New Beach Boys 2012 Remasters!

[The Shift]

I almost bought two or three of these, I have some amazon gift cards but apparently they're only applicable to amazon.com and not the international affiliates. 33 dollars an album is just so expensive, why is the exchange rate so skewed?

I'm not terribly good at exchange rates but looking at other CDs available in Japan, I think these are going to be expensive even for the Japanese.

[Shady]

I purchased all but Surfer Girl, Surf's Up, and Sunflower (I plan on picking these up at some point as well) and they are en route.  Estimated delivery is Thursday.  I'll share my thoughts when I give these a listen.

Now that's a fan.

Lucky you 

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I purchased all but Surfer Girl, Surf's Up, and Sunflower (I plan on picking these up at some point as well) and they are en route.  Estimated delivery is Thursday.  I'll share my thoughts when I give these a listen.

Now that's a fan.

Lucky you 

No, lucky us. Now we have our source!

[EgoHanger1966]

You can get a little bit of a bigger look at what they look like if you search Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item4605ebc1ac&item=300747047340&nma=true&pt=Music_CDs&rt=nc&si=wYJ3SlKST7Q4RjYRk%252Fd0%252Bcd9hqU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

[sea of tunes]

I purchased all but Surfer Girl, Surf's Up, and Sunflower (I plan on picking these up at some point as well) and they are en route.  Estimated delivery is Thursday.  I'll share my thoughts when I give these a listen.

I appreciate that.  Would you also mind snapping a few pics? 

Just ordered Pet Sounds, myself.

[anazgnos]

I almost bought two or three of these, I have some amazon gift cards but apparently they're only applicable to amazon.com and not the international affiliates. 33 dollars an album is just so expensive, why is the exchange rate so skewed?

I'm not terribly good at exchange rates but looking at other CDs available in Japan, I think these are going to be expensive even for the Japanese.

It's a truism that everything in Japan is more expensive.  This has a lot to do with why Japanese music retail is as unique and active as it is - i.e., why albums often have exclusive tracks when released in Japan, and why so many unique reissues and remasters and repackages are produced exclusively in Japan - in an effort to try to keep the money within the Japanese music industry, when buying imports from the US or Europe might be cheaper.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Well, the day's come...

LEGGO INTERNET! HURRY!

[Zach95]

I've decided I'm going to hear them first, then order them if they're really something.

[EgoHanger1966]

Here's a (twitter?) feed from a guy in Japan who bought at least the Today! remaster.

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/kotag4/20120724/1343131236

[Awesoman]

I would be highly interested in purchasing one of these CD's but am hesitant to do so since we haven't heard what they're releasing the U.S. yet.  Hurry up already Capitol!

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

New Find...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-CARL-WILSON-YOUNGBLOOD-BEACH-BOYS-JAPAN-MINI-LP-Blu-spec-CD-/271010353759?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item3f1979d25f#ht_1640wt_1396

Edit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-BRUCE-JOHNSTON-GOING-PUBLIC-BEACH-BOYS-JAPAN-MINI-LP-Blu-spec-CD-/300736233902?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item460546c1ae#ht_1600wt_1396
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-DENNIS-WILSON-PACIFIC-OCEAN-BLUE-JAPAN-BLU-SPEC-MINI-LP-2-CD-BEACH-BOYS-/230820174301?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item35bdf459dd#ht_3107wt_1163

[PhilCohen]

New Find...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-CARL-WILSON-YOUNGBLOOD-BEACH-BOYS-JAPAN-MINI-LP-Blu-spec-CD-/271010353759?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item3f1979d25f#ht_1640wt_1396

Edit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-BRUCE-JOHNSTON-GOING-PUBLIC-BEACH-BOYS-JAPAN-MINI-LP-Blu-spec-CD-/300736233902?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item460546c1ae#ht_1600wt_1396
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-DENNIS-WILSON-PACIFIC-OCEAN-BLUE-JAPAN-BLU-SPEC-MINI-LP-2-CD-BEACH-BOYS-/230820174301?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item35bdf459dd#ht_3107wt_1163

Just returning here briefly to explain that Blu-Spec CD's are a Japan-only audiophile product, in which the CD "Glass Master" was etched with a Blue Laser, for more accurately shaped data pits, leading(so they claim) to more accurate data retrieval during playback. The CD's themselves are regular CD's with a regular aluminum reflective surface. Does Blu-Spec technology yield better sound(versus non-Blu-Spec editions)? I'm not convinced. Most of the audio improvements that you'll hear is due to to Japanese remastering.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Thanks for the info man, might jump for one of those after the box comes out haha!

[Quzi]

Just listened to the instrumental Do You Wanna Dance stereo mix. I have high hopes that this has the potential to be the best thing ever.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Guys like OMGZ I justs checks pirate bay and rid not der!!


Lol... But honestly, hurry up Japan...

[hypehat]

Guys like OMGZ I justs checks pirate bay and rid not der!!


Lol... But honestly, hurry up Japan...

Maybe they are so good they are physically unable to upload them from sonic ecstasy.....


Actually, maybe they should hurry the f*** up.

