Details on the new greatest hits albums and remasters

[EgoHanger1966]

Out of the covers posted, my fave rave is Absolute Best Vol 2.

[Mark H]

If folks don't buy the first wave of reissues, the second wave may never hit the shore, at least in the USA.

This is the quandary, I want to show 'support' for the reissues but (and it's an OCD/collector thing!) I wouldn't buy a set of anything unless I knew the whole series (film series/book series etc) was being done in the same style/design/remastering etc.

Capitol/TBB have my cash for the box set/tour/tour merchandise/TWGMTR/TSS at the mo anyway so they should have gotten the hint from all Beach Boys fans/general public/#3 album that it's worth doing this properly!

[tansen]

The first 'Best of' The Beach Boys has just the coolest cover - though i don't think that photo would be as cool with Beach Boys anno 2012.

[guitarfool2002]

I wanted to chime in about the Time Life cover, and the Time Life music compilations in general. I have a stack of them myself, most for my favorite era of the 60's. Apart from the CD's being a great one-stop resource for all kinds of classic and semi-obscure singles from a given era, and prior to digital downloading took over, the cover artwork was in my opinion, terrific. Most of the covers have that similar style of art as shown on the Beach Boys collection posted on the previous page, and they're a great depiction of the music you're about to experience in a very idealized way - there is one volume with a girl dancing with a great big smile on her face on one volume, and it's a very cool visual. Another great one shows a group of young musicians in a band playing some tunes in their garage, with the door wide open. If there were a collection of those in print form suitable for framing I'd seriously hang some up on my wall. I second the praise for that artwork, it emphasizes the stylized and idealized part of the BB's which continues to draw people into the music.

[I. Spaceman]

I subscribed to the Time-Life 60's series when they were coming out, got one in the mail every month. Great discs. I do like most of the artwork they used, the thing they were going for on the Beach Boys set was done more artfully by Guy Peellaert in Rock Dreams, in my opinion.

[Jim V.]

I'm rarely opposed to best ofs, but in the case of the Beach Boys, it'd just be nice to see, after a thousand different cheap attempts, a best of that accurately represents the band. It's somehow yet to happen, it could be done easily on two discs, and no, it doesn't have to include obscure fanboy sh*t for someone like me to think they did a good job. Include the hits (ALL of them, no inexplicable exclusions as is always the case), include the singles, include a couple fan favorites (preferably while making sure all members get the songwriting spotlight at least once), include something you can't get elsewhere and give it some exclusive liner notes beyond some dumbass explaining why the band is important to the world.

No need to serve us the same reheated, only slightly stirred bullsh*t every two years - make it definitive and worthwhile. Any level-headed asshole on this board could probably do a better job overall than a lot of these recent efforts. This tracklist certainly isn't the worst, but there's still some very obvious flaws that I can't make sense of.

I'm usually with you Runners, but what's wrong with Fifty Big Ones. You got "Surf's Up", "This Whole World", "Sail On, Sailor", "Good Timin'", etc. I think they did pretty decently with this one.

Very underwhelmed.

After all we've been given thus far? Just the fact that the Beach Boys catalog, albeit a good chunk of it, finally will be treated properly with individual CD releases in mono and stereo is very unexpected, in my mind.

I'm a vinyl guy far more than CD so there's that. I also like and have mono mixes and never have given a darn about the stereo especially the latter day remixes.  I loved the tour, like the new LP, and am happy they got back together, but hit sets mean nothing anymore to me. A box set-CD, Vinyl, or both-with unreleased stuff would be great, but so far I'm not impressed with what has been announced. Now if they were putting out analog mastered vinyl albums I would be happy as the original LP's with original covers deserve to have a complete reissue to give us all the chance to buy them as they originally sounded in mint condition (note the recent posting about Sunflower by Steve Desper), but I'm fine with the CD"s we have and don't feel a need to buy them again.  I was hoping to hear about some great archive stuff coming out not the three dozenth reissue of I Get Around.

The archive stuff is coming though, Mike. So I wouldn't be worried. Plus, all these awesome Beach Boys albums will be more widely available again, I'd think. So I think this is all a good thing. Plus, I felt the twofers were always kinda disrespectful to the band. They deserved to have the albums issued on their own. The Beatles didn't have a Abbey Road/Let It Be twofer, so why should The Beach Boys have a Sunflower/Surf's Up one. They should be allowed to stand on their own.

