Your fantasy archival release ...

[buddhahat]

Mine is Landlocked, but the compilers can use a bit of artistic license with the track selection and cherry pick the best unreleased tracks from the 20/20, Sunflower, Surf's Up Sessions. Can you imagine how great the resulting album could be?!

An album that contained San Miguel, I Just Got My Pay, Celebrate The News, Games Two Can Play, Lady, Big Sur, Soulful Old Man Sunshine, Barbara, H.E.L.P. Sound Of Free, Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again to name but a few, could be their best from the 70s! Hell, I'd even throw Breakaway in to open the album in style.

There's so much potential with BB unreleased material I feel a little underwhelmed at the prospect of another box set but I guess I should count myself lucky. Let's hope WIBNTLA sees a release.

What's on your fantasy wishlists, folks?

[Jukka]

Two 4-CD box sets, first one spanning the original Capitol years, the second one from Sunflower to present. Kind of like the Motown boxes, you know those?

Each CD would be packed with unreleased songs (they don't have to be completed). No remixes or live versions. Alternative versions of released songs are allowed, if they really are different. Also, songs released first on Endless Harmony, Hawthorne and GV box would be included, so we would have all unreleased gems neatly in one place (thus eliminating the need to shell for the GV box, which I don't have, too many songs I already have).

After those two boxes are released (and sell far above expectations), we are treated with "official bootleg" series of live albums (with cool cardboard-like sleeves). Lei'd in Hawaii shows and Heider sessions on one double CD, Whisky-a-Go-Go shows with Brian, and what have you... And the infamous Long Beach show, for die-hard fans only.

[shelter]

My ideal box set would be:
- Disc 1: the best of http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/vaults.html
- Disc 2: the best of http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/odds.html
- Disc 3: stack-o-tracks, stack-o-vocals, demos, alternate versions... Can never have enough of those.
- Disc 4: a compilation of live tracks from all stages of the band's history with a strong focus on "rarities": unusual versions, songs that have not often been played live, and unreleased covers.

[buddhahat]

Two 4-CD box sets, first one spanning the original Capitol years, the second one from Sunflower to present. Kind of like the Motown boxes, you know those?

Each CD would be packed with unreleased songs (they don't have to be completed). No remixes or live versions. Alternative versions of released songs are allowed, if they really are different. Also, songs released first on Endless Harmony, Hawthorne and GV box would be included, so we would have all unreleased gems neatly in one place (thus eliminating the need to shell for the GV box, which I don't have, too many songs I already have).

After those two boxes are released (and sell far above expectations), we are treated with "official bootleg" series of live albums (with cool cardboard-like sleeves). Lei'd in Hawaii shows and Heider sessions on one double CD, Whisky-a-Go-Go shows with Brian, and what have you... And the infamous Long Beach show, for die-hard fans only.

I like the sound of this. An exhaustive one stop shop for unreleased material would be cool, rather than the inevitable intermingling of hits with rarities. And available in vinyl format - that would really make it appealing.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Quite frankly i don't mind what they release just so long as we get Wouldn't It be Nice To Live Again! If they pass it up for release again then quite frankly i'll refuse to buy whatever is released on principle. And it needs to be the original WIBNTLA, i definately do not want to hear a newly-recorded version under any circumstances whatsoever. Thanks.

However...

Really it'd just be nice to see all the key albums re-issued in nice deluxe packaging (as with the fairly recent Monkees and Beatles reissues), by themselves not in 2-fers, complete with bonus tracks (such as, say, WIBNTLA) and out-takes and sessions.

[Jason]

As much as I'd love to see something like what Jukka referred to, I have my doubts. I honestly think we'd have a better chance of this (and the band would probably save a lot of money) if the Boys went with digital distribution via downloads or BitTorrent, like King Crimson does.

And some "official bootleg" live albums would be fun, too.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Box set of nothing but outtakes and unreleased songs.

Live series of soundboard recordings.

[seltaeb1012002]

I just want all of the release-worthy unreleased stuff.

1) Interviews - there's gotta be some stuff out there that hasn't been heard since the initial broadcast
2) Live - more high quality Lei'd In Hawaii, the live Please Let Me Wonder that's been mentioned, and various songs throughout the years
3) Unreleased Songs - anything that sounds good enough to be released in this context. hell, i'll even take snippets or fragments if that's all thats available. high quality Out In The Country, Lovin Feelin, Dennis' last song, etc
4) Outtakes - backing tracks of stuff we haven't heard, a capellas, background vocals isolated, maybe the alternate Add Some Music in high quality, anything we don't know about

F*ck it. Put it all out. Release it on beachboyscentral.com in FLAC format with cool downloadable liner notes. No need for much promotion, hardcore fans will get the word out there. If it's 12 CDs worth of stuff.. great. I'd buy it all slowly but surely if the price is fair.

