The Smiley Smile Message Board

Was pondering this a minute ago...
It looks more and more like the majority of the albums are becoming increasingly hard to find. It's the mid 90s all over again. Pet Sounds is easy to find, of course, but the other albums are being replaced it seems by more and more compilations. What the hell's the deal with that? You'd think, with the Wilson name in the news this year (Dennis & Brian) with hot (re-)releases, you'd think the band's material would more readily available...yet, not so. I wonder what gives.

It's all on iTunes.

That's as available as anything needs to be these days.

CDs are dying -- if they're not already dead.

Still makes me sad. I may be of this generation, so to speak (but with me being 30 that may be pushing it), but I prefer CDs, not iTunes.

And yes, that is coming from someone who sells his music online only as of now.

I think it's really sad too. I'm only 20 but I HATE buying stuff off iTunes etc.. It's just crap. Firstly, the bit-rate is like 128kb/s or something like that, you don't get the artwork and all of that.. the whole thing just sucks. Plus they charge like $1.99 per song which I think is a rip off considering what you miss out on.

I dont download(dont know how; iTunes doesn't sell in this country anyway.) But I can still order these albums online. Yes, I prefer to browse in a record shop for hours, but I can still get CD's by post.

I don't like downloading from the web at all - it's still great fun, after 30 years, to order and purchase at my loyal retailer's. And the human contact is great too. God forbid that we all will be locked in our houses, ordering via the web, and all these specialized shops with all their expertise having to go out of business. And their stores being purchased by anonymous cell phone sellers or dubious dump stores. Meh.

All the Beach Boys stuff is iTunes plus -- which means a higher bitrate, and it's not copy protected.

Also Mikey, they charge 99 cents a song, not $1.99. And albums are usually 9.99, which is quite a good deal.

And its 256 kb/s, not 128.

Thanks for the corrections Clay, I'm still not a fan of it. The only positive I can see out of it is if you only want one track from an album, the album in question is extremely rare and hard to find or for bonus tracks and the like. But other than that if there is a CD of the album available I will always buy that over iTunes.

Are you sure? I thought at least some tracks were 128? Shows just how often I use iTunes....My point being though, that it IS still lower quality.

The Beach Boys stuff is all 256.

Are the two-fers really slowly phased out? In that case I'll have to fill some gaps in my collection. And damn... the BBs two-fers, from their original incarnation onwards, are by far the finest re-issue project by a major group that there was and is. And it stayed in print continuously for 17/18 years, which is pretty unique in itself.

Errrrr... no they didn't. The 1990 2fers went out of print surprisingly rapidly, to be replaced by the "Sweet 16", i.e. single albums, no bonus tracks (another brilliant marketing move from Capitol). They were reinstated in 2001, after the Brother 2fers.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who's noticed that the twofer CD's are going out of print. Even when they were in print, some of them were VERY hard to find. It took me several years to find the MIU/LA Light Album twofer. The only copy of CATP/Holland that I have found was from a CD store that's a good 45 minutes to an hour from where I live, which was rather inconvenient. Also, the only time that I've ever seen the KTSA/BB '85 twofer in a store is when I bought it. The only place that I've seen it since is on E-Bay.

You can buy all of them new on Amazon for quite cheap prices. And it takes some 45 seconds to place an order from your computer -- which you presumably use to post on this message board.

Do you folks actually buy your CDs in brick and mortar stores?

There was a time in the nineties when some of the 1990 twofers (pre PS?) were available through BMG Direct club (or something like that). I traded a Caribou Holland CD for some of those.

And several of the modern twofers are still available through BMG.

and i remember in some magazine mike was asked about the original 2fers being replaced by the single versions. mike said something like he was in favor of it..somethink like the group got more money if someone bought 2 single copies than one 2fer. have that interview somewhere in the house but god knows where at the moment. but i do remember his comment very clearly.

I don't have a problem buying CDs online (love it actually!).......as long as they arrive on my doorstep the next day!  But I do seriously miss browsing the aisles.  But Amazon's prices are generally good to really good -- and they got freeekin everything, not to mention S A M P L E S!   :-*

I have ZERO interest in "downloading" tunes though.  Unless it's out of print, and if it's a good, sweet deal -- fine.  We download "hard to get" stuff that all the time,   ;).  But the problem with this format is twofold, and they're SERIOUS deficiencies...

