"Love you" hasn't been remastered in 20 years.

[Summer_Days]

Every album that was originally put out in mono, I prefer in mono, meaning everything up until Friends. Brian’s more complex arrangements on Today, Summer Days, Pet Sounds, ‘Good Vibrations’ and Smile in particular are  a must in mono to me. So too with the pared down, home made goodness of Smiley Smile and Wild Honey. I really don’t like the clean feel of the stereo remix of Wild Honey. Take some of the soul away.

[The Nearest Faraway Place]

Every album that was originally put out in mono, I prefer in mono, meaning everything up until Friends. Brian’s more complex arrangements on Today, Summer Days, Pet Sounds, ‘Good Vibrations’ and Smile in particular are  a must in mono to me. So too with the pared down, home made goodness of Smiley Smile and Wild Honey. I really don’t like the clean feel of the stereo remix of Wild Honey. Take some of the soul away.

Its all personal taste. Personally I like the stereo mixes, with some exceptions.
Obviously Smiley Smile I’ll take mono any day.
Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down, Vol. 2, and All Summer Long all need refreshed stereo mixes.
SDV2 needs to be updated with the 2009 mix of Don't Worry Baby, the 2012 mix of The Warmth of the Sun, the 2013 mix of Why Do Fools Fall In Love, and the 2014 mix of Pom Pom Play Girl.
ASL needs the 2007 mix of All Summer Long, and a new mix for Hushabye.
As for Wild Honey, I love the stereo mix. You can here so much detail thats buried in the mono. Also, Wild Honey was not thrown together like SS, there is extreme attention to detail. Every sound is meant to be heard, the reason the mono mix sounds gritty is clearly just because of limits to 1967 home studio technology.
Also, Friends needs a complete remix

[Summer_Days]

I don’t mind the reissues of Surfin’ Safari through the Christmas Album being in stereo. Today through Wild Honey just sounds better in mono. I’m glad many like the stereo remixes though.

As for Friends, I would agree about the need for a stereo remix.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Every album that was originally put out in mono, I prefer in mono, meaning everything up until Friends. Brian’s more complex arrangements on Today, Summer Days, Pet Sounds, ‘Good Vibrations’ and Smile in particular are  a must in mono to me. So too with the pared down, home made goodness of Smiley Smile and Wild Honey. I really don’t like the clean feel of the stereo remix of Wild Honey. Take some of the soul away.

I should probably clarify...I prefer it in mono, just pointing out that hearing it in stereo revealed that there was more creativity in the production than I imagine many thought was there when it first came out. I’ve always considered it more stripped down rather than underproduced. Hope that made some sense.

[Lonely Summer]

does anyone think that the song "rock 'n' roll music" was a hit, in part because of the fuzzy MOOG sound?

While obviously the "love you" album wasn't a hit despite having that sound all over it, the songs were probably just too weird and there was no record company support. But one year earlier, not only was "rock 'n' roll music" a famous cover and the bicentennial during a patriotic time, but I suspect the slightly modern twist that BW gave to it could be what helped the song become a hit.

On the other hand, it's also possible that it became a hit in spite of that sound. What does everyone think?

I'm pretty sure there are more factors than just one for RNRM becoming the big hit. First, there was a lot of promotion, namely the Brian's back campaign. Everyone was eager to hear new Brian produced BBs material. Second, the song is a beloved and great Chuck Berry tune. Third, the single version is a cool, rocking track. Looking at what would shortly after that happen in terms of punk, this record is actually quite a relevant record, although being an oldie by a group that already existed 15 years at this point.
But in the end, just a great and fun record! Forget the album version, though

I do have a copy of the 45 and the album, but I can't detect a difference. Please explain.

[Rocker]

does anyone think that the song "rock 'n' roll music" was a hit, in part because of the fuzzy MOOG sound?

While obviously the "love you" album wasn't a hit despite having that sound all over it, the songs were probably just too weird and there was no record company support. But one year earlier, not only was "rock 'n' roll music" a famous cover and the bicentennial during a patriotic time, but I suspect the slightly modern twist that BW gave to it could be what helped the song become a hit.

