Thank you Woodstock! I'm drooling now for Glasgow!

I have heard of the Talking Heads, but couldn't name any members.

In other words, it's been four decades since you ceased to accumulate knowledge about current music in any meaningful way. No shame in that, but I hardly think Pitchfork are going to take your perspective to heart.

Not fair, really. I can only name one member; I can only name two members of the Kinks, two members of REM… I could go on… point is, I'm older than CK but if I've no interest in an old band, I can't name their members.

Anybody know why the side of a red car was the cover of the album?

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,23458.0.html

You need (everyone needs!) to download Malcolm C Searle's series of PDF books about the Beach Boys' album cover art. Amazing body of work that keeps on giving.

Volume 2 covers this album and tells you pretty much everything!

It's telling Mike has constantly changing hired hands and one worn out Replacement BB while BW's band has stuck together for all these years.

Trying telling that to Andy Paley, Bob Lizik, Jim Hines, Taylor Mills, Jeff Foskett for starters.   

Apart from them Brian's band has stuck together without any changes

I certainly don't think it should be suggested that Brian's band has remained intact and unchanged. But I'd say Brian's band has had a relatively low amount of turnover for being together for 17 years now, especially with such a big band. First of all, Lizik of course is back. If we're to believe the published accounts/statements, Foskett chose to leave. Andy Paley was only brought in as an ostensibly temporary replacement for Mike D'Amico, in 2001, right?

Most accounts suggested Lizik and Hines's departures were not of their choice. Not sure about Mills. Didn't she kind of just not get integrated back in when Brian got back to touring? Simons I presume had other things on his schedule, resulting in the return of Lizik.

Whereas, with Mike's band, how many folks who have left the touring band since the late 90s have done so of their own choice? We obviously can never say for sure, but other than Christian Love and, I guess David Marks, not many others seem to have chosen to leave. Maybe Matt Jardine in 1998 if we want to count that (and that had some obvious extenuating circumstances). Maybe Phil Bardowell? So I would guess Mike has a higher involuntary turnover rate in his band.

Not that *that* is even necessarily a bad thing. It's like any other job/industry. Some people over the years were probably let go for legitimate musical reasons. Some were maybe let go because even though they were fine, someone else was wanted more. Some people (probably relatively few) have chosen to leave. Even those who don't care to see Mike's shows can objectively see that moves like Cowsill and Totten have helped the band, and that Foskett and Ike are no slouches musically either.

While Brian's band is not and has not been immune from the common industry tropes of some amount of turnover, I'd say there has been more mutual employer *and* employee loyalty *and* consistency there than many other bands, including potentially Mike. So much so that Brian got most of his band into the C50 band as well. Something tells me it probably would have been easier for Brian to just submit to having he, Al, and Dave join Mike's band. But Brian didn't do that.

Didn't Taylor leave to (successfully) start a family? She's guested on stage at least once since, I believe.

Pricing: why are Amazon UK's prices for the box and vinyl editions almost twice those being asked by the official preorder site? Is this a case of price fixing to bolster the preorder site's trade? SpinCDs has better prices but they're so unreliable when it comes to stocking what they advertise…

Best prices I've found are the official UK preorder site for the vinyl, Spin for the box and the 2cd. But, for an extra £10/£15 above what the pre-order's asking, you can go to CDjapan and get the SHM box for plenty less than Amazon UK's asking.

Why no official pre-order for the 2CD?

Anyone care to share what they've found, UK-wise?

I hope he recorded a feed from the sound board 😁

That would be cool

That was my first (oh-so selfish - I apologise) thought too… 

It's telling Mike has constantly changing hired hands and one worn out Replacement BB while BW's band has stuck together for all these years.

Trying telling that to Andy Paley, Bob Lizik, Jim Hines, Taylor Mills, Jeff Foskett for starters.   

Apart from them Brian's band has stuck together without any changes

Funny, but without those mentioned, Brian's band is even better. myKe luHv's band is in dire need of Al Jardine for his great voice not to mention authenticity.

Maybe they are better now (Bob is back on bass) but they have always been the best band out there IMHO and I don't think there has been any improvement or decline noticeable to my ears.

As for Mike's group, I agree with you! And you could apply the same logic as you have used with Brian's. Which is, Mike has made those changes to improve the band.

The point of SB's post though was not about the merits of either band, but more do with another statement knocking Mike for the sake of it.  I believe, you have also just backed me up on this one!

Small Brain's point is invalid. Can't have it both ways. Either you stay long-term because you're good, or because you've become a worn-out stand in? Bruce has earned his place in Beach Boys' history. As have Brian's band members, past and present.

