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A friend has just asked me this. He's new to the band (and in the throes of a newfound vinyl obsession), so I'd want t make sure any comp had a good selection of late 60s to late 70s tracks alongside the hits. Does such a thing exist? Ten Years of Harmony sprung to mind but there's maybe too much focus on 15BO/MIU/Good Timin.

If only MIC were on vinyl...

Remember being blown away when I came across this one about 200 years ago…

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/GoodVibesBestOfCover.jpg)

Side 1
"Sail On, Sailor" (Brian Wilson/Tandyn Almer/Jack Rieley/Ray Kennedy/Van Dyke Parks) – 3:18
"Sloop John B" (Trad. Arr. Brian Wilson) – 2:56
"God Only Knows" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) – 2:50
"Darlin'" (Brian Wilson) – 2:12
"Add Some Music to Your Day" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Joe Knott) – 3:34
"Wouldn't It Be Nice" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher/Mike Love) – 2:22
Side 2
"Good Vibrations" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:36
"Do It Again" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:25
"Caroline, No" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) – 2:18
"Friends" (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson/Dennis Wilson/Al Jardine) – 2:30
"Surf's Up" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 4:12
"Heroes and Villains" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 3:37


(data from Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Vibrations_–_Best_of_The_Beach_Boys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Vibrations_–_Best_of_The_Beach_Boys))

Thank you John - I'd say that pretty much nails it!

I love that album. That might be the strongest one disc Beach Boys compilation ever released.

Decided to put this on; maybe it's just my copy, but this has to be the worst sounding vinyl I own - the instrumentals are really muddy, and sometimes a bit off pitch. Other than that, great compilation.

I always dug Sunshine Dream.

Wow, this is absolutely amazing. I can imagine how stunning the experience would have been on vinyl.

Such good memories!  I got this on cassette in the early 80's.   Great comp!

Haven't played in decades (literally!)… must dig it out and take it for a spin…

Had that one, John. Good call, though my first was 20 Golden Greats.

Yeah, Mine's similar, pretty darn muddy - but hey, 20 Golden Great is essentially 90% duophonic, with a track or two duophonic fold-downs made duophonic....

Sunshine Dream and the '75 Good Vibes comp are the best I agree. Best of Vol 3 is actually pretty cool too I think.

The UK Vol. 1, 2 and 3 are a great overview of the 60s period

That was my first call too - as well as being my first BBs LP back in 1976 - but utterly 60s oriented. Veeeeeeery fond memories though!

Ten Years of Harmony.  Yes, for all the 70's and rare tracks.  But the others mentioned are also good choices.  The Two-Fers from the mid-70's should still be around.  If he's a big enough fan then search out the old 1980 World Box - The Capitol Years.  That's six long-players of The Boys and one of The Brian Wilson Productions.

I agree.. The capitol Box set + 10 years of harmony..

I saw this in a charity shop a few years back for about £1 and thought, "Oh well, another one for the collection", then saw the tracklisting and, along with Ten Years of Harmony, is the only vinyl comp I still play.
Actually, Bug In has a good, if erratic, tracklisting:

A1 Little Deuce Coupe
A2 Don't Hurt My Little Sister
A3 Finders Keepers
A4 You Still Believe In Me
A5 With Me Tonight
A6 All I Want To Do 

B1 Why Do Fools Fall In Love
B2 The Surfer Moon 
B3 Cherry, Cherry Coupe
B4 Girls On The Beach 
B5 Be Here In The Mornin'
B6 I Was Made To Love Her

http://www.discogs.com/Beach-Boys-Bug-In/release/1048850 (http://www.discogs.com/Beach-Boys-Bug-In/release/1048850)

There's an odd France-only comp called 66/69 that does a good job filling in the margins around the hits.  Fairly easily/cheaply available too:

http://www.discogs.com/Beach-Boys-6669/master/299414

And if you're a collector of coloured vinyl, it's available in blue 8)

ah yeah, the two french sets; picked  those up when they were issued back in '76! 62/65 was almost clear vinyl, and the other, blue. Kinda neat back then

