The Smiley Smile Message Board

From the August 37 thread, for those who gave up on that thread:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-to-cap-50th-anniversary-with-career-spanning-box-set-20130611

It's up on Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/Made-California-Limited-Beach-Boys/dp/B008XZKSRY/r

Key points from the description


Made In California's previously unreleased and long sought-after recordings include 'Goin' To The Beach,' 'California Feelin',' 'Soul Searchin',' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,' and 'You're Still A Mystery,' among others. The set also debuts 17 unreleased live recordings, including 'Runaway' (1965), 'Friends' and 'Little Bird' (1968), 'Wild Honey' (1972), 'It's About Time' (1973), 'Wonderful' and 'Vegetables' from The Beach Boys' legendary 1993 acoustic tour, and a 1995 rendition of 'Sail On, Sailor' featuring a soulful lead vocal by the late Carl Wilson. The greatly missed talents of Carl and Dennis Wilson are also celebrated with rare and previously unreleased recordings including Dennis' '(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again,' 'Barnyard Blues' and 'My Love Lives On,' Carl's lead vocals on 'Da Doo Ron Ron' and 'Soul Searchin',' and Carl's shared lead with Bruce and Brian on 'California Feelin'.'

The set also features a special 'From The Vaults' disc of rarities selected by the band and the producers with longtime Beach Boys fans in mind. Among the disc's highlights are a cappella mixes of standout vocal recordings for songs including 'This Whole World' and 'Slip On Through,' alternate versions of 'Don't Worry Baby' and other Beach Boys classics, session highlights and instrumental tracks, plus newly-discovered BBC Radio live recordings from 1964 of 'Wendy,' 'When I Grow Up (To Be A Man),' and 'Hushabye.'

And I don't like to say "I told you so", but I *did* tell people ages ago that if it was a late-August release we should expect a mid-June announcement ;)

Right after my summer exams. Good stuff! :afro

Sounds very good. Hopefully they include all the right stuff. That includes "My Solution"!

Career-Spanning Set Features Beach Boys Classics and More Than 60 Previously Unreleased Songs, Home Demos, Alternate Mixes, and Live Recordings,
Presented in a Yearbook-Inspired Hardbound Book
 
 
Los Angeles, California – June 11, 2013 – The Beach Boys have opened their archives for a new career-spanning, six-CD collection titled Made In California, capping the legendary band’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. To be released worldwide on August 27 (August 26 outside of North America) by Capitol/UMe, Made In California features more than seven and a half hours of music, including more than 60 previously unreleased tracks.  The deluxe set is presented in a high school annual-inspired hardbound book with personal recollections from the band’s members, replicated classic artwork and memorabilia, photos from the band’s archive, and handwritten yearbook-style inscriptions from Beach Boys Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks.
 
Produced by The Beach Boys and The SMiLE Sessions’ GRAMMY® Award-winning team of Mark Linett, Alan Boyd, and Dennis Wolfe, Made In California chronologically charts the 50-year career of America’s Band, from their earliest demos to their most recent recordings.  With huge hits and rare gems including never-before-released original songs, home demos, alternate takes and mixes, and live concert, television and radio performances, the set showcases the breadth and diversity of The Beach Boys’ recorded catalog and illustrates the band’s unique and evocative West Coast story.  From “Surfin’ Safari” to “God Only Knows,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Good Vibrations” to “Kokomo,” The Beach Boys’ canon boasts a masterful versatility that is unparalleled in American popular music.
 
Made In California’s memorabilia includes Brian Wilson’s 1959 high school essay titled “My Philosophy,” which is reproduced in the collection’s book in its original handwritten form (the original is currently on display in The GRAMMY Museum’s yearlong Beach Boys exhibit celebrating the band’s 50-year career).  In the essay, Wilson expresses his wish for a satisfying life, writing, “I don’t want to settle for a mediocre life, but make a name for myself in my life’s work, which I hope will be music.”
 
“This box set captures the evolution of a dream which started with a family singing Everly Brothers songs around a piano, to creating the harmonies that fans would carry in their hearts for a lifetime,” said Mike Love. “Seeing these photos and rediscovering some of this music, I’m reminded of the immense love I feel for Brian, Dennis, Carl, Bruce, Al, and David. I’m still floored that our stories continue to inspire new generations to catch a wave and ride it is long as it lasts.”
 
Made In California’s previously unreleased and long sought-after recordings include “Goin’ To The Beach,” “California Feelin’,” “Soul Searchin’,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and “You’re Still A Mystery,” among others.  The set also debuts 17 unreleased live recordings, including “Runaway” (1965), “Friends” and “Little Bird” (1968), “Wild Honey” (1972), “It’s About Time” (1973), “Wonderful” and “Vegetables” from The Beach Boys’ legendary 1993 acoustic tour, and a 1995 rendition of “Sail On, Sailor” featuring a soulful lead vocal by the late Carl Wilson.  The greatly missed talents of Carl and Dennis Wilson are also celebrated with rare and previously unreleased recordings including Dennis’ “(Wouldn’t It Be Nice To) Live Again,” “Barnyard Blues” and “My Love Lives On,” Carl’s lead vocals on “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Soul Searchin’,” and Carl’s shared lead with Bruce and Brian on “California Feelin’.”
 
The set also features a special ‘From The Vaults’ disc of rarities selected by the band and the producers with longtime Beach Boys fans in mind. Among the disc’s highlights are a cappella mixes of standout vocal recordings for songs including “This Whole World” and “Slip On Through,” alternate versions of “Don’t Worry Baby” and other Beach Boys classics, session highlights and instrumental tracks, plus newly-discovered BBC Radio live recordings from 1964 of “Wendy,” “When I Grow Up (To Be A Man),” and “Hushabye.”
 
One of the most iconic bands in popular music history and America’s first pop band to reach the 50 year milestone, The Beach Boys have performed and recorded the world’s favorite soundtrack to summer since 1961. Founded that year in Hawthorne, California, The Beach Boys were originally comprised of the three teenaged Wilson brothers: Brian, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and school friend Al Jardine.  In 1962, neighbor David Marks joined the group for their first wave of hits with Capitol Records, leaving in late 1963, and in 1965, Bruce Johnston joined the band when Brian Wilson retired from touring to focus on writing and producing for the group.
 
Last year’s reunion of Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks for a new studio album, That’s Why God Made The Radio, and The Beach Boys’ 50th Anniversary Tour, the band’s first major outing to include Wilson in more than two decades, made headlines around the world as one of the year’s top entertainment stories.
 
Released last June, That’s Why God Made The Radio was the band’s 29th studio album (including 2011’s SMiLE Sessions), and the first in decades to feature all of the band’s surviving original members.  Produced by Brian Wilson and executive produced by Mike Love, the album bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the band’s highest-ever album chart debut.
 
The sold-out tour took The Beach Boys to more than 70 cities around the world, including their first concert at the Hollywood Bowl since 1965, headlining performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and tour-closing concerts at London’s O2 Arena and Royal Albert Hall.  In a review of the landmark tour’s first concert, Rolling Stone recognized the band’s deep well of signature songs, noting, “It's not until a band like the Beach Boys runs through their hits back-to-back in rapid succession that you realize just how many hits they've had.”  On May 21, Capitol/UMe released The Beach Boys’ new concert album, Live - The 50th Anniversary Tour, a 2CD and digital collection of 41 standout recordings from the acclaimed tour.
 
The Beach Boys signed with Capitol Records in July 1962 and released their first album, Surfin’ Safari, that same year. The album spent 37 weeks on the Billboard chart, launching the young group known for its shimmering vocal harmonies and relaxed California style into international stardom. The Wilson/Love collaboration resulted in many huge international chart hits, and the band’s initial surf-rock focus was soon broadened to include other themes, making The Beach Boys America’s preeminent band of the 1960s.
 
In 1966, The Beach Boys were one of the first bands to found its own record label with the launch of Brother Records, Inc. (BRI), with the band’s members as its shareholders and Capitol Records as its distribution partner.  BRI continues to manage The Beach Boys’ intellectual property, including the band’s catalog with Capitol/UMe and other label partners, as well as its name, artwork/logos, image and likeness.
 
The Beach Boys continue to hold Billboard / Nielsen SoundScan’s record as the top-selling American band for albums and singles, and they are also the American group with the most Billboard Top 40 chart hits (36).  ‘Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys’ has achieved triple-Platinum sales status, and ‘The SMiLE Sessions,’ released to worldwide critical acclaim in November 2011, won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Historical Album and was heralded as the year’s Best Reissue by Rolling Stone magazine.
 
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and recipients of The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY Award, The Beach Boys are an American institution that is iconic around the world.

Some solid news at last.  :)

I will get the depressing comment out of the way first and say that I hope that price will come down significantly before the release date. I presume it will or they will be lucky to sell more than 12 copies.

I'm sure many of us had more than an inkling that some of the rarities were going to be included but it's good to have confirmation anyway.

A great decision to mention 'Goin' to the Beach' first in the list of rarities too. That will really boost sales.  :lol

Partial tracklist confirmed, let the bitching commence!

Tracklist:

The Beach Boys: Made In California
 
CD 1
----
1.    Home Recordings / "Surfin'" Rehearsal Highlights (2012 Edit - Mono)
2.    Surfin' (with Session Intro - Mono)
3.    Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring (Demo - Mono)
4.    Surfin' Safari (Original Mono Long Version)
5.    409 (Original Mono Long Version)
6.    Lonely Sea (Original Mono Mix)
7.    Surfin' U.S.A.
8.    Shut Down (2003 Stereo Mix)
9.    Surfer Girl
10.   Little Deuce Coupe
11.   Catch A Wave
12.   Our Car Club
13.   Surfers Rule (with Session Intro)
14.   In My Room
15.   Back Home
16.   Be True To Your School (Mono Single Version)
17.   Ballad Of Ole' Betsy
18.   Little Saint Nick (Stereo Single Version)
19.   Fun, Fun, Fun (Mono Single Version)
20.   Little Honda
21.   Don't Worry Baby (2009 Stereo Mix)
22.   Why Do Fools Fall In Love (2009 Stereo Mix)
23.   The Warmth Of The Sun
24.   I Get Around (with Session Intro - Mono)
25.   Wendy (2007 Stereo Mix)
26.   All Summer Long (2007 Stereo Mix)
27.   Girls On The Beach
28.   Don't Back Down
29.   When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) (2012 Stereo Mix)
30.   All Dressed Up For School (Mono)
31.   Please Let Me Wonder (2007 Stereo Mix)
32.   Kiss Me, Baby (2000 Stereo Mix)
33.   In The Back of My Mind (2012 Stereo Mix)
34.   Dance, Dance, Dance (2003 Stereo Mix)
 
 
 
CD 2
----
1.    Do You Wanna Dance (2012 Stereo Mix)
2.    Help Me, Rhonda (Mono Single Version)
3.    California Girls (2002 Stereo Mix)
4.    Amusement Parks USA (Early Version)
5.    Salt Lake City (2001 Stereo Mix)
6.    Let Him Run Wild (2007 Stereo Mix)
7.    Graduation Day (Session Excerpt and Master Take, 2012 Mix)
8.    The Little Girl I Once Knew (Mono)
9.    There's No Other (Like My Baby) (2012 "Unplugged" Mix with Party Session
      Intro)
10.   Barbara Ann (2012 Stereo Mix)
11.   Radio Spot "Wonderful KYA" (Mono)
12.   Sloop John B (1996 Stereo Mix)
13.   Wouldn't It Be Nice (2001 Stereo Mix)
14.   God Only Knows (1996 Stereo Mix)
15.   I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (1996 Stereo Mix)
16.   Caroline No (1996 Stereo Mix)
17.   Good Vibrations (Mono)
18.   Our Prayer (2012 "Smile Sessions" Stereo Mix)
19.   Heroes And Villains: Part 1 ("Smile Sessions" Mix - Mono)
20.   Heroes And Villains: Part 2 ("Smile Sessions" Mix - Mono)
21.   Vega-Tables ("Smile Sessions" Stereo Mix)
22.   Wind Chimes ("Smile Sessions" Stereo Mix)
23.   The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow) ("Smile Sessions" Mix - Mono)
24.   Cabin Essence ("Smile Sessions" Mix - Mono)
25.   Heroes And Villains (2012 Stereo Mix)
26.   Wonderful (2012 Stereo Mix)
27.   Country Air (2012 Stereo Mix)
28.   Wild Honey (2012 Stereo Mix)
 
 
 
CD 3
----
1.    Darlin' (2012 Stereo Mix)
2.    Let The Wind Blow (2001 Stereo Mix)
3.    Meant For You (Alternate Version)
4.    Friends
5.    Little Bird
6.    Busy Doin' Nothin'
7.    Sail Plane Song (2012 Stereo Mix)
8.    We're Together Again (2012 Stereo Mix)
9.    Radio Spot "Murray The K" (Mono)
10.   Do It Again (2012 Stereo Mix)
11.   Old Man River (Vocal Section)
12.   Be With Me
13.   I Can Hear Music
14.   Time To Get Alone
15.   I Went To Sleep
16.   Can't Wait Too Long (A Cappella)
17.   Break Away (Alternate Version)
18.   Celebrate The News
19.   Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) (Single Version, 2001 Stereo Mix)
20.   Susie Cincinnati (2012 Mix)
21.   Good Time
22.   Slip On Through
23.   Add Some Music To Your Day
24.   This Whole World
25.   Forever
26.   It's About Time
27.   Soulful Old Man Sunshine
28.   Fallin' In Love (2009 Stereo Mix)
29.   Sound Of Free (Mono Single Version)
30.   'Til I Die
31.   Surf's Up
 
 
 
CD 4
----
1.    Don't Go Near The Water
2.    Disney Girls (1957)
3.    Feel Flows
4.    (Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again
5.    Marcella
6.    All This Is That
7.    Sail On Sailor
8.    The Trader
9.    California Saga (On My Way To Sunny Californ-I-A)
10.   Rock And Roll Music (2012 Mix w/Extra Verse)
11.   It's OK (Alternate Mix)
12.   Had To Phone Ya
13.   Let Us Go On This Way
14.   I'll Bet He's Nice
15.   Solar System
16.   The Night Was So Young
17.   It's Over Now (Alternate Mix)
18.   Come Go With Me
19.   California Feelin'
20.   Brian's Back (Alternate Mix)
21.   Good Timin'
22.   Angel Come Home
23.   Baby Blue
24.   It's A Beautiful Day (Single Edit) (2012 Mix)
25.   Goin' To The Beach
 
 
 
CD 5
----
1.     Goin' On
2.     Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love
3.     Da Doo Ron Ron
4.     Getcha Back
5.     California Dreamin'
6.     Kokomo
7.     Soul Searchin'
8.     You're Still A Mystery
9.     That's Why God Made The Radio
10.    Isn't It Time (Single Version)
 THE BEACH BOYS LIVE:
-------------------------------------------------------------
11.    Runaway (Chicago 1965 -- w/Concert Promo Intro - Mono)
12.    You're So Good To Me (Paris 1966 - Mono)
13.    The Letter (Hawaii Rehearsal 1967)
14.    Friends (Chicago 1968 - Mono)
15.    Little Bird (Chicago 1968 - Mono)
16.    All I Want To Do (London 1968)
17.    Help Me, Rhonda (New Jersey 1972)
18.    Wild Honey (New Jersey 1972)
19.    Only With You (New York 1972)
20.    It's About Time (Chicago 1973)
21.    I Can Hear Music (Maryland 1975)
22.    Vegetables (New York 1993)
23.    Wonderful (New York 1993)
24.    Sail On Sailor (Louisville 1995)
25.    Summer In Paradise (Wembley 1993)
 
 
 
CD 6
----
FROM THE VAULTS:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.     Radio Spot (1966 -- Mono)
2.     Slip On Through (A Cappella Mix)
3.     Don't Worry Baby (Stereo Session Outtake w/ Alternate Lead Vocal)
4.     Pom Pom Play Girl (Vocal Session Highlight)
5.     Guess I'm Dumb (Instrumental Track w/Background Vocals)
6.     Sherry She Needs Me (1965 Track w/1976 Vocal)
7.     Mona Kana (Instrumental Track)
8.     This Whole World (A Cappella)
9.     Where Is She?
10.    Had To Phone Ya (Instrumental Track)
11.    SMiLE Backing Vocals Montage (from "The Smile Sessions")
12.    Good Vibrations (Stereo Track Sections)
13.    Be With Me (Demo)
14.    I Believe In Miracles (Vocal Section)
15.    Why (Instrumental Track)
16.    Barnyard Blues
17.    Don't Go Near The Water (Instrumental Track)
18.    You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
19.    Transcendental Meditation (Instrumental Track)
20.    Our Sweet Love (Vocals w/Strings)
21.    Back Home (1970 Version)
22.    California Feelin' (Original Demo)
23.    California Girls ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version)
24.    Help You, Rhonda ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version)
25.    Surf's Up (1967 Version) (2012 Mix)
26.    My Love Lives On
27.    Radio Spot (1964 - Mono)
28.    Wendy (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono)
29.    When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono)
30.    Hushabye (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono)
31.    Carl Wilson: Coda (2013 Edit)

Doubt it -- it's $15 less than the price for the Smile Sessions box. From that tracklisting though it looks worth every penny...