Sorry… "Smile Brian" - bloomin' auto correct!!!

It's telling Mike has constantly changing hired hands and one worn out Replacement BB while BW's band has stuck together for all these years.

Trying telling that to Andy Paley, Bob Lizik, Jim Hines, Taylor Mills, Jeff Foskett for starters.  

Apart from them Brian's band has stuck together without any changes

Funny, but without those mentioned, Brian's band is even better. myKe luHv's band is in dire need of Al Jardine for his great voice not to mention authenticity.

Maybe they are better now (Bob is back on bass) but they have always been the best band out there IMHO and I don't think there has been any improvement or decline noticeable to my ears.

As for Mike's group, I agree with you! And you could apply the same logic as you have used with Brian's. Which is, Mike has made those changes to improve the band.

The point of SB's post though was not about the merits of either band, but more do with another statement knocking Mike for the sake of it.  I believe, you have also just backed me up on this one!

Smile Brian's point is invalid. Can't have it both ways. Either you stay long-term because you're good, or because you've become a worn-out stand in? Bruce has earned his place in Beach Boys' history. As have Brian's band members, past and present.

… damn this iPhone keyboard…!

Shame for those of us here with $10m burning a hole in their pocket…


Edit: adjusted to take account of inflation

Does any collector have an opinion as to whether there's an audible or difference in quality between these recent illegal and utterly reprehensible releases?:

LIVE IN THE WEST Live In Osaka, Japan 3.26.2016 (2nd Show)

YOU'RE SO GOOD TO ME Live In Osaka March 26th 2016 (2nd show)

Where are they for sale?

Does any collector have an opinion as to whether there's an audible or difference in quality between these recent illegal and utterly reprehensible releases?:

LIVE IN THE WEST Live In Osaka, Japan 3.26.2016 (2nd Show)

YOU'RE SO GOOD TO ME Live In Osaka March 26th 2016 (2nd show)

Where are they for sale?

Does any collector have an opinion as to whether there's an audible or difference in quality between these recent illegal and utterly reprehensible releases?:

LIVE IN THE WEST Live In Osaka, Japan 3.26.2016 (2nd Show)

YOU'RE SO GOOD TO ME Live In Osaka March 26th 2016 (2nd show)

Where are they for sale?

Board rules prevent that kind of information being exchanged, I understand.

Does any collector have an opinion as to whether there's an audible or difference in quality between these recent illegal and utterly reprehensible releases?:

LIVE IN THE WEST Live In Osaka, Japan 3.26.2016 (2nd Show)

YOU'RE SO GOOD TO ME Live In Osaka March 26th 2016 (2nd show)

Gotta assume this track listing for the 2Cd set is wrong:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01DB0EADI

Each CD just has the album tracks. Or is it just a mono album disc and a stereo album disc?

Yours,

Confused of the North

Happy Birthday, NPP.  It's a solid B- for me.  At first, I thought I would not enjoy the guests vocalists, but to my surprise, I Guess You Had to Be There and Saturday Night are among my favorite tracks.

My ideal track listing would have been:

This Beautiful Day
What Ever Happened
Half Moon Bay
Our Special Love
The Right Time
Guess You Had to Be There
Somewhere Quiet
One Kind of Love
Saturday Night
The Last Song

That's the ideal listing for me too.

NPP was more of a collection of overlapping EPs to my ears. The guest numbers, the suite-like numbers, the pop numbers, the slice of life numbers…

Having heard Brian's backing vocals on a couple of indie tracks - Emile H's Falling Apart and Mini Mansion's Any Emotion - I was kind of expecting something else completely of NPP. I built up an expectation that Brian was listening to and being inspired by a new generation of creative indie artists, and had every faith in his ability to, for his own album, take them on at their own game and surpass them. I had (and retain) faith in his ability and potential to do that.

What we got instead was another album belonging faithfully to the pop genre. Outstandingly good in many places, packed with brilliant ear worms, utterly thrilling even at times… but yet another pop album.

Were my expectations too high? No way. This is the guy who's shed genres like snake skins in the past, going from surf and sun to Pet Sounds and Smile in the near-wink of an eye, before morphing into something else again completely.

BW88, Imagination, GIOMH, BWPS, TLOS, WIRWFC, the Disney album and now NPP… all great to differing degrees (IMHO), but still all pop albums at heart. OCA and BWPG were something else again, as we might have expected in OCA's case, given the brilliant VDP's steering hand.

