Thank you soo much Mark for that great post, you don't know how helpful and kind of you that was.

I guess you're right, i'll jsut wait and see.. but then again, maybe Capitol won't release anything and just go on with compilations again as we said earlier.

This is indeed amazing quality and true vinyl replica! my Doors collection "vinyl replica" looks very cheap compared to this !!!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510MdBWS4WL.jpg

No problem

I was tempted by that Doors set as it is such a great price, it's a nifty collection but, as you say, you know you're getting a thin sleeve rather than a vinyl replica.

Check how L.A Woman was done in Japan, proper shape cover, yellow inner sleeve, clear window w/band's faces etc;

http://www.minilps.net/doors/l-woman-wpcr-12721/front-with-yellow-inner-22745

However the set you have is probably half the price of that one CD for all the albums in a nice box.  I was tempted by Randy Newman's first 5 albums in a similar set. 

I never heard of those mini lp specific boxes i think.. do you have all the BB albums like that? everyone of them ? Party!, All Summer Long, "So Tough", L.A. Album, Keeping The Summer Alive, ect...?

Currently I have all the studio albums from Surfin' Safari through L.A.  If I do a last 'hardcore' sweep it would be rounding up KTSA, 85, In Concert, Live In London, Stack O Tracks and Concert. 

Tempted by the Mini LP TLOS and VDP's Song Cycle also.... 

What's that white thing the cds are in tho ? are you keeping them safe into a book for cds or something?

That's actually the back of the SMiLE sessions set hardcover book!  Needed a white background for the pics

I keep 'em in a standard CD box but will probably get a few mini LP specific boxes soon.

How is the sound quality? Is the sound quality better than the U.S. releases?

These are EMI Music Japan Mini LP (CD's) with paper sleeves with the OBI strip. They're VERY well done and cover almost every regular released Beach Boys album (Capitol, Warners, Caribou) plus original artwork.  They have a "TOCP" designation for each CD of the series.

Sound quality for these is pretty much the same as the US releases, the 70's albums are the same versions of the twofers definately.

As Mikie says these are largely the same releases but (whether it's EMI or a separate company) in Japan they package the same releases/reissues in a really cool way.  Again to echo Mikie they really are very well done.

Also Mark, for how much did you get those ? did you buy them online ? where ?

A little story as it was a holiday to Japan which allowed the collection to start!

I would see them from time to time when I was younger, various releases for various bands as expensive imports in some record shops, they were always in my mind as a 'dream purchase!'  Visited Japan last year and the multi floor (8 I think!) Tower Records in Shibuya was a music geeks heaven as they had mini LPs for loads of bands as standard.  Got to the Beach Boys section (normally Pet Sounds and some hits CD's) and was met with every frickin' studio album as it's own mini LP!!!  I just got Sunflower as it looked so cool and was concerned at blowing too much dough.  However before we left for home I went back at got Pet Sounds through Holland 

I don't think I would have imported before due to price/uncertainty of quality etc but seeing them all in person (and having holiday money to spend) I couldn't resist!  Glad to put pics up to reassure/show others about the quality.

Since then I have got more here and there by ordering from cdjapan.co.jp.  It's a great site and you know it's straight from 'the source' and new/mint condition. They work out as about £20/$30 an album (seemed to be the standard price for most albums in Japan) but obviously shipping and possible import duty on your end jacks the price up a bit.

Search 'Beach Boys (or whatever your looking for) Cardboard Sleeve' and that should bring up all the mini LP releases.

If any are out of print there are some good ebay sellers in Japan.  Avoid Russia and China on ebay as the fakes are rife, you can tell by the far cheaper prices!

[I would love a full catalog, two discs for each album, stereo and mono for everything, reissue program myself. Clear the vaults.

Now see i don't know what to do, should i jump  on these beautiful MAGNIFICENT japanese vinyl replica but that can be quite expensive, or should i just wait ? i mean is it official, are Capitol really gonna re-release all the albums SEPARATELY and in mini-lp design if so, i might as well try and wait and see if it's as good and not as expensive.

When I saw the 50th anniversary news I did think 'oops have I just spent prematurely on these when a 'perfect box set' (ala Pink Floyd Discovery/Beatles Mono etc) could be coming?  However I've consoled myself with the idea that if they do issue such a release the 'mini lps' within wouldn't be of the same production quality etc.

If I were you Ziggy I would wait it out and see what comes down the pike, then at least there's a choice between them.