This sounds great!

Not into box sets at all but I'm so going to buy this! (Only others I ever got my hands on are Back to Mono, GV, and Switched-On Boxed Set).

Transcendental Meditation (Instrumental Track) - HA! Can't wait! :)

(http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/story/beach-boys-to-cap-50th-anniversary-with-career-spanning-box-set-20130611/1000x306/20130610-beach-boys-306-1370901656.jpg)

My initial reaction was sheer excitement, and I still am excited, but what about the odds and ends tracks like Chasin' the Sky and rock n' roll to the rescue? This seems to have been the place to collect all of those. In other words, I was really hoping that this would be the Beach Boys' Past Masters. I'm still really excited, but a little disappointed too.

WHERE THE HEYHEY IS EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE (AND OTHER ADULT/CHILD STUFFS)?!

First off the packaging is just perfect..

I need to go over the track list a few more times to really get my head around it

When I get this I'm going straight for CD 4 Track 4.

That is, to my mind, the only imperfection with this tracklisting.

You never know, maybe they're planning an archival release?

Still, I'd rather have all the stuff on here that's never been booted (or even rumoured, some of it) than stuff I have multiple illegal copies of.

(NB, I would still be first in the queue to get a legal copy of Adult Child).

Missing "Still I Dream of It" and "Stevie".

But, but, but.... WIBNTLA, Sound of Free, Where Is She.....

5.     Guess I'm Dumb (Instrumental Track w/Background Vocals)

Could this be.....?

Yeah, I've tempered by excitement a little bit, for different reasons.... bottom line is that I was hoping this would be the Beach Boys' Past Masters, but it's not to be...

I'm going to get my one complaint in now - Goin' To The Beach, instead of a glut of other, far better songs does not make sense.

That's 20 tracks I very excite about.

Hold on. That California Feelin' won't be the Brian version will it?

I doubt it and there is actually 2 versions of California Feelin' on the box

"...and Carl’s shared lead with Bruce and Brian on “California Feelin’...."

I don't think that was ever the plan, or ever said to be the plan.

That being said, the band does need such a release, but I think its appeal might be rather limited.

From the looks of it, the demo version on disc 6 will be the one you're after.

After quickly checking what is what, it's good to see that most of the songs are in stereo (not a big fan of mono & stereo is still the best treat on The BBs' old catalog).

Those tracks aren't very good, though. This looks to have been chosen to present the best possible listening experience, and they seem to have done an incredible job.

Are you out of your mind?

The overabundance of lackluster stereo remixes is nothing short of blasphemy.

Disc 6 for this looks excellent. I doubt anyone would disagree with that...

I am actually a little bit surprised that the other discs don't have more genuinely unreleased songs and at some of the songs that have been included/omitted. There are so many 1970s songs that could have been included like Big Sur (early version), Out in the Country, 15 BO outtakes, That Special Feeling, Adult Child stuff etc. and it's kind of a shame that they were omitted while rather nondescript things like Don't Go Near the Water and Good Time were included.

Also, Brian's Back? If they were going to include a First Love song then why not a genuinely unreleased one?

Quite an irony though that people were hating on Mike so much for vetoing Dennis' songs from the set when, in fact, Dennis is better represented than he ever has been on a Beach Boys release.

Everyone's idea of a "perfect tracklisting" would be at least slightly different, and then you have to weigh all the considerations about what goes in to the final list - which band member (or family member of said band member) does/doesn't want a certain song, the compilers' own choices, what will flow well and what won't.....

(edit: forgot about Big Sur 4/4 as mentioned above. Darn.....)

I'm disappointed in lack of "Adult Child" tracks and "My Solution".

The only track I really wanted was the instrumental of In The Back Of My Mind - surprised it wasn't included - even Bruce said it's one of the most beautiful instrumental tracks.

Surf's Up 1967 - 2012 mix?!? Our Sweet Love vocals and strings. I cannot wait until August 27.

I was rrrrreally hoping the box would come packaged in a striped shirt… grumble grumble grumble…

The Don is a happy man. A very, very happy man.

There are actually many people on this board who'll disagree with you. I even remembered their names.

Just per-ordered.

Feels great  ;D ;D

As Lady Lynda is omitted again I wonder if Capitol will include a 7th disc in the U.K. with half a dozen tracks on as they did for the GV Box Set...

I'm cartwheeling around my backyard. I'm so happy we're getting Da Doo Ron Ron while Stevie's staying unreleased.

I have every confidence that the set will have its official launch in the UK featuring a live gig by the five remaining members at the Royal O2 Albert Hall Arena and that UK-pressings will include a bonus box set featuring all Mike's solo albums, plus Al's Lady Liberty remake.

I DUN GOOFED

???

Baby Blue was *on* the GV box...

It's a good question for which no one knows the answer (by now). Though I myself am OK with Platinum Collection's quality of Lady Lynda. It is crystal, therefore, excellent.

I wasn't being entirely serious although they did do it once...

As has been already said, nearly everyone will find an omission or three that will bug them, myself included, but overall I am quite pleased.  Since my birthday falls the day before the release date in the US, the set will make a perfect birthday present to myself.  Happy Birthday to me!   :beer

Was kind of counting on My Diane being included.

I wonder what has happened to Stevie and Carry Me Home.

Looks great overall though.

Looking closer at the track listing for those first 5 discs (Disc 6 is superb as I said) there are some puzzlers there for me...

Did the group not play any gigs between 1975 and 1993? That is quite a jump on disc 5 and won't exactly be seamless.

There are so many Dennis songs on the set (rightly) but no place for the 45 mix of Cuddle Up?

Only 1 unreleased song on the first two discs... Even an outtake from the Party would have been better than nothing
 
The period after KTSA being dealt with in 7 songs. Do Where I Belong and Somewhere Near Japan really not merit inclusion? And I think another poster said that a backing vocals only version of a Stars and Stripes song was being considered...

Yes, a lot is missing but what can you do? Can't fit everything.  On the other hand, there's also lots of "useless" stuff too.
I'm actually surprised about the amount of unreleased tracks there is!

Really looking forward to:

CD 1
----
15.   Back Home


CD 2
----
27.   Country Air (2012 Stereo Mix)
 

CD 3
----
1.    Darlin' (2012 Stereo Mix)
 
 
CD 4
----
4.    (Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again
25.   Goin' To The Beach
 
 
CD 5
----
7.     Soul Searchin'
8.     You're Still A Mystery
 THE BEACH BOYS LIVE:
-------------------------------------------------------------
11.    Runaway (Chicago 1965 -- w/Concert Promo Intro - Mono)
14.    Friends (Chicago 1968 - Mono)
15.    Little Bird (Chicago 1968 - Mono)
24.    Sail On Sailor (Louisville 1995)

 
CD 6
----
FROM THE VAULTS:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.     Where Is She?
13.    Be With Me (Demo)
14.    I Believe In Miracles (Vocal Section)
15.    Why (Instrumental Track)
16.    Barnyard Blues
22.    California Feelin' (Original Demo)
26.    My Love Lives On
27.    Radio Spot (1964 - Mono)
31.    Carl Wilson: Coda (2013 Edit)  

As there were three very different personalities in the band making the track list decisions, it is no surprise that some things were left off.  Considering those differences, I think this list is as good as we could've hoped for.  The packaging looks great, and the contents sound fine...I'm saving my pennies and saving my dimes. 

Nice to see "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" in there where it belongs, but I am surprised by so few rarities.
Pre-ordered anyway. Too many goodies to pass up.

I have a lot of thoughts on this tracklisting. Could have been far worse though. One random omission I'll throw out there: Carl's unbooted take on "I'll Always Love You." That one has been mentioned a lot over the years.

CD 3
----

11.   Old Man River (Vocal Section)
17.   Break Away (Alternate Version)


Wonder if these are new!

Can't wait to hear the stereo Our Prayer, alternate Don't Worry Baby, alternate Meant For You, etc. Lots of good stuff here!

 

The live section of the album seriously leaves a lot to be desired and a few rarities I was hoping would make the box set haven't.

A few obvious songs taking up room, Rock n Roll music for example.

All and all, I'm excited and it could've been a lot worse.

This is a great track list, along the lines of what I expected. No Stevie, or Lines unfortunately. And I was really hoping for Sandy. (I suppose they thought Sherry would be the better choice as it has vocals)

Some very exciting stuff on here though. Alternate Don't Worry Baby - wow!!!

As I feared, it's like those "other two guys" never existed.  Thank God "Sail On, Sailor" was a single or there'd be no vocal representation from either of them.  I'm incredible happy with the track listing but extremely disappointed to know we'll never get official, decent sounding versions of "Hard Times", It's A New Day", "We Got Love", etc; or for that matter, the 4/4 version of "Big Sur".   :'(

So *few* rarities?! A third of it's previously unreleased stuff, a good chunk of that's unbooted, and a couple of titles there I at least had never even *heard of*. What were you expecting?

That depends on what you class as rarity though doesn't it? We knew there was going to be an obscurities disc which there is. But personally I would have hoped that more unreleased songs would have been scattered between the other discs (which did happen with the GV box set). Those first two discs have one genuinely unreleased song between them for example.

"We Got Love" is a very disappointing exclusion. Thanks for reminding me  :-\

This is probably why Carry Me Home didn't make it either, there does seem to be this recent attempt to airbrush Ricky and Blondie from Beach Boys history and I don't know why. Having said that , will the live version of Wild Honey from '72 be a Carl or Blondie lead? I'm thinking Carl.

I agree that it's disappointing that It's a New Day, Carry Me Home and We Got Love are all omitted.

So many puzzling choices, "Brian's back", really?

"Brian's Back" is a pretty significant part of the legacy.

I'm glad it's coming out when it's coming out and I'm glad that it has all sorts of exciting choices but I am also sad that I will still have no good quality recording of Carry me Home, Walkin', My Solution, It's Trying to Say, etc. These are bizarre omissions.

I was hoping for "We Got Love" and many of the other songs people have been mentioning.  I don't consider a new stereo mix a rarity.  I was figuring we'd get more unreleased titles.  We've had vague insider reports from people saying the tracklisting would be really impressive.  And it's just not.  There's a lot of new stuff and I sure look forward to hearing it.  But there is so much left in the vault we must still long for.  The first two discs are just the same old stuff.

What is the thinking behind the genuinely unreleased songs that are collected together on disc 6? Are things like Barnyard Blues, Where is She?, You've Lost that Lovin Feeling etc. all considered unfinished or that they would not fit in with the rest of the set? I don't really understand that.

But those two discs are from the period where the barrel has already been most comprehensively scraped -- I certainly can't think of anything worth releasing from that period that hasn't come out.

Oops.  I forgot about that.  If it's not Blondie's version it will be a crime!  No matter how you feel about he and Ricky or their contributions to the band, that version was a staple of the era and deserves a proper release.

Makes a kind of sense to me -- that way people buying the box for the new stuff can listen to just that one disc, and when it comes out in MP3 format people who have most of the other tracks can buy one disc separately.

I'm slightly underwhelmed by the tracklist, even though I do not want to be; lots of incredible goodies in there! I will still buy it, but it's a crime some songs were included and songs like Stevie, Carry Me Home, It's a New Day and We Got Love were not. And where is that magnificent Friends era outtake Adam Marsland mentioned? If stuff like that was supposed to be that good, why hasn't it been included? To all the people talking about Ricky and Blondie being airbrushed from the Beach Boys history, take a look at the design of disc 4!

MIC! :rock

Not sure that they are airbrushing them out of history. They are pictured on disc 4 (inner spread from the CATP/PS album).

Then take out some of the hits overkill and have those two discs cover a longer period of time.  
Then in the 70s, there will be room for the songs people here are, I guess, supposed to overlook
the exclusion of because we're getting "Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again."

No demos or alternate versions or Party outtakes or anything? They include things like Goin' to the Beach and Da Doo Ron Ron later so they weren't exactly being picky.  ;) And if there are no worthwhile songs from that era then how about the other periods?

Disc 3 has no genuinely unreleased songs (though Sound of Free is an excellent inclusion).

Disc 4 has 3 genuinely unreleased songs including the legendary Goin' to the Beach.

As I've said, I do think disc 6 will be great so I don't want to sound like a complete downer but I don't understand the rationale behind some of the decisions taken.

I'm laughing my ass off right now. We're pissing & moaning already and the tracklist list as been released how long? ;)

how long is customary to wait to discuss a tracklising we've been waiting a long time for?
and how is it "pissing and moaning" to debate what's included and whats missing?  
grow up and learn discourse.

I guess they have to leave some stuff off, so they can put em on "MIC" part2!!!

except, we'll probably have to wait another 20 or 30 years for Capitol to release it......

lucky we have 'other' recordings in the meantime ...

RickB

You're right about that, but from the looks of it a lot has been changed from the initial tracklist. The people in the know that leaked certain information wouldn't have been so excited had this been the tracklist... :'(

How is it "pissing and moaning", it's a discussion on a discussion forum,

sad to see no "Steve" and particularly "Carry me home" ...anyway lots of good stuff to look forward to

so what songs have never been heard before in any form on this set?

1. WIBNTLA
2. Barnyard Blues
3. Where Is She
4. I Believe In Miracles
5. Why
6. My Love Lives On

Is that right?

Also laughing that they are acting like SIP never existed (Studio album=wise). For completeness sake, Lahiaina Aloha or Strange Things Happen could have been included. Though SIP live made the cut. So some representation, at least.

I need to talk to the person who decided it was a wise choice not to include "Still I dream of it".

Agreed!  I think that's what this is all about.  Early reports were quite enthusiastic.  Something must have happened.

I need to speak to the person who decided the world was crying out for two versions of Don't Go Near the Water.  :lol

No wonder Mikie is always on your case! Read the posts, READ THE POSTS! Pissing & Moaning = complaining. This is included, this isn't included. Not saying if it is right or wrong; just amusing. And yes, this forum is here for my amusement. ;)

Really glad to finally get the BB's versiobns of Soul Searchin' and You're Still a Mystery in a legit release; also excited to the 95 SOS with Carl on lead.

All I wanted was "My Solution", dammit!

When does "Beach Boys Central" open up with mp3 downloads of things they are too embarrassed to release in a physical format?

Well if you were under the impression that the tracklist would be released and it wouldn't  be discussed in a manner where inclusions and exclusions would be debated over well that's your issue, ok.

 :lol

Mike was indeed involved in this project

The instrumental version of that being included actually makes a lot of sense -- it's the first example of the production style they'd use for the next few albums, combining acoustic folk instrumentation and analogue synths.

The inclusion of the album version is fairly obviously politics -- from Surf's Up you've got a track by Carl, one by Bruce, two by Brian and an outtake from Dennis. Can't leave Al and Mike out, so it's either that one track to represent them both, or stick both Student Demonstration Time and either Feet or Lookin' At Tomorrow on there.

I wonder if they decided to include the mono version of Cabin Essence from the Smile Sessions to remove the awful tape hiss on that release. Otherwise I'm pretty excited at all the new stereo mixes and rarities. Stereo versions of the Smile Sessions tracks and Do It Again should be interesting. I'm disappointed that there's still no CD or mp3 release of TSS's version of Surf's Up in stereo.

It didn't seem to be a problem for the GV Box Set but maybe things have changed.

Did the band members really have examined the selections from each individual album in that way? Kind of sad if so.

If Mike's Big Sur had been included from around that era wouldn't that have appeased him? It would have been a much more sensible choice.

Al is represented by Susie Cincinatti (???) and It's About Time from 1970 and All This is That from 1972. Surely that should have been enough.

If they were that bothered by writing credits then I'm not sure they would have allowed 5 Dennis songs from 1970 anyway.

I really didn't notice that at first, mainly because the artwork on the CD's looks like someone's first ever go at paint shop.

This project has always been intended to replace the 93 box. So one would expect a fair amount of duplication, which there is. As to previous track listing suggestions, IIRC Alan Bord had simply made a playlist of some tracks being considered and shared them with some fans. Obviously a big difference between that and a full, band approved track list.

As it stands, I also miss some of the 70s stuff. But many of the unreleased AC tracks are awfully rough. That being said, I'm mildly surprised that Life is for the Living didn't make it. Not much of a song, but at least it's fully produced. Oh Lord from the 85 album sessions might have been nice, too.

Maybe wait till Mr. Doe chimes in to say sth. about it? Since it's no secret now?

No issue, jack! Just amused. Please, don't be an A-hole about my one comment.

The Made in California button posted ages ago was much better!!!

I did laugh when I noticed SIP was not represented studio wise (some more history air-brushing), will the live version of SIP be the same as the one already released on that Music For Mother Earth compilation?

