THE BEACH BOYS ANNOUNCE 50TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, NEW ALBUM AND TOUR

[Wirestone]

And it looks like Scott Totten is reading this thread right now! Tell us everything!

Also -- do we think Dean Torrence did the logo?

[Jim V.]

This is absolutely fantastic news on all fronts, and then within hours we are picking the whole thing apart. I also lost my best buddy today, my 14 year old dog, Rocky. It was great having a reason to celebrate on such a sad day for me and the wife.

I'm sorry to hear about your dog.  My thoughts are with you drbeachboy.

About the reunion, I gotta say I'm most excited about the prospect of hearing "new" stuff from the '60s and '70s. I don't know if they'll do deluxe editions, but I think if we did get Sunflower and Surf's Up in deluxe packages, I think we would really be in for a treat. A box set sounds somewhat interesting, but I'm not sure if they could top the 1993 box, and do we really need it "updated" with songs from Summer in Paradise and Stars & Stripes? I suppose the box set is where they place new, unreleased songs, but I personally think a compilation containing about 20 to 30 of their top unreleased songs would be tops! I'm so excited to think that its possible I might be hearing songs like "Where Is She", "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again" and the 1974 version of "California Feelin'." As long as I get to own copies of those three songs, anything else will just be icing on the cake.

The new studio album? Well, I'm excited for it, but I also can understand that it might not be very good. But I think having Brian on board with his team will ensure that it doesn't become a joke. I think this album will be the first since the L.A. Light Album that shows The Beach Boys as artists, and not surfin' goofs from the '60s.

I gotta admit, one thing really bugs me. And its not Mike Love. It's Bruce talking about singing "Mike Love's lyrics" or whatever. He always has to seem to kiss Mike's ass in these things. I just have this odd feeling that if they Mike & Bruce show did ever end, Bruce's tune would change quite quickly. He seems like a major kiss ass. And I'm not sure if he really brings anything that special to a reunion. I think Brian, Mike, Al and David, would have been fine with me. It's unfortunate the Blondie and Ricky aren't involved, but I'm not surprised. I do hope they get them at some point to do "Sail On Sailor" with them though on this tour.

[Scott]

And it looks like Scott Totten is reading this thread right now! Tell us everything!

Ha Ha Ha!!  I count on you guys for all the news.  It's been fun to read everyone say who played on the DO IT AGAIN track we did in May.

Scott

[southbay]

1 - permission to be exceedingly smug for about a week...

2 - will those already picking it apart kindly SHUT THE f*ck UP. Don't like the idea, fine, just go away and leave those of us who can to enjoy the prospect.

THIS

[Wirestone]

And it looks like Scott Totten is reading this thread right now! Tell us everything!

Ha Ha Ha!!  I count on you guys for all the news.  It's been fun to read everyone say who played on the DO IT AGAIN track we did in May.

Scott

So how wrong are we? 

[ArchStanton]

I can't say how I know but I just found out what the new compilation will be called..

"50 summer greats"

 

Call it what you want, give us a couple of unreleased Dennis Wilson songs we've been waiting on it and a few others we haven't heard and I'll be very happy.

[stack-o-tracks]

Funny how at :50 in the YouTube video it shows Al standing on some sort of box since I guess Ocean Way doesn't have adjustable microphones?

[Zach95]

This...is...beyond words.

I'm so happy for everyone involved, and that I'll finally be able to see all of them in concert forever.  A new studio album! A new box set! I'm hoping they do something like what the Beatles did with their re-releases in 2009, I'd love to be able to buy every album, however unlikely that may be.  In any case...this has been an amazing year to be a fan 

[jmc]

Outstanding news.

The only lame development thus far, is the complaning about Foskett.  He sings great, Brian obviously doesn't mind his voice up in the mix for the falsetto part, and he helps Brian relax.....if you really don't like Jeff, then don't buy the album or go to the concert (but I doubt you'll do that)....

 

[Craig Boyd]

1 - permission to be exceedingly smug for about a week...

2 - will those already picking it apart kindly SHUT THE f*ck UP. Don't like the idea, fine, just go away and leave those of us who can to enjoy the prospect.

You should stick your head round the door of the bloo Andrew, they're out in force there!

[Wirestone]

I would love to know the backing band on this. I think we can assume that there has to be one. I'll just throw out some predictions.

Mike
Al (rhythm guitar)
David (lead surf guitar)
Bruce (keys)
Brian (keys during the show, bass for encores)

Foskett (guitar and falsetto)
Cowsill (drums and vocals)
Christian Love (guitar and vocals)
Totten (guitar and vocals)
Scott Bennett (keys, vocals)
Darian and / or Gary (might not be Darian's scene, but you need another backing keyboardist)
Ed Carter (bass -- I can dream, right?)
Probyn and Paul Mertens (maybe fantasy here, but I'd love live horns)

As much as I'd love to see more guys like Ed from the classic 70s live lineup (and folks who were in Jardine's band), I don't know how likely that is. But they were a really great ensemble.

[Craig Boyd]

Darian and / or Gary (might not be Darian's scene, but you need another backing keyboardist)

I can't see Darian being involved, not sure why but just a feeling. Saying that I think for a Beach Boys tour Billy Hinsche has to be a first call. Like Ed Carter he's kinda like extended family having been part of the band for so long.

