Scott Bennett ?

Beach Boys ??

Am I missing something here And you know you're not.

No, you're not missing anything.
Yes, I mistook the names 'Totten' and 'Bennett'. I  have long term memory issues, but I won't make that an excuse and so I apologise to both Scott Totten and Bennett. However, pointing that out in the manner you did is so typical of you, Andy.
I hope your interruption and my own reply to doesn't detract from my sincere appreciation of Scott's approach to the gig.

I don't post here all that often and I don't know if Scott Bennett will see this or not (and in the greater scheme of things, I guess it doesn't matter...heh) but I'd like to say that based on what I've heard via YouTube - and not taking anything away from anyone who has come before - that Scott has done an outstanding job (rhetorical question, but how do you make it sound so 'big'?) with the Beach Boys - so much so, I'd love to hear/see them if they ever come to Scotland in the future.
Couple of specific questions/comments: great guitar playing, that while different from Carl still manages to sit in there and 'swing'. Also, during the 50th tour - was that a pull-string on Cottonfields? Either way it was cool and the icing on the cake.
And generally, thanks for treating that music with the respect it deserves.

Can't add anything for Brian, but I know as far as amps are concerned Carl also owned and used an early(ish) Dumble 'Overdrive Stinger'. And although it wasn't played (or so I'm told) during a UK tour - think it was '69 - he also had a Paisley Tele on the road at that time.

Lot of good quality videos in that channel...

"Cottonfields" really rocks...they're jamming out on that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJuQtLf_od0&feature=relmfu

And it sounds like someone (Scott Totten?) is using a b-bender/pullstring. It's hard to see on my phone...

Good post. And specifically -

Though what I was told by some old timers is some engineers were proficient enough with cutting tape that they could actually edit out specific tracks by cutting into PART of the tape.  That blows my mind, but apparently some people could do it.

I've seen an old BBC engineer doing this with a pair of scissors. Amazing.

A device called the Eventide Harmonizer apparently did it too. My (entirely uninformed) guess is that the BBs first used pitch correction -- in some form -- on BB85. There are arguably some sampled vocals on there, and my guess is Steve Levine did something to BW's vox on the album.

Yes, that was one application for the H3000. Back then the wonderfully named 'Publison Infernal Machine' was another option.

Along with the aforementioned method of varying the (tape) speed, a notch in the EQ at the right place can also give an apparent shift. Kind of hard to explain, but it removes anything that conflicts with another part of the track but still leaves much of the vocal intact. Maybe Stephen Desper or Mark Linnet could expand on that - without necessarily commenting on Brian's track - and add some more insight?
Perhaps the typically contemporary uses of Autotune makes some people quickly write it off as a bad thing or a sign of the artist needing a helping hand. But engineers have always been able to augment performances. I believe one of the benefits of such as Antares is simply to speed-up a process that once took a lot longer.
As for the track itself, I think 'The Like in I Love You' sounds very nice, and I'm happy to have new material from Brian to listen to.

I can access via the following ISPs - Virgin/Ntl and BT
For a few months now I've not been able to access via - Sky/Easyet and Orange.
These are in the UK.

Im sure this has been documented elsewhere before, but for a time Carl also used an amp built by Howard Dumble (think Al might have had one too) and for a shorter period a Tom Mitchell amp (not the repair guy).

Also, during the sixties on a UK tour he had another Tele - one with a paisley finish. Back then my uncle was a photographer who shot a lot of artists during that era in the UK. Although the negs are long gone he had some photos of Carl backstage with the paisley tele and also a few of the tele itself (my uncle had never seen that finish before). Every once in a while he finds and scans some 'new' stuff, but he tells me the Carl shots are definitely long gone.

e: I don't recall, but I think the paisley finish was introduced on production models in 1968. The gig he shot was probably in Scotland.

If anyone's interested, I think there are a still a couple of videos on his site in which he mentions working with the Beach Boys.

http://www.scottmathews.com/

I just thought I'd add my own recollection on hearing Sunflower.

The time must've been either mid or late 70s. I was about eleven years old (I think) and I'd bought the album during lunchtime at school. I don't remember what else I'd heard of  by the band by that time, but I was aware of their music beyond the surfing and car stuff.
I got home and went to my bedroom, put the album on the turntable and plugged in the headphones. Slip on Through was first up - and right away I noticed that this recording sounded different.  At the time I'd been recording my own music in a very primitive way (pre Portastudio days - anyone who's tried to do sound on sound with two el cheapo cassette players will know what I mean...) and so I was already open to the idea that engineering could go a huge way to determining the sound of a recording. My next thought was to stop listening and go down to eat, as I wanted to devote some real time to what I'd just heard.

Afterwards I settled down on top of my bed, headphones once again in place and listened. This Whole World changed a lot of my thinking about recorded music. The first time I heard it (and got over the chord changes) I found that again the sound was captivating and challenging. If there were signposts in my musical life then that track was the biggest. Even now it's something I alway focus on amongst the other gems on that album.

And now many years later and I'm more aware of music, recording, and also my own personal tastes. But when I think of Sunflower I try not to dissect it or examine it too closely anymore. I much rather prefer to allow details in those recordings make themselves known in the wonderful manner that they do.
To my mind Sunflower is the product of everyone involved in it (of course) but at the right time for them. From the writing to the engineering, the arrangements, the production and the performances - everything came together and combined into something much more than its parts. I can't even compare it with Pet Sounds, as I believe that Sunflower is the finest group effort I've ever had the pleasure to hear.

I'd bet that was the song Al wanted to run through on acoustic, because from what I've heard the BBs performance of "Winds" at Knebworth was one step away from completely winging it.

I'm sure that's what it was. Thinking more about it now, I'm positive he was playing through a few of the changes while his request for a run through was falling on deaf ears.

Many years ago I heard a board recording of the soundcheck. While it was interesting it was difficult listening. But Good Timin' didn't seem to stand out as being any better/worse than anything else. One thing I do recall is Al wanting to run through a tune, and it seemed that everyone ignored his request. Eventually he said something like "Oh well, I'll just do it with an acoustic guitar".

A review that's not only insightful, but also thoughtful. Thanks for that.

It was more a reference to the sound of Adrian's voice on CR and such as Still Surfin'.

I'm sure Adrian Baker sang on Crocodile Rock. Sounds like him anyway - and if so it's a link to SIP.

Ed, I'd just like to add my own appreciation and thanks to you for sharing your insights. And I don't believe you kill any threads - far from it; your time and what you post is deeply valued.

Don't Worry Baby.

Ed, I'd just like to add my own thanks to those already posted. I remember over the years seeing your credit attributed to many memorable photos of the Beach Boys. And I appreciate you now taking the time to further add to what you've already documented of their story.

Is it me or is the Rolling Stone video player barely working?

Worked better for me when using Internet Explorer instead of Firefox.

Privet!
Ya ne znau chto Brian puteshestvie - Moskva. No, ochen horosho!
Spasibo za video.
Poka!

BTW, I just found out that the melody of "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" was completely stolen from the beginning of the song "She's So Fine" by Flash Cadillac & The Contours. That's sad, I love that melody.

Although the band date from the late 1960s, I'm sure that tune is from the early 1970s.