New Beach Boys 2012 Remasters!

[runnersdialzero]

Shoot, is that right? No idear how I missed that one. Teh anger ;( but I guess it's something to look forward to.

[PhilCohen]

Keep in mind, that a stereo "Surfin' Safari" album would have the 3 hits("Surfin' ", "Surfin' Safari", "409") in simulated stereo ("stereo extraction mix"), and the other 8 songs in true stereo. 4 of those 8 songs("Summertime Blues", "Heads You Win, Tails I Lose", "County Fair" & "Cuckoo Clock") are already available in excellent stereo mixes on the unofficial "Sea of Tunes" CD "Unsurpassed Masters Vol.1"

It has by now been established that the multitrack tape(if the session actually was multitrack) for the first Western Studios session("Surfin' Safari","409", "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring") is lost or doesn't exist, and that a safety copy of the finished mono recordings is all that now exists.

As for "Surfin' " and the other Morgan-produced recordings taped at World Pacific Studios, it should be noted that when the DCC label released the CD "Lost & Found", compiler/engineer Steve Hoffman stated(in the now defunct "ICE Magazine") that the Morgan recordings could have been presented in stereo, but it would have been the instruments on one side and the vocals on the other side, but, more recently(on his own forums) Hoffman contradicted himself, stating that "Surfin' " was a strictly mono recording. Only a renewed look at the session tapes would establish the truth? 1-track, 2-track or 3-track? At present, we don't know. This much I do know: some years back, a label named "Surf's Up" wanted to release a mail-order 2-CD set of the complete Morgan sessions, but Brother Records went to court and had the release stopped. This set would have contained many more takes of the same songs("Surfin'", "Luau", "Judy" & the early version of "Surfin' Safari"), many of them likely incomplete breakdown takes.

[The Shift]

Maybe one of the archival 50th releases will be a delux Surfin Sarafi with some or all of the banned Second Wave material as bonus tracks; or maybe it'll form part of the career respective box set. A girl can hope…

[puni puni]

A large group of us should have taken pre-emptve measures in the form of a pool of money (literally or figuratively), buying all albums, getting a proper rip done by someone who knows how (with artwork scans), sharing among that group of people.

i doubt anybody here that purchased the discs even use mediafire, let alone know how to upload to it

[TV Forces]

i doubt anybody here that purchased the discs even use mediafire, let alone know how to upload to it

not sure why you'd say that.  i use mediafire.  i just doubt open sharing of the discs would be tolerated here.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

A large group of us should have taken pre-emptve measures in the form of a pool of money (literally or figuratively), buying all albums, getting a proper rip done by someone who knows how (with artwork scans), sharing among that group of people.

i doubt anybody here that purchased the discs even use mediafire, let alone know how to upload to it

I use mediafire everyday.

[Gohi]

Just think. The entire Beach Boys catalog is out there in proper stereo (sans Surfin' Safari)

*Except Wild Honey

*except FRIENDS runners come on man

[runnersdialzero]

Keep in mind, that a stereo "Surfin' Safari" album would have the 3 hits("Surfin' ", "Surfin' Safari", "409") in simulated stereo ("stereo extraction mix"), and the other 8 songs in true stereo. 4 of those 8 songs("Summertime Blues", "Heads You Win, Tails I Lose", "County Fair" & "Cuckoo Clock") are already available in excellent stereo mixes on the unofficial "Sea of Tunes" CD "Unsurpassed Masters Vol.1"

Aren't the SOT stereo mixes in that dodgy sort of stereo where the vocals are only in one channel? I realize it's only like that because they're in-progress mixes, but yeah. I haven't listened to vol.1 in some time, but I recall all or most sound like that. Not my cup o' tea, I'm afraid.

I'm definitely interested in proper stereo mixes of what can be done of Surfin' Safari, even if I doubt an album that's so simple will have any kind of huge sonic revelations. The others - eh, if they can do a decent job with the extractions, cool. If not, the mono mixes sound just fine, and mono doesn't bug me at all. The "Good Vibrations" stereo extraction mix clip sounds semi-promising if a bit strange but hay, at least there's no heavy phasing as in most fan mixes of the song.

[doinnothin]

Just think. The entire Beach Boys catalog is out there in proper stereo (sans Surfin' Safari)

*Except Wild Honey

*except FRIENDS runners come on man

Friends came out in stereo in 1968.

[The Heartical Don]

Just think. The entire Beach Boys catalog is out there in proper stereo (sans Surfin' Safari)

*Except Wild Honey

*except FRIENDS runners come on man

Friends came out in stereo in 1968.

Wot he said.

[Bean Bag]

So...folks have received their copies I take it.  What's the verdict?  Are there any SQ/mix reviews yet?

Nothing earth shattering, I take it.

[pixletwin]

So...folks have received their copies I take it.  What's the verdict?  Are there any SQ/mix reviews yet?

Nothing earth shattering, I take it.

