New Beach Boys 2012 Remasters!

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

Who says he didn't? He already let slip that he did a stereo remix of Wild Honey. What, you think they are just gonna leave it on the shelf? ALL THE goshdarn ALBUMS WILL BE RELEASED IN TIME. WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T THEY?

[Runaways]

it's definitely a weeeird weird choice to exclude Wild Honey and Friends.  I'll assume they'll be coming soon.

[PhilCohen]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

I agree, and there is at least one still-unreleased song from the "Wild Honey" sessions.

[Mooger Fooger]

A partial end to the "Wall of Secrecy". Way overdue. So a half dozen 1960's albums are apparently being sent into permanent exile?

Exactly Phil. As usual you've hit the nail right on the head

Hands up those here who remember the days when getting just one 45 was considered a good year?

[Zach95]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

I agree, and there is at least one still-unreleased song from the "Wild Honey" sessions.

I think, well er...I know, that it is disrespectful and rude to Mr. Linett to blame him for Wild Honey not being part of these releases. It's not like he chose not to work on Wild Honey so that we don't get it. In fact, we know he did work on Wild Honey. So seriously, don't go blaming him. He's been an integral part of this anniversary as anybody.

[The Heartical Don]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

I agree, and there is at least one still-unreleased song from the "Wild Honey" sessions.

I think, well er...I know, that it is disrespectful and rude to Mr. Linett to blame him for Wild Honey not being part of these releases. It's not like he chose not to work on Wild Honey so that we don't get it. In fact, we know he did work on Wild Honey. So seriously, don't go blaming him. He's been an integral part of this anniversary as anybody.

Wot he said.

[PhilCohen]

A partial end to the "Wall of Secrecy". Way overdue. So a half dozen 1960's albums are apparently being sent into permanent exile?

Really Phil? Are they coming into people's houses and removing all traces of Surfin' Safari, Wild Honey, Friends, Stack o' Tracks, 20/20 and all of the Brother albums after Surf's Up? Gosh, that does stink.

Oh wait, they aren't doing that. And I would image that they likely will be reissuing those at some point too. Actually, I'm pretty sure you'd probably still complain even if they did put them all out right now, because you'd say you couldn't possibly afford them all at this time, so how dare they put them out!

I could afford the discs all at one time....on U.S.A. CD's, but (obviously) not on Japanese CD's.

[Shady]

I'm not blaming Mr Linett..

For about a year my name on here was "Wild Honey In Stereo", back in 2007 I think..

It's something I've wanted for a very long time. Imagine hearing "Aren't you glad" in perfect, crisp stereo.

I'm praying we get it

[The Heartical Don]

TJI, from someone who heard the Japanese material (can't reveal source or anything else, alas):

In my opinion, [the stereo] "Smiley Smile" sounds great! Same with "Party!" "Today" and "Summer Days" are a mixed bag.
While I believe that Mark Linnet did a better job at balancing "Let Him Run Wild" and "You're So Good To Me" than he did on the compilation CDs a few years back, there are some digital "clicks" or clipping sounds on the tracks. ...

He also mixed "In The Back Of My Mind" with a single-tracked Dennis and allowed the full cold ending.
Revisionist history? Sure, but I approve! Sounds the way it should have been in the first place!
He also got the balance on "Please Let Me Wonder" more in line with the original mono mix, but the stereo isn't as wide as a result.
I have no problem with that, it still sounds nice.
The only thing is you can tell that digital reverb/effects were used instead of some sort of analog.
That's my only real gripe. Sounds sort of metallic in spots.
So, overall, better than I expected, but not perfect.

Perhaps, with so many elements added directly onto the mono mixdown tape, it couldn't be perfect.
(Case in point, "She Knows Me Too Well" and "Do You Wanna Dance" - both have the single-tracked vocal artifically double-tracked 'cause the double-tracked vocal on the original mono mix was added during mixing. This same process was used on the newly remastered MFSL stereo mix of PET SOUNDS on "You Still Believe In Me". Still, with that said, they sound better than having a single-tracked vocal, but you can tell it is digitally manipulated.)