Or maybe the people who were excited have different ideas of what's exciting? I really, really don't know what people were expecting. A third of the box is unreleased stuff. It contains the tracks that people were saying were dealbreakers -- California Feeling 74 and Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again. It's got Soul Searchin' and You're Still A Mystery, tracks from the box set tour, Sherry She Needs Me, Mona Kana, and a few tracks that haven't even been *rumoured* to exist before (or if they have, the rumours haven't reached me).

Personally, I'm pretty enthusiastic about that...

The cover art is ugly but the discs themselves are beautiful.

Kind of disappointed that there are no C50 tracks on there except TWGMTR and "Isn't It Time" but the wise professor gave us the heads up on that weeks ago so at least he tempered the disappointment or outrage.  Those tracks are probably set aside for another time.  To me this is the ultimate Beach Boys box set.  I'm very excited for the rare and uncirculated (ahem!) material that will be making it's debut on this box set.  If you have the 2012 remasters and the circulated (ahem!) stuff that isn't on this box set you probably have most of the tracks you want already anyhow.  If you want my personal gripe, I was kind of hoping Mike Love's vocal for "Please Let Me Wonder" would be on the box.  


Hey we are a passionate group.  What's it to ya?  Hallelujah!

Just curious, what is the source for this?

I might have a bit of a take on that Shady.  A few posts up the chain someone was mentioning "revisionist history" regarding Ricky and Blondie.  Well I think the "Adult Child" stuff in general may also be looked upon as a bit of revisionist history.  Perhaps things have changed since 1993 in so much as how the group (or certain members of the group) regards tracks like "Still I Dream Of It" and looks at them as Brian Wilson solo recordings.  Remember Brian Wilson did release a solo demo of "Still I Dream Of It" on the Don Was album so maybe he considers it his own exclusive property I don't know.

To draw a comparison, when The Beatles were compiling the "Anthology" series, there was a hard and fast rule initially in effect about not including any solo demo recordings because they weren't technically Beatles recordings.  This was scrapped when Paul McCartney wanted to get his demo of "Come And Get It" on the set and George Harrison capitulated only to allow his solo demos of "All Things Must Pass", "Something" and "Old Brown Shoe" on the set.  Something similar may have happened here regarding the "Adult Child" tracks.

Which is a considerably smaller proportion than on the GV box set.

I can completely understand people being enthusiastic but I would love to understand how this track listing came to be decided. How was Our Car Club included and Big Sur (early version) omitted? How was Slip on Through included (in two versions) and yet so many unreleased 1970s songs omitted?

It's Over Now is included though (along with solo Dennis and Mike tracks).

With all respect, but that button cover was plain dull.

I'm intrigued by the Sherry She Needs Me track... This has to be some mix we haven't heard yet, right?

I've been thinking about it for months, and this was the best fantasy list I could come up with today. Yesterday it was different,, tomorrow it'll be different again…    ;D

Gotcha!

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130611-905703.html

 :woot Thank you Beach Boys and Capitol Records!!!

But...no live or studio version of 'Country Pie'?  :'(

I take it that we can add those LIVE tracks from 1972-1973 to the 'In Concert' CD and make a nice expanded live collection from that era.

Nice to see Dennis well represented along with Carl.

FANtastic!!!

To an earlier poster who was enthusiastic about Surf's Up 1967 - 2012 mix - it's the same as on the SMile sessions box.  Not listed as a new track.

Quite a few disappointments to us hard core fans - no Child mono instrumental track (Brian mix), no stereo remixes of the remaining Wild Honey songs they have the multitracks for (Thing or Two and Here Comes the Night), no Dennis "I'm Going Your Way" or "Carry Me Home" or "It's a New Day", no new SMile pieces when apparently some stuff was uncovered after the box set, etc.  Using the stereo remixes instead of the mono originals on many of the released tracks.  I realize this release has to appeal to casual BB fans that went to the 50th shows, but the result is a hybrid that won't be fully satisfying to either the casual fan or the hard core fan.  But maybe that's the middle ground this release had to tread.

That said, I am nevertheless eagerly anticipating hearing the previously unreleased tracks on disc 6 and of course FINALLY "Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again"!

Two words: Personal Favorites.

For the record when a box set of this magnitude is generally compiled the first and foremost concern is including all the requisite hits that fans buying the box set will be expecting to hear.  Once "Fun Fun Fun", "I Get Around", "Surfer Girl" and all their brothers and cousins are included then it comes down to basically the personal choices regarding what the band themselves would like to see on the box set and more times than not that boils down to the favorite songs of the band.  

One band member might say, "Hey I like my vocal on that one" lets include that.  In this case since Carl and Denny are no longer with us, the surviving band members would make similar suggestions regarding what songs highlight their deceased bandmates the best.  Once all the personal favorites are added to the mix, the rest of the space on the box set is used for rarities and that is where I think people like Alan Boyd with a slight nod to those who keep watch over this forum are indispensable because they essentially are tuned into what the fans want from a rarities standpoint.  Put all that together and you have your MIC box set and don't worry I'm sure you'll get the official answers to the questions that you seek as Boyd and Linett were very candid post TSS last year about how certain decisions were made regarding the box set.

It's the one with the 76 vocal overdubs by Brian.  Don't know if the mix is exactly the same as the booted version, hopefully it will be tweaked some, in a good way.

Great find John! Thanks.  :)

Fifty out of 142 tracks on the GV box were unreleased -- 35% of the total
Sixty out of 174 tracks on this box are unreleased -- 34%

I don't call that "a considerably smaller proportion" myself -- *especially* since there are several songs that were either on or post-date the GV box but have become essentials on any new collection.

No, I assume it's the one we've all heard. 65 backing track and 76 vocal sounds like what we already have.

The fans wanted Goin' to the Beach and Da Doo Ron Ron? I'm kidding obviously.

I'm sure personal favourites may well have come into it but I would love to know what goes through the band members minds. They have made some duff selections imo.

Excellent post. Minor quibbles aside, I think this set looks excellent. Its a great representation of the Beach Boys body of work and there is plenty to excite the deeper fan too. I'm particularly pleased to see Dennis so well represented.

This was never planned to be a rarities set, so not all rarities were going to make the cut. What is here is very exciting and they've done a great job of selecting hits, deep cuts and rarities too.

So ah if this box set is pretty well down the line in terms of being a finished product ready to ship to shelves in around two months time, what exactly was Mike Love doing at Ocean Way Studios last week?  Perhaps giving the high sign on some final mixes for the project?

But of those 60, at least 15 are live and a majority of the rest are just new stereo remixes or a backing track.

Sorry, miscounted slightly -- actually 52 tracks on GV were unreleased, making 37%. Still not to my mind considerably smaller.

I happily stand corrected.

I personally wouldn't class 60 of these songs to be genuinely unreleased (or 50 of the GV Box Set). On the first 5 discs I would say there are 8 genuinely unreleased songs which is my only gripe.

What I see is that there's only one track from the 1972 Carnegie Hall set, and it's Only With You, one of my all-time faves and to my ears the definitive version of that track.

The fact that there's only one from that entire set leaves me highly optimistic that we're still likely to get an official release of the set, which represents one of their best ever live eras.

Similarly only two tracks from the '93 box set tour… there's more stuff there that merits release as we know.

I've got to say that I am personally delighted with the MIC tracklist. Just about everything one could hope for and sufficient to satisfy me for a few years! And enough omitted, h=ging b y the comments on the board already, for us to noodle about with possible track lists for years to come.

A gift.

Many thanks to all concerned.

It's a career spanning board set. Always advertised as such. Not a rarities collection.

And exactly the same could, again, be said of the GV box. Of the fifty-two unreleased tracks, only fourteen were actual previously-unreleased songs (and that's counting H&V (Sections) and H&V (Intro), which is being generous). The other thirty-eight were backing tracks, a capella versions, live versions, fragments, alternative versions of previously-released songs and radio station jingles.

And I wasn't counting any new stereo mixes in the sixty.

#

That's an interesting theory but the inclusion of "It's over now" contradicts it..

If "It's over now" made the cut it's pretty surprising "Still I dream of it" didn't. Both fantastic songs that deserve a proper release in a final Beach Boys box set.

Very few bands have the market to do rarities box sets anyhow.  The Beatles, Springsteen, Grateful Dead and maybe a handful of others.  Beach Boys have a more general market that want to hear the hits.

Who said this was the final boxed set?

I wish Mrs. O'Lerary's was the stereo mix..... is the California Feelin' demo the 1974 Brian version???

Unlikely, given that Scott was recording a new guitar part for one of Mike's songs. No idea what project that was for, but it seems pretty certain it wasn't this one...

Maybe it's the other point I mentioned that Brian Wilson views "Still I Dream Of It" as his own exclusive property now?  Could also be do to the ever present "space crunch" that inevitably occurs when assembling sets like these?

(http://i40.tinypic.com/34g4y8l.jpg)

I don't think it does -- It's Over Now includes Carl and Brian, Beach Boy*s* plural. Still I Dream Of It only had Brian on it...

I'm a little less troubled by exclusions that already "circulate" in decent quality. The "Adult Child" stuff at least exists in pretty decent quality, though certainly not pristine. I've never found "It's Trying to Say" particularly great, but that's just one track. Al's take on "On Broadway" is actually one of his best unreleased vocals.

Let us not forget that "It's Over Now" was included on the '93 set playing at the incorrect speed.  Hopefully the version on MIC corrects this.  We already have Still I Dream Of It in proper fidelity and speed on an official release.

Hey WAIT A MINUTE! - We're forgetting something! (regardless how minute)

"The infamous Boyd/Linett hidden tracks"

Probably nothing earth shattering but maybe the 2012 version of "Do It Again" pops up somewhere?  A few radio promos perhaps?  The never before released audio of Brian clandestinely phoning in an order for a pizza right under the nose of Landy?

Thoughts?

It's still a reach to assume Brian feels like it's his own song so he stopped it from being included on MIC. I really don't see Brian doing something like that.

How liberal are they going to be with auto-tuning past recorded vox?? ....like they did with RWMH Wonderful on the SMiLE box??

I really want to hear Phil Cohen's thoughts on the box set.

MIC = its a lil' better than the dozens & dozens of Beach Boy's Blahx Sets.

Must be....

 >:D Cousin Michael's fault!!  >:D

Maybe it wasn't his call?  You have to draw the line somewhere in terms of what is solo Brian Wilson and what is Beach Boys and maybe "Still I Dream Of It' was a casualty of where the line was drawn.  Look if they opted to incorporate solo work into this project it would've been far more expansive in terms of depth but quite possibly unmarketable in terms of the price tag it would carry as you would probably have to add on another disc at least.  As I said, the line had to be drawn somewhere and my personal feeling is "Still I Dream Of It" fell on the wrong side of that line.

Regarding the inclusion of "It's Over Now", I'm guessing this was only duplicated from the GV boxed set because they may have remixed it and digitally corrected Carl's vocal so it sounds correct speed wise.

I do agree with those saying that this isn't a rarities collection and that there was going to be some crossover with the GV box set. I think they have made some very sensible decisions in omitting some of those album tracks like That Same Song and Funky Pretty (but some bizarre decisions in including album tracks like Solar System).

This collection could be a tough sell because many people may well already own the earlier set and this album surely will not have the same appeal. That set has Smile for the first time ever and this has Goin' to the Beach and Da Doo Ron Ron!

From a selfish point of view it is disappointing that most of those first 4 discs I could compile for myself now without too much trouble (Wouldn't it be Nice to Live Again apart).

Box sets are always a tough sell especially into today's cost conscious and mp3 driven music market.  This will be sold mainly to fans like the ones who congregate on this forum and although that logic somewhat flies in the face of "why the heck not did they just not make this a rarities set", the general public will probably be more than satisfied to pick up one of the myriad of "greatest hits" compilations that are on the shelves right now. 

Anyone have the numbers on TSS last year?  How well did that do because this is likely going to sell less than that.  So that should give you some barometer anyhow.

Does "Goin' to the Beach" remind anyone else of junkie looking ML in a cowboy hat? Awesome track list although, we all could of added and subtracted a few..

This is just great!
I'm 99,9% happy! (it would've been 100% with I've Got a Friend)
.

OK, I don't understand why so many smiley smilers taken it for granted that "of course" they have to include all the hits. WHY? WHY? WHY? #1) They released the Smile Sessions which had ZERO hits on it (basically) and they deemed that worthy enough to sell on its own. #2) I know it's not a totally fair comparison, but the Beatles Anthology 1 broke sales records and it didn't have a single previously released track on it. Same for anthology 2 and 3 although they didn't sell AS well....

I was initially beside myself with joy. Now I'm actually bummed. UNLESS YOU'RE AN AUDIOPHILE (which I'm not), only about 20% of the box set would seem to be truly new. It's absolutely freakin' ridiculous how many times these songs have come out, IN THE PAST DECADE ALONE. I'm seriously thinking about not buying it. $130???? Just like the Smile Sessions which contained all new material, they should have released a box set of unreleased recordings exclusively/plus the Past Masters style compilation of odds and ends. THAT would have been great.

Sorry guys. This is a disappointment. It's throwing us fans a bone, which I appreciate, but how could I possibly justify spending $130 to my wife when in reality I already have 80% of these recordings, not just once, but in many cases many times over. She would laugh in my face!!

It made the 93 box set though.

Your reason could easily be correct. Bottom line, it is missed.

It was repeatedly called a "deep cuts box."  

http://www.wmmr.com/music/news/story.aspx?ID=1931764

I guess everybody hear was wrong to speculate on the inclusion of rarities.  

Let down of let downs.

I have heard Goin' To the Beach and it is not a good song. Highly overrated.

That's the unspoken disappointment here.

Did the hits really need to be included, especially after the 50 big ones CD only a few months ago. It's food for thought.

Again, this is not the case. Thirty-four percent of it is stuff that has never been legally released. And no, I'm not talking about stereo remixes (they *have* been released before), but about unreleased songs, live performances, and significantly different alternate versions.

Well it's not my perfect tracklist. I noticed hardly any early day rarities (they are out there as a visit to youtube can confirm). Also what's the deal with covering the 80's in about 5 songs?, collect those ragtag 80's singles already!
Still this does look to be a great box to add to the collection overall. Clean version of many songs I've only ever owned on crappy bootlegs. My wallet practically sprang open at the sight of this thread.

P.S.
Has anyone told Phil yet?

How do you know they are significantly different?

With all due respect were you around when The Beatles' "Anthology 1" came out?  Because I was and it was literally one of the most ill received projects I've ever witnessed in my life from a major rock band.  The reason being despite the fact that The Beatles promoted "Anthology 1" as a rarities album, most of the general public that bought it assumed that it was going to be a traditional greatest hits type compilation and were in for a rude surprise when the set contained outtakes, demos and live performances and none of the CV they were hoping for.  Perhaps they assumed that since it was also marketed as the soundtrack to the "The Beatles: Anthology Television Special" that it would be a greatest hits type package I don't know.  But it wasn't well received at all by the general public which was indicated by the dip in sales for the other two installments in the series.

It wasn't that well received on the collector's market either...

In regards to TSS, that box set sold on the myth and legend of "SMiLE" alone and to a very specific market (US!) that went out in droves the day it came out to buy it like they had just been allowed access inside the pearly gates.  Did it sell well?  Someone get me the figures and we can work that out but remember TSS also was released in three formats and I'd bet you a doughnut that the 2CD format outsold both the vinyl and box set format as well.  So while I understand your frustrations about the inclusion of the hits on MIC, your logic doesn't necessarily wash when placed alongside the facts.

Simple. Don't tell her.

EVERYBODY who knew anything at all about this -- and even those who can just read a press release and understand it -- said the same thing: that there would be about two CDs' worth of previously unreleased stuff, and that the box set as a whole would be an updated and reworked version of the Good Vibrations box. That's *exactly* what we've got.

The only people who referred to it as a 'deep cuts box' were the same people who kept insisting that there would be a new Beach Boys album and tour this year, or that there would be a DVD release of a full show from last year's tour -- the people who can't understand the difference between "I want this to happen" and "this will happen".

This... will do nicely. I think pretty much anything I ever wanted is on this list. Sure, there's stuff missing, but it's stuff I've heard and don't think is up to much anyway. At a stretch, I might have liked a pristine copy of the 3/4 Big Sur, but I have a not-quite pristine version which will suffice... and I may be in a minority in that I prefer the Holland version anyway!

What are people really missing, here? More Dennis tracks... well, OK. Carry Me Home. But it is a bit of a dirge... It's A New Day, California Slide... yeah, OK. They're decent enough tracks, not universe-changing: and if you know what they are, you will have ways and means of acquiring them.

