What vinyl should i get first?

[Runaways]

So i've heard that BWPS is fantastic on vinyl, but i'm curious how Pet Sounds sounds compared to the stereo mix on CD.  How does that Today!/SMSN stack up?

[summerinparadise.flac]

I would get Pet Sounds but only if you can get a proper mono copy.

[hypehat]

BWPS is FANTASTIC on vinyl.

I have Party!, All Summer Long, Holland, BW88, The Best Of Vol. 3, Endless Summer, and Love You (which appears to be from 1978!)from ebay or scouring record shops. All the ones that should be mono are.

Holland sounds great, as does BW88 and Love You sounds terrific - i would recommend BW88 especially if you don't like the production, as it sounds better with the 'analogue warmth'ness.  the rest are meh, apart from All Summer Long, which is nice in mono but the record is kinda beat, as is Party.

I'm on the hunt for a mono Pet Sounds, but can't justify £25+ on one from ebay. the duophonic stereo mix of Summer Days is reportedly terrible, so avoid that.

Am currently debating whether to pick up 15 Big Ones on vinyl for the princely sum of £2. I bet it sounds fuzzy and good... but then it's 15 Big Ones!

[Runaways]

this appears to be the mono pet sounds
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B0G5WA/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00005ASHM&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0QGF3XZCT1QVTYES7KDD

i'm curious how this will sound better?  i'm admittedly a fan of the stereo mixed cd.  BUT i think i'd want this anyway

[drbeachboy]

The best LP mono version of Pet Sounds that I have heard are the 2 Brother/Reprise reissues. Carl and the Passions/Pet Sounds and the brown cover single reissue.

[Runaways]

i imagine i'd have to pay a pretty penny to get that sucker now haha.

[?]

i imagine i'd have to pay a pretty penny to get that sucker now haha.

Not really.  Any more than $20 and you're overpaying.  But the best Pet Sounds LP in my opinion is the DCC which will cost a lot unless you get lucky.

I highly recommend the Capitol 80's reissues with the green label*.  These are some of the nicest sounding records I own and are by far the best sounding Beach Boys releases on any format, especially Smiley Smile through 20/20.  I've found plenty of green labels sealed for $10 or less!

*EXCEPT Today and Summer Days.  They used the duophonic/fake stereo tapes for these two albums.

[Myk Luhv]

Back when I had money I began amassing a collection of Beach Boys vinyl -- mono where applicable, original pressings no matter what. To date, I have these:

Surfin' Safari
Surfin' USA
Little Deuce Coupe
All Summer Long
Shut Down Vol. 2
All Summer Long
The Beach Boys' Christmas Album
The Beach Boys Today!
Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
Pet Sounds
Sunflower
Surf's Up [the album I listened to that really made me a fan and my first LP purchase, if I recall correctly]
Carl And The Passions -- "So Tough!"/Pet Sounds twofer [this is the release of Pet Sounds that I use for listening because I've heard it's the best-sounding press]
Holland [sans Mt. Vernon And Fairway EP, unfortunately]
The Beach Boys Love You

Almost all of these -- and hopefully I'm not missing things I do have (or adding things I don't, I guess) --  were bought on eBay which means I pretty much overpayed no matter what I shelled out. My rule, however, is that I buy nothing below 'VG+' (according to Goldmine standards) so I rationalise my decision my thinking it's entirely worth it! I still need to get the late-'60s LPs as well as some of the early-'60s ones... even if I don't particularly care about the latter too much. Well, the original Stack-O-Tracks LP with the booklet is certainly extremely enticing at least!

[Runaways]

well it seems the most likely is just the recently reissued pet sounds. the DCC is really expensive on ebay

[absinthe_boy]

Get SMiLE because it ought to be quite easy to obtain....and it is one of the finest records ever pressed.

