Recently, as I’ve been absorbed in The Beach Boys’ Smile album, I’ve considered the possibility that we have judged Mike Love too harshly all these years. Sure, the man appears to have some slightly dick-ish qualities, and there was that infamous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame speech.
But, uh, he contributed to some of The Beach Boys’ greatest hits; he is the voice of many of the best-loved songs; and, even if he had not avoided drugs, we would be able to take solace in the fact that unlike Brian Wilson, Mike Love would not have destroyed a great mind.
But no, it seems Mike Love really is as much of a jerk as has long been supposed. I mean, firing Brian Wilson mid-way through the band’s most celebrated tour in decades? True, it’s entirely possible that Brian will never realize that he has been fired. But let’s not forget Al Jardine and David Marks, also fired for — well, presumably for being Al and David. And not Mike.
There is a petition circulating to have the original Boys reinstated for the remainder of a tour that is, thankfully, not coming to Ottawa. Good luck with that, Beach Boys fans. I mean, it’s not like Mike Love isn’t a reasonable man.
Wig Bubbles 