Late 70s/early 80s Brian and Dennis stuff: Stevie and Lines and It's Trying To Say, stuff like that. Adult Child material. Some of it is made up of great songs (I love It's Trying To Say... that might be my favourite unreleased track from this period, now...), but the versions in the vault that we have on boot are pretty ropey renditions: rougher even than much of Love You or 15 Big Ones. With a cool head on, I can see why the Boys aren't keen on having that stuff out there in their name. Again, if you know what Stevie or Adult Child are, then you will also know of a way to get the versions that do exist.

Then there are the fantasy things we all thought we *might* get. A finished 1967 Side 1 of SMiLE. Part 2 of Surf's Up. Look with vocals (OK, obviously, these would have been on the SMiLE Sessions if they did exist). More acetate mixes of Heroes and Villains, or sections thereof, discovered SINCE TSS. Heck, even Beatrice From Baltimore or the 'Hypnotise me, Van Dyke' Sail On Sailor demo. But these things clearly don't exist, don't exist *any more*, or if they do, I guess they're not accessible to the hard-working guys assembling this collection. I can live with that. Some things are gone for good or never were in the first place. We just have to live with it.

And then, of course, there might be stuff still to come. Who knows, maybe there will still be some sort of Wild Honey release/remaster, even if not all of the tracks on it end up being in stereo. That might explain the omission of Here Comes The Night in stereo. I guess we'll see. I am definitely not going to be up in arms about the fact that A Thing Or Two is not available in stereo. Sure, I really wish a stereo mix of Aren't You Glad was a possibility, but if the tapes really aren't there, and it can't be made, then it can't be made. Time to move on...

So that deals with what I might consider to be omissions. What about the positives? There's lots of as-yet unheard new stuff! I particularly look forward to what the track of Can't Wait Too Long sounds like. Course, it may be a previously released version, but let's see.

I'm up for this, my order's in, it's happening! Overall, colour me happy.

What are you really missing? To me, the craziest expression of regret I've seen so far concerns 'Walkin'. It's unfinished! The lead vocalist hated it so much he couldn't even be bothered to finish a vocal take... and you're cheesed that THAT didn't make it? Who really wants an unfinished scrap like that?

Besides which, if you want an finished version of that song... cue up Morning Beat from TLOS!!!   ;)

MattB

I agree that $130 is a ridiculous amount of money for a 6 disc set if it remains that price.

From reading the tracklist. Unless "A Cappella Mix", "Alternate Lead Vocal" and "Extra Verse" don't count as a significant difference to you...

^THIS.  I'm not usually a member of the "be happy with what they are giving you and don't gripe" clan but I can't see how anyone is unhappy with this set.  If you are a novice with no collector's recordings (ahem!) to your name, you should be overjoyed by this set as it's a nice overview of the band's work.  If you are a collector on the other hand you likely have all the stuff that is missing (ahem!) from this box set anyhow.  So all there is really to gripe about from that perspective is a potential sound quality upgrade you are missing out on and if you want to gripe about that then I guess that is your right and I'm not going to challenge you on it.  :)

OK, I seriously have to get back to work(!!) but YES, I was most definitely around when Anthology 1 was released. For the record, I 100% agree that there was a serious misconception as to what Anthology 1 was and that's why it DID break sales records at the time, even though it was considered a disappointment in retrospect. Even though 2 and 3 sold far less, they still sold very well. My point was just that the Beatles released essentially a 6 disc box set without a single prior release included. i don't see why the Beach Boys couldn't do the same (including the rarities as well). I can't believe that it wouldn't sell so significantly less than what's going to be released. I mean I know that I personally can't justify 130 and i'm a super fan. And WHAT CASUAL FAN IS GOING TO BUY THIS??? They can spend 1/6th of that amount, get 50 Big Ones and have everything they need. So they've cornered out the casual fans and at least a good portion of the super fans. HOW DOES THIS BOX SET MAKE ANY FREAKIN' SENSE????? Answer: it doesn't.

Sorry JohnMill! You and I are simpatico on other matters. But not this one!!

Why no Beginning of the End or Thank Him? They are among my favorite BB tracks.

Especially Thank Him!

hahahahaha!! that's excellent advice.  :lol

I would say there is one other big thing (which might be just me). I think the GV box set had much better sequencing. Personally when I bought that CD I wanted to listen to all 5 discs pretty damn quickly. Obviously Smile on disc 2 but also the nice mixture of rarities and classic songs on discs 1, 3 and 4. Plus the obscurities on disc 5.

With this collection I don't really see why anyone would get too excited about listening to disc 1. Obviously there is plenty of fine music there but we own it already. Same with disc 2 apart from one early version and a radio spot. Disc 6 should be great but for $130 it had better be.  :)

WHERE IS MY ADULT CHILD MATERIAL??!?

Ooh, but WIBNTLA. Kay, I'm in

And the price? Roughly 14 quid a disc, and that's the starting price, which will inevitably come down as the months go by. How's that a major problem? It's a new release, CDs cost that much. If it was 25 quid a disc, I could understand the moans.

I picked up the GV box in 1996, three years after release for under 30 quid. This will happen in time, no matter what they say about the new box being a limited edition...!

Fantastic news!  Not gonna listen to a word of these new tracks until it comes out.

As a side note, I'm very intrigued as to why All I Wanna Do got shunned from a compilation yet again.  I mean, it's one of my favourite productions of their entire catalogue and to my knowledge has never made it on anything other than Sunflower.

As I said soooo many months ago: As long as it includes the 74 demo of California Feelin and WIBNTLA, I am super-duper happy. It could have consisted of every outtake from Summer in Paradise and I would be ok so long as I got those two songs.

I am well happy with this set.  :3d

But yeah, lack of Adult Child material is a bit of a let down. But I'm okay with that.

Has anyone tallied up the number of times Kokomo has been officially released?   ;D

I mentioned this up the chain but "The Beach Boys ARE NOT The Beatles".  I know it's heresy to say that around these parts (at least for some people) but The Beatles are part of a select group of musicians or bands that could release box sets devoted to each individual album in their catalog and it would sell (albeit not very well).  I mentioned earlier that at least in my opinion Beatles, Springsteen, Dylan and The Dead are bands with a fanbase that would financially support such releases as an expansive "rarities box set" where it would be feasible for both the band and their record company to compile something of that magnitude a put it out.  In fact I believe all four acts I mentioned have box sets of that nature on shelves right now.

The Beach Boys just aren't in that class.  They appeal to a more general fanbase that would opt to purchase a "Greatest Hits" package, "Pet Sounds" and perhaps "SMiLE" and be done with it.  They are a hits orientated band period.  Do they have great material outside of the hits?  Of course they do.  Who is aware of that fact?  Those lucky enough to actually dig deep enough past the hits and discover the lesser known wonders in the catalog.  But you need to include the hits to make any major release by The Beach Boys marketable to the general public.  They just don't have the type of profile where they can release a 6-CD set of outtakes, demos and live recordings on the public and expect it to turn in major numbers.  As much as I would love to see a release like that happen, it just isn't in the cards and likely never will be.

Because it is, and always was, a career-spanning box set, a replacement for the Good Vibrations box. The same kind of collection, in other words, as the Monkees' Music Box, Randy Newman's Guilty, Ray Charles' Genius And Soul, Phil Spector's Back To Mono, and many, many more along the same lines.

All those box sets have the same kind of audience -- people who want an "instant record collection" of the artist in question, with all the essential music but none of the filler tracks, and want a proper overview of their career, not just a greatest hits collection.

That's what this was put together as, that's the audience it's aimed at, and that audience *do* want to have Fun Fun Fun and California Girls on there as well.

There clearly *is* also a market for Beach Boys rarities releases -- if every Monkees album can be reissued as 3 CD box sets, and if you can get a 5-CD Captain Beefheart rarities set, then it makes sense that there should be similar releases for the Beach Boys. But that's not what this box set is, and *nobody involved with it, or who knew anything about it, ever claimed it was anything other than what it is*.

Nonono.

OK, bad pun.

Is there a way to pay only $129.75 (US) if we could buy this set minus Kokomo?

I've just noticed Good Time is listed in the Sunflower era not Love You. I'll be glad to get a decent sounding version of the original mix.

Horses for courses I suppose.  There is going to be a section of the buying public for this box set that is probably going to find disc 1 the most enjoyable disc in the entire box because it contains all of the early sixties hits.  While I do believe that the general public is far more likely to buy one of the myriad of Beach Boys' greatest hits compilations on shelves right now, there is the consumer out there that as Beach Boys fan is going to want to pick up as much Beach Boys music as they possibly can within the scope of one package.  For them MIC is going to be their "greatest hits experience".  They are going to have all their favorite hits alongside a lot of stuff that will be completely unfamiliar to them.

In fact an argument can be made that it is this particular section of the buying public that will get the most enjoyment out of MIC as they will be able to enjoy the box set as a whole rather than "cherry pickin'" which I what I'm assuming most of us are going to do as soon as we get the box set into our hot little hands.  Oh man now I'm kind of envious! Maybe it's time for a Beach Boys boycott for a few months so everything sounds fresh to me again come the end of August.   ???

hahaha - Captain Beefheart has a 5 CD rarities set?!?! WOW. I hear you that this box set was never billed as being that. Fair enough. I'll move on.... to demanding a Beach Boys rarities box set!!!!!! By the way, I think the examples you mention completely undermine the claims by others that Capitol HAD to include the hits. I think the fairest defense of the box set is the point you've made several times today that this is pretty much what they SAID it was going to be all along. Fine.... now bring on the rarities box set please!!!! :)

I'm way ahead. I sorted out my playlists to contain only songs that have never been played... so that mean no Beach Boys. :)

Jesus... some of you people... exactly WHAT would it take to entirely satisfy you ?  Wouldn't surprise me at all if Capitol read this and thought, f*** the ungrateful bastards, we'll pull the set.

Naked girls.

I don’t think this assessment of the “Anthology” CD sets and the public’s reception is necessarily accurate. The reason there was a dropoff in sales from the first set to the second and third had mostly to do with the massive promotional machine going in November 1995 when the “Anthology” aired on TV and the first set was released. They basically took over the ABC network with Beatles promotion, literally calling the network “A-Beatles-C” in advertisements, changing the theme songs of sitcoms to Beatles tunes, running local news stories about the epic drop shipments Capitol/EMI was doing to allow ABC to “premiere” the new songs but still get the “Anthology 1” CD in stores two days later, and so on. Anything Beatles product they would have put out in November 1995 was going to sell in huge numbers. The second and third CD sets came in 1996, and the hoopla had died down. “Anthology 2” and “Anthology 3” both still debuted at #1 even though they sold in fewer numbers.

I’m also not sure that once people actually picked up “Anthology 1” and bought it, that they could possibly be misled into thinking it was a hits compilation, with a tracklisting that had stuff like “Cayenne”, “You’ll Know What to Do”, “In Spite of all the Danger”, and so on. It was heavily marketed as the first time after all those years that the Beatles put out a cache of unreleased material.

I would also argue that hardcore boot collectors enjoyed the “Anthology” sets as well, as they actually contained way more “unbooted” material than many fans thought the sets would.  

As far as the Beach Boys, they simply don’t yield sales apparently that would warrant Capitol/EMI/Universal putting out 6 discs (or several 2-CD sets) of nothing but unreleased material (the “Smile” set being an exception for obvious reasons relating to its infamy). I’m of a mixed mind about this though, because I don’t know what “casual” fan is going to buy a 6-CD retrospective on the Beach Boys that is marketed as containing 60 unreleased tracks, or rather, I don’t know what casual fan is going to enjoy a circa 1979 outtake recording of “Da Doo Ron Ron.” So in that sense, this set is already pitched at hardcore fans, so why not just fill it with all unreleased material? Why not? Because you have to convince Capitol and the group to put something out, and neither would sign onto a 6 CD’s of predominantly 70’s and 80’s outtakes. You have to sort of massage the situation into getting as much unreleased material out there as you can. That’s the compromise I’m sure the team putting this set together had to pitch to get anything released. Pitching to Mike Love a 6 CD set that is predominantly made up of outtakes from the darkest periods of the band’s career (to him in some ways, anyway), many focusing on Dennis and Brian, is not going to be easy. But a brightly-themed (visually) boxed set that includes “Kokomo” and “Summer in Paradise” and “It’s OK” that is a “career spanning” set which happens to include some unreleased material, including live and alternate versions of familiar classics, is much easier to pitch.

See but The Monkees are not as high profile as The Beach Boys are.  When The Beach Boys release a major release it's always newsy.  Again this is subjective but in my opinion there is a difference between having a fanbase and having a following.  The Monkees have a following, The Beach Boys have a fanbase.  The Beach Boys also translate over better to the general public than The Monkees ever will so The Monkees can release really anything they want and it will sort of fly under the radar.

This is actually my argument as to why there has been virtually nothing in regards to archival releases from The Beatles since "Anthology".  The Beatles are the kings of newsy releases to the point of where anything they release out into the open market has the stigma about it where it has to be something of significant musical relevance.  That in a way is a shame as it's keeping a lot of Beatles rarities still locked away in the vaults from gaining official release.  

Basically what I'm trying to explain is bands like The Monkees can fly under the radar with stuff like "Beefheart" because really nobody outside of their fans really cares.  To most people they were a bunch of Beatles knock offs who happened to have their own television show.  

Eh I got my Paul McCartney "Wings Over America" set to keep me happy then. 

Right, absolutely. That's how I experienced the GV box in 1996. I already knew some of the hits, and I'd bought a hits compilation to expand that knowledge a bit. That told me I wanted to know more... so I shilled for the box. And what a treat it was...! Listening through that was such a blast, and like you, I envy any 'new fan in the making' for whom MIC offers the same experience.

MattB

Endless supply of money that I don't have to work for.  ;D

Yep -- Beefheart had a box set called Grow Fins, made up entirely of unreleased material. The CD version's out of print, but it can be bought as MP3s -- and very good it is too. http://www.amazon.com/Grow-Fins-Rarities-1965-1982/dp/B0010WN8DI

And I agree with you for the most part, but Capitol *did* have to include the hits for a box set of this type. The fact that "a box set of this type" is not what you want -- or indeed what I would have chosen all else being equal -- unfortunately doesn't matter. For what they said they'd do, this looks pretty much perfect.

OK... but what would go on it after this?? Seriously, that's a genuine question that I'd be interested to hear you consider.

The background vocals are really cool on the original version. I never understood why they were mixed so low on Love You.

Naked girls who put out I should add.

You ever get a chance to watch the footage of the midnight release for "Anthology 1"?  It's so patently obvious to anyone who watches that footage that the people lined up think they are going to be buying a traditional Beatles box set or something of that nature.  No two ways about it.

I agree that the numbers for "Anthology 1" were bumped by the heavy promotion by ABC but I really can't complain at all about the promotion regarding the "Anthology" project in general as that was one of the finest media blitzes the world has yet seen possibly only rivaled by "The Beatles Are Coming" campaign of 1964.  Sales dipped by and large due to the fact that The Beatles released a product geared towards a more hardcore fanbase (which again wasn't exactly satisfied by it either) and the general public rejected it once they realized what it was all about.  I'm not denying the points brought up in your posting didn't contribute to the dip in sales for the subsequent volumes but to me it's always been as clear as day why the sales dipped having experienced it firsthand around a decade ago.

Weird. I was there at the midnight release of Anthology I and the emphasis seemed to be mostly on Free As A Bird and the never before released tracks. I recall local news stations also reporting that angle.

I could easily see a three-CD set with Adult Child, the other late-70s/early-80s things like Stevie, Carry Me Home, River Song with Blondie on vocals, the box set tour rehearsals, some of the Celebration material, the 80s singles, the Love You demos...
Nobody who doesn't visit this board would buy it, but you could put a good set together.

I'm just going by the footage I've seen.  Your personal experience is your personal experience.  Generally speaking though, I can report as fact that there was a lot of griping the following day from people who thought they were purchasing something akin to the GV Box Set but for The Beatles obviously.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I'm sorry Capitol. You know I'll find a way to come up with the money. :)

This whole thing is just.... so.... EMOTIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!  :lol

In all fairness I agree with JohnMill about Anthology 1 (more "1" than the rest), and the notion that it was misguided in some ways. The fact that they played with the editing of takes and had modern interview clips fading into some really, really juicy and special tracks just killed me and I'm sure a lot of fans.

At the same time, those fans who felt left out because they thought they were buying a hits package - honestly, that's their own fault for not reading the tracklists and all of that, and also those fans would have the "number ones" collection of hits soon available anyway.

You can't please everyone, absolutely true, but I think the sentiments of some here are also more than valid who feel they have already purchased multiple greatest hits collections in the past ten years and feel like they're buying those same mixes again in order to get the true gems of this set which have been unavailable anywhere.

 :lol

Ungrateful? When Capitol start giving away things for free then they might expect gratitude. Until then it is perfectly legitimate for people to post positive and negative comments about things that cost them money.

An interesting selection, although I'll be skipping Barbara Ann (as usual). Plenty of good things in the listing.

