The Smiley Smile Message Board

I would like to start a thread in the spirit of the Led Zeppelin site, The Garden Tapes, where officially released live CDs are analyzed in detail to determine when and where they were recorded, and what, if anything, was overdubbed in the studio.  I am hoping that others will contribute to this.  (Of course, it could be that Beach Boys fans are not quite as psycho as Zep fans!) I will start with THE LITTLE GIRL I ONCE KNEW and WENDY.

THE LITTLE GIRL I ONCE KNEW is from Dallas (Grand Prairie), the second show performed on the tour.  It is the Beach Boys in their full 2012 live glory, with no overdubs or edits.  (with one minor exception below) It was performed the night before in Tucson and rehearsed at the Dallas soundcheck, which I attended.  The song was dropped from the setlist later in the tour.  If any autotune was applied, it was also applied at the show, as the well-recorded booleg and the official CD have the same lead vocals from Brian, although another vocalist (I assume Jeff) is singing lead with him.  About an hour of the Dallas performance had previously been released on a PBS web site, so I predicted, accurately, that some of the tracks on the CD would be from this performance.

0:22: Brian's lead vocal line "then I had no eyes for her" sounds double-tracked,
      but another vocalist (I assume Jeff) is singing along at the show. I can't
      detect any differences from the CD and the show.
0:35 Crowd noise is overdubbed here, an unnecessary change that unfortunately is
     repeated throughout the CD.
1:00 Al's backing vocal is much more audible on the bootleg, but it's the same one
     as the CD.
1:32 The "bow bow ba ba bow" backing vocal sounds studio overdubbed - but it's from
      the live performance - just more audible on the pro mix.
2:55: The "thank you" from Al, and the "Summer Days Summer Nights album" from Bruce
      are heard on the CD as they were in Dallas. (Note that this song was not on the
      original SDSN album, but is included now as a bonus track on the CD)
2:59: Al says "thank you very much, thank you" at the show. The CD has just the "thank
      you", and fades into WENDY.  On my CD, the first part of WENDY is tacked on to the
      end of THE LITTLE GIRL I ONCE KNEW.  WENDY was played after this song in Dallas,
      but several seconds of silence and crowd noise are cut from the CD.
3:02 - 3:10: The beginning of WENDY is also from Dallas. The audience "woo woo"
      shouting is from the show.

WENDY (from the start of the CD track, which starts with the snare drum) The basic track is from Grand Prairie (Dallas), but Bruce's vocals are unnecessarily
overdubbed.  Other than that, this is a straight mix of the live performance.

0:49: Bruce's vocal is overdubbed - unnecessarily - as his vocal was fine in the show.
     There was a slight crack in his voice on the word "him" when he sings "I
     can't picture you with him". On the CD, there is no such problem.
1:32 Bruce's vocal is overdubbed again. In the show, he sounds a little like he's
     laughing in the show on the line "the farthest thing from my mind."
2:25: The CD track ends here. Al says something in the show (I can't understand
     what) , but it's cut from the CD.

I reckon (and Rab overlaid the performances in Logic and came to the same conclusion) that Brian's Heroes & Villains vocal, for the most part - verses, chorus, and Children Were Raised at least - are taken from his studio performance on BWPS. As to what date the rest of the Beach Boys came from, I can't help you out there sadly.

I mean, a few people here think so, but maybe I am just going crazy. The tenor and rhythm, if not sped up sound exactly the same - and you have the Mermaid BBC performance to show you what an actual performance of H&V from the tour sounds like.

Also, Bruce gives away what state the performance of Cali Girls was in during the fade, and there's something similar in another song on the CD.

I've heard the two performances synced, and I'd bet that not only the lead vocal, but a good chunk of the backing vocals and instrumental tracks come from the 2004 version, too. You play them one version in each channel and it practically sounds like a mono mix.

Cal Girls has "Colorado Girls" (Red Rocks), Bruce says "We must be in Texas!" after the introductory medley (Grand Prairie), Mike thanks "my people the car people of Arizona" (I think probably from Tucson, but maybe Phoenix).

Do we know for sure what date Joe Thomas left the tour? I mean, he was there at the early stages when they were tuning the vocals live, so it isn't out of the realms of possibility to suggest that most of the regulars in the setlist could come from the early stint - things like Marcella and Isn't It Time came from the halfway point on.

Such a thing would be fucking depressing, but there you have it. Joe Thomas hates The Beach Boys and any realistic approach to making records.

if it's true that Brian's H&V vocals come from his 2004 studio SMILE, as do a majority of the backing vocals: Joe Thomas should have to issue a refund out of his own pocket for each and every copy sold thus far!

How would the record companies react if this is the case also.

That other Beach Boys related quote springs to mind. "Gentleman....I think I've just been f****d!"

sh*t guess you're right - BWPS was on Nonesuch/Warner, iirc...

Maybe BW owns his mastertapes?

If this is the way the world's most renowned singing group wants to go out, it's truly pathetic.....

Can we still blame Mike and Bruce for jumping ship?

Um, Mike and Bruce are the group, according to their acolytes. So ask them how they feel about it. Mike was pimping the record on his FB page, so he must be fine with it.


I believe that may be the case. Still am not entirely convinced the vocal is reused, but it does seem possible.

Absolutely! mYke and brOOth have no excuse whatsoever for even existing. :lol

With the latter, I'm nearly off the fence at 'it's BWPS' but I can't shake it - my first reaction was 'THAT'S HIS VOCAL FROM BWPS' and whilst it has been sped up, it really strikes me as it. It'd be a fucking d*ckhead move to use a nearly ten year old vocal on this release though.

If it IS his 2004 vocal, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the session just to see how they did the acapella 'I been in this town so long' part - JT sweating his way through pitchshifting and timing FX to get a studio BW to match 10 dudes working around Brian's erratic live phrasing, or dousing BW's vox in fx to make to erratic live Brian sound like the rest of the song.

Take that up with their parents!

Mike's dad's still around. You might wanna have a talk with him  :lol

What's Mike supposed to do, trash the set and get even more heat from "fans"?

M&B are coming to my local fairground this year, might protest them.... ;D

If only those parents had thought about it seriousley for a moment before going "forward", we wouldn't have this problem. :p

I'm working on the sandwich boards as we speak! :lol I also have 3 busloads coming in from Kohkohmoe to aid in the rally. ;D

But think of all the out of work and impoverished divorce lawyers we'd have milling about!

It's true, we need another mYke luHv divorce to help with the struggling economy. ;)

I'd love to see Bruce mentioned in there ala Dennis as a "contributing factor"

Back on-topic: I'm listening to the 50th set right now and it sounds like Nelson's off in the parking lot or something! Another classic F*up! For a band where percussion (as opposed to drums) is extremely important, this is extra lame.

Here's a sync of the live version & BWPS vocal.

I tend to think it might be a new vocal.

Although there are a few words here and there that are extremely similar.

http://limelinx.com/b1ng

(just click the play button on the media player)

Might be a new vocal. I (think I) hear spots on the left side where there's no Brian suddenly but lots of Jeff whereas I only hear Brian on the right side

GETCHA BACK

Getcha Back, which features David Marks' lone lead vocal on the tour, is entirely from Red Rocks.  There is certainly overdubbing on some of David's lead vocal.  He sang a couple of notes a little flat that night but did a better job at the souncheck.  The souncheck vocal was not used on the CD.  My guess is that he did the overdubs in the studio with the Red Rocks track playing in his headphones, and he was trying to duplicate his vocal on the track as much as he could.  The backing vocals are not overdubbed. The Beach Boys remain, 51 years later, the best vocal harmony group in the pop music business - an art that's lost on this generation of pop stars.

0:05 - a really good electric guitar part (I think it's David's lead guitar) is       
         inexplicably mixed out on the CD.
0:24 - the lines "playing our song, have you heard it for oh so long " are overdubbed, as they don't match the bootleg
1:14 - I think this lead vocal line is from the show, with a little autotune on the word "star"
1:24 - "I can too" is overdubbed
1:48 - "Can we ever get it back" is sung identically to the show, so at least some of the vocal is not overdubbed
2:02 - Another clear overdub of the lead vocal, but strangely, it's inferior to the
      actual vocal from the show.  On the CD, David has a crack in his voice on the
      word "can", a problem he did not have on that Monday night in Colorado.
2:11 - an inexplicable overdub on David's lead vocal. In the show, he sings the normal
     lyric, "If I leave her, and you leave him."  On the CD, I am not clear what he's
     singing, but it sounds like "If I leave high."
2:32 - Some interesting editing of the banter at the end of the song. 
     Mike says "David Lee Marks on that one". This is edited out, although you can hear
     him say "one" in the background when Brian says, "The great David Marks!".  Mike's
    "that's for sure" is from another show. Bruce's "fantastic David!" is from
     Red Rocks.

I am in two minds on the double live set (haven't heard it, BTW) -

but going by the comments I read here, I am getting ever more wary of purchasing it. I can stand a little doctoring a posteriori, it is par for the course. The very first time I had serious doubts, that was with Bruce Springsteen's 4-LP live box from the '80s, IIRC it spans 1975-1985. It is audibly 're-constructed', to create the impression of a perfect live concert. But eventually I got used to that.

But a line has to be drawn. If it is true that the H&V vocals stem from 2004's BWPS, than that is inadmissible tampering with historical reality, in my book.

I said: I am in two minds. And that is because there are seriously 100% positive reports also. The reviews at Amazon are glowing (but I can't, of course, say anything about their veracity and authenticity). And on this site there are enthusiasts too.

For the record: I don't have a car and I don't drive.

That bit is live. It's the first couple of verses and choruses that are definitely from 2004.

That Brian Wilson, what a fraud. ;)

Kind of a d*ckhead move to use vocals straight from the That's Why God album sessions, too.

