The Smiley Smile Message Board

I'm sure this has been discussed, but I didn't see a thread with definitive answers. I apologize for any repetition.

1.) My main question. Were all of the Beach Boys studio albums except "Summer in Paradise" remastered and re-released last year? My understanding is that they were all remastered--at least through the 1970s-- (including new stereo mixes for mid-60s albums) and everything through Surf's Up released on CD. I guess the heart of my question is this: was the post-1971 work remastered but only released digitally? So for instance, if I see/hear the "Love You" album on iTunes/Spotify, that is a 2012 remaster?

2.) I think Mark Linett always does an awesome job with the Beach Boys mixing and mastering. He's outstanding and I have a ton of respect for him and his work. That being said, do you think the sound quality on "50 Big Ones" is bad? To me it seems loud and high-pitched. I suspect that Linett was given a mandate from the record company to compress the album to sound like a lot of other (bad-sounding) music today. Every other BB remaster I've heard sounds great, so I'm guessing Capitol got involved in telling him to compress the hits package.

1. I have seen them referred to on iTunes and Amazon as 2012 for single albums that were not part of the CD reissues. I really can't say if it is a release date or a real remaster.

2. I think all of Mark's releases are bright, to bring out the vocals more than the original album releases. The only brickwalled release that I know of is Sounds Of Summer. Personally, I like Mark's work on the whole. 

Mark Linett rules the school. His remixing and remastering is out of sight.

As for 2012 remasters, not everything was done. This Spotify playlist contains them all http://open.spotify.com/user/benkirchner/playlist/1n9EcsmqUQEa0P9Dwsf123

I've been kind of iffy with his mastering. I generally prefer a less treble-heavy EQ, and I find his more recent mastering work somewhat brittle.

need moar mids plz,

Indeed.

The following are 2012 remasters.
Surfin' USA, Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down Vol. 2, All Summer Long, Today!, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), Party!, Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile

Sunflower and Surf's Up were remastered in 2009 (but released on CD with the other remasters in 2012).

All of the other major Capitol/Brother studio albums were remastered in 2000/2001 except for the Christmas album which was remastered and released under the title Ultimate Christmas (with bonus tracks from the scrapped 1974 Christmas album) in 1998.  Still Cruisin' and Summer in Paradise have never been reissued since their initial release.

Check the downloads of those single albums (not the 2-fer versions) they say 2012. But as I said earlier, I don't know if that means remastered or not.

I know.  What that means is they started to be offered as singular downloads in 2012 rather than as twofers (I don't know why, I like the twofer format better because of the bonus tracks) but they are the same as the 2000/2001 remasters.

I couldn't hear a difference, but my hearing isn't as good as you young people.

Perhaps you spent too much time in your youth listening to Mike Love scream during Student Demonstration Time.

Mark should stop working in the box and begin working with outboard gear again. It's very sad that he has fallen for the digital experience, it will always be an approximation but nothing like the real deal..

Yea, that along with too much Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant, as well.