On the other hand, it's also possible that it became a hit in spite of that sound. What does everyone think?

I'm pretty sure there are more factors than just one for RNRM becoming the big hit. First, there was a lot of promotion, namely the Brian's back campaign. Everyone was eager to hear new Brian produced BBs material. Second, the song is a beloved and great Chuck Berry tune. Third, the single version is a cool, rocking track. Looking at what would shortly after that happen in terms of punk, this record is actually quite a relevant record, although being an oldie by a group that already existed 15 years at this point.
But in the end, just a great and fun record! Forget the album version, though

I do have a copy of the 45 and the album, but I can't detect a difference. Please explain.

The single uses a very different mix, the instruments are much more punchy and louder and IIRC even some vocals are missing that are on the album version.

Album version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzyLAfOGc4U

Single version: https://youtu.be/9LCEmLw81HQ?t=20

[Summer_Days]

I can’t hear that big of a difference between the two, but that might partially be because I’ve never cared much at all about the band’s version of ‘Rock And Roll Music’, with it’s obnoxious nasally vocal from Mike and the ham fisted arrangement. Now, this is where a lot of Love You haters (probably Lonely Summer...hi Lonely!) come in and point out my apparent hypocrisy because the production aesthetic is essentially the same on both LY and 15 Big Ones (often abbreviated as 15BO, which has led me to nickname it 15 Body Odor, like that’s the level at which the record stinks. On the same scale, SIP would be something like 1000 BO. ANYWAY...). I would argue that Brian as a producer, arranger and writer was more engaged and enthused making Love You, it shows in the music, which is incredibly delightful, or as Brian’s shirt from the period said, Love You is


Sorry, what were we talking about again? Oh yeah, ‘Rock And Roll Music’. It’s forgettable, as my above rant made abundantly clear.

[Shady]

On the topic of "love you", how did solar system make the MIC box set over the likes of honkin' or roller skating child.

Solar system is easily my second least favourite song on the record

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Perfect time for me to say this...Shady, every time i think of love you I think of your signature

[Shady]

 

Still one of the weirdest facts I have read on this board 

[Summer_Days]

Sir, there is no limit to the amount of weird facts about our favorite band. I’m sure if the band had ever released Adult/Child, the LP would have included a training bra that you’d have to unfasten just to pull the record out of the sleeve.

[The Nearest Faraway Place]

Sir, there is no limit to the amount of weird facts about our favorite band. I’m sure if the band had ever released Adult/Child, the LP would have included a training bra that you’d have to unfasten just to pull the record out of the sleeve.

I’m assuming this is the same bra that they supplied the little Tomboy with?

[All Summer Long]

Still one of the weirdest facts I have read on this board 

That wasn’t a joke???

[Summer_Days]

If someone finds a picture of The Beach Boys Love You condom (not likely), please with all haste post it here. I just Googled it and now I hate having that in my search history.

I sincerely hope that the packaging, if any, included a line from one of the album's tracks as a promotional motto or something. You know, like "We'll make sweet love till the sun goes down, we'll even do more when you're mama's not around". With fine print warning against unprotected underage sex.

Ahem. I have way too much time and weird stray thoughts on my hands, as do we all.

[Awesoman]

Said it before, will always say it:

The Beach Boys Love You is Brian at his most honest and straightforward. If there's ever one single source that will tell you all you need to know about him, it's that album.

Yeah it's certainly his most convoluted and polarizing album.  The production is horrible, yet at the same time perfectly fits and enhances the material on that album.  

What exactly makes the production “horrible?”
Its synthesizers, gated reverb and keyboards.
Compared to some other albums in the 70s and 80s, its produced and mixed very well.
All the vocals come through clear unlike parts of surfs up, it’s not mixed horribly like So Tough, it doesn’t sound cheap like KTSA, and it’s extremely warm unlike parts of BB85 and SIP

I'll put it this way: how would an album like Pet Sounds be received if Brian had used all those cheesy "farting" synthesizers to record it?