Thanks fer the analysis, AlFall ^___________^ This is interesting stuff.

Did you just call Brian Wilson a d*ckhead? :lol I am sure Joe Thomas would not have done something like that without Brian's approval.

It's only fraud if anyone was going into this thinking it was some sort of accurate representation of the shows. I suspect few people did so, and if they did, they had been disabused by disc one, track five, at the very latest.

What makes you feel like Brian sat there and told Joe Thomas to use 80-90% of the vocals from the album version? I really doubt that's how it happened given everything we know, nor do I really think every decision is run by Brian before it's done or even before it's pressed to plastic and shipped out. Even if Brian had ordered it done, it'd still be a d*ckhead move. You don't have to agree with all of Brian's decisions over the years just because they were his.

It's one thing to do overdubs on a live recording (which I'm still not a fan of in terms of concept alone) or to outright re-record a song in studio and pretend it's live (again, not a fan), but to lift the fucking vocals (and other instrumental tracks) from the album version and put it on a live album? No. That's especially cheap, both insulting the intelligence of people who bought both and giving them something they already have while promising the exact opposite. If I wanted to listen to the album version, I'd listen to the album. They should be two unique experiences unto themselves and they were several hackjob edits ago.

I'm confused. Has the wind changed against the live album again?

And how do you suppose Joe got his hands on vocals recorded for another record company, or even at Brother Records? Believe me, something like that does not go undiscussed. That was a calculated decision, if in fact you are correct in your assumption. Personally, I believe Brian was re-recorded and then digitally pitched. No need to speed up to do that in the digital domain. As you well know, manipulation is much easier today than was in the analog past.

Buh? I'm talking Joe Thomas taking vocals from three Joe Thomas productions/recordings from a couple years ago: "Isn't It Time", "That's Why God Made The Radio" and "Do It Again".

Most of the discussion about use of studio recordings in this thread, though, has been about the fact that Heroes & Villains is blatantly the 2004 version with some minimal bits of live recording flown in.

diarrhea temperature

Try writng that withuot spellcheck

No matter whether there are old recordings, new recordings, autotune, or even mixing issues, they had to have had meetings to discuss the shape that the album would take. This just isn't Joe Thomas forcing his will. I am convinced  Brian had a hand in all of the decisions that were made to produce this CD.

If the recent past has anything to do with it, Brian is played the final product, which he invariably says OK to.

I'm wondering if "Sail On, Sailor" is the same performance that was included in that iTunes EP Isn't It Time single. There are parts of it that sound identical.

Yes, if he had nothing more to do with it, but that is not the case here. He was involved with re-recording vocal parts and I would think that there were discussions before anything got under way. This was not Smile or greatest hits package being prepared. This was new recordings, albeit live.

I got this for Getcha Back, I wasn't disappointed. H&V is really the only DESTROYED track.

I know I mentioned this before, but the NPR and Front Row Center versions of SOS were absolutely identical from start to finish. The iTunes version was identical with both of those other airings up *until* the latter part of the song, where it started to veer (e.g. Brian's growling "damn the thunder" on the latter is different).

Thus, I'm not home today and near my new CD, but one might be able to use the above as a rough guide in terms of a comparison and what they may have done, or how it compares to those others.

I don't have a copy of "I Get Around" from Tucson, but I do from Phoenix, and Mike drags out "Arizooooonaaa" just as he does on the new album. I'm betting Phoenix.

(Probably would have been easier to drag out the dvd, also, of course, from the Phoenix show... too bad I can't find it.) 

The really well known songs (bar H&V, DBD, not so well known I guess) seem to be the most autotuned - California Girls. Kokomo. Surfin USA, Do it Again, Surfin Safarai (only had one listen so far) - Getcha Back has grown on me soooooooo much over the years, love Dave's Lead

still say Brian can never sing that song, always murders it, maybe give it to Al

I'd like to read AlFall's take on "Good Vibrations."

Pretty sure Al wouldn't fare much better.  You need a person with a soulful voice to handle it.  Maybe they should have given it to Darian? 

Or Cowsill.

Al would've at least been more in tune

Yeah. Darian does a decent job at some of Brian's solo shows, but Cowsill *really* should have taken that one -- he does a fantastic job when Mike & Bruce do it, and he deserved a lead at those shows.

I guess SOS is only kind of a Brian song and was really put together with the help of a billion other songwriters to be a more "current" tune for its time.

A few days in, this is my take. I've boiled it down to a few bullet points.

1.) My assertion awhile back that 80 percent or so of the album is fine still stands. It might be a higher or lower percentage depending on my mood. This is the vast majority of the album, or course. The tracks are still polished to an unhealthy sheen, but they're listenable.

2.) The inclusion of weird little off-key bits makes it very strange. Brian sings some out of tune backing vocals in places, and fluffs some lines in "Sail on Sailor." Why leave that stuff in when you're making other things so buffed and polished? Very odd.

3.) The tuning is not, perhaps, objectively worse than what you might hear in TWGMTR. But in the context of a live album, where some tracks are much more lightly touched than others, it is jarring. And Don't Back Down and H&V are still atrocious.

4.) If this was overdubbed in the studio, Brian was having a real off day. His studio vocals since the Gershwin album (and really, since TLOS) have been uniformly good. While there are a few mush-mouthed moments on TWGMTR, he phrases pretty well there, too. This album is a big step down for him, if he truly was re-recording leads.

5.) The re-used studio vocals really don't bother me that much. (Except for the BWPS theory, which is still so bizarre I can't handle it.) This band re-recorded chunks of the In Concert album in the studio. It is what it is.

6.) Brian is still working with Joe after this? Sheesh.

7.) Finally. I guess what bothers me most about this album, and I'm seeing it borne out in the threads, is that it tarnishes what was an incredible tour. The thing that was awesome about most C50 shows was that you heard all the guys in full voice, warts and all. You heard the symphonic backing band. It was blasted through a shockingly good high-volume sound system. It was dynamic and exciting, and the setlist evolved throughout. It was a living and breathing show, and the band set off sparks. It really did.

The CD really drains that excitement away. The ragged, yet soulful and powerful nature of the live vocals is gone. The backing band sounds like half of the members went away. The song choices have some rarities, but not necessarily the ones that were performed best (even on his off nights, Brian hit IJWMFTT out of the park -- I don't think he ever managed a totally convincing Marcella) or the ones that were most interesting (Our Prayer!). It becomes a document of a souless, corporate rock show. Which maybe some members of the band wanted, but which the C50 shows most definitely were not.

And for people who didn't go, and don't care to find the YT clips or soundboard shows, it makes it seem like the reunion shows were no big deal. Guys who couldn't sing running through tired hits. A pale, competent backing band. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing special. Another reason to dismiss the group's modern day incarnation. More justification for Mike to keep touring in his under-the-radar manner.

So at a personal level, at a surprisingly deep place, I feel betrayed and let down. Not by Joe Thomas, who was probably doing the best job he knew how. Not by Brian, who probably wanted a steak and salad really badly. But just by the band overall, and the management overall, and the label, who couldn't see what a special thing this was, and why it deserved to be documented in a truly fitting, truly reverent manner.

This is an amazing band that did an amazing thing. Just a year ago. And now it's being wiped away.

CALIFORNIA SAGA - CALIFORNIA

With a few extremely minor exceptions below, this the undubbed and unedited performance from Red Rocks, and it's a very nice one. The Red Rocks bootleg  is sometimes marred in the first half by loud audience talking (why go to a concert if you're just going to talk??? Too much medical weed from the Boulder "dispensaries?").    It's great to have a clean recording. It also has some fun spoken passages, and the band is clearly enjoying it. 

Despite the many negative comments on this board, I am starting to warm up to this CD the more I hear it.   I am actually surprised at how "live" this CD actually is.  I've quibbled at the overdubbed lead vocals, (although I don't fault the artists for wanting their vocals to be perfect) but many of the songs are essentially unedited.  I was expecting to hear choppy edits from different shows spliced together on the same track.  I may hear that as I analyze more tracks, but so far, so good.

-0:08: The song begins 8 seconds earlier in the show, with Mike saying "This song's about
       a very special part of the California coastline, the Big Sur" during the intro
       riff. This is cut from the CD. (he introduces the song at the end of Sail On Sailor,
       which is from another show)

0:44: The line "'neath waves" is a little different on the CD than what was sung in
       the show. It could be a mixing anomaly, as it would be odd to overdub only two seconds
      of the song. The remaining Mike lead vocal is from the show.

1:03: An interesting edit here - Mike's spoken line in the show, "nice to have it ... if
      you don't need it' is spoken with a 1/2 second pause between the phrases.  On the
      CD, the 1/2 second is moved to before the passage, so "nice to have it" is 1/2
      second later, but "if you don't need it" is identical to the bootleg. Why this edit?
      Who knows?

2:02  "I told you so" on the CD isn't audible in the show, but it may simply have been
      mixed out. "To tell him now" at 2:03 is audible on both recordings.

3:01  Audience applause is overdubbed in, perhaps to make the songs have the same
      audience sounds, so they sound like they come from the same show.  At 3:05
      on the bootleg, I think it's Al that says something, but it's hard to understand. It's
      cut from the CD.

>> 4.) If this was overdubbed in the studio, Brian was having a real off day. His studio vocals since the Gershwin album (and really, since TLOS) have been uniformly good. While there are a few mush-mouthed moments on TWGMTR, he phrases pretty well there, too. This album is a big step down for him, if he truly was re-recording leads.