Assume that the 'hidden tracks' will include something with Zeppo -- otherwise it would look like he never existed.

So ahem what is that rare Dennis Wilson track bandied about last week that is supposedly better than WIBNTLA?  Has it been confirmed to be on this box set?

Are you Steve Hoffman in disguise?

Looks like the town curmudgeon woke up to demand we all bow down and kiss Capitol's ass for their $130 glorified greatest hits box.  I, for one, LOVE "deep cuts" boxes with only like 4-5 rarities on them.  Yes!  I'm so appreciative that I wasted money on the 2CD 50 Big Ones and 2CD/vinyl Smile for those exclusives to be included here as part of the "60 unreleased tracks" which is mainly made up of live tracks, stereo remixes, and backing tracks.  "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again" is a big draw, but "Wouldn't It Be Nice If This Tracklisting Didn't Suck"?  

Can't wait to hear "Vegetables" live from 1993!  Hopefully John Stamos is singing lead?  Looks like the box set of the year is not even in front of the Nilsson and Monkees boxes coming next month.. and that Monkees album sucks.

OK, scratch that. It seems some people out there are actually beat up that My fushenliggen Solution isn't getting out of the vault on this. That has to be the most downright unlistenable musical effort I've ever heard BDW put effort into. And that includes the 'remake' into Happy Days on Imagination, which somehow manages to be even WORSE. Amelodic dissonant awful 70s Halloween prank outtake remade as ghastly smooth AC schlock... with a truly taste-shredding sax solo. It's like someone reached into my soul, found the worst possible music they could in existence for me, tailored it for me, mashed it together, and released it. With a 1998-vintage 'barking' über-multitracked Brian Wilson vocal. Geez. Never again.

So no, I am not upset about My Solution not making it. That one can stay buried forever as far as I'm concerned. If you want it, it can be found... go seek. But be careful what you wish for...!

To paraphrase a recent poster, it makes Battle Hymn Of The Republic sound like Good Vibrations. Just my opinion. YMMV...

I saw both sides of that, but I do have to agree most of the hype for "Anthology 1" for the general public was centered around Free As A Bird as the first new Beatles recording in years, followed by the first release of the rare material like the Quarrymen acetates, I don't recall as much buzz around the set as a greatest hits package. But again, that was my experience living in Boston half a block from the Tower Records store where every Monday night they'd do some event around the new releases.

ABC the night of the premiere even had a clock counting down the minutes until they showed the new video. That was a little tacky but not unexpected.  :)

And ultimately the people buying Anthology for all its flaws were getting perhaps 85% or more of material they had never been able to buy officially, and remember most music-buying folks at that time had no idea what "Unsurpassed Masters" or "Ultra Rare Trax" were, let alone owning any of the sets, so it was all new to them.

Genuine question, Mr Forces, honestly... what are you missing that's not on here?

Nobody put a gun to your head to buy anything.  Go trade with beachboys_fr for 10 seconds of WIBNTLA.

Will you please stop spreading misinformation?
NOTHING on 50 Big Ones or the Smile releases is being counted as an unreleased track. There are eighteen live tracks and five backing tracks by my count, and the live tracks include several that people have been *begging* would get an official release.

There are at least six songs on here that have never even been booted in any form, which *by itself* is more than the "4-5 rarities" you claim, let alone all the tracks that *have* been booted but have never had an official release.

And nobody who had a clue *EVER* claimed this was a "deep-cuts" box at all.

You don't want it. Fine. We understand that. You've made it very clear. But there's no need to just make up lies about a track list we can all see.

For what it is worth I am definitely of the "bunt instead of a slam dunk" view of this selection. I can listen to this on spotify for free then cherry pick the keepers as mp3s from Amazon/ iTunes or whatever and save myself £100. Unless they bung in another disc as a wee bonus with some of the obvious exclusions.  Why they don't offer to flog us mp3s of all the obscure tracks/ sessions I do not know, it would be money for old rope and the costs to Capitol would be so low that even a low volume of sales would be profitable.

And was I the only one hoping for a few more variations on Old Man River? Am sure I read a while back they pottered about with it for a while.

You never know, you might be in luck -- after all, we don't know for sure that Old Man River (Vocal Section) is exactly the same as what we've already got, though I'd assume it is.

That's a good point, if you don't have the full 130 to spend and just want what you haven't already bought or heard in the way of the greatest hits stuff, make it possible to cherry-pick purchase the rare tracks on iTunes or Amazon or wherever. Of course the packaging goodies and inserts wouldn't be included.

I'd like to hear this song for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjIeDHmLzsw

And Thank Him.

But again you've obviously already heard those so...

I'm not trying to be argumentative but I don't really understand the logic unless you and those like you are that obsessed with a SQ upgrade?

I'm not denying that.  What I'm not entirely sure of is if most of them even wanted that stuff in the first place?

"Most of those first 4 discs I could compile for myself"

That sums it up for me.  So the question is: Am I willing to throw down $130 for two CDs?

Elated, but a bit disappointed. I guess we knew all along we should be lucky for whatever we get.

Major Omissions:

Friends - Felt they could've dug deeper a bit from the Smiley->Friends era. It was a period where there was still significant activity from Brian, with alarming beauty. I would kill to hear any scraps, no matter how "insignificant."

Early 70's - Big Sur (early version), Out In The Country, and Carry Me Home are all gems. My Solution is a great curio. As far as all of the "Blondie/Ricky" being airbrushed out of the BB history - I could care less outside of live performances and Sail On Sailor. I could also care less if I never hear Here She Comes, Dear Brother, or Leaving This Town again. Same goes for We Got Love, It's A New Day - all that garbage.

Brian's Back - Arguably the last seriously creative era from Brian, and criminally overlooked. Give me more quirky 15BO instrumentals, Just Like Heaven with Brian vox, Life Is For The Living, Deep Purple, Lines, Everybody Wants To Live, My Diane, Marilyn Rovell, Alone On Christmas Day, New England Waltz, Lazy Lizzie, Stevie, I'm Starting To Say - ALL OF IT. My guess is Brian is the biggest blocker of this material - out of bad vibes, embarrassment, who knows. My suspicion is we won't get an accurate archival deep dive into this period until he is gone.

80's/90's - Don't give a sh*t. Soul Searchin' and You're Still A Mystery are nice for posterity.

Live - Where are 70's era Surf's Up, Jumping Jack Flash, Mess Of Help, Cuddle Up, I Got A Friend, Dennis sung Rhonda, In The Back Of My Mind, Caroline No, I'm Waiting For The Day etc. How about some live Mike Love TM poetry for good measure?

The Box is pretty good imo. Very true to the GV format and includes much of what one would want to hear from a collection spanning the entire Beach Boys catalogue.

As people have pointed out some of the choices are questionable when one considers what is not released. I can't even begin listing all which we don't get, which is a little sad given that I hoped only a select few cuts would not make it.

We should not despair however and in time perhaps many of the ommited tracks will be posted for purchase online. Such tracks can still earn a couple of buck. Who knows how long we must wait. One day we will hear them in all their perfection and imperfection.

Maybe they didn't need to be, but as I told you over a month ago, it was precisely what was being planned.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,12489.msg367095.html#msg367095 (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,12489.msg367095.html#msg367095)

I'm afraid you got your own hopes up that this was going to something that no one ever was suggesting it was.

O dear, Phil Cohen hacked AGD's account...   ;D


On a more serious note: I'm very happy with this track list. Of course we all have our favorite (unreleased) songs that are not included on this comp, but I can't wait to hear the ones that ARE included. Kudo's to all that made this box possible. I'm sure it has been a tough job getting this collection compiled. And after a marvellous 2012 with a new reunion album and tour, this is more than could have dreamed of.

If we're comparing Beach Boys in 2013 to Beatles in 1995, remember that both the "Red" and "Blue" Beatles hits packages were reissued on CD in late 1993, and were still in print when Anthology hit the stores. Those more casual fans both new and old (who may have owned the original vinyl red and blue sets) had access to all the well-known hits in those two comprehensive CD packages. If Apple had put those same hits as were on the late '93 hits packages onto Anthology, wouldn't those same fans feel somewhat duped into re-purchasing what they already bought on the red and blue discs? At least Anthology had material which was brand new, and unheard by most.

In the BB's case, look at the past 5-7 years of releases and the hits are readily available on various packages for casual fans.

Well, they're out there if you want 'em — unlike, say, Where Is She? or WIBNTLA. Also, wasn't Brian mortified about doing those two early songs back in the day, as in embarrassed at their very existence? I may have remembered that wrong, but if so, maybe that's why they haven't seen release now. The guys did get a say in what made it out on this set, after all, don't forget?

I may have totally mangled this over the years, but I seem to recall that Brian felt those two songs, and indeed that whole style of songwriting, was foistered upon them by Murry, and was old-fashioned and too backward-looking? I may additionally be putting two and two together to make five, but the guys do sound a bit embarrassed at the end of that YouTube take of Beginning Of The End...

That looks absolutely fantastic. Better than the '93 box, for sure.

Well said! We are an ungrateful lot, though. We only think about what we want for ourselves. Even like with this box, where people want it to be what it was never meant to be. Nature of the beast, I suppose.

Looks very nice indeed! Can't wait :)

I hope Wild Honey (live) is the Blondie version.

I don't know about that. Getting those Smile tracks on the GV Box Set was unbelievably great.

I think our perceptions of that time are indeed simply different. I was at the epic midnight “Anthology 1” release at Tower Records (remember them?), and as someone else pointed out, I think the main interest was “Free As A Bird”, and then beyond that, it was still mostly diehard Beatles fans who were excited about an official release of outtakes. I don’t recall many if any “casual” fans who were expecting a hits compilation. Those types of fans don’t do midnight release events usually, and I don’t think people would have been that worked up to the point of showing up at a record store at midnight if the Beatles were just launching a hits compilation. The “Red” and “Blue” albums were already out on CD at that time. And when “Beatles 1” was released in 2000, there wasn’t nearly as much “midnight release” level hoopla.

There may well have been more casual fans who picked up “Anthology 1” in its first few weeks who may have even known it was outtakes but were turned off by the admittedly shaky sound quality of much of the first disc, comprised of early acetate transfers, off-line home recordings, demos, and so on. The drop-off in sales may have been a bit less had they mixed up the three sets so that some of the later-era, better-sounding recordings were heard first.

I think Capitol was interested in November 1995 in moving as many 2-disc sets as they could, and they succeeded. The interest was first and foremost with “Free As a Bird.” That track was released first on “Anthology 1”, and then a month later as a single. When the single did not hit #1 as the album did (I think the single hit like #6 or something), much was made of that. But the single would have been #1 had it been released first. The interest was in Beatles product period, and a “new” song specifically.

Back to the Beach Boys, I highly doubt we’ll see any “singles” from “Made in California”, but it would be interesting if they promoted “Made in California” by first releasing a strong track like “Soul Searchin’” or “You’re Still a Mystery”, something (relatively) contemporary sounding (1995 is contemporary enough when it comes to the Beach Boys I suppose).

I still hope after “Made in California”, we can still get a “Beach Boys Central” website or some sort of “Archive Collection” series of live shows and studio outtakes. Unlikely, but I’ll still hope.

They did not. This box is a two-edged sword for the fans considering that it's 130$ and contains Barbara Ann and Kokomo for the n'th time. Greatest hits sets already flood the market and these songs will not drive demand for the box. Poor students such as myself cannot afford to buy huge boxed sets with only 35 % new music and only 35% of that is genuinely new (not 'alternate versions/a capella').

Sorry Capitol, I really wanted to buy this thing but you give me too little of an incentive. Torrents here I come.

No "Is Jack Reiley Really Superman"?

How DARE they not include a song I want in a career-spanning box set with very limited space that has to appeal to a wide audience!

I volunteer to answer in his name.

It's A New Day
Carry Me Home
California Slide
anything from Adult Child
Out In The Country
anything Blondie/Ricky
anything new uncovered from Smile
stereo WH songs of those that remained

the list goes is quite significant considering what was hoped for. ultimately this box will derive its sales from the fan base. the fan base has been let down slightly by being forced to buy Surfin' USA again.

Buy it later after you graduate and get a job. Look how long the GV Box Set stayed around. And, if your gonna call out Barbara Ann & Kokomo, why not add I Get Around, Fun Fun Fun, Good Vibrations, etc. that are also on every GH package released.

No you didn't. You wanted to buy the imaginary box set you made up in your head that bore no relation to anything that was announced. Capitol said they would be putting out a career-spanning box set and that's what they've done. You were never going to buy such a thing.

I wish it was all unreleased stuff. But the band likely wouldn't have and Capitol certainly wouldn't have given a green light to a 6 CD all-rarities set. Capitol is putting the set out banking on luring some casual fans with recognizable tracks.

The band itself is notorious for being apprehensive about releasing outtakes from certain eras. They were likely convinced by the "career spanning" aspect and their own personal picks.

"HeyJude" and I are thinking back on our similar experiences with Anthology and those specific years with Beatles releases, and we're on the same wavelength: Apple had a plan for these releases over two years, and to their credit we as Beatles fans were not repurchasing the same material on the sets that were coming out. The Red and Blue was late '93 for the hits, we got the BBC multi-disc release soon after, and then came the series of Anthology sets. You could buy each of those, as I did, and not feel like I was buying what I had already bought in the recent past, it was all "new" as far as official releases.

Living near Tower I actually chose to buy Anthology at Best Buy because they were giving out a free exclusive disc with interviews and other clips along with a cheesy screensaver, and that was somewhat disposable but seemed like a better bonus than Tower, who I think gave out a poster or something.

Just on the surface, here in 2013, if the other 50th hits set had not been a factor, having those hits on the deluxe box would be a different scenario and perhaps not as much of an issue with some of us as it seems to be.

But I will restate this going back to the Beatles, if Apple had put those same hits from the red and blue onto the Anthology instead of the rarities, and had all of them in print and in the stores at the same time, we'd be feeling much the same about those releases. As it stands, we got Red/Blue, BBC, and Anthology 1-2-3 in the span of two years with little or no repeat tracks on those sets. The casual fans got the big hits, new BBC tracks, and the rarities if they wanted them, and recall you didn't need to buy the full Anthology 1 to get Free As A Bird or Anthology 2 to get Real Love because both were available as CD singles which also included additional rare tracks.

This nonsensical talk of 'gratefulness' is utter shite.

I am a consumer. I consume with my $$$$ and I what I know is out there I will glady buy with my $$$$!

The customer is ALWAYS right. If people are unhappy, they should voice their dissatisfaction.

I am dissatified. They've kept this in a bag for over 1 and 1/2 years and then they think I will buy WIBNTLA for 130 $? Heck, even beachboys_fr is offering a cleaner deal!

The fans have been demanding a release of the unreleased.

No one here gives a sh*t if Barbara Ann, GOK, CG, Surfin' USA or KOKOMO are on this. We buy it for the unreleased. Casual fans will NOT buy this, only we will buy it. That is to say, maybe some of you will but I cannot afford WIBNTLA for 130$! No I don't care if 'Goin To The Beach' is included in that offer.

Call me ungrateful or whatever. You are wrong, I am right. Why am I right? I earn my $$$$ and I can spend my $$$$ as I'd like. I want to max my pleasure (as all of you do) with my $$$$. This box, MiC, will not give me the utmost pleasure of my $$$$.

I thank God people cannot decide for me how I should spend my money.

Thank God for piracy.

As far as future unreleased material, they should simply do something similar like Robert Fripp has done with the King Crimson catalog - open the vaults to EVERYTHING and let you download complete concerts (multi-tracks, soundboard tapes, audience recordings), sessions, radio broadcasts, etc (FLAC or MP3).  No production costs (they let you download and print artwork) and no distribution costs.  They now have released so many shows that you can get (for example) 28 shows from the 1995 tour for only $120.00 via FLAC - great price for what amounts to 56 discs!).  The die-hard fans would get what they are looking for in one place.  Check it out http://www.dgmlive.com/archive.htm?&name=crimson

That's a long way of saying "I prefer free music".  :lol

Any reason why we're not keeping this to one 'Made in California' thread? What would Phil Cohen said? (and what about Phil Collins?)

Oh, come, be reasonable! No-one is being 'forced' to buy *anything*, and you can by individual MP3s of just the stuff you want if you like when the time comes.

Those Blondie/Ricky/Dennis tracks are a bit of an acquired taste. And, moreover, they *are* all out there in pretty reasonable quality in bootleg-land, unlike several never-before booted tracks on this set. The SMiLE stuff - well, yes, I do hear you on that, but I guess the Durrie Parks stuff has simply vanished into a collectors' hands, never to be heard of again. For whatever reason, it's clearly inaccessible, otherwise it would surely be here. And the Wild Honey tracks... is anyone REALLY missing A Thing Or Two in stereo? Here Comes The Night, maybe... but is it known for sure that there are still multitracks with *all of* the parts for that one? I'm really not sure about that...

But you're *not* the customer, since you're not planning on buying the box.

