UPDATE 9/10: It appears that the mono/stereo catalogue remasters for The Beach Boys will now arrive from Capitol/EMI on October 9 in North America, alongside the two greatest hits sets, not the previously announced September 25. As of today's date, we have not confirmed any change of date for the international releases. Watch this space for any further updates!
BREAKING NEWS 8/8: The Beach Boys have announced plans for the CD and digital release of two new commemorative hits collections by Capitol/EMI on September 24th outside of North America and on October 9th in North America. 12 remastered Beach Boys studio albums will also be released by Capitol/EMI on September 24th outside of North America and on September 25th in North America.
For many years, The Beach Boys have happily embraced the title of “America’s band.” And why not? The group proved the stateside answer to the Beatles, both commercially and artistically, in the band’s heyday of the 1960s, and has rarely stopped since then in spreading the California gospel of “fun, fun, fun” to audiences worldwide. Sure, like any family, The Beach Boys have had more than their share of growing pains and rough patches. But the American spirit is embodied in The Beach Boys’ resilience, tenacity and optimism, so beautifully expressed in the band’s current, headline-making 50th Anniversary reunion tour featuring Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks, and on the band’s new album, That’s Why God Made the Radio. Late last year, Capitol Records promised “commemorative catalog releases” among the Beach Boys’ plans for 2012. Now, it has been confirmed that those releases are on the schedule!
The website of EMI Japan first revealed that exciting plans were underway. A group of twelve remastered titles were released in Japan on July 25, and these are the same reissues due in the U.S. on September 25. Ten of these albums contain both mono and stereo versions, which is particularly exciting news because many of The Beach Boys’ most enduring early classics have never before been available in true stereo. The rundown is as follows, now with pre-order links!
- Surfin’ USA (Capitol ST-1890, 1963)
- Surfer Girl (Capitol ST-1981, 1963)
- Little Deuce Coupe (Capitol ST-1998, 1963)
- Shut Down Vol.2 (Capitol ST-2027, 1964)
- All Summer Long (Capitol ST-2110, 1964)
- The Beach Boys Today! (Capitol T-2269, 1965)
- Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) (Capitol T-235, 1965)
- Beach Boys’ Party! (Capitol DMAS-2398, 1965)
- Pet Sounds (Capitol T-2458, 1966)
- Smiley Smile (Brother 9001, 1967)
- Sunflower (Brother/Reprise RS 6382, 1970)
- Surf’s Up (Brother/Reprise RS 6453, 1971)
In addition, two newly-curated compilations will also arrive from America's Band, both of which are due on October 9 in America. Greatest Hits features 20 of the band’s most popular songs, including “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” “Kokomo,” their latest single “That’s Why God Made The Radio,” and many more. (This collection offers ten fewer tracks than 2003's smash Sounds of Summer.) More enticing is Greatest Hits: 50 Big Ones. Taking its title cue from 1976's 15 Big Ones, this 2-CD deluxe set offers two tracks from 2012 hit album That's Why God Made the Radio including the title song and the new single version of "Isn't It Time?" This 2-CD box seems to have been compiled based on the band's recent concert setlists, including favorites such as "All This is That," "Add Some Music to Your Day," "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," "Cotton Fields," and "California Saga" that haven't frequently appeared on Greatest Hits sets. The inclusion of these tracks makes for a fine souvenir of the record-breaking reunion tour. The lift-top package also includes an expanded booklet with liner notes by Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild and seven postcards. (Oddly, "Be True to Your School" is on the single-disc edition, but not the 2-CD version.)
Hit the jump for more details on these upcoming reissues including full track listings for both compilations! Plus: a new Blu-Ray/DVD documentary is also on the way! And please join us for a special survey!
Every title is a 2012 remaster with the exception of Sunflower and Surf’s Up, both of which will utilize remasters created in 2009. In addition, every title will feature mono and stereo versions with the exception of the stereo-only Sunflower and Surf’s Up. Of course, eagle-eyed readers will notice that this program does not (yet) encompass every one of The Beach Boys’ classic LPs. From their first decade, the series omits the band’s very first album Surfin’ Safari (Capitol T-1808, 1962) plus The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album (Capitol ST-2164, 1964), The Beach Boys’ Concert (Capitol STAO-2198, 1964) and a trio of late-1960s, post-SMiLE underrated classics: Wild Honey (Capitol T-2859, 1967), Friends (Capitol ST-2895, 1968) and 20/20 (Capitol SKAO-133, 1969). Of course, any of these titles could be addressed in a second wave of releases, along with some beloved post-Surf’s Up albums that found the band stretching out artistically (1972’s Carl and the Passions: So Tough, 1973’s Holland and In Concert), returning to their rock-and-roll roots (1976’s 15 Big Ones) and pioneering lo-fi pop (1977’s The Beach Boys Love You). And so on and so forth…ideally, diehards would like to have every one of the band’s catalogue titles remastered to the highest, most advanced standard.
