I am trying to learn the guitar instrumental for "Honky Tonk" but noticed that the song is a.) fast and b.) ~20 cents sharp from A 440.

As I have been researching, it seems like Varispeed was common?

If so, what was the actual tempo/pitch for this song and how do I adjust that on a YouTube video?  I would like to learn as accurately as possible

Thanks!

This is definitely belated but I got lost in work and Thanksgiving.

I saw Brian in Atlanta just a month ago now. 

Going to avoid repeating common sentiments too much so I'm just going to give general observations/thoughts:

1. The opening act from Ireland was surprisingly good.  It was a thirty minute set and the male from the duo was highly complimentary of Brian and appreciative of being on tour with "perhaps the greatest pop songwriter of the 20th century."  He also noted how most people hated opening acts, etc. so he was mindful of that.  All in all, they did a good job.

2.  Blondie acted a little strange this go around.  He is always energetic but he seemed a little....extra... this time.  His delivery of "Feel Flows" was off enough to be distracting but "Sail on Sailor" was fine. I'm speculating that maybe he was a bit under the influence?  I only bring this up because the person I went with even said something was weird and she didn't have past performances to compare against.

3.  Brian definitely was squirming in his seat and touching his face and hair pretty regularly.  His singing was off beat and missed his parts a few times. The band did a good job going with it though.  For example, on "That's Not Me" Brian didn't sing Mike's fade out part but the band did a good job playing it out and really highlighting the awesome instrumental track that it is.  The 12 string and organ really were locked in and it was really nice to hear that cool little 12 string lick play out live.

4. Rob Bonfiglio did a really nice job.  I have seen the Pet Sounds show with both Matt and Rob and I can't complain about Rob at all.  In fact, I think one of the highlights of the show was Rob's delivery of "Don't Worry Baby."   He really sang it heartfeltly and with the emotion the original recording has.  You can really see he was feeling this one through his body language and gestures. I felt chills go down my spine. 

5. It was touching when Al changed the lyric during "IJWMFTT" to "he" instead of "I" and gestured with his head and hands towards Brian as the song hard ended.  Al's eyes were closed and had a bit of a bittersweet look on his face as he did this. I think he senses something as well. This song took on a completely new meaning for me watching an old Brian sound and look a bit worn down. For the first time live that I have seen him (5th time for me), he had that weight of the world on his shoulders look again.

6.  "Caroline, No" was just the cherry on top in terms of an end of an era vibe I got.  The album was originally from the perspective of a young man towards life and love.  Now it's meaning has changed. It's more of an old man looking back at himself.  The song is more about Brian than about Carol at this point.  When the train sounds kicked in, I had this weight on my chest and shoulder feeling like "wow, this really is it.  End of an era.  Can't believe it. "

7.  Brian actually kicked back into gear when he closed out with "Love and Mercy."  Now that I think about it, he seemed a bit more "on" with the GH segment and his encore than with the Pet Sounds stuff.  Granted, he wasn't in his best form regardless but he sang way better on "Love and Mercy" than he had at any point beforehand.

On the ride back, we listened to the Sunshine Tomorrow album and the a capella version of "Surfer Girl" came on and I nearly lost it.  Luckily I couldn't since I had to really focus on the road with all the rain.... but damn.... no one does it better than the Beach Boys. Sorry to see it all fade away.  Thanks for the memories and soundtrack to my life.

I was going to be in Detroit and thought about going to the May 4th show in Windsor, only to see it postponed.  We'll see if the timing is right in November.

Same here! Which seats did you get?

I have bought this album on both iTunes and CD form the last 10 years so I know I’ve dknt my part in the past

With that said, I saw the vinyl version at Barnes and Noble yesterday and wanted to know if my buying it at the store would actually affect the ranking. I have a hard time believing half that stuff gets reported to the proper parties. I can see how digital download would be easily reported since it’s all automated and just a few platforms are in the business. However, I just don’t see how your local bookstore is really going to be on the ball.

Also, don’t double albums count as two?

I’m really tempted to drop the $25 for the double vinyl since it’s a great compilation in any format and I’d love to help the sales rankings out. I figure since so few albums are ever actually bought, it’d probably have a meaningful effect especially if the board here did the same. I’m not saying we’ll get it to #1 but didn’t someone say how like 4-5 actual album sales is enough to get you in the top 200 or something?

The "Peggy Sue" remake is fine; it's nothing special, but I appreciate that request selection more than the guy that asked for "Student Demonstration Time", or the people calling in asking for stuff they're already playing a dozen times per day (California Girls, Barbara Ann, Surfer Girl, I Get Around, etc.).