[TV Forces]

I am not insatiable, nor am I super-rich, so I will carefully plan what I really need from the upcoming bonanza. TSS was a must, of course. But do I need separate new CDs of 'Sunflower' and 'Surf's Up' sans bonus material, whilst the twofer still stands at my retailer's for a mere € 5.99?

Normally I'm a bit of a completist when it comes to reissue campaigns and what have you..  But in this case, I really think I can do without "Pet Sounds" (already have mono+stereo sounding great) and, as you said, "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up," which to me sound more than fine.  The other 9 discs feature at least a mono or stereo mix that has never been on CD before.  If there were bonus tracks, I'd bite.  I guess that's what the box set is for.  Maybe the stereo mixes ARE the bonus tracks.  Works for me.

[Bean Bag]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

Once again, Surf's Up '67 was found during research on the Wild Honey - I'm sure it will come out. Maybe in a different configuration than the current remasters, and that's why it's seperate.

I fully expect them to do the rest.  Seems weird to stop at Smiley -- then label hop to Sunflower and SU.  Maybe it's a signal that the rest of the catalog is forth coming.  Or these were already ready to go for the first wave.  I'm not too worried.

I think.  

[Bean Bag]

I am not insatiable, nor am I super-rich, so I will carefully plan what I really need from the upcoming bonanza. TSS was a must, of course. But do I need separate new CDs of 'Sunflower' and 'Surf's Up' sans bonus material, whilst the twofer still stands at my retailer's for a mere € 5.99?

Normally I'm a bit of a completist when it comes to reissue campaigns and what have you..  But in this case, I really think I can do without "Pet Sounds" (already have mono+stereo sounding great) and, as you said, "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up," which to me sound more than fine.  The other 9 discs feature at least a mono or stereo mix that has never been on CD before.  If there were bonus tracks, I'd bite.  I guess that's what the box set is for.  Maybe the stereo mixes ARE the bonus tracks.  Works for me.

I'll get everything (if they release everything).  But...Pet Sounds?  I'll pass on that one.  My Audio Fidelity, DCC and multiple Hi-res versions are swell.


Well...maybe if it came with a "Beatles in Mono"-style box.  Eh-hem.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it  

Once again, Surf's Up '67 was found during research on the Wild Honey - I'm sure it will come out. Maybe in a different configuration than the current remasters, and that's why it's seperate.

I fully expect them to do the rest.  Seems weird to stop at Smiley -- then label hop to Sunflower and SU.  Maybe it's a signal that the rest of the catalog is forth coming.  Or these were already ready to go for the first wave.  I'm not too worried.

I think.  

Finally a voice of reason.

And why is no one upset about the exclusion of Safari, In Concert, 20/20 and Christmas?  

The old 2-fers are OOP for a reason. This is a full on reissue campaign. All the albums will get the treatment. Spread it out, enjoy it, don't blow your load all at once. Prolong it and savor it....and save your money.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Well...maybe if it came with a "Beatles in Mono"-style box.  Eh-hem.

Don’t give them any ideas.

Actually, they easily could have kept the mono albums separate, but that would be cruel and expensive. And here Phil is talking about ripping people off. You get both mixes on one disc, unlike those Beatle CDs where you had to buy everything twice. Who’s the real con-artists?

Pet Sounds is at the bottom of my buy list....but I got to have the whole set.

[Wirestone]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

Who says he didn't? He already let slip that he did a stereo remix of Wild Honey. What, you think they are just gonna leave it on the shelf? ALL THE goshdarn ALBUMS WILL BE RELEASED IN TIME. WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T THEY?

Almighty dollar. As I said earlier, there's no mention in the press release of any further reissues. Remember, there were originally supposed to be two BB singles boxes, and we ended up with just one.

