I mentioned this earlier but it passed without further comment.  I must be the only one who thinks the bg vocals and harmonies on Sunflower seem distant, almost purposely un-lush, even cartoonishly thin.  

UPDATE: I used to think it was just the production and the final product of mixing, but the a cappella version of This Whole World on MIC seems to disprove that theory.  Carl's lead is very full and lush, but listening to the bg vox without music, it seems almost like they were purposely sung "thin."

HeyJude, thanks for that explanation.

Blondie and Ricky were just good all around. I think it's simple, either their style grabs you or doesn't.

Jeff seems OK to me, I think he has to be the "heavy" sometimes to keep fans at bay.

From the live stuff I've heard from that period, their style does grab me.  I just don't see how that style would lend much to a studio album.

I really liked Jeff after I heard his track "Through My Window," which apes Pet Sounds but really showcases his powerful falsetto.  Sounds really Wilson-esque on that track especially.

It was a let down for me because, as a casual fan getting more serious and not being familiar with much beyond Pet Sounds, it was not what I expected.  Shallow, I know, but true.  To me, Pet Sounds was the culmination of everything the Boys had done prior.  This to me was a big veer away from that.  I hadn't followed the bands dramas-- their addictions, spats, etc., and expected to hear something that resembled their prior work.  This so wasn't that.

Sunflower has grown on me since.  This Whole World is one of my favorite BB tracks.  You all praise the production quality.  I think it stinks, at least when it comes to bg vocals.  The harmonies are there-- they're just really, really thin.  Where did the lushness go?  I also still don't like Diedre or Tears in the Morning.  I think it comes down to perspective.  This album doesn't require context to enjoy, but it does require context to love.  

When Jeff first joined The Beach Boys, he was a welcome sight. For years, they were missing that falsetto that could cut through all the instrumentation on stage. Even today, Jeff is fine in the Live setting and sounds enough like a younger Brian to really give the songs a more Beach Boys sound, especially in Brian's band.

Agreed on Jeff, though I think he sounds more like a Beach Boy on his non-BB/BW stuff than he does on actual BB/BW stuff.  

I still don't get Blondie.  So he made them seem cool again and was apparently awesome on stage.  What about an album setting where the only standout could be his vocals?  Was his voice really THAT special?  Did it really have that much indispensable chemistry with the others?  I think this Blondie love is just nostalgia for those early 70's concerts.

I'm relatively new to BB fanaticism, so there are a few things I haven't totally grasped.  Among them:

-Why the hate for Foskett?

-Why the love for Blondie and Ricky?

Not that simple, Disney Boy.  I do consider myself a fanatic, although I'm a relative newcomer and haven't digested the full band history yet.  ...  And no, I wouldn't just be happy for the WIBNTLA download   There are very few Dennis tracks I really like.  WIBNTLA probably sucks.

You're not a Beach Boys fanatic if you hate Dennis.

Apparently sarcasm doesn't translate.

There are very few Dennis tracks I really like.  WIBNTLA probably sucks.

Careful...them kind of words will get you lynched in these parts!!!

Which is exactly why I wrote them!  Love to stir that pot.

[own]

Here's the solution:

BUY THE BOX!!!!

Problem solved.

(More to the point, as a Beach Boys fan [presumably fanatic] why would you possibly not want to own what is sure to be one of their most significant releases??? Seriously, you're happy just to have WIBNTLA on download...? Hey ho, ok.)

Not that simple, Disney Boy.  I do consider myself a fanatic, although I'm a relative newcomer and haven't digested the full band history yet.  Yes, I have spent much time creating my own Smile mixes, if that tells you anything. 

I don't happen to value "stuff" so much.  It would be nice to buy the box, and if that were in the budget, I'd snap it up in a heartbeat.  But at this point in my life I'm not driven to collect or own physical versions of my media.  I'd rather have the tracks I care for in a format that I can take with me and listen to everywhere.  I'm also pretty content to use Spotify-- not own the material (or the right to play the material), but have unmitigated listening access to it.  I don't think this disqualifies me as a fanatic.  I'm waiting for this release with baited breath just like everybody else here, but owning the physical media wouldn't be as fulfilling to me as it would be to most of you, so it's not a priority.

And no, I wouldn't just be happy for the WIBNTLA download   There are very few Dennis tracks I really like.  WIBNTLA probably sucks.

I'm looking at the box set in iTunes and I notice two strange issues-- one good and one potentially really bad (for somebody who plans to cherry pick):

Good (and strange):  Several of the tracks are showing as Purchased already.  I think these are the tracks I purchased from 50 Big Ones, but they're showing up here as purchased.  I've never seen this happen before.  For instance, if I were to purchase DYLW from the 2 disc Smile Sessions release, I wouldn't see it as purchased under the deluxe box set.  I'd have to purchase the tracks there too in order for them to show as purchased and be downloadable under that album.  Unless this is a snafu that will be addressed prior to next week, it looks like I'll be able to download all tracks on MIC that I purchased on 50BO.  Nice, I guess.

Potentially Bad:  All other tracks are Album Only.  I'm no iTunes expert, so maybe everything is album only prior to release.  If not, and things stay as they are now, it appears I will not be able to download individual tracks.  I had banked on that option.  If that's the case, I'll Spotify this box set and save my money (take that, Capitol).

I don't even see an option for mp3 version of the box set yet from Amazon.

Finally got the video to play.  Great sound and performance, but it seems way too rushed to me.  Sounds like Blondie's having a hard time keeping up vocally with the tempo.