This is a very valid comment, but it illustrates the fact that you can't please everybody. So far, I have not heard any overdubbed Brian lead vocals on the CD.  On the tracks I've analyzed, it's 100% live as he sang at the show. In my opinion, I would have preferred to leave David's lead vocal as it was on Getcha Back, even through there were very minor problems (a couple of flat notes).  On the other hand, as an artist, he undoubtedly wanted his voice to sound as good as possible on the CD.  So, he probably re-recorded bits of it in the studio. (or, some of it came from another live show other than the Red Rocks recording which is used for the backing track)  It makes for a better quality CD, but less of a "live" CD.  Each of the principals clearly had their own opinion of what they wanted to release. Bruce wanted to re-record his vocals.  Brian didn't re-record them, either because he wanted it to be a truly live CD, or perhaps that he, again, is no longer on speaking terms with Mike and Bruce and can't re-record them. 

Wirestone. I was thinking of starting a kind of 'one year after' thread now that we have what could be the final C50 product. (Proposed end of this year tour DVD aside) You seem to have hit the nail on the head with the tour album IMO so perhaps I can add some thoughts as to a wrap up of the C50 overall.

-Re-recording of DIA and video. Little info why but I'm of the opinion it was more for the promoters letting them know the band was hitting the road. Initial version omitted Dave but great to see he was added later. Kudos to whoever wanted him involved, although it is said to be Mike.

-Dec 2011. Official announcement after months of speculation and denial. Well worded PR that lit this site up.

-TWGMTR album. Who would have thought? Pretty good reviews, nice tunes, well sung but with a few duds. A true Beach Boys album in other words.

-Grammy Appearance. In light of what was to come later during the tour....pathetic!

-The tour. Original 50 shows in North America became over 70 World wide plus promotional one-offs such as QVC, RS and the BBC to name a few. Plenty of TV interviews of a band seemingly in sync. Fantastic band supporting, expanded career setlists of up to 61 songs. Early concerns about Brian being auto- tuned corrected after the first few gigs.

-Doin It Again DVD. Well produced video although the period from the late 60s to 2011 largely ignored. First concerns about sweetening raised during the concert scenes.

-Merchandise. Hit and miss as was the so called 'Meet and Greets'.

-Sept 2012 tour ending. After so- called firings, the band goes out on a high with 2 shows in London. Who knows what to believe but reports are the C50 line-up are finished for good. Brian claims he wants to continue then doubts they will a few weeks later.

-Live In Concert DVD. Cheap and Nasty! Only 21 songs with far to many camera shots and no individual song selection just a few complaints. That sweetened feeling back again.

-Live C50 CD. Mixed reviews after high hopes. A 41 track list featuring leads for the first time on a Beach Boys live album  by Bruce Johnston and David Marks.

I haven't thoroughly analyzed Good Vibrations yet, but most of it is from a heavily edited copy of the released soundboard recording of Chiba, Japan, which in turn is probably edited too.  The Brian vocal is from this tape.  The "I'm picking up good vibrations" bass vocal is different from the Chiba tape and clearly overdubbed - it doesn't even sound like Mike.  There appears to be a loud overdubbed studio vocal at 2:24. There are female backing vocals starting at 2:29, which are the only vocals on the track at 2:45 - it almost sounds like a children's chorus.  They added echo to make it sound like the audience, but what audience consisted entirely of female children?

Sounds as though you've confirmed some of my suspicions (and yes, the audience sing-along does come across as a bit fishy, what with just the gals, huh?).

Anyway, I look forward to an even more comprehensive breakdown, should you decide to delve any deeper!  Thanks for your reply.

I didn't want to say anything, but I came into a bit of money last year, and booked the Beach Boys for my daughter's 7th birthday party. It's her little friends you can hear singing along. Joe Thomas insisted on recording everything, and then autotuning the f*** out of it. This included us singing "Happy Birthday To You", which I was not happy about (especially as I was most ceratinly not off pitch!)

Wirestone hit the nail on the head! The album drains the excitement of the 50th celebration! It was such a good show , such a shame!

And the winning post is...  :lol

Hmmm...in years gone by, they would ask the female audience members only to sing the "gotta keep" part for awhile, and then ask to hear just the men, and then ask everybody to join in.  Could that explain it?  If they didn't do it at that particular show, maybe those female-only audience vocals could be flown in from another performance where they did.

Lol, it has nothing to do with medical ganja and all to do with people being jackasses, I'm afraid - the evidence, your honour, being that medical marijuana does not exist in the UK :lol

I haven't thanked you for your work yet on this thread! You're doing good stuff, sorry for whinging about H&V all the while  ;D

I noticed this too - so strange!


....Did JT autotune the crowd?!  :lol

Hey Stephen, can I borrow 50 quid?

There's a huge difference, though. Taking the vocals from the album and placing them onto an alleged "live" album? Again, it insults the listener's intelligence big time and is giving them something they already have when it's implied that they're getting something totally different. Lame, cheap, and fairly offensive.

There is no difference to Brian. He did this type of thing all the way back in 1964 with the Concert album. The vocals for Fun Fun Fun and I Get Around are from the original studio tapes. Isn't that the reason we can never have a true stereo mix for IGA? Lost tapes.

SHIT FROM A DOG'S ASS

Thanks for that

This place ...

Is this a clue about an unreleased song from the upcoming MIC box set??? :lol

I never quite understood why the live versions of Fun, Fun, Fun and I Get Around weren't used for Beach Boys Concert, because they ROCK!

You know, when I first heard the disc, this was my first thought, too.  But when I thought back to the show I attended at Darien Lake, I recalled that there was no such separation between the guys 'n' dolls during the sing-along, just a gentle encouragement from Al (I think it was Al), saying "Everybody sing."  From the other sources I've heard, the same was true pretty much throughout the tour, no?.

You may be right that something was flown in from an earlier tour, or maybe AlFall is on to something concerning a studio overdub.  Either way, it's a bit curious.

They should have released the RAH show with no alterations.

HEROES AND VILLAINS

After reading the very negative comments on this board about this track - and the theory that they pilfered Brian's lead vocal from the 2004 Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE recording - I waited a few days before tackling this one.  Like many fans, I feel rather emotional about any SMiLE song, and the thought that the folks who engineered this CD could rape this material was a bit disconcerting to me.

So, I took a deep breath and listened to the track. Surprisingly, my first reaction was, "that sounds pretty good." Obviously Brian's vocal is autotuned and artificially double-tracked.  Brian struggled to sing the song on pitch throughout the tour.  (I've just listened to about 20 You Tube videos of this song from the tour, and he has at least a little trouble in all of them.)  However, my hunch is that the vocal was live.  Unfortunately, the more I dig into this track, the more mysterious it becomes.

One thing I do know: the Chiba, Japan live streaming track that's available on the internet, and the track from the CD, come from the same tape.  The Chiba tape is slowed down on average of about 4%.  The tempo is slowed down without changing the pitch.  Each section of the song is slowed down differently, a little more here, a little less there.  Once I change the tempo (fiddling around with it for about an hour), the tapes match.

It is interesting that they decided to slow down the tempo.  There is no question about it; I've listed to several other performances from the tour, including others from late in the tour, and they are all played faster.

 So, mystery solved, right? It's the live track from Chiba, right?  Not so fast.

I found something a bit odd on the Chiba tape.  The lead vocal second verse of the song (between 0:20 an 0:30) does quite not line up with the backing track - it's sung just a little faster.  The CD has no such problem.  Does this mean that the vocal comes from some other source?  Or, did they just do additional editing for the CD?  It would explain why there were so many edits to the tempo.

I wish I had a You Tube or bootleg of the Chiba performance, but I have not been able to find one. They would prove, or disprove, that the lead vocal is from Chiba.  My hunch is that this is live Brian.   It could be from Chiba.  It is more probable that the lead vocal is spliced from several shows, explaining why there were so many changes to the tempo of the backing track.

I analyzed and rejected these possible sources of the lead vocal: Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE CD (several differences - on the 2nd verse, the words "home" and "fight" are pronounced very differently), BWPS DVD, Grand Prairie, St Augustine, Phoenix, Red Rocks, Hollywood Bowl, Irvine, Melbourne, Mönchengladbach, Wembley.) It is possible that sections of one of these shows were used, but not the entire vocal track.


0:00 Chiba tape is slowed down by about 4.5% without changing tempo
1:25 slowed down a further 1%
1:18 sped up 1%
2:07 slowed down again
2:13 "You're under arrest" spoken by Scott is slowed down and lowered in pitch
2:25 overdubbed audience noise. A rather strange spot for it.
2:41 sped way up (an additional 4%)
2:48: 1/2 second cut before the line "and sunny down"
2:54: the 1/2 second is restored, before the line "by the heroes and villains"
2:55 another 2% slowdown
3:37 almost 1 second of extra silence added before the last vocal "ahh" harmony phrase
3:48 Mike's spoken line "Heroes and Villians from the SMiLE album" is heard on
         the Chiba streaming release but cut from the CD.

 :-D

...a double whammy if there every was one...

So, about the 1964 "In Concert" album?  Backing tracks for "Fun Fun Fun" and "I Get Around"?  Heck, this is almost the fiftieth anniversary of the Beach Boys doing that!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

It's funny. In catch a wave Carlin talks about the emotional moment when BW plays HV on the piano at a party, which no one had heard him do and which begins the long process of revisiting Smile. Now we have too many HM: "they grow like hydra's heads" to put it into Shakespearean terms. As long as this version doe snot come from a solo album of Brian's I am OK with it.

This is not the album review thread, but it will serve for a couple of quick notes:

Getcha back is the best track on the CD for several reasons: the performance, arrangement and production of the song is just stellar. It's a much better song in this live incarnation than on the album. I am not just saying this because Dave is my fav. BB.

TLGIWK is the big disaster for me--too much Jeff. . . . . . .

The failing of the album is that it's too tied to early performances and could not draw from some later miraculous performances. I wonder how many cuts are the same as on the two DVDs, in which case we already have live versions of those songs. I think DIA is from the live DVD, as Dave's solo, which he varied often, is the same.