So prototype Moogs are cheesy? There's a reason they're still used heavily in the indie rock world and still sell well starting at $800+. Hell, there's even a music festival named after the synth/man that invented it.

No, Moogs in general are not cheesy.  But they certainly sound cheesy in the context of this album specifically.

If he had released an album like that in 1966 he’d be even more of a pioneer than he already was!

Besides some of us like the production

Yeah, I tend to doubt Pet Sounds would have received nearly the acclaim it did if Brian had applied the Love You sound to it.  It just doesn't fit the mood.  And as I had stated in my original comment, I think the production totally enhances the quirky charm of Love You.  But objectively speaking, there is a reason this album is polarizing to fans.  You really have to "get" Brian and where his head was at during this time to appreciate the hidden brilliance going on here.  With the clunky, lo-fi production and odd, childish and banal lyrics to most of the songs, this is not an entry-level album I would introduce to folks curious about the band.  Unless of course they happened to be huge fans of the band They Might Be Giants.  

[Julia]

Said it before, will always say it:

The Beach Boys Love You is Brian at his most honest and straightforward. If there's ever one single source that will tell you all you need to know about him, it's that album.

Yeah it's certainly his most convoluted and polarizing album.  The production is horrible, yet at the same time perfectly fits and enhances the material on that album.  

To 37!ws I agree and yet I feel Pet Sounds also has an equal claim to that title. They both represent Brian's honest emotions and interests expressed in music he was fully in control of. However with PS he was trying to impress people and pull out all the stops (professional musicians, hired lyricist), so in that regard its making a deliberate effort to be presentable. While LY is like punk rock Brian, no figs to give, no effort to tuck in the shirt or comb the hair, "come as you are." Its more of a warts and all approach where he even wrote his own words, and while theyre not technically "good" they just kinda work for what hes going for.

To Awesoman I think I know what you mean when you call the production "horrible" though I disagree. Im not a fan of synths and other "fake" instruments either. I expected to hate LY when I first listened to it and was very pleasantly surprised. Its just Brian was THAT talented he could make it sound good despite my bias. To me it just shows that guy was #1 and could make any musical style sound good if left to his own devices. (Ok, maybe not rap if Smart Girls is any indication, but I blame my misgiving for BW88 and Sweet Insanity on Landy, honestly.)

[Zenobi]

The production of Love You is perfectly functional for the album, synths and all. And that kind of lo-fi production would have been reusable for other works.
Imho, the (only) problem with Pet Sounds is the sheer completeness and perfection of its production. You can do such a thing only once... from the second time, it would be like "copying yourself", or, as it it has been called, "Brian by the numbers".
Indeed, after PS Brian has been at his best with sparse productions, and at his worst with "lush" productions. Just compare NPP with TLOS.

[Julia]

The production of Love You is perfectly functional for the album, synths and all. And that kind of lo-fi production would have been reusable for other works.
Imho, the (only) problem with Pet Sounds is the sheer completeness and perfection of its production. You can do such a thing only once... from the second time, it would be like "copying yourself", or, as it it has been called, "Brian by the numbers".
Indeed, after PS Brian has been at his best with sparse productions, and at his worst with "lush" productions. Just compare NPP with TLOS.

I mostly agree. There is a part of me that would like a "Love You w/ Pet Sounds style production/arrangement" as I think someone in this thread said earlier, but also the album is a perfect 5/5 for me as it is. If given the choice I wouldn't have said "yes, give me a Brian album with farty synths and smoker's voice" but once you hear it, it just works. The perfect definition of wabi sabi.

I disagree though that Brian could/should have only done the full wall of sound thing once. I'd gladly take 3 more Pet Sounds style albums in place of Wild Honey, Friends and 20/20 but that's just me.

As far as using NPP as a negative example against TLOS, I don't think it's a coincidence the former has Thomas as a co-producer and the latter is credited to Brian alone (at least according to a quick wiki search). I know Thomas-bashing is quickly becoming my new niche and maybe Im already wearing it out but yeah. I just don't like his production, what can I say? Im hoping against hope that if any rougher demos exist in the vaults somewhere we might get stripped down remixes of Imagination and the some of the rest.