The Smiley Smile Message Board

Disc 1
1 "Do It Again"
2 "Little Honda"
3 "Catch A Wave"
4 "Hawaii"
5 "Don't Back Down"
6 "Surfin' Safari"
7 "Surfer Girl"
8 "The Little Girl I Once Knew"
9 "Wendy"
10 "Getcha Back"
11 "Then I Kissed Her"
12 "Marcella"
13 "Isn't It Time"
14 "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"
15 "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)"
16 "Disney Girls"
17 "Be True To Your School"
18 "Little Deuce Coupe"
19 "409"
20 "Shut Down"
21 "I Get Around"

Disc 2
1 "Pet Sounds"
2 "Add Some Music To Your Day"
3 "Heroes And Villains"
4 "Sail On, Sailor"
5 "California Saga: California"
6 "In My Room"
7 "All This Is That"
8 "That's Why God Made The Radio"
9 "Forever"
10 "God Only Knows"
11 "Sloop John B"
12 "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
13 "Good Vibrations"
14 "California Girls"
15 "Help Me, Rhonda"
16 "Rock And Roll Music"
17 "Surfin' U.S.A."
18 "Kokomo"
19 "Barbara Ann"
20 "Fun, Fun, Fun"   

And there you have it. I'm happy "Marcella", "Sail On, Sailor", and "Heroes And Villains" made it. It'll also be cool to have a version of "All This Is That" with Brian taking part of the lead. Also will be interesting to have a David Marks lead vocal on "Getcha Back". I'm sure that will make Jon Stebbins, the professor, and the rest of the Marks cheering section happy. Looks like Bruce has two leads as well, those being "Wendy" and "Disney Girls". "Pet Sounds" is a very nice surprise too. Wouldn't have assumed that one. I do wish we would've gotten "This Whole World" and "Good Timin'", but oh well. Also cool that Brian is well represented vocally, with him having over 10 leads.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-the-50th-anniversary-tour-mw0002525171

Nice find!

That tracklist looks mighty fine with me.  "Pet Sounds" is a great surprise...Dave nailed it so I'm glad they recognize that. 

No Dance Dance Dance - FAIL, Capitol, you lost a customer!

Pretty good looking list and a nice memento of the tour. No "Summers Gone" though but a lot of tunes not on the other live albums. "Catch A Wave" a favourite of mine,for one.  Both tribute songs, Jeff doing lead on '"Fools", Daves 2nd half "Pet Sounds" intro. Some nice selections in the 41 listed.

Splendid! Great to see so many tracks inc the likes off Add Some Music… and good to see they were wise enough to drop It's Okay which was a bit of a clunker most nights. Would have dropped Kokomo in favour of Summer's Gone but no real complaints here at all. Bring it on…

I bet Mikie can't wait for May 21!!!!!! Awesome!¡!¡!¡!¡

That one songs a deal breaker for you? Tough customer!

Now the sound will be the decider for me. :-\

I'm very pleased about this. I think there's nothing to complain about, even for 'deep fans' like me. It is a good summation of the best they offered over the years, and there are more than enough 'great songs but small hits' present. In fact I am glad that it's not a 'live curiosities' thing; it'll be a wonderful memento of a wondrous and totally unexpected and very unlikely event.

Not bad but I wish they had included more Al leads. Cottonfields and Come Go With Me with possibly California Dreaming (depending on how Brian sounded). Would have much preferred to hear Al's songs rather than Jeff singing on WDFFIL or Dave on Getcha Back as he simply has a far stronger voice.

Would have been nice to have it be a bit longer, and I'm surprised they kept Why Do Fools Fall In Love, God Only Knows and Forever while cutting so much else, but that's not bad at all. Personally I'd have dropped those and added in Our Prayer, Cottonfields and Good Timin', but I can't complain about what we do have.

I agree with you; no reason for complaining. As for the length of the set: I have found out over the years, that I prefer CDs that are playable as LPs are; and I have some tendency to lose a bit of attention after, say, the 20th song (given that the tracks are of normal single length). Now, I think this is for a large part due to the fact that I grew up with LPs; but I also never listen to music like so many youngsters seem to do: with an iPod, with ear buds, and for hours on end, whole days even. That is to me: superficial, inattentive listening (well, 'hearing', more like).

I like a music listening session to last for 40 to 60 minutes; whick fits in nicely with classical symphonies too, for the most part; with my favourite string quartets too. The great Kronos Quartet has some habit to release brief CDs, when they deem that the best way to convey the essence of a piece. They demand good oncentration.

In short: for yours truly, there is some natural attention span. I am happy with that.

(BTW: it's different with live concerts, I must add.)

Day 1!

Looks mighty fine to me! :D

Mighty fine set list! Hell yeah.

You and your DDD....  ;D

Yes, I am certain that the disks will be DDD, as opposed to ADD, or AAD.

Hope this helps.

PLEASE DON'T LET JOE THOMAS NEAR THIS THING. The C50 show I saw was one of the greatest things I've ever seen, and sounded beautiful. NO TUNING NECESSARY.

Well no isolated speech tracks then.. makes you wonder how much speech is left.

There never have been any isolated speech tracks on a live Beach Boys album, though.

My life mantra.

The Women's Pet, The Fans' Regret.

who, stephen or joe?

I know, I made the post then realised how pointless it was  :-\

Yeah, but it's one of my favorite songs, and I'm already annoyed they didn't play it in Berlin and left it off from the live DVD. I mean, it was a #8 hit, and they included low charting clunkers like Marcella and Sail On, Sailor. Of course, charting is no reason to leave a good song off, but it is an original that rocks much better than the Chuck Berry cover R'n'R music, doesn't it? I wonder what they have against this one of my top 3 favorites?  :-[ (the others being Rhonda and Here Today.)

This is SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!! I'm so excited. In a perfect world they would have included 50 tracks which is the number they were playing on average. But I'm not complaining, just saying. This is so awesome.

Now all we need is the box set. And a new studio album of course (probably not happening I realize). I wonder though if this will definitely push the box set off until late this year or even indefinitely.....

oops - sorry, I see the August 27th date for MIC. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!

Very cool that they decided to not just make "greatest hits live."  I'm very happy with Heroes, Sailor, Add Some Music, Pet Sounds, LGIOK, Marcella and others...also cool to have a few they didn't play when I saw them in Cincinnati like Getcha Back and LGIOK.

I also think there should be more Jardine represented, but I thought that about the whole tour in general. No CottonFields is very surprising to me, as it was a highlight at the concert I saw.

Joe of course: in a former life, he was a pro wrestler, and had the stage name Buddy Love, subtitled: 'The Women's Pet, The Men's Regret'.

Very nice! I'm glad both of the new songs are there as well (everything else would've been strange). "Barbara Ann" is a downer, but wtf, we get a new live album by The Beach Boys with many songs the - real - band has never played live. I can't wait for it.

No "Cotton Fields" Is Disappointing......... Al's Leads Are Always a Highlight.

My ONLY complaint is no "Don't Worry baby".  It's a HUGE song for them and my second favorite, just behind "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and Jeff's been doing it for so long, it would have been nice to have an official pro sound quality recording in the catalog.  And for the Jeff haters out there, don't you think it's inclusion would have made more sense than "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"???  The latter sounded GREAT last year but the former is SO much more important and the choice between the two is rather surprising/dumbfounding.

That said, I'm REALLY looking forward to this.   :woot

Nah, don't worry. 'Don't Worry Baby' (sic) will no doubt be one of a couple of bonus tracks on the Japanese Toshiba issue of the set. You just will have to fork out triple the U.S. price, but any self-respecting fan would do that gladly, no?

"Clunkers"? "Dance, Dance, Dance" is a fine tune and all, but in my book "Sail On, Sailor" and "Marcella" are far superior songs, musically and stylistically. I'm really glad both are included since both songs really rocked during the C50 (and are obviously Brian-leads).

Actually, I wish that they would have left off the two tribute songs, since the vocals are old prerecorded tracks, and added Don't Worry Baby & Dance, Dance, Dance.

I didn't realize that at first, but yes, you're right. That plus the inclusion of "Barbara Ann" are some minus points imo. But iirc we don't have a official live version of "Why do fools..." while having one of DWB (on In Concert).

Well, people are different, and I disagree in both cases. I do though acknowledge that both our opinions are opinions and not facts. I don't know if it is a good thing to admit on this board that I preferred Brian's live lead a lot over the studio Blondie? ;D I'm fine with Barbara Ann, though, that's no downer for me.


I agree. I never understood why they kept doing that cover instead of another original in the first place. Like DDD for instance.

Nice find!  Can't wait!!!

I was hoping "Darlin'" would be on there, but you can't have everything, I guess. Thought Darian did a great job on that, and it represents one from the post Pet Sounds 60's era. Glad to see "Marcella" is included.