I am surprised we haven't heard more reviews too. I am very curious to hear the opinions of those who have received it.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Is there some reason why Today can't be satisfactorily remixed into stereo?

I generally like all the other stereo remixes. that have cropped up over the years... Summer Days stuff on Warmth of Sun comp sounds boss.... but the Today tracks I've heard (She Knows Me, Dance X 3, When I Grow UP, etc) just sound...odd ("Kiss Me Baby" being an exception).

Was there something about the original recording process which has not lent itself to being remixed into stereo as gracefully as the other albums? Didn't I read something somewhere about the album being recorded on a broken machine or something?

[The Shift]

I have SSmiley on in the background as I'm working; the stereo mixes keep tapping me on the shoulder and demanding attention. Not the best listening environment but I'm won over.

I'm noticing backing vox clarity I've never noticed before (tho' maybe I'm consciously listening out like never before);

Good Vibes vox, perhaps, do lack something, as one might expect, it being an extraction and being recorded in places other than the home studio that hosted the rest o the album – man, on tracks like Veggies you can almost hear the floorboards responding to the bass and the vocals. Vibes, in places, feels pieced together but there is a fresh crispness to parts; elsewhere some of the warmth, some familiar air, is lacking.

WMT sounds like a different recording, almost a different attitude. Richer. Gorgeous.

Would be able to tell you more if I hadn't sent my earphones to the charity shop!

[I. Spaceman]

Little Pad, all of a sudden, seems very weak to me in the stereo mix, similar to how non-fans describe it. Maybe I just liked the weird production and mix on the original. This situation reminds me of the 90's remix of the Stooges' Raw Power.

[TV Forces]

Is there some reason why Today can't be satisfactorily remixed into stereo?

I generally like all the other stereo remixes. that have cropped up over the years... Summer Days stuff on Warmth of Sun comp sounds boss.... but the Today tracks I've heard (She Knows Me, Dance X 3, When I Grow UP, etc) just sound...odd ("Kiss Me Baby" being an exception).

I agree.  I'm quite disappointed with the new stereo remix of "Today."  I'm trying to convince myself it's better than it is after throwing down nearly $40 on it.  "Odd" is a good word to use.  It doesn't match the stereo "Pet Sounds" from 16 years ago, stereo SMiLE mixes from last year, or the "Today" songs on "Endless Harmony" or "Hawthorne, CA."  I had to turn my treble way down as there's hardly no low end.  (All I could do). 

"Pet Sounds" was created from the ground up by seperating all the tracks possible and re-syncing.  I don't think nearly as much work went into "Today."  Seems like a rush job.

[The Shift]

Gettin' Hungry isn't my fave SS track but (now I've turned the volume up to distract me more from work!) I'm hearing purrs in the vocals that make my hairs stand up.

EDIT:   In a  good way!!!

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Some of the Little Pad edits are timed a tad wrong.

It's still a cool thing to hear in stereo. Groovy bass. Fall Breaks especially. I like it.

Of course, ye olde mono vinyl (the Warner 2-fer with Friends, specifically) shall always be my go-to for the Smiley Smile listening experience I remember.

[The Shift]

Some of the Little Pad edits are timed a tad wrong.

Not just Little Pad; I think the Veggies outro comes in a slip too fast, and there might be an over-eager edit in GH too.  But I'd have to A/B them to be sure and I'm meant to be earning a crust!

Edit: none of this is meant as a complain, btw, merely observations… this disc is tremendous. Period. Deserves wider recognition, for sure.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Some of the Little Pad edits are timed a tad wrong.

Not just Little Pad; I think the Veggies outro comes in a slip too fast, and there might be an over-eager edit in GH too.  But I'd have to A/B them to be sure and I'm meant to be earning a crust!

The transition from the first chorus of GV to the second version is a little hokey too.

Am I crazy or is the "good" in "Little Pad" less prominent? Seems it's nearly drowned out by the group taking a breath.

Still want to emphasise that I really like it, though. Don't want Mark to think we're ungrateful swine (I'm sure he already does) and to radio the Japanese embassy and tell them not to allow any copies of the new discs to be sold on US soil.

[Catbirdman]

I’ve been trying to get my arms around what exactly is on these new Japanese releases – which mixes are vintage, which are new, and which required some digital jiggery-pokery. Judging by what has been posted in this thread, my general assumptions are:
1. All original mono and stereo mixes were utilized where they exist.
2. Where vintage stereo mixes do not exist, new mixes were made.
   2a. Even if a track had been mixed into stereo and released on various compilations over the past decade or so, a new mix was made in 2011.
   2b. Digital extraction was employed where needed to account for lost multi-tracks and/or overdubs that were made directly to the mono mix.

I have put together a list below based on the above assumptions, plus the information on Andrew’s site (http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/monostereo.html). I’m asking the board to sanity-check this information – correct, amend, delete, etc. where needed. There are a lot of guesses below, and in some cases I just plain don’t know, and couldn’t even guess.