We all would be a lot less anxious if we didn't fear that this will be the only live album and that no full show will be released and that the BB will never make another album nor perform together. . . . . .

I'm sure someone will do a more in-depth comparison, but "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" on the new CD appears to be all, or mostly, from Chiba as well (assuming "Chiba" is actually from Chiba). The tracks don't stay in sync from start to finish, so either there was an edit in the song at some point, or some kind of speed (not pitch) manipulation.

As a follow-up, something I just remembered, my version of the Chiba "When I Grow Up" has a small skip in it (my recording was simply sourced from that Soundcloud stream that someone put up), so that might explain the falling out-of-sync issue. Maybe, maybe not. Frankly, I'm too lazy to do a "before and after the skip point" sync comparison, so hopefully, someone who has a better, skip-free recording might be able to do just that. :)

Also, no real surprise here, as it's obvious that the track is faked-up from the original studio elements, but TWGMTR is the same "version" as was originally aired during that Sirius/XM Artist Confidential concert...way back when this whole shebang started. Though, the AC version is somewhat faster. I'm sure AlFall can do a more exact analysis of what that time discrepancy is. There's also a few mixing differences in terms of elements used (mostly at the end) -- no real surprise again.

Thus, I suppose for the source of this one, we simply list is as "Ocean Way"...lol?


Sirius/XM Version:


http://www.lukpac.org/~dave/That%27s%20Why%20God%20Made%20The%20Radio%20-%20SiriusXM%20-%20Artist%20Confidential.mp3

Also note: My Sirius recording leans a bit to the left in terms of balance. I never got around to correcting that. :)

Outstanding thread (the usual suspects excepted, of course): I'm enthralled. This is what we do so well here.

Yes! Brooth has taken mYke's " Daybreak Over The Ocean" to new and great heights. Of course we're talking about the disco version with 11 outtakes and luHv trying to explain what TM is all about in a never been seen before video. :tm  :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm :tm

 :lol :lol :lol

This thread isn't actually making me regret I didn't buy this...

Sounds like the NPR version to me.  Definitely NOT from the IIT EP, since, as Mr. Modny correctly points out, no Brian growl present...

The "We must be in Texas" quote from Bruce is not on the cd, but is on the NPR concert.  Bruce does make a Texas reference on the cd, however, during "Disney Girls"..."with a local girl from a smaller Texas town..."

Then that wasnt from the Woodlands concert as Bruce said 'Houston' in that one. What other shows were in Texas last year?

just two Texas dates... April 26 Grand Prarie
                                     June 8 Woodlands

Verizon Theatre,  Grand Prairie 4/26 (gig #2)

Okay...so now we know DG comes from the Grand Prairie show. Wish they would have included 8 June for selfish reasons ;)

From the brit site.

Re(1): Re: the new live Disney Girls
Posted on May 23, 2013 at 09:27:27 PM by Bruce Johnston

hwysaboda:
The live "Disney Girls" was recorded early on the BB 50th tour and it's from the Grand Prairie, Texas/Verizon Theatre concert (April 26, 2012). I think it's the second best "Disney Girls" performance of the tour but I have to pick the Royal Albert Hall "Disney Girls" as the best of all (September 27, 2012).
Thanks for your kind words.....

Bruce Johnston
Montecito
May 23, 2013

No vinyl either and the CD mix of TWGMTR was awful next to the record.

Pretty sure the mix was the same. The mastering, on the other hand, was almost certainly different.

I haven't done an in-depth comparison yet of SOS, but I think this one might be a tricky track to pin down, exactly, in terms of the CD source.

Even more perplexing is where those original, identical NPR and Front Row Center versions came from in the first place. It's definitely NOT Grand Prairie, TX:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wss7x3_Px38

And...even though I was under the impression that the bulk of that FRC video footage was shot in St. Augustine, FL., the audio portion's not from there either:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NigU3HeKKI


Which, of course, leaves the "Live In Chicago" designation on iTunes. Problem is, as we already know, the ITunes version veers slightly at the end from the other, identical-up-to-that-point versions, and, I thought that NPR concert aired before they even played in Chicago (though, I could be very, very wrong on that)? In any event, I don't think I have audience recordings of either of the Chicago shows for comparison, but looking at this brief YouTube snippet from one of those Chicago shows, and comparing it to the NPR/FRC/iTunes and CD versions, the first stanza does seem like it could possibly be from here. Though, the second stanza is phrased different, and thus, doesn't:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPukTM4QugI



Were both shows in Chicago shot and recorded as well (which is, of course, Joe Thomas's home turf)? Maybe the song uses elements from both of those shows...or even other shows? Maybe, it's from somewhere completely different? I honestly have no clue at this point. Anyone else have any ideas?


Thus, I'd reckon, as is sometimes the case where there's a heavy "Brian factor," vocally, I think things might be slightly complex...as we're already finding out. :)

Just as a short follow-up, I just checked and that NPR show was first posted online on 6/12/2012. Thus, it is possible that SOS could've been cobbled from the 5/21and 5/22 Chicago shows (or parts flown-in from others of course). I'd be interested if anyone can figure this pesky bugger out. :)

One more to add to the list, if anyone is actually still interested in this stuff...


"Why Do Fools Fall In Love" on the new CD is also from Chiba.

And...one more before I go to bed...

"Then I Kissed Her" is from Chiba as well. Though, on the new CD, there's some individual hand claps -- at the beginning and clapping in time -- that are mixed out compared to the original Chiba airing.

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Arguably the greatest studio recording of all time,  the 1966 single recording of Good Vibrations is about as perfect as it could be.   This presents a considerable challenge for a live performing band. The good news is that, if you can ignore the bizarre female backing vocals at the end of the track, this recording is almost entirely from the CVC Marine Stadium in Chiba, Japan.  Fortunately, I was able to find a YouTube video taken live at the show of this song. (cleverly, if I say so myself, by copying Japanese characters into the search box)  The video is useless (taken too far away and bouncing up and down), but the audio is of sufficient quality.  The other bit of good news is that it appears that the streaming soundboard recording of the Chiba performance available on the internet is actually from Chiba with minimal if any overdubs ... but considerable electronic tempo changes.

Unlike Heroes and Villains, which is a slowed-down Chiba performance, Good Vibrations is sped up by about 2% without changing the pitch.  I am not sure why this decision was made, as there is very little difference in the sound that occurs by such a small tempo change.  Brian's lead vocal is identical on the video and on the CD, so what we are hearing is 100% pure Brian from Chiba.  If there was any autotune applied, it was done live at the show. 


1:14: I thought it was an interesting addition to the lyric "She goes with me to a blossom world ... we find", with Jeff singing "we find". This is heard on both the Chiba video and the Chiba streaming recording, but omitted from the CD.   Well, I guess it's something special that only those of us who attended the live shows heard.

1:18 - 1:22, There is some editing in this section, as the drum part is different.

1:26 - The tenor "yeah" is heard on the CD, but not on the video. It could have been a live mixing issue at the show or a studio overdub. It's heard on
          other recordings, particularly the Red Rocks bootleg, so I assume that it was sung at this show.

1:57 The flute part, very prominent on the video,  isn't audible on the CD. This is a strange mixing decision, as I think it is quite beautiful.

2:20 Brian's "clap clap clap" is omitted from the CD. He did this at other shows, and I actually agree with the engineers on this one - it sounds odd and was justifiably omitted.

2:24 Oh my goodness, what is this?  A studio overdub of Mr. Love, with a mic right next to his lips?  That's what I thought originally. Upon hearing the YouTube video, I realize that  it's just an autotuned vocal from the show, as the words "Gotta keep" are sung badly out of tune by somebody.

2:29 This may be the strangest edit on the album. Female backing vocals are heard starting here and solo at 2:46, making it sound like an audience singalong.  It isn't really loud enough to sound like a singalong. What the engineer was thinking here is beyond me.   No female vocalists were part of the  Beach Boys touring band in 2012 . So what in the world is this?  I do not know. It is not audible on the Chiba video. The video and the CD do not match in this section, so I assume it is from another show.

Some group of females overdubbed this in the studio. I have one theory that is purely a guess: It's Wendy and Carnie Wilson.  I of course have no evidence to back this up, other than it sounds a little like them. 

In any case, with the exception of the female vocals at the end, this is a good recording overall, and it's true to the Chiba performance.

Just curious, but do you happen to have an audience recording of "Isn't It Time" from Chiba as well? The a capella vocal bit at the beginning of the "soundboard" recording is clearly lifted directly from the studio single version. So, unless they sampled/lip-synced that bit live (looking at an audience show from Singapore, 6 days later, they didn't there), that's one bit of studio audio that was laid in afterward. Al's vocal is also manually double-tracked (w/ studio vocal?) in most places to boot -- with a "nice" clash at 2:06.  :)

"Isn't It Time" - Chiba, Japan:

http://www.lukpac.org/~dave/Isn%27t%20It%20Time%20-%20Chiba,%20Japan.mp3

I have to disagree AlFall, but to each his own.

That part on the Chiba download reminds me of the 'In Concert' album. The same song 40 years earlier and the band wants the crowd involved. I love it!

One of the few occasions during the C50 where Brian interacts with the audience and its cut. A real shame IMO.

Same here, Micha. I have yet to decide whether I will purchase it, but I am not really thinking of running to my retailer.

I am sad to say this.

It's really worth getting if only for the tracklist from 'California Saga' to 'Help Me Rhonda' - the vocals and instrumentals in that section are incredible.

It was disappointing for a Live release, but far better than what I expected.

yeah I too noticed that "Good Vibrations" was sped up, to me it sounds unnatural and the drum beats sounded too fast in it..

Agreed and thanks for the in-depth discussion.