The SMiLE Sessions team of Mark Linett, Alan Boyd and Dennis Wolfe has spearheaded this campaign, and the prospect of true stereo versions of Today, Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!), Party! and Smiley Smile should already have fans of the Beach Boys salivating. While those stereo debuts may be the most enticing part of the new remastered editions, the series will also make mono versions available of those titles previously only released on CD in stereo. As seen in the photo above, the titles are also designed in the same clean style with a vertical stripe on the left as Capitol/EMI’s Beatles remastered series. The bonus tracks contained on Capitol’s last round of CD reissues have not been retained, so fans and collectors should certainly hold on to those discs.
The documentary The Beach Boys: Doin' It Again is also on the way. Featuring vintage footage as well as new interviews and concert film from 2012's tour, Doin' It Again arrives on August 28 on both DVD and Blu-ray! And that's not for all for 2012: Capitol is promising that "a career-spanning Beach Boys 50th Anniversary box set is planned for release later this year," with details to follow.
In the meantime, which Beach Boys album reissue are you most excited about? Please take a moment to respond in our survey way down below, which we began back on July 4! We just might even create a special feature on the album you select! Both compilations can be pre-ordered below, too!
The Beach Boys, Greatest Hits (Capitol/EMI, 2012)
- That’s Why God Made The Radio [That's Why God Made the Radio]
- California Girls [Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)]
- Sloop John B [Pet Sounds]
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice [Pet Sounds]
- Surfer Girl [Surfer Girl]
- Do It Again [20/20]
- Surfin’ Safari [Surfin' Safari]
- Surfin’ USA [Surfin' USA]
- Don’t Worry Baby [Shut Down, Vol. 2]
- Little Deuce Coupe [Little Deuce Coupe]
- I Get Around [All Summer Long]
- Fun, Fun, Fun [Shut Down, Vol. 2]
- Be True to Your School [Little Deuce Coupe]
- Dance, Dance, Dance [The Beach Boys Today!]
- All Summer Long [All Summer Long]
- Help Me, Rhonda [SummerDays (And Summer Nights!!)]
- Rock And Roll Music [15 Big Ones]
- God Only Knows [Pet Sounds]
- Good Vibrations [Smiley Smile]
- Kokomo [Cocktail: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
The Beach Boys, Greatest Hits: 50 Big Ones (Capitol/EMI, 2012)
CD 1
- California Girls [Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)]
- Do It Again [20/20]
- Surfin’ Safari [Surfin’ Safari]
- Catch a Wave [Surfer Girl]
- Little Honda [All Summer Long]
- Surfin’ U.S.A. [Surfin’ USA]
- Surfer Girl [Surfer Girl]
- Don’t Worry Baby [Shut Down, Vol. 2]
- Little Deuce Coupe [Surfer Girl]
- Shut Down [Surfin’ USA]
- I Get Around [All Summer Long]
- The Warmth of the Sun [Shut Down, Vol. 2]
- Please Let Me Wonder [The Beach Boys Today!]
- Wendy [All Summer Long]
- Getcha Back [The Beach Boys]
- The Little Girl I Once Knew [non-LP single, 1965]
- When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) [The Beach Boys Today!]
- It’s OK [15 Big Ones]
- Dance, Dance, Dance [The Beach Boys Today!]
- Do You Wanna Dance [The Beach Boys Today!]
- Rock And Roll Music [15 Big Ones]
- Barbara Ann [Beach Boys Party!]