Should I call in and request "Darlin'?"  Seems like it hasn't been played enough.

I think they choose the "requests" that roughly match the playlist selection.  A confirmation bias of sorts.

The songs I seem to get everytime I tune in is "I Can Hear Music" and "Spirit Of America".

I'm getting "Spirit of America" the most as well.  "Darlin'" is starting to gain ground.

To add to my previous "list of awe inspiring moments:"

1. I hadn't heard "A Young Man is Gone" over my car speakers or gone out my way to listen to it except when I spin the LDC album.  Wow... that song definitely sent a chill down my spine even though I've heard "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring" plenty.  
2. I have been fascinated with the album and 45 version of "Cotton Fields."  I think the album version plays the most from what I can tell, but I have been listening to the two versions one after another in my free time.  Al definitely was right to re-record the song since it needed a bit more energy to make it as a single.  With that said, I really dig the Smiley Smile/Wild Honey/Friends production style on the album version. The detuned piano so prevalent on those albums as well as the laid back production style are rather pleasant and folksy.  At that point, I think that style had become rather second nature to Brian who, probably without thinking, slapped it down on that but it still makes for great listening.  I love the instrumental break that features just the piano on the album version.  It's such a chill, restrained sound yet very powerful emotionally.  When they re-recorded the single version,  they replaced it with vocal parts which gives it the energy needed and has more of the Beach Boys power pop feel that we were used to before SS.  I find it interesting how Al songs have been re-recorded for different release purposes.  "Help Me, Rhonda"  and "Cotton Fields" both got second looks.  Probably just a coincidence but still interesting.

Did anyone catch the “Let’s go away for awhile” hard transition from “Girls on the Beach(?)” a few hours ago?

I think it directly followed it but I’m kind of blanking in the exact song previous to it. Regardless, it made me jump up in my seat almost since that immediate drum hit it pretty jarring plus the the upright bass is very prominent. I’m glad I had the volume pretty high because that was the best transition I’ve heard yet and is such a powerful instrumental.

I wonder if any point they’ll spin entire albums. On the Beatles channel they played an entire Sgt. Peoper documentary and i think even played the album from start to finish. I think it’d be the ultimate tribute if they dedicated a week to an album and played it from start to finish once a day for the week. I remember Pet Sounds blew me away the first time I ever heard it so I can imagine hat happening to other listeners.

They can play the first half dozen records in their entirety and keep with the summer theme easily. Beyond those, you have your classic post-surf Beach Boys records to evolve into. I’d also like to hear live albums in full and BWPS since I think that’s a masterpiece in its own.

Good thing too, most of the records from start to finish barely pierce 20 something minutes.

Sounds of Summer is great! The cover art is on point, the title, and the track listing is really solid also, even if if slightly heavy on early hits.

Just replace "Kokomo", "Rock and Roll Music" and "Barbara Ann" with "You're So Good to Me", "The Warmth of The Sun", "It's OK" and "Little Honda" and this would be the best thing the Beach Boys ever put out (no deep tracks needed - this is Sounds of Summer after all and it should focus on the early hits!).

You're So Good to Me, Warmth of the Sun, It's OK, and Little Honda were all included on the companion collection to Sounds of Summer called Warmth of the Sun. 

Sounds of Summer gives you all the big hits.   Warmth of the Sun includes plenty of hits like the ones mentioned with some essential album tracks.   Combined, SOS and WOTS provide an excellent 58 track overview of The Beach Boys. 

I 100% agree.  I have a dedicated playlist on Spotify of just those two combined.  I'd hands down make that my desert island album (I think you could make a case for that being "in the spirit" of the concept).

I have to admit grabbing screencaps of (mostly) slightly off-kilter track selections on my phone is way too much fun for such an inane activity. I've been posting a bunch in groups on the Facebook page (link below), but here are a few random fun (relative) weird ones:

Something about seeing "The Beach Boys - Problem Child"  printed out so officially made me "lol" pretty hard.

"Heroes and Villains" from BWPS on right now.

They found BWPS !

They played "Roll Plymouth Rock" on Sunday. 

My thoughts upon reading this thread and actually listening to the station in my car:

Songs I've heard the most:

1. "Spirit of America" by FAR.  I've heard it five different times since last Friday! 
2.  "Do it Again" w/ "Workshop" tag.  I've heard this nearly as many times as "SOA."
3. "Cotton Fields"    Ditto
4. "Long Promised Road"  I've heard the album version twice and a live version once.
5. "Cool, Cool Water," "Rock and Roll Music," and "Match Point of Our Love," "Johnny Carson" at least twice.
6. "Disney Girls" album and Bruce solo version.

