It wouldn't have been a solo album for him if there was more Beach Boys inclusion, right?

Mike was not interested in having this album reissued on CD, let alone in high def.  He was approached several times by a legit CD reissue label and declined to proceed with a digital release.

Ponomusic.com still has the best price on all the BB titles currently on sale.

I don't mean to start an SACD/download war here, but as I mentioned in another thread here recently there are some wonderful-sounding versions of the late '60s/early '70s BB albums on prostudiomasters, pono and hdtracks (which are still on sale).  I don't believe Kevin Gray mastered these, but if you can enjoy the music and not be steered by names you'd likely find these new masterings to be pleasing, as I have.

Wow, what an amazing, high-quality discussion here.  Didn't realize my enthusiasm of the new high-res Beach Boys downloads would generate such a discussion.  I appreciate the points brought forth here by everyone, but I think  Mr. Desper is owed a greater degree of respect, whether or not you agree with all of his precepts and conclusions.

[buy the original production]

Hi Stephen and thank you for taking the time to follow this thread and to respond, you are the best possible person to be a part of this thread!  I will follow the link you've provided here and look forward to exploring all you're sharing with the community.

Keeping the conversation in the digital domain for another post, if I may, I wanted to ask a couple more questions.  After comparing this newest digital remastering of Sunflower with previous digital releases I'm hearing details that I've never heard before within these recordings, and they're not all attributable to EQ or dynamic range.  Is it possible this is the first time the first-generation tapes have been used for a digital transfer of this title?  If not, what else might you attribute the upgraded sound to?  The $1,000,000 question for me is how close this version sounds to what you were hearing when mastering the album originally in analog...

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts here, so much appreciated.

Rob

COMMENT:

I just don't understand how fans, such as yourself, would rather listen to Sunflower mastered by someone who was a child when Carl Wilson was mastering the album and has no clue concerning the final adjustments that were performed in 1970. Why buy an HD track with a dynamic range of 120dB when the album only requires 30 dB of dynamic range, far exceeded by a standard CD. Why listen to digital in the first place?

If you wish to be true to the original production, buy the original production, including the correct mastering by Carl Wilson -- available on any Artisan Record. That would be analog. That would be the complete waveform, not one made up of samples with a computer filling in the blanks, no matter how highly defined.

I can't provide you with a true analog playback, but I can get you as close as is possible to hearing what Carl and I heard in the mastering sessions for this album. That would include resolution of all the microphone arrays, something about which none of the current "new" offerings have any clue.  Make your own copy of the properly mastered album, or at least listen by visiting >>> http://swdstudyvideos.com.

I can offer no more. ~swd
[/quote]

Hi Alan and thanks for sharing your thoughts about these vs. the AP releases.  I have a few of the AP SACDs and think they sound very good, although not necessarily better then the high def flac files I've purchased of the same titles.  I know some folks are loyal to certain engineers, but what I've been getting at HDTracks and other online stores has been mostly top-rate, regardless of who's getting credit for the mastering.

Really???  If you're open to the possibility some of these high def remasters might actually sound great, take a few minutes to go to one of the sites I've mentioned (or acousticsounds.com as well) and listen to the samples of Sunflower.  You don't need to listen through an expensive system to hear the difference.  Maybe you'll decide you like what you hear and will enjoy hearing these albums in a way you've never heard them before, as many others are doing.  We're not just drinking the Kool Aid...

Not sure if there's another thread around here for this topic, but I don't see one.  There are incredible-sounding high def versions of almost all the Boys' albums available now on sites like HDTracks, Ponomusic and Prostudiomasters.  Within the next few weeks they'll all be available.  I can't believe how amazing some of these sound, especially Sunflower.  Check 'em out!

Not sure Brian would want to be buried there when that day comes.  That cemetary is just blocks away from where Dr. Landy's office was during the late '80s while Brian was working on his first solo album!

I've just spent some time A/B-ing some of the newer two-fer remasters with these 2012 reissues, and for me these are definitely a mixed bag.  I think the stereo mixes are done very well, and truly open up each track in a way that's quite revealing.  I'm enjoying listening to these new mixes, especially on Smiley Smile.  However, I think there are issues with the mastering of all the tracks on these new reissues.  Comparing mono versions of the songs with the most recent reissues they don't sound as full and fresh to me, like the master tapes have offered what they could years ago and don't have any punch left.  In particular I hear the low mids and low end in general lacking on these, which is a shame.  I believe the stereo mixes also are suffering from this mastering problem.

ITunes?  C'mon, folks!  The great thing about HDTracks is you are able to buy hi-res versions of classic albums.  I've purchased many titles from them, and have been blown away by the sound quality difference compared to CDs.  More depth to the soundstage, more depth to the instruments and vocals, better stereo separation, no brickwalling, and often no compression.

If you want to enjoy these songs in the best possible way this is the way to do it (and no, I don't work for HDTracks).  Purchase the album you'd like to enjoy, download it, make an ISO with DVD-Audiofile software, and burn it with ImgBurn.  No downsampling necessary!  This is how to fully enjoy these releases on your DVD-Audio player.  If you're content listening to MP3s or ITunes files it's not worth buying these, as you won't hear any differences, but if you're looking for the whole audio picture and have the equipment to play it on it's the best way to go, in my opinion.