[GoofyJeff]

Release it on beachboyscentral.com in FLAC format with cool downloadable liner notes. No need for much promotion, hardcore fans will get the word out there.

EVERYTHING that is in the archives needs this treatment. I WILL BUY IT ALL!!  May take me a few years to be able to afford it all, but make it so and it will be mine   

[37!ws]

I'm not going to spend a lot of time dividing this into discs, but here's what I would put on an archival release:

- Those acetates that were in the RRHOF Beach Boys exhibit five years ago
- The missing Party! tracks
- "Sandy, She Needs Me"
- the single version of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" -- so we can FINALLY have it without having to buy a "greatest hits" package!
- "Beginning of the End"
- "Thank Him For Our Love"
- The 1962/1963 version of "Back Home"
- the "I Know There's An Answer" vocal overdub session with Brian coaching Al through EVERY. SINGLE. LINE.
- the smog speech
- "Do You Like Worms" with the cough and "Barnyard" with the backing vocals intact

- a disc of Sunflower thru Holland outtakes and rarities, which would contain "I'm Going Your Way" (or "California Slide" or whatever the hell it's called); "Add Some Music" with alternate lyrics; "My Solution," "Walkin'" (complete with Brian giving up, saying, "F**k, I can't sing this bitch!"); "We Got Love;" "Carry Me Home;" Brian's "Sail On, Sailor" demo complete with the "Hypnotize me, Van Dyke!" intro, providing it still exists; "Back Home;" "The Sound Of Free;" "Lady" (original single version); "Loop De Loop" with the original vocals intact; "Carnival;" the original "Big Sur;" and a vocals-only of "Sail On, Sailor" to go with the nearly-instrumental-only version on Hawthorne, California; "It's A New Day;"  a live version of "Wild Honey" with Blondie on lead;  the "It's About Time" percussion overdub -- basically, make this disc a boot killer. And no, I'm not forgetting ANYTHING -- just stay with me...
- Some of the better outtakes from Adult / Child, such as "On Broadway," "Life Is For The Living," "It's Trying To Say," "Everybody Wants To Live," and maybe "It's Over Now" with the vocals at the right speed.
- Find those Beachago '75 masters and put out a CD of that stuff
- And have a "Beach Boys Sing To America" disc -- which would include the entire Lei'd In Hawaii concert from August 25 plus "Hawthorne Boulevard" from August 26 -- this will make people who are begging for it STFU when they hear WHY the concert wasn't released -- and include other things, like "Happy Birthday America" from one of the concerts, another concert performance of "America The Beautiful," a few other concert versions of some Beach Boys songs that could just scream Americana, and finally, "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Each box would have a serial number for a raffle. The winner of the raffle will be treated to a massive burrito dinner and get to use a special latrine near the Beach Boys monument in Hawthorne. What's so special about this latrine? At the bottom is every known copy, CDR, vinyl, session tape, master tape, bootleg, etc. that contains the "shave your legs" version of "Hey Little Tomboy."

Finally: If you so choose, you can trade in your "Beach Boys Sing To America" disc for one song: "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again."

[Jason]

Forget Live Again...how about Ride, Arabian, Ride?!?! More Jardine masterpieces!

[hypehat]

I'd just settle for a solid 2 disc Hawthorne thing, with the very best/interesting - so not things like the '63 Back Home (dull), Lei'd In Hawaii (as if they'd ever release the concert - it's awful) and as little live stuff as possible, with the exception of early 70's shows. As Ponghit's trip to see Alan Boyd revealed, there is a lot more that hasn't been booted and I would hate for them to not release the really cool sh*t we hadn't heard of because they feel the need to release creaky live tapes of Surfin' USA or stuff exclusively from 1963 - 1970.

[pixletwin]

I've said it before; as long as it contained WITBTLA and CF (1974) it could contain 4 discs full of Kokomo session outtakes and I would buy it.

[Ziggy Stardust]

- Disc 1: the best of http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/vaults.html

Holy.moly.

[Cabinessenceking]

Two 4-CD box sets, first one spanning the original Capitol years, the second one from Sunflower to present. Kind of like the Motown boxes, you know those?

Each CD would be packed with unreleased songs (they don't have to be completed). No remixes or live versions. Alternative versions of released songs are allowed, if they really are different. Also, songs released first on Endless Harmony, Hawthorne and GV box would be included, so we would have all unreleased gems neatly in one place (thus eliminating the need to shell for the GV box, which I don't have, too many songs I already have).

After those two boxes are released (and sell far above expectations), we are treated with "official bootleg" series of live albums (with cool cardboard-like sleeves). Lei'd in Hawaii shows and Heider sessions on one double CD, Whisky-a-Go-Go shows with Brian, and what have you... And the infamous Long Beach show, for die-hard fans only.