Sure, it's a matter of opinions. What else.  :) I also kind of agree with what you said about last year's live vocals compared to the 'vintage' studio vocals. Both tunes have always sounded even better when played live - see the 1973 live album, for instance.

And I'll trade the "Pet Sounds" instrumental for something else. I know it makes Brian's musicians shine and it's OK, but just not sure it belongs on this live album. Maybe Brian's idea?

I love it to death. Pretty adventurous idea to do it this way.

It's one of David's only two spotlights (unless they use a version of Hawaii with him singing, which I doubt), it made a good opener for the second half, it's from the band's most famous album... makes perfect sense to have it on there to me.

Assuming my spreadsheet is correct, the only songs we don't have soundboard recordings of (between this and other radio broadcasts from the tour) are

This Whole World
Come Go With Me
Darlin
Good Timin
It's OK
Ballad of Ole Betsy
Still Cruisin
Our Prayer
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Let Him Run Wild
California Dreamin
Summer's Gone

Not bad... not bad at all.  Hopefully the "missing" songs will see release elsewhere so we can "roll our own" Live CD set.

No Mount Vernon and Fairway??  I am never buying anything Beach Boys related again!!!

 :smash

Can you say super-uber-doober-exclusive release of 30 copies to be sold specifically through Walmart with the missing titles?

Missing some of the highlights of the tour I think, particularly some of the more memorable Brian leads.  Please Let Me Wonder, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, Good Timin,' All Summer Long... I think they should make it 50 songs like the hits collection.

That's great.

Maybe we'll get some of those on the DVD in December -- it would certainly make sense for the DVD producers to pay attention to this CD and put in a few songs that aren't on it...

The Professor is completely satisfied, and yes, Pet Sounds, with my favorite BB, nails it for me. The listing is very similar to the Japan show that so many of us have, since one of our brothers provided it (I almost forged a new coinage "bro-vided, which would have been clever).

That show, btw, has Don't Worry Baby, so those of you missing that should get the Japan show and enjoy it. Cotton fields too. Th equality of that download here was excellent, and really a complete live album in itself. I assume it's still available.

fixed that http://www.mixcloud.com/sinlopez/the-beach-boys-2012-08-16-qvc-marine-field-chiba-japan/

The new live album is just as it should be--a rockin, lovin' BB show.

Great song lineup, of course everyone has their favorites but this will make for a great live album if mixed in a genuine fashion with a minimum of alterations. 

Well, we have Pet Sounds on Brian's Pet Sounds live CD. That's good enough for me. Think Dave also sings Getcha Back, dudn't he? Think I saw him sing on that in the C50.

And damn, just noticed This Whole World is missing too.  THAT was a must have in my book.  Beggars can't be choosers.  No whining!

Come to think of it: I do miss 'Cabinessence', with Mike singing lead. That's the sore thumb for me.

I think.

that WAS the original tracklisitng but it has now changed..the cd is now called "50 Kokomos, 50 nights" featuring 50 different versions of kokomo and nothing else..produced by Mike Love on the cd cover. wait until you see the tracklisting for MIC..Hint-Complete Kokomo sessions and prooduced by Mike Love.

Not a bad setlist at all for what we could have gotten.  Very cool to see a song like The Little Girl I Once Knew in there that wasn't played a lot.  But I was surprised that Please Let Me Wonder and I Just Wasn't Made For These Times didn't make it - two of the better Brian songs from the shows.  And I really liked Darlin' and Ballad of Ol' Betsy.

We definitely could hold out hope for a Target/Best Buy/Walmart/etc special release with a lot more bonus material or even some more tracks on MIC.  The Japan version also might have some extra stuff.

Well, it is good to see someone came to their senses. The 21 tune disc was anemic. I wsould rather spend my money on a legit release than buy cd-rs. That said, it's a little late! Better late than never!

I'm happy about Pet Sounds being on it, because David really brought something unique to the guitar part, lots of great licks and variations - the Pet Sounds Live thing just has Walusko playing the original part.

Nice tracklist. No major complaints in light of what we already have. The Chiba Cottonfields will work just fine with absence here.

I also get putting the hybrid tracks on there. Both *Carl and Dennis should be represented in some way, shape or form on this live album, and GOK is about as big as it gets in terms of a BB classic. As much as I love rarities, it would've felt odd without it.

* (Assuming they're not using one of the Brian-sung GOKs. Which I doubt they would)

I wonder if the versions of Do It Again, California Girls, and Sail On Sailor are the ones from the Isn't It Time EP?

"God Only Knows" and "Forever"? Strange choices for an exclusively audio experience, but hay. Tracklist is purty cool overall.

OUCH!

 :hat

 :woot Great! I never gave up hope for a Live CD set from the 50 Tour. I'd still like to see an expanded mini-box (like the recent Fifty Big Ones box) with 3 CDs and additional material. You can bet other songs were mastered for release but didn't make the cut.

I'm missing Cottonfields, It's OK and well, all of the others!

I think if 2-CD set sells good we'll see and expanded set show up somewhere.

Thank you Beach Boys and Capital Records!

I go the other way. More important to have on the audio, however the DVD works too. Great that Dennis and Carl get a nod for any 50th product IMO.

But without the visuals, I feel like it might come off as a little more odd and not nearly as effective. True on the latter point, however.

I found the track listing for the first disc.

1. Kokomo (Beach Boys version)
2. Kokomo (Full House version)
3. Kokomo (Papa John Phillips version)
4. Kokomo (Papa John Pizza version)
5. Koko the Clown
6. Koko Cola commercial
7. Kokomo (Spanish version)
8. Kokomo (German version)
9. Kokomo (Korean version)
10. Kokomo (Swahili version)
11. Iko Ikokomo (feat. Dr. John)
12. Kokemon (feat. Pikachu)
13. Rocokokomo (feat. Arcade Fire)
14. Kokopuffs (feat. Tony the Tiger)
15. Kokomo Live in Seaworld (feat. Shamu)
16. McKokomo (2008 McCain Campaign version)
17. Kokomo: A Tribute to the Indiana City
18. Santa's Goin' to Kokomo
19. Satan's Goin' to Kokomo
20. Koko Pebbles (feat. Fred Flintstone)
21. Kokomo (Adrian Baker version)
22. Kokomo (Kathy Baker version)
23. Rickrollkomo (feat. Rick Astley)
24. Kokomo (Dave Coulier solo version)
25. k0k0mø (Skrillex remix version)

...

No Please Let Me Wonder OR This Whole World? Those were two of my absolute highlights! :( Can't complain too much though, that's a pretty good track list overall.

Yeah those two songs will be missed. That said this track listing is hard to complain about.

the working title is 50 Shades of Kokomo

No Cottonfields is the biggest let down for me, Al sounded GREAT on that!I'm convinced Mike will not let them put out another release or do a concert without Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

Yeah not only did Al sound great but so did the band.  Scott was laying down some nice country licks on that B-bender.  This will be one tune I'll miss on this CD along with "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" but I am more than pleased with what's there. 

It's gotta be some kind of BB record for most number of different lead vocals on an album, albeit a 2disc:

1. Brian
2. Mike
3. Carl
4. Dennis
5. Al
6. Bruce
7. David
8. Scott

I'm glad they included "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". That song rocks live and I predict that song will be a highlight on the album.

Jeff doubled Scott on Fools (and is essentially co-lead vocalist on half the others) so that's nine.

I'm pleased overall with the track selections and sequencing.  41 out of the 61 songs featured throughout the tour are there, with some of the weaker (but still good) performances left off.  I think, though, that Al continues to get the short end of the stick here.  He should have had at least one more featured lead like Cottonfields or Come Go With Me or California Dreamin.  Going off of GoofyJeff's list, here are the 20 songs that were cut:

This Whole World
Come Go With Me
Darlin
Good Timin
It's OK
Ballad of Ole Betsy
Still Cruisin
Our Prayer
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Let Him Run Wild
California Dreamin
Summer's Gone
Dance Dance Dance
Please Let Me Wonder
Kiss Me Baby
All Summer Long
Don't Worry Baby
You're So Good To Me
Do You Wanna Dance
Cottonfields

If I were told I could add 5 of these, and drop 5, I'd add Cottonfields, IJWMFTT, Please Let Me Wonder, Calif Dreamin, and Come Go With Me.  I'd drop WDFFIL, Wendy, Don't Back Down, TLGIOK, and Hawaii.  But overall, I like the tracklist!

Haven't posted in a while, but decided it was worth saying that this tracklist is fantastic!  I'm really excited that we're getting a purely audio live album.  Time to relive the memories!

As much as I love the tracks cut, more so then most of those included... I'm obviously excited! That night (June 23rd HAHA) was AMAZING and I'd love to relive it!

