Several things can be true at the same time: you can be critical of how the audio mixes have been handled on recent Beach Boys projects without simultaneously dragging Howie and his team over the coals about it.  But part of the silliness of all this is we have two Beach Boys forums at odds with each other which most likely perpetuates a lot of this dysfunction. 

That would be swell.  I want to say there's a recording somewhere of a performance of "Don't Talk" with Carl on lead vocals.  And I wouldn't mind having a recording of Carl singing "The Warmth of the Sun" (didn't Billy Hinsche also handle lead on this song?). 

Al does like to stir it up from time to time. Good point that he's probably the only guy who cares.

Al seems to be the only one who actually wants to see a reunion happen. 

I’ll be honest…Al’s voice hasn’t been sounding as good as even just a few years ago. It’s to be expected at these guys’s age . Matt’s been a real star to the point where I’d go see a tour with him as the main dude. It wouldn’t be that much different than what we’re getting now if I’m being 100% honest.

I could be mistaken but I think they've even taken "Help Me, Rhonda" to a lower key for this tour.  Age catches up with everyone, including Al. 

I’m bumping this because I just saw on the ESQ Facebook page that The Beach Boys Channel (channel 105) will be returning on July 1 for another 2 month run.

I kinda figured that it would return this year with the Sounds Of Summer reissue.

Yeah it only makes sense to acknowledge their 60th anniversary.  Here's hoping their playlist is a little less scattershot than it has been in the past.  It was a little jarring to hear something like a Dennis Wilson track followed by "Chug-a-Lug".  I could only entertain that channel for no more than a few minutes on most occasions.  But glad it's back regardless. 

Sorry for the stupid thread but I noticed three different Beach Boys albums are in the top 50 of itunes at the moment. Also charting very high on amazon. Did I miss something?

It would seem the music industry has been having an identity crisis in the past few years.  A lot of older artists are seeing their albums reenter the charts seemingly apropos of nothing.  I think there's a nostalgia for simpler times and a lot of that older music still holds up.  And with the Beach Boys entering their 60th anniversary with a couple of high profile releases including last year's Feel Flows box set and this year's expanded Sounds Of Summer compilation, it isn't all that surprising that their music is getting some attention.  

I can't really think of any current artist that has done anything noteworthy lately, with maybe the exception of that Bruno Mars super group album Silk Sonic that came out last year.  But even that didn't seem to get the attention it deserved.

Haven't seen Mike Love's band (other than the 50th anniversary tour) perform since 2004 when I worked backstage at Chastain Amphitheatre in ATL (and that certainly was an interesting and surreal day).  My understanding is that the band has changed dramatically since and for the better.  And it would seem over the years since Carl's passing that Love has been more open to performing deeper cuts including post-60's material that I longed to hear back when I'd regularly see them perform in the 90's.  Although I pass on Mike's band simply because it really isn't the Beach Boys at this point other than in legal terms, my understanding is that it really isn't that bad of a show and the group Mike performs with does a pretty darn good job with the material.  John Cowsill in particular gets a lot of high praise, although I'm not even sure if he's still in the band.

It’s worse on Facebook…Awesomeman stated his point, I stated mine, I hope it’s cool. It is on my end for sure. On FB though, these people are saying it directly , no hinting or insinuating or anything. Facebook is a cesspool to begin with but throw in the usual BB related drama and it’s a powder keg of disaster.  That very day I’d read some of the same accusations but those folks unlike Awsomeman didn’t have good intentions.

It’s one thing to have concern; abject cruelty is another

Yeah I'm not holding any grudges.  It's okay to disagree.  :-)

