Compare Endless Harmony's stereo California Girls to MIC.

No takers?  C'mon try it, particularly with a good pair of headphones.

I only have the first ("fence" cover) Endless Harmony so I'm not sure of the differences between that and the second ("car" cover). 

Compare Endless Harmony's stereo California Girls to MIC.

I like it, but I also like "Problem Child" so what do I know?  The big saving grace of both for me is Carl.

And there's way too much darn treble!

This is exactly what I was posting about in "all of MIC" thread.  What I don't understand is, weren't Endless Harmony and Hawthorne CA compiled by the same people as the 2012 remasters and MIC?  Why the compression and treble on the latter?  Should we not be seeing the sound quality improve over the years?  My depressing theory is that it's yet another example of "designed for earbuds" contemporary mastering.

I see your point(s), but my comment was addressing to the overall sound of the 2012 remasters and the new box.   I'm more than happy to have speed corrections, draggy tapes fixed, etc.  With MIC I find it hard to believe that over the course of the Beach Boys entire career from beginning to present day, their music was "supposed to" sound somewhat flat and treble-y.  Like I said it's not a dealbreaker for me, just a disappointment.    Exactly the same as my reaction to the 2012 remasters, which I still listen to of course.

See, I think it all has to do with familiarity. We know the BB catalogue, and we know how we want it to sound. Other groups, we're sometimes more open to a reinterpreted sound world.

Seems to me it's just the opposite.  The greater the familiarity, the more likely one is to hear the differences across various reissues/remasters.

Overall I am pleased with the box and happy to see the inclusion of several tracks I have not heard before.  I have the same problem here as I did with the 2012 remasters, specifically, everything sounds a bit too harsh and flat.  I'm sure to get some disagreement, but to my ears the Beatles remasters sounded revelatory.  The latest batch of Beach Boys remasters sound "bright" but not "full."  It's not enough for me to be a dealbreaker.  Oddly enough, I don't notice it as much on the SMiLE Sessions.

Interesting different people's different experiences with ImportCDs and Amazon.  No one narrative has emerged...the problems seem totally random.

Pre-ordered from Amazon June 11.  Release day tomorrow.  Not yet shipped?!  Anybody else in the same boat?

Which shipping option did you select?  It makes a big difference with Amazon purchases.

I'm an Amazon Prime member so I opted for the free two day shipping.

You've probably done so already, but contact them.  I'm a Prime member and mine shipped on Sunday from Kentucky to arrive tomorrow.  I'm in PA and it's in PA today.  You should have a shipping notice.

Now marked as shipping, but delivery date bumped to Aug 29!  DRATS!!

Pre-ordered from Amazon June 11.  Release day tomorrow.  Not yet shipped?!  Anybody else in the same boat?

Which shipping option did you select?  It makes a big difference with Amazon purchases.

I'm an Amazon Prime member so I opted for the free two day shipping.

Pre-ordered from Amazon June 11.  Release day tomorrow.  Not yet shipped?!  Anybody else in the same boat?

It occurred to me looking at these pics that Cusak doesn't look like Brian but he does look like an older Paul Dano.

So there's that.

Justin you just beat me to it! 

This was posted on Brian's Facebook today.  Giamatti looks like he's dressed in character, so is it safe to assume that Cusak is too and they are filming at Oceanway?  I'm very surprised that Cusak-as-Brian isn't using more makeup to make him look at least a little like Brian??

Of course "Pale and Precious" by the Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC)

I'm discouraged to read that this is being directed by Bill Pohlad, whose chief qualification seems to be that he's the son of a billionaire and has only one other directorial credit to his name (from 1990, not well-reviewed).  The writer, Oren Moverman, also wrote the Dylan biopic "I'm Not There" which I consider to be an interesting but ultimately failed experimental film.

The broken image link pretty neatly sums it up.

I've always found this particularly moving (and at the beginning there's a slight resemblance to the Poltergeist theme):

http://youtu.be/2s0-wbXC3pQ

Also this...

http://youtu.be/qMgTCtSxOHE

...they don't call him "Il Maestro" for nothing.

I'm still hoping for high res versions.

Wow October seems far away.  This is currently a subscription gig, I hope that doesn't use up too many of the good seats.

C'mon Smiley Smilers, let's buy them!  All we need is 10,000 people to put up one dollar each.

I have such a knack for finding out about events like VDP in Pasadena after they are sold out. (sigh)

Did you check with AGD on the placement of those freckles?  I think a few of them are wrong.

When was Nicky not in the fold?  He was in the reunion show that I went to (Hollywood Bowl).

My vote goes to Keith Moon's solo album Two Sides of the Moon

http://youtu.be/f29jcB1bZLI

I enjoyed it, I think the best comments were from Stephen.  The musicologist Phillip Lambert did not go into as much detail as he does on the first DVD.  I'm still no clearer on what exactly went down during the Spring era.   Fred Vail doesn't cry during this interview but looks like he might at one point.  Brian had a lot of down time during this period and that's certainly reflected here.  The next one will probably be more interesting if they keep doing them.