*Some* relatively casual fans will buy this set, especially as a holiday gift. Capitol is banking on that demographic in part, because hardcore fans aren't always enough.

I hope they can do more targeted, limited archival releases in the future. I'm not holding my breath though.

OK, after treading through the 10 pages of comments, I side with the posters who say we should be grateful.  EVERYONE is going to have different tracks they thought should have been on here, and the producers and the Beach Boys themselves had a tough job trying to please the masses and also get their favorites in there too.  Yeah, some track selections are ?-worthy (Da Doo Run Run?), but I believe everything on here was chosen for a reason.  I'm sure that MANY other songs were considered, but there was only so much space.  Kind of like when you go on vacation and can only fit so much into your suitcase.  Same principle here.

That said, I'm kinda bummed that Keepin The Summer Alive and Lady Lynda and Still Cruisin were left off...those are very underappreciated tracks.  But fans like us have these tracks in triplicate at least, by now.  But count me as VERY pleased and surprised that It's A Beautiful Day made the cut.  I thought that the licensing issues for that song would have prevented it from even being considered.

And finally!  It's About Time gets the appreciation it deserves!  I think this is the first compilation I've ever seen it on (other than a promo comp released in 1970).

I'm very excited about this boxed set, and this announcement made my day!  I will gladly plunk down the $130 for probably the best release we'll see from the Beach Boys for quite a while.

Anything new uncovered from Smile? Such as?

The fact that you can only name three songs speaks to the success of the set. If you scroll back you'll see that I too wish that there were other songs on here as well. Carry Me Home, definitely. It's Trying to Say, definitely. I suppose the greater question is, if they were aware enough to put on some unreleased tracks, why not these others? Nevertheless, the set is hardly a big disappointment.

This means as well that the twofer bonus tracks are lost forever since aren't those OOP too? Shame.

Having worked extensively in customer service I can say that the customer is not always right, the customer is nearly always a complete asshole.

AMEN to this. It's our only hope for much of this material. I hope they can release it so the surviving BB don't have to snuff it for us to hear it. I love their music, regardless of it's banality and regardless of how embarrassing it is for them. We know so much about them that they cannot really believe they can keep secrets. The fans know more or less everyhting about the music, so providing a download service would be just fine. Then Brian won't have to worry about Marilyn hearing 'Marilyn Rovell' on the radio anytime soon.

Well, it's true that 'the customer is always right'...

but it's also true that 'you can't please all of the people all of the time'!

There are a lot of people who are happy here. There are also a lot of people that are, at least, at peace with this tracklist, and there are, as there always are, some who are completely incandescent about it for whatever reason.

...so what's new?

I'm guessing the GV box met with similar responses amongst fans back in the day. Anyone here still around from those days? Was the PSML running back then? Was it fanmade carnage back then too...?

I just looked on Amazon UK, and they're all available on there still. Don't know about other countries.

WTH?

I just told you earlier that I don't mind the fact that the hits are on this box set.  I mentioned this past weekend that my GV box set has become a tattered mess (doesn't even have a top to it anymore) and I was going to use MIC to "replace" the GV box set in my collection.  Don't make assumptions.  Some of us are fine with the hits being there and are perfectly understanding given that this band doesn't have the type of fanbase generally speaking that will flock to shops to pick up a 6-CD box set of rarities.  As I've mentioned there are very few bands who can put out a major expansive rarities box set and still make a profit.  The Beach Boys don't fall into that category unless they are releasing a package specifically dedicated to one seminal album like "Pet Sounds" or "SMiLE".  There just isn't enough interest on the part of the general public in the vast body of unreleased Beach Boys material to justify a rarities box set at this time.  

I totally understand your viewpoint of wanting to do what you will with your money and can even understand you feeling cheated that most of the material in this box set is familiar to you and therefore isn't much of an incentive for you to buy it.  But you are in a very very very small minority when it comes to that line of thinking.  Again I'm of the mindset that this boxset will sell to those collectors who are either interested in the concept of a Beach Boys package inclusive of all the hits plus a smattering of rarities and the casual fan who wants to obtain as much Beach Boys material within the scope of one package.  Does that mean it's going to fly off shelves?  No in fact I wouldn't be very surprised if it's a hard sell because as I've mentioned in this day and age box sets don't sell all that well due to their hefty price tag and the limited market they command.

But don't make it sound as if The Beach Boys are knifing you through the heart here.  This is a business first and foremost.  They are in this to make money and it's ultimately your decision if they see any of yours.  They are releasing a perfectly acceptable commercial product onto the market which is going to find an audience as limited as it may be.  To my knowledge they never represented this box set as anything other than what it will appear to be come release date and that is a career spanning box set aimed at the general marketplace with some rarities tucked inside as a lure to collectors.  Now whether you choose to see that lure as something of a devious or nefarious nature is of course your subjective opinion.  Objectively they are trying to make money off of both demographics, the general public and the seasoned collector and there is nothing wrong with that.

NOW BACK TO THE MUSIC: Does anyone know any specifics about that bandied about Dennis Wilson rarity that was mentioned last week as being superior to WIBNTLA?  Is it on this box set?

I consider myself a 'customer'

I bought two versions of TSS and 3 of the stereo/mono releases. Since I'm only 22 I cannot throw money at everything I see so purchases must be made in accordance with utility. I really want to buy MIC, but how can I?

:lol
That's signature material right there

It's not a big disappointment, it's just I cannot pay this money for this limited music. I am sadly not a part of the demographic this set aspires to, yet I was really hoping I could be apart of this. I don't want the hits, I have their hits more than any sane person would dare admit and I cannot buy more of them.

@Ram4

You are of course absolutely right. Using compact discs as the medium of distribution is nothing but brain dead. The CD capacity is limited to 74 minutes (or whatever, plus the songs need to be burned into the disc). Why limit yourself like that? You do not even have to decide how many CD:s the box should contain, because CD:s are obsolete and there should be no box. Typewriters are also obsolete.

Hey, Capitol Records. There is something called THE INTERNET.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Save your pennies and you save your dimes?  Sorry bad timing.

From what you've posted I'd say your best bet is to grab the mp3s of the tracks you want off of Amazon or Itunes.  I know that the fancy packaging might be a lure to you but since you seem adverse to paying upwards of $100 for tracks you already have in your collection, I'm assuming that living without the packaging isn't necessarily going to be a supreme sacrifice.  Look I'll side with you on one point and that is box sets aren't necessarily friendly to your age demographic as they are generally marketed to an older demographic of the fanbase that generally has more money to plunk down on excesses like box sets.  So from that standpoint you are one hundred percent right in feeling the way you do.

By exchanging money for the boxed set.

A customer is someone who pays money for a product or service. You've said you're refusing to pay for this. Therefore you're not a customer.


No you don't. You said yourself you don't want a box set with all the hits on.

An actual majority of music purchases are still made on physical media.

But - and this point keeps being made - you can *have* 'Marilyn Rovell'. You can have it now. *I* have it (somewhere...). The same is not true of a lot of stuff on this set.

No-one can do anything to get it out officially if Brian isn't comfortable with it being released, and will forever veto it. And I can see why that might apply to a lot of stuff that keeps being mentioned here, including fan favourites like 'Stevie'. Brian just doesn't sound that great on it, and in addition, I think we can all understand why he looks back on that period with embarrassment, as a time when he felt his creative forces were at a low ebb, even if we don't agree with him. That. however, is his prerogative, and we can't do anything about it.

But the box set just so narrowly misses me for example. Do the casuals really need to hear two versions of 'Dont Go Near The Water'? I'm simply suggesting that the unreleased material could've been supplemented with more unreleased material instead of album cuts (aka non-hits). If they want the hits to entice the casual fans then surely the album cuts don't serve the same role and are as such utterly expendible in favour of more unreleased.

However we don't know if BRI allowed for more deep cuts maybe because the voting members blocked the use of more. In that case there is nothing anyone (including me) can hold against those who compiled it.

He is a potential customer.

Are we really arguing about this?

No he isn't, since he's said over and over that he doesn't want the box, that he doesn't understand why anyone else would want the box, and that he's angry that it even exists...

Missing tracks include the newly found CIFOTM acetate, Carry Me Home, Everybody Wants to Live, Life is for Living, My Solution,
We Got Love, It's Trying to Say, Still I Dream of It, Stevie, It's a New Day, "Party" LP outtakes, some tunes from the 93 box
remastered would be good.

I've already posted some songs, as have others.  To assume I'm the only one here who expected rarities is a bit hard to figure out.
If everyone here expected a greatest hits box plus WIBNTLA, then why was everyone anxiously awaiting news for a year now?
So many people think the 2012 stereo mixes sound like ass, but are happy to pay $130 to get them again?  If there are only
4-5 tracks the fans want, then why do we need a box set to get them?

Come on guys.  This is a discussion board, but immediately complaints about the box (from people who still pre-ordered it, mind
you) get shouted down.  You all should be able to handle yourselves.  It is ok, you know, to be disappointed in something.  It's ok.
Getting mad at those who are disappointed at this news after a year of waiting and teasing is a bit stupid.  

They could have dug a little deeper, lost the tracks we already paid more to get on the 2CD "50 Big Ones" and 2CD "Smile
Sessions," lost such desired gems as "Trancendental Meditation (instrumental track)," and actually put something on this box
to make it worth your time and money.  

Maybe when the guys are no longer with us, we can get Andrew Sandoval in here, and clear out the damn vault.

What's the name of the supposedly mind-blowing Dennis Wilson song that was found recently?

thank you for summing up what I have failed to to in 10+ posts  ;D

Yeah, because people who use the Internet find their songs on Youtube, Spotify (Swedish company), Grooveshark and Piratebay (Swedish website). People don't pay for music like they used to, because music is way too expensive. Lower prices and better distribution methods will do the trick.

He would have been a customer, but CR did not make the box good enough.

My advice to you would be to take a few steps back and give yourself time to get over your disappointment regarding that the box set isn't everything you dreamed it up to be in your head.  Then give careful consideration to whether or not you want or can afford this box set as it will exist come release date.  The reason being is because what I'm hearing from you is a lot of disappointment period and not a lot of objective thought.  I mentioned earlier that I was disappointed that a few tracks I wanted aren't going to be included on the box set but the bottom line is for me at least is I still want this thing.  I want to hear Brian Wilson's demo of "California Feeling", I want to hear WIBNTLA, I want to hear the alternate vocal for "Don't Worry Baby", I want to hear whatever SQ upgrades there may be lurking on this thing.  Heck I even want to know what hidden tracks are on this box set because they are always there as miniscule as they may be.

You may feel differently due to your financial situation or perhaps are just venting at the moment due to the fact you are reeling from disappointment.  But in the end this package isn't about you or me or any of us really so there is no need to make this a personal issue.  It's just a box set, put out on the market in hopes of drawing money....cut and dry.

You are one strange dude! Do not, I repeat, do not spend money that you already don't have on a box set that you were told was CAREER-SPANNING, not just rarities. It is so fucking stupid to argue over something that we knew was going to be like this. I cannot even enjoy this day on here with all this petty stupid-ass moaning and groaning. See, it went from being amusing to uber-annoying within hours.

Hi Capitol - Put the rarities on a nice double vinyl set...there's a good record company

I haven't bought a CD in a very long time so unlikely to get this. Spotify will do I guess.

Regarding the price, I think there is a good chance Amazon will lower the price on this at some point. How much, who knows? But I think it's likely it will ultimately dip somewhat below $130.

Do It Again (2012 Stereo Mix), Derry Fitzgerald must of secretly worked on it, without fans knowing! Unless Capitol found the original Multi-Tracks that went missing?

Disappointment is fine and perfectly understandable in this instance.  What isn't understandable are the fans venting outrage because they thought they were snookered by The Beach Boys as to what this package was ultimately going to be.  There are people on here legitimately angry that every Beach Boys rarity known to man isn't included on this box set because they felt that that was the premise of what this package was going to be.  I'm sorry but no.  To have these people then strike out and try to paint The Beach Boys as a bunch of scammers is understandably going to make others upset and want to shout down the complainers.  

Look I think to a man (or woman) we all had our own concept of what this box set was going to entail, some more reasonable and realistic than others.  But most of us when we got the tracklisting this morning felt that for better or worse it was in line with what we thought this box set was going to realistically be as a whole.  We can spend days debating why this track got the nod over that track or why this track wasn't included.  But if we cut through all that and distill this discussion down to the plain and simple facts then there can only be one truth in all of this and that is The Beach Boys are scheduled to release a box set at the end of August that was/is in line with how they promoted the box set to be since last year which is why so many of us had visions of a box set in line with what is actually going to be released.

Quite.

This is exactly what we were promised. Complaining that the six-CD career-spanning box set turned out to be a six-CD career-spanning box set is just ludicrous.

Id say it will be around £60 on Amazon UK. Its 6 cds and a book. It doesn't seem to be all that fancy in comparison to say something like the Smile Sessions box.

Something must have been found. They did not use extractions for I Get Around, Rhonda or GV, so I'm assuming that they wouldn't here, either.

It's almost as though some people build this notion into their heads, despite plain evidence to the contrary, of how things are going to be realized in order so that when things fall short of their spurious expectations they can justify their favoring of going the torrent route. They go to great lengths to build this elaborate fallacy to make themselves feel better about piracy.

Just say you prefer to download the stuff for free.  :lol

What is maddening as well is that many of these same people who are complaining actually have all the rarities they already wanted to see on this box set in their collections!  I'm sure there are many fans who would give their eye teeth to have a lossless set of SOT or something of that nature.  So I really don't get the complaints.

Isn't it good enough to finally have WIBNTLA released, for Chrissakes?

Interesting, so it's basically just an update of the '93 box.  I'm cool with that but was maybe expecting a little bit more, it still looks worth it though.  Would have liked to see more live tracks, I thought I had heard rumors that the songs left off this year's live album would surface on the box set.

I do believe that you are correct on this one. Just like with Cabinessenceking, would the money he don't have suddenly appear had this been a rarities set?

Not necessarily! What is disappointing is that this is probably the last archival release in quite some time and hardly a fraction of the hoped for content actually appeared. I simply fear we will never hear these other great songs they are omitting. Apologies on my part are due since I obviously failed to point that out.

Yeah, but there have been a few already who don't like having the live stuff that is on there. Look, it's not going to please 100% of us, but on the whole I am very pleased, and that we are getting exactly what we were told we were going to get.

Well to be fair it's really just a turn of a phrase that's all.  We've all said at some point in our lives that "I don't have money for that" when what we are really saying is "I don't have money for that at that price".  It all comes down to what value you put on something as anyone who has ever collected any type of memorabilia will tell you.   So to condemn Cabin for claiming he doesn't have money for MIC when he actually may strikes me as somewhat myopic.  

we had no evidence to the contrary. In fact quite recently someone on this board said there was a load of unreleased stuff. Trancendental Meditation (instrumental) was no what I imagined that person would share on the board as 'unreleased' (although I acknowledge it is per definition unreleased...)

Wait a second drbeachboy, You're saying that I Get Around, Rhonda and Good Vibrations aren't Extractions? How come it says they are in the booklets of the new Mono/Stereo Remasters then? That new Stereo Mix of Our Prayer has to be an extraction as well too, because it was recorded around only one microphone. We shall find out at the end of August it will be a mystery until then!

Why? The fact that they are still in the vault gives hope that there is enough material left over for a future archival release, a la Hawthorne.

All I have to say is a huge HURRAH! Wouldn't it be Nice to Live again, the demo of California Feeling, Sherry She Needs Me in presumably decent quality, two other totally unheard Dennis tracks, live versions of Friends and Little Bird...fantastic. I can't flippin' wait.

When the quibbles can be reduced to 'would have been nice to hear something I already know, but in better quality', then it's a sign they've done a pretty good job, no?

On this set they are using the mono mixes, not the extractions. So, Do It Again would not be an extraction. It says on the track list "2012 Stereo Mix", not extraction.

I'm psyched for the '64 BBC tracks, if that live video of WIGU is what we can expect... Love that version.

One thing I noted and regret is they're going with the 2009 "Fallin' in Love" instead of the 45 mix of Lady, but its awesome that we're getting Sound of Free. It's also cool that we're getting 2 California Feelin's.

We will always want more. Hopefully we end up getting it. I hope that they eventually cover all of the bases for this music. I'd love a Sunflower Sessions with sessions, backing  tracks, a cappella, etc.  I'm ALL for a cappella.

 'My Love Lives On'?

This really deserves more of our attention than other's piracy habits:


A few weeks back, adamghost inferred that a wonderful track from Dennis was unearthed. Which (if any) of these is on the track list?

Keeping the occasional "personal fave" omissions in mind, overall, I'm very, very pleased with this track lineup. As someone else noted, I truly think that this one tops the '93 box in terms of content (the official debut of the Smile material on the '93 box aside), which is no easy task considering how much the vaults have been mined already. That speaks volumes for both the compilers and the fact that the band was a recording machine in its time! Am I really going to finally get to hear WIBNTLA in less than 3 months, after waiting for it and dreaming about it for over a decade? Please pinch me now! Body...please don't betray me before then!

