What "commemorative releases" should we expect for the 50th anniversary?

[Jim V.]

And aren't you excited that the greatest hits album that you had your panties in a wad about is also coming out soon? With some new, unreleased stuff on there!

At one point, Mr.Doe hinted at a 50-song hits set(something that neither The Beach Boys or Capitol ever officially confirmed), but where did you get the information that this project is back on again, and specifically that it will contain unreleased material?

In the latest issue of the Endless Summer Quarterly, which confirmed both the hits album (with new songs) and the box set, along with That's Why God Made the Radio.

What are the new songs ? stuff that didn't made the album or unreleased material ?

I don't think anybody knows yet. Probably stuff they recorded during the sessions for the new album and earmarked them for the greatest hits album. Who knows? Regardless, more new Beach Boys! Fine with me!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Alright dreamers: keep on dreamin'

There's no further point (at the present time) visiting here.

And yet you did.

[John Manning]

Suspect this is simply Phil's way of bumping the thread.

[seanmurd]

As of mid-June, the latest "Wall of Secrecy" has lasted six months(by contrast, the "Wall of Secrecy" during the wait for the "Smile Sessions" box lasted five months). At what point do you guys think that there would be reason for concern about the fate of the box set and "commemorative releases" ? At what point does "Dreaming" turn to "Discouragement" or "Dismay"?

There is no "wall of secrecy" at all; they are not going to talk about a hits collection or a box set when they are trying to focus on the new album.  Your "Wall of Secrecy Doomsday Clock" needs to be re-set to "0:00" on the day the new album is released.

Of course, there was no "wall of secrecy" last year either; those five months of "silence" were punctuated by brief reminders that The Smile Sessions WAS real and WAS happening -- namely, the MOJO single and the Record Store Day single. Nobody here had any doubt that TSS was going to be released in 2011 -- except you, of course. We were all wide awake, and YOU were the one who was dreaming. A nightmare, apparently, that you've slipped into again.

[Jim V.]

As of mid-June, the latest "Wall of Secrecy" has lasted six months(by contrast, the "Wall of Secrecy" during the wait for the "Smile Sessions" box lasted five months). At what point do you guys think that there would be reason for concern about the fate of the box set and "commemorative releases" ? At what point does "Dreaming" turn to "Discouragement" or "Dismay"?

There is no "wall of secrecy" at all; they are not going to talk about a hits collection or a box set when they are trying to focus on the new album.  Your "Wall of Secrecy Doomsday Clock" needs to be re-set to "0:00" on the day the new album is released.

Of course, there was no "wall of secrecy" last year either; those five months of "silence" were punctuated by brief reminders that The Smile Sessions WAS real and WAS happening -- namely, the MOJO single and the Record Store Day single. Nobody here had any doubt that TSS was going to be released in 2011 -- except you, of course. We were all wide awake, and YOU were the one who was dreaming. A nightmare, apparently, that you've slipped into again.

Seriously, its the week before the first new recordings the band has released since what, 1996, and the guy is complaining that this is all they are releasing! How dare they wait until, say, November to release archival material! And you know that even if they release "(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again", the 1974 demo of "California Feelin'", and unearth some classic previously unreleased Brian Wilson compositions, Phil will be here saying "why didn't they release the 1970 demo of "Back Home"? Why are there no Pet Sounds outtakes? Blah blah."

I guarantee he will complain when they release the all important archival material. Obviously, yes, I wanna hear the best stuff the band has in the vaults still. I cannot wait to hear things like "California Feelin'" 1974, "Where Is She", and "(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again", but I also understand that the band wants to do things on their own timeline, and as they have a brand new album out next week, I'll be okay to wait.

[Lookit]

Even in my short time (mainly lurking) on this board, it's pretty clear you are a fantasist of the highest order, Phil. Your minute credibility was torpedoed by the SMiLE release. What's diffferent this time?

[PhilCohen]

While waiting for a sluggish Amazon.com to ship my CD of the reunion album, I found an unofficial MP3 of the album on the internet, so that I could hear it. I've just finished playing it. The album is not bad; neither their best nor worst. It's consistent and melodic.

[Jim V.]

