The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Good lord, whenever I think y'all have exposed me to the bottom of the pit, you go all Dante and show me another level down.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 4:13pm
Good lord, whenever I think y'all have exposed me to the bottom of the pit, you go all Dante and show me another level down.
The lowest review I gave a KISS song was D. This is worse than anything KISS released between 1983-1991, at least that they made a video for. I'm not doing a deep dive into their albums.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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matedog wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 5:11pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 4:13pm
Good lord, whenever I think y'all have exposed me to the bottom of the pit, you go all Dante and show me another level down.
The lowest review I gave a KISS song was D. This is worse than anything KISS released between 1983-1991, at least that they made a video for. I'm not doing a deep dive into their albums.
"God Only Knows" to "Happy Endings" has to be high on the list of best-to-worst range for any band.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

matedog
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 5:48pm
matedog wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 5:11pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 4:13pm
Good lord, whenever I think y'all have exposed me to the bottom of the pit, you go all Dante and show me another level down.
The lowest review I gave a KISS song was D. This is worse than anything KISS released between 1983-1991, at least that they made a video for. I'm not doing a deep dive into their albums.
"God Only Knows" to "Happy Endings" has to be high on the list of best-to-worst range for any band.
I could argue some of Bruce's worst songs are on par with Happy Endings, but that might even be a stretch. That and I probably regard his best songs more highly than most.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

matedog
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Also, I listened to this song maybe 15 times for this god damn write up. And Little Richard's 1986 album and the Terry Melcher version of "Happy Endings." Fuck, it was arduous.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Hypothesis: 60s artists should have taken a decade-long pause in the 1980s.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 6:53pm
Hypothesis: 60s artists should have taken a decade-long pause in the 1980s.
Who is the one white guy that had the black voice that had some slamming hits in the 80s? Often on soundtracks (not Loggins).
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Oops, I confused Steve Winwood with Bill Medley.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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matedog wrote:
25 Aug 2022, 6:57pm
Oops, I confused Steve Winwood with Bill Medley.
Not a fan of Steve Winwood at all, 80s or earlier.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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1987's "Wipeout" The Fat Boys featuring The Beach Boys from The Fat Boys 1987 album "Crushin'" and The Beach Boys 1988 album "Still Cruisin'"Lead Vocal - The Fat Boys

It's safe to say we are in one of many nadirs of The Beach Boys career in 1987. They hadn't had a real hit since their shitty cover of "Rock and Roll Music" in 1976 and their many attempts at comebacks seem to have been met with indifference. The same year they released the sonic hellscape "Happy Endings," they are essentially backup singers to the poor man's Run DMC in a quasi-cover. Surprisingly, this ends up being the biggest hit in eleven years for them and even makes it to #2 in the UK, their highest position since 1968's "Do It Again." 

I suspect this came about as a way to try to duplicate the success of Run DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way collab the previous year. This is a somewhat different approach as it's taking a non-Beach Boys song that is an instrumental and adding both their component as well as the Fat Boys component to create a quasi-cover. This was the biggest hit of the Fat Boys career and they would try to duplicate a few times with redoing "The Twist" and "Louie Louie" on their subsequent album with diminishing returns. By this point, The Beach Boys had a full blown hit of their own and no longer needed the portly rappers. But for now, let's take a look at this unique collaboration.

Lyrics: 
The Fat Boys have been working non-stop, three albums in three years, they need a break. They decide to take a trip to Cali and go to the beach. They are having fun, admiring the ladies, The Beach Boys join them to do a live duet of "Wipeout." It's very mid 80s hip hop. Public Enemy's first album came out a few months earlier and Straight Outta Compton was a year out, so things were about to change very quickly. As alluded to earlier, the flow and delivery is very similar to Run DMC and the Beastie Boys around this time with the rappers trading lines and even trading within each line. The Beach Boys' contribution consists of lots of "ooohs" and "waaaahs" and saying the song title.