Cannot wait for all the complaints to start coming in after it's released and listened to. Here comes World War 3-oh, the devestation that's heading this way! You watch, it'll be totally ripped to shreads within 2 days or sooner.  :lol

I had forgotten about this gem. Damm well better be on the boxset or I ain't buying it.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=jlZb2_dXOaY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjlZb2_dXOaY

Phil...is that you? :lol

Don't laugh. It's goona happen! "Why didn't they include the "Good Vibrations" from the Beacon Theatre in NYC? It's better than the one on the DVD!" Or "Man, they shoulda included the version of Rhonda from the Cuthbert Theatre in Oregon instead of the one on the DVD"!

Must admit I am not paying too close attention. But it seems that there is no indication the set is all from the same show. The assumption is it's an expanded tracklist from the Bluray DVD. Do we really know that yet? I would certainly prefer cherry picked performances from the entire tour.

The best quality product would have performances mixed from various nights.  Brian always has some days that are better than others.  And there were a few occasions when Al flubed  a line or two.

Maybe there will be some exclusive bonus tracks, like on iTunes or something...

Hey Micha, DDD is one of my favourites too!  They didn't play it in Perth either. I don't mind it not being on the live album though, I love what I've already got, it's such a rockin' song, they might not have had the energy for it ;)  I don't think Marcella and SOS are clunkers though,  I love SOS but RnR music should be wiped off the face of the earth.

And we all know what is gonna happen if somebody thinks they used autotune. It will be unbearable in here.

Not unknown for iTunes to offer a complete bonus disc… (eg John Martyn's Solid Air expanded remaster) … and the way they've divided this up into roughly two discs of approx 20 tunes each for release, and 20 tunes not for release, lends itself to that. Never say never with this band…

Dullsville. Count me out.

Nothing constructive to say, but i'll be saving my money.

Yeah, geez, I hope they cherrypicked from different performances! To make the best DVD, they should! That's what The Beach Boys have done with all their live albums so far come to think of it. In Concert '73 was culled from 3 or 4 shows, wadinit? That's the logical thing to do. They have so many shows to choose from! Maybe they'll pick the version of Good Vibrations with the orginal words that they sang at a few shows...

Well, that's common practice in the business for like... forever, no matter what artist.

Well I mean if you think about it, The Beach Boys haven't really had a proper live album since 1973, which is surprising considering how popular they are as a touring entity.  Bascally, Beach Boys live albums are not common practice.

Mike doing Rock N Roll Music is one of music's great tragedies

100% agreement with you on this, Wild Honey...they have R&R followed by Surfin' USA, so that's really a double dose of Chuck Berry at the end when they could have played DDD, which fits in just as well--heck, better--with a up-tempo ending/encore scenario. I would rather they dump R&R here and put the alternate single version on MIC, because it's actually pretty good (though Mike is just way too nasally on that vocal, he's pushing it past all levels of propriety on that song). SOS and Marcella rule!! If I can't have Mess of Help (could never happen without Carl around to sing it...)  then I have to have BOTH of those!!  ;D

Thanks, Eric, I was hoping someone would post a list of songs performed that are not appearing on the two disc set. 

As far as the track list goes, the only way to please everyone would have been to include every song performed by doing a three CD package.  As it is, I'm really looking forward to this release.

wonder why they would cut IJWMFTT given that Brian and Al dig it. Perhaps Brian's performance of it wasn't up to scratch?

"And we all know what is gonna happen if somebody thinks they used autotune. It will be unbearable in here."
 :lol

Yeah, one poster in particular... It became his mantra, though I suspect he'd never heard of it until someone else brought it up...

My post is autotuned, btw.

Like Woodstock, Hendrix- Band of Gypsys, The Who - Live At Leeds, Johnny Cash - At San Quentin, Beach Boys-Live in London, The Allman Brothers - At Fillmore East, James Brown - Say It Live & Loud: Live In Dallas 8.26.68, Queen - Live At Wembley '86, Simon & Garfunkel - Live In Central Park, Live Aid, Bruce Springsteen - Live In New York City, the list goes on and on.

They do cherrypick if there is more than one show, give you that.

Knebworth.
Also Songs From Here & Back.
And while the Beach Boys haven't released any more live albums until now other than those, remember that for much of that time the touring Beach Boys haven't had a license to record under that name. Brian's released two live albums and four live DVDs in the last fifteen years, and Al had his Live In Las Vegas album.

I see the live CD set is listed at Amazon Uk as an import.

Do we have to take the colonies back in hand?

They don't need autotune. I saw The Beach Boys sing live last year, barely a duff note.

It's only dolts like Joe Thomas who have no grasp of what modern pop music is - that if all the cool kids are doing it, that must be why they're selling so many records,  and so they think that you should autotune The Beach Boys right down to the whistling. It's senseless pandering, either that or every single performance on TWGMTR was incredibly out of tune, which I kind of doubt somehow. As Brian put it, they've been practicing for 50 years.

I don't get the impulse, really - you're dealing with The Great American Band, you don't have to play catch up to Katy Perry or whatever! You can produce on your own terms. JT produced mostly on 2012's terms. That's the kind of thinking that got us the trashy sound of Imagination or SIP or BB85. Can you say dated?

[/rant]

I wish Kiss Me Baby was on there. Great song, and I felt that the performances I heard were great

I hear ya, but Joe was involved with the DVDs, so most likely is involved with this release too. Plus, didn't some of you guys swear up and down that they were also using it at the first dozen or two shows last Spring? I hate to be a downer, but I think it will be used, though it don't bother me like it does with some of you.

Yeah, hoping against hope really. Bloody Joe Thomas.

Also, coincidentally that recording from the first date just popped up on my shuffle and I'd swear it all up and down again. Not the case at Wembley, as the video proves.

Yeah, they were *definitely* using it on the first few shows, at least on Brian's voice, but they'd either stopped or got *much* more subtle at using it after the first few -- the audience recordings from June, July and August don't have any sign of it.

Well, I wouldn't mind if Dance, Dance, Dance wasn't on the MIC box, as I already have the standard studio version. I'll buy MIC anyway for the unreleased tracks. But a really good idea would be to put a live version of Dance, Dance, Dance from the C50 tour on MIC - hey, I'd even buy the live 2CD then!

Otherwise, I'm still boycotting the live 2CD for constantly omitting Dance, Dance, Dance. >:( I can live with them not doing my absolute favorite Here Today on the C50 tour, as nobody else seems to be that into it, but, man, DDD...

They "only"performed Dance, Dance, Dance 11 times during the C50 tour so they would've had a relatively small selection of recordings compared to most of the other songs. Maybe none of them were at the standard they were aiming for (doubtful but still a possibility). Or maybe it just didn't make the cut like the 20 other tracks that didn't for whatever reason. Then again TLGIOK was performed 9 times so ya never know. Loving the track list though even in the absence of some.

Still think it's worth bearing in mind that 20 or so live tracks left off does add up to another CD's worth of material. If the 2CD takes off and sells well, I can't see Mike wanting to just sit on that untapped income stream!  That, or a bonus incentive to sell more copies via Readers Digest, iTunes, WalMart, BetterBuy, QVC or whatever…

Reading what folk have put here, there'd be a strong market – among fans at least – for many of the omitted tracks.

Hopefully we'll see a Standard 2-CD version and a Deluxe 3-CD mini box set. We can dream, right?

As it was suggested that the MiC box set might include live tracks it would seem entirely possible that a couple of songs not included here might be used for that.

I'm sorta disappointed that the Cal Sag version of "All This Is That" isn't on this set.  That was beautiful.  Maybe they are holding that over for the box set?

Well, we don't know that it isn't -- we don't know what performances are on the CD yet, unless I'm missing something. But I doubt it'll be on the box -- it is, after all, a Beach Boys box set, not a "random people who happen to share genes with the Beach Boys" set...

Yeah I would be very VERY surprised to see Cal Saga on any of these releases.

It's very common that most live albums are taken from multiple shows and studio enhancements are usually done on most live albums too, whether it's re-doing entire parts or just editing.  FWIW - Allman Brothers at Fillmore East taken from at least 3-4 shows over a couple of days.  Band Of Gypsies was multiple shows.  Live At Leeds was from one show but on the expanded reissues they had to re-do a lot of vocal parts in the studio. 

Yeah, I said that. The Hendrix BOG was two shows, one night. Yes, they do sweetening. Reportedly, FRAMPTOM COMES ALIVE was seriously sweetened.

I love Dance Dance Dance, but to be honest, the song probably wasn't performed much for a reason...it didn't work too well with such a large band.  The recordings I've heard kind of lacked energy and Mike's vocal seemed lost in the mix of so many instruments.  Dance Dance Dance and It's OK are two songs that sound MUCH better with Mike & Bruce's smaller band.

That said, Rock And Roll Music sounds GREAT with a small band or a large production such as this one.  Always a highlight for me at all the live shows I've been to where it was performed.

That's interesting. One of the greatest live albums ever made even better. Some would argue with touching up the live albums in the studio with overdubbing is cheating, but look at the Beach Boys '64 concert album. Some may have suspected, but most didn't know it was "cleaned up" in the studio with overdubbing.

Hey John, don't make us Americans whup you British peebles AGAIN!