Early on, I read a couple (not many, but a couple) of remarks against "Good Vibrations" from this disc, but when I sat down and had a listen, I personally found it to be pretty good.  Other than the "sing-along," my only real issue comes during the moments the band falls prey to rushing the tempo slightly.  Coming from musicians with their kind of chops, I was a little surprised to hear this, but to tell the truth, it's not enough to detract from the performance in any serious way.

Oh, and thank goodness Brian's "Clap!, clap!" was excised!  A shame about "...we find," though.  That and the flutes.

Ok ok...........so I'm on my own on this one! ;D

Yup.  Marooned all alone on Pleasure Island, which, as it turns out, is really just 45 minutes of Brian's helpful hints on proper clapping technique.   :p

SAIL ON SAILOR is from Chiba. It's slowed down about 5% without changing the pitch and like Heroes and Villains, the rate of slowdown changes in each section of the song.  Brian's vocal is identical to the Chiba tape. 

Again I wonder why the engineers thought it was necessary to change the tempo.   To my ears, it doesn't sound better slowed down.

Hopefully, everybody understands that my nit-picking is not some kind of back-breaking criticism of this track or the CD.  I have had to mix audio in the past, and I know how hard it is.  I've really enjoyed the CD and recommend it.

Perfectly valid opinion - that things that are in the live show should not be removed.   

Listened to the whole thing. I tried so hard to like it but DAMN are those vocals processed to sh*t! Why?! I could handle the mild auto tune on TWGMTR but this sounds like the work of some dumb tween's first dubstep demo. It's pretty bad. At times I would even Invision huge, titanium robot BB's awkwardly girating as they begin to spark and smoke. It's just too much! How this got released is beyond me. (DBD, DIA, ASM...just a few of many that are unbelievably bad.)

I'm just so pleased we're got this far on both live album threads without the dreaded "H" word being used. I really think we all deserve a pat on the back.

The thing that really bugs me about the autotune is that it's lazy.  If a vocal performance is unsatisfactory, go into the studio and overdub it until you get it right.  Or look for a performance of that particular song that might have been better.

DISNEY GIRLS

If you are hoping for biting, back-breaking, Judge-Judy-type criticism of this CD, you will not find it on this post.  I am going to gush heaping praise on this track for many reasons, not the least of which is that my voice is clearly heard on it at least twice.

Disney Girls is of course from Grand Prairie - that was easy to spot, as Bruce added  "a smaller Texas town" to the lyric.  It's 100% pure, un-dubbed, un-edited, un-tempo-changed Bruce and the Beach Boys, from the second show of the tour that I had the great fortune of attending.  Early in the tour, the VIP Nation meet-and-greet packages were not selling well. I bought the $200 soundcheck package, which included early entry, attending the soundcheck, and a ticket in the first 10 rows.  After a brief 4 pm check-in, I was delighted to hear that everyone who bought the soundcheck package would also get to do the meet-and-greet, perhaps the bargain of the century.  As the word got out that the shows were great, they had little trouble selling the VIP packages.

At about 5 pm, I and my fellow 40-or-so VIP patrons were escorted into the Verizon Theater, and there they were on stage, the heroes of my childhood. It was the real Brian Wilson. He was actually working again with Mike Love.  It was hard to believe, but there they were on stage together.  These early soundchecks were actually rehearsals. (I attended the soundcheck 6 weeks later at Round Rocks, and this was more of an informal performance, with announcements before each song.)  There was no doubt that some tension was present, as two separate bands (Brian's band and the Mike/Bruce/Scott band) were coming together. They started by rehearsing the transitions between the car songs at the end of Act I.  Then came a rehearsal of Sail on Sailor. Brian's speaker under his piano was not operational, so he sang the track badly out of tune. (This is not a criticism of Brian; I can't sing this complex song a cappella either.)  They stopped just before the end of the song, debating how it should end.  Scott demonstrated a possible ending, which I thought was a bit more complicated than necessary.  Then Darian quietly and humbly said, "ok, as a suggestion only, this is how Brian does it", then he played another possible ending, which I thought was a lot better. Afterward I yelled, "Do it that way!"  Melinda Wilson, sitting two rows behind me, yelled to me, "thank you!"  Scott then said, "ok, that way it is."  For the rest of the tour, Darian's ending was used.  What other Hall of Fame act would provide this kind of intimate access?

After the soundcheck/rehearsal, the 5 principals walked up in the aisle, positioned themselves in chairs  behind a "Beach Boys 50" backdrop, and posed for pictures.  Bruce apologized in a way, saying, "oh, don't worry, the show sounds better than the soundcheck", to which I replied, "well, that soundcheck sounded pretty damn good", to which Bruce replied, "well thanks!"   He was very gracious and accessible.  Brian said, "we're not signing anything" - a policy that was made clear when we bought the VIP packages.  After a few minutes, it was my turn. I positioned myself between Mike and Brian, with Bruce, Al, and David, and they snapped a very good picture of the 6 of us.  Once again, I ask, what other Hall of Fame act would provide this kind of intimate access?

For the show, I was sitting in row 4, right in front of Bruce. I was very impressed with Bruce at the soundcheck.  On the CD, at the end of When I Grow Up to Be a Man, Mike introduces Bruce. His spoken lines are from at least 3 different shows, but his section is from Texas:

2:26: Mike: He got the Grammy for the song that Barry Manilow is most famous for, "I Write The Songs".
2:31: Me: Yeaaaaaaaah!!!!!! (heard very loudly in the right speaker, the loudest single audience member utterance on the album)

Of course, admitting to this means that I actually cheered the mention of Barry Manilow!  

How do I know it's me?  I started taking a cell phone video as Mike was introducing Bruce. As I was sitting in row 4 on the aisle, a big and scary woman usher told me to turn off my cell phone.  I put it into my front shirt pocket without turning off the recording.   The video is dark, and the audio is cruddy, but there is no doubt, the Bruce/Barry fan is me.

Perhaps I'm one of those psycho fans that thinks a band is singing only to me.  On a personal note, I was going through a divorce on this night in Texas.  When Bruce started singing - I was a few yards in front of him - I listened carefully to the lyrics.  This song sounds so much better when sung by an old man, especially the line, "I guess I'm slowing down."   It's as if Bruce wrote the song in 1971, knowing that its ultimate rendition would be 41 years later. His voice sounds breathy and distant - "distant" like it's coming from a great beyond, like a dearly departed grandfather, reminding me that, despite my current pain, I should remember the good times.   Remember the great times of childhood, of Disneyland, summer picnics, and the simple things of life. It really made me think.  The Good Vibrations of the show - pardon the pun - re-affirmed to me, in my darkest of times, that life is worth living.

To make a long story short, 6 weeks later, my wife and I celebrated our reconciliation by flying to Colorado and attending the soundcheck and show at Red Rocks.  I  enjoyed that show even more than Grand Prairie, as if that were possible.

Did the Beach Boys save my marriage?  I don't know.  But they sure as hell didn't hurt.

Thanks to Brian, Mike, Al, David, and Bruce for a beautiful and inspirational evening. Call me a psycho fan, but sometimes, music can elevate the soul and make a big difference in an ordinary life.

Great story, and glad your marriage is reconciled  :)

I really dig this thread! To anyone who doesn't own the album and is curious just sign up for Spotify and you'll have access!

I think it might be even more complicated than that, in terms of how the vocal may have been stitched together. Here's a few examples below where I have to question just how identical it actually is, and I'm honestly interested in what anyone else might make of this...because I don't know what the hell to make of it...lol. :)

For the non-CD, "Chiba recording" Brian says his first "Sail On Sailor" on the *upbeat* of the first note in the measure (approx. at the 26 second mark of the Chiba mp3 below), whereas on the new CD he says it on the *downbeat* of the first note in the measure. That is, it's phrased differently on the latter. Thus, they would've had to digitally re-align them to make them match, and I'm still not sure that would make them the same. Also, for the Chiba performance, he says the correct "often frightened, unenlightened," whereas on the new CD it's closer to an "often frightened, uninvited (or something blurry along those lines)." The vocal on the non-CD "Chiba recording" is doubled as well, so unless that's just a manifestation of one of the doubled vocals, that really shouldn't affect the above. Also, Brian's last word (i.e. "sail") of the "alone but I sail" line clearly dips in pitch on the non-CD recording (whereas it's "straight" on the CD...and not just in some kind of autotune way). There's a few other examples as well that seem to raise some flags.

Now, I'll admit I haven't gone through every bit of the entire song to see if there's any sections that might indeed be direct from Chiba, but at least with the above, I think there's a few question marks. No? Am I nuts...lol?



Any other thoughts welcome, of course. :)


Sail On Sailor - The 50th Anniversary Tour CD:

http://www.lukpac.org/~dave/Sail%20On%20Sailor%20-%2050th%20Anniversary%20Tour%20CD.mp3



Sail On Sailor - Chiba, Japan:

http://www.lukpac.org/~dave/Sail%20On%20Sailor%20-%20Chiba,%20Japan.mp3

Confused, West Surrey...

hater

I think that you're on to something here; there are clear differences between the guitar licks that pop up between the lines of the middle eight too.  I suspect that "Sail On Sailor" from the CD is edited together from more than one performance, which may explain the artificial slowing of the tempo of the Chiba sections (to match them to the tempo of whichever other version(s) got used?).

(Incidentally, I note you're using www.lukpac.org - are you anything to do with that fantastic Zappa Vinyl Vs CDs page?  That's one of my favourite things on the entire internet.)

That's actually the work of a couple of other folks.  LP's just a good friend who lets me leech some of his server space. :)

Aw, man, I'm just trying to have a little fun with Pretty Funky, is all.

