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Post by kds on Nov 20, 2020 13:48:01 GMT
I definitely can't say I've ever thought any of Mike's solo albums were good. But there are moments within each that are pretty good, no question about that. It's just that Mike, like Carl, like Al, etc., wasn't really capable of putting together full albums of consistently good material. (And even Brian, who at one point certainly would have been capable of it, wasn't consistently capable of it.)
Band > Solo in almost every single case, musically speaking, Beach Boys related or otherwise.
Absolutely. Especially when you consider that all of the BB solo albums were released after their creative peak.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 24, 2020 13:31:39 GMT
When Looking Back With Love came out in 1981, I kind of liked it. It was a lively album, I was a peaking BB nut, and, hey, it was Mike Love, the lead singer on the fast Beach Boys' songs. The album has not aged well, though. I listened to a few tracks recently and, well, I wasn't as enamored. I think it's the production. Mike's voice was still in pretty good shape, and I'm sure he was motivated to show Dennis and Carl, the other Beach Boys who released solo albums, and probably his cousin Brian, too. What was confusing was that he only wrote one song on his own solo album ("Paradise Found") and who knows how much he wrote of that. Like most of Mike's songs, they are lightweight. Other than the title track, they're all boy/girl (I guess by then man/woman) songs. That wasn't the biggest problem. The problem was that we heard it all before, and it was better!
My favorites on LBWL include the title track, "Runnin' Around The World" (IMO the best song on the album), and "Paradise Found". I wanted to like "Be My Baby" and I kinda did, but I didn't know if it was because of the strength of the song or Mike's version. I remember liking "Teach Me Tonight', too, but I recently played it, and...
Why did Mike release this album? What was the point? What was he trying to accomplish? Looking back (no pun intended), he must've known what the fans didn't - that the Beach Boys were about to go on a recording hiatus. The guy just couldn't sit still. Obviously he toyed with solo stuff before; now was Mike's big chance. That being said, I highly doubt he had much to do with this album other than laying down his vocals (sound familiar?). I do remember seeing and reading some interviews with Mike promoting the album. Knowing Mike, he probably expected Looking Back With Love to take off; certainly he expected a hit single to emerge. Now, in 2020, it's one of the few BB-related recordings to not appear on CD. A 3.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 24, 2020 13:42:30 GMT
Regarding his lack of writing, it seems it was probably more a matter of wanting to do an album than having an album to do. That's my guess, anyway. Seems like he came to know this Jim Studer and wanted to work with him.
(Maybe he had songs, though, too, and was saving them for a Beach Boys album?)
But I'd agree with a lot of what you said. I do wonder whether he thought he'd get a hit out of it, as opposed to just wanting to work during a sad period in Beach Boys history. (A low point, even? Carl quits, Brian and Dennis are wrecks, they are coming off about five years of relative failures...)
That video reviewer I linked earlier also said he was going through a(nother) divorce at the time. I can imagine that nudging him to just keep busy. Idle hands and all that...
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 24, 2020 13:43:35 GMT
I will say, though: corny and dated though it may be, "Paradise Found" has really grown on me over the past week. I really like it. I wish it were a Beach Boys song, with their voices. I don't know if it was around early enough, but it really would have fit well on LA.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Nov 24, 2020 14:03:52 GMT
When Looking Back With Love came out in 1981, I kind of liked it. It was a lively album, I was a peaking BB nut, and, hey, it was Mike Love, the lead singer on the fast Beach Boys' songs. The album has not aged well, though. I listened to a few tracks recently and, well, I wasn't as enamored. I think it's the production. Mike's voice was still in pretty good shape, and I'm sure he was motivated to show Dennis and Carl, the other Beach Boys who released solo albums, and probably his cousin Brian, too. What was confusing was that he only wrote one song on his own solo album ("Paradise Found") and who knows how much he wrote of that. Like most of Mike's songs, they are lightweight. Other than the title track, they're all boy/girl (I guess by then man/woman) songs. That wasn't the biggest problem. The problem was that we heard it all before, and it was better! My favorites on LBWL include the title track, "Runnin' Around The World" (IMO the best song on the album), and "Paradise Found". I wanted to like "Be My Baby" and I kinda did, but I didn't know if it was because of the strength of the song or Mike's version. I remember liking "Teach Me Tonight', too, but I recently played it, and... Why did Mike release this album? What was the point? What was he trying to accomplish? Looking back (no pun intended), he must've known what the fans didn't - that the Beach Boys were about to go on a recording hiatus. The guy just couldn't sit still. Obviously he toyed with solo stuff before; now was Mike's big chance. That being said, I highly doubt he had much to do with this album other than laying down his vocals (sound familiar?). I do remember seeing and reading some interviews with Mike promoting the album. Knowing Mike, he probably expected Looking Back With Love to take off; certainly he expected a hit single to emerge. Now, in 2020, it's one of the few BB-related recordings to not appear on CD. A 3.