(LOL)

I personally have no problem with it.  They are creating a live album that people will listen to forever, so they want it right.  What I hate is when things are needlessly cut or edited down.  I'm also not a fan of fake crowds being added.  I do however, enjoy between song banter as it happened at the show. 

I haven't said that each and every live album is culled together from different shows. But it is and always was common practice to do so. Nothing special about that.

I haven't said that each and every live album is culled together from different shows. But it is and always was common practice to do so. Nothing special about that.

Last time you tried it we set fire to the White House. Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough :-p

Neither Knebworth or the Songs from Here and Back album are considered part of the official Beach Boys canon.  Songs from Here and Back was an exclusive for Hallmark stores while Knebworth was pretty much nothing more than a soundtrack from the Eagle Rock's video release.  Not to mention both were released long after the actual shows were recorded.

By whom? I must have missed the Council Of Hawthorne in which they were declared deuterocanonical and the NASCAR CD was denounced as heresy...


Well, the Knebworth CD came out several months before the DVD did, but even if it hadn't, none of those points stop them from being Beach Boys live albums...

Thanks for the info. I will cast them to the flames this instant. :)

No love for "Betsy".  :P

Actually, Scott, given the choice I'd far rather have your version of Let Him Run Wild on there -- I wasn't lucky enough to hear it last year but in 2008 it was the highlight of the show. You do a wonderful job on that one.

I think most everybody here would love to see all 61 songs performed on the tour on CD! For that matter, throw on the songs that were rehearsed such as "Surf's Up"..... :)

It was a pleasant surprise last year that you guys included Betsy in the setlist. That was one thing that was so cool last year is that you performed many songs that we rarely, if ever hear in concert. You did justice to the song and to Brian's original vocal. Thanks for the care that you take with all of the arrangements.

You certainly do a cracking rendition of that song. Hopefully it will be in the setlist again this year at the appropriate venues.

Scott, I saw you perform "Betsy" in either Maine or Boston.  Fantastic performance!!

:woot :kiss :woot :thumbsup :woot :h5 :woot

I'm with you on the latter, but not the former. Knebworth was produced by Bruce Johnston at the time and was overdubbed extensively for a release soon after the performance. Didn't happen, but the Boys still clearly worked it up as a potential album.

Brian recording today at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood CA

http://www.brianwilson.com/instagram

Sweetening vocals for the live album?  New R&R album? Finishing The Suite? Finishing Radio rejects for MIC? New BAD album?

!!!!!!

They post photos of Brian recording vocals like once every couple weeks. We'll see, I s'pose.

Also, I can't believe calling them "BAD" is catching on. :'(

Yeah, obviously curious as to what's up.

BAD not good? How bout DAB? DBA? That works, DBA,  "Doing Business As"

Even recording his own solo album would make me ecstatic!

I think it's more than vocals over a live album - as the other pictures have shown Brian at a piano - captions saying he's "laying down tracks"

Could be for the 'Life Suite' - but I was under the impression he finished that during the recording for TWGMTR and they only allowed the 3 songs in for the record.

So my bet is on a new solo album ;D

Very excited to hear new material from Brian.

He's been on fire since TLOS.

While BW is doing these tracks, where are the Beach Boys? This is the time. I do not at all care about a BW solo record and would barely pay attention to it. I want the BB together, and that's it. I have no more to say on the subject.

The Professor has spoken.

Class adjourned.

No offense professor, but may I ask how long you've been a Beach Boys fan? And what is your favorite album? Cuz I don't see how someone could love The Beach Boys, and thus most likely Brian's songs, and not be at all interested in new solo material from the man. I personally would prefer the guys work together, but it's not up to me. Anyways,  I know you like TWGMTR and he wrote every song on the album besides one. I mean, everybody is allowed to have their own opinion, but to me it seems like it's kinda more about who is working on the music rather than the actual music. It also seems you would rather these guys work together against their will rather than having Mike on the road doing his thing, and then Brian doing some recording and a few shows on his own or with Al and Dave. I wouldn't doubt that if asked he would probably love to do a "rock 'n roll" Beach Boys album. But it seems very likely that Mike isn't interested in that right now.  And that's his right, even though I wish it was otherwise.

It's BAD Beach, dudes!

Same place they were when he was laying down tracks for "Pet Sounds".  :-)

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Coming to this a bit late but it looks like a good track listing. My only disappointment is that there is no Summer's Gone, but the rest of the selection looks excellent.

Just a couple of comments, it looks like the two CDs will be pretty full. There may in fact be no space for one more song.

The average attention span of an adult human being is 40-48 minutes, which may be why many people find the LP format to be of pleasing length and lose attention after about 20 single-length tracks.

Well, he has the right to have his own opinions. Do not consider this as an attack, sweetdudejim, but as a reflection: What you wrote seems to me like you are trying to tell him what he should be wanting.

Nice addition. I wrote something to this effect earlier in the thread, and agree. It's not for nothing that Uni lectures last 45 mins. (standard in Holland, at any rate) and then there's a 15 minute break). IIRC the initial maximum length of a CD was 78 minutes - at the request of the then Sony CEO, that company collaborated with Dutch Philips to develop the CD. He wanted that because their previous plan was a 60 minutes length, which could not accomodate the full 5th symphony of Beethoven.

74 minutes actually, but then I'm a nitpicker. ::)

Klugscheißer! Hast mir den janzen Tag versaut!

 ???

"Smartass! I have messed up the whole day!"  according to Google Translator. But that's assuming the Don's talking German…  it could be Martian!

Nearly there, John! Only the 'I' should've been: 'You', and that's because I wrote everyday conversational German, so I left out the 2nd person address that would have to be there in officially. Yes: it's real German, by the way...  :lol

I think a lot would be dependent on who much non-music stage banter is included. But at this 20-21 songs per disc, I would tend to doubt that both discs are filled to the max. Some of the surf/car songs are pretty short, sometimes clocking in around or under two minutes. If each CD can hold 80 minutes, that would allow 3 ½ to 4 minutes per track.

My guess is that time constraints are probably not why we specifically got 41 tracks on this set. They clearly couldn’t have fit all 61 songs. Something probably more in the 50-55 songs would have been the max I’m guessing, again depending on how much “chit chat” would be included.

I just put together a playlist of this setlist from the Albert Hall show (which had minimal chatter). The first CD comes to fifty-nine minutes, the second to seventy (assuming they keep the band intros in, which I imagine they will).
Given that they were playing to clicks (I've not seen any confirmation of that, but I don't see how else they'd have stayed in sync for the video stuff) I'd imagine that would be pretty much dead on the final CD lengths.

Yeah, but interestingly with a Berlin accent! :) No kidding!

Wat bistn jetzte am Berlinern, Don? ;D

Don't know the verb 'Berlinern', Micha, does it have a special connotation? At any rate, I watch way too much Krimis, from Tatort via SOKO via Ein Fall Für Zwei, via Die Chefin, via Der Staatsanwalt, via Rosenheim Cops, via Polizeiruf 110, back to the repeats of old Tatorts.

So it is entirely an accidental matter which dialect I happen to use on any given day.

Might be Schwäbisch tomorrow, God Only Knows, to quote some entirely uninteresting music combo the name of which I seem to forget all of the time.

Betsy wasn't performed at the two Chicago shows I saw.  But I did see it in Milwaukee and it was easily one of the standouts of the night for the amazing lead vocals and that it was another deep track that I wasn't expecting!  I would love to see it appear on this live album (if there are some bonus tracks somehow).  But I do understand that the band might want to highlight the songs sung by themselves first.  But that doesn't explain the absence of Cottonfields - a big moment for Al every night.

 ;D

Bißt du besofft??   ;D

"Four of the five songs from the second half of the suite — "Strange World," "From There to Back Again," "Pacific Coast Highway" and "Summer's Gone" — close out the album. The fifth track, "I'd Go Anywhere," which is meant to go between "Strange World" and "From There to Back Again," remains unfinished. The six songs that comprise the suite's first half are incomplete, too, Thomas said."

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/24/the-beach-boys-are-making-radio-waves/?print=1

For whatever it's worth, Mark Wyckoff of the Ventura County Star makes the claim that, according to Joe Thomas, there's still work to be done to finish the suite (and Good God, how I would L-O-V-E to see it completed and released on Made in California).

Even more than the Rock'n'Roll album, the completed suite remains my most desired new Beach Boys project.

Well here is to hoping completing the My Life suite is what has contributed to the delays in it's release.

*fingers crossed*

Thanks for clarifying! Been awhile since I read about it.

And agreed - I'd love to see this thing finished entirely and released.

I doubt Brian's making a new record.

Best case scenario, he's finishing up some vocals for the box set. Worse case, overdubs for the live album  :-\

I mean, captions for some of the photos of him at the piano have read "Brian laying down tracks"

I'm hopeful there will be some new material coming out.

That's a good point.