Now misspelling my screen name is a whole other story.  🤣

Billy,

I'm truly sorry to hear of your struggles and your health issues.  I'm glad to hear that you have creating music to keep you happy.  But if your comments were directed at me, I hope you can understand that by no means do I have any ill intentions here.  My main point is that I'm concerned that Brian simply doesn't look great out there onstage, his health at this point is a valid concern, and if there is any possibility that he doesn't want to be up there on stage then I hope he gets the opportunity to do what he wants.  That was all I was trying to say.  If he wants to continue to perform until he drops then more power to him.  I do stand by my assessment that I believe his life is at least somewhat directed for better or for worse, but that does not automatically mean I think his team are actively abusing him.  Can two things not be true at the same time?  And as I stated before I also don't have any ill feelings towards Melinda as I am largely indifferent to her; I'm just not oblivious as to why others have taken issue with her in the past.  Doesn't mean I have any "axe to grind" with her at all.  And having these concerns about the situation by no means makes me a "monster"; I care about the guy's well-being just as much as anyone even if we don't see it the same way.  Brian's overall health has been a topic of discussion amongst fans for almost as long as his overall career has lasted and it is inevitable that discussion and debates will arise from it.  We've pretty much exhausted this exchange for today so I don't plan on following up, but I would appreciate keeping the civility here even if some of you don't like or agree with my take.  

You simply wrote "if his handlers allowed him to retire".

No other entertainer ever (outside of some Landy-esque sociopathic control) has handlers who wouldn't allow them to retire. I'm merely replying to what you said. Your usage of the term "handler" became derogatory when you claimed that they are impeding his ability to make a very important life choice. Again, if you can't see this, so be it.

If you wish to nitpick my phraseology then more power to you.  Like I stated before I can be deliberately glib with my words at times.  But I think I've made it clear in elaborating what I meant with those words so to continue to sit on that phrase by taking it too literally is silly.  Because again I don't believe that Brian is being held at gunpoint or that he is being treated maliciously.  However I personally believe at least in some capacity that the reason Brian "wants to be out there" has more to do with his wife and others close to him wanting him to keep going.  Why do you think some folks have an axe to grind with Melinda in the first place?  Hasn't she allegedly clashed with most of the other Beach Boys including Carl and Mike in the past?  Didn't she even fuel a legal battle with Joe Thomas after Imagination came out?   Didn't Brian's own daughter Carnie once refer to her as "Me-landy"?  Perhaps these questions are unfair to Melinda as I admit I don't know her personally and in all honesty I don't really even "take a side" with her.  But I'll ask again: do we honestly and sincerely believe that Brian is truly still "calling the shots" in his life?  

I don't have any idea what the truth is, but where there's smoke there's a fire.  Brian's a complicated guy and completely a hard read due to his lifelong illness.  So maybe he really does want to be out there performing despite the fact that he looks moreso than ever completely miserable at times.  I just don't think it's completely unfair to consider that there is a good chance that maybe he doesn't actually want to continue performing.  If I'm ultimately wrong in that assessment then so be it.  But it isn't an unfair assessment to make.  

I'm not reading into anything deeply. You straight up claimed that Brian has handlers that don't allow him to do a certain thing (retire)....that just flat out implies certain things. If you can't see that then so be it.

Does Brian not have handlers then?  Is he totally calling all the shots?  No management to speak of?  No influence in decision making of his career from his wife?  And for the record, the term "handlers" doesn't automatically imply anything negative.  Virtually every entertainer has handlers.  My usage of the word was not intended to be derogative.  That's why you're reading into this too deeply. 

Check out this Facebook post from the Chicago band celebrating Brian's birthday and take a look at the kind of comments it's getting:

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=595353031949347&set=pcb.595362301948420

Those comments and that image of Brian are exactly why some folks question these things.  That maybe Brian doesn't want to be there.  And it's perfectly understandable and okay to question these things.  Isn't that the point of these forums is to be allowed have these type of discussions? 

In all honesty if his handlers allowed him to retire

You realize everything that this implies? It implies that Brian isn't allowed to make big decisions in his life. It implies that if Brian is being forced against his will that every person in Brian's life (from Darian, to Al, to Brian's own children and good long-time friends, to his wife) don't stand up and speak out on his behalf...that they are ignoring what seems to be obvious to armchair quarterbacks watching YouTube clips, but they themselves are either clueless, or in on it, or are spineless.

So yeah, if I sound pissed I'm just tired of reading these claims that imply a lot of awful things about the great people in Brian's life.