Random thoughts: Great to have the 2011, vinyl-only stereo Smile tracks in official digital form; "We're Together Again" in an official stereo mix -- cool!; An official CD release of "Sound Of Free".....finally!!!!; "Soul Searchin" and "You're Still A Mystery"...finally can throw out my crappy sounding  "unofficial" versions!; Vintage live versions of "Little Bird" and "It's About Time" in good quality? Pinch me again!; "Vegetables" and "Wonderful" from the "Unplugged" Tour (Paramount?) in an official capacity -- a nice representation; The Carnegie version of "Only With You"...the best!; An official release of "Country Air" in stereo -- very nice;"Where Is She"..."Barnyard Blues"..."California Feelin".....double pinch me!

In terms of major omissions, I am a bit disappointed that "Carry Me Home" didn't make the cut, but I sorta get it (no comment). More importantly, I would call leaving off "We Got Love" both a major omission and a serious mistake. It's pretty much now the only officially-released, major BB studio track I can think of (however sparse that release was), offhand, that has never seen digital light. I'm holding out hope that the powers-that-be can find *some* place for it at the last minute (e.g. a hidden track, a CD single?). We really need that one in good quality. Also...strange that they left off the end suite from TWGMTR. Artistically....very strange. Something political? A sore subject? I had always envisioned "Summer's Gone" closing off the set, chronologically (and maybe leading into to a hidden track of that Rolling Stone version of "Surfer Girl").


All-in-all: Very pleased. Thank you, Capitol!

I am excited about You're Still a Mystery (I have two versions of that song, hopefully the SQ is improved in MIC).

I might misunderstand what you mean here, but you can find the studio version of We Got Love on CD. I have a copy.

Or do you mean it has not been "restored" digitally?

Absolutely false.

Glad this has  finally  been officially announced! I can't wait for disc six....there's a treat on there that everyone has missed in the excitement over CF74 and WIBNTLA...

Right. I have "that" version (actually several versions) too. I mean an officially released digital version. :)

Must... Stay... Focussed... on... Exams...

To put this in Another perspective...

This reminds of when I was in my late teens. And this was in the early 90ies. Being a BB-fan but above all a student I didn't have much money either, and it was actually a miracle that in those years I managed to obtain all Capitol 2fers and Epic releases on CD (which took me years). And (for me) this was pre-internet time. I missed out on a lot of releases as well, simply because I couldn't afford them at the time. And not just the official ones, don't even start on bootlegs. Fortunately, thanks to a few friends, I did get to hear some stuff I couldn't buy (the good old cassette copies :) ). Getting the chance to hear or buy something rare, or officially unreleased was very difficult.
And for the 60/70ies generation this undoubtly was even harder (I'm sure there are a few older fans here that can confirm this)

So it litterally took me a few centuries to build a collection...

... and for nowadays fans it'll take a week at most to download it all. Consider yourselves priviliged! Many fans paid a lot of $$ to get or hear not nearly half of what this generation can get for free on YT or some torrent.

Also, Dear Capitol... please make the mastering nice. Not overly bright, hard or hyped.  :)

... which is what exactly....

Don't see that it can be anything else. To my count we have 3 previously unreleased Dennis songs on the set, Mona Kana, WIBNTLA and My Love Lives On. We all know Mona Kana has been booted and that WIBNTLA has never been booted but I know nothing about My Love Lives On.

Wow – such gnashing and wailing over the contents of a boxed set.  Surely Phil Cohen’s done some sort of Vulcan mind meld with some of the people who post here.

But what is missing that people cannot live without?

Carry Me Home – For me, that’s probably the bigget omission, because the sound quality on the booted version makes it barely listenable.

California Slide – Unfinished at best, and probably not worthy of being finished.

Out in the Country – A fragment.

Adult Child tracks – They’re out there, and the sq is pretty good.

Stevie – a BW solo track, so doesn’t really belong.

Big Sur early version – Hardly crucial in my book, and it’s been booted in OK quality.

CIFOTM mono mix – Would be nice to have, but can be assembled.

My Solution – If you’re complaining about not getting this, you don’t have a lot of credibility.

I googled it and nothing, nada, except today's news.

Hmmm... mostly disappointed, but will get it anyway.

And Barnyard Blues...

On the whole, the box looks pretty darned tasty for those of us who stand by the indisputable fact that Dennis was a better songwriter, singer, arranger and producer than Brian. Particularly looking forward to the Be With Me demo, and live Little Bird

It's listed on AGD's Bellagio site, lists Dennis as the writer but no other info.

Well cool then. I guess we can reasonably assume this is the Dennis track Adam was hinting at.

My Love lives On is a 1977, Bambu-era track.  :)

Guess they should scrap "Surf's Up '67" then too.



No, actually it enhances my credibility to the level of supreme uber-fan. Now get down on your knees and KNEEL BEFORE ZOD.

The alternate early 70's versions of Back Home should have been included.

For some reason I assumed this was A Brian track, but again deferring to AGD's awesome Bellagio site - Barnyard Blues - (D. Wilson) - 3/15/71.

Thanks Dave, that is some very interesting information!

CD 6
21. Back Home (1970 Version)

So is it this newly discovered Dennis track? Do you  have any more info?  
Somebody had PMd me the year of the track a month ago but had no more info.

(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w263/DAVIDBOW/Shut-Up-And-Take-My-Money_zpsce54ff44.jpg) (http://s178.photobucket.com/user/DAVIDBOW/media/Shut-Up-And-Take-My-Money_zpsce54ff44.jpg.html)

Great! Did not see that. :-D

Who's doing the lead vocal? Sounds like a combination of Brian and Al.

"It's just a harder approach".  8)

This bewilders me - who CARES that It's About Time is on the box set? You already have this track on Sunflower. I love KTSA, but who the flip cares if it's on the box set? You already have this track on the album of the same name. I just don't understand this mentality. There are lots of Beach Boy album tracks that didn't make the cut. But I don't care because I already have those tracks on the albums from which they come. What am I missing here? Again, who cares what album cuts make it and which don't? We already have them.

Assuming it's the same recording, I wouldn't call it newly discovered, in that the tape has always known to exist, and we have documentation for it in terms of its session date (i.e. Oct. 1977). Again, that's assuming it's the same version. :)

@ TimmyC

That is true for all of us, but not necessarily for everyone who is going to buy the box. After the hits, comes the best of the deep-cuts. Hopefully, what is picked will draw the casual fan in further and then... he will become one of us. ;)

Is this a joke? "INDISPUTABLE??" What?? I seriously doubt Dennis thought he came close to Brian. I love all the Beach Boys, including Dennis. But c'mon man. That is certifiably insane if you're serious. No offense.

Also, we can moan about the choices all we like, but why should our subjective opinions about the merits or demerits of a track be used as the basis for anything at all? I personally would rather have had It's A New Day over My Solution any day (the latter of which, as I posted upthread, I am not, er, exactly a fan of)... but this isn't my box set, and of course, neither of those tracks are now going to make it out on this.

'Scuse me for stating the bleeding obvious, but: it's a release by the Beach Boys. The surviving members and the estate representatives of the deceased members will have had to thrash out no doubt finely balanced decisions about what made it out on the set, balanced with space restrictions and all of the other considerations too. The Beach Boys decided what went on this, not us. Is it any wonder that we don't like all of the decisions that have been taken regarding the track listing?

I mean, they don't exactly have a brilliant track record in that department, right? ;)

And yeah, I know the excellent team of Boyd and Linett will have done their very best to influence the listing, and the decisions that honed the final line-up. But at the end of the day, the Beach Boys had to be happy with it. To me, that fact, more than any other, explains why we were never going to get, say, 'My Diane', 'Marilyn Rovell' or 'Stevie' on this set, given what those compositions meant to the creative minds behind them at the time they were recorded, and how those principal players might view those songs from the perspective of today...

Whatever we think of songs like that today, and whether we like them or not — those kinds of concerns will undoubtedly have had an influence on the omission of those songs from the line-up...

We all have a right to our beefs- we are not your run of the mill BB's fans- we are scholars, nerds, and dorks. Cooler than Trekkies though....


Here goes--

WTF??? stereo Barbara Ann?? Is that really necessary?? Maybe in Guantanamo Bay, but not in my house...

No Whisperin' Winds takes?? Argueably one of the most beautiful things ever composed by the maestro himself?? Criminal it's not here.

Ditto on Thank Him and The Beginning of the End

I'm Begging You Please would've been nice as well.

Till' I Die sessions would've given me instant arousal...

....I will go on, but my coffee is getting cold.

OH, MY OWN GUILTY PLEASURE- I ADMIT!- River Deep and Mountain High... but I understand that not being on there.

You must have missed out on that discussion from last week.

(http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/015/0/6/i_throw_my_money_at_the_screen_by_nunomc-d4mfdfh.png)


I'm really, really excited.  ;D This set contains tracks I've been wanting for what feels like forever (the '94-'96 recordings, WIBNTLA, California Feelin', well, all of those and more).

Obviously this doesn't - and can't - have all the tracks I'd have liked, but maybe these aren't here because of technical limitations, or because the tracks are lost, or because they're keeping material for future archival releases.

I'm laughing at people who complain about some previously released tracks not being on this set. "Rock and Roll to the Rescue" ? Buy "Made in USA". "Still I Dream of It" ? Buy the GV30 boxset and "IJWMFTT". Etc.

One can hope...

If this was The beatles it would have promoted and compiled much differently.

That's what LD said  :p

But this isn't the Beatles. This is the Beach Boys. They do things their own way... "Differently".  ;)

[/quote]

 And not just the official ones, don't even start on bootlegs.


[/quote]

what!!! you have bootlegs???  :o

Thanks Dave! I guess forgotten might have been a better description of the song?

OK, I admit it, I agree with this one. If I never hear Barbara bloody sodding Ann again, it'll be too soon. That one is going on skip when I play that disc back!


But again - you can have all of that stuff in, at the very least, *decent* quality. The Whispering Winds takes, in particular, are pretty darned pristine on the SOT. I'm Begging You Please is probably the roughest of these, but then the version I know of is a rough Brian demo - it probably doesn't GET much better than that, even if you go back to the source. Or is there some pro recorded version of the track that I've never heard of? (genuine question - if there is I would be interested, as I always thought this song showed great potential, but there you go. And also it's probably another one Brian would be embarrassed about releasing, as it seems to me pretty obvious that it's about the declining years of his relationship with Marilyn).

Thank Him and TBOTE I already posted about - again, I suspect the Boys are embarrassed by these songs, though I could be wrong.


Yeah, but maybe there isn't anything very interesting relating to that song in the vault. As soon as you go to eight or 16-track in any band's history, the likelihood of complete sessions being recorded including all of the work-in-progress takes gets less likely, unless the band ran a slave machine for the express purpose of documenting everything. New takes are often just made to the multitrack and erased with the next take if they didn't work out. That is easily forgotten in this modern, Pro Tools-driven, save-everything era.

Sht, yeah, but please don't tell anyone...  ;D

These are not the bootlegs you are looking for.

The versions I have heard are decent enough, but not official SQ type stuff.

I'm super happy about Soul Searchin' and YSAM. SS would've been an instant hit, IMO.

Without those other tracks I mentioned, I'll live, always have. We are blessed with TSS and basic sound editing software.... 10 years ago I would've never even dreamed of having H&V mixed to my liking. A real blessing.

About Whisperin' Winds- people need to hear this. I can listen to this now, but people really need to hear this.

Alternate Meant For You is more exciting to me than WIBNTLA.

I hadn't thought about this for a while as I'm not much of a fan any more, but those Anthology cds are a hideous disaster, in retrospect...

Why the hell didn't they just stick 'Strawberry Fields (take 1)' or whatever on there instead of cobbling together different takes like that? Awful.

i never they did that... but I haven't listened to it in years. I thought it sounded good IIRC, long ago. I see your point though.

So, as far as completely unreleased tracks in any form we have:

(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again
California Feelin'
Goin' To The Beach
Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love
Da Doo Ron Ron
Soul Searchin'
You're Still A Mystery
Sherry She Needs Me (1965 Track w/1976 Vocal)
Mona Kana (Instrumental Track)
Where Is She?
I Believe In Miracles (Vocal Section)
Why (Instrumental Track)
Barnyard Blues
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
My Love Lives On



*I haven't included Back Home as a version was released on 15BO. California Feelin', Soul Searchin' and Sherry She Needs Me are included as although they all have versions released on BB solo records, this is their first appearance on a Beach Boys release.

They did. They had the clean Strawberry Fields demo, Strawberry Fields take 1, and Strawberry Fields take 7 -- except that they faded the latter out to fade in a bit of percussion track right at the end.

 ;D

I don't know about "completely unreleased" regarding "Soul Searchin'" since Brian released a new studio version on Gettin' In Over My Head back in 2004. But you were probably referring to a Beach Boys recording. ;)

Excuse me, friends, but is
 Surf's Up (1967 Version) (2012 Mix)

Just Brian's demo? Because if not, that'd be pretty awesome haha...

So is it too soon to have Phil Cohen un-banned yet? ;)

It's the "Wild Honey" version that was on the SMiLE Sessions I assume.

Darn, so close! But still, nice to have again!

Read it again Yannick!  :)

Please no Phil.  Please.

He would crap all over each thread with conspiracy theories (track list isn't real, set won't come out, etc.) and/or rabid criticisms of the set that make TV Forces look calm.  And of course, numerous posters would make it their mission to put him in his place rather than stick to the subject.  Let's have some sane discussion without him.

Hmmm, Surf's Up (1967 version) was released in 2011...and this is a 2012 mix? Hmmm.

What a disappointment.

I think there should be more 2013 mixes tbh...

Damn, I'm sorry. :-\ It's been the longest of days. I don't even retain the mental capacities to properly acknowledge what kind of intelligence we received today and what it means for Beach Boys fandom. I'm just happy MIC is going to turn out okay, I guess.

My guess is that he'll still find something to bitch about. Say that Capitols' "wall of secrecy has "driven" fans to in-fighting over the track line-up, etc, etc. You know, the usual boring routine. Of course, never admitting that he was 100% wrong (as usual), while simply changing course.

"Our Prayer" is listed as "(2012 "Smile Sessions" Stereo Mix). So I am going to bet it's just a typo.

I want him back on here, it will be hilarious. Or horrible.

He's outside just itching to get back in! :deadhorse


Last Active:  Today at 11:24:30 AM


 :ahh

I checked, and of course you're right, but my general point remains. A quick look at the wikipedia for that album shows the phrase 'composite of takes' showing up a good few times. Not really what you want to see as a hardcore fan, yet enough dicking about and fluffed takes have been left in that it's not like this editing was done to make things more palatable to the casual listener. Really an odd series of releases that barely rendered one bootleg redundant.

FWIW. Bruce has posted on the brit site. Incredible to say, but he has no clue it would seem about just what is released.


Re(2): "Made In California" is up for preorder with "Wouldn't It Be Nice(To Live Again)" included!
Posted on June 11, 2013 at 10:26:02 PM by Bruce Johnston

Bobbreckwoldt:
I recently was doing an interview with Uncut Magazine for their July issue but I actually did not realize that the BB 50th live album is a 'collection' of several worldwide performances instead of a single recording from one concert. In addition, I had no idea that we had an upcoming box set in the works. Perhaps Uncut Magazine might find someone else from the band to interview who is more in the 'info loop' than me & I would not blame them.

I decided to go to Amazon's site today to look at what BB CD & DVD releases have been available since June 2012 and to see if any future releases will be listed.....
I counted one 'new' 2012 studio album, two greatest hits packages, Pet Sounds mono & stereo re-mastered CD (all four of these releases available also on MP3), two DVD releases (also on Blu-ray), and a box set being released at the end of this summer.

Everything that was released happened (and is still happening) over a fourteen month time frame. Seems like a lot of folks worked very hard around the clock to make all this music available.

Bruce Johnston
Montecito
June 11, 2013

PS: I think that there's a 'not yet edited' DVD/film of our BB 50th tour waiting in the wings, too.

I am now glad that I never ended up buying 50 Big Ones as it looks like everything on there is on the set.

Exactly my thoughts!

This was posted by ShardEnder at the Steve Hoffman Forum.