Definitely new material of some sort. I just find it hard to believe he's already got a new album in the works so soon after TWGMTR.

Prolific isn't the word.

There was apparently a lot of stuff left over from that album, though. And half the songs from That's Why God... were over a decade old. He might have some new ones.

Or it might be another covers album. Brian Wilson Reimagines Diane Warren or something :-/

"Berlinern" of course means "to speak with a strong Berlin accent". Looking forward to your Schwäbisch. I learned the other day they don't eat Currywurst in Schwaben. :o I can't think of the name of the band either. "Beatle Boys" or "Beagle Boys" or something like that...

I seem to recall someone IDing the little piece of music that sounds similar to Bicycle Rider in the PBS documentary as 'I'd Go Anywhere', but that was a little while ago of course. Can anyone confirm/deny/tell me to shut it?

Shut it.

Nawww.....that instrumental piece from the PBS special (I don't think it sounds like Bicycle Rider, though) isn't confirmed as "I'd Go Anywhere", but it most likely is...definitely recorded for the TWGMTR sessions, and definitely isn't on the album, and sounds similar in tone and style as the other pieces of the sweet suite we have.

I could be wrong, but I think all Brians solo albums including the live ones were announced in advance of recording. To be recording a new album now with no details, while not unheard of, would be a first for him.

If the BB50 live album is due in stores before the end of May, I think it's relatively unlikely they're still doing any overdubs or anything of that nature for it. It isn't unheard of to have that type of turnaround time, but I would guess most likely that the live album has already been mixed and mastered if it's due in stores in the latter half of May.

Maybe he was inspired by the positive reception to the C50 tour that he went straight into writing/recording solo material without much of a plan - which would be pretty incredible.

We don't know it's a solo record....

We've absolutely no reason to think it's anything else.

Brian said he wanted to make a rock n roll album "with the guys". Who's to say he's not doing work on that while the other guys do other stuff? They can always come in and do their parts whenever.

See all the interviews with Mike that keep getting linked here where he says the reunion was a fixed-time thing and they have no plans to work together again.

In the end, Brian is in the studio working on an unannounced project.


Wow.  ;D

A shame Mike looks at it this way, they could record their parts separately for projects if they can't be around each other. Its a special event when BW records or makes new material.

Exactly. :woot

Ehh. I don't take anything they say in press interviews seriously anymore. Remember Brian's "I don't want to work with those guys" comments? - and then look what happened after that....And then the whole Mike/Brian feud publicity stunt that seems like it was just someone's idea to keep their name in the spotlight for a little whole longer....

Agreed :rock :rock :rock :rock :rock

Only conjecture on my part, but while we know the remaining suite numbers have been described as "unfinished" and "incomplete," we have no idea just how far along those tracks were before being abandoned.  Just playing devil's advocate, here, but for all we know, any parts required of the other 'Boys were already put to tape during the TWGMTR sessions, with only Brian-work required to finish things off.

Is this likely?  I don't know, probably not, but it's by no means impossible.

What makes you think the Mike/Brian feud was a publicity stunt? (I remember the spat, but I never looked into it any further).

There was a set end-date to the tour and everyone involved knew this - at the very least if Brian didn't know the specifics, Melinda did. So, for there to have been major publications with Brian saying he was fired, wanted to continue with the Beach Boys but was not allowed, it just doesn't make sense - but it gave them headlines - and for a while "Brian Wilson fired" was trending on Yahoo and Twitter and whatever, I think that's exactly what they wanted.

Moment of realization:

We now have one live album with lead vocals from all seven of the main Beach Boys.

Whoa,
Jon Blum

Brian's FB just posted pictures from the 4/12/13 session - with Don Was and Jim Keltner on the skins (!!!).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151551792732241&set=a.10151551792582241.1073741827.34250497240&type=1&theater (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151551792732241&set=a.10151551792582241.1073741827.34250497240&type=1&theater)

I am so pumped! What an amazing era: We're all conversing about whether Brian is recording new tracks or just overdubbing a live show - and nearly simultaneously pictures are being posted that show Brian directing musicians in the studio.

Ohhhh now this is very cool.

I hope, hope, hope Brian has signed to Don's "Blue Note Records". That's where Brian belongs.

There's a big piece of info that's missing from your theory, one that's been discussed in other C50 threads on this board...the tour was orig. set at 50 dates, and as things evolved in such a positive way more offers came through, they were accepted up to the number of approx. 70 dates...but the offers didn't end there...they had another 20 or so on the table, major dates, big venues, more TV, another LP...this was all on the table...and Brian, Al and Dave said lets keep going and Mike said no, he wanted to go back to his normal setup. So your statement that there was a "set end-date to the tour" isn't really true, it didn't have to end at 50 or 70 or whatever...it could have kept going as long as they ALL wanted it to...but they ALL did not want to continue. No publicity stunt...just the usual Beach Boys embarrassing ugliness returning after a nice break from it.

Blue Note is a jazz label that was founded before Don Was was born.

He's president now though..

Van Morrison signed last year and released his best album in years.

I don't think Brian's previous association with Don Was sparked any particular moments of greatness.

I still don't get this..   Why is the band at the whim of Mikes decisions?  I know he has the rights to the name but how long can that go on?  Brian wrote most of the damn music for crissakes. They are all getting on in age, wouldn't it be better for everyone if the C50 group continued for as long as possible and then finish up with them all together, no more split groups??

So they should kidnap Mike and force him to tour with the C50 group in whatever configuration Brian chooses?

Conversely, though, why should Mike be forced to work with a bunch of other people he doesn't want to work with?

Alternatively, they could secretly administer some of the snake oil meds to Mike, that Landy fed Brian with. He'd become a very willing, possibly subservient person.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

makes more sense than what happens now!

No, it really doesn't.

Why does *every single fucking thread on this board* recently have to degenerate into "wah wah wah Mike took our ball away he's a bad evil man of badness"?

GROW UP.

Right now, we have a situation where Mike and Bruce want to work together, with their excellent band, and are doing so. Brian, Al and David apparently want to work together with Brian's even more excellent band, and are doing so. Every band member gets to work with the people he feels most comfortable working with, Mike & Bruce are putting on an excellent show and I'm certain so will Brian, Al and David, those who are lucky enough to live where both bands are playing have a choice of seeing whichever show they prefer or both...

In what world is that not preferable to a bunch of old men all having to work together even though it makes them unhappy?#

"Oh, but we want the reunion line-up to stay together forever!"

Stop being so childish and selfish. Even were the principals willing to continue working together indefinitely -- which is clearly not the case -- the backing band (who were 95% of the reason the shows last year were any good) have lives too. Several of Brian's band members publicly complained about the number of shows they had to do last year keeping them away from their families and other commitments. Others were very vocally unhappy about having to do so many hits shows rather than the more artistic shows they prefer doing. They all have lives, and outside careers, that they may not want to put on indefinite hold so they can go out and play Kokomo a hundred times a year every year. And without that band, last year's shows would simply not have been possible.

I'd love nothing more than to see that line-up continue. Not so much because I want to see the five principals together (though I was ecstatic at finally getting to see Al live) but because I thought the combination of Brian's band with Scott Totten and John Cowsill was the best group of musicians I've ever seen perform. But I'd also love to be a millionaire, and I know for a fact Mike Love has several million dollars. Surely he could give me a million or two? How awful of him that he won't! It's almost like he has his own life rather than just existing to do my bidding...

The situation now was always likely to happen though wasn't it...

If during the negotiation stage it had been put to Mike, 'Brian will agree to a reunion but you must agree never to tour with Bruce again until Brian says it's ok' then the C50 tour would never have happened.

The fans had a great year which they never expected. That shouldn't be turned into a negative.

Wise words.

You say you'd love nothing more than to see the line up continue,  which is exactly what I was saying,  I also and said  I DON"T GET IT!!  okay,  don't tell me to grow up, I can say whatever the hell I want.   I think they should go out altogether while they are still around,  NOT FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I"M SELFISH (as you suggest) but because I think It's better for the BB's name. 

I don't think the BBs name is as sacrosanct to the individuals as it is to some fans. After all, Brian was happy to not only let Mike tour as 'The Beach Boys' but also to let Al tour as 'Beach Boys Family and Friends' simultaneously if he'd been paid.

The bank balance rules over the BBs name every time.

Mike's argument comes down to this:

"Nevermind touring with you guys, I am just going use the BBs name by myself again."

Gotcha. Van is still in the neighborhood of jazz, though. Don't think of B-dub that way.

Of course he also said that he doesn't rule it out. But I think he would be there in a minute if Brian says he's gonna write with Mike. It seems that Mike only really was interested in new work if he gets to write with Brian again.

Which as Brian and Carl's estate have agreed to that for years is a pretty strong argument.  :-D

C'mon, you're better than that. You have to realize that Mike has his own band that relies on touring to make money - and his own son is in that band.