... Doesn't mean they won't happen, of course.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

Who says he didn't? He already let slip that he did a stereo remix of Wild Honey. What, you think they are just gonna leave it on the shelf? ALL THE goshdarn ALBUMS WILL BE RELEASED IN TIME. WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T THEY?

Almighty dollar. As I said earlier, there's no mention in the press release of any further reissues. Remember, there were originally supposed to be two BB singles boxes, and we ended up with just one.

Almighty dollar? So...they spend the money remixing Wild Honey then DON'T release it??

[The Heartical Don]

(please read my post of 10:04:20 AM just above and comment)

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Ok

[Wirestone]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

Who says he didn't? He already let slip that he did a stereo remix of Wild Honey. What, you think they are just gonna leave it on the shelf? ALL THE goshdarn ALBUMS WILL BE RELEASED IN TIME. WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T THEY?

Almighty dollar. As I said earlier, there's no mention in the press release of any further reissues. Remember, there were originally supposed to be two BB singles boxes, and we ended up with just one.

Almighty dollar? So...they spend the money remixing Wild Honey then DON'T release it??

This has been covered in another thread. They didn't spend the money to remix it. Mark L. remixed the album (and other BB material) of his own accord several years ago.

[Bean Bag]

Well...maybe if it came with a "Beatles in Mono"-style box.  Eh-hem.

Don’t give them any ideas.

Actually, they easily could have kept the mono albums separate, but that would be cruel and expensive. And here Phil is talking about ripping people off. You get both mixes on one disc, unlike those Beatle CDs where you had to buy everything twice. Who’s the real con-artists?

Pet Sounds is at the bottom of my buy list....but I got to have the whole set.

True.  Two separate boxes would be a bad idea.


Holding out hope that the "special commemorative" box set is -- if not a vault-haul -- then, all the albums, packed in one tight little box.  (Oh, great... that sounded dirty.)

[Bill Ed]

A press release states that

"The 12 Beach Boys studio albums have been digitally remastered by Mark Linett and will be released on CD and digitally, most featuring mono and stereo mixes."

To me this doesn't bode particularly well for a timely release of reissues of the studio albums whose existence is no longer acknowledged.

I have bought the Japanese reissues of Beach Boys Today, Summer Days, and Smiley Smile.  I would have bought Wild Honey were it available. The stereo mix of Today is a very pleasant surprise as I hadn't exactly been blown away by some the the stereo remixes of songs from that album which have already appeared here and there. I'm delighted with the stereo mix of Smiley Smile, and I'm not at all let down by Summer Days. As it turns out I paid more than necessary to these but I am getting a little more time to enjoy them.

Wild Honey is probably the album I most wanted to hear in stereo. and its my guess that this is true for a number of us here. I've listened to samples of several of the other "12 Beach Boys studio albums" and I doubt I'll spring for these. I believe that, for example, Shutdown Volume II uses the original stereo mix for Don't Worry Baby and the original album mix for Why Do Fools Fall in Love? It could be argued that this was done for the sake of authenticity, but it strikes me as laziness given that the much superior Linett mixes from a few years back are, in my opinion, categorically superior.  At least the new mixes could have been included as bonus tracks.

And how can folks here get so excited about more greatest hits / best-of offerings. I thought this was our greatest collective fear.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Mark Linett knows the fans want Wild Honey in Stereo.

He should have done something about it 

Who says he didn't? He already let slip that he did a stereo remix of Wild Honey. What, you think they are just gonna leave it on the shelf? ALL THE goshdarn ALBUMS WILL BE RELEASED IN TIME. WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T THEY?

Almighty dollar. As I said earlier, there's no mention in the press release of any further reissues. Remember, there were originally supposed to be two BB singles boxes, and we ended up with just one.

Almighty dollar? So...they spend the money remixing Wild Honey then DON'T release it??

This has been covered in another thread. They didn't spend the money to remix it. Mark L. remixed the album (and other BB material) of his own accord several years ago.

