagining Mike's childhood was considerably less traumatic than the Wilson brothers, though, and might not make for the most exciting reading.

    The Manson chapter also seemed like it might be a good test of how accurate the book is, as I've read most of Jeff Guinn's Manson bio from a few years back (Manson: The Life And Times Of Charles Manson), which is an excellent, meticulously researched book, and given the extensive general knowledge of the Manson history that's out there, if Mike's recollections were too far in left field, it would be pretty obvious. Like a New Yorker writer fabricating Bob Dylan quotes. You're just asking to get caught.

    And most of us BB fans have read the standard books on the band, and are well acquainted with certain stories. Did we really need Mike to tell us that Marilyn disinfected the toilets after the Family came to Brian's studio? That's the kind of thing I mean by "cribbed".
     
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  16. 389 Tripower

    389 Tripower Just a little south of Moline

    Location:
    Moline, IL USA
    Yes, very unfortunate. Especially to be screwed by your own Father/Uncle.
     
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  17. PhilBorder

    PhilBorder Senior Member

    Location:
    Sheboygan, WI
    Have to give Murry credit for getting them in the door and signed. Once they were more than a regional act they clearly needed a professional manager. I wonder if he actually thought their days were over and selling the publishing was wise.
     
  18. Emilio

    Emilio Senior Member

    I've listened to the audiobook version, which Mike himself narrates. And he actually sings the quoted lyrics, like "Brian's Back" for instance, but he isn't very good at singing acapella. There is a certain chapter number, I don't remember which, that he says with a long sigh, as if to say "this is taking forever". His narration is rather lazy and casual, but it's always interesting to hear the book narrated by the author himself, especially in the case of an autobiography. Carole King also narrates her own autobiography and does a great job - and she's much better than Mike at singing the quoted lyrics.
     
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  19. Fullbug

    Fullbug Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I do exactly the same thing. I don't care about growing up in Toad's Rump, Utah. I want to get right to the dirt.
     
  20. oldsurferdude

    oldsurferdude Forum Resident

    Location:
    detroit, mi. 48150
    Hey! Everybody! Look! Here I am! Over here on the stage! Quit looking at Dennis. I'm the Beach Boys, not him!!
     
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  21. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    :D
    And I Have a HAT...........er, SOMETHING!!
     
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  22. alchemy

    alchemy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    My response was to the quote contained in my original post.

    PretzelLogic said:
    I think it's that David was still a legal member of Beach Boys Inc. (and entitled to the proceeds of their earnings) or whatever it was they were until 1967, but Murry 'forgot' to tell him or his parents (or presumably the other band members), so he didn't find out until decades later. It's a sign of his magnanimity that he didn't sue, and earned his pay with them when he came back.

    Equally it's a positive sign that Mike (as is mentioned in David's autobiog) is still keeping his promise to Mr & Mrs. Marks from the early 60s that he'd look out for David.
    End.

    Since Mike said that he would always "watch out" for David when he joined the group. I would think that Mike, who had to fight legally fo his creative and financial credit, would help him (David) make a claim on what Murray had hood winked David out of.
     
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  23. Peace N. Love

    Peace N. Love Forum Resident

    Actually, the early parts of Mike's book are in my opinion, some of the best bits. Nice evocation of growing up in that era and the earliest years of the band.
     
  24. ZackyDog

    ZackyDog Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    By the way, I knew Mike had some brothers, but I didn't realize that one of them had played for the NBA.

    [​IMG]

    Mike is on the tall side (6' 1"), but his "little"/younger brother Stan is 6' 9" (!) That's as tall as Lurch/Ted Cassidy from the Addams Family TV series. Stan's son, Kevin (6' 10"), plays in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    Thanks for indulging me. :)
     
  25. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    It’s glossed over in his book, but Stan Love (in his role as Brian’s minder) abetted in some fairly extensive physical harm to Dennis Wilson in the late 70s.

    It’s interesting that his other brother Stephen (ex Beach Boys manager) gets the shortest shrift from Mike in the book. Their relationship is evidently irreparable.
     
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