To be honest, especially with the early albums (with no inner sleeves etc), you are essentially paying $30 for a cool cardboard sleeve for each album so it is pricey but then again they are soooo good!

I collect them, as said above to 'have a proper album collection' on CD.  They are great artifacts for me as a fan.  I would be tempted to 'triple dip' however if, as Wirestone suggests, they do something similar to 'legacy editions' and clear the vaults with existing and new bonus cuts relevant to each album, maybe as 2 CD sets per release where possible, maybe with live tracks/sets from the same year etc.   

Exactly !!!
could you post some pictures of those japanese cds ? some stuff such as Love You or Surf's Up must look awesome in that vinyl replica!

Apologies for crummy pic quality (and crummy carpet!), phone used as can't find camera!



The Love You inner sleeve houses the CD (which is in it's own vinyl style clear sleeve) and the Surfs Up lyric sheet is included in original 'format'.

Love You even has a different card type for the cover like the original vinyl



Examples of gatefolds replicated, same with Party! 15 Big Ones etc.



A few random 'un two-fer'd' albums.

Laughing to myself posting this as my girlfriend tolerates me spending stupid money on albums I've already got but if she came home and caught me photographing them she would mock me so much! 

Bienvenue !

I think i've found via Play.com some japanese versions of their cds, which is faaaarrr more expensive (can go to something like 50 dollars)
but the audio quality is as good as the vinyls and the slipcase is all vinyl replica (which is awesome) but most important, doesn't have two albums stick on one cd and all that stuff.. so yeah, but is it more expensive.

As for myself, i'm waiting for them to re-release all their albums separately (but that's just me).

These really are awesome, I have Surfin' Safari through L.A Album now, going back to Japan later in the year and know I will be tempted to 'finish' the collection by buying ridiculous things like Stack O Tracks for £25 but as an 'un two-fered' Mini LP it's strangely compelling!

Having the albums in 'proper' sleeves with gatefolds and inserts etc really satisfies the collector in me and it's nice to have a collection of individual albums.

The early 90's reissues (and the later 70's twofers) were a great way to get the discography cheaply and the bonus cuts and liner notes were fantastic.

However I think the my Mini LP collection is a nice way for me to have a Beach Boys 'record collection' seeing as I was just a twinkle in my dad's eye when the original records were released!

They're not touring lots of places, so not doing the UK isn't that big a deal.
get used to it

Crikey, I get they may not tour here, just a bit surprised why someone would be such a tool to another forum member about it.

However......

Don't take it personally… suspect Bgas has just failed his Counselling exams

Cheers John, thanks for redressing the 'normal people' balance

Boo hoo hoo

I'm sorry?

So is Brenda Lee

What are you talking about and why are you being antagonistic?

People are peeved that The beach Boys may not tour in the UK and you post 'Boo hoo hoo'.....

Nice one.

The thing that annoys me about this is the lack of information. If they just came out and said "unfortunately we won't be playing any UK/IRE shows" then we could make the decision to buy tickets for other EUR shows or not. But by keeping us waiting, we have no idea whether to fork out for another show or run the risk of paying for two plus flights and hotels. Just say "yes" or "no" and we can do what we want.

Maybe they're not saying a flat "no" because they're bustin' their buns trying to turn it into a "yes". Maybe in this instance, no news is good news. Unless you subscribe to the Cohen Of Silence.

I can imagine this is what's happening, fingers crossed they get something sorted!

Boo hoo hoo

I'm sorry?

So, for instance, the artist name is in black at the top of the original LP release of "Carl And The Passions - So Tough," while the CD version is more prominently displayed on the bottom left in white.

IIRC reading on this forum somewhere a few days ago wasn't it established that the record was originally released with no 'the beach boys' on the cover at all, or was that just in a few countries?

I am now slightly peeved* that my 'Mini LP' of CATP may not be accurate as it has the small black writing at the top!

*not really annoyed but it bothers the OCD fanboy part of my brain!

This is soooooo frustrating, as said above it's the not knowing that is frustrating.

I am keeping September free at the moment in case they add extra dates (would the Olympics be finished by then?) but it would be great if they announced one way or the other.

At the very least if someone could say that they are in negotiations/wanting to come over but hey ho.

It just seems such a glaring omission in a world tour

Well said!

I was thinking last night (as I looked around my untidy living room!) how awesome it is that we have a truly great BW album in TLOS, a finished BW and VDP SMiLE album (as well as the sessions box set) and on top of that a new studio album by the band that, by most accounts, is an awesome addition to their catalogue. 

