The Smiley Smile Message Board

Anyone bought it?

I'm curious as well.  I just ordered both from Amazon so I'm hoping for the best! :)

I'm getting really into vinyls lately. I don't have any Beach Boys ones yet, but I'm going to order some soon.

You will love the Beach Boys ones. Today is a great one to start with because the sides really differ.

Just got these in and they're both outstanding!  Everything is great; sound, pressing, and packaging are of the highest caliber.  Kudos to everyone involved in these releases.  Hope there's more to come.  :)

So is the new Summer Days LP release really a re-release of the DUOPHONIC version?  Why wouldn't they use the STEREO T-2354 version? Does anyone know if these Capitol LP releases are mastered analog or digital these days?    

Any info appreciated.  I always found the Duo releases to be rather echo-ey and unpleasing....

Both LPs are in MONO.  They just used the Duophonic artwork to produce the cover.  Maybe after all these years that was the only version of the original artwork left in Capitol's vaults.

I opened both of my copies and listened to them a couple of nights ago.  Both albums sound very nice; the pressings are flawless (no warps, no pops and ticks).  However, I can't say that they offer any new details, extended bass or treble over the CD issues, etc.

The inside sleeves are a neat touch -- for Today!, a reproduction of the original orange Capitol advertisement sleeve, with all of the album covers (Beatles, Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, The Lettermen, etc.); and for Summer Days, color versions of the pictures that are on the back cover (except Al, who's in black & white) on one side, and the full-size cover picture without the text on the other side.

Lee

Why didn't they put the stereo versions of the songs that have been remixed on the reissue? It's 2009, not 1965...the mono age died over 40 years ago!

EMI's intent is to reproduce the original (in this case mono) albums, and the wrong artwork saying Duophonic Stereo notwithstanding that's what they have done  with all the vinyl reissues so far. Sunflower and Surfs Up were remastered as we located better original analog tapes than were used on the twofer CD, but  otherwise the vinyls are the same as the current CD versions without the bonus tracks.

Maybe because Mr. Wilson purposefully chose mono as his preferred way of producing records, so that he could control the listening experience exactly, and create a single unified sound.  I like the stereo remixes for the chance to hear bits and pieces i didn't know about, but I can't help thinking 1965 Brian would be mortified if he knew that his albums would arrive at posterity in new stereo mixes that he had nothing to do with, after he put so much care into mixing the records, and made his preference that they be heard in mono so clear...

How do these new pressings stack up to the original Capitol pressings? Has the newer LP making technology hampered the magic of it in any way? I

I'm talking about the 2009 reissue, not the original 1965 release.

I very much agree

Iget what you mean, but it would be a bit naff continuity wise...... and mono's making a comeback, y'know - look at those beatle boxes

Mono never went away in Brian's eyes. Soul Searchin' anyone? :)

didn't mr. linett say brian said to put all the songs in stereo when they could? i'm sure he still prefers mono, but maybe he just understands that ears nowadays prefer stereo.  me being one of them.  not that i don't hear the charms in mono.  but every time i see a new track is in stereo i scramble to hear it. 

My copy of Today comes in a capitol sleeve promoting releases from 1966. Is this an error or is everyone's copy like this? I would have thought if they were going down this route they would have used whatever sleeve the original today release came in (maybe a 1964 promotional sleeve)

Presumably this Surf's Up is therefore better than the EMI 100 pressing from 1997? That one was a lovely slab of vinyl, anyway!

Are these LPs available in the UK? Thanks

That's an error in all of them.  It actually is not as bad of an error as you might think; although a 1965 sleeve would have been more technically correct, Today! would have still been in print for several years after 1965, and any second pressings done in 1966 would have left the factory with that inner sleeve, 1967 pressings with a 1967 sleeve, etc.  A worse mistake would have been putting a 1965 record in a 1964 sleeve, as that would never have occurred in real life (except for maybe a January '65 release).

Lee

It's not an error.  This is the exact same sleeve that the original pressings used.

If only he would've acted like it was 1965 with that vocal on the bridge ("why oh why") ;D

Why? Because that would be way too logical-Actually the steel needled Victrola will be re-introduced by RCA and  during its renaissance will  see a re-release of the entire BB catalogue in a mind boggling 78 rpm format.  ;D

Not true!  An original first pressing of Today!, which was released in March 1965, would not have contained an inner sleeve touting the Beatles' Rubber Soul (Capitol T 2442), which wasn't released in the US until December 1965, or Roy Clark Sings Lonesome Love Ballads (Capitol T 2452), which wasn't released until January 1, 1966 -- much less the Beach Boys' Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!!) and Party!