Now...Pet Sounds....I own two versions, the Simply Vinyl pressing (disappointing) and the 40th anniversary double LP on coloured vinyl....one in mono and one in stereo....that is fantastic. If you can find one...its out of print.

I friend has a Japanese pressing by Toshiba which he categorically states is the best ever pressing of Pet Sounds. Since he's got multiple versions including both that I own and an original 1966 mono pressing (among others) and a good ear I would trust him.

[Runaways]

i'm curious, why is SMiLE on vinyl so good?  i'm kinda surprised at that.   Maybe just cause it's recent, i dunno. 

[The Heartical Don]

The best LP mono version of Pet Sounds that I have heard are the 2 Brother/Reprise reissues. Carl and the Passions/Pet Sounds and the brown cover single reissue.

Seconded. I have the brown cover single reissue... wonderful. Cost me a mere $ 5 (converted from Dutch guilders) about 25 years ago. 's Funny, it's the only Pet Sound I know that doesn't feature the familiar Cooper Black typeface. Instead it has nice and delicate capital letters.

[Myk Luhv]

Oh, I guess if we're including BBs-related stuff I also have Brian Wilson's self-titled 1988 debut and SMiLE, as well as Dennis's Pacific Ocean Blue 2xLP Legacy reissue on "pacific ocean" blue vinyl.

People gush over SMiLE because of this:

The cutting was done in extreme purest fashion at Masterdisk in New York City using a vintage Studer A-80 mastering playback reel to reel deck with preview and program heads. This allowed the removal of the now-common digital delay line from the cutting chain. The 1/4", 15 IPS, No Noise Reduction, CCIR format masters for Sides A/B/C were from Bob Ludwig's Gateway Studio. Side D is a bonus for vinyl buyers and included "instrumental only" versions of 4 tracks from the album. Side D was EQ'ed by Don at Masterdisk Studios.

The cut was done on Masterdisk's Neumann SAL-84 lathe with a Neumann SX-74 cutter head. Don chose to use the analog masters after a detailed Comparison with Protools HD files also supplied, for their rich and detailed sound quality.

[Runaways]

hmm. now i want both

[The Heartical Don]

Oh, I guess if we're including BBs-related stuff I also have Brian Wilson's self-titled 1988 debut and SMiLE, as well as Dennis's Pacific Ocean Blue 2xLP Legacy reissue on "pacific ocean" blue vinyl.

People gush over SMiLE because of this:

The cutting was done in extreme purest fashion at Masterdisk in New York City using a vintage Studer A-80 mastering playback reel to reel deck with preview and program heads. This allowed the removal of the now-common digital delay line from the cutting chain. The 1/4", 15 IPS, No Noise Reduction, CCIR format masters for Sides A/B/C were from Bob Ludwig's Gateway Studio. Side D is a bonus for vinyl buyers and included "instrumental only" versions of 4 tracks from the album. Side D was EQ'ed by Don at Masterdisk Studios.

The cut was done on Masterdisk's Neumann SAL-84 lathe with a Neumann SX-74 cutter head. Don chose to use the analog masters after a detailed Comparison with Protools HD files also supplied, for their rich and detailed sound quality.

[drool]...and to think that I have the double BWPS LP still sealed in my storage room, for use only when I'll have fitted a new cartridge in my turntable...[/drool)

[Reggie Dunbar]

The elusive duophonic Pet Sounds (ducking to avoid projectiles forthcoming), LOL.

[The Heartical Don]

The elusive duophonic Pet Sounds (ducking to avoid projectiles forthcoming), LOL.

Don't worry. After the demise of the 'brickwalling' trend, Duophonic will become the new 'hip'.

I hear that Wishbone Ash will re-release all their CDs in Duophonic shortly. Start saving.