If folks don't buy the first wave of reissues, the second wave may never hit the shore, at least in the USA.

Right on. If Capitol doesn't see sales numbers, it is possible we won't see any more reissues.

[Heysaboda]

What about, you know, just a photograph of the band?

This!

For example, a picture of the band today, and on the reverse side, a pic from 50 years ago.

C'mon Capitol geniuses, make it happen!

[tansen]

-

[Jim V.]

Also, can't see why people would want a box set full of the albums, rather than a box set full of previously unreleased stuff. I would TOTALLY take the previously unreleased stuff. This is probably one of our last chances to hear some of these holy grails people!

[Wirestone]

Also, can't see why people would want a box set full of the albums, rather than a box set full of previously unreleased stuff. I would TOTALLY take the previously unreleased stuff. This is probably one of our last chances to hear some of these holy grails people!

I don't think a box made up of only unreleased stuff has ever been planned or suggested.

[Jim V.]

Also, can't see why people would want a box set full of the albums, rather than a box set full of previously unreleased stuff. I would TOTALLY take the previously unreleased stuff. This is probably one of our last chances to hear some of these holy grails people!

I don't think a box made up of only unreleased stuff has ever been planned or suggested.

I don't mean ALL unreleased stuff. I highly doubt that would happen. But likely something comparable to 1993 box set. In which case, I'd still pick the one with some previously unreleased stuff, rather than something like The Beatles put out.

[Zach95]

Also, can't see why people would want a box set full of the albums, rather than a box set full of previously unreleased stuff. I would TOTALLY take the previously unreleased stuff. This is probably one of our last chances to hear some of these holy grails people!

I don't think a box made up of only unreleased stuff has ever been planned or suggested.

I don't mean ALL unreleased stuff. I highly doubt that would happen. But likely something comparable to 1993 box set. In which case, I'd still pick the one with some previously unreleased stuff, rather than something like The Beatles put out.

Yeah, I'm with you here. I'd much rather the box set leave the albums alone, unless they were considering two box sets, which has yet to be mentioned.  I mean, we get more product if the box set isn't just the 12 remasters with maybe WH Friends or whatever thrown in there and instead a GV like box with unreleased material like WIBNTLA. I'd much rather have that scenario than sacrifice archival releases for something like stereo WH, in my opinion.

[Justin]

Does anyone else feel that we should merge this thread with the other Remasters thread?  It seems a little tedious to have two threads going on the same subject and having to check both.  Now that we've all read the official press release in this thread...I think we can put this thread together with the other one...no?

[Jim V.]

Also, can't see why people would want a box set full of the albums, rather than a box set full of previously unreleased stuff. I would TOTALLY take the previously unreleased stuff. This is probably one of our last chances to hear some of these holy grails people!

I don't think a box made up of only unreleased stuff has ever been planned or suggested.

I don't mean ALL unreleased stuff. I highly doubt that would happen. But likely something comparable to 1993 box set. In which case, I'd still pick the one with some previously unreleased stuff, rather than something like The Beatles put out.

Yeah, I'm with you here. I'd much rather the box set leave the albums alone, unless they were considering two box sets, which has yet to be mentioned.  I mean, we get more product if the box set isn't just the 12 remasters with maybe WH Friends or whatever thrown in there and instead a GV like box with unreleased material like WIBNTLA. I'd much rather have that scenario than sacrifice archival releases for something like stereo WH, in my opinion.

Absolutely. You put it much better than I did. I basically want more previously unreleased material released, and something like the '93 box would give us more. If they were to do an "albums box", at best we'd probably get like two discs of "rarities", and if we just stick to stuff like already released b-sides and compilation tracks, there's probably not much room for the stuff many of us are really looking for, like "Live Again", "California Feelin'" from 1974, etc.

[joshferrell]

What about, you know, just a photograph of the band?

This!

For example, a picture of the band today, and on the reverse side, a pic from 50 years ago.

C'mon Capitol geniuses, make it happen!

how about a holograph cd  where you turn the cd from side to side asnd they all morph from 50 yeas ago until now,of course Dennis would morph into Foskett and Carl would morph into Al Jardine (if they use an old photo with David marks or visa versa..)

