There is no question that things moved more quickly then than now. Clearly, the corporate world--and let's not kid ourselves, while it was getting there then, it is nothing but that now--has a certain machinery that includes project planning. focus groups, marketing plans and the like. Everything is slow. Everything includes consultants. Everything costs money. I believe that Song Cycle was ridiculously expensive, but I have serious questions that it remains the fourth most expensive album ever, all things considered. Mr. W. Axl Rose is STILL racking up costs on an album that's nearing what, 15 years overdue? For Parks to hire real, live musicians and actually paying someone to write out their parts was undoubtedly expensive. But really, I doubt it's anywhere near fourth all-time anymore. I question the list. Just off the top of my head, Zappa's London Symphony Orchestra albums HAD to be at least equally expensive.

But isn't 'Chinese Democracy' a word pun, about something that won't happen anyway? I'd think that if I wanted to fool people, I could come up with something like this too...

So I must have a European pressing of BWPS - is it definitely worse than the US one or is it just subjective?

Moot point. I don't know the details of today. But in the '70s European pressings in general were more compressed, but the vinyl quality was better (it was also heavier); so it didn't wear much over time. Record stores in big cities did parallel ordering of U.S. pressings, however, because these simply sounded better (esp. more in the high end), more transparent. But they wore more over time; and were thinner, lighter to hold. If I am correct Euro pressing plants tended to save their needles for cutting a 'master lacquer' album by limiting the signal as much as possible. Perhaps I phrased this very amateurish, but it is definitely what I recall.
What is beyond doubt is that the French were the most notorious re: bad pressings. To be avoided at all costs.

(I must add that as a reggae collector, I can state that Jamaica was the worst of all. If you bought a so-called JA pre-release, which always was about twice as expensive as a regular LP, you were happy if the needle did not simply jump out of the grooves altogether. Clicks, hiss, scratches, the lot. I still have to see a completely flat JA LP from the '70s, by the way. What you heard was, beside the music, the sound of burgers being fried as background noise. A friend who visited a JA pressing plant way back then told me how that could happen: outside the factory, in the hot sun, there were a sort of long 'pins' planted in the ground. Newly pressed copies, still lukewarm and not hardened, were placed on that 'needle' with their spindle holes, sometimes 50 copies on each other in the oppressive heat. So often these stuck together and had to be separated again for packaging.)

I'm a bit flabbergasted that Steven is, in the Eagles' words, 'Already Gone'. That is sad. And it wasn't necessary. I for one, if I'd have a list of potential errors in my head, would've kept it to a PM at best. If I'd have thought that those errors were important in the first place, that is.
Writing is a most difficult process and even with others who do sort of a post-editing job, things can go unnoticed.
For me, the book is so valuable because at the time (1986?) it was the very first description how Denny spent his last days. Up to that point, I only knew that he drowned at the spot where supposedly keepsakes and stuff from the 'Harmony' had sunk.

Can I ask mr. Gaines politely to reconsider? Yes, I can.

Having spoken with various US friends, it would seem that the troublesome sonics are a European phenomenon - apparently the US pressing is fine.

How is the price point then for the CD-only version of TLOS? I might consider ordering it for better sound.

Are the two-fers really slowly phased out? In that case I'll have to fill some gaps in my collection. And damn... the BBs two-fers, from their original incarnation onwards, are by far the finest re-issue project by a major group that there was and is. And it stayed in print continuously for 17/18 years, which is pretty unique in itself.

Good review posted at Pitchfork: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/145112-brian-wilson-that-lucky-old-sun

How does a Pitchfork rating come about? It's surely not one man's verdict (being 7.8 in this case)?

We're sure to have sold a million copies by January.

I don't like downloading from the web at all - it's still great fun, after 30 years, to order and purchase at my loyal retailer's. And the human contact is great too. God forbid that we all will be locked in our houses, ordering via the web, and all these specialized shops with all their expertise having to go out of business. And their stores being purchased by anonymous cell phone sellers or dubious dump stores. Meh.

I have the double vinyl set, still sealed. Given the discussion about TLOS' sound quality: how was BWPS on LP received in this respect? I still have to purchase a new turntable cartridge for the event. And what bonus tracks are on it (it's in my garage after moving house)?

The sub pop single is on ebay for under $10, if anyone is curious.  I was fortunate to receive one from a friend back when it came out.  Took a few years for me to appreciate the uniqueness of the disc (if that's a word).

I'd get it for that price. The sleeve is wonderful, not to mention the odd coupling of the Beach Boys and Subpop. Reminds me of the fact that Pere Ubu released their magnificent box set on a Geffen imprint... like G.G. Allin would bring out his stuff on K-Tel, or something.

OK cheers for that. Then I'll follow Surfergirl's list of recommendations.

Can I make anyone jealous with the statement that I own 2 copies of the single: 'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times', stereo, on the Subpop label, released in 1996 to herald the release of the Pet Sounds Sessions Box Set? 

OMG I own like all their albums. I saw them live too back in 2006. Brillant band.

My favorite Stereolab albums: Aluminum Tunes, Chemical Chords (their new album), The Groop Did The Space Age Bachelor Pad, Peng, Switched On, Sound Dust, ABC Music, Cobra and Phases into the milky Night.... I just love all of them really!!