Hey, don't wanna get anybody's hopes up by bringing this thread back, but I wanted to ask the moderators if maybe we could change the title of the thread to "Commemorative release discussion and info" and pin it up in the top instead of the "new album" one, since the new album has already come and gone and now we have the box set and hits album to look forward too, and maybe other stuff (hopefully)!

Anyways, just an idea.

[John Manning]

No fault of sweetdudejim's, it's just unfortunate timing; but given the recent news about Alan Boyd maybe belay this thought until we have news of Boyd's return to fitness.

I'm sure all of us here hold the hope that any archival release will benefit from his unique expertise and insight, and that first priority should be for him to be fit and healthy, with any archival release somewhere down the list.

Plus, promoting this thread by pinning it would just give Phil an excuse to let tedium rain down upon us all! 

[Jim V.]

No fault of sweetdudejim's, it's just unfortunate timing; but given the recent news about Alan Boyd maybe belay this thought until we have news of Boyd's return to fitness.

I'm sure all of us here hold the hope that any archival release will benefit from his unique expertise and insight, and that first priority should be for him to be fit and healthy, with any archival release somewhere down the list.

Plus, promoting this thread by pinning it would just give Phil an excuse to let tedium rain down upon us all! 

Oh boy, yeah, I posted this last night before anything about Alan had come up.

[Justin]

With all the shows they've taped over the years it'd be a huge shame to let them sit in the vaults--the fanbase isn't getting any younger and any reason to hold on to them and wait for a better time would be ridiculously dumb. 

I hope the BB follow what the Stones are currently doing: to commemorate their 50th Anniversary they're releasing six (hopefully more!) never-before-released live recordings from the band's career as digital downloads.  They're remastered by Bob Clearmountain (long time engineer for the Stones) and they have been spectacular.  At $5 a download for a 2+ hour show-- it is a riduclously great deal and the fans have been eating them up.  The time for deluxe editions and huge box sets for all these live recordings are over.  Cut the costs of production (say goodbye to artwork and fancy packaging), make a few bucks out of the process and make the fans happy...that's the way to go at this point. 

[Awesoman]

With all the shows they've taped over the years it'd be a huge shame to let them sit in the vaults--the fanbase isn't getting any younger and any reason to hold on to them and wait for a better time would be ridiculously dumb.  

I hope the BB follow what the Stones are currently doing: to commemorate their 50th Anniversary they're releasing six (hopefully more!) never-before-released live recordings from the band's career as digital downloads.  They're remastered by Bob Clearmountain (long time engineer for the Stones) and they have been spectacular.  At $5 a download for a 2+ hour show-- it is a riduclously great deal and the fans have been eating them up.  The time for deluxe editions and huge box sets for all these live recordings are over.  Cut the costs of production (say goodbye to artwork and fancy packaging), make a few bucks out of the process and make the fans happy...that's the way to go at this point.  

Thanks for the tip!

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm sure all of us here hold the hope that any archival release will benefit from his unique expertise and insight, and that first priority should be for him to be fit and healthy, with any archival release somewhere down the list.

Plus, promoting this thread by pinning it would just give Phil an excuse to let tedium rain down upon us all! 

You're assuming that Alan was any part of this summer's archival releases in the first place.

[Jim V.]

I'm sure all of us here hold the hope that any archival release will benefit from his unique expertise and insight, and that first priority should be for him to be fit and healthy, with any archival release somewhere down the list.

Plus, promoting this thread by pinning it would just give Phil an excuse to let tedium rain down upon us all! 

You're assuming that Alan was any part of this summer's archival releases in the first place.

This summer's archival releases?? I assume that was a mistake, as I can't imagine anything will be out until fall. Although maaaayyyybe...

[John Manning]

I'm sure all of us here hold the hope that any archival release will benefit from his unique expertise and insight, and that first priority should be for him to be fit and healthy, with any archival release somewhere down the list.

Plus, promoting this thread by pinning it would just give Phil an excuse to let tedium rain down upon us all! 

You're assuming that Alan was any part of this summer's archival releases in the first place.

Perhaps "hoping" rather than just "assuming"! 

"Summer" was your phrase!   

[over and over]

BEACHBOYSCENTRAL.COM!!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ziggy Stardust]

BEACHBOYSCENTRAL.COM!!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what is this, don't they already have their own website

[over and over]

BEACHBOYSCENTRAL.COM!!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what is this, don't they already have their own website

Hopefuly it will be a site with instrumental mixes, alternative mixes, and unbootlegged stuff. But someone on this board said its been in the making since 2006. 

