New LP Vinyl out now ...

[grillo]

I got the impression it was mostly folks (maybe europeans ?) who's parents only had cds around when the kids were growing up and maybe english isn't their primary language so somehow Vinyls was the word they started using, and now it seems like the under 20 crown everywhere uses it. I don't understand adding the 's', but whatever...

Same Europeans who don't capitalise "european"?

Who use "who's" (a contraction of "who is" or "who has") instead of the possessive "whose"?

Who don't capitalise "English" but do capitalise "vinyl"?

Who use commas before "and" and "but"?

Who put an apostrophe either end of a quotation?

Who pop a space before a question mark?

You're right, the language is going to the dogs!  

Yeah, sure, except it's capitalize, with a "z", unless you're one of those poor, uncapitalized europeans...

[Custom Machine]

What is altered about the track list? It looks identical to me.

Side One

Think About The Days
That's Why God
Isn't It Time
Spring Vacation
Beaches In Mind
Daybreak

Side Two

Shelter
Bill and Sue
Strange World
From There To Back
Pacific Coast Highway
Summer's Gone

What's interesting about the new vinyl LP track list is that the first four and last four songs are in the same order as the CD, while the middle four songs are in the exact reverse order.

[Micha]

Release day in Germany today, so I picked it up and finished listening twenty minutes ago.

It's one disc with the altered track order. It sounds pretty good, but the package itself is a bit underwhelming. The back cover looks a lot less good than that of the CD, and the inner sleeve is just one of these white sleeves with plastic foil in the inside. The label is plain dark yellow with the song titles and lengths in black and isn't really pretty. Man, it's Capitol records, why didn't they use the rainbow label for old time's sake? They do for the reprints of the 60s albums.

No band photos!

I hadn't listened to the album for a few weeks now, and right before listening to the LP I listened to the Summer In Paradise (EU) album. TWGMTR now seemed a very happy record to me now, much happier than when I only had the CD. As you would expect, it seemed extremely good compared with SIP. The only exception was TPLOBAS (cringes), which is of course not better than on CD, and I'd listen to any track from SIP rather than Bill And Sue (cringes again).

The gaps between the tracks seemed shorter than on the CD, but I'm probably mistaken there.

What's interesting about the new vinyl LP track list is that the first four and last four songs are in the same order as the CD, while the middle four songs are in the exact reverse order.

That is indeed interesting. Maybe it has to do with the track lengths?

Oh, and someone at Amazon really got the track order and number of discs really funked up. Look what German Amazon claims:

http://www.amazon.de/ThatS-Why-Made-Radio-Vinyl/dp/B007U1FEQW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343420028&sr=8-4

[halblaineisgood]

Release day in Germany today, so I picked it up and finished listening twenty minutes ago.

It's one disc with the altered track order. It sounds pretty good, but the package itself is a bit underwhelming. The back cover looks a lot less good than that of the CD, and the inner sleeve is just one of these white sleeves with plastic foil in the inside. The label is plain dark yellow with the song titles and lengths in black and isn't really pretty. Man, it's Capitol records, why didn't they use the rainbow label for old time's sake? They do for the reprints of the 60s albums.

That's too bad about the label. That rainbow label looked so nice on TSS Vinyl.

[Ziggy Stardust]

I want to buy the Side Two.

[DonnyL]

Release day in Germany today, so I picked it up and finished listening twenty minutes ago.

It's one disc with the altered track order. It sounds pretty good, but the package itself is a bit underwhelming. The back cover looks a lot less good than that of the CD, and the inner sleeve is just one of these white sleeves with plastic foil in the inside. The label is plain dark yellow with the song titles and lengths in black and isn't really pretty. Man, it's Capitol records, why didn't they use the rainbow label for old time's sake? They do for the reprints of the 60s albums.

No band photos!

I hadn't listened to the album for a few weeks now, and right before listening to the LP I listened to the Summer In Paradise (EU) album. TWGMTR now seemed a very happy record to me now, much happier than when I only had the CD. As you would expect, it seemed extremely good compared with SIP. The only exception was TPLOBAS (cringes), which is of course not better than on CD, and I'd listen to any track from SIP rather than Bill And Sue (cringes again).