- All Summer Long [All Summer Long]
- Help Me, Rhonda [Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)]
- Fun, Fun, Fun [Shut Down, Vol. 2]
CD 2
- Kokomo [Cocktail: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
- You’re So Good To Me [Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)]
- Wild Honey [Wild Honey]
- Darlin’ [Wild Honey]
- In My Room [Surfer Girl]
- All This Is That [Carl and the Passions “So Tough”]
- This Whole World [Sunflower]
- Add Some Music To Your Day [Sunflower]
- Cotton Fields [non-LP single, 1970]
- I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times [Pet Sounds]
- Sail On, Sailor [Holland]
- Surf’s Up [Surf’s Up]
- Friends [Friends]
- Heroes and Villains [Smiley Smile]
- I Can Hear Music [20/20]
- Good Timin’ [L.A. (Light Album)]
- California Saga (On My Way to Sunny Californ-i-a) [Holland]
- Isn’t It Time (single version) [original version from That’s Why God Made The Radio]
- Kiss Me, Baby [The Beach Boys Today!]
- That’s Why God Made The Radio [That’s Why God Made The Radio]
- Forever [Sunflower]
- God Only Knows [Pet Sounds]
- Sloop John B [Pet Sounds]
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice [Pet Sounds]
- Good Vibrations [Smiley Smile]
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Several Beach Boys' blogs had thought that these may have been bootlegs, but this confirms that they are legitimate releases !! Great !!!
The releases are confirmed on EMI's Japanese website. Also, preordering is available at HMV's Japan website. The price(before shipping charges) will be approximately $30-$32 per disc. It is appalling that American fans who want these first-time-in-stereo mixes("Beach Boys Party", "Summer Days...and Summer Nights", "The Beach Boys Today" & "Smiley Smile") will be scorched by Capitol's neglect of American fans. When the Japanese discs eventually appear as illegal downloads at file sharing sites & cyberlocker sites, Capitol will have themselves to blame. A complete set of the Japanese discs will cost $360, making the discs too costly for most fans.
I am astonished that The Beach Boys would permit Capitol to go ahead with the plan to release these new remixes only in Japan. While many fans probably think that the group didn't start owning their recordings until 1970's "Sunflower", in fact, a 1967 settlement of a lawsuit between the group and Capitol gave the group's "Brother Records" company the ownership of the albums from "Pet Sounds" onwards. Capitol's desire to keep the 1966-69 albums on Capitol means that the label always defers to the group's wishes, even when re-packaging the Capitol-owned 1962-1965 recordings. Brother Records is, today, the custodian of all of the multitracks & masters, even for the early Capitol-owned albums.
If Capitol is going to release these discs only in Japan, it is with The Beach Boys' permission. I'm disappointed that the group would set up their most loyal fans to be scorched on overpriced Japan-only CD product.
And the omission of "Wild Honey", "Friends" and "20/20" from the series is bizarre,
Yeah, I mean Wild Honey and 20/20 to me are phenomenal records!! and I've always loved Holland, if they were gonna stop somewhere they should've at least went to Hollland.
This is interesting, but I hope (and doubt...) it will still have the HDCD layer of the previous 2001 remasters (like for recent Neil Young remasters). If not, these 2001 remasters would still be the best sound quality available (except the Pet Sounds DVD-Audio)...
Interesting. Smiley Smile makes the cut, but Friends, 20/20, and Wild Honey do not. A bit of revisionism going on here? A little disappointing, since those three excluded albums are critical to understanding the changes to come.
I don't think it's a matter of those albums "not making the cut"; it's probably just that the remastering team hasn't yet had the chance to create a stereo Wild Honey. As for Friends and 20/20, the only real need to do reissues of these would be if there were mono mixes of these albums included. As I understand it, there are no true mono mixes of these albums in existence, and as of July 2012 there has never been a case where a mono mix of an album has been created, well after the fact, simply for a reissue CD. I find it more bizarre that Sunflower and Surf's up *have* been included in this group than I do that the three aforementioned albums have not.
I'm not sure that the problem is that the Beach Boys only wanted these mixes issued in Japan; I'd venture a guess that it's more of a situation where Japan is the only country where a label is interested in issuing these mixes.
I'll wait for the American release & announcement that all the titles...Friends, Wild Honey...20/20 ect are included!
As stated above, I strongly suspect that an announcement from Capitol U.S. will be forthcoming, if not necessarily immediate. The Beach Boys' profile is higher than ever here in America, and catalogue reissues are a stated part of the plans for the band's 50th anniversary. And I second everyone's feelings here - I, too, hope that the missing albums (especially Wild Honey, Friends and 20/20!) will also be addressed.