Don, I STRONGLY suggust you getting Switched On and Peng. That is their first two albums. Aluminum Tunes is fabulous as well. Lots of interesting songs on that one.

Tks a lot! I heard praise already about Chemical Chords... prolly that's the first one I'll go check out this week then!

Interesting discussion so far, thanks guys. Albums with superior sound IMHO:

Van Morrison: 'Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart', 'Sense Of Wonder', 'Common One';
Bruce Springsteen: 'Born In The U.S.A.', 'Tunnel Of Love';
Van Dyke Parks: 'Discover America', 'Moonlighting'

Just a couple of examples. No distortion, fine detail, sounding great at any sound level; and most feature quite complex arrangements and pretty large ensembles.

And: all were originally released on LP. Perhaps that's another reason.

Excuse me if this has already been brought up. But I like this band. Where the High Llamas sometimes are just a tad too sweet (although I enjoy them a lot too), Stereolab is more muscular. A unique combination between convoluted 'easy listening' stuff and Krautrock drones. Also, they are a collector's dream, I guess, although I don't need everything.

I have: Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Mars Audiac Quintet, and the box Oscillons From The Anti-Sun. Is there anything spectacular that I passed up?

Oh yes, I saw them one time in a small club. Really mesmerizing. And the great Mary Hansen, who died in a stupid bicycle accident in London, was still with them then.

I don't like it. The sound is soooo sterile and lifeless. Stewart Levine didn't have any 'feeling' for the band. Even the vocs sound as if they were generated by a computer.

Amazing that Mike hasn't sued Bruce over "I Write the Songs"...

I hear that he's planning to sue the U.S. Army and Tim Berners-Lee because he claims to have invented the internet too.

No, seriously... I have this theory that Mike was predestined to win that court case against Brian. Mike sang all those early hits almost on a nightly basis, so it should have been a doddle for him to recite them in front of a judge too. Whereas a seriously drugged Brian (by Landy), with probable memory loss, and at any rate dependent on teleprompters, would never be able to do that. So his claims, perhaps not truthful, could have sounded credible still.

(Somehow, don't know why, I am reminded of Saus Saentz sueing John Fogerty for 'imitating himself'. Hilarious stuff.)

Am I right in concluding that opinions are, erm, divided on this?

Eh... looks like TLOS and its 'satellite material' are being released in countless different formats.

This week I've been reading Catch a Wave for the upteenth time, and I still can't put it down.

Seconded. I pondered why this is. Not only is it exceedingly well written without any elitist topping, so to speak. But Carlin achieves the nigh on impossible: he obviously has a deep love for BW and his music. The great risk then is that you tend to gloss over the less wonderful aspects, paint him as a heroic survivor only, without detailing, for instance, Brian's detachment in social contexts. Carlin does both: praise the immense achievements, and tell painful details. No small feat.

I don't find anything incredibly profound in any of the lyrics on TLOS beyond Midnight's Another Day. In fact, I implied that the silliness of the lyrics was to the album's benefit.

Sure, there's more going on, yeah, but silly is silly and opinions are opinions.

Of course. But haven't almost all of us grown to love:
- If Mars Had Life On It / I Might Find A Wife On It;
- Mona / How's About An Eight O'Clock Dinner / How's About A Nine O'Clock Movie / Won't It Won't It Won't It Be Groovy?
- He Sits Behind His Micro-phone / He Speaks In Such A Manly Tone
- Hooon-kin', Honkin' On A Gosh Darn High-way

As you said, silly is silly....

I just was on the Blueboard and to my surprise a couple of experienced diehards had written that they abhorred the way TLOS is mastered. Is it really such a loud but compressed record? And is there any difference between US and European CDs, and the vinyl?

Gorgeous little stereo LP. 'Passing By' and 'Diamond Head' are superb. It took me months to 'get' the rhythm shift in 'DH', to the waltzy ukulele sound.

A few pages back there was mention of a long version of I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER.  Does anyone know anything about that?  I have a boot of a pieced together stereo recreation of IWMTLH with an occapella bridge near the end and some sort of effects added in the fade. 

The Wild Honey album is awesome, BTW.  And I'm one of the needs-to-be-in-stereo lobbyists!  Hey, gang, how about a mono/stereo twofer with bonus tracks?  Mr. Linett?

How true. WH needs to 'breath' in true stereo, and the mono version is quite suffocating. Again, it is beyond me why it wasn't done in stereo. There were many capable guys and girls around then to do that, and the only reason I can come up with is that people wanted to please Brian, who wasn't in such good spirits at the time.

Intriguing. I once was a U2 aficionado. But I am not interested in their latest output (same goes for R.E.M. actually). But even if a newspaper offered me review space, I wouldn't feel the need to use it. My thoughts: let others enjoy it. Period.

Completely off topic, Don, but have you heard REM's latest album? It's very different from the ones that immediately preceded it-- more raw and energetic.

Hmmm... I haven't heard it. My interest weaned a lot after 'Reveal'. But I might give it a try after all. But I think they never really recaptured the mystery that's present in 'Murmur', and 'Fables'. I think Fables is criminally underrated.
To return to topic: just half an hour ago I purchased TLOS (the CD/DVD set) and I'm going to play it tonight. Very, very curious (haven't heard any of the studio recording to savour the total experience).