But while I really enjoy NPP, recognise if as being music Brian wanted to make at that time, and still play it (well, most of it!) pretty regularly, I wonder (and hope for) what Brian might pull out of another sleeve one day. Hopefully soon.

I do think several of the tracks could have made the basis for an outstanding Beach Boys album but hope Brian's kept a few tunes back in case that comes about!

I didn't post in the album review thread because the flak that most reviewers here came in for deteriorated at times into one of the worse examples of Brianista/Camp Love grudge matches I'd seen (at the time) and didn't want the unpleasantness. But my view's not changed over the last twelve months, and this seems to be a more honest, calmer thread.

Upshot: NPP, great in places.

Fascinating thread. Seems the day when all Smileysmilers stand together naked in a room and confess everything about their relationship with their parents, their drug use/non-use and the day they pulled the legs off a spider because their schoolmates egged them on draws ever closer.

Can I suggest that for a few hours the Mods allow an amnesty on discussion of the relevant PMs so that this issue can be cleared up openly, and anyone else who might have been maliciously misled is made aware of such.

Also, there's a danger that in not naming the alleged perp, other well-intentioned and thoroughly reputable posters might be assumed by some to be guilty. And that would not be right.

I'm also feeling a little deflated at being picked last for the schoolyard soccer team.

Stephen W. Desper, what a magnificent asset to this board. Yourself and a few others make this the board to beat all others, hands-down.

I would love to have Capitol/UM realise what a wealth of resources and more reside at your fingertips. I guess it would be the wildest dream of everyone here for the release of a series of SWD competed boxed sets with accompanying detailed books relating the minutia behind the recordings … I know that's what we have with your enlightening website, in essence, but I'm old school and love tangible (audio!) product. And it'd mean it was out there, to spread the word to music lovers who might not chance across this board and your site.

What would be the chances of such a project? If the Grateful Dead can muster up a Dick's Picks collection, and Dylan can have a (never ending) Bootleg series, surely a S. W. Desper curated choice treasure trove drawn from your own extensive archive could light a fire!

I'm sure Alan and Mark read these threads and might concur…

Here’s another new Beach Boys CD… it’s a tad expensive however 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CV04EF8/

Relax…

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01CV04EF8

Thanks John.  You saved me over $900!

I hope you remember me this Christmas…

Here’s another new Beach Boys CD… it’s a tad expensive however 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CV04EF8/

Relax…

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01CV04EF8

This is wrong on so many levels: a reissue of the 2008 vinyl reissue, due April:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001B0G5WA

Where do I get my plastic lop-eared goat?

I freely adminive been lured back to read Rockster's thread tho' I'm no rising so far as to actually post.

It's like one of those buttons that says "do not push!"

Pot plant = plant in a plant pot. Potted plant, whatever. Hadn't realised it was primarily a soley British expression. It's a British mag so they'd use a British phrase. Nothing to do with grass (not the lawn stuff… not as in law n' order… oh you know what I mean!)

It seems to me that this set would have been a perfect opportunity to include live versions of "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", and "Pet Sounds" from the 2012 tour, or maybe even a mini DVD of performances of said songs. It would have really brought Pet Sounds "full circle".

That's a nice idea (what's a "mini DVD" though?)

I'll probably spring for the lot, but over time to ease the impact on the wage packet.

As these cannot be deemed essential purchases on any humanitarian level whatsoever, I'll also be donating a similar sum to a Syrian refugee fund. Hell knows, they need it more than I really need another copy of Pet Sounds.

I regard my Pet Sounds addiction as an illness. I have a dream of a Paradise in which I have time to listen to and compare all this incarnations of my favourite album, while being served pints of Theakstons Peculiar Barista Stout by 72 blonde California virgins.

It wasn't until after I'd chosen my email address as bellagio@... that I realised there even was a Bellagio hotel in Vegas (that's the link: tenuous, innit ?), because for about 18 months thereafter I used to get room enquiries and bookings on a weekly basis. Amusing... for maybe a month.

You must excuse young Manning. He's from the northern territories, where the art of accurate temporal calculation is, as yet, undeveloped.

Temporal calculation? Everyone knows that lots of planets have a north… erm…

I'd originally typed anniversary of the 40th anniversary reissue, realised my error and half-corrected it Eeh, I am vexed!


So anyway, the two CD edition will include identical copies of the tracks Pet Sounds and Let's Go Away For a While? (Or will the instrumental version be sure to omit the backing vocal on LGAFaW?)

I wonder if, to mark the tenth anniversary of the 30th anniversary, there'll be a traditional 12-month delay while Mike rewrites the liner notes?