[Alex]

Get Blondie, Ricky, Billy H., Carter, Figueroa, Munoz, Kowalski, and/or the Dragon Bros. back and hand the reigns to Jack Reiley...we`re goin` back to Holland!

[Paulos]

This is amazing, Brian and David back withe band, a tour and new album, commerative releases, I don't mind admitting that I was welling up whilst reading the press release. This going to be amazing, hope that WIBNTLA, California Feelin' and Carry Me Home are going to be on the new bo set. I'm going to be so broke net year!

[doc smiley]

so pumped for this.....

[JohnMill]

This is amazing, Brian and David back withe band, a tour and new album, commerative releases, I don't mind admitting that I was welling up whilst reading the press release. This going to be amazing, hope that WIBNTLA, California Feelin' and Carry Me Home are going to be on the new bo set. I'm going to be so broke net year!

Same here with Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty all touring next year (and all likely with new records & or retrospective releases to boot) I'm going to be flat broke by year's end. 

[Paulos]

Also I will never again doubt anything Al Jardine says - he's the one who (somewhat pre-emptively) first told us about TSS and the reunion, all hail Al!

[puni puni]

apart from the inevitable "i guess it would be nice to believe in my shoulder," i really am not excited for a mike love solo album with guest vocals by brian wilson.

sorry, but watching grey-haired men sing about fun in the sun around instantly dated technology with spliced footage of young blondes on the beach sure does make you feel like it's 1991 instead of 2011.

[pmugghc]

I really hope we'll get a good dosage of live recordings as part of the Celebration 50 packages. Especially some rare tracks,. e.g. "I have a friend", "River Song" and others.

[PhilCohen]

There's been very little discussion about the proposed box set and other archival releases, though as Mark Linett has said, whether they happen is up to EMI's new owner. Anyhow, we recently got a 5-CD "Smile" box, and many other archival releases(official & unofficial) over the years. If there are more archival releases in 2012, I'll buy 'em, but if EMI's new owner says "No", I won't get tormented. Promise.

[Awesoman]

Faaaaaack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS2orIE2QUQ&feature=digest_fri

That actually sounds pretty good

Sounds very dry and inoffensive. Not sure what to think about it. Probably could have turned out much worse.

Think somebody needs to turn down the AutoTune-like effect on Mike's voice.  Otherwise it sounds OK. 

[Jim V.]

There's been very little discussion about the proposed box set and other archival releases, though as Mark Linett has said, whether they happen is up to EMI's new owner. Anyhow, we recently got a 5-CD "Smile" box, and many other archival releases(official & unofficial) over the years. If there are more archival releases in 2012, I'll buy 'em, but if EMI's new owner says "No", I won't get tormented. Promise.

YAY! Here comes the cloud on a sunny day, otherwise known as Phil Cohen! I bet you hope Mike doesn't like Brian's new songs either!

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

apart from the inevitable "i guess it would be nice to believe in my shoulder," i really am not excited for a mike love solo album with guest vocals by brian wilson.

sorry, but watching grey-haired men sing about fun in the sun around instantly dated technology with spliced footage of young blondes on the beach sure does make you feel like it's 1991 instead of 2011.

at least in 1991 there was no Summer In Paradise or Summer Of Love yet! 

But wait, I love Summer Of Love 

[PhilCohen]

There's been very little discussion about the proposed box set and other archival releases, though as Mark Linett has said, whether they happen is up to EMI's new owner. Anyhow, we recently got a 5-CD "Smile" box, and many other archival releases(official & unofficial) over the years. If there are more archival releases in 2012, I'll buy 'em, but if EMI's new owner says "No", I won't get tormented. Promise.

YAY! Here comes the cloud on a sunny day, otherwise known as Phil Cohen! I bet you hope Mike doesn't like Brian's new songs either!

You misunderstand. We've already received more archival product from The Beach Boys than we ever thought we would get. If there's more in 2012, that's the icing on the cake, but it's hardly negative or cloud-like to say that if the 2012 archival product doesn't happen that I won't be tormented. I did say, that if these discs are released, I'll buy 'em.

[Wirestone]

There's been very little discussion about the proposed box set and other archival releases, though as Mark Linett has said, whether they happen is up to EMI's new owner. Anyhow, we recently got a 5-CD "Smile" box, and many other archival releases(official & unofficial) over the years. If there are more archival releases in 2012, I'll buy 'em, but if EMI's new owner says "No", I won't get tormented. Promise.

YAY! Here comes the cloud on a sunny day, otherwise known as Phil Cohen! I bet you hope Mike doesn't like Brian's new songs either!

Actually, I'll be surprised and impressed if all this comes to pass too.

I can think of ways that each and every item mentioned in the press release could fail to materialize. The fact the album is still being recorded fills me with a teensy bit of apprehension, for one thing (as does the fact it includes Mike-Brian co-writes). Is Brian up for a 50-date tour? That's more shows than he has averaged as a solo artist, and these will be higher-profile affairs. And finally, will Cap/EMI spring for the kind of projects we all want to see?

At the very least, I'm sure there will be a new hits compilation. We can agree on that.

Edit:

But I'm being negative.

I am actually happy that this is working out the way it seems to. There is respect for everyone involved, it's not taking an overt fun in the sun direction, and there is new music as part of the package. And David is involved. As long as we have a great band for the live shows, there is also a great deal to be hopeful for. A great deal.