I would hope so, but right now Japan seems to be the only country interested in reissuing any part of the Who catalog that's not a greatest hits package. It would be great if the U.S. market treated the catalog of more of these bands with the same reverance that the Japanese have.
Relax. They'll be out here, along with a live DVD of the current tour, by the holidays. I guarantee it.
I really want the ten titles which include both stereo and mono mixes, but I think I will wait a bit to see if there is a North American release. I just can't see them being Japanese-only. I don't mind the current versions of Sunflower and Surf's Up, and I have the Caribou CDs of those as well as the LPs. So unless I hear that they sound appreciably better, I can skip them. Smiley Smile in stereo is a tantaliizing thought. Definitely the album I am most looking forward to hearing from these.
Thanks for breaking this story, and have a great July 4th!
Now, this is interesting. I'm currently building my Beach Boys on CD-Collection from the scratch and it seemed to me that the 2001 2 on 1 remasters were pretty great overall (and cheap, too). Any opinions on if these are still worth buying or if you're better off waiting for these new remasters to be released outside Japan?
Have a great July 4th!
You'd be hard-pressed to go wrong with any of those '01 remasters, Conny. That said, the new stereo mixes of the previously-unavailable titles might make these worthwhile as well as the general sound upgrade that could be expected from a 2011 remaster by talented engineers. On the other hand, it remains to be seen whether the (very significant) bonus material on the '01s will be repeated on the new versions. So...it might just come down to personal preference, once all is said and done! Hope this helps, and Happy 4th!
The new Japanese remasters won't have the previously unreleased songs and versions which were added to the 1990/2001 twofers as bonus tracks. Incidentally, I prefer the sound on the 1990 versions of the twofers, versus the brighter E.Q. on the 2001 remasters.
There are 2 albums in my opinion that still need better remasters: Wild Honey and Friends. Both of them sound murky and lack dynamics. I don't know whether the original vinyls had the same problem, but I still don't like them how they are right now.
I always thought Wild Honey had a raw organic sound-
"From their first decade, the series omits ..." I'm not sure who this might matter to, but you omitted "Stack-O-Tracks".
Hey Derek! Indeed, I didn't mention S-O-T, placing it in the "compilation" category alongside the contemporary Greatest Hits volumes, etc. (Though it's certainly a unique compilation!) But I would be first on line for a remaster, as it's still one of the most fascinating and instructive ways to appreciate Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys' talents. Thanks for keeping us honest! 🙂
I'm afraid I don't see the appeal in 2012 stereo mixes of albums that were only mixed in mono originally
Lookin' forward to hearing the different Beach Boys mixes on CD! I live in Japan, so this go straight to the top of my 'to buy' list. Last month, reissues of the first five Byrds albums cropped up, sporting remastered versions of both mono and stereo mixes plus a few bonus tracks. Of course, the mono mixes are difficult to find outside of vinyl reissues, but it's also worth noting that the reissues have the original stereo mixes, which is very groovy. The common 90's reissues have remixes from the 90's.
There was also a singles comp released with the first five BYrds albums, Original Singles A's & B's 1965 - 1971, which has all the single mixes.
I was just about to order all 12 from HMV Japan but when the total came to about $460 I had second thoughts. I'd hate to order these from Japan if they are coming out here in the USA. But on the other hand, releases like this are sometimes very limited and I'd hate to miss these...I don't know what to do at this point......
I can't believe that Capitol won't release these here. It has already hinted that it will in connection with the 50th. I suspect October or November, just in time for you-know-what.
It is apparent, that, just as it was during the development of the "Smile Sessions" box, that Capitol Records and/or The Beach Boys' company "Brother Records" are keeping absolute secrecy by keeping all of the participants in these archival projects under confidentiality contracts, but now the crucial time has come where the continuation of this wall of secrecy is very obviously going to hurt the interests of the fans, particularly if the fans pay over $400 for a set of these Japanese discs, only to find out that they get released in the U.S.A. 4 to 6 months later.