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

[runnersdialzero]

I'm rarely opposed to best ofs, but in the case of the Beach Boys, it'd just be nice to see, after a thousand different cheap attempts, a best of that accurately represents the band. It's somehow yet to happen, it could be done easily on two discs, and no, it doesn't have to include obscure fanboy sh*t for someone like me to think they did a good job. Include the hits (ALL of them, no inexplicable exclusions as is always the case), include the singles, include a couple fan favorites (preferably while making sure all members get the songwriting spotlight at least once), include something you can't get elsewhere and give it some exclusive liner notes beyond some dumbass explaining why the band is important to the world.

No need to serve us the same reheated, only slightly stirred bullsh*t every two years - make it definitive and worthwhile. Any level-headed asshole on this board could probably do a better job overall than a lot of these recent efforts. This tracklist certainly isn't the worst, but there's still some very obvious flaws that I can't make sense of.

I'm usually with you Runners, but what's wrong with Fifty Big Ones. You got "Surf's Up", "This Whole World", "Sail On, Sailor", "Good Timin'", etc. I think they did pretty decently with this one.

lawl. Sincerely, I'd been in a car for the majority of the day yesterday and was seemingly, uh, cranky. The cover still blows, the tracklist order still blows, but the selections aren't too bad at all. As with every best of ever, there are a few songs which should be there but aren't and a few songs on there which probably shouldn't be, but still - not bad.

[monicker]

Think I'm just accepting of the fact that the label has done this kind of thing forever and ain't gonna change so there's little we can do but sit back and enjoy the music, which is what it's all about.

Of course, for me the music will always come first, before anything else, even the lyrics. But it’s always nice when the artwork that accompanies a release is good. And i guess i still like to believe that things can change and that we don’t have to accept things just because that’s the way they've always been 

The Appeal to the Great Spirit would be the best bet for me but it was used on Ten Years of Harmony and the gaudy use with the 50th anniversary hasn't lit my fire.

A Frank Holmes charicature of the band might work but also harks back to stuff they only did for a few months out of their 50 years. The cover of TWGMTR ain't brilliant but it deals with the issues we're rattling out here. A contemporary photo of the band probably wouldn't cut it.

I completely agree with all of this.

I think that the greatest hits packages were a bit of a wasted opportunity – and I’m not usually much of a cynic.

I saw this as chance to consolidate the Beach Boy’s career achievements in the mind of the public.

To best honest, I was hoping for two discs, in chronological order, that hit most of the milestones.

I hate to mention them in the same sentence as the BBs (again), but it’s something that Apple have done with The Beatles’ back catalogue very well.

You have the ‘1’ standard hits package, and then the red and blue compilations that hit most of the key career beats in – and this is key – chronological order.

In my opinion this creates a clear narrative of the band for the collective public consciousness. People have a general idea of each ‘era’ and pick up ANY Beatles comp, you can roughly follow that path along with the music.

In my opinion, BB comps have been packaged and re-packaged so many times, in so many different ways, it confuses the narrative of the band and leans too heavily on a particular audience, usually the surfer/hits side of things.

It was wishful thinking, but I thought these hits packages could be the final word on The Beach Boys wonderful career, sending a clear message to the record-buying public as to how the BB story unfolds.

To go from ‘Kokomo’ to ‘Kiss Me Baby’, for me, just doesn’t sit right and I strongly feel that it makes the band’s overall output to the uninitiated feel like a strange mess. I truly believe this mismanagement of the band’s hits albums is why I’ve spent some time over the years making mix tapes and convincing people of the true legacy of the BBs.

Or maybe I’m just obsessive compulsive or something! 

This is so well put, filled with very great points that i think get missed often. That narrative is important, and it always gets screwed up with The Beach Boys. You really nailed the difference in how they and The Beatles get handled with their respective compilations.   

You are well worded, thought out, obviously passionate, and I respect that. But I disagree that a surfboard, a memorable talisman for their career that doesn't connote anything more than say, Iron Maiden's "Eddie" character on their album covers, cheapens them. People wouldn't be complaining if the album was green-bordered with yellow Pet Sounds type, even tho that is literally the only Beach Boys album that sounds that way.

To be more specific, i said it cheapens the entirety of their career, the breadth of their catalog, if you will, not necessarily THEM. Because, as i acknowledged (and anyone who denies it would be out of touch with reality), surfing culture is part of their story. Hell, it’s where the story starts. But the point is that it goes on and on, well beyond that. Obviously i don’t need to remind you or anyone else here of this. Iron Maiden has used Eddie on their proper studio albums from day one, and has continued to do so throughout their career. You picked one of the most self-limiting bands to make a comparison. Beach Boys albums didn’t do with surfboard imagery what Iron Maiden albums have continually done with Eddie.