Exclusive! Go Back to 1972 With The Beach Boys!
http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/exclusive-back-1972-beach-boys-143558454.html

I actually can't get the video to load.  Anybody else have any luck?

Sorry if this was addressed in a prior page (way too many pages to pour thru), but do we know yet whether the tracks will be available for individual sale on iTunes, Amazon, etc.?

Is this show downloadable as an mp3 anywhere?

While I think it's cool this guy choose a BB song to demonstrate this, I'm still trying to figure out why this is so amazing.  Amazing music, obviously, but it seems like a beautiful graphic rendering could be done on most any song.  I wish the article would have drawn some conclusion as to how visualizing BB material differs from visualizing other music.  Neat concept, but there's really not much there.

Checked out both Reliant K and Starflyer, and while I kinda dig both, I hear absolutely zero resemblance to the BB sound or Brian Wilson composition.

Of course there's Explorers Club that a lot of posters here love to hate.  If you're going for a signature Pet Sounds ape, that's the holy grail. 

mypetsounds, I'm going to check out Starflyer 59 later.  Aside from "Can You Play Drums," can you recommend some other BB-esque Starflyer tracks? 

Thing is, one need not necessarily surf to enjoy and be a part of beach/surf culture.  Plus (and if I'm wrong I'm sure somebody will correct me), but I don't remember reading or hearing anything claiming that none of the others BBs EVER got on a board.  I've always understood the "only Dennis surfed" thing to mean Dennis was the only avid surfer.  My dad and one of my brothers are pretty avid fisherman.  I don't consider myself a fisherman, but I spent enough time on the lake with them growing up to know a thing or two about it.  Were I a painter, it wouldn't be a stretch if I were to start my career with paintings of flies and rainbow trout.

I love Smile OCD threads.  I just wish there were a glossary somewhere for a lot of the terms y'all use, just to help those of us who are not yet OCT.  False barnyard?  Flutter tone?  What are these?

By the reasoning of folks here, there would never be any reason to buy a boxed set of any band unless it was 100 percent rarities. The success of the format over the past 25 years or so begs to differ.

Given the radical changes in the music market and format over the last decade, I'm not sure how much bearing the last 25 years will have on a box set released in 2013.  My best is most of the sales for MiC will be a la carte track purchases from iTunes and Amazon.

I agree with you on that demographic, but I doubt seriously that that is the demographic that they are taking aim at. They are looking at the  demo's with the most money, and like buying physical media; and that 45+ demo is the John Q Public that they are targeting.

So pretty much exactly what I said originally.  They're going for the 45+, semi-serious to diehard fan.  I'll argue again, though, that the 45+, semi-serious to diehard fan is not John Q. Public.

Baby Boomers are a pretty huge demographic. Just because they don't fit the 20 to 30 something mold, doesn't mean they can't be a major target.

A huge, but (unfortunately) shrinking demographic, and one that's turning increasingly to streaming/downloadable media.  There's a reason CD shops are an endangered species, and that Amazon sells more digital downloads than CDs.

How big is vinyl these days? It is still a pretty niche market I would think considering the prices really haven't come down much in the past few years.

I think it's still a niche market, but it's becoming increasingly vibrant.  Many newer albums come with a code to download mp3 versions for free.  So I get a nice vinyl record to play at home (my preferred way of listening to music), and an mp3 version of the album for on the go.  That makes the ~$18 worth it to me.  I don't remember the last time I bought a CD (aside from that dumb zinepack for DiA 2012).  Maybe 5 years ago.

Except for vinyl. I'd suspect the majority of record purchases go to the under 45s.

Agreed.  I'm a vinyl nut, and most everybody I see in record stores buying vinyl is (by my estimation) mid-30's.

MONEY! From day one, I never thought otherwise. It's my decision to decide whether or not it is worth my hard-earned dollars. To me. it is.

Ok, but my point is that this is not targeted to John Q Public.  It's targeted to 45+, serious to diehard fans.  That being the case, people complaining about the inclusion of so many previously released tracks should be quite understandable-- everybody who will buy this box set has already purchased these tracks at least 10 times.

You're telling me that a casual fan that is 45 years or older is not part of John Q Public? Sure he is. He is just in a demographic that is more likely than not, willing to buy physical media.

I'm saying John Q Public is probably skewed toward 18-45 (probably closer to 14-45), and I'm saying it's unlikely that the casual fan will buy this box set.

MONEY! From day one, I never thought otherwise. It's my decision to decide whether or not it is worth my hard-earned dollars. To me. it is.

Ok, but my point is that this is not targeted to John Q Public.  It's targeted to 45+, serious to diehard fans.  That being the case, people complaining about the inclusion of so many previously released tracks should be quite understandable-- everybody who will buy this box set has already purchased these tracks at least 10 times.

Oh, so the rest of us above that age bracket doesn't exist on this Earth? Who the F do you think is buying and able to afford this box set? Surely not the 18-25 age bracket pissing and moaning about it in here.

I wouldn't consider this group a representative subset of the rest of society.

No, but the subset that buys physical media is surely 45 and above.

Exactly, which is why this approach to the box set doesn't make sense to me.  Who buys physical media?  45+.  Who has the money to drop on box sets?  45+.  Who is aware of and giddy at the prospect of unreleased material?  Diehards, most of whom I bet are 45+.  So then why exactly are they going with a box set that includes a bunch of hits and album cuts?