As a comp CD this wasn't bad at all… and an unlikely source:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/summer-crush-songs-we-love-to-love-mw0001416706

(Stands back…)

Here's another vote for Sunshine Dream

The track list:

Side 1
  I Can Hear Music*
  Here Today
  Darlin'
  Caroline, No
  Aren't You Glad
  Good Vibrations
Side 2
  Wouldn't It Be Nice
  Friends*
  God Only Knows
  Vegetables
  How She Boogalooed It
  There's No Other (Like My Baby)
Side 3
  Heroes And Villains
  All I Want To Do*
  Wild Honey
  I'm Waiting For the Day
  Cotton Fields*
  Then I Kissed Her
Side 4
  Sloop John B
  Be Here In The Mornin'
  Bluebirds Over The Mountain
  Keep An Eye On Summer*
  Do It Again
  The Beach Boys Medley
* = stereo album mixes
Everything else = mono

All tracks sound their best. Sunshine Dream has a clean and dynamic mastering that still retains the smooth, airy, vintage blend so futzed with on CD reissues of late. This comp shines fresh light on a very groovy era by mixing hits with some harder to find material, like the mono Do It Again single mix and the OG 20/20 version of Cotton Fields.
Where else can you find a transition between tracks as sublime as Friends into God Only Knows into Vegetables?

According to the song timings listed on Wikipedia (I know, I know...) "Cotton Fields" is the single version, ergo can't be stereo. If you can confirm one way or the other, I'd appreciate that. Album version is about 2.20, single is 3.00 or so.

That GV comp is ace but you can't leave out the great surf and car songs especially for a BBs newbie.

(http://i44.tinypic.com/uyk4k.jpg)

For me definitely go with 10 Years of Harmony for the 70s stuff.. what a fantastic compilation.

For the 60s I would go with Sunshine Dream, Endless Summer, or Spirit of America.


Not only is the music amazing (of course), but the packaging is very enjoyable on all of these as well.

Many thanks for that: I shall now go and thrash myself with a holly branch* for being so dumb as to trust Wikipedia.

[* I quite like it, actually...]

I rather like these two double album comps (from Germany, apparently):

1962-1965
(http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-2984543-1310408751.jpeg)

1. Surfin' Safari
2. 409
3. Surfin' USA
4. Farmer's Daughter
5. Misirlou
6. Finders Keepers
7. Surfer Girl
8. Hawaii
9. Shut Down
10. In My Room
11. Little Deuce Coupe
12. Surfer's Rule
13. Catch A Wave
14. The Surfer Moon
15. South Bay Surfer
16. Little Saint Nick
17. Fun, Fun, Fun
18. Don't Worry Baby
19. Little Honda
20. The Warmth of the Sun
21. Wendy
22. I Get Around
23. All Summer Long
24. Dance, Dance, Dance
25. Do You Wanna Dance
26. Good To My Baby
27. Help Me Rhonda
28. Don't Hurt My Little Sister
29. California Girls
30. You're So Good To Me
31. Then I Kissed Her
32. Barbara Ann
   

1966-1969
(http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-1678594-1316720530.jpeg)

1. Sloop John B.
2. Wouldn't It Be Nice
3. God Only Knows
4. I know There's An Answer
5. Here Today
6. Pet Sounds
7. Good Vibrations
8. Darlin'
9. Heroes and Villains
10. Wild Honey
11. With Me Tonight
12. Aren't You Glad
13. I Was Made To Love Her
14. Country Air
15. How She Boogalooed It
16. Here Comes The Night
17. Friends
18. Wake The World
19. Be Here In The Mornin'
20. Anna Lee The Healer
21. Little Bird
22. Busy Doin' Nothin'
23. Transcendental Meditation
24. Bluebirds Over The Mountain
25. Do It Again
26. I Can Hear Music
27. Cottonfields
28. Time To Get Alone
29. All I Want To Do
30. Never Learn Not To Love
31. Breakaway
32. Cabinessence


Phew! Lotsa hits each, plus some real head scratchers.