PET SOUNDS

Pet Sounds is from Phoenix, presented for the first time on this CD, as this track was not on last year's live DVD.  Audiences who attended shows in the latter part of  in the tour (staring with Bangor, Maine on June 22) were treated to a great performance of this instrumental from its classic namesake album.  I would argue that it rocks quite a bit harder and is a more exciting recording than the album cut.  Although it may have been the best recording of this track from the tour (according to the engineers), I believe David performed it better in later shows, particularly two nights later at Red Rocks.

I would like to give kudos to David Marks and Johnny Cowsill.  The Beach Boys are not a lead-guitar-up-front band like Zeppelin or The Who, but if they were, David could easily fill the role.  He is a master of the surf guitar lick, but he proved time and time again that he could crank out wailing rock riffs as well.  I wish he were louder in the mix at the shows and on this CD, but I do understand that the Beach Boys are a vocal harmony band, and it's the backing vocals that are going to be up front in the mix.  (Maybe they could let Phil Spector out of prison for a few days, so he can mix these tracks so everything is loud?) 

Cowsill's drumming was consistently, flawlessly excellent throughout the tour.  Unlike most live CDs, very little editing or studio overdubbing was necessary on the backing tracks on this release, as the backing band performed without error almost every night.  He played in nearly perfect synchronization with the other percussionists and consistently provided a steady tempo foundation without overplaying.  He proves on this track that he can be loud and powerful.   When a band sounds great, and is a hit with a younger crowd like the cheering throngs at Bonnaroo, I look first at the drummer, as he's usually the guy who is playing so well that it makes everybody else sound great.

There are only two strange edits on this track, at 1:12 and 1:50, where a single note from David is delayed one second vs. the live YouTube video. Other than that, there is no editing or overdubbing.  As I say, it was not necessary.

I have listened through and I really like this. Highlights are Getcha Back, Disney Girls and Pet Sounds. Al's leads also sound fantastic. All in all a good keepsake from a great tour. :)

As for me, these are pretty much the only listenable songs from that album.

Whats happened to AlFall the last few days? I've been enjoying his breakdown of the C50 album and showing us how much of a poor job JT has done with autotune and using other tracks.

Have the suits at Capitol sided with Joe and taken action or what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bdwIh7waqc

Some folk here have this thing called "a life". Me, I wouldn't know about something like that.  :-D

"Isn't It Time" would sound better sped up, both live and on the studio record. :wink


Somehow I don't like the way that sounds... :-\

Not sure whether this belongs in this thread or another but here goes (Mods feel free to migrate…):

The BigO newsletter (always full of meaty tidbits; subscribe at http://www.bigozine2.com/) contains this assessment of the new Live set from ex-BBs session guy Chuck Kirkpatrick:


The interview (from 2004) referred to above can be seen here:

http://www.musicdish.com/mag/?id=9361

The download of the Sacramento show (billed as part of the Phil Cohen Collection) I won't link to as that kind of thing is strictly forbidden here and is in any case very very naughty.

Haven't read the whole thread, but saw some some negative comments.

 :police:

Man... I don't even want to read that stuff!  This 2-disc set is fan-freakin'-tastic!!!  It's exactly everything I hoped for.  More so.

First -- it's a live album.  You have to know what you're getting into.  It's not a new studio album.  There's no revelations to be found and it's nothing new.

Second -- live albums (to me) are for certain settings.  Cookouts.  Parties.  BBQs.  And cookouts  :)  They not for deep moments and personal reflection.  They're for getting out and having fun.  So if that's how you're judging this -- STOP.  Take off the headphones, put this disc on your hi-fi, open the window and place your biggest speaker in said open window.  Now go outside and fire up the grill.  And forget about it.

Third -- live albums provide a nice way to hear ole' favorites without having to hear the same ole' damn recordings.

Fourth -- hearing ole favorites in 2012 rock-concert sound quality!!  Spinning I Get Around from 1964 and California Girls from 1965 is one thing... quaint and old.  But it's 2013...

Fifth -- it's fresh to hear them today.  The songs are done different, sound newer.  They're almost like entirely new songs, using old well-loved songs!

Sixth -- there can be a lot of minor surprises.  The way Brian sings the ending of Sail On Sailor for one.

Seventh -- Perhaps there's more of a reason to "sweeten'" it up in the studio, post-production -- because they're older, etc.  But I'm hearing a lot more "music" where that wasn't the case in the original cut.  Disney Girls comes to mind.  Harmonies get more emphasis where they didn't before.  It's just awesome.

Eighth -- what a damn good set-list.  Wonderful mix of classics and great 70s stuff.  California.  Disney Girls.  All This is that.

Ninth -- the new single(s) sound great!!!  It's so awesome to hear them mixed in with the oldies.  I love it!!!

Tenth -- 2 DISCS!!!!!!!!

start the chant: Bean Bag, bean Bag, bean Bag!!!!!! Again, stoked with holy fire, Bean Bag nails lit!! Oh bean bag, this is the professor's take completely!!!

(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1199991.1352577474!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/elvis11n-2-web.jpg)

I don't want to add to the negativity of this thing, but I listened to the whole thing again last night and.........man, Mike is mixed waaaaay too low in the mix on his part on Good Vibrations!!! It's probably noted before up the thread, but I don't remember ever not hearing Mike clearly before with his "I'm picking up Good Vibrations" part. What happened there and why di they reloease it like this? I've heard a zillion live bootlegs before where he is clearly audible singing his low parts. Did auto-tune screw this up? I mean, so far in this thread I've posted positive comments with very small exceptions, but this issue sticks out like a sore thumb! Again, how did they let this go?

I'm just going to weigh in and say, categorically and definitively that NO vocals were pre-recorded and/or flown in during any of the C50 live shows.

Thank you, Scott.

It's almost as though folks forget there were another eight or nine brilliant players and singers onstage, and that parts could be doubled or tripled (or filled in) if need be. No need for tapes.

For that matter, if tapes were actually a part of the repertoire, why would the C50 band do a bunch of obviously live, warts-and-all TV appearances?

What BB fan would not be curious as to what Scott thinks of the life album?  Let this stand for what the professor thinks (in addition to my approval of the 10 theses of the learned Bean Bag above). I drove to Redondo last night and then , later, home, and I blasted the live CD the whole time in absolute sonic, emotional and meditative ecstasy. No knowledge or fear of autotune or studio patches or any such things, however likely or true, could dampen the fire of the BB music and the BB orchestra, and the BB voices.  Thank you Scott, and thank you BB .

Thank you. That's an important thing to hear because it clarifies that a) any and all sweetening for the new live album was simply and expectedly done in post-production and b) for stuff like the Japanese broadcast of the Chiba show, there was some post-production sweetening done to that as well (e.g. "Isn't It Time"). Ditto for the work that was done on the Sirius and NPR broadcasts (which we pretty much already knew). So...thanks again, Scott.

Surprisingly solid performances from Carl and Dennis, in that case.

 :lol

Naughty but I think the two of them are smiling too, somewhere above...

I am 100% prepared to believe that there were no pre-recorded vocals (barring the tribute spots for Carl & Dennis). Pitch correction? Definitely in the early shows I've heard recordings of...definitely not at Wembley. There was some vocal doubling at times but no pitch correction or any heavy vocal processing. I want to echo the sentiments above that we need to remember that while this might be *about* the five guys who have been Beach Boys on and off since the 60's...we mustn't forget the magnificent band behind them. Yeah it was mostly Brian's band but the most talented guys from Mike & Bruce's band were present and genuinely added something musically.

Still haven't listened to the live album in it's entirity but I started listening to H&V and gave up. It's fracking offensive to the ears. That track alone is worthy of the 2CD set being sent straight back to Amazon. It is an offense to Brian, the Boys, the rest of the band, to VDP for murdering his lyrics and to music lovers with even half an ear the world over. It is a total disgrace.

What is a live album to me? Not a way to hear a compilation/mix tape of classic songs. If I want that I'll make a mix tape. It's a way to hear songs performed live. Not necessarily an accurate representation of what it was like to attend a concert from the tour but a chance to relive some of it...to hear how they wove songs together like the "car medley" or just hear how they sound in 2012 singing those songs.

This 2CD set is an audio nightmare in places. In other places it's OK. The inconsistency has no logic to it whatsoever.

Ugh

Scott, he is either trying to be funny or an asshole. I haven't quite figured out which. ;)

Normally, I love live albums..WHEN THE BAND SOUNDS LIKE HUMAN BEINGS. Come on. I know it's spectacular we got anything but have you heard the shows without auto-tune? So, so much better. They could of let us hear the ACTUAL band not some overly processed sh*t that they think 21st century BB's should sound like.

Thanks for the benefit of the doubt!  Though seriously it was not my intention to upset Scott Totten, if that is indeed what has happened.

mikie..on my recording of the Pittsburgh show last year mike sounds just like the cd on good vibrations. his part just doesn't stand out like in the past.

Well, I know his voice has thinned dramatically the past few years, most notably 2012, and maybe he just wasn't very strong in those parts? I mean, you can hardly hear him. Like it's buried in the mix or they didn't pick up his microphone when it was recorded. I've never heard him sound so weak on that. Next time I'll listen to both CD's to see if there are other songs where you can hardly hear his part, but on Good Vibrations it's obvious.

Last year I mentioned that Mike didn't seem himself - like he was sick for awhile. The way he talked and his eyes seemed watery - like he had a cold or alergies last year. Thought maybe that had something to do with his weak voice.

I definitely noticed it too. His voice in all the smile promotional interviews was when i first noticed it. I hardly recognized his voice.

Oh come on, it was a harmless joke

That's what I said, but having to be funny wasn't called for there. A plain statement would have done fine. Plus, not everyone has the same sense of humor. Plus we were talking about background vocals, not leads, in the case of Dennis & Carl.

