It's a towel, so not sure it is a considered ephemera, but found it when cleaning out my deceased mother's house. She had bought it in the 1970s. I was surprised it still existed.
He's the front and centre, yet over-shadowed by his more talented cousin, despite him touring more often and having the voice associated with the band.
He's balding. When you think about it, most well written anti-heroes are bald in some way. (Tony Soprano, Walter White, Saitama)
Before the Beach Boys formed, his family’s business failed. The Beach Boys form and hit it big, Mike Love's life was full of ups and downs before. Imagine how he felt then. It's a perfect recipe to become the douchebag anti-hero.
He has fatal character flaws and is very quoteable:
"Don't fuck with the formula." (His refusal to change)
"Chickenshit." (Quoteable, like Phil Leotardo's 20 years in the can)
THE speech. (Douchebag + compensating his ego by literally ripping a moment away from his cousin)
He is also a victim who goes about things in the worst way. His early life sucked and songwriting credits were again overshadowed or played down. His lack of humbleness just pains those around him even in spite of that fact.
He is VERY insecure like other anti-heroes. He was the oldest, baldest, least attractive. He couldn’t play an instrument bar the saxophone, which was rarely used. Mike knows, and it no doubt hurt him. He also doesn’t understand art music, and again:
"Don't fuck with the formula."
Shows his refusal to adapt or change.
The band's fall from grace after Surf's up is quick and anti-climactic. They make a comeback based on his lyrics, but which are STILL credited to Brian despite Brian writing the melodies and not lyrics.
He was destined from a young age to feel slighted by the world and had a career that repeatedly tossed salt into that wound.
He's even having the anti-climactic end of the anti-hero, no fireworks, drama, lawsuit, just him, frail on stage, he doesn't know anything else, and again, we see the refusal to change...
Chickenshit. Happy Kokomo.
/uj I commented that this wording is kinda egotistical but also kinda funny on the main sub, as well as saying that this next show might be one of Mike’s last, and it’s currently sitting at -27 upvotes for some reason, it’s not like I wished them to go to hell or anything
This is the best Beach Boys album ever made. Mike is the true genius of the band and the day he dies should be a national holiday . Summer Of Love is the true masterpiece of the group. John Stamos>Dennis Wilson.
Hello everyone! New fan here.
I’m really interested in gay history as it relates to popular music, and someone told me one of The Beach Boys is gay. Who is it?
If The Beach Boys Touring Organization(TM) says Mike is fine with this, that's good enough for me! Landy who?
This has been in my head for too long, and I have now lost my mind.