General Thoughts:

I have never been to keen on the Sirius/XM music stations at any point (I've had it for years) in my subscription experience.  Because of that, I had it mostly for the news.  The Beatles Channel changed that for me last year, but the Beach Boys channel has had me not change stations even once.  In my opinion, this is way better than the Beatles station.  The playlist is better done and I personally would rather listen to a Beach Boys' "oddity" over an obscure George Harrison solo track (no offense to him!).

I like not having any say in the song selection as it forces me to listen to songs I have never heard before; songs I didn't care for too much now with a new ear; or songs I wouldn't normally play.  In other words, it keeps me on my toes and out of my normal groove.  To the comments about "you could just hit shuffle," I don't think it is the same experience.  The radio makes you listen all the way through. No skipping, pausing, etc.  Your only option is to temporarily abandon the station and jump back in when you deem appropriate.  That simple fact makes "simply hit shuffle" not be the same.  It is too tempting to pause, replay, skip, etc. when the option exists.  I sure know I act upon those temptations when I hit "shuffle" on Spotify.

I have a new appreciation for a few things.  I used to think "Rock and Roll Music" was cheesy, but after hearing it twice all the way through, the bass synths in that song make it for me.  Totally a Brian arrangement and it wouldn't be the same with the off beat synth jabs in the chorus.  I also realized how "hypnotic," for a lack of a better term, the background vocals are a la "Marcella." I had definitely underrated this track and won't in the future.  I also appreciate the beauty of "Long Promised Road" even more.  I had always liked it, but the backing vocals in the chorus have a clever arrangement that would be tough to replicate without careful listening. Also the outro's "I love to see you" is heart warming and kind of puts a tear in my eye.  So simple yet soulful.  And finally, "Cotton Fields" has always rocked and should be in contention for Al's best vocal, but the wordless pre-chorus has one of the grooviest Mike/Brian combos ever.  While only lasting five seconds, their vocal blend create such a euphoric moment within an already upbeat song.  I definitely think this is of the best sounding examples of Mike's bass vocal ability and timbre.  Finally, the song arrangement is awesome in general and hearing it a few times in rather quick succession makes me realize it even more.

These last few days also have made me reflect upon the "Brian's voice" debate.  I had never listened to his MIA and LA vocals so I assumed his voice after Love You would be some derivative of that until his 80's and beyond voice.  After listening to "Match Point" for the first time ever, I realized that his 1976/1977 era voice might not have been as damaged as we are led to believe.  Sure, he didn't help his case with drug use, but the laryngitis and purposeful attempts at singing "more manly" could explain a lot of that gruff effect.  I came to that conclusion after comparing his lead vocal to the "I'm on my way to sunny Californi-a" bit in "California Saga" and his lead lines in "'Til I Die."   In addition, his background vocal also sound eerily similar to those on Sunflower through Holland.  As a matter of fact, in "Marcella" his voice has a bit of the timbre you hear in "Match Point" (for those who can't remember, he is clearly singing the "Heeey Marcella" parts in the outro fade in a lowish/manly voice with a tinge of his late '70s rasp)  Of course, his voice isn't 100% as smooth in the high register as it had been 8-10 years before, but it wasn't wildly different from the '70-'72 period now that I compare.

I'm sure I'll think of more but this has been in the front of my mind the last few days and have been dying to share.

I enjoyed the "Love and Mercy" into "Love is a Woman" transition ... 

Heard that too!  I love Brian's vocal especially during the "love is a woman" fade out refrain.

I like both actually.  Mike's voice sounds great, along with Al's, on "A Casual Look."

I had a hard time, at first, getting into the "BB go oldies" period.  I would skip those type tracks on greatest hits comps and I was lukewarm to 15 BO.

I finally was at a public pool in Italy and they were playing Sounds of Summer over the loudspeakers. I couldn't help but listen to every song and when "Come Go" came on on I was pleasantly surprised. I thought Al's voice was spot on and I love the acoustic guitar sound as well. The bridge was what sold it to me.  After that I got more into the BB's later stuff and love the occasional spin I give 15 BO.

That summer afternoon at that pool will always be a great memory for me.

On Spotify at least, was the album mono version "Little Saint Nick" replaced with the single mono mix? The only album version of the song I can find is the 1991 stereo mix of it.