The gaps between the tracks seemed shorter than on the CD, but I'm probably mistaken there.

What's interesting about the new vinyl LP track list is that the first four and last four songs are in the same order as the CD, while the middle four songs are in the exact reverse order.

That is indeed interesting. Maybe it has to do with the track lengths?

Oh, and someone at Amazon really got the track order and number of discs really funked up. Look what German Amazon claims:

http://www.amazon.de/ThatS-Why-Made-Radio-Vinyl/dp/B007U1FEQW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343420028&sr=8-4

do you think there's a Euro and an American version? is yours a US import or a German pressing ?

so there's now two places that say it's a 2-LP: the site I ordered from an Amazon Germany. weird.

[Micha]

do you think there's a Euro and an American version? is yours a US import or a German pressing ?

I just took me a magnifying glass and found the words "Printed in EU". It looks like that's what it says on the Amazon picture too, but the resolution is too low. I don't think though there will be different versions. We'll know in a few weeks.

The front cover as pictured on Amazon is actually not the LP cover but the CD cover. On the LP cover, the album title is printed slightly smaller compared to the rest of the artwork. (What a nerd I am to spot this!!! )

so there's now two places that say it's a 2-LP: the site I ordered from and Amazon Germany. weird.

I'm convinced they are both wrong.

About the track order: Joe Thomas claimed that the first track on side B was Strange World, which of course it wouldn't have been even if they had stuck to the CD order.
http://andrewromano.tumblr.com/joethomasbeachboys

[Awesoman]

I ordered this directly off the official Beach Boys website.  It came in the mail yesterday.  I ordered the set that comes with the LP, the single 45, and a poster and t-shirt featuring the cover art.  The b-side to the 45 is the instrumental track  of "That's Why God Made The Radio".  Kind of neat in that there is a lot going on underneath the vocals that you don't hear in the regular version.  Just for kicks I mixed in B Dubson's vocals over the instrumental.  :-)

[punkinhead]

How's the vinyl sound? any different from the CD?

[Freddie French-Pounce]

A. The track re-ordering doesn't work
B: The packaging could really use a bit of work, even just a lyric inner would have been nice
C: My pressing was a bit off - there were chips of vinyl in shelter, which i had to use my nail to scrape off - I hope I haven't ruined it in the process 
D: Sounds great, but it's not sonically masterful over the CD. Then again, i haven't AB'd it, so my decision is not final...

[Lowbacca]

A. The track re-ordering doesn't work
B: The packaging could really use a bit of work, even just a lyric inner would have been nice
C: My pressing was a bit off - there were chips of vinyl in shelter, which i had to use my nail to scrape off - I hope I haven't ruined it in the process 
D: Sounds great, but it's not sonically masterful over the CD. Then again, i haven't AB'd it, so my decision is not final...

Still haven't made up my mind about purchasing the vinyl. I guess at the end of the day I simply don't like TWGMTR enough.
A short review of yours regarding sound comparison (CD/LP) would be helpful, though. 

[runnersdialzero]

Vinyl sounds warm. Warm. Electric blanket. An extra blanket.

[buddhahat]

Mine's just shipped from Amazon UK!

[MBE]

Vinyl sounds warm. Warm. Electric blanket. An extra blanket.

Well don't put any vinyl on an electric blanker!

[D409]

Here's the Examiner article about the tracklisting, I'm intrigued by Side 2 :

http://www.examiner.com/review/that-s-why-god-made-the-radio-just-got-better

[Runaways]

Got mine today.  I definitely like the new tracklisting better.  Side 2 is da bomb.  Shelter sounds pretty great, the french horn comes out more, so do Brian's background vocals.  overall the vinyl is on the high side, but i'm not gonna pretend to have ears for these things.  Definitely got lost in listening to Shelter, started swaying without realizing it lol.  Good thing to see when you get home after a breakup lol

[Steve Mayo]

mine just arrived. gonna go give it a spin or two....