Ok, HI!  I am new to the board, glad to discover it.  I am 50 and been a gigantic Beach Boys fan, follower, freak, etc. for 45 of those 50 years.  I am also a live album collector.  Always have loved the "energy" and sometime spontaneity on live recordings.  So I own and have listened to live albums that run the full spectrum - from 100% live, unedited etc. to complete studio recreations such as "Live and Dangerous" by Thin Lizzy - probably the most notorious of all "fake" live albums.  I am going to weigh in on this thread topic, the new live album - but to provide some context, the 1973 In Concert album is, in my humble opinion, one of the great - almost criminally forgotten live records.  I have read that it is almost 100% live, and you can tell by the edginess of the performances.  A couple missteps - an almost unlistenable, rocked-up version of "Help Me Rhonda" that just falls flat.  Pretty much the rest is golden, and I have always admired the set list. Sure  alot of hits, but a LOT of deep cuts and heavy on Pet Sounds.  Last word on that before I get to the topic at hand - I still consider the 73 live version of "Don't Worry Baby" to be definitive.  Same with the stunning version of "You Still Believe In Me."  Can any member of any gigantic rock band be more under the radar than Al Jardine?

Ok, so before I lose everyone on my first post...lol.  I now have listened to the new live 50 CD at least a dozen times and here is my take.  First and foremost - I get the complaints / assertions about the doctoring, auto tune, fly-ins, overdubs etc.  I have no doubt that all those things exist in some shape or form.  Most painfully obvious on ASMTYD (weirdest sounding Brian vocal I have ever head - really processed).  Also on H&V.   That said, my belief is that at least 60% of the recording is legitimately live.  Not saying that is acceptable, but it's far from criminal.  Also, lets ask ourselves, does a lot of tinkering and post-production mean the music is bad?
I say no.  Still some very enjoyable music.  My 3 favorite "keepers" are (not in order):  1) "Disney Girls." Jarringly beautiful, Bruce in fine form - and sounds "warts and all" to me.  2) "All This Is That". Kudos for including a deeper cut that is a tip of the hat to serious Beach Boys fans.  3) "Getcha Back." I know seems like a weird choice, but I always thought (and still do) it is a bit of a weird track anyway.  I find David Marks vocal a refreshing and interesting take.  Not sure why Mike doesn't sing it, but I like it.  OK, indulge me one more.  I personally love Bruce's vocals on "Wendy."  I'm out, thanks for listening! 

bobcat, a word of welcome from the Professor, who agrees with you in toto. Gettcha Back is a song that Mike imagined Dennis ought to have or could have sung, and he gave it to Dave, taking over Hawaii. You are correct: Davis is wonderful, and the entire production is excellent.  I listen to the CDs everyday, rockin' round LA.

Again, welcome and thank you for your comments.

After a few dozen listens, i have some thoughts. Yes, there is a lot of processing done on the vocals, which was very unnecessary. However,  overall this is a very pleasant listen. My favorites are California saga and all this is that, by far! The worst offenders on the vocal processing are don't back down, surfin usa, and heroes and villains,  but they are still very listenable. Surfin usa, though, sounds like Mike is  singing from a  spaceship far far away. But overall,  still a great listen.

Having seen a great show from Mike and Bruce just tonight in del Mar, I can't help but to miss brian, al, Dave,  and the rarer songs (although wild honey tonight was GREAT!) Having listened to this repeatedly for the past 2 weeks, I realize more fully the special year that 2012 was in Beach Boys history. I love mike's show,  al's show,  Brian's show,  dave's show,  but i really wish we could rewind a bit and relish the c50 shows from last year. But because we can't go back in time, this 2cd set will fill some of that void of seeing and hearing our Boys all together.

What about it?

What do you mean, what a about it? I Get Around and Fun Fun Fun have the studio versions flown in on Concert. So, I guess The Beach Boys have been insulting our intelligence since 1964.

+1 (or would that be +2??)

Yeah. It's one thing to be a smart ass to each other, another to be a smart ass to an honored guest who is busy on tour and has graciously taken the time to give us his thoughts. I'm sure Scott has a great sense of humor, but why risk pissing him off? I seem to recall another honored guest who was basically chased off the board because of comments like this. I think it's really cool that Scott reads the board and weighs in from time to time. Lets let him know how much we appreciate it by avoiding the snark.

Just my opinion. :)

I've already stated that it was not my intention to upset an "honoured guest", but since some people clearly think that a mark has been overstepped here, I have sought a speedy resolution by taking the liberty of reporting myself to the moderators for an impartial review.  If they conclude that I have behaved inappropriately, then I will happily accept any slapdown or censure that they choose to impose.  I hope that this will draw a line underneath the matter, and that we can get this fascinating thread back on topic.  I for one am very much looking forward to the return of AlFall, and hope that he will perhaps revisit his conclusions on "Sail On, Sailor", since I believe he's called that one wrong when he says it's a continuous performance.

(My regards to Heartical Don and Gohi.)

Geez, what a martyr! Nobody was asking for anything like that against you, except yourself. Just be aware of what you say and who you say it to. You know, use some common sense.

I don't think I'm ever going to please you, drbeachboy.

Have I had issues with you in the past? If I did, then I don't remember. Besides, don't please me, please who you are responding to.

Responding to this is going to be a curious logical problem.

Meh, it was enough to make me chuckle (if a little bit of a groaner), and I can't imagine Scott, or anyone, really, getting upset enough to split on us over it, but what do I know?

Anyway, the real point of my post is to try and get us back on topic with a query for AlFall (or anybody else who may wish to chime in).

On my copy of the disc, during the first verse of "Good Vibrations," Brian's lead vocal is audibly cut, to where the word "wears" (from "I love the colorful clothes she wears") is missing the "s."  So, in effect, what we hear is "she wear/..."

I don't have a copy of Chiba handy at the moment, but I can't imagine this shows up during the actual live show, as it's not a case of Brian simply not singing the "s" - Brian's line is clearly, decisively cut.  My question is "why?"  On the live recording, does Brian carry the end of the line out-of-pitch, necessitating a cut?  Maybe we're seeing another case of sloppy editing of the masters, adding to the tally of editing issues which have popped-up here and there recently on Beach Boys releases?  I suppose that it is possible, however unlikely, that it's an issue with only my copy.  Listen closely and see if you notice.

Any thoughts?

  :lol I am pleased.

Sadly, Chiba trumps the live cd. Incredible recording.

+1

Add the BBC 2 show and we have a pretty good package. Now if those 8-10 songs from the CD not on either BBC or Chiba could just be found somewhere? :)

Add Chiba, RFH, and Wembley and you have a good package.

The Berkeley and Socal shows were damn good too.

I enjoy parts of the official 2 cd live set a whole bunch and glad I bought it as it brings back some nice memories...

But I'm with Mr. Reum, Chiba is the best recording of all of the ones I have heard thus far.  I know there was some post production on that recording too, but it is less obtrusive than the glossy sheen of the official 2 disc project.  I hope this doesn't cross any lines, but has anyone WATCHED the whole (not so official) video that has been released on dvd?  Just curious how the video is as I love the audio and I may fork out the buck to put the dvd in my collection.  I bought both the officially released blu-rays that came out in the last year and enjoyed the live one (but it was too short and a bit too over-produced) but I want some of the more rare tunes.  Just curious if anyone here purchased the dvd that come with the complete Chiba show plus a complete US show too (Chicago or Boston I think) as well as some live tv appearances from C50.

I'll raise you one and also say *some* of the mixes from the respective Grand Prairie, NPR tracks as well. That is, specifically and for me personally, "The Little Girl I Once Knew." In the case of that one, I much prefer the integration of the vocals -- namely Jeff's falsetto -- over how it was mixed on the CD. Same performance. Two different mixes. Quite a difference. :)

On a related note, if anyone is interested, or has anything to add where I still have question marks, here's a breakdown of that NPR airing in terms of  actual sources. I did a brief run-through last night. If anyone sees any mistakes, feel free to comment as well:


NPR - In Concert:

Do It Again - Alternate mix of "DIA 2012" studio (digitally time-compressed/tempo sped-up + assorted "live" sounds and crowd noise mixed in [spoken "yeahs" "one more time," etc.]. Though, those spoken sounds don't appear to be from the actual live performance in Grand Prairie, TX.)
Catch A Wave - Artist Confidential
Don't Back Down - Grand Prairie, TX
Surfer Girl - Grand Prairie, TX
Surfin Safari - Artist Confidential
The Little Girl I Once Knew - Grand Prairie, TX
Isn't It Time - Alternate Studio Mix (w/ "sneaky" edit at end and solo vocal line to simulate a hard ending).
Little Deuce Coupe - Spoken intro is an edit from Grand Prairie, TX, Rest of song maybe a combination of Grand Prairie and Artist Confidential ? It was late, and I got tired of sync-ing and going back and forth between everything...lol. Anyone?
409 - Artist Confidential
Shut Down - Artist Confidential
I Get Around - Artist Confidential
Sail On, Sailor - ? (NOT Grand Prairie)
TWGMTR - Alternate Studio Mix (w/ hard ending)
California Girls - Grand Prairie, TX
Dance, Dance, Dance - Grand Prairie, TX
All Summer Long - Grand Prairie, TX
Help Me, Rhonda - Grand Prairie, TX
Rock 'N' Roll Music - Grand Prairie, TX
Do You Wanna Dance - Grand Prairie, TX
Barbara Ann - Grand Prairie, TX
Surfin USA - ?  (NOT Grand Prairie)
Good Vibrations - Artist Confidential

No Auto-Tune here! Maybe it could use some, lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY-L89UdOS4

Okay, so I guess it strikes no one else as weird.

Anyway, can anybody at least confirm that the cut is on their copy, too, please?  Thanks.

To be honest, the whole album is a bit weird but yes, the 's' is cut from my copy also. May have to do with the flown in crowd noise, but just sloppy IMO.