At this point, 2 of the 3 Japanese online dealers that have english language ordering and can ship to the U.S.A., are not listing these CD's for preorder. Maybe that is for the best. I've done my part to support the recording career of The Beach Boys, starting in January 1968, when I bought the L.P. "Wild Honey", buying all previous and subsequent albums. From original 1960's vinyl, to 1980's Japanese CD's(one album per disc & no bonus tracks), to the 1990 U.S.A. "Two-fer" CD's & the 2001 remasters of the "twofers", I've bought each 1960's Beach Boys album four times, excepting "Pet Sounds", which I've bought EIGHT TIMES(original 1960's "Duophonic" vinyl, original Japan mono CD + 2 bonus tracks, U.S.A. mono CD with 3 bonus tracks, "Pet Sounds Sessions" box set, DVD-Audio, mono/stereo twofer CD, 40th anniversary CD + DVD set & 21st Century green + yellow color vinyl 2-L.P. set),...... but this scheme to release these new remasters & remixes only in Japan is nothing less than scorching the fans.
I will have no moral qualms about obtaining these new remixes as FLAC Files from cyberlocker sites.
With all respect, nobody is scorching anybody. These Japanese sellers just jumped the gun. As I recall, you also predicted that the prerelease publicity for Smile was a cruel hoax on the fans and that Smile would never come out. How did that work out for you? Relax and give that crystal ball a good cleaning.
Bill, it was EMI's own Japanese language website that announced the CD series and a late July 2012 release. Nobody "jumped the gun".
You only get scorched if you buy into rumors, ala the Great Beatles Mono Box Scare of 2009, and grossly overpay for the Japanese imports. They WILL come out here, I suspect, in coordination with the 50th tour live DVD, before the holidays. They wouldn't have done all of the remastering and Beatles reissu-like cover designs without a worldwide release. It would make no business sense to do so.
But Capitol and/or their parent company EMI Music Worldwide could clarify the situation, but they refuse to do so. In December 2011, Capitol promised 50th anniversary archival CD product, and 7 months later, they maintain an airtight Wall of Secrecy, and refuse to reveal anything, or to clarify fan misapprehension(if it indeed is a misapprehension) that these new stereo remixes will be released only in Japan.
This is your Great Smile Hoax redux. You know what happens when we assume.
Over and out.
Bill - I hope so !! It would make a nice Christmas present -- to myself !!! Haha !
In retrospect the most important and best Beach Boys albums- Surfin USA, Surfer Girl, Lil Deuce Coupe, All Summer Long, Today, Summer Days, Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Surfs Up, Holland and Love You.
Surfin Safari their debut was good but not the best, Shut Down Vol2 was good but stood out as being their only only early album that didnt make the top top (I'm guessing due to the emergence of the British Invasion), So Tough was an ok album, not great, 15 Big Ones was great, but really only half on a new album at the time, and every album post-77 was very hit&miss.
Greatest rock band of all time, period. Them and the Ramones.
The Beatles, the Stones, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, The Band, E-Street Band, and Heartbreakers would all like to have a word with you.
I'm not gonna undermine the Beatles but for christ sake they were the most overrated act in the history of show biz, to this day they get waaaayy too much credit. The Grateful Dead are beyond awful, probably the worst group ever along with Zeppelin. I mean we're talkin bout rock n' roll here! The Dead are as far from rock n roll as you can get! They were psychedelic hippie jam band acid rock trash, just terrible. Vietnam really screwed up the climate of pop music in the late 60s/early 70s- thank god punk came along and got things back on track-
After going to see them (5th row, baby--awesome show!) this summer, I told my wife that the Beach Boys were truly America's most popular band ever, and probably it's greatest. She said, "What about Dylan, Springsteen, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson and others?" I said "Band, not performer." She thought about it some more and, although she's not actually much of a fan, the only name she could come up with to fit into both those categories (most popular and greatest) was the E Street Band.
I told her I thought that was cheating a bit, since (a) some of Bruce's best albums weren't with the E Street Band (Nebraska, Tunnel of Love), and (b) is Bruce really a member of the E Street Band, or is it him _and_ the E Street Band? I would agree that the quality of The Band as important, influential musicmakers may be similar, although much shorter-lived. The others like the Allman Brothers, the Heartbreakers, the Dead, the Ramones, REM--while I enjoy them all--just aren't/weren't at the same level of popularity, greatness, or hit-making as the Beach Boys.
@Joshua, to each their own but to say the Dead aren't rock & roll is just absurd, naive, and plain wrong. If anything, they melded more styles of what makes rock & roll together than just about any band in rock history. Sorry that you think it's trash, but you clearly haven't heard much beyond maybe a handful or radio songs or something. Any band that could play like they did for, for as long as they did, in as many styles as they did and play the marathon shows they did, has to be considered among the great rock bands ever.