• Bitrates.  If you're giving me 1/4 of the sound quality ---- I'll only pay 1/4 of the price!
• No physical copy.  I need a pressing.  Liners, ALBUM COVERS!!!! HELLLLO!!!!!!  1/4 of the sound quality, minus 1/2 the product....do the math!  It's a RIPOFF!!!!!

Most people would say spending $18 for a physical CD is a ripoff. And 256 kb/s is close enough to CD audio that I doubt many would be able to tell the difference in a blind test -- or that many have equipment capable of reproducing such a difference.

That being said, I prefer the physical objects myself. But the arguments for digital distribution are pretty compelling -- and will only become more so as fuel costs increase (someone has to cart all those CDs around).

There easy to find here, so I won't go ragging on Capitol,

Edit to add:

Today/Summer Days was 323 on amazon Canada's charts the other day, so obviously there is a demand  ;D

BMG still has a lot of the two-fers, as pointed out.  I bought them both times they were released by temporarily joining BMG, and it came out to be really cheap (plus got the GV box set at 60% off during their periodic boxed set sales). They're pretty cheap on Amazon.  If not through Amazon itself, then through marketplace sellers.  They're worth it for the booklets and notes.  I wouldn't expect to find a lot of CD's at most stores.  They don't make it a priority to stock them.  There are few US stores worth visiting and where you can find things, and they're mostly concentrated in a few cities (the biggest ones, and maybe some college towns). 

I too agree that $18 for a physical CD is a ripoff. Who sells 'em for that much, anyway?

One thing I'm surprised nobody mentioned: one thing for CDs as opposed to downloading...if you download, you'll need some form of computer to play the sound back. (And before anybody jumps on this post and says "What about an iPod?" Well, 1) you need to use a computer to put the music on it, and 2) It IS a computer, with a very basic operating system. If it isn't, then you'd better tell those folks who run Linux on it!) A CD just needs a CD player.

I don't think 18 bux for an album is a ripoff.  I remember when CDs first hit the shelf in the 80s...they were 15 bux!!!!  Now they're routinely 11.99!!!!  Throw in a few decades of inflation -- and they're damn near paying us!   :drumroll

I'm not opposed to the "digital-file" format.  I actually think it's the solution and the way out of the gross limitation of 16bit, 44k CD Audio.  But it's not ready for me yet.  I'll make the leap when its base format is on par or above 16bit 44k.  I probably won't jump in until it's on par with 24bit 192k. 

Gladly the ipod-generation (rather than the usual rich-folks) are taking it in the arse and making the format "stick."  For a new format to work, it's gotta sell.  Period.  And it's selling -- thanks to the kids today with their ipod gizmos and Scion motor cars.

Capitalism works!

I like to go to the record store and get a record,  damn it.  Been doing it all my life.  I don't like downloading music.  Thats like recording a movie off of tv and not buying the dvd.   I want to OWN the physical product along with the graphics and bonus materials.  Sometimes I actually look on the shelf and pick out a record to play without having to turn on the computer.  I drop the tone arm or push play and, voila, I have music.. 

I went to the mall Wednesday for lunch and bought Lucky Old Sun.  Within minutes I was cruising down the highway listening to it on my custom car stereo.    And that package!   And the price?  $9.99 US.

You youngins can HAVE yer  itunes,  tatoos, and Sarah Palin.   >:(

Except in little countries, where Lucky Old Sun--no bonus tracks version! is currently going for about thirty four dollars.

Yikes, that's a shame.  Sounds like they could use some capitalism!

I agree...give me product that I can hold!  Which is why I loooooooove Mrs Palin.  (psst...I think the 'youngins' are a tad more Obama-rama anyway.  All hollywood fluff, lo-fi ipod downloads and style over substance!!)

a product one can hold, indeed :p

I think there is more things out of print then just twofers. American Spring and Gary Usher material anyone???

It's only a shame for me! Everybody else here illegally downloads as a result! Wish I knew  how...I'd still shell out the money, though.
Twofer Beachboys only go for about 15 though, not a bad deal.