Reason for the Season

{{Infobox album

| name = Reason for the Season

| type = Studio

| artist = Mike Love

| cover = Mike_Love_Reason_for_the_Season.jpg

| alt =

| released = October 26, 2018

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Christmas, pop rock

| length = 38:19

| label = BMG

| producer = Michael Lloyd, Scott Totten

| prev_title = Unleash the Love

| prev_year = 2017

| next_title = 12 Sides of Summer

| next_year = 2019

}}

Reason for the Season is the third solo studio album by American musician Mike Love, co-founder of The Beach Boys. It was released on October 26, 2018. The album contains traditional Christmas carols, new songs, and re-recordings of "Little St. Nick" (from The Beach Boys' Christmas Album) and "Alone on Christmas Day", an unreleased song recorded by The Beach Boys in 1977. The album was released on compact disc and clear vinyl with red and green splatter.{{cite web |url=http://www.elusivedisc.com/Mike-Love-Reason-For-the-Season-LP/productinfo/BMGLP84308/ |title=Mike Love Reason For the Season LP (Clear with Red & Green Splatter Vinyl) |publisher=Elusive Disc}}

The album was primarily recorded in Love's home studio on Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.{{cite news |last=Koyer |first=Kalyn Oyer |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/charleston_scene/the-beach-boys-mike-love-reminisces-on-christmases-and-lawsuits/article_eb97e078-f809-11e8-8e8c-d712f407b053.html |title=The Beach Boys' Mike Love reminisces on Christmases and lawsuits |work=Post and Courier |date=December 12, 2018}} It features Love's children — Ambha, Brian, Christian and Hayleigh — who provide choral voices on five tracks, and his sister Maureen as the harpist on "O Holy Night".{{cite web |last=Mauro |first=J-P |url=https://aleteia.org/2018/11/30/beach-boy-mike-love-is-back-with-a-new-christmas-album/ |title=Beach Boy Mike Love is back with a new Christmas album! |work=Aleteia |date=November 30, 2018}} It also features a guest appearance by Hanson on "Finally It's Christmas", the title track to their 2017 Christmas album.{{cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beach-boys-mike-love-christmas-album-727698/ |title=Beach Boys' Mike Love Preps Christmas Album 'Reason for the Season' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 21, 2018}} Earlier in 2018, Love collaborated with Hanson on a re-recording of The Beach Boys' "It's OK".{{cite magazine |last=Legaspi |first=Althea |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-mike-love-hansons-buoyant-new-rendition-of-beach-boys-its-ok-715177/ |title=Hear Mike Love, Hanson's Buoyant New Rendition of Beach Boys' 'It's OK' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=August 24, 2018}} Hanson also recorded "Little St. Nick" for their 1997 Christmas album, Snowed In.{{cite web |last=Collins |first=Arroe |url=https://player.fm/series/arroe-collins/mike-love-from-the-beach-boys-releases-reason-for-the-season-sRh1HX3Lp9FmZL2k |title=Mike Love From The Beach Boys Releases Reason For The Season |work=Player.fm |date=November 30, 2018}}

The cover photo of the Aurora Borealis was taken by Brian Love off an island in Norway.{{cite video |url=https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/video/mike-love-talks-his-new-holiday-album-reason-for-the-season/vp-BBQfIv3 |title=Mike Love Talks His New Holiday Album, 'Reason For The Season' |work=AOL Build |publisher=MSNBC |date=November 29, 2018}} The back cover features a photo of Mike Love as a child playing with Lionel Trains under a Christmas tree.{{cite news |last=Condran |first=Ed |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/article222928720.html |title=The Beach Boys bring good vibrations to Christmas classics |work=The News & Observer |date=December 13, 2018}}

Love released music videos for the title track{{cite web |last=Love |first=Mike |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OI5voRq1w |title=Reason For the Season - Mike Love |date=October 26, 2018 |via=YouTube}} and "Finally It's Christmas".{{Cite magazine |last=Graff |first=Gary |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8490830/mike-love-hanson-finally-its-christmas-video |title=The Beach Boys' Mike Love Teams With Hanson for 'Finally It's Christmas': Video Premiere |magazine=Billboard |date=December 18, 2018}}

The album reached #4 on Billboard{{'}}s Holiday Album Chart and #6 on the Independent Albums Chart. Kevin Coffey of the Omaha World-Herald included it in his list of the best new Christmas music of 2018.{{cite news |last=Coffey |first=Kevin |url=https://www.omaha.com/go/music/the-best-new-christmas-music-out-in/article_0c3ae7e5-4092-589b-82a1-a51a1b8c2d46.html |title=The best new Christmas music out in 2018 |work=Omaha World-Herald |date=November 30, 2018}}

Love and Bruce Johnston’s Beach Boys touring band performed tracks from this album during their 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022 holiday tours.{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/The-Beach-Boys-Mike-Love-to-Release-REASON-FOR-THE-SEASON-20180921 |title=The Beach Boys' Mike Love to Release REASON FOR THE SEASON |date=September 21, 2018 |work=Broadway World}}{{cite news |last=Janes |first=Theoden |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/article222716885.html |title=With Christmas and family on his mind, one Beach Boy offers 'nothing but love' to another |work=The Charlotte Observer |date=December 10, 2018}}{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Vincent |url=https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/talking-christmas-and-more-with-the-beach-boys-mike-love/Content?oid=25672647 |title=Talking Christmas and more with the Beach Boys' Mike Love |work=Charleston City Paper |date=December 12, 2018}}{{cite web |last=Weinthal |first=Dave |url=http://enigmaonline.com/2018/11/tis-the-season-for-good-vibrations-from-the-beach-boys/ |title='Tis the Season For Good Vibrations From The Beach Boys |work=Enigma |date=November 16, 2018}}