The Live in Chicago release (currently on Spotify) really has got me going again.

I was wondering, would it be possible for this message board to push a Beach Boys song to number one?

I think in honor of all the great things this year BB related, I think we should try to get a song high in the charts (at least iTunes or something). I know most of us own multiple copies of each song but I wouldn't mind throwing down a few bucks in order to honor Paul Dano, Brian and the gang.

So what's the best way to get this accomplished? Listen to a particular song on repeat on Spotify or what?

Also, let's nominate a song!  I nominate "You Still Believe in Me."  It was nicely showcased in Love & Mercy and I think the Christmas-y sound and relatable lyrics for the holiday blues could win over new listeners.

First way to tackle this:  Going to select out of the various BB "phases" since it's not fair to put up a '62 tune against a '66.

Car Song:
"Little Deuce Coupe" - Love rolling bass line, the shuffle tempo, the drumming, and singing.  Always energizes me.

Surf Song:
"Catch a Wave" - The backing track always gets me going and the vocals shoot to the stratosphere. 

Transition Phase Song:
"Help Me, Rhonda"  - Awesome everything. Al never sounded better.  Kick ass backing track and again I love the shuffle tempo.

Brian at his Peak Phase:
"You Still Believe in Me" - I downloaded the 40th Anniversary version of Pet Sounds on iTunes and listened to it instantly. I was pleasantly surprised but that was about it.  I put the CD on in the car later that day on the way to a movie. When "YSBIM" came on with the counterpoint vocals, the harpsichords, the bass, etc I was blown away.  My fandom began on that December 2008 night and I finally "got it." From then on the BBs became the soundtrack to my life.

Post-Brian:
"Feel Flows" - Probably Carl's best song.  I love the engineering, the background vocals, the atmosphere, etc.  Such a cerebral song.  This song I normally play for people who've never listened to the BBs and they tend to like it.

Second Way: Pay no regard to time period.  In no particular order I must add but I've tried.

1. "Don't Worry Baby" - The background vocals are soothing to me and relax me when I'm feeling tense or stressed.
2. "Help Me, Rhonda" - I love singing at the top of my lungs whether I'm in a bad mood, sad, depressed, elated.
3. "Good Vibrations" - Probably the happiest song I know. Mike's lyrics ROCK and we all know it.
4. "Please Let Me Wonder" - Words can't describe this song to me.  I love Brian's vocal in the register.  Not very often that we hear him sing in this range. 
5. "God Only Knows"/"Forever" - No need to explain. I always have considered "Forever" as the double A side to "GOK."

Other Favorites that are a mixed bag:

1. "Make it Good" - When I first heard this I almost cried. This song is like the meaning of life/love.  The violin swells and Dennis's vocals are all it take. 
2. "You Need a Mess..." - I love Carl's vocal and how hard it rocks
3. "Marcella" - I love the fade out. I love hearing Brian's scratchy voice repeating "Hey Marcella" in the left channel.
4.  "Surfer Girl" - Makes me want to cry sometimes too. Especially the first time I heard it.
5. "In My Room" - This song hits close to home to me. I remember hearing it in high school and it really spoke to me.
6. "Keep an Eye on Summer" - Great bridge
7. "And Your Dream Comes True" - Makes me think of my ex and how much I miss her.  I would listen to it for the months that we wouldn't see each other and it created a bittersweet feeling.

I could go on and on but I think this is a representative list.

Holland shouldn't even be on this list, but I'll take it. If Holland was left off this list like it should have been, than I would take Light Album

I think there are plenty of gems on there but I think it's more of a 3 star album than a 2.5.  I think the album is a bit too turgid to be great but I enjoy the whole Holland mystique (Brian missing his flight because he fell asleep in the terminal, Jack Rieley's stories, how cool they looked then, and the South African additions).  I also think the guitar solo on "Steamboat" is sublime.  I think they were on the right path but for reason the album falls a little short.  Regardless, I listen to it plenty and it's definitely one of my favorites.

[Stack-O-Tracks]

Stack-O-Tracks is my guilty pleasure. I have it on the 2fer with Party!, which I never play (the 45 version of "Barbara Ann" is all the "Party!" I need).

"Salt Lake City" is worth the price of admission alone. But every track is a gem, varying from uncut to finely polished.

I'll have to agree with you on Stack-O-Tracks. The instrumental tracks are a great "motivator" while at work since the lyrics aren't there to distract when I'm needing to just get focused. "Catch a Wave" kicks ass as an instrumental.  I love the bass and drum combo.