I am holding in my hands an original mint mono first pressing of Today!  (Scranton / Los Angeles factory designations on the back; no number next to the RIAA symbol).  The inner sleeve, which I have no doubt is the original sleeve, is a blue sleeve with 12 album covers on one side, and 8 covers plus a "CAUTION! To give this record a longer playing life Capitol Records recommends... Checking your needle..." advertisement on the other side.

Next I have an original Duophonic pressing (Scranton / Los Angeles factory designations on the back; no number next to the RIAA symbol; "DUOPHONIC for STEREO Phonographs" in black text on a white top border).  It has an olive green inner sleeve showing Beatles '65, Beach Boys Today!, and Beach Boys Concert.  The latest catalog number shown is Capitol T 2327, Stan Kenton's Greatest Hits, which was released in June 1965.  Now THIS would be a more appropriate inner sleeve to accompany the Today! album than the orange one, but I still doubt that a first pressing of an LP released in March would have an inner sleeve showing LPs that wouldn't be released until June.

Finally I have a later Duophonic pressing (number "6" next to the RIAA symbol; "DUOPHONIC for STEREO Phonographs" in gold text on a brown top border).  Now this later pressing has the orange inner sleeve we're discussing -- but it's clearly a 1966 pressing.

Lee

I'm pretty sure Brian's hip to stereo! In 1965 is t was still THE dominant way that home entertainment sound was being reproduced. Brian may not be able to fully hear stereo, but you can bet he understands it.

Thanks Lee, pity they didn't use that original blue sleeve on the reissue.

BTW, I just did some research, and the number next to the RIAA symbol designates which pressing plant the record came from.  A blank designates Capitol's Scranton, PA plant (as would a "2" or a "3"), and a "5" or a "6" designates the Los Angeles plant.  A "4" would designate Capitol's Jacksonville, IL plant, which didn't open until the summer of 1965 -- after Today! was released.  Records are pretty heavy by the truckload, so it makes perfect sense that Capitol would service the western half of the US out of the LA plant and the eastern half out of Scranton.  As the record business grew, it would make sense to have a plant in the central US, hence Jacksonville, IL.  Around 1970 they would also open a fourth plant in Winchester, VA.

Beatles collectors are all over this, with different values being placed on an "East Coast" or "West Coast" pressing of Beatles LPs.

So it's possible to have a first pressing Today! with a blank or a "6" next to the RIAA symbol.  But still impossible to have a 1966 inner sleeve on a March 1965 first pressing.  And any copy with a "4" and mentioning Jacksonville, IL on the back cover is definitely a later pressing.

Lee

I find the plant designation very interesting. It's also done for the www.beachboys45.nl web site to distinguish the different Starline pressings. It's not completely finished yet, but - with help of some dedicated fans - of several Starline-series we do have an overview of the different plants. In this case other symbols were used (* = LA, 0 = Jacksonville, >-- = Winchester, AIM triangle or Anvil notation = Scranton). It's interesting to see the changes. The first series is just LA or Scranton. Jacksonville and Winchester also start pressing Starline 45's in the early 70ies, but Scranton suddenly is out of the picture (as it apparently was closed). When they started pressing the blue labels, 3 plants were still responsible for production, but it almost looks like jobs were divided. The A-prefix series was mainly done by LA and Winchester, the X-prefix however was mainly a Winchester and Jacksonvillle production.

Again, very interesting, but I'm wandering off now. Back to Today/Summer Days.

Interesting stuff, Lee.  You got me curious so I had a look and mine is definitely a blank Scranton.  Weird!

So anybody else get these? 

I kinda wanna order them, and am curious on the quality. 

Yeah. Well worth having. Great packaging and the sound is way better than the cds and closer to ,or maybe even better than, the original pressings (clear on Summer Days and muddy as hell on Today, the way Brian mixed them)

that's cool.  I've always wondered about Today, mainly on "please let me wonder".  That tune in particular is really muddy.  Summer Days is great to me though.  thanks!