If nothing, listen to the show where the Beach Boys joined them onstage at the Fillmore East back in the early 70's. The "Boys" just aren't in the Dead's league, and it clearly shows. The Beach Boys short little ditties are incredibly overrated, once you got beyond some of the catchy 60s hits, the Pet Sounds album, and a smattering of other lesser known tracks. Take Brian Wilson out of the mix, and there just isn't much left. The Beach Boys could sing and harmonize, whereas the Dead didn't do that terribly well. But the Beach Boys sure as hell couldn't play like the Dead. come to think of it, I heard Graham Nash say that about the Dead once. CSN helped work with the Dead on getting the harmonies right for Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. He said "They couldn't sing like us, but we sure couldn't play like them." Amen.
Further... Don't even think of calling the Beatles "the most overrated act in the history of show biz" and then try to defend the Beach Boys after that. That's a joke, right? If anything, it's the Beach Boys that are ridiculously overrated, and if it weren't for what the Beatles were doing, Wilson might not have even come up with the one truly great (but still a bit overrated) Beach Boys album: Pet Sounds.
The Vietnam War did a lot of damage, BTW, but not on music... A lot of the music from that era, much of it written as response to the atrocities of that misguided war, remains some of the best, most enduring pop music ever. Punk took things back to the basics, maybe, but was more about attitude than actual talent or musicianship. Lots of overrated crap from the punk era, little of it offering any lasting value and most of it just a bunch of posturing, posing and stupid haircuts to hide the fact that most of those bands (apart from maybe The Clash) really didn't stand for anything.
So, basically, I don't think we should hang out, or make each other any mix CDs, anymore.
Phil, when you say the label has "refused" to release details of the releases, who's asked it to? Have you been in touch with its press dept staff members to specifically request information, and they've said "no"?
John,
We now know, that during the development of the "Smile Sessions" box, that total secrecy was maintained by having all of the box set project's participants gagged by confidentiality contracts, and it is likely that it is the same situation for the 50th Anniversary archival projects. It is also possible that the uncertain future of EMI Records(whether the EMI & Capitol labels will continue to exist if European & American regulatory agencies approve the takeover by Universal Music) may have these projects in limbo.
Or, Capitol has decided to release these closer to the holidays to maximize their sales. It reasonably doesn't want to dilute the sales of TWGMTR (perhaps learning from how releasing Greatest Hits soon after Pet Sounds came out in May 1966 killed the sales of the latter). I doubt there are confidentiality agreements and intrigue. As was the case when last year, Phil demanded a statement from Capitol listing the Smile tracks, the label owes us nothing but quality product, which it appears we will be getting soon.
Yes, we'll be getting product soon.....very pricey & scarce Japanese discs, which, with the yen to dollar exchange rate will cost Americans $33 per disc(before shipping). Those who can't afford the more than $400 for a set of these discs will be served by illegal downloads. I fail to see how Capitol, EMI or The Beach Boys will benefit by the situation being set up by the Japan-only release of these discs.
One last time: they will be released worldwide (including in Phil's village) by the end of the year. IMO, buying the expensive Japanese versions now would be crazy.
It is always possible that Capitol may yet render the Japanese discs(and the unofficial downloads) obsolete by releasing U.S.A. or European discs that would contain all of the material from the Japanese discs.....and more. That's my hope. I still don't understand The Beach Boys & Capitol's obsession with secrecy. Most labels build up months of pre-release publicity in advance of archival releases, but the Capitol/Beach Boys strategy is defiant silence & anti-promotion. To me, these are bad vibrations.
Defiant silence? It's July. They'll undoubtedly be out in a few months. The promotional press release will be out in due course (just like, as you may recall, it did for Smile). Have a beer. Go to the pool. Relax. The only obsession seems to be originating...well, you know.
Just Vote Surfer Girl.Just Watch Beach Boys Old Friends Together Wow The Best Is Amazing.
So...should this serve as any indication (especially wtih Daltrey and Townshend touring the US this fall) that any of the Japan-only Who vault releases of recent years will be issued stateside as well?
I can't see why there would be any connection as the Who are on a different label. It would be nice since I just spent $150 for three Who discs from Japan and would like to complete the collection under a tight budget.
