I recently had dinner with longtime Beach Boy Bruce Johnston – just happened to sit next to him and he was eating alone. 90 minutes of him honestly answering any question – he was egoless, sincere, with no axes to grind with Brian Wilson or anyone else. Given all the wacko shit he’s witnessed in that band, I’d say his perspective was refreshingly down to earth – he’s not damaged goods. One question I asked “did Mike Love really hate recording Pet Sounds?” his reply, “If he did – how could he have sang so well on that album?” Tim Sommer’s new interview (below) carries on in that tradition and hey, I’ve got nothing against Mike Love either – I never slept with him, rode in his tour bus or lived in his house – so I don’t hate him. Your mileage may vary.
– Pat Thomas is the author of Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975.
Beyond the Life of Brian: The Myth of the ‘Lesser’ Beach Boys, by Tim Sommer (At Observer.com)
