Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy
Blue Rider Press | |
Publication date | September 13, 2016 |
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Pages | 436 |
Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy is an autobiographical memoir by American musician
Background
In November 2014, Love announced that he had been working on the book and that it would be due in 2016.[3] After the work was completed, he said that the "easiest part of writing this book was just commenting on my actual experiences as a Beach Boy, because there have been many inaccuracies that have been said about me over the years." He says that co-writer James H. Hirsch helped by "read[ing] every book and article that's ever been written about the Beach Boys. It really gave context to telling about all the things that happened in my career."[4]
Critical response
The New York Times' Janet Maslin accused Love of cherrypicking facts: "Still, its boasts and grudges overpower the writing style. And more than a half-century's worth of inside information about the Beach Boys, who were all the rage until they were ancient history, has undeniable appeal, especially from a new perspective."[1] Journalist David Hepworth said that Love and Wilson's respective books "take themselves preposterously seriously", that neither author "seem[s] to realise just how absurd his life has been", and that Love's book is "so relentless in its efforts to build up his part that you feel that Will Ferrell should consider turning it into a film".[7]
Pitchfork's Stacey Anderson opined that public characterizations of Love are often "overly reductive. Love contributed much to the Beach Boys' success—but he only damages himself by detailing his perceived misfortunes while refusing to explore any real sympathy toward his bandmate of actual disability." She adds that Love's seeming lack of empathy for Wilson is "summarized neatly in the acknowledgements section, where Love thanks neither Wilson nor the original Beach Boys but does praise John Stamos."[8]
References
- ^ a b Maslin, Janet (August 29, 2016). "In 'Good Vibrations,' Summer Fun Soured by Mike Love's Score Settling". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Wolcott, James (August 5, 2016). "Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and the Psychodrama Behind the Beach Boys' Sun-Streaked Legacy". Vanity Fair.
- ^ Greene, Andy (November 20, 2014). "Mike Love Memoir, 'Good Vibration: My Life as a Beach Boy,' Due in 2016". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Gibula, Gary (October 11, 2016). "Beach Boy Mike Love brings 'good vibrations' to Naperville". Chicago Tribune.
- The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Free, David (October 22, 2016). "Beach Boys Brian Wilson and Mike Love's memoirs a study in contrast". The Australian.
- ^ Hepworth, David (October 16, 2016). "Why I want to tell the Beach Boys to get over themselves". New Statesman.
- ^ Anderson, Stacey (September 19, 2016). "The People vs. Mike Love". Pitchfork.
External links
- Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy at Google Books