But, in the meantime, with regard to the Beach Boys, I say Wahooooo! Can't wait to get these. Most of the talk on the 'net has been with regard to the new stereo mixes, but I am actually most looking forward to the previously-unreleased-on-CD vintage mono mixes.
I firmly believe that anything is possible, Hank, but I haven't heard anything. I was certain the Beach Boys titles would arrive in the U.S. because reissues were confirmed from the very first reunion announcement, and the catalogue overhaul was simply too major to be relegated to Japan only. (Not that the Japanese Who titles haven't been largely exceptional. If I ruled the world...)
I am surprised that the two Greatest Hits comps don't appear to have any new/alternate songs to entice the collectors. All the previous comps over the past 10 years have had some unreleased or remixed songs to get us to buy again, but I don't see anything on these two. Just as well, since I will already be getting 12 Beach Boys CDs. Maybe Capitol and the Beach Boys are taking mercy on their fans? 🙂
The new single mix (apparently with some new lyrics, too, per Mike Love) of "Isn't It Time" is about the only "carrot" for collectors on the 2-CD edition, though I the presence of some of the lesser-known songs from this recent tour is pretty cool, especially for casual fans who might not have CARL AND THE PASSIONS, HOLLAND, etc.
I missed the single mix. I guess I'll be picking that up as well. You're right, it is nice to have some of the deeper cuts from their 70s material. Is this two disc set the "career-spanning box set" that was promised to us last December? I was picturing more of an up-dated version of the '93 Good Vibrations-30 Years of... box. At any rate, I am very happy with what is coming out.
A box set is still forthcoming, but Capitol Records refuses to reveal anything about it.
Wow. No bonus tracks, albums split up, unnecessary stereo mixes, and prices currently set at almost $20. And they're probably in those terrible cardboard sleeves.
Why am I supposed to be excited about this again?
Wow. A U.S. release of all of the Japanese reissues. Didn't see that one coming!
lol (yes, I read your post above).
One man's "unnecessary stereo mixes" are another man's VERY NECESSARY stereo mixes! Namely, THIS man!
Agree. I don't hate mono, but I don't care for it. Stereo or multi-channel for me.
What are those prices? 20$ per CD? It's ridiculous! The Beatles' remesters are about 15 per CD. Also, why isn't there a box set of all the reissues avaliable? If none of this changes, it'd be extremely dissapointing.
Hey there! It's par for the course for Amazon to lower prices as the release date nears. I'd say it's very likely that the price of these Beach Boys reissues will get lower, too, as September draws closer.
Thanks. I hope so. You think they'll release a box set too?
They also like to do "exclusive" boxed sets with releases like this...I see a slipcased all-encompassing set coming down the pike...
As Royal Scam mentions, I wonder whether they will put out an all-encompassing box set at some point (with overpriced autographs to boot!). Some recent points of comparison:
- John Lennon's remasters came out at the same time in a box set and separately.
- Tony Bennett's only came in the expensive box set.
- The Beatles's stereos came in both at once, but the monos only in the box.
- Paul McCartney's have been dribbling out, so we'll see whether they eventually are released all together at some point, but they have those expensive deluxe editions as well.
- Frank Sinatra's Reprise reissues (not remasters, mostly) came out in Europe only individually, and then all together in a box, although it was far less than a deluxe box, as it was (IMHO) cheaply put together.
- Elvis had a deluxe box set only but no individual releases (AFAIK).
I know there were others that I didn't buy and don't know about, like Led Zeppelin. Any others?
So I'd say it is far from certain that we will get a career-spanning, all-inclusive box set. Possible but not clear. Of the ones above, only Tony Bennett's had an autographed edition available--for $100 more! They should have had it go to charity and they would have sold more of the deluxe edition.
At the Beach Boys concerts this summer, they have sold a program autographed by the 5 of them ($100, versus $30 for the unsigned one) and also a CD signed by all 5. That was just $10, but you had to buy 9 unsigned ones for $10 as well, so $100 for 10 CDs. I sold the other 9 on Amazon Marketplace for about $70 total and ended up with a signed CD for $30. Compare that to the deluxe version of TWGMTR on their website that includes an autographed poster for $500!
I can see a store like Target or Best Buy offering special pricing on these CD's when they first come out - something along the line of what they did when the Beatles' remasters came out. I can't see stores like these offering these for $20 a pop initially - they'll be on sale - you'll see !!!