 Which is, of course, perfectly sensible. Why would Mike want the BBs to be singing a bunch of new songs that he has no hand in?  Has their history taught nothing?

I understand this completely, but Mike and Bruce had other commitments, instead of it being they didn't "want to" continue the C50 line-up, couldn't it have been that they wanted to honor their other commitments? And yeah, Mike probably makes more money in his own band...and yes, he does continue to take additional tour dates with his band. But what made Brian/his people do the whole "I was fired from the band" thing?? It doesn't make sense to me that they had to air all that out publicly in the way that they did. It just doesn't seem like an organic fight - even if it all wasn't a stunt, I feel like there had to have been a little bit of that thought in the back of someone's  mind.

Those "Commitments" were made after the C50 tour began.

A huge reason people have an issue with Mike resuming his M&B configuration is how he went about it. Booking dates during the C50 tour, releasing a tasteless press release before the world tour even ended, his comments in The Rolling Stone article, now taking shots at Melinda in interviews. Is he still fasting?

Booking dates during the tour -- so he and his band would actually have some work after the tour.
"releasing a tasteless press release before the world tour even ended" -- a press release that Brian's management asked for
"his comments in The Rolling Stone article" -- which were absolutely inoffensive
"now taking shots at Melinda in interviews" -- where for "Melinda" you can substitute "at least one person in the organisation who isn't Brian". And none of us have any idea whether those 'shots' are justified or not.

I'm no great admirer of Mike, and he's done many, many things I dislike in his time. But he's not actually done anything wrong here.

If the "we were fired!" thing was a publicity stunt, it seems to have not worked very well. Nearly all of the momentum and interest gained during the 50th anniversary tour dropped off like a rock directly following that "feud" according to Google Trends. http://www.google.com.au/trends/explore#q=The%20Beach%20Boys

Just noticed that from the track-list we have 17 songs that have never previously been released as live tracks:

Little Honda
Catch A Wave
Don't Back Down
The Little Girl I Once Knew
Wendy
Getcha Back
Then I Kissed Her
Isn't It Time
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
Disney Girls (1957)
Pet Sounds
Add Some Music To Your Day
California Saga: California
All This Is That
That's Why God Made The Radio
Forever

I have an idea folks!  If I could get another three of these made, connect 'em in pairs with big sticks and fasten some sort of gurney across 'em, I might be on to something!

(http://www.salvo.co.uk/images/userimgs/24704/29953_1.jpg)

Hey, Mike fired Brian?

I don't want to be negative or disagreeable, so I will be ;D .... but after sleeping on it for a few days, I wish that "Pet Sounds" would've been left off in favor of another song. I already have it on Live At The Roxy and Pet Sounds Live. Will this version sound identical to those? No disrespect to David Marks BTW. "Pet Sounds" wasn't included for me/us who already have it twice; was it included for the casual fan who wants the hits? I can see myself clicking to Track #2 and starting with "Add Some Music To Your Day". Sorry for the downer post. I'm gonna go back to following the Tiger Woods controversy now. Controversy everywhere!

I would have opened the cd set with Our Prayer, and closed it with Summer's Gone.

It won't sound identical -- while Nick played the part exactly as written, David used it as a basis for improvisation (though frankly I'd have preferred if he *had* played the part as written). There's also no sax on the versions from last year, so no sax solo, and the arrangement was much shorter, without the extended percussion duel section and so forth (though the little bit of the percussion duel that was included was played much better than on the Pet Sounds Live CD because it was Mike D'Amico and Nelson Bragg playing rather than Jim Hines and Andy Paley).

But the idea is to represent the shows as performed, and they never opened with Our Prayer. As for Summer's Gone, they only performed it twice, and both times Brian messed up the lead vocals.

Interest has declined because the C50 is over and the PR blitz is done.  Yeah, I highly doubt it was a publicity stunt.

Pets sounds is a favorite of the professor of course. In terms of the Brian Wilson vs The Beach Boys? I prefer the Magnificent Seven and all epic myths that bring an all star cast of Heroes together.

100%

And my only comment on the yet another thread turned into a Mike and Bruce vs the C50 lineup. Bruce said years ago on a message board they take bookings upto 18months out for the M&B shows. Of course they were going to plan last year for 2013.

I think there's every chance that would have been lovely.  That said, "Do it Again" did open every show and deserves its place at the start, methinks.

Sure would have loved to have had "Summer's Gone" on there, though.  Maybe we'll get a nice live version of the song as a bonus track / at another time?

That would be nice, but given most of these live release, they seem adverse for a variety of reasons, some more in their control than others, to *not* give us a complete, all-inclusive concert from beginning to end, either in video or audio form.

And pays for the priviledge. Also didn't Celebration 50 have a defined end and then that was extended to another defined end and then it was agreed that the end would be extended a second time and offers were left on the table.

You know, inconsequential offers that any right thinking man would have passed up, like two nights at Madison Square Garden. It's nothing, really.

The difference in the past is that Brian had no interest in doing anything with the Beach Boys. So in like 1998, or even 2004, it was easy to agree to it. Extra money for him.

The difference in 2012 was that, miraculously, Brian wanted to not only be a Beach Boy again, but to record and do TV appearances and tour more with the full band,.

Again, if Mike won't work with Brian and the rest of the band, I would imagine Brian and Carl's estate (and probably even Al at this point) presently probably would rather have Mike going out generating income as opposed to *nothing*, because Brian probably has no interest in the legal and corporate machinations nor the energy of attempting "taking" the license from Mike and going out with Al and David as "The Beach Boys."

Mike has always had the right intention - solidifying the legacy - but the man doesn't have a fucking clue. You know what would make The Beach Boys a massive arena act, like they used to be? Playing massive arenas when people ask you to. It's not rocket science.

Jon Stebbins really put it succinctly a bit back:

"So your statement that there was a "set end-date to the tour" isn't really true, it didn't have to end at 50 or 70 or whatever...it could have kept going as long as they ALL wanted it to...but they ALL did not want to continue. No publicity stunt...just the usual Beach Boys embarrassing ugliness returning after a nice break from it."

The question being theoretically proposed perhaps should be changed a bit to "Why didn't Mike further extend the reunion?" Because then, it's a bit harder to argue that the tour had a "defined" end. Mike agreed to extensions, so why not more? Then this ridiculous "the tour ended because it ended" nonsense can't be held up as an argument. Then at least we could get closer to the actual reasons, involving finances, logistics, egos, etc.

As far as I know, there was nothing in the reunion tour agreement stating that under no circumstances could more than 74 shows be booked, or that the reunion could not under any circumstances be extended in 2013, or that they could not record another album.

I though it was also interesting that Mike mentioned in an interview near the end of the tour that the idea was to build demand, and he of course made the infamous comparison to the Eagles and having to sell cheap tickets to fill seats. I don't know if he realized the irony that he (and Carl and Al when they were in the band) diluted the Beach Boys touring "brand" non-stop by doing 100+ shows per year, every year, for decade after decade. If no Beach Boys at all had toured in 5 or 10 years, then the 50th reunion tour would have been playing more arenas and stadiums probably. Don't get me wrong, I'm actually glad I got to see the tour in smaller, outdoor theater as opposed to a basketball arena. :)

I forgot a "not", it was not agreed to extend the defined end a second time. Maybe it is semantics but it seems to me there were two defined ends. I'm pretty sure Mike said there was an agreed to set of dates and then agreed to set of extra dates. That is a set end date to the tour in my book.

Mike has clearly stated his reasons for not agreeing to extend the defined end a second time.

It's clear he doesn't want to do more reunion shows. But I disagree that he has clearly stated the reasons. Not extending the end a second time because "the tour had a defined ending, and we extended it once" does NOT explain why it wasn't extended a second time. It only explains what happened prior to not extended it a second time. A simple "I didn't want to do any more shows with the reunion lineup at that time" would suffice. But he won't say this. He continues to cite the "agreement", and continually undercuts the argument by admitting that he agreed to extend the agreement once.

He has indeed made other comments, but they all seem to skate around stating any exact reason. There have been references to "I'm doing my thing, Brian and Al are doing their thing", etc.

The comments from the Lancaster Online interview are the only particularly telling comments:

Though he had some reservations, Love says he did enjoy working with Wilson during the tour last year."If it was just Brian, it would be great," he says, "but it's not just Brian. That's all I care to say about that." And, again with some reservations, he says he was happy with the music and the presentation of the Beach Boys' catalog of songs.
 
"I think there were too many guitarists and too many voices competing for parts for my taste, but it was a good experience musically," he says. "Brian has a good band and there were some good musicians there. We had a good time."

Even here, he refuses to go into detail. Don't get me wrong, it's probably better he doesn't if we want a chance for any other reunion stuff in the future. But the comments above show a few negative feelings about the tour, but even here, we don't get any connecting dots. No "therefore, I felt I wanted to return to my own band with less vocalists and musicians", etc.