[Runaways]

ordered SMiLE and the Pet Sounds from Capitol's "straight from the vault" series.  SAWEEEET. 

i will not let this start a vinyl craze though.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I used to have a Duo-phonic Pet Sounds and it sounded so awful that I scratched it up and broke it in half in order to prevent myself from ever listening to it out of laziness or forgetfulness... However, I have Duo-phonics of both Today and Summer Days, and I must admit I quite like how they sound and play them regularly. Maybe I've just gotten used to the sonics, but I kinda dig them.

All Summer Long sounds fantastic in both Original Stereo and Mono. I honestly sometimes put either one on without realizing which one and take no notice at all. Brian knew Mono and made it work!!! Green label Stereo sounds even better but is a version with songs omitted for some evil reason.

Green label Wild Honey sounds superior to the original Capitol black label.

Smiley Smile green label sounds better than the original Bother label, but the beige Brother vinyl reissue (90s?) sounds much much better!

I have a 20/20 Starline label which sounds great. Green label 20/20 sounds about the same, however, it was re-issued in a single sleeve without the gate-fold!

Sunflower 1970 Brother label original sounds incredible. Recent reissue also sounds incredible but somehow different. Not to any great extent, but I'd certainly hang onto an original copy if you own one.

Surf's Up Brother original and recent re-issue sound about the same to me, in the good way.

Carl & The Passions Brother original sounds fantastic. The Pet Sounds CATP re-issue is the best I've ever heard it!

Holland sounds amazing in any format I've heard (save 8-track) I had a big fondness for the original CD issue and the Capitol re-issue doesn't have the same magic I remember, but then again, I'm only REMEMBERING the original issue because I no longer have it

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

In addition: The Beach Boys seem to be one of those bands, like Pink Floyd, who cared A LOT about quality control when it came to their actual physical product. They generally seemed to have the best quality pressings on the best quality vinyl with the best attention-to-detail mastering... Thank God we never had to deal with any Beach Boys product on "Dynaflex" or whatever variant there was slithering around. ... I have some pretty dire sounding "Dynaflex" Kinks and Lou Reed albums, to name just a couple examples.

[donald]

I have the whole catalogue on vinyl.......except for SIP.  I have BWPS on vinyl but never opened.    My turntables are common modern SONYs like you got at Circuit city or Best Buy.  I play everything on them  .....old lps, 45's, and I guess I'm a bit obsessive about putting that sort of stylus on a new pristine lp.  Is the sound quality of BWPS worth the sacrifice of playing it on these turntables or should I wait for the next lifetime?

[Runaways]

i read this review on it
http://www.earcandymag.com/smile-vinyl.htm

i'm dyin to hear this thing. 

[Runaways]

hey guys how do you know at what speed the record should play? i assume the LP size ones should always be at 33? cause then 45s are the smaller ones so they'd need to go faster...k i guess i answered that huh.

[?]

I have the whole catalogue on vinyl.......except for SIP.  I have BWPS on vinyl but never opened.    My turntables are common modern SONYs like you got at Circuit city or Best Buy.  I play everything on them  .....old lps, 45's, and I guess I'm a bit obsessive about putting that sort of stylus on a new pristine lp.  Is the sound quality of BWPS worth the sacrifice of playing it on these turntables or should I wait for the next lifetime?

You should play it donald!  The thing about BWPS is no matter how good we tell you it is, I really don't think we could oversell it.  It's going to impress you.

hey guys how do you know at what speed the record should play? i assume the LP size ones should always be at 33? cause then 45s are the smaller ones so they'd need to go faster...k i guess i answered that huh.

Size doesn't have anything to do with the speed a record plays, but 33 1/3 is generally the standard for albums.  Occasionally you find out the speed the hard way!  I recently put on a new 12" EP and it didn't occur to me that it was cut at 45 rpm until I started playing it at the wrong speed.  Oh well.  Now I know. 

[Runaways]

haha k.  another question, since i imagine everyone tries to protect their vinyl like crazy.  Best way to clean?  keep undamaged?

just looked through the parents vinyl.  Listening to American Pie, after springsteen's hungry heart got like 10 listens.