Music: The song begins with the iconic "hahaha Wipeout" from the original. A very basic mid 80s drum beat kicks in followed by a very picked sounding 16th note bass line. The Beach Boys join providing some very typical BB harmonies before the Fat Boys kick off the verse properly. Their delivery is just ebulient shouting and it's fucking awesome. I love the little vocal fills they do before each verse. The Beach Boys provide acapella-ish bass lines to accompany the drums which is unique and I guess admirable in that sense. I've never heard anything like it before or since. A surfy guitar solo leads into a beatbox solo because 1987. There's an acapella break at the end followed by more beatbox solos. You know, it's alright. The song is dumb but there is some interesting flourishes and the Fat Boys just yelling at me for four minutes is great. 

Video: Another batshit video, it opens with a fake boxing press conference featuring Ray Mancini and Hector Camacho. I assumed this was promoting an actual fight, but it turns out they didn't fight until 1989 so I don't know why the hell this scene is in this video. The guys shit talk each other with Fat Boys on one side and Beach Boys (minus Carl but plus Brian!) on the other side. It devolves into a brawl of sorts and Brian looks real uncomfortable. If memory serves correctly, Mike Love claimed credit for LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" when he says, "I'm gonna wipe you out!" in this video. This tracks with his history of questionably taking credit for everything. 

Once the music kicks in the whole boxing thing is over and never mentioned again. The Fat Boys get in a janky limo and The Beach Boys get in a Jeep or something.  The Beach Boys then cruise around a really dreary looking NYC magically transforming random people's clothes into swimgear - stuffy yuppies, tourists, Little Italy greaseballs. The Fat Boys make it to the dreary New York beach and try to lift weights, play volleyball, and surf with less than stellar results. Back in the city, The Beach Boys are now in Time Square scratching records wearing like safari hats? The Fat Boys are back on the beach doing a great synchronized dance. It's now night time and the Fat Boys and Beach Boys are partying at the beach together. It's a lovely scene.

Song grade: B+ It's probably the only song of its kind and The Fat Boys really sell the whole endeavor with their tremendous enthusiasm. 
Video grade: B+ Fun and weird as hell. The boxing shit makes no sense and having a song about going to California beaches but setting it in a very grey and rainy New York also makes no sense, but everyone's having fun.  

Choice Youtube Comment: "One of the most unprecedented rap experiences I’ve ever had" - Thomas Worden
Brian status - I can't make out any distinct voices in the harmonies, so no idea if he's on the track. He's definitely in the video and having fun when he's not looking uncomfortable.
Mike Love venom - Pretty minimal here. He doesn't creep on girls at the beach and seems to be equally into the whole endeavor.

Next week: KOKOMO
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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It's not good, but if you go in with the attitude that it's just a weird relic it's not bad.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 4:36pm
It's not good, but if you go in with the attitude that it's just a weird relic it's not bad.
I mean that’s basically how I see most of these songs.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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matedog wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 8:29pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 4:36pm
It's not good, but if you go in with the attitude that it's just a weird relic it's not bad.
I mean that’s basically how I see most of these songs.
Some, tho, can't escape the immense gravitational pull of horrible.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 9:43pm
matedog wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 8:29pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 4:36pm
It's not good, but if you go in with the attitude that it's just a weird relic it's not bad.
I mean that’s basically how I see most of these songs.
Some, tho, can't escape the immense gravitational pull of horrible.
Nothing will be anywhere near as bad as “Happy Endings” moving forward. Except the Mike Love rap song if I get to it.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

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matedog wrote:
03 Sep 2022, 12:46am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 9:43pm
matedog wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 8:29pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
02 Sep 2022, 4:36pm
It's not good, but if you go in with the attitude that it's just a weird relic it's not bad.
I mean that’s basically how I see most of these songs.
Some, tho, can't escape the immense gravitational pull of horrible.
Nothing will be anywhere near as bad as “Happy Endings” moving forward. Except the Mike Love rap song if I get to it.
Invoked it can no longer be denied.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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