I just had a quick look at Andrew G. Doe's website and managed to assemble quite the list (and not even a comprehensive one, at that!) of tracks that I feel would have been great to hear officially:

 Game Of Love
 Honey Get Home
 Walkin'
 Tears In The Morning (early lyric version)
 Carnival/Over The Waves
 My Solution
 Big Sur (early 4/4 version)
 Carry Me Home
 We Got Love
 Hard Times
 It's A New Day
 Beatrice From Baltimore*
 Rolling Up To Heaven*
 Battle Hymn Of The Republic*
 Lucy Jones*
 Grateful Are We For Little Children
 In The Back Of My Mind (1975 version)
 Runnin' Bear
 Shake, Rattle And Roll
 We Gotta Groove
 Marilyn Rovell*
 Ruby Baby (1976 version)
 Mony Mony
 Life Is For The Living
 Hey, Little Tomboy (Adult Child version)*
 Deep Purple
 Everybody Wants To Live
 Shortenin' Bread (1973 version)
 Lines
 On Broadway*
 It's Trying To Say
 New England Waltz
 That Special Feeling*
 It's Over Now (piano demo)*
 Still I Dream Of It (piano demo)*
 Love Is A Woman (piano demo)
 Mona (piano demo)
 Airplane (piano demo)
 Let's Put Our Hearts Together (piano demo)*
 I'll Bet He's Nice (piano demo)*
 Honkin' Down The Highway (alternate Billy Hinsche lead vocal mix)
 Drip Drop*
 I'm Begging You Please*
 Skatetown U.S.A.
 Calendar Girl
 Stevie*
 Oh, Lord*
 Labor Day
 Rock And Roll To The Rescue
 Problem Child
 Chasing The Sky

Any songs marked with * are ones that I'm not sure BRI would like out there for content or quality issues, but there's clearly more than enough to fill another two - maybe even three - discs with great material to keep hardcore fans satisfied. Still, I guess they'll want to keep something else locked away for the inevitable "best of" compilations and possible future anniversary boxed sets... call them financial incentives held back to make us buy the same old yet again, if you will.

Lots of good stuff, but I would have preferred fewer accapella versions and more rarities, e.g. a good live version of "I've got a friend", or its recorded backing track.

Yeah I can wait until this bloviated albatross of a blahx set goes on sale for 1/2 price!!  :lol

I just realised I'm gonna miss a remastered "Problem Child". Oh well..

On the I Just Wasn't Made for These Times soundtrack.

Honestly, this would be a perfect solution, and they're already paying for the domain name, so....

We should start a petition.

Some of these have never even been booted.  They're just names, as far as we know, so you have no clue as to whether they're of releasable quality.

Other stuff like Problem Child is utter crap.

And still others are easily found on boots.

It seems that you're just looking for something to complain about, but don't really know precisely what.

Don't know whether this was posted - Rolling Stone article about the box, mentions this.

"The set will come packaged as a high school yearbook with a reproduction of a personal essay called "My Philosophy" that Brian Wilson wrote while he was a student in 1959. Made in California will also include recollections from the other band members, replicas of classic Beach Boys artwork and memorabilia, photos from the band's archives and what a statement calls "handwritten yearbook-style inscriptions" from Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-to-cap-50th-anniversary-with-career-spanning-box-set-20130611

Lemme guess, judging from the "yearbook" packaging the Cee Dees will be jammed in paper slots. yeah thats real good.  ;D

This is my 5th legal box set, not to mention all of the boot box sets. I think this is well balanced for group effort, and frankly, I cannot say that I would change much here. I have seen lots of excitement in reviewing this thread, and some disappointment. Quite honestly, given the politics surrounding The Beach Boys, I think Alan and Mark have done a great job of balancing everything out. The early years are mostly Brian, as they should be, but the rest of the group is well represented after Smile. I think Dennis and Carl are well represented, keeping in mind that almost every live track is from the years Carl led the road band. For those who want to hear obscure tracks (e.g. My Solution, We Got Love, Problem Child, etc.) they are ALL on Ebay. You just have to look. This is a career spanning package, and I feel great that everyone in the group stepped up and made sure Carl and Dennis are represented too.  Congratulations to the team that assembled this box.

Quite excited about the set, although I'm a little disappointed we won't have say, a half dozen more enigmatic tracks in full fidelity - such as Life Is For the Living. In the balancing act of commercial product vs. hard core collectibles, this sort of omission is to be expected (or course, Beachboyscentral.com could solve all that).

What I AM glad about is that I passed on the recent greatest hits releases which dangled the 'stereo remix' carrot in front of me...it'll be nice to have it all in a fresh release.  

In lieu of all that, we have our beloved boots. And yes...the instrumental of In The Back of My Mind is awe inspiring (particularly the extended fade which is worthy of the best of Mancini). Why this was neglected from MIC is Still A Mystery.

Blessed be the bootleggers, without whom we would be much the poorer.

The power of the smiley smile board. It's already in the top 100 on amazon

Couldn't agree more. It's not the precise box set I'd have put together if they asked me to come up with the tracklisting, but then I'd not have put half the tracks whose absence people are complaining about on either.

This will serve its purpose wonderfully.

And that right there says it all to explain why *some* fans here who did buy it may be less than thrilled about paying again for those same several dozen tracks.

It's marketing, pure and simple.

Just like the smile release even after MIC is released, our boots remain as important as ever

I do think it's fortunate that individual songs can be purchased on the net nowadays so that people don't have the awkward choice of spending the $130 or never hearing the songs. That price is far too high in my opinion...especially when you consider that the new Harry Nilsson set that was mentioned recently is $110 for 17 discs!!!

I did understand that this was always intended to be a career spanning box set and that it was intended to be an updated GV box set. I don't think that has been entirely successful though.

Firstly, because if the intention was to include the best songs from throughout their career then it doesn't 100% succeed. For example, only 11 songs are included from 1980 to 2013. They include crappy covers like Da Doo Ron Ron and Why Don't they Let Us Fall in Love and omit Where I Belong, Somewhere Near Japan, From There to Back Again (along with any decent unreleased songs that might exist) etc. I don't see the logic.

The inclusion of the 15 live songs again doesn't quite make sense to me. Some of them seem like great choices but if this is meant to be a career spanning set then why not cover their entire touring career? There is nothing from their first couple of years of touring or from between the years 1976 and 1992. These things make disc 5 seem like a mess to me.

I can understand people making comments like, 'if you've got the boots then why do you want the unreleased songs?'. But if more unreleased songs (or just better unreleased songs than the 2 covers mentioned) could have been included in a cohesive line-up then I think that would have been much more appealing than having songs on a bootleg where they are surrounded by mediocre stuff. That's what happened with the GV set imo and I don't think it has happened quite so well here (which may well be the band members' fault rather than the compilers).

I won't be spending $130 on this but if the price isn't reduced then I will be happy to get hold of the most interesting songs via the net and burn them onto a disc that I would want to listen to all the way through which isn't the case with discs 1-4 here.

Posted this in the other MiC thread, its $112 on the Canadian amazon - http://www.amazon.ca/Made-California-CD-Box-Set/dp/B008XZKSRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370990928&sr=8-1&keywords=made+in+california (http://www.amazon.ca/Made-California-CD-Box-Set/dp/B008XZKSRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370990928&sr=8-1&keywords=made+in+california)

It happened with the Smile Sessions deluxe box set that certain big-box retailers ended up selling the set for much less than what the original pre-release online prices were. If money is the issue (and when isn't it?  :-D ) over having it immediately, a bit of patience can pay off. I'll take some action on this: I'm betting some retailers will be offering it by mid September for 99.99

I think 130 is kind of steep too, I'll say that much...but I wouldn't think so if even half of those "50 Big Ones" tunes were replaced by ones we don't already have.

I noticed on Amazon that Burt Bacharach's new set (which also has 6 discs and a book) is $78.95 (or £36.35) which would be a fair price for MiC. I haven't seen many sets that are anything like this price unless they have many more discs.

Well, they did include the two decent unreleased songs from that period -- Soul Searchin' and You're Still A Mystery. I imagine they don't want to cannibalise sales for the last album by including anything other than the singles, and personally I wouldn't want any more stuff we've already got replacing unreleased tracks.

Will be watching the pre-order price to see if it will move downward the way TSS did...

Glad that the waiting and anxiety over MIC is at last over, and that so many of the unreleased cuts will now (at last!) surface.

Just wanted that live version of "Mess of Help," however. WAAH!!!!  :hat

Still plenty for a 'Live' boxset sometime perhaps.

More than a fair price! Like I said, let the hype simmer down and a retailer will have a much better price for this one too. That 130 price is cashing in on the excitement and it seems to be working.

Not that there is a comparison, but back in 1993 I belonged to BMG music service and scored the GV box set through them for under 30 bucks. All those clubs are long gone now.

Not joshing you Nicko, am in total agreement with your thoughts on MIC. I think your thread posts are spot on!

That depends on whether there are any decent outtakes from MiC itself surely. Or how Oh Lord and And I Always Will turned out in 1985. Or Carl's song that was intended for Still Cruisin'. Or the Al songs that are unreleased etc. If there are no decent unreleased songs from that era then there are from other eras obviously. Including, for example, Where I Belong and It's Trying to Say would have made a lot more sense than Solar System and Da Doo Ron Ron...

I guess my feeling as well is that the world did not really need this collection anyway. Since the GV set was released the group have released 2 studio albums. One is not represented here at all and the other just has the two singles. Hardly justification on artistic grounds for its release unless they had tried to make it very significantly from the former set.

If you preorder it now, Amazon will keep the price you pre-ordered at as a guarantee - if the price drops below $130, you'll pay less, but if it goes up, you'll still pay $130.

Be prepared for more than a few emails from Amazon telling you they've put $0.50 on the price but you're not paying that, you lucky consumer, though.

When I've removed my chin from the floor I will post a response to that.  :)

Your analysis is like you are reading my mind. No jive. Good job!

I'm surprised more bands haven't gotten on this type of bandwagon.  The Beatles would make a dead set killing releasing their complete archives for download online.  The Beach Boys would do a brisk business as well.  Now while I'm surprised I can't say I don't understand why they haven't.  We're looking at it from the perspective of the hardcore fanbase, they are looking at it from the perspective of musicians.

One problem with that is that you could never release anything else on CD by The Beatles, or The Beach Boys, or whoever, again. Especially in this age of filesharing. It essentially shuts down the future of releasing product for those bands.

The other problem is that people like physical products. Maybe my generation, or the next one, will totally eschew CD's for cloud based MP3s but physical media isn't dead yet. Besides, I could lose my laptop tomorrow, and then all my MP3s are gone. It's a bit harder to lose a CD as they rarely leave the house.

They either edited SFF (take one) or used a different source tape from the one that collectors know of.  Take One of SFF as it appears on collector's cds contains lush backing vocals not found on "Anthology"

So Bruce had no input on this box set...

Hmmm, that explains why it's not a total disaster  ;D..

That is strange though, not one person mentioned this career spanning box set to him, incredible.

They used the same original multitrack, they simply mixed out the backing vocals. An artistic decision that I and most fans disagreed with, but it's the same uncut Take 1, just mixed differently.

Glad I didn't fork over any $ for 50 Big Ones.

Shady if it was any other band I'd be surprised.  But with this band as long as I've been following them now, nothing surprises me.

People call Brian crazy. Every single Beach Boy is nuts

I wasn't going to mention Bruce's message, but it's more than a little hard to believe the topic of this box set didn't come up at any time as he and Mike are/were touring. Unless they travel separately or something.  :)

Seriously, though, that is a baffling comment for someone in the actual band to make, you know?

The further Bruce the "Friends Hater" is away from this set, the better. Seriously. That soul-less dork hates Friends. How can you hate Friends?!! Meant For You is 20 seconds of heaven.

Hmm I just noticed there is an alternate version of "Meant For You" on this new boxset.  Curiouser and Curiouser...

Best description of Bruce I've ever heard..

"Let's take a trip down to Kokommmmoooo"

Dork!

 :lol :lol :lol

I agree with TV Forces on the rarities, but will still buy this box. I wonder what track Billy C. is referring to.....

I'm sick of RnR music, and Come Go with Me too. No, Al- I will not go with you. That was valuable CD space that could've been better allocated.

I've heard one of the preliminary remixes of Rock 'n' Roll Music, and I have to say it's actually pretty...revelatory might be a bit inaccurate, but it was pretty fantastic.  Mind you this was over 5 years ago.

Which one Billy?

Of the ones that I am familiar with, I am looking forward to the A Capella Slip On Through, because the bv's are really cool, but mixed way too low to fully appreciate. Also, the backing track of Guess I'm Dumb. That is one cool tune. :)

As I said earlier, I'm very happy with the track listing, just for the inclusion of WIBNTLA and the live version of "Wild Honey" (provided it features Blondie on vocals).  My main disappointment isn't about what's left off but the fact that this was the last shot (at least in my lifetime) to get good quality versions of true "off the wall" (by casual fans ideas) rarities.  My biggest gripes are the omissions of "Big Sur (early version)", "We Got Love", "Hard Times", "It's A New Day", "In The Back Of My Mind (1975 version)", "Honkin' Down the Highway (Billy vocal)", and "Chasing The Sky".  Including any ONE of them would have increased my delight by about 20% (and as I said, I'm already very happy with it).  To those who say "They're out there."  Yeah.  I know they are.  They're even in here (on this computer) but most of them sound like crap!  This isn't about the curiosity of hearing something "new" or having it in some form to complete my collection.  I REALLY like everyone of those recordings that I've heard and would love to be able to listen to them in the same clarity and quality as "Kokomo", "Barbara Ann", or any of the band's officially released songs.


On a almost unrelated note, I can't believe they left off "Somewhere Near Japan" (and to a lesser extent "Keepin' the Summer Alive").  We may have great quality versions of it but, along with "Chasing The Sky", these songs are exactly the kind of late period hidden gems that should be shared with the casual fans in order to get them to take a closer stuff at even the later albums of the band's career.

This is both exciting and disappointing. I imagine that the politics behind such a release must be really difficult to navigate for the compilers, so i do keep that in mind. That said, i see two problems. And i don’t mean with the tracklist (which does have obvious problems; more on that later), but with the bigger picture:

1. The fact that this box set is targeting two markets/demographics simultaneously. That doesn’t work. It sells both demographics short. Why buy the hits and album tracks we’ve already purchased numerous times over the years/decades? On the other hand, what casual fan is going to care about most of these rarities? I know that Capitol promised this would be a career spanning box set, and a career spanning box set is exactly what the news today revealed, but many of us have been saying for a while now that a set like this doesn’t make sense to begin with. It’s one product for totally conflicting markets. How many times can the fucking hits and album tracks be released? The casual fans got 50 Big Ones LAST YEAR, and god knows how many greatest hits type releases this band has released over the decades. The idea that this set will appeal to the casual fan who wants a little more than just the hits (which is spurious) is a concept that is pretty much moot in the internet age. Put out a major release that is truly for the hardcore fans (TSS was sold by the myth and PSS by critical acclaim). Which leads to the next problem i see...

2. I think Capitol, the people behind The Beach Boys brand, and even the band themselves are afraid to take a chance on the Beach Boys, to do something that is unsafe and foreign to what the band’s name represents culturally. The brand name is big business, it’s a mainstream entity, and has too many associations tied to it that i think those in charge feel can’t be undermined by presenting a big release from the Beach Boys brand that represents a completely different, esoteric side of the brand name (again, TSS and PSS don’t count in this regard).

This is something that, of course, no one wants to think about, but i really think that a dream archival release won’t be possible until several years after all of the members, or at least Brian and Mike, are gone...

Anyway, let’s not think about that. I second the idea to start a petition for BB central though. Can we do that in earnest? 


Questions and thoughts:

-What’s the early version of Amusement Parks and the alt version of Meant for You?
-Don’t Worry Baby alt lead vocal? Do we know anything about this? Never heard anything about this before.
-I wonder if Surf’s Up ’67 2012 mix (as opposed to 2011) is going to be a different take or different composite of takes than what showed up on TSS.
-SIP Live?  :o  :lol
-How can Thank Him and the original Big Sur not be on this? How in the world is that even a possibility?
-No In The Back Of My Mind ’70s version?
-The CDs themselves look nice, but the cover art and high school yearbook theme are embarrassing.

One of the things i’m most disappointed with is not only how few a cappella and instrumental mixes there are, but how they were handled. I am thrilled about This Whole World a cappella, but of all songs in the BB canon to release in an a cappella mix, Slip On Through? Really? Also, i’m in the minority with loving Don’t Go Near The Water and Transcendental Meditation, so while i’m very happy to see instrumental mixes of those two, i imagine most of you guys are perplexed and a little irked by that. There are loads of songs that could have gotten the a cappella and instrumental treatment that i think would have satiated most people. Why take up 8 valuable minutes with the (granted, mindblowing) Smile backing vocals montage that was released less than two years ago? More Good Vibrations sessions/sections? There was an entire disc dedicated to it also just recently released.

I keep reading dismissive comments about how songs that people wanted to see on here could just be found on bootlegs...Well, you think it makes more sense to release the hits and album tracks for the hundredth time than to give an official, good quality release to stuff that is only available illegally? Yeah, we can just go to youtube or a bootleg to listen to Thank Him, but we can also just go over to our CD shelves and/or computers to listen to the great majority of discs 1-4, no?

Oh well, still preordered this shasta anyway.