Hey, thanks for the confirmation.  Though I actually enjoy the disc for stretches at a time, there are some peculiarities.  And concerning this GV one, in particular, I think "sloppy" sums it up nicely (What, no QC?  Was anybody even paying attention?).

What professional recordings are there from the C50 tour? Chiba, the BBC2 show and...?

At least Grand Prairie, the SiriusXM show, and the show used for the live DVD. Bruce has made comments on the BBB board that suggest that the Albert Hall show was professionally recorded, too.

Thanks :)

By "professionally recorded," do you mean each of these shows were multi-tracked?  How about, say, the Hollywood Bowl?  Wembley?  Any info on these?

Also, I guess that, by extension, the next question would be which shows are thought to have been professionally filmed, as well as recorded to milti's?

13 years ago I recorded a song with my band, and in two lines the "s"ses at the ends of two words couldn't be heard in the mix, even though I had sung them. So I overdubbed just the "s"ses again on a free track to make sure I could mix them loud enough so you could hear them. :-D

It was a song about summer, too, and for those who know German, here's the lyrics:

Und mir rinnt der Schweiß / auf mein Vanilleeis.

At first it was:

"Und mir rinnt der Schwei / auf mein Vanilleei" ;D

Again, yeah? It is an insult to our intelligence. I hate to defend it with "Those were different times, it was more common to do that back then" and "Their fanbase was very different in 1964", but it's so true. Also, again, just because Brian Wilson did it doesn't mean it's right. It's two instances early on in their career when Capitol had a knife in their back to ensure the Beach Boys were putting out records every five minutes, it didn't happen again until 2013, a time when there's really no excuse to do it anymore. I'm not sure why anyone is defending it.

Again, it's redundant - it's giving us something we already have with the promise of it being something we don't have. I really, really doubt they couldn't have put together a cohesive, good quality lead for "Do It Again", "Radio" and "Isn't It Time" from the multiple shows they recorded.

It's so, so cheap, it's indeed an insult to our intelligence and it's just another contributing factor to the really sloppy, low-quality job on something where a little more care should've been employed for the sake of the band's dignity.

We may both have to eat some humble pie. I just played the Chiba GV track a few times and it does indeed sound like no 's' and a reasonable crowd noise, just like the C50 album. :-\

How is your progress in organizing the "occupy Mike and Bruce rally"? ;D

Could be (it wouldn't be the first time).  :)

As I said, I don't have the Chiba recording handy, but I never thought the crowd noise was necessarily the issue there.  I still think the "s" is pretty obviously cut, after the fact, though (on close inspection, there's just nothing natural sounding about it, at all).

Didn't Chiba have some post-production work done on it, too?  The cut could have been made at that time, I suppose.

Typo on the autocue maybe? ;D

Well, that's one mystery solved!   :happydance

No, they couldn't or they would've done it. Geez, they apparently couldn't do it in their prime, so very doubtful they would have something releasable from this tour. Now I have only listened to a few shows, but Mike had a hard time with Do It Again on every one of them. I have no problem with them fixing a few vocals in the studio, but that autotune on some of the tracks is simply terrible. Again, I'd rather have a redo in the studio than try to autotune an off lead live vocal.

If you like the Beach Boys, then it is worth getting.  Is the production good?  No.  But it is still quite an enjoyable live album; especially in the car.  I get the disappointment with some of the studio "touch-ups", but I feel many on this forum are obsessing a little too much over it. 

The London show looks awesome on YouTube. And, I'm watching the DVD that was released a while back.  Had they used (and I don't know if they did) the soundtrack (not unlike a film sound track,) maybe the outcome might have been different.

In other words, if they do a FULL show, say from London, they might consider doing an accompanying CD (exactly the same audio) with the DVD.  I can hear the "principals" in the DVD, where I can only hear Brian, Mike and Al, on his leads on the CD. The flow is better as between and among the songs, than the CD. 

And, I guess I'm just a spoiled brat BB fan!  ;) Oh, well.  :lol

I listened to it on my ipod for the first time, rather than my stereo which had several plays. The first few tunes are for me, the most tinkered with and that may be down to Mike does need to warm up. For me it was less noticeable as the CD progressed.

If Brian had total studio control of one song and wanted to stiff Mike, he did it with 'Don't Back Down' IMO.  :lol

Honestly I thought Mike for the most part sounded fine throughout the CD.  Yeah, he sounds older of course but overall there was nothing in his vocals that detracted from my enjoyment.  Jeff didn't always sound great on the high parts; I feel he'd be better singing Carl's parts than Brian's.  They should have found someone else to sing the falsetto parts and allow Jeff to cover Carl's vocals.  He sounded pretty close to Carl when singing "Kokomo".   

Well, I just checked out the Rolling Stone live acoustic performances again for the first time in a while.  They are seriously special, and I had the following observations:
1.  The vocals are really good.
2.  Apart from Jeff providing the high parts, he and Scott T contributing very little vocally.

I'm not sure how much was done to these performances in post, but to me they prove that the boys are very capable of sounding 'releasable' in a 'natural' way.  I have enjoyed parts of the live CD, but Runners and others have a point about the quality of the release.

Mike mentioned the initial plan to re-record some of the classic songs for C50.  Although it was great that we got new songs in the end, if they had re-recorded the classics, how great would it have been if they were in the style of the RS performances?

I don't know if anyone's particularly interested in hearing about this kind of stuff anymore, but a couple of small things caught my attention while listening to some live 50th material today:

1) As I briefly made reference to earlier in the thread, the base track and lead vocal of "Then I Kissed Her" are from Chiba. However, it sounds like, perhaps not surprisingly, the supporting cast may have done some additional work on the backing vocals for that track on the CD release, or conversely, some sneaky editing took place. Namely, there's a backing vocal bit that occurs on the CD, right before the bridge, that didn't exist for *any* of the other live versions of the song that the band did during the tour that I've currently heard -- including the original Chiba 'cast. That is, all live versions have *no* backing vocals during that brief section. And while it's the same common vocal riff that appears in others places during the song [you'll know exactly which one I'm talking about when you hear any of the performances], it sort of has a studio quality to it. Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if the supporting cast went back and did indeed do that part in the studio, vs. simply flying it in from elsewhere. But...who knows? Could've just been a fly-in from somewhere else, as again, that bit's a common, recycled vocal riff in the song (i.e. that "sneaky editing" thing).


2) "Marcella" on the 50th DVD and live CD are derived from the same performance......same lead vocal, same guitar solo, etc.. Though, they're mixed quite differently. Like most of the tracks on the CD, the vocals are mixed way out front for that release. And while the DVD is supposed to be from Phoenix, AZ, I don't have an audience tape of that particular performance to see what kind of "work" may have been done after-the-fact (e.g. Brian's lead vocal). I'd suspect some...if not quite a bit.

Ha ha. I just heard Pete Waterman on the radio defending the Beach Boys use of autotune on the live album.

So don't worry guys, you now have the producer of everything that was crappiest about 80's pop on your side!  :lol

Seems he was replying to this article in Uncut magazine

http://www.whitsundaytimes.com.au/news/beach-boys-turn-auto-tune-good-vibrations/1946486/ (http://www.whitsundaytimes.com.au/news/beach-boys-turn-auto-tune-good-vibrations/1946486/)

"Fans on a Beach Boys forum said the results were "embarrassing" and accused the band members of sounding more like robots"

 ;D

Wow, our reputation precedes us. :)

Maybe its just a result of splicing the next track but after Dave sings 'Getcha Back' Brian says "the Great David Marks" then it sounds like Mike goes "Yeah-bullshit". :o

I've always heard that part as "that's for sure"

This is mentioned in todays Guardian, just a sentence about how The Beach Boys have been caught using autotune 'like Kanye West' or something. I'll get a photo in a sec.

I posted in the vocal thread about "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" on the Live CD.

Am i 99% sure there is a female vocal in the mix, especially on the first "Why Do Fools Fall In Looooooooove" at the very beggining the female voice carried on for a split second longer than any other vocal. I know Jeff and Scott have a high range but it certainly sounds more like a females vocals.

I only saw the wembley concert so i'm not sure if a female was involved in any of the shows? Or am i just hearing things?

Hopefully the bad press causes JT to reconsider his gameplan before unleashing B-Pain back into the wild later this year.

I don't hear a female voice there. There are actually two vocals that carry on the "love" slightly longer than the rest, both processed so much that you can barely tell who they are but I *think* they're Jeff and Scott.

No women sang on any of the tour dates, though that doesn't *necessarily* mean anything, as I've seen a lot of people claim that that section of the song was pre-recorded and mimed to. (That said, I don't believe that's the case -- the audience recordings all sound subtly different to me...)

It's really bothering me every time I hear it. It might just be me imagining it then... I'm sure i can hear it in the mix too. Maybe I have harmony blindness.

Not to nitpick, but Taylor Mills came out to do the intro (whole song?) of Marcella at the Darien Lake show. Again, not really relevant to the discussion at hand, but still an interesting tidbit

Quite right. And I suppose they may have done the "get some pretty girls from the audience on stage to 'sing' Barbara Ann" thing, too.

Definitely no women on any performance of Why Do Fools on the tour though.

I can't listen to the first songs on the thing due to the auto-tune. Its just bearable from 'Surfer Girl' so thats my start point. I don't suppose there an app or program toremove it? ;D

Don't know about anyone else but I'd pay for another CD if it was re-released with the a/t toned down. Serious!

We're famous

The more I listen to it the more it grows on me. I really like Bruce's Disney Girls performance, that song has aged so well and Bruce sounds fantastic on it.He also does Wendy well I think.Add some Music and All this is that are other highlights.

 I get tingles up my spine on the Do it Again intros. For me , its a great reminder of the concert and the whole weekend in Sydney.

I've found a fix. First few songs from Chiba then CD from "Surfer Girl'. ;D