Uncanny

CHARLESTON "Like any relationship, there's going to be issues and problems," said Mike Love "Meditating every day has helped me to be more adaptable. It's helped me to recover from stress, and to not respond in kind, even if somebody did something negative towards me."

Preview: First off, Mike Love, I wanted to commend you on your name. I think you're really on to something.

Love: Thanks. I say the same to you.

Preview: Well thanks. ... I see the latest Beach Boys greatest hits album is selling pretty well. Have you been working on any new material?

Love: Actually, there's an album we just released this month. It's called, "Songs From Here and Back." It has seven live tracks and three new studio tracks from Al (Jardine), Brian (Wilson) and me. It's only available at Hallmark stores. If you buy three cards, you get the CD for like $7.95. There's a song on there I wrote called "Cool Head, Warm Heart" that I'm really proud of.

Also, I've been working on an album of my own for the last few years in between tours. I'm really excited about that, too.

Preview: What's the feel of these new songs?

Love: There's a lot of different styles. Some romance - a song called "All the Love in Paris." A lot of philosophical content - a song called "Daybreak Over the Ocean." It's sort of reminiscent of some of those Beach Boys harmonies - it has that languid feel, sort of like "Kokomo."

Preview: Has transcendental meditation found its way into any of your recent songs?

Love: There's a song I wrote called "Pisces Brothers." In March of 1968, I went to India to study with the Maharishi along with George Harrison, the rest of The Beatles, Donovan and some others. Both George and I are Pisces, so it was both our birthdays when we were there. They threw us a big party with fireworks and birthday cakes and all that. "Pisces Brothers" is a song sort of reminiscing about our time there, reminiscing about that magical time before things began to get a little weird. It was a very special time for me, being there with The Beatles, just fascinating, very emotional. Hare Krishna, gonna miss ya, you know?

Preview: I know there's been a lot of turmoil over the years, but there must have also been some great times. What is your fondest Beach Boys memory?

Love: Well, you know, having "Good Vibrations" be No. 1 in England in '66, with The Beatles coming in second and the Rolling Stones coming in third - I'm proud of my involvement in that.

"Good Vibrations" is a song that's really completely unique in pop music. In some poll, it was voted the greatest pop single ever. I'd be willing to say that's not far off the mark. And I helped write it. I wasn't the mastermind behind it - that was my cousin, Brian - but I wrote the lyrics and the chorus. That was a true collaboration, and I feel fortunate to have taken part in writing some truly great songs.

EYE WEEKLY

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DAILY NEWS & ANALYSIS INDIA In Smith Center, Kansas “the India-born founder of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, purchased land to build what his foundation is calling the World Capital of Peace, where the group’s meditators will send ‘waves of coherence’ across the country….[P]rominent followers of the TM movement include the rock band The Beach Boys and Oscar-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood.”

USA TODAY "'Some people call them a cult, and some little old ladies are locking their doors,' says farmer Bryce Wiehl, 50. 'You're in the Bible Belt, and this is a Hindu-based religion. People don't like that idea.'"

The OF MIRROR EYE BLOG has posted some MP3s from this excellent, and highly recommended, disc.

It's listed on AMAZON. Also, see our PREVIOUS POST.

FORBES: What was your big break?

AL JARDINE: Going to school with Brian Wilson was my biggest break. We reconnected in junior college and renewed our friendship. Now there's a reason to go to college, for the people you meet.

GAWKER
AMAZON

CHICAGO TRIBUNE "The Beach Boys’ '’Til I Die' finds Brian Wilson getting his head above the murk of his years-long depression to compose this devastatingly sad, gorgeous song in which he envisions himself as a 'cork on the ocean,' 'a rock in a landslide' and 'a leaf on a windy day,' destined to remain adrift 'until I die.'"

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