[pixletwin]

I reorder my CD import track list to follow the LP. I think Bill and Sue benefits the most from this new sequence.

[absinthe_boy]

Vinyl sounds warm. Warm. Electric blanket. An extra blanket.

Got mine via Amazon UK last week.

It is one LP (I dislike the term 'vinyls' too) with the revised track order. Sounds very full and warm...FTTBA especially fills the room with harmonies and warm music in a way that the CD just...well...doesn't.

The packaging is a bit underwhelming, as previously described. The cover art was definitely designed for the smaller CD format though it does not look bad in 12" format. The centre label on the record itself is yellow with the Beach Boy's logo and track listing. I would have loved the old black with rainbow circumference but I guess that's just for back catalogue or archive releases.

The album has been mastered properly and skilfully for vinyl and for me that is the most important thing. I would have appreciated a lyric sheet or booklet but I am more than happy with the record itself.

Why might they make a 2LP version available? I wonder if the 2LP (assuming it exists) is cut for 45RPM? That would give even better sound quality. A couple of recent Radiohead LP's run at 45RPM and while it is a bit of a hassle to set up the turntable for a speed change it does make a difference.

[Micha]

Why might they make a 2LP version available? I wonder if the 2LP (assuming it exists) is cut for 45RPM?

I assume it doesn't exist.

[DonnyL]

Why might they make a 2LP version available? I wonder if the 2LP (assuming it exists) is cut for 45RPM?

I assume it doesn't exist.

yeh, the website I originally ordered from never shipped the thing, and I ended up buying the single LP at a shop. I think the 2LP listings were probably an error somewhere.

[Lonely Summer]

Found a copy at Everyday Music in Bellingham, $17.99. Been out of town all week, but plan to do some serious listening tomorrow night!

[mabewa]

Sort of strange to spread a >40 minute album on two vinyls.  And FYI to the music industry....make more albums under 40 minutes....they tend to be better.  I can think of more than a handful of modern albums that would be remembered much more fondly IF the artist sliced more of the fat off. 

I totally agree!  The ability to make albums longer has increased, but the ability of artists to write good songs has not.  The result is more inconsistent albums.  I'm a huge fan of Steve Earle (granted, very different kind of artist to the BB's!), who regularly makes 35-40 minute albums--12 short, sweet songs. 

[Lonely Summer]

Listened to the vinyl tonight, and it sounds wonderful! No one is more thrilled about the resurgence of vinyl than me. I really don't hear a weak song in the set, some songs jump out at me more than others right now, but I think others will grow on me. It all flows very nicely. I do wish Al was more prominent, though. A lot of Brian leads - the most since Pet Sounds? And he sounds great, but if there is another one, I hope Al gets more time in the vocal spotlight. And there are a few moments were I would swear Carl is in the mix.

[absinthe_boy]

Just listening to the LP again. Really the revised track order helps the album become more cohesive. For some reason in particular Bill & Sue fits better and I don't dislike the song at all where it is. To be honest it takes it from a 7/10 rating to 7.5/10 for me. The running order really can have an effect on the overall appreciation of an album.

With regard to running times, the average human adult has an ability to concentrate for around 45 minutes. without a break. By sheer coincidence that is around the optimum running time for a vinyl LP so most albums from the late 60's through to the CD 'revolution' in the 80's tended to last 40-45 minutes. There are of course notable exceptions.

I tend to find turning over a record half way is a nice way to break things up.

I have a hunch that when CD's became the norm a lot of artists started making 60+ minute albums simply because they could, or perhaps the record companies preferred it because it helped them push the more profitable CD's over other formats? Or buyers felt they were getting more value - never mind the quality, feel the width.

But in recent years a number of popular and mainstream artists seem to have realised that sometimes less is more. There *are* great 65 minute albums out there, but if an artist feels a cohesive whole has been produced at 42 minutes then it should stay there. Or 34 minutes. Or whatever. There are plenty of sub 30 minute albums. I don't feel short-changed if I have 40 minutes of great music for the same price as a 65 minute CD that doesn't really gell.