Mike's letter to the LA Times of course did mention a few other reasons, but again as we already debated last year, I felt those reasons were also a bit shaky, and skated around just stating he didn't want to peform with the others.

I will reiterate that Mike has left the clear impression that he doesn't want to do more reunion activities and likes his own thing, so in that sense, he has effectively made his point. I hope he will further discuss what went on during the reunion that dictated that he didn't want to continue it.

I just disagree, he's made it clear what his reasons are regardless of whatever judgement we put on them and he has made it clear he is open to working with the other Boys in future.

I think "it's not just Brian" means that while he acknowledges Brian's band is talented, he didn't like how they made up the majority of the people on stage.  Mike's touring band is smaller and might make for a more intimate experience (I'm just speculating, I've never actually seen his band live) and maybe he felt the reunion was a little too glitzy and overblown.  And I think they would have still been capable of putting on a great show if they cut down the size of the band (if maybe they took Scott Totten, Paul Mertens, Jeff Foskett, Darian Sahanaja, and John Cowsill and left it at that).  I wonder if there was an argument that the band was too big but Brian was too loyal to or dependent on his band to leave them all behind.  But now I'm going off on a tangent.

How about some quotes from ML from which you refer Cam?

Too lazy to look them up but basically they were tour had an agreed to limit, that limit was met and exceeded, he didn't think it made business sense, he wanted to get back to his band and their way of touring, he didn't enjoy everybody attached to the tour. I believe Mike said all of that publically unless I'm confusing someone's opinions with actual statements. Anybody got the quotes to those or quotes to dispute any of it?

A ptretty well written discussion on this at the Beach Boys Opinion Blog

http://beachboysopinion.blogspot.com/2013/04/recent-articles-interviews-discussing.html

And here's a great analysis of the cd tracks and the songs left off.

http://beachboysopinion.blogspot.com/

That is true, but after C50 M&B won't cut it in my view anymore. The public saw what the Brian led BBs were capable at this point and want more. M&B are obsolete with Brian wanting to build on the number 3 chart success of TWGMTR.

It seems like they are cutting it though. More shows keep getting booked and the public seem content enough to go back to the way things were.

We know they had shows set up for October and beyond though. That was clearly always seen as the end date and Bruce even commented about that on the net while the C50 was in progress.

Personally I'm amazed that the C50 tour happened at all and that it was so successful for so many reasons. From a business point of view having 15 guys on stage to perform those songs is more than is needed and there have clearly been issues between Mike and Al for more than 20 years. No surprise that Mike would rather lead a simple life and tour with his son.

The Beach Boys are an unstoppable force, no matter who's on stage you will always have a few thousand people in the audience. But to feel the magic like during the C50 tour you have to have them all up there.

People actually go see Guns N Roses with only Axl Rose, it's a crazy world.

This might/probably belongs in the M & B Tour 2013 thread (cough), but .... The Beach Boys are unstoppable - because of the music. That music just goes over so well live. The energy and the timelessness (is that a word?) of the material and the fact that the songs are short and they can go from one to the next to the next to the next....

And, after seeing Mike and Bruce last week, I can honestly say that if Bruce left the band, they could still go on with Mike as the only original Beach Boy. I'm not saying I would welcome that, but I could see it happening.

... at least it wouldn't make much of a difference, musically.

I could see Bruce being let go, he barely does anything anymore. But Mike won't do that, because it would look bad for him to tour with the BBs name with the other members left out.

I'm thinking Mike wouldn't do it because he likes Bruce.

But, there is SOMETHING to be said for THAT, meaning having another Beach Boy in the band. You can't totally ignore that aspect of "The Beach Boys" as they are being presented.

Don't misunderstand, I think it's good that Bruce continues to tour and is being a productive musician/human being. And, Bruce does make a significant contribution; you have to as that current lineup is constituted. Smile Brian, have you ever seen the Mike & Bruce Beach Boys? Bruce plays a lot of keyboard parts, does harmonies on every song, sings a half dozen lead vocals including "Disney Girls" and the occasional "I Write The Songs", and is very fan friendly which is very important because the other band members aren't the most outgoing guys on stage (sorry, Scott :o)

I also think it's good for Mike having an old friend to hang out with. There's nothing wrong with surrounding yourself with people who you are comfortable with when you're spending so much time around them!

I saw M&B in 2011, Bruce only took two leads and mostly was quiet the rest of the show. I don't think his keyboard was playing anything either. Maybe he had an off night but Bruce didn't seem to really be involved with the show.

Fair enough.

It was still a good show and I enjoyed it. I also saw Brian in the same summer on the Gershwin tour.

Would anyone notice or even care that mYke and bruTh wouldn't be there? :p

You'd care more than most it seems as judging by your posts mYke seems to occupy your thoughts in every waking moment.

Mike has one of the most recognisable voices in mainstream rock history and he's singing lead on 80% of the material the Mike&Bruce band performs. So - yes, one would definitely notice.

The man himself addresses his keyboard parts (from the BBB Message Board):

Re(2): Brian Wilson, Allan Jardine, David Marks Atlantic City Tickets On Sale Now Posted on April 9, 2013 at 07:11:40 PM by Bruce Johnston

Ridethatwave: First of all, I really appreciate that you came to our concert and that you took some time to post some of your thoughts. Now to respond to your recent post:

 1) I actually sing a lower vocal background part that is easy to sing for "Isn't It Time" live and I then I sing my live chorus lead in full voice/top of the range (non-falsetto) just the way I was asked to sing it on our recent recording. It's kind of like Carl Wilson singing his full voice/top of the range lead on "Wild Honey." Best of all for me, it's fun to belt the lead chorus vocal out every night on "Isn't It Time." 

2) While I sing, my keyboard playing 'floats' in the mix as a cushion of chords because Tim Bohomme handles the main keyboard/organ/synth chair (parts & solos).

 3) If the venue seems a bit too warm and someone in the audience looks a little over heated, I sometimes pass out one of my two water bottles. I hope to see you again at one of our concerts and I also hope you are able to be at one of the up-coming Brian Wilson concerts (with Al Jardine & David Marks). I'm going to try and find some time to finally sit in the audience for a Brian concert and just enjoy listening to the music. The last time I was able to be in the audience to see Brian, etc., was at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in 1963!!! Terry Melcher, Lou Adler & I flew to San Francisco just to see the band rockin' the house in front of thousands of people.....What a great memory & what a great night! 

Bruce Johnston Pittsburgh, PA April 9, 2013 (a special day today for me)

Who pissed on your Wheaties? Little thin skinned there, aren't we? But, I guess someone has to stand up for both of those magnificent, groundbreaking sidemen. :tm

Not standing up for anyone. I personally don't think the average audience member would miss Bruce if he stopped touring.

I just think that you would.  :-D

That's a nice post by Bruce, maybe he's not a total ass.

Nice of him to fill people in on what's going on.  :)

I probably misremember but I thought he did attend a BW solo concert a couple of years ago. A SMiLE gig or a Pet Sounds gig, I think.

This is Bruce on a good day, tomorrow he will be saying the audience can go screw themselves.

"They don't deserve my water"

Unlike his partner, Bruce was very cool to talk to backstage in Eugene. We had a lengthy conversation about England, surfing, Kona, his previous heart issues, beer, his family. I don't agree with his politics but liked him. Maybe because I am 6'7" he was nice to me.  ;)

(http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu268/surfriderhi/BruceJohnstonandMe.jpg)

:lol

(http://am580radio.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/bruce-johnston.jpg)

Yeah, Bruce can be very, very nice to talk to. He isn't always, but then who is? My experiences with him have been *very* variable, and so have those of most people I know who've met him, but he's *definitely* not a 'total ass'.

I recall he said he hoped to see one of Brians shows, but it never happend. We will see this year. Maybe at the Greek gig in October he could bring Mike along for some damage control. Now that might repair some bridges.

Aw, Nicko, just don't answer trolls! ;D

Didn't McCartney put out a double live album a few tears back which had different tracklists for the US and for Europe?

So far we only have a US listing -  amazon UK's showing the double live as an import only.

(Wishful thinking…)

Yes, McCartney's later work is reason to cry for me too.

Yeah, but McCartney's one was because he swapped his setlists around considerably between the US and European legs of his tour, so the live albums reflected typical sets for each tour. The reunion tour last year had essentially the same setlists everywhere.

I'm thinking Summer's Gone…

Hey, come on now.  Chaos and Creation was a great album, so was Kisses On the Bottom.

I think he has a bootleg BWPS-live-DVD and of course was part of the '98 gig of Brian. But other than that I haven't heard anything about that.

I think McCartney's European "Back in the World" CD set only swapped out something like four songs compared to the previous "Back in the US" CD set. I don't think the "World" setlists he based the set on were much different than the corresponding US leg. As it got into later tours in the following few years, McCartney did vary his setlist more as compared to previous tours.

But McCartney has *never* done a setlist that has varied from night to night the way the Beach Boys did during their 2012 tour. The setlists varied from 44 to 61 songs, and the setlist usually did vary at least a bit from night to night.