I'm caught between Little Deuce Coupe and 15 Big Ones.

I think the former has a lot of energy and I like the crunchy guitar sound. There are a few duds here and there but I don't really tire of it upon repeat listens. It also has all my favorite car songs and a few gems like  "Custom Machine, and "Cherry Cherry Coupe."  Oops! I can't forget the killer "Our Car Club." Isn't the drum/guitar combo just killer plus Mike and Brian's standout vocal performance? This song really rocks.

The latter I love the "Brian's Back"/IDGAF attitude that permeates the tracks. The production is stellar for a guy not really "there" anymore. "Blueberry Hill" really is amazing when everything kicks in. Well done Brian!

I also think Carl sings great on the album ("Talk to Me" has one of my favorite Carl vocals), and hell, Brian is pretty good despite the damage to his voice. "Just Once" has a great Brian vocal especially when he chimes in with "and baby...". You can tell that he's at his vocal maximum just uttering those lines as evidenced by his voice cracking. So punk!

The Beach Boys obviously have a fantastic discography, be it a classic like Pet Sounds, or a gem like Wild Honey and many other great albums that do not get the respect they deserve outside fan communities (looking at you Today!).

If you're a super fan like most people on this forum you probably have guilty pleasure albums (I sure do!).

In that case, what is your "Desert Island" sub-par album? (i.e. less than three stars according to All Music)?  Please explain your choice.

I personally enjoy most of their supposed "sub-par" albums and wouldn't mind being stuck with even one "crappy" BB album forever.  Half the time, it seems, they are bad because of rush jobs, inner-band issues, or simply not caring.  Even then, what is considered even "bad" by The Beach Boys still has the ability to move us, or have our toes tapping. 

It's hard to say that for a lot of other groups.  Supposed 3-4 star album for a new artist ends up being atrocious in my eyes... and now it's customary to release an album once every 1-2 years!  These are supposed to be grand works and they still end up falling flat.

Here is the list. I know All Music isn't always loved here, but just for the sake of this question, we will use their ratings as the standard:

Surfin' Safari     
Little Deuce Coupe
Beach Boys Concert
Stack-o-Tracks
Holland
15 Big Ones
Beach Boys '69
M.I.U. Album
L.A. (Light Album)
Keepin' the Summer Alive
The Beach Boys
Still Cruisin'
Summer in Paradise

A. "Here Comes the Sun"
B. "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone"

I think the "A" side would be sublime with the background vocals engineered/mixed like they are on Sunflower.  

The "B" side I could see as entertaining with John and Carl singing a duet (in unison).

Regardless, I love both bands equally but their styles would be kind of hard to blend in some senses.

I'd actually enjoy a folk-rock sound (like the Byrds) from the two.  Beach Boys' Party! meets Rubber Soul would be awesome.

Jack Rieley. Enough said.

Interesting post.

I would approach this from a business perspective.

In a given year I spend a fair amount of money on BB vinyl, CD's, or concerts.  This year I will probably end up spending about $800 not to mention the $9.99/month on Spotify that I usually listen to BB music anyways.  This year has been abnormal with my stocking up on AP pressings and buying tickets for my parents to go see BW in Atlanta with me. So let's say I spend $400 (plus Spotify) in a given year on average.  So that's $520 in total and let's say that the inflation rate is 2% and that there is declining marginal value in purchasing records and going to concerts (there is only so much to buy!  ).  I'll say that it declines at 3 percent a year compounded.

The time and value I get from analyzing vocal arrangements and practicing them, playing the piano and guitar alongside the Keep An Eye on Summer sessions, going on long walks and listening to Wild Honey or Holland, and other emotionally satisfying ways to spend time (such as reading Mr. Desper's posts over and over), I'd value at about $65/hour since I value my leisure at a premium to my wage rate.

There are 8760 hours in a year and let's say 4 hours a day, on average, is BB related.  In a year, derived value from leisure in this case would be $94,900 which would grow on a compound annual basis at 3%. (I hope to make grow my earnings over and above inflation!).

I probably have 65 good more years left and I'll assume a discount rate of 8% per annum. 

That calculates to a present value of $1,192,750.00. 

So you would need to pay me that amount roughly to get me to give them up, financially speaking.

At an emotional level, I'd say it'd take about a million dollars to make me feel that it was worth it so my math more or less is in synch with how I truly value the Beach Boys inwardly (listening to "Please Let Me Wonder" for the 10th time on my walk to hear the beautiful backing vocals) and outwardly (purchases).