Well, as I understand it, and I do wish Alan and Mark were still here to clear these things up, as I understand it, Mark would get a budget for a specific project, and would use the project as a vehicle to do remixes.  So Capitol was still very much paying for these.  So, say Capitol allows so much funding for a project that ends up having 10 songs on it, but the budget ended up allowing for transferring 13 songs from tape to digital.  You could kind of think of it as creating alternates for the recent comps.

You're right that Capitol hadn't paid for a specific Wild Honey project, but it did pay for the underlying process that ended up with there being a bunch of stereo remixes for that album.

Maybe it just wasn't ready to go yet.

[PhilCohen]

A press release states that

"The 12 Beach Boys studio albums have been digitally remastered by Mark Linett and will be released on CD and digitally, most featuring mono and stereo mixes."

To me this doesn't bode particularly well for a timely release of reissues of the studio albums whose existence is no longer acknowledged.

I have bought the Japanese reissues of Beach Boys Today, Summer Days, and Smiley Smile.  I would have bought Wild Honey were it available. The stereo mix of Today is a very pleasant surprise as I hadn't exactly been blown away by some the the stereo remixes of songs from that album which have already appeared here and there. I'm delighted with the stereo mix of Smiley Smile, and I'm not at all let down by Summer Days. As it turns out I paid more than necessary to these but I am getting a little more time to enjoy them.

Wild Honey is probably the album I most wanted to hear in stereo. and its my guess that this is true for a number of us here. I've listened to samples of several of the other "12 Beach Boys studio albums" and I doubt I'll spring for these. I believe that, for example, Shutdown Volume II uses the original stereo mix for Don't Worry Baby and the original album mix for Why Do Fools Fall in Love? It could be argued that this was done for the sake of authenticity, but it strikes me as laziness given that the much superior Linett mixes from a few years back are, in my opinion, categorically superior.  At least the new mixes could have been included as bonus tracks.

And how can folks here get so excited about more greatest hits / best-of offerings. I thought this was our greatest collective fear.

I agree.It would have been simpler to merely re-promote one of Capitol's existing greatest hits CD's, such as "Sounds of Summer". Oh well, Capitol created some work for a graphics artist!

[Justin]

A press release states that

"The 12 Beach Boys studio albums have been digitally remastered by Mark Linett and will be released on CD and digitally, most featuring mono and stereo mixes."

To me this doesn't bode particularly well for a timely release of reissues of the studio albums whose existence is no longer acknowledged.

Honestly we can sit here and play this entire game all over again for the next two months but it'd be a huge waste of time.  We don't know any more or less about their future plans on the rest of the catalog going by that press release.  No one here should go and assume that we will get more or that we won't get more.  We just don't know.  People were "so sure" that Japan was the only one getting the remasters because there was no mention of anything in their press release of a worldwide release and look here we are: two months later with official word that the rest of the world would also be getting the remasters.   Just ride it out and quit the suppositions.

[Bean Bag]

Well, as I understand it, and I do wish Alan and Mark were still here to clear these things up, as I understand it, Mark would get a budget for a specific project, and would use the project as a vehicle to do remixes.  So Capitol was still very much paying for these.  So, say Capitol allows so much funding for a project that ends up having 10 songs on it, but the budget ended up allowing for transferring 13 songs from tape to digital.  You could kind of think of it as creating alternates for the recent comps.

You're right that Capitol hadn't paid for a specific Wild Honey project, but it did pay for the underlying process that ended up with there being a bunch of stereo remixes for that album.

Maybe it just wasn't ready to go yet.

I think you're right.  It's not like the Beatles remasters -- where the remasters were the whole point.  And so they dropped the bomb all at once.  This is the Beach Boy's 50th extravaganza.  New album.  Tour.  Blu-ray (that I just found out about).

The remasters were just announced.  We didn't even know about these until recently.  As Ho-Tep said...twofers are out-of-print.  This is the arduous process of catalog refresh.  And rather than twofers...they opted for mono/stereo ---> straight up, probably "budget-friendly" digi-paks with no bonus tracks.