If Brian didn't want to do any of this he would refuse to get out of bed. He would tell his doctors. He would tell his friends. But guess what, his friends all say he wants to be out on the road. But yet for some reason people on the internet don't believe that and keep fueling these silly theories that Brian has no control over his own life.

You're reading way too deep into my initial comments.  Exactly what it is that Brian wants has been (understandly) scrutinized and discussed/debated endlessly by fans for years.  Especially due to the Landy years of him being a prisoner basically to that guy, people are going to wonder how much control he has in his life.  That's just the way it is.  I don't suggest he's being held at gunpoint or being abused, or even that the people around him have malicious intentions.  But even to this day he has folks that seem to "push" him to be active when he truly at this point looks physically and mentally checked out.  It's not a crime to question these things as none of us can read his mind.  

As for the ridiculousness of the board feuds....most of the people who claim that Brian is controlled, most of the people with an ax to grind with Melinda are on that forum, most people with a history of talking sh*t about Melinda or Brian's life are on that forum. Which is why I say that this sh*t belongs there. Has nothing to do with forum "rivalry".

Uh, sounds like it has absolutely everything to do with rivalry then.  

Easy there, Rab.  I'm merely just stating my feelings on this.  No need to take this so personally. 

Funny you say “I’d rather see him do this and this”….in merely one sentence you go from complaining that Brian is controlled to stating your wishes about what you’d like to see him doing. I hope you can see the irony.

Let's not grasp at straws, shall we?  I can be deliberately glib at times with my words but if you took away from my comments that I'm trying to "control" the guy myself, then I have a bridge to sell you.  I'm not stating I know what's best for the guy; he simply just does not look well at all ever since his surgery and although he was never comfortable on stage, it seems really pronounced at this point.  All I'm suggesting is that if he'd rather not be out there, he deserves to do what he wants.  If touring and performing is indeed what he wants to do then guess what?  You can agree to disagree with my comments. 

Ever think that Brian may not want to sit his ass in front of a TV all day these days? Ever think that maybe, just maybe, he isn’t controlled and he just wants to be active and surrounded by his music loving friends? I’m sure all of us have witnessed elderly people having to give something up - be it driving, woodworking, etc. It really sucks to witness that. Brian isn’t hurting anyone here, he’s not a danger to himself or to others by singing his songs. If Brian didn’t want to do it he would be sitting at home right now.

It's honestly next to impossible to tell what the guy wants due to his erratic behavior due to his mental illness.  Perhaps he does indeed want to keep performing and if that's the case then more power to him.  But his actions have always spoken louder than his words.  Hell, back in the early 70's all he seemed to want to do is stay in bed.  Do we honestly and sincerely believe that he is truly still "calling the shots" in his life?  It isn't exactly clear that he's been doing that at all since the 60's. 

Take the “handlers” sh*t to the EH dumpster where it belongs.

As someone who posts semi-regularly both here and on the EH board and has had no issues with either, I find this whole "rivalry" between the two message boards to be laughably ridiculous. 

Apologies if this has already been covered but has anyone picked up the vinyl version of this compilation?  How does it sound compared to the CD and streaming/digital flavors?

Al Jardine shared video his wife took of the band and crowd wishing him a happy birthday and offering him a cake.  Brian looked like he had no clue where he was.  It was hard enough watching him get to his piano using a walker but all reports of the tour I've read so far suggest the man's pretty checked out at this point.  In all honesty if his handlers allowed him to retire I'd rather see him enjoying a nice steak every week while watching a 24-hr "Norbit" channel.  No idea what exactly Brian wants himself but I think the guy has given us enough of his time.

Yeah it was definitely cool hearing that open the new season.  Too bad it was completely overshadowed by that Kate Bush song that even shot up to number 1 on the music charts though.

Also a little bummed they didn't think to put this song on the Sounds Of Summer compilation.  Would have been a good tie-in and I'm sure no one would have missed "Pom Pom Play Girl"...