HO*Y sh*t, this!!!!!!!

CAPITOL IF U SEE THIS, GRANT THIS PERSONS WISH.

[Jim V.]

I've said it before; as long as it contained WITBTLA and CF (1974) it could contain 4 discs full of Kokomo session outtakes and I would buy it.

I'd be ok with that if they added "Where Is She".

Anyways, I'd like if they went totally crazy and released a whole bunch of previously unreleased tracks...but honestly I'd take one amazing disc that included the following and I'd be happy:

"Back Home" (1963)
"All Day, All Night" (1967)
"Good News" (1967)
"Where Is She" (1969)
"(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (1971)
"Gimme Some Lovin'/Baby I Need Your Lovin'" (1972?)
"California Feelin'" (1974)
"In The Back Of My Mind" (1975?)
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (1976)
"Goin' To The Beach" (1979)
"Boys And Girls" (1979/1980)
"Sweetie" (1981)
"Dancin' The Night Away" (1995)
"You're Still A Mystery" (1995)

Anyways, if there are some things from any of the guys that we don't know about that are lost treasures (like "Surf's Up 1967"), then they should add them too. But barring those, my listing above is fine for me.

[sea of tunes]

Good Vibrations: 50th Anniversary Box Set

- 6 Discs
- Updated mastering by Mark Linett, Alan Boyd and Dennis Wolfe
- Disc 1 (Nearly Identical Track listing to GB30 but with "Kiss Me Baby") *
- Disc 2 (Nearly Identical Track listing to GB30 with a couple of SMiLE goodies) *
- Disc 3 (Nearly Identical Track listing to GB30 with some LANDLOCKED songs; also "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again")
- Disc 4 (Nearly Identical Track listing to GB30 with some additional ADULT CHILD songs)
- Disc 5 Sessions Disc 1 (Various Sessions and Outtakes)
- Disc 6 Sessions Disc 2 (Various Sessions and Outtakes)

 * All tracks mono single mixes (where applicable)

[SIP.FLAC]

New stereo mix of Pet Sounds, 6 discs.

[Jason]

Honestly, judging from what's booted alone plus what remains unbooted...you'd be looking at (at the very least) seven to ten CDs, give or take. Adding previously unreleased stuff from all of the compilations and what have you...at least twelve CDs.

[over and over]

"In The Back Of My Mind" (1975?)

Yes, yes, and more yes. All I need is this track and I can die a happy man. Brian singing In The Back Of My Mind at the piano in 1975..................how could anyone not want to hear that. Its the only track I'm hoping to hear.

[JanBerryFarm]

DISC 1 - All the session tapes from the Surfin' Safari Lp

DISC 2 - All the session tapes from the Surfin' U.S.A. Lp

DISC 3 - All the session tapes from the Surfer Girl Lp

DISC 4 - All the session tapes from the Little Deuce Coupe Lp

SPECIAL BONUS DVD - Digitally restored footage of the Beach Boys performance in the film "One Mans Challenge", and all of the Wilson/Marks home movies know to exist that have the Beach Boys in them.

[tpesky]

I'm still hoping for a Live Box set..too many good concerts to leave in the vaults! Some kind of electronic releases of these or other stuff would be awesome. The Beach Boys Central ( makes me chuckle thinking about it ) would be great! I've gained a little more faith in the decision making of the BB organization based on this tour. Even a Sirius /XM BB channel?

[lee]

I think everyone has covered what I'd like to have in audio format. I'd like to see a box set or "bootleg series" for dvds of shows. Especially for shows in the late 60s to mid 70s.

[Jason]

I'm still hoping for a Live Box set..too many good concerts to leave in the vaults! Some kind of electronic releases of these or other stuff would be awesome. The Beach Boys Central ( makes me chuckle thinking about it ) would be great! I've gained a little more faith in the decision making of the BB organization based on this tour. Even a Sirius /XM BB channel?

The Beach Boys Central page would ideally be the best way to do it.

[The Shift]

So, quick evaluation of where we're at…

I estimate that satisfying everyone's wishes would need a box set containing in the region of 350 audio CDs and a similar number of DVDs/Blu-ray discs.

Clearly, few of us are likely to have the time to sit down and listen & watch all of that, let alone the money to pay for it. The students among us will have the time but not the money, the workin board members might have the money but not the time.

What might therefore be an idea is to entrust some specialists – Linett & Boyd for example – to sit down and sift through what's available and produce a box set that's realistic an manageable in terms of listening time, price etc, which will please just about everyone and contain most if not all of the most sought-after material.

Ah, shoite, I'm being a wet blanket again… but is everyone happy for this avenue to be taken, and for Capitol to release the results?

I'm not sure where we go from here if the answer is "no"…