Surfin’ U.S.A.
All tracks are remastered versions of the original 1963 mono and stereo mixes.

Surfer Girl
All tracks are remastered versions of the original 1963 mono and stereo mixes.

Little Deuce Coupe
All tracks are remastered versions of the original 1963 mono and stereo mixes, except:
No vintage stereo mix of “409” exists. The version here is an approximation created through digital extraction, as the multi-tracks are not available to make a true stereo mix.

Shut Down, Volume 2
All tracks are remastered versions of the original 1964 mono and stereo mixes.

All Summer Long
All tracks are remastered versions of the original 1964 mono and stereo mixes, except:
No vintage stereo mix of “I Get Aorund” exists. The version here is a 2011 mix using the multi-tracks, plus some digital extraction to capture overdubs made directly to the original mono mix.
No vintage stereo mix of “All Summer Long” exists. The version here is a 2011 mix using the multi-tracks.
No vintage stereo mix of “Our Favorite Recording Sessions” exists. The version here is (don’t know)

The Beach Boys Today!
All mono tracks are remastered versions of the original 1965 mixes.
No vintage stereo mixes exist for any tracks on this album. All stereo tracks are new 2011 mixes using the multi-tracks, except:
In addition to the multi-tracks, the stereo mixes for “Do You Wanna Dance” and “She Knows Me Too Well” utilize some digital extraction to capture overdubs made directly to the original mono mixes.
“Bull Session With The Big Daddy” was originally recorded in mono. Both versions on this release are mono.

Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
All mono tracks are remastered versions of the original 1965 mixes.
No vintage stereo mixes exist for any tracks on this album. All stereo tracks are new 2011 mixes using the multi-tracks, except:
In addition to the multi-tracks, the stereo mixes for “Help Me, Rhonda” and “Girl Don’t Tell Me” utilize some digital extraction to capture overdubs made directly to the original mono mixes.

Beach Boys Party
All mono tracks are remastered versions of the original 1965 mixes.
No vintage stereo mixes exist for any tracks on this album. All stereo tracks are new 2011 mixes using the multi-tracks.

Pet Sounds
All mono tracks are remastered versions of the original 1966 mixes.
All stereo tracks are remastered versions of the 1996 mixes.
Any details on specific tracks I should mention (e.g. double-tracked vocal on YSBIM, who sings the bridge in WIBN, etc.)?

Smiley Smile
All mono tracks are remastered versions of the original 1967 mixes.
No vintage stereo mixes exist for any tracks on this album. All stereo tracks are new 2011 mixes using the multi-tracks, except:
In addition to the multi-tracks, the stereo mix of “Good Vibrations” utilizes some digital extraction to capture all the vocal overdubs, multi-tracks for which are missing.

Sunflower
All tracks are remastered versions of the original 1970 stereo mixes.

Surf’s Up
All tracks are remastered versions of the original 1971 stereo mixes.

[I. Spaceman]

Some of the Little Pad edits are timed a tad wrong.

Not just Little Pad; I think the Veggies outro comes in a slip too fast, and there might be an over-eager edit in GH too.  But I'd have to A/B them to be sure and I'm meant to be earning a crust!

The transition from the first chorus of GV to the second version is a little hokey too.

Am I crazy or is the "good" in "Little Pad" less prominent? Seems it's nearly drowned out by the group taking a breath.

Still want to emphasise that I really like it, though. Don't want Mark to think we're ungrateful swine (I'm sure he already does) and to radio the Japanese embassy and tell them not to allow any copies of the new discs to be sold on US soil.

You mean With Me Tonight, right? I agree.

[Runaways]

well hopefully if these get an international release, the issues get fixed.  Or at least, someone else gets a pass at them.  Though Linett has done great work, sometimes I do sense a bit of rush.  Particularly in Disc 1 of TSS

[TV Forces]

The Beach Boys Today!
All mono tracks are remastered versions of the original 1965 mixes.
No vintage stereo mixes exist for any tracks on this album. All stereo tracks are new 2011 mixes using the multi-tracks, except:
In addition to the multi-tracks, the stereo mixes for “Do You Wanna Dance” and “She Knows Me Too Well” utilize some digital extraction to capture overdubs made directly to the original mono mixes.
“Bull Session With The Big Daddy” was originally recorded in stereo. The version here is (don’t know)

"Bull Session" is in mono both times on the mono/stereo "Today!" disc.

[The Shift]

well hopefully if these get an international release, the issues get fixed.  Or at least, someone else gets a pass at them.  Though Linett has done great work, sometimes I do sense a bit of rush.  Particularly in Disc 1 of TSS

I thought that back in November but have revised my opinion about many of the issues I then saw as "flaws"; some are inevitable products of the vintage tapes used, the methods that had to be employed to recreate the BWPS blueprint, and some, I regret to admit, are down to the sound system I was listening on, which I've since discovered has its own weaknesses.

This Smiley is wonderful.