My disc isn't expected to arrive until Wednesday.  😡  However I have been listening to the compilation in Amazon Music HD (gettin' fancy with the 24-bit masters!).  Assuming that Amazon didn't f__k up using the wrong masters of these songs, what I have heard so far sounds pretty good.  Sounds like there are more songs with changes to the mix than what was originally reported.  "Rock and Roll Music" is lifted directly from the Made In California extended version except they omitted the extra verse included in that version.  Looking forward to hearing this in full and may eventually pick up the vinyl release of it too.

Perhaps we'll get an expanded version of the In Concert album that covers more ground.  Let's get that live version of "God Only Knows" along with "River Song" (with Blondie on vocals) and whatever else they performed during this time.  Didn't they also perform "Don't Talk" around this time with Carl on vocals? 

The new version of "Marcella" has a pretty aggressive mix that allows you to hear things more clearly than before.  And there are some noticeable differences in the vocals and instrumental parts.  Listening on the earphones the tracks are all over the place in the stereo spectrum.  

I'd love to hear a mix that stands somewhere in the middle of the original mix and this new version.  Something that sounds clean and not so treble-heavy.

You can download the lossless version here:

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-very-best-of-the-beach-boys-sounds-of-summer-the-beach-boys/ke3695t4x7xyb

It's a worthy live album and it's quite possible that this particular period showcased the Beach Boys at their absolute best as a live band.  The inclusion of Ricky and Blondie was definitely their secret weapon that added some grit and edge to their performances, even including the oldies.

I had a recording of them doing this one with Blondie on the lead.  It was quite nice.  Sadly the hard drive I had it on died and it would cost over a grand to extract all my old files off of it.  🤷‍♂️

Zissit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-AQEPe0Kag

Yep.  So relieved to hear that Kenny was found.  🤣

If they've got a nice-sounding '73 live "River Song", I'll be first in line to hear it for sure.

I had a recording of them doing this one with Blondie on the lead.  It was quite nice.  Sadly the hard drive I had it on died and it would cost over a grand to extract all my old files off of it.  🤷‍♂️

Hot damn on that new Marcella mix sample on The Beach Boys Facebook page!

Yeah it's intriguing alright.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cdl75DkFNGx/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

The drums are pretty dominant but the vocals could be turned up a notch.   

I love the Blondie/Ricky-era albums - that said, it's always puzzled me a bit how anyone could assume these two would be able to substitute for Brian in terms of his diminishing influence on the band's songwriting. "Here She Comes" is perfectly fine in the context of the So Tough album but it's not the kind of song that makes me want to hear it over and over again. The BB at the time were going for a bit of a more generic rock sound with the addition of these two I think - like I said, amazing albums (Holland especially) and the live shows must have been incredible at that time (I'm a big fan of In Concert too), but in terms of songwriting I understand why this phase is not every fan's favorite era.

I don't think it was ever the band's intention for Ricky and Blondie to replace Brian per se, especially in terms of songwriting.  I'd wager that Carl realized the band needed some new blood to alter the group's sound and felt these guys' contributions and talents would help the group achieve this.  The band's previous two records, as cherished as they have become over the years, were highly ignored commercially and critically.  And with Brian basically living in Candy Land at the time whose contributions were hit or miss at the time, adding some new blood to the group was probably the right move.

The Blondie/Ricky era was an important yet vastly underrated period for the band.  I really liked what these guys brought to the group.  Maybe we'll finally see an official release of "Carry Me Home". 

Agree, Awesoman -

these two brought added inspiration, soul, energy, rhythm. Not that the BBs ever lacked these qualities, mind (with the possible exception of SiP, that fine exercise in being a plastic replica of the band itself - a feat in itself, though not qua aesthetics).

Blondie & Ricky definitely added a special something. A Dutch reviewer then wrote that Holland sometimes made him think of The Band; I can see his point.

IMHO, there should have been more time for the 'expanded BBs' to further grow, mature, 'gel' into more of a unit. What would the years 1974 and 1975 been like, had this idea been given a chance?

Yeah Blondie and Ricky added an "edge" to the band that they never really had before and certainly would never have again.  Even though songs like "Here She Comes" and "Leaving This Town" sound nothing like the Beach Boys (and it's a fun game to play those songs for friends and have them guess the band), they provide a glimpse of what could have been had those guys hung around a little longer.