You wouldn't have dreamed of this back in the mid 90's.

More proof that Japan is a sweet place to be a music fan!

[one]

I want the complete box set of their entire catalog in mini-LP reproduction packaging. 

This was my dream also but I've just accepted that it's probably never going to happen and have since got all the albums on Japanese Mini LP (wasn't cheap!) over the course of a year or so.

This obsession started in the Tower Records in Shibuya, Tokyo where I got Pet Sounds through Holland and was just hooked, Holland even comes with a little Mt Vernon cover inside!

Whenever there are 'mini lp' box sets released in the west they aren't of the same reproduction quality just a naff sleeve.

Who knows maybe Japan will do a 'complete collection' of reissues.

something like The Beatles/Pink Floyd boxset would be nice.

I've brought up the complete studio box set earlier in the thread and was surprised to see people raise issue with the expected cost of such a box set.  Um...what?  The two-fers may be a good deal but I completely hate that their catalog is cheapened by this method of slapping two albums together like that.  What exactly are we saying by doing this?  Beach Boys fans have less money than Beatles fans or Elvis fans?  I mean, two albums..on one CD?  Terrible message.  Each album should get its own release individually, at the very least. 

The Beach Boys simply deserve it--period.  This 50th anniversary is a great time to reintroduce the catalog to the public.  With all the obscure cuts they're adding in the setlist on tour from Sunlfower and even So Tough---it could get people to go back and revisit these albums.  They even put the picture of the album artwork on the screen when they play these songs--they did it with "This Whole World" by putting up the Sunflower album.  So having a box set available would be great timing. 

A complete studio box set ala The Beatles/Pink Floyd should be done--among other things.  But this career-spanning box set is on top of my priorities.

It's been done with some great results with Miles Davis' complete Columbia recordings (totaling 52 albums in 70cd's + 1dvd + booklet)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Columbia-Album-Collection/dp/B00305GXWG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334599998&sr=8-1
YouTube video of the unboxing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LydJ8nHg4I

Agreed, even though I've spent through the nose getting all the Japanese mini lps I would pay again for a 'complete' box set if it was done well.

To make me buy a new set I would like bonus cuts on each album, especially the 70's albums.

SV sounds a lot better than the previous snippet made us believe.  Love the chorus, listened to it a few times now

Definitely a Imagination vibe there but tbh I'm just happy to be getting a new album from the band together, so if it takes J Thomas' involvement then so be it.

Can't wait to give it a spin all the way through.

Many thanks for the link AGD

There's less activity in this thread since some of the proponents have attended the shows. Their verdict is the same as everybody's: "if it's there, it's mitigated 'cause I can't hear it... and Brian sounds pretty good." The exact same thing people who went to the shows have been saying since the tour started. Once everybody attends, or most people anyway, this thread will fall into oblivion.

Can you hear it in the videos above?

I like the Genesis 1970 - 1975 box alot



One of the great things on the set is a documentary for each album (which feature all members involved in their making).  It's frustrating sometimes in Beach Boys documentaries when Sunflower is mentioned for only 1 or 2 minutes or you think 'they just skipped over Friends'!

As well as the docs on each album there is footage of live performances/tv appearances relevant to each album.

A great box that has all the Gabriel Era therefore the only one i need

I second the shout for Nuggets, an instant record collection of gems!

Yellow Balloon & Follow the Sunshine by The Yellow Balloon

Genesis & Yes for me, two of my favourite bands ever!

Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

and

The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, Relayer

are such strong runs of albums by bands really delivering creatively each and every time. 

I will definately check out some of the other recommendations here.  Might try King Crimson next I think

It's a shame, you would think that after hearing the first few shows they would have changed it.

I can't see how, especially in the recent video above, people can't hear it.

It just doesn't work and it's not needed

I want the complete box set of their entire catalog in mini-LP reproduction packaging. 

This was my dream also but I've just accepted that it's probably never going to happen and have since got all the albums on Japanese Mini LP (wasn't cheap!) over the course of a year or so.

This obsession started in the Tower Records in Shibuya, Tokyo where I got Pet Sounds through Holland and was just hooked, Holland even comes with a little Mt Vernon cover inside!

Whenever there are 'mini lp' box sets released in the west they aren't of the same reproduction quality just a naff sleeve.

Who knows maybe Japan will do a 'complete collection' of reissues.