Was wondering, is the Sweet Insanity Millennium unreleased album a better quality version of SI, or is it a fan-made remaster?.

Since the 2-fer for MIU/LA has no bonus tracks, you could always consider purchasing the individual CDs issued in Japan and probably some other territories as well.

Yea that's a possibility. Not sure what the mastering is like for those though as I assume the other 2fers are digitally re-mastered, although sometimes that can be a bad thing anyway, as some mixers idea of 'remaster' is 'brickwalling' 

Very disappointed about Bri cancelling the UK tour, had tickets for my birthday too. Will hopefully see him next year though

Don Was documentary I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES restored HD print

Yep I second this, haven't seen the doc yet as haven't seen it available for sale in the UK and Sky Arts etc haven't aired it yet (to my knowledge).

Interviews with Brian, VDP & their thoughts on the movie would be cool. Would also like to see any unreleased footage that might be available of Brian & the boys in the studio.

Have all the 2fer1's apart from the aforementioned MIU/Light Album, was wondering why is it out of print and are there plans for Capitol to re-release it as I'd like to complete my collection.

You can listen to it here, but the tracks haven't been separated though:

http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/AlternateBrianWilson+Presents+SMiLE/4630608

After briefly listening to some of it, there's some count-ins, speech etc. (during songs like H&V for example) so in that way it has a demo-ish/outtake type quality about it.

Sounds like it's gonna be really good are listening to the previews. Might have been answered, but are any of these songs one's which would have appeared on TWGMTR or are outtakes from that time period (or would have been on the next Beach Boys album?).

I've heard some of the Sweet Insanity millennium edition songs on Youtube and they definitely sound better, the sound is more clearer and sound more like an 'official' release would do. Interesting if they are remastered from the master tapes (although seems more likely the songs have been remastered with sound production software like Adobe Audition etc ) as on the other version I've listened to, you can hear it's sourced from a cassette tape.

Disappointed about missing out on asking Brian a question for the Q&A. Was going to ask about the 'Sweet Insanity' album and his favorite tracks from the album etc and also if he has heard Darian's cover of 'Do You Have Any Regrets?' (which is one of my favorite Brian solo songs).

Interesting. You mean a more explicit reference to them? I always took the cocaine verse to be about them and the pictures verse refers to his bodyguard doesn't it?

From what I remember reading, Prince recorded it and decided the lyrics were too personal so he wanted the recording wiped/deleted. Whether this wasn't & is the original version with the lyrics you've added, I'm not sure. Apparently he references Morris, Vanity ("2 friends stuck in the snow"), his ex-Bodyguard (about selling pictures), Jam & Lewis etc, but he eventually made up with them all so he decided to re-work it and this version turned up on 'The Vault' collection he did for WB. He also offered the re-worked 'Old Friends...' to Joe Cocker but he recorded '5 Women' instead which IIRC is also on 'The Vault' album.

ou know I love the original but the version of Old Friends 4 Sale released by WB is a brilliant song. Really beautiful and moody.

I think I read it in one of the Uptown fanzines or the books, but the original version of OF4S may have been deleted by Prince when he recorded it as he made references to Morris, Vanity et al in it. The one leaked is a different version (if the original source about it is correct). I also think its one of his better songs. Early Prince when he was working with The Time etc was him at his best. There used to be some outtakes up on Youtube like Prince's version of 'Train' (Mavis Staples later recorded it for one of her Paisley Park label albums), 'All my Dreams', 'Moonbeam Levels', 'Grand Progression', 'Turn it Up', 'Do Yourself A Favor', 'A Place in Heaven' etc. which are among the best of his career and should have been included on the 'Crystal Ball' official bootleg comp which was released.

OK, thanks. When I saw it mentioned on Wikipedia I was abit surprised, because I don't recall it being mentioned of them working together. Zapp were signed to WB at the same time as Elvis Costello so its a possibility it was an uncredited appearance by Roger.

Does any Elvis C fan know if he worked with Zapp frontman Roger Troutman on the 'Otherside of Summer' song?. It says so on Wikipedia, but I don't hear Roger on Talkbox, but when listening to the song, it does sound like a Roger type production.

My first album was Bad (on cassette). I prefer MJ's earlier work with his brothers and "Off The Wall" as they are more Soul/Soul-Pop.

Scream
They Don't Care About Us
Stranger In Moscow - I think in the top 5 songs of his career.
Morphine - intensely personal and I think a hell of an influence on The Weeknd and recent dark R&B.
2 Bad - sounds so much better up front and alongside songs with a connected mood.
Superfly Sista
This Time Around
Tabloid Junkie
Money
Earth Song - I think undoubtedly his best cause song and production partially because of the sinister tone.
Blood on the Dance Floor
Come Together
D.S.
Ghost - Of all the great stuff they did together, this is probably my favourite Teddy Riley collaboration.
Is It Scary
You Are Not Alone - after getting away from the time when this was everywhere at all times, it is possible to appreciate how ridiculously smooth and accomplished a track it is.
History

I think that's a good track listing for "HIStory", here's what mine would be (not including BOTD):

1. HIStory (maybe a mix without the historical references to be more 'radio friendly')
2. They Don't Care 'Bout Us
3. Stranger in Moscow
4. Come Together
5. This Time Around
6. Scream
7. D.S.
8. Money
9. Earth Song
10. 2 Bad
11. Tabloid Junkie
12. You Are Not Alone

'Smile' is a good song and one of my favourites by MJ, but I wasn't sure if it fit in with the more 'modern' sound which the songs I selected do.