But if they wanted to do a UK variation on the BB live set that featured everything done at Royal Albert Hall that was not on the US set, that would be a nice variant. I see no realistic way that could happen, but I wish they would just do a "Super Deluxe" version with a third disc with the other 20 tracks on it. That would solve a lot of problems and negate a nice hunk (but of course never all) of the boots out there from the 2012 tour where fans are trying to piece together all 61 songs.

That seems to make sense. I will say that many if not most of the people I know who are generally nice are not also often very curt, rude, etc. I don't know how normal it is, but if Bruce has variably encounters with fans, that's probably why you get this odd mixture of fans who are like "he was totally awesome to me" and other fans that have had less pleasant experiences.

That's probably what I remembered. Thanks.

Probably posted elsewhere but the LIVE CD track listing in now up on amazon U.S.  :)

Just posted on the BB Facebook page:

(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/20820_10151518074494140_399909429_n.jpg)

I really love that cover...well done!

Love it. Another 50th goodie!

Nice! Well done

Very cool!

I hope they get rid of the two extra arms before using that shot

Nice cover!

Pretty good track list.
Very good cover.

And for the trifecta.......The sound! :)

Mixed by Brian and Joe Thomas so says Wikipedia

...Taking "Brian's back" to new levels...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Can anyone confirm that this is from the show in Indio??  It sure looks like it to me!  In the opening sequence of the live DVD, footage is used from the preparations being made at the Indio show.  If this is indeed the Indio show, I think I could be on that cover!!!!!

 

"You Put Your Left Foot In, You Put Your Left Foot Out...."

Now on amazon with a zoom option. Lot of Asians in the crowd so possible Japan/ Hong Kong/ Singapore gig. Love the B&W.  Hoping a load more in final CD.

Doesn't look like it from the pictures below.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150916373189264.431411.56511864263&type=3

Found this on the gig info from Justins C50 list. That was a Casino gig Eric, right ? ;)

Ok...I'm going with Singapore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2HO6aT120I&feature=plcp

Yep, Singapore.

Brian sounds pretty horrendous on that clip btw.

The shirt patterns support the Singapore theory for sure!

So do the hats. As do the crowd, mostly Asian.

Love that cover. Esp. the B/W idea.

Minor gripe: I never was fond of the BBs logo, it originates from 15BO, is slightly adapted. But well, on the whole it's very good.

Aye - just think, if they'd worn striped shirts we might never have been able to tell…   :lol

I think it's pretty appropriate actually, assuming those arms are Scott and Jeff (one's definitely Scott, but the other one might be too thin to be Jeff), since those two are important to the sound.

They chose a show from Singapore?

Why am I not surprised  :lol

A photo, not a show! We have no idea what they're using to mix it yet!


However I am weeping profusely at Joe Thomas' involvement.... Will give it a listen on Spotify first.

What's so funny about Singapore?

Where? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_%E2%80%93_The_50th_Anniversary_Tour (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_%E2%80%93_The_50th_Anniversary_Tour)

Nothing. But the obvious highlights of the C50 tour were the Hollywood Bowl in America or the Albert Hall in the UK. Those shows should be documented and I would've bet anything they would be released in CD or DVD.

None of us saw Singapore coming, in classic Beach Boys fashion they throw us a curve ball  :lol

Read the posts....no one is saying the music was recorded in Singapore...they're saying the picture on the cover comes from Singapore.  It's pretty unlikely that they're the same show on the cover and the recording. I'd be very surprised if the music was all from one show anyway.

As another poster said, there is no evidence any of the recordings will come from the Singapore show. After all, there is no way that anybody would consider that rendition of Add Some Music to be releasable.

In fact we know for sure some of it won't be, as they didn't do Marcella, The Little Girl I Once Knew or Forever at that show.

Yeah...why would people assume the cover matches the recordings?   They needed a picture for the front cover and apparently the best picture to use as the front cover came from a show in Singapore. 

Plus, aren't we expecting this to be a hodge-podge of various different takes from various shows?  I doubt it'll be one complete show from one venue.

The idea for the cover is cool but something's missing that I can't really put in words. Of course the two additional arms (Totten and Foskett I guess) are a little irritating but I think I have more of a problem with the angle. The whole picture seems too "wide" imo. But what the heck, we'll have a new Beach Boys live album, I am excited.

too many fat assed americans.

nah, I kid (mostly), they probably went through a range of photographs and this one they figured best. Since the show will (is this confirmed?) show songs from different performances I suspect the location of the photo is not significant.

I don't think it's been confirmed that it will definitely be from multiple performances, but I think the facts that it doesn't precisely match any one setlist, that there was no show which would be wholly releasable without major post-production work, and it just says "live" rather than "live in X", suggest it very strongly indeed.
I suspect it's a compilation a la the In Concert album, although I do hope they provide information as to which show each performance is from (we'll be able to tell with California Girls at least, because Bruce will be saying "I wish they all could be Texas/Swedish/whatever girls" at the end)

i love how Mike and Bruce appear to be "swinging" Al like a giddy toddler

(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/20820_10151518074494140_399909429_n.jpg)

They should have used a picture from the red rocks..

Jesus just look at that crowd, it's beautiful

(http://www.listenupdenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Beach-Boys-35.jpg)

 :lol :lol :lol :lol

I can imagine several sets of songs from one gig. "Honda" kicked off ,what, 6-7 songs in a group then the first half of the shows closed with a group of car songs. To keep the sound mix the same those songs should be kept as a whole.

The Chiba show Bruce doesn't mention a place in "Cali Girls" so maybe that or another generic version will be used.

This will be the last live BB album and to me the album cover is the band saying 'Goodbye and Thank You' to not just that audience but to us all. Classic!

When I read Capitol's initial Facebook post it made me think this album was being culled from various performances:

(http://i49.tinypic.com/16i5co1.jpg)

Yep he sure has , its from the SMiLE Tour in Bristol (UK) he even (If I remember correctly) gave a little review of it on BBB Board - Oh I'm in the front row of that show whistling at Taylor Mills all night  :-D

Yeah, I think the surf medley at the beginning of the show and the car medley closing the first half will probably be continuous performances.

That said, though, they were playing to a click most of the time (I believe -- they were synched to videos, so I can't see how they could have played otherwise), using digital tuners, and these recordings will be taken straight from the board. Theoretically, they *should* be able to splice songs together mid-song closely enough that you can't hear the join, though I doubt they will.

Plus it symbolizes a victory. They finished each and every show and completed a complicated tour all completely unscathed (relatively speaking!).  I'm sure there were a bunch of other images in the running from various locations but I think this one is the most appropriate on many levels.

And comparing it to the tacky My First Go At Photoshop that is the DVD cover gives hope that the production on the music inside will be comparatively tasteful, too, compared to that...

Yup....that DVD cover is really atrocious!

As the songs are played in full those are not medleys... They're movements! A surf movement and a car movement! :-D

So, when they play 4 or 5 SIP songs does that make it a bowel movement?

The word 'medley' has absolutely nothing to do with whether the pieces in the medley are played in full or not.

If it consists of the first 4 songs, definitely! :-D (had to look up the words, that joke had nearly got lost in translation, me no English native speaker, thanks for the lesson! :) )


Wikipedia says "In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping." I interpret "parts" as "not fully played". But maybe you have sources that I don't know yet, I'm willing to learn.

The definition in most dictionaries is something like (to take two examples from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/medley )
"a piece of music combining tunes or passages from various sources"

or

"a musical composition consisting of various tunes arranged as a continuous whole"

A medley is just any piece of music which has tunes from more than one source played continuously. It doesn't imply anything about how much of any of the compositions is used.

Wow, was Brian irritated by that incense or what? He even slaps at the smoke near the end. Was bothered by its presence from the very start if you look at it closely.

Non-import edition of the Live C50 CD now listed at Amazon UK…

but only as a SINGLE CD.

No tracklist.  I hope this is an error…    >:(

Don't worry -- that's actually the same page as for when it was showing as an import, and then it said "number of discs: 1" even when the tracklist showed two discs. Amazon's product information pages are often inaccurate like that.

Many thanks Andrew, I feel reassured!   :D

I'm quite fond of Betsy (perhaps partly because I'm from the Detroit area...), and it was a great performance last year!  I'm sad I missed out on "Let Him Run Wild."

So, we should probably be getting some preview clips of this thing in short order, no?  Anybody know how long before release date a site such as Amazon usually puts up those :30 audio samples?  For that matter, shouldn't review copies be out by now?

Personally, I'm rather curious about the approach the band took with this thing, as far as the amount of sweetening done in the studio, and the like, and I'm know that I'm not the only one.

Official Promo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqvf7QFl7eI

Right on.  Thanks for the link.

The sound mix, once all the overdubs, replacement vocals and autotune are done and mixed down in the studio, should sound remarkable consistent no matter where the songs were recorded!