[Mark H]

New Find...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-CARL-WILSON-YOUNGBLOOD-BEACH-BOYS-JAPAN-MINI-LP-Blu-spec-CD-/271010353759?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item3f1979d25f#ht_1640wt_1396

Edit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-BRUCE-JOHNSTON-GOING-PUBLIC-BEACH-BOYS-JAPAN-MINI-LP-Blu-spec-CD-/300736233902?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item460546c1ae#ht_1600wt_1396
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-DENNIS-WILSON-PACIFIC-OCEAN-BLUE-JAPAN-BLU-SPEC-MINI-LP-2-CD-BEACH-BOYS-/230820174301?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item35bdf459dd#ht_3107wt_1163

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,13079.msg288986.html#msg288986

Got the POB mini LP a few weeks ago.  Not really that special as other mini LPs because the normal Legacy release of the album was amazing in terms of packaging etc but nice to have a POB that fits with my Beach Boys mini LPs

[PhilCohen]

The release of the 12 Japanese CD's(and they HAVE been released; amazon.co.jp lists them as "In Stock") has created two possible scenarios, neither of which is beneficial to EMI or The Beach Boys, specifically:

A. Non-Japanese fans will pay $400 to $450(or the equivalent in European currencies), plus shipping to buy the 12 CD's. This will take enormous amounts of money out of fans pockets; money that could have been spent on EMI's British, European or American CD product, and the Japanese discs will not generate any more artist or song publishing royalties for The Beach Boys, then what would have been generated by reasonably priced £12 British CD's or $14 American CD's.
or....
B. Fans will illegally download the music, possibly damaging the sales potential of possible future releases in other territories, that is, unless EMI & Capitol eventually(and soon) render the Japanese discs obsolete by releasing U.S.A.,UK or European editions that contain everything from the Japanese releases and more(I.E. bonus tracks)

But I must make you fans aware of an impending situation which makes the future of the EMI & Capitol labels(and hence 50th anniversary archival releases) uncertain. Citicorp(parent company of Citibank) is the present-day owner of EMI Music Worldwide & EMI Music Publishing, after Citicorp seized the companies from Guy Hands' "Terra Firma" equity firm, when "Terra Firma" could not keep up a schedule of loan payments to Citicorp. / Citicorp has now inked deals to sell EMI Music Worldwide to the French company Vivendi Universal(owner of Universal Music) and a separate deal to sell EMI Music Publishing to Sony Music. Each deal is subject to anti-trust regulatory approval by The European Union, The U.S.A. & Australia, and the hearings to either approve or veto the sales occur in that order. While the deal to sell the song publishing company to Sony Music has now cleared almost all regulatory hurdles and seems likely to happen, the situation with EMi Music Worldwide is very uncertain. Vivendi Universal has agreed to pay Citicorp $1.6 billion, whether regulators approve the deal or not. Citicorp may yet get away like a bandit, having their cake and eating it too. They may get to keep EMI Music Worldwide and the $1.6 billion. That is the best scenario for music fans, and the continued existence of the EMI & Capitol labels, and the release schedules of those labels. Already European regulators (and a number of independent labels) have balked at the sale to Vivendi Universal. Vivendi Universal has now offered concessions, including Vivendi Universal offering(that if the deal is approved) that Vivendi Universal will sell off several EMi labels(Blue Note, Virgin & Chrysalis) and one of Universal's labels(Sanctuary Music). Whether this will be enough to appease European regulators remains to be seen.

If the deal is approved, it is uncertain whether Vivendi Universal will continue the EMI & Capitol labels, or merely absorb their back catalogues into the Mercury, Island, Geffen or Polydor labels. Such a reorganization of the EMI & Capitol back catalogues could put archival product by The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and other major EMI back catalogue artists in a prolonged limbo, which could mean no archival product for the Christmas market.

It is possible that the reason why these 12 CD's were released only in Japan, is because they were the only EMI affiliate who could rapidly press and release the discs on short notice, before the hearings on the sale of EMI Music worldwide to Vivendi Universal begin in August. These discs are a possible last gasp of Beach Boys archival product from Capitol Records as we have known it.

On the subject of the 12 Japanese CD's, 3 of them are utterly pointless. Do we need another stereo/mono twofer of "Pet Sounds", this time with no bonus tracks. And what is the point of separate CD's of "Sunflower" & "Surf's up"(and with no bonus tracks) after fans already own a twofer CD with both albums on one disc?  Am I going to spend $400(plus shipping) to have these 12 discs sent from Japan? As we say in my part of the world, "No way Jose' "

If The Beach Boys & Capitol Records want to have some 50th Anniversary archival CD product on American, British or European dealer shelves this year, then it is essential that they move it into production in the next 1 to 2 months. There's not much time remaining to play games.

[ontor pertawst]

Japan reacts, part 2:

[sea of tunes]

Phil, Luvox.

[hypehat]

Phil, I am 100% sure that recorded music will not die.

[EgoHanger1966]

Phil, I am 100% sure that recorded music will not die.

Don't feed da troll.

[hypehat]

Phil, I am 100% sure that recorded music will not die.

Don't feed da troll.

But how often do I get to type phrases like "Phil, I am 100% sure that recorded music will not die"?

[PhilCohen]

You guys are still under the hypnotic spell of your ringleader Mr.Doe, parroting his every word.

[PhilCohen]

Phil, I am 100% sure that recorded music will not die.

I'm not saying that it will, but a takeover of EMI Music Worldwide by Vivendi Universal could cause many release plans to be put on hold, until the new owner decides what they want to do with their new property.