I was just listening to the basic track of All I Wanna Do on those samples. Does anyone else think the drums on that might be an early drum machine? C-Man, do you know one way or another?

Definitely not; those are real drums. No drum machine could sound like that in 1969. The Rhythm King can be heard on tracks like "Lady", "'Til I Die", and "Big Sur", but is (to my ears) augmented by additional percussion in most cases. The original intro to "Lady" sounds like the raw Rhythm King, for example.

Yeah, it's Hal Blaine on drums and Gene Estes playing a shaker.

A belated thanks for your reply, C-man. Interesting, I don't think I hear a shaker on that basic track, but my ears could be bad. And there are definitely additional drums on the final track. But I agree that such a realistic snare sound was way beyond the capability of any drum machine in 1969.

I was just listening to the basic track of All I Wanna Do on those samples. Does anyone else think the drums on that might be an early drum machine? C-Man, do you know one way or another?

Definitely not; those are real drums. No drum machine could sound like that in 1969. The Rhythm King can be heard on tracks like "Lady", "'Til I Die", and "Big Sur", but is (to my ears) augmented by additional percussion in most cases. The original intro to "Lady" sounds like the raw Rhythm King, for example.

Yeah, I see your point. Drum machine technology wasn't yet making such realistic-sounding snare sounds, for instance.

I was just listening to the basic track of All I Wanna Do on those samples. Does anyone else think the drums on that might be an early drum machine? C-Man, do you know one way or another?

Hal Blaine was hired for the session, so it's at least partially live drums.  While they were using the Rhythm King as a drum machine for several tracks, (Til I Die, HELP, Lady, etc) I think this is just an example of live drumming sounding very mechanical.  But I haven't heard the session tape, so C-man will know for sure.

Thanks for the reply! Certainly if anyone would be capable of being that metronomic, it'd be Hal.

I was just listening to the basic track of All I Wanna Do on those samples. Does anyone else think the drums on that might be an early drum machine? C-Man, do you know one way or another?

Somewhat related to HeyJude's most recent post regarding the history of pitch-correction. But I always found the complaints about Brian manipulating his solo voice to be hilarious, because he did it on Pet Sounds of all records for 'Caroline, No' - Brian has always used crazy ways of manipulating instruments and vocals. I mean, if you listen closely to 'Caroline, No' you can definitely tell that something isn't right with his voice. But no one complains about that. Just an observation.

Actually, I'll be the one guy to complain about the PS album version of Caroline, No! Haha.

Once I learned that Brian's voice was altered, and then I heard the original speed version on the PS box set, I immediately felt STRONGLY that the original speed version is by MILES the best version. You lose something in the process of not hearing Brian's voice as he actually sang the song. Brian's emotions and aching longing are compromised to some degree. He doesn't sound quite right, which is especially evident when you A/B the two versions.

I honestly though I was the only person for felt that way about Caroline, No...

I'll agree with you guys as well. I far prefer the original-speed version of Caroline, No. And when I play the song, that's what I play. I just think it's far more devastating, somber and emotional. Is it still only available on the Pet Sounds Sessions box set?

28:16 of mind-numbing Shortnin' Bread bliss:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRB4zL6Myko

I can't stop listening to "Even Steven"!!

This has somehow may an incredible track even more extraordinarily inventive for me. The faster tempo, more intent concentration on the rhythm and groovier vocals on the bridge if anything make it a more exciting track to me.

And I'm only a quarter of the way through the sets!

"It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die." --Caroline, No

Who was sweet? Al.

States Al in "Don't Fight the Sea":

"The fog's closing in over me, over me
My blood's running cold, 'cause my life is on hold"

On HOLD? Or on permanent STOP? I will say no more.

So sad. Alzheimer's is very prevalent in my family so I know what a devastating disease it is. I'm glad that Glen didn't suffer one day longer. And yet his life was so worthwhile. What an incredible mark this man made on the world, as a session musician, a Beach Boy and a star.

Are we certain it was Ricky drumming at the New Years Rockin' Eve performance? In the footage I've seen the drummer is never filmed clearly enough for me to be sure it's Ricky. And the drumming sounds more tentative--not like Ricky's style and more like someone who doesn't know the repertoire like the back of his hand.

No good can from from this. 

Mildly excited for this if only to finally hear the studio take of "Lavender," rather than just the rehearsal.

Worth it for "Do You Have Any Regrets?" aka "I Do," in my opinion. There's the core of a great song in "Thank You." Too bad the lyrics are so disturbing to listen to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn9nLxUAAmI

"This Whole World"? Aren't all the vocals on that Brian save Carl's lead? Seems like a good "Wall of Brians" example to me, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Poor Glen and his family. As a man who has a lot of people with Alzheimer's in my family (we have a rare genetic early onset form of the disease in our clan), I can tell you from many heartbreaking firsthand experiences just how truly terrible and devastating it is. I hope for Glen's family that these late stages are as short as possible. Though no one wants to say the final goodbye to a loved one, once one gets to that stage, it's truly better when it ends sooner.

Let's remember the great man and musician he always was, though. Glen Campbell will live on.

Yep. One of the rare covers of a classic track that actually top the original. Insanely gorgeous is definitely the right word. And that's definitely Brian on the top part, no doubt about it.

Bellagio is your friend: http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs86.html  and then carry on into 1987.

[Brian's]

Basically the entire Capitol Records catalog is on HDTracks now.  Not sure if I'm going to shell out even more $$ for albums I own a dozen times over in a format that won't play on my iPod unless I compress them down (which negates the purpose of downloading them in the first place). 

Still waiting on a proper digital release of Brian's mono mix of the Christmas Album and the Concert album.

Correct me if I'm mistaken in believing that these mixes have never seen CD or other digital official release.

I could swear there was a mono CD release of Christmas Album not too many years ago, but that could be completely in my imaginary world.

Just got my ticket for the 10/9 show in Flushing, front row for 89 bux, cant beat that!

Yup! I got one of these too. See you there!

I do know of a performance at the Kupferberg Arts Center at Queens College in New York on October 9. I don't know if it's officially on sale yet.

Hi Jim,

Just wanted to say I've really been enjoying the cut materials and essays on the website. I found the Four Freshmen essay particularly enlightening and enjoyable. (If I recall correctly, much or most of that did actually make the book, right?) Excited about the Morgan discography. I totally geek out about stuff like that.

This list is also very useful for tracing Bruce's history:

http://www.45cat.com/45_list_view_record.php?li=1384

Great stuff, thank you all. 

Can anyone direct me to hearing Bob Norberg singing on other tracks? Youtube? itunes store?  Very curious to hear him as one poster mentioned he sounded very similar to Brian in that era.

I guess the track I'm thinking of where Bob sounds most Brianish is the originally unreleased "Ride Away" on "The Big Beat 1963". It's ostensibly a Bob and Sheri tune so one can only presume it's Bob singing tho perhaps Brian "ghosted" on the falsetto bits. He also sounds very Brianish on the original Bob and Sheri single of "The Surfer Moon" and on "the Big Beat" also on "The Big Beat 1963."  And if that's him on the lower part harmonizing with Brian on the demo of "Thank Him" (rather than two Brians) they blend uncannily well. I'm away and only have access to my phone so I'm afraid I can't dig up any links, but happy hunting!