Making An Alternate Album With Beach Boys 1985 and Brian Wilson 1988

[kwebb]

While many people have tried making alternate tracklists blending BB85 and Still Cruisin', the idea never seemed to work for me. The production just sounded too different. The closes thing production-wise to BB85, at least to me, is Brian's 1988 solo album. It's tricky, but I think I've made a decent album out of the two albums:

Side 1
Getcha Back
It's Gettin' Late
Walkin' the Line
Melt Away
She Believes In Love Again
It's Just a Matter of Time
One For the Boys

It kind of works, but I think it could be better. I'm posting this because I want to see what other people on this board can come up with.
Side 2
Love and Mercy
Where I Belong
I Do Love You
Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
Rio Grande

[Lonely Summer]

I'd come up with something like this:
Getcha Back
It's Gettin' Late
Melt Away
Maybe I Don't Know
There's So Many

California Calling
Let it Shine
I'm So Lonely
Where I Belong
I Do Love You
Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight
and on a bonus 7-inch...
Rio Grande

[Smilin Ed H]

Brian's album with the Boys' vocals and Where I Belong and It's Gettin' Late. I wouldn't touch the rest of 85 with a bargepole

[bringahorseinhere?]

'still cruisin' should have ditched the old stuff, and included 'rock n roll to the rescue', 'laby liberty', 'California dreamin', kokomo (Spanish), even
'runaway' live would have been better...... they would have had a complete 'original' Lp as opposed to some new stuff with some hits.
There was enough in the BB or BW cannon to make this a great album.
To this day, who actually plays this to hear the old hits?

[Sheriff John Stone]

The Beach Boys - Getcha Back

Side A
01  Getcha Back
02  California Calling
03  One For The Boys
04  Love And Mercy
05  Let It Shine
06  Where I Belong

Side B
07  Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
08  It's Gettin' Late
09  Melt Away
10  She Believes In Love Again
11  Rio Grande
 

[TimeToGetAlone]

A1: Love and Mercy
A2: California Calling
A3: Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight
A4: Male Ego
A5: There's So Many
A6: Rio Grande

B1: Getcha Back
B2: Walkin' the Line
B3: It's Gettin' Late
B4: Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
B5: Where I Belong
B6: Melt Away

[yonderhillside]

1. Love And Mercy
2. Getcha Back
3. Melt Away
4. Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
5. Crack At Your Love
6. Little Children
7. Water Builds Up
8. One For The Boys
9. California Calling
10. There's So Many
11. Being With The One You Love
12. Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
13. Rio Grande

[Lonely Summer]

Brian and Carl should have made an album together, but Landy probably wouldn't have allowed that.

[KDS]

'still cruisin' should have ditched the old stuff, and included 'rock n roll to the rescue', 'laby liberty', 'California dreamin', kokomo (Spanish), even
'runaway' live would have been better...... they would have had a complete 'original' Lp as opposed to some new stuff with some hits.
There was enough in the BB or BW cannon to make this a great album.
To this day, who actually plays this to hear the old hits?

I couldn't agree more.  I actually like the new tracks on Still Cruisin, with the exception of Wipe Out.  I think it's miles better than BB85. 

Maybe one day, we'll see an expanded version with the tracks you mentioned, and maybe even Crocodile Rock and Problem Child for completists sake.  But, I'm not holding my breath. 

[The_Beach]

how about adding At The Hop or some other unreleased material from the early  mid 80s would have been better then some of the songs on that album

[kwebb]

how about adding At The Hop or some other unreleased material from the early  mid 80s would have been better then some of the songs on that album

Because I'm using a lot of the early 80's stuff for an early 80's alternate album, and At the Hop makes California Calling look like Mozart.

[Smilin Ed H]

how about adding At The Hop or some other unreleased material from the early  mid 80s would have been better then some of the songs on that album

Because I'm using a lot of the early 80's stuff for an early 80's alternate album, and At the Hop makes California Calling look like Mozart.

Too right. I think we're getting into difficult territory where, taking a serious view of the Beach Boys canon, we end up elevating passable stuff to works of art.

Leave BW88 as it is.

If you could do something about the awful differences in production sounds, here's one last post LA, pre TWGMTR album with the magical 12 track line-up:

01.  Strange Things Happen
02.  Somewhere Near Japan
03.  Where I Belong
04.  Chasin' the Sky
05.  It's Gettin' Late
06.  Santa Ana Winds
07.  Goin' On
08.  She Believes in Love Again
09.  Soul Searchin'
10.  You're Still a Mystery
11.  Male Ego (or Oh Lord, if it really was recorded)
12.  Don't Fight The Sea (a bit of a cheat, but...)

[The_Beach]

the unreleased song Turning Point from 1986 would make a perfect fit on The Beach Boys Album 1985. Almost sounds like it was intended for the album! Great song! I would love to see this song released!

https://youtu.be/EmCLBan2kcM

[kwebb]

12.  Don't Fight The Sea (a bit of a cheat, but...)

Don't Fight the Sea seems to be a bit of a wild card when people on here put together alternate albums, so it's fine. I'm using it for an 81 alternate album, but I've seen people use it for all kinds of things. Some people put it on TWGMTR or L.A, and I've even seen people make a 90's reunion album with Don't Fight the Sea on it.

[Sheriff John Stone]

So kwebb, are you sticking with your above ^ track lineup/sequence, or did you do some tweaking?

[kwebb]

So kwebb, are you sticking with your above ^ track lineup/sequence, or did you do some tweaking?

I think I'm going to take out It's Just a Matter of Time and add There's So Many in there somewhere

[Smilin Ed H]

12.  Don't Fight The Sea (a bit of a cheat, but...)

Don't Fight the Sea seems to be a bit of a wild card when people on here put together alternate albums, so it's fine. I'm using it for an 81 alternate album, but I've seen people use it for all kinds of things. Some people put it on TWGMTR or L.A, and I've even seen people make a 90's reunion album with Don't Fight the Sea on it.

I put it on my Alt LA, though I know it still had a lot of work to do, to put it mildly.

[Sheriff John Stone]

12.  Don't Fight The Sea (a bit of a cheat, but...)

Don't Fight the Sea seems to be a bit of a wild card when people on here put together alternate albums, so it's fine. I'm using it for an 81 alternate album, but I've seen people use it for all kinds of things. Some people put it on TWGMTR or L.A, and I've even seen people make a 90's reunion album with Don't Fight the Sea on it.

I put it on my Alt LA, though I know it still had a lot of work to do, to put it mildly.

"Don't Fight The Sea" would've been perfect on L.A. (Light Album), which needed more Al - and more energy. I think "Don't Fight The Sea" fits nicely after "Goin' South" (or "Full Sail", take your pick) and before "Sumahama".