Has anyone tried converting songs/albums into 432hz?. Read this article here There's an version of Pet Sounds (Mono version) at 432hz on Youtube Will be interesting to hear if anyone notices any differences between the normal version and the 432hz one. 

Think they've used an Audacity effect on it called 'PaulStretch'. Slowing down the a capella version from the Pet Sounds boxset would be interesting.

I noticed the ABC tv movie about the Beach Boys is on Youtube, part 1 is unavailable though. Anyone know where I could see the full thing?, I think there's a DVD of it but some of the tv movie has been edited etc.

Cool story, Bruce seems like a nice guy.

I've said many times that all Brian needed to do to edit together all the SMile pieces - songs, incomplete songs, instrumental tracks, party reels and sound effects tapes - was hire Zappa to edit it together.  Lumpy Gravy IS Smile without of course the songs and the Beach Boys.

Yep, even this quote from Frank Zappa could be easily applied to 'Smile'

"It's all one album. All the material in the albums is organically related and if I had all the master tapes and I could take a razor blade and cut them apart and put it together again in a different order it still would make one piece of music you can listen to. Then I could take that razor blade and cut it apart and reassemble it a different way, and it still would make sense. I could do this twenty ways. The material is definitely related."

I also definitely think Frank could have pieced 'Smile' together, but when working with an outside producer (which essentially would be the role he'd be taking), he could possibly be creating 'Smile' in his vision, unless he would be continually talking to Brian and asking him his opinion on every aspect of the editing process. Another more workable scenario is BW says something like here's the track listing and the albums sequence and find a way to put it all together. But with a project such as 'Smile' you really need to be hands on but if they worked in tandem & maybe with Van Dyke Parks too if Brian had to create additional music/lyrics to fit everything together then that would have been something. As one of VDP's Song Cycle songs is reminiscent of a 'Smile' era Beach Boys track.

For the original 66/67 then separate tracks, but if it was officially released then I would have liked it have fit together as a 'whole'
For Brian's 2004 release then 3 movement piece

Here's how I would have configured the original Smile, but segued the songs together so they are interlinked, I originally had Surfs Up as the albums closer, but wasn't sure where to place GV so I've had that as the closer instead. I've omitted a few songs as I wasn't sure how to place them and I think this configuration has more of a 'flow' to it.

1 Prayer/Gee
2 Heroes & Villains
3 Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)
4 My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine)
5 Cabin Essence
6 Wonderful
7 Look (Song for Children)
8 Child Is Father of the Man
9 Surfs Up
10 Holidays
11 Vega-tables
12 Good Vibrations
 

I'll remember to check the archives in future and thanks Mujan for the very informative reply  

From listening to both Brian's and the version of Smile from the boxset I would agree that its not "too weird"  to have sold, especially compared to what other groups and musicians were doing at the time. In fact, its very accessible music & would have been a great follow up to Pet Sounds. Although maybe from Capitol Records perspective they may have wanted a Pet Sounds II or another surf-girls-cars album (including Good Vibrations) from the Beach Boys as it would have been a guaranteed seller on the heels of Pet Sounds. Interesting scenarios on when the album could have been possibly released, I definitely agree if it predated Sgt Pepper etc then it would have been huge. It may have been answered before, but if Smile was a smash, would they have continued to go with the psychedelic style and continued being experimental, or if Smile had stiffed on the charts, would they have backtracked and stayed with the tried & tested hit formula of before?.

This has most likely been discussed before, but I was thinking, if the Beach Boys did release "Smile" what would the reception have been to the album?, from critics, fans and other musicians like The Beatles for example. Also what impact would it have had in terms of influencing/changing music, or do you think it would be an album that over time would have been appreciated but not overly praised when first released.

Along with the Unsurpassed Masters 'Smile' tracks, is every 'Smile' song and fragment now released?, or is there any still yet to be discovered in the vaults. Also I read I think it was in Brian's book, that he said about erasing the 'Smile' tapes because of the bad vibes around the Mrs O'Learys Cow or something. So I'm assuming if Brian did erase tapes, he most likely erased other fragments/songs not included on the Unsurpassed set and the Smile boxset. Although when Prince recorded the original version of 'Old Friends 4 Sale' he erased it then re-recorded it with different lyrics.

I second the Peter Guralnick recommendation. To Be Loved the Berry Gordy book is very good too IIRC about the early history of Motown etc. J Randy Taraborelli's Michael Jackson bio is worth checking out too, its been re-released quite a few times now and I think the content has altered, the earlier pressing has more J5/Jacksons stuff in IIRC.

yes.. Fool has a couple real beautiful stuff with Elvis at the piano, it seems like the songs are songs from different years which sounds kind of strange to me.. I would say it's slightly better than ROR...

Yeah Fool is patched together from different sessions, abit like how they put together compilations of some of the budget Elvis releases on RCA Camden. The title track is definitely the strongest song IMO and one of Elvis best ballads too.