Thanks I. Spaceman for the essay! What a great read I love the Velvets and the Beach Boys, the song Johnny won't surf no more is a great tune. I can't wait for the Velvets box set I have the 2 cd deluxe already but am hoping the version of walk alone has been cleaned up a bit with louder vocals.

Do you know where i could read this anywhere? Thanks for the info!

You are right about that, I never new that Lou was just a writer until you said something about it. I thought that he was part of those groups and loved surf music my mistake. Alot of the bands he wrote for played surf songs for all i know now he could of hated surf music.  Thanks for the info i've learned something new!!

 This was on brian's official site with all the artists opinions on his music for awhile but since taken down!

Quotes
About Cale | On his albums | Performing | Recording | Producing
John Cale - Quotes
 On the recordMemorable quotes and one-liners. Cale handles the press pretty well.
About Cale
Tony Conrad, Nat Finkelstein, Margaret Moser, Lou Reed and others
Albums
About his recorded output
Performing
Being alive on stage
Producing
About the Zen master, Nico and credibility
Recording
In the studio
About playing the viola
"The viola is the saddest of all instruments."***
A
About Brian Wilson
"What Brian came to mean was an ideal of innocence and naivety that went beyond teenage life and sprang fully developed songs. Adult and childlike at the same time. I thought how it was difficult for me not to believe everything he said. There was something genuine in every lyric. That can be a very heavy burden for a songwriter

Hi all i don't know if anyone knows this here but whether or not you like lou reed or the velvet underground or not they started out doing surf songs.  All the early songs from 1962 to 1964 were surf songs from liking the beach boys alot of them available here and there. Lou reed and john cale loved the beach boys sound which is another case of a band idolizing them and then inventing their own sound. Incredible if you think about the groups who loved them, The Who, Buffalo Springfield, Neil young,CSNY,The Doors etc.....

It's funny reading these posts because i have a copy i've never opened also and have been thinking about buying another one. I keep thinking it's insane to spend the money on it plus getting it by my wife  but i can see it  going out of print.  I guess alot of people do this buy a second copy and put it away.

The answers are funny!!    I was mainly wondering what is thought to be the best released treasure! I know everything by the boys is essential but stuff like endless harmony or hawthorne etc. What do people consider the best of rare material?

Just wondering what releases everyone here both official and unreleased feel are most essential? Essential being rarest material, best versions, or things that every collector should be lucky to have.

Hey guys i did a search on this but only got bits and pieces. I was wondering which tracks are only found on that box set and how many of them were available on boots before the set was released.  Basically which tracks are unique only to this set?            Thanks!!

Hi everyone, I am a longtime watcher of this board and finally decided to join.  It's amazing reading all the info on here because there is so much to learn that  has never been told before.  I wanted to ask a question about these new releases.  I purchased smiley smile and surfin usa from japan  and to me the sound is amazing on both. I was happy to get surfin usa in mono for the first time without taking a copy from lp and cleaning it up. Smiley smile to me sounds more shrill in stereo like good vibrations for instance the vocals seem to jump out of the speakers.  As far as buying the rest of the cds  should i buy them ?  I wanted to ask you guys because alot of you have heard the other ones and can tell me if they have done right.  I've read all the posts on here but there are so many mixed reviews i can't tell what to do.       Thanks to all!!