The Beach Boys bring good vibrations to Christmas classics
Mike Love has a cold. The veteran Beach Boy is worn down by the rigors of the road.
The Beach Boys play just under 200 concerts a year, delivering shows that are more than two hours long. That’s a lot of mileage for the 77-year-old singer-songwriter.
And now the Beach Boys are on a Christmas tour, supporting their latest album, “Reason for the Season” and will appear Dec. 17 at the Durham Performing Arts Center.
Love called from Huntington, N.Y., to chat about what inspired the Beach Boys’ album and whether he’ll ever reunite with his cousin and former bandmate, Brian Wilson. The two last performed together in 2012 for a Beach Boys 50th anniversary reunion tour, according to Yahoo! News.
Q: How do you get around, if you will, like you do, at this point?
A: I practice Transcendental Meditation. I do it twice a day. Even though I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately, it gives me so much energy.
Q: The cover art for “Reason for the Season” is amazing.
A: My son, Brian, who is a very talented photographer, took the photo of the Northern Lights, while he was off of an island in Norway.
Q: You went full-circle since your dad took the photo that appears on the back of the album.
A: Yes. it’s a picture of me playing with a Lionel train when I was a kid.
Q: What prompted “Reason for the Season”?
A: I wanted to give people a gentle reminder that Christmas is a Christian holiday. It celebrates the birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago.
Q: I caught your tour over the summer, and Brian isn’t your only talented child. I was surprised to see your son, Christian, take over the lead vocal on “God Only Knows.” Does it freak you out how much he sounds like your late cousin Carl Wilson?
A: Yes. His vocal is comparable to Carl’s. It’s eerie that there’s a family resemblance. He has a really great voice. He does a nice job with “It Must be Christmas,” and he’s been doing “Help me Rhonda” lately.
Q: But it doesn’t get any better than singing “God Only Knows,” which is arguably the greatest Beach Boys song of all time. How did you feel when Paul McCartney called “God Only Knows” a perfect song?
A: We couldn’t have been more honored. Sir Paul also said that “Pet Sounds” was required listening for his children.
Q: What was the friendly, creative competition like with the Beatles?
A: (The Beatles)’ “Revolver” inspired Brian to write “Pet Sounds.” “Pet Sounds” inspired the Beatles to create “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The friendly competition was good. We were on the same label (Capitol) as the Beatles. In 1966, the Beach Boys were the No. 1in the UK. The Beatles were No. 2, and the Rolling Stones were No. 4.
Q: Who was No. 3?
A: The Walker Brothers
Q: There’s been a great deal of acrimony between you and Brian but would you ever reunite with him?
A: Yes, absolutely.
Q: Then would you write with him?
A: I would love to write with him as long as we’re alive and we have the aptitude and proclivities. We work beautifully together. He has those talents.
Q: What was it like seeing Brian a few months ago at the Sirius XM Town Hall after the start of the Beach Boys channel?
A: It was great. He said, ‘I love you, Mike.’ I said, ‘I love you, Brian.’ He said, ‘I love your rock and roll, Mike.’ It was really nice.
Q: Your rock and roll is a bit different than his. You deliver one hit after another and throw in some deep tracks.
A: It’s all right. We’re not the same person. There’s nothing wrong with playing the hits. That’s what put us on the map. I’m eternally grateful for the hits. We play them and I wouldn’t mind playing them again with Brian. That would be a pleasure.
But for right now, I’m out with my band and we’re playing the holiday songs and more. I could retire right now but retire to what? I want to do this now more than ever.
Details
Who: The Beach Boys Reason for the Season Christmas Tour
When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17
Where: Durham Performing Arts Center, 123 Vivian St., Durham
Tickets: $34.50 and up
Info: 919-680-2787 or dpacnc.com
This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 4:52 PM.