[Ziggy Stardust]

BEACHBOYSCENTRAL.COM!!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what is this, don't they already have their own website

Hopefuly it will be a site with instrumental mixes, alternative mixes, and unbootlegged stuff. But someone on this board said its been in the making since 2006. 

holy moly

[Jim V.]

BEACHBOYSCENTRAL.COM!!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what is this, don't they already have their own website

Hopefuly it will be a site with instrumental mixes, alternative mixes, and unbootlegged stuff. But someone on this board said its been in the making since 2006. 

holy moly

Don't get your hopes up. It won't happen.

[Catbirdman]

Recently, all of a sudden, I've been feeling incomplete due to the unavailability of the original mono mixes of the early albums on CD. All the details you need are here, as ever, on Andrew's site:

http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/monostereo.html

I wouldn't want to see such mixes take up precious space on the promised box set, as I'm drooling much, much more over the prospect of unreleased/unbooted material. But still, it hurts for poor sods like myself without a turntable, not having these mixes at hand. Short of getting deluxe editions of each album in mono/stereo/instrumental/vocal/outtakes format, which is the ultimate dream, it sure would be great if beachboyscentral finally got functional and offered up stuff like this.

Even more desired, of course, are new stereo mixes of '65-'67 material. Much more than mono mixes (which technically are available, if not in print), that's something you hear pop up a lot on fans' want lists. I salivate over that too, believe me. The dribs and drabs we've gotten over various compilations have been great, but to see complete albums remixed in stereo would be amazing. I say that with the acknowledgment that certain parts have been added during mixdown; yes, I understand that. So, fine: make a few tough calls here and there about how to handle that - either mix it without the added part, or try some trickery if/when it seems artistically justified.

[PhilCohen]

I'm pleased to see that the new album is doing well commercially. There's talk of a 3-album deal & 16 further unreleased songs from the recent sessions. But, in light of the commercial success of the "That's Why God Made The Radio" album, it won't surprise me if the proposed archival projects are subject to a long postponement(if they happen at all), and that Capitol might prefer more mainstream product, such as a live CD or DVD, or perhaps another 2012 studio album. From Capitol's viewpoint, as long as "That's Why God Made The Radio" is selling well, there's no need to release any additional Beach Boys product.

[John Manning]

Hey, I'm pleased that you're pleased - that's a positive take on things... Like the therapy's paying off!

I don't see any reason why Capitol should delay the archival releases beyond 2012 though. A new album would be great but I'd bet on 2013 for that, especially as the tour will wrap up in a couple of months.

Only reason for releasing a second studio album this year would be if the tour was extended further, with full tours of the Uk, Europe, NZ and Oz, Japan etc, to give them something to promote.

But I'm also reckoning on the wives having a say, and Melinda and Jackie have probably had enough of ironing Hawaiian shirts for one summer.

[PhilCohen]

But the bottom line is this: if the reunion album(and possible follow-up studio or live albums under the group's new contract with Capitol) are TOO commercially successful, it will be less likely that there will be any archival product this year. From my viewpoint, that is not a good thing. My main interest is in recordings from when The Beach Boys were in the prime of their musical lives.

There's been some references to Alan Boyd's health problems in this thread, though I don't know the specifics.  If he can't continue working on Beach Boys archival projects, an ideal replacement compiler/remixer would be Andrew Sandoval(who assembled the first edition of "Endless Harmony Soundtrack"). Sandoval would give us wider stereo separation than the Boyd/Linett team.

[ontor pertawst]

Can you imagine recuperating in the hospital, checking an online message board, and people can't wait to replace you to get "wider stereo separation?" Maybe a little tact and class for a fellow poster who is in fact a human being who has given years and years of his life in underpaid servitude to our eardrums is in order?

So you're saying if the Beach Boys are too successful this year, Capitol won't want to take advantage of that by putting out the archival products they have already paid for? That would be a first for the record biz. "We better hold on to this, it's not a good idea to release it while demand for BB product is high. Let's wait till they are flatlining and barely drawing attention except for the hardcore fanbase. That would be a great time to release an expensive  set."