# In 1966, Brian Wilson was making his masterpiece. Mike Love dismissed the lyrics immediately

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1966-brian-wilson-was-making-his-masterpiece-mike-love-dismissed-the-lyrics-immediately/
- Published: 2026-10-25T22:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-25T23:22:46+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1966-brian-wilson-was-making-his-masterpiece-mike-love-dismissed-the-lyrics-immediately/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Wilson started developing *Smile* after *Pet Sounds*.
- Mike Love said he could not relate to Van Dyke Parks’s lyrics.
- The article presents Love’s objections as one factor among several.

## Summary

Brian Wilson began developing *Smile* in 1966 after *Pet Sounds* marked a more adventurous direction for the Beach Boys. The article says the album had not sold as well as expected on release, and that Mike Love’s doubts about the new project added to the difficulties surrounding Wilson’s next work.

Love objected to lyrics by Van Dyke Parks, saying he could not relate to them and questioning the circumstances in which Wilson wrote the songs. One example was “Surf’s Up”, which the article interprets as a song about finding a connection with God through music. Love’s resistance was one source of friction, though the article also notes that Wilson’s personal struggles contributed to *Smile*’s problems.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.