Didn't this album come about because he was in financial trouble? Or was that a couple years earlier? Could be why he barely wrote anything on it, he just needed some product for cash.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 24, 2020 14:05:23 GMT
I will say, though: corny and dated though it may be, "Paradise Found" has really grown on me over the past week. I really like it. I wish it were a Beach Boys song, with their voices. I don't know if it was around early enough, but it really would have fit well on LA. The female voice on "Paradise Found" was provided by Joanie Sommers, who had a Top 10 hit in 1962 with "Johnny Get Angry":
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 24, 2020 14:05:54 GMT
Considering the divorce at the time, it may well have also been a financial situation. Guessing with each passing divorce, Dr. Love's resources were strained...
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Post by B.E. on Nov 24, 2020 14:09:40 GMT
Didn't this album come about because he was in financial trouble? Or was that a couple years earlier? Could be why he barely wrote anything on it, he just needed some product for cash. That's my recollection, too. He also picked up extra touring dates w/the Endless Summer Beach Band. I believe he filed for bankruptcy at this time. His financial troubles were severe. Perhaps I'll reference a few Beach Boys books later on for more specifics. He also worked with Dean Torrence a year or two later.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 25, 2020 14:35:25 GMT
Reminder: this poll locks at midnight local time. Please be sure to chime in with your opinions and ratings before then!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 25, 2020 15:41:39 GMT
Check out this 8-track of Looking Back With Love. They actually split up "Teach Me Tonight" into two parts! No respect...
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Post by B.E. on Nov 25, 2020 16:05:39 GMT
Boardwalk Records was short-lived. Ringo's album was released the same month. Looking Back With Love? 5. Stop and Smell the Roses? 7.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Nov 25, 2020 16:12:48 GMT
5/10. I found myself comparing this to SiP. The material is weaker (and without BB vocals), but the production is much better, therefore it gets the same rating.
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Post by kds on Nov 25, 2020 16:32:03 GMT
While I doubt it would get many spins, I would like the chance to buy a legit CD of this album.
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Post by B.E. on Nov 25, 2020 17:19:54 GMT
Looking Back With Love? 5. This is Mike's best solo album. The production is quite dated, but palatable. He's in decent voice overall. Very good in spots, very nasal in others. The highlights, for me, are "Runnin' Around The World", "Over and Over", and "Calendar Girl". I also like "Rockin' The Man In The Boat" and "One Good Reason". It's a listenable album. Sorry, Kapitan, I'm not quite ready to jump on the "Paradise Found" train, but it's slightly more pleasant than I remembered. I still don't care for Joanie's vocals or the upbeat section. One of the reasons I don't go higher with my album rating is just that while I like those songs I noted, none of them are great. No 8, 9, or 10s here. The ceiling for this album, for me, is probably a '6'.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 25, 2020 17:21:22 GMT
While I doubt it would get many spins, I would like the chance to buy a legit CD of this album. I can't say the latter sentiment has ever occurred to me in my life. Though I can understand the former part.
I'm sure I'll listen to it again, though ... next time it comes up on a "rate and discuss this album" thread.
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