It makes no sense that they're reissuing Party but not Wild Honey, 20/20 and Holland! Who agrees?
Philip Cohen said: "A box set is still forthcoming, but Capitol Records refuses to reveal anything about it."
The press release of Aug 8 included the following "A career-spanning Beach Boys 50th Anniversary box set is planned for release later this year by Capitol/EMI. Details about the special commemorative release will be announced soon."
So Capitol has released a little info about it, with promise of more to follow. At the moment they are focusing on the releases for September, and I imagine in early October we will get info about the box which will ship late November, early December for holiday giving.
I read the replies back in July when this first appeared, and just re-read them now with bated breath to see whether Phil ordered the Japanese releases before this announcement--but all in vain. Did you, Phil? Hopefully not.
In the meantime, I am disappointed about the $19.57 price tags, but I assume they will drop and so will wait for that before pre-ordering (and yes, i know about Amazon's pre-order low price guarantee).
I ordered 3 of the Japanese CD's through a Taiwanese dealer. I'm expecting that they will arrive next week.
There are too many posts here to roll back and read em all. What is the packaging on these album reissues? Digi-pak or Cardboard sleeve replicas?
I believe the Beach Boys remasters will be housed in digipaks similar to EMI's recent releases from The Beatles, John Lennon, etc.
@ "shaun"- I'm not gonna deny that the grateful dead played a lot of shows, I am fully aware that they performed more than anyone BUT it doesn't change the fact that their music was terrible (and yes I am very familiar with it) and that the whole deadhead camaraderie, meaning their fan-base was/is a bunch of mindless drugged out hippie scum.
If you think the beach boys are overrated and are putting a godawful group like the grateful dead above them then you are obviously a poseur. and not a music aficionado by any means. I get such a kick out of the some of the bs relies people give me when I elaborate on whathaveyou.
Anyone who undermines the beach boys and brian wilson in particular is a sad asinine individual.
And when have I hung out or traded music with you? HA
Most of The Beach Boys mono / stereo reissues have dropped to $16.90 at Amazon already. Still pricey considering I've bought each one of these titles twice in the CD era already.
I predict that they will wind up at about $10 by the time of release (If not on Amazon, at least at other retailers such as Best Buy or Target).
I have nothing on which to base this prediction but cock-eyed optimism!
Add me to the list of people hoping that the individual titles are packaged together in a box that makes it more cost-effective than purchasing them separately.
I'm currently in the process of revisiting their catalog and writing about the process at my blog (so far I've gotten through the first six, and will be spending this week with the next few, through "Pet Sounds"), and my BB collection consists of the 1990 Capitol editions and the 2000 Brother Records reissues of the later titles (mostly 2-fers). Now that I'm really getting into some of the early titles (especially "Surfer Girl"), I'd love to get a sonic upgrade for a decent price. The fact that so many of their albums are only 25 minutes long makes it hard to justify spending $10 or more for music I already own. "Hard to justify"...but not impossible.
Thanks for the update, guys. With that revised release date of October 9 now, we'll be getting into the holiday season. Is there any chance a collector's box set with all of the remasters sees the light of day this year? Or will they wait until the individual titles sell for a while before doing that? I will hold out for a while before buying any of them.
I hope Joe & Mike don't mind me doing a little self-promotion here. I've now worked my way through "Wild Honey" and have written four posts about the Beach Boys catalog so far. I'll be adding another one in the next day or two, covering their last four releases for Capitol in the '60s. I'm getting into the portion of their catalog that I don't know very well (other than a few songs on each album), so it should be very enlightening for me. Please stop by and let me know what you think. Over the next month or so I'll be revisiting the remainder of their officially recorded output. Thanks!
Post-script: Best Buy has them for $9.99, free shipping, out October 9.
Bill - Thanks for the info on Best Buy having them for $9.99 ! I was able to pick up the 8 that I was missing (I had bought 4 of the Japanese versions) - much appreciated !!
I do have to say that the Japanese versions are much better quality digipacks - but then that's always the way with Japanese CD's - they always issue top notch product.
Rich
My pleasure. Glad it worked out for you. I assumed that those interested in the releases by posting here had subscribed to further postings. $9.99 is a pretty attractive price, considering what the Japanese versions fetched. Enjoy!