It is because the BB narrative is so layered, morphing so much over the years, that a Pet Sounds color scheme/typeface wouldn’t be a good solution either, as you suggest people would think. It would make as little sense as the surfboards, and for the same reasons. However, i think after having surfboards shoved in people’s faces for so long, a cover that nods to Pet Sounds, at the very least, would be welcomed more than a stock photo of surfboards. Though, of course, not everyone will agree with this. And i say this as a person who is really tired of a certain crowd who puts Pet Sounds on a pedestal at the expense of the rest of the band’s output. That is no different than pretending that the Beach Boys were only a surf band. And that brings us back to the main point--that it should all be represented. Enough with the one-dimensional revisionist take of their history. That’s a really, really tough thing to pull off though. But that’s why i think something that aims to be more neutral would work. Look at the Beatles box sets--it just says THE BEATLES on it. It doesn’t even have color. No, i’m not suggesting that Capitol cheaply swap out band names/logos and call it a day, but something with a similar aim for neutrality could certainly be tried. Would that kill Capitol? Would it kill the band? The buying public? I don’t think so.

[JohnMill]

This is just horrible.  Mike has come up with another epic fail brainstorm in order to enhance the band's image.  They looking friggin' ridiculous.  At least Brian had the good sense to leave his outfit at home. 

[I. Spaceman]

  continually done with Eddie.

It is because the BB narrative is so layered, morphing so much over the years, that a Pet Sounds color scheme/typeface wouldn’t be a good solution either, as you suggest people would think. It would make as little sense as the surfboards, and for the same reasons. However, i think after having surfboards shoved in people’s faces for so long, a cover that nods to Pet Sounds, at the very least, would be welcomed more than a stock photo of surfboards. Though, of course, not everyone will agree with this. And i say this as a person who is really tired of a certain crowd who puts Pet Sounds on a pedestal at the expense of the rest of the band’s output. That is no different than pretending that the Beach Boys were only a surf band. And that brings us back to the main point--that it should all be represented. Enough with the one-dimensional revisionist take of their history. That’s a really, really tough thing to pull off though. But that’s why i think something that aims to be more neutral would work. Look at the Beatles box sets--it just says THE BEATLES on it. It doesn’t even have color. No, i’m not suggesting that Capitol cheaply swap out band names/logos and call it a day, but something with a similar aim for neutrality could certainly be tried. Would that kill Capitol? Would it kill the band? The buying public? I don’t think so.

Fair enough, well stated. A neutral picture of the group would probably be a better choice.

I still dig surfboards, tho. And I think it is far too late in the game to reinvent the band's image in any major fashion. The million compilations idea was already established by the end of the 60's for the Beach Boys, three Best Ofs were released in a two year span. Then there are all the Pickwick albums, repackages of albums with new covers and shortened tracklists, etc. There are bad soundtrack contributions, bad solo projects, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
I like it that many "serious" rock fans still think of the band as a joke. It isn't as stifling talking about the band as it is to talk about The Beatles. It is inspiring to me that the band has got to where they are now in terms of perception, considering how tarnished the Beach Boys name was 25 years ago.

[Wirestone]

The problem with a chronological approach (which is what the 93 boxed set had ) for the BBs, is it makes the band's decline from the 70s through the 90s abundantly and painfully clear. In the case of the Beatles, you're dealing with far fewer albums over a much smaller time scale. The two bands just do not compare in chronological terms. The only way such an approach would work for the BBs would be if you included BW solo material, which would paint a portrait of continued creative striving, if not necessarily growth.

[runnersdialzero]

The problem with a chronological approach (which is what the 93 boxed set had ) for the BBs, is it makes the band's decline from the 70s through the 90s abundantly and painfully clear. In the case of the Beatles, you're dealing with far fewer albums over a much smaller time scale. The two bands just do not compare in chronological terms. The only way such an approach would work for the BBs would be if you included BW solo material, which would paint a portrait of continued creative striving, if not necessarily growth.

If we're talking a best of, though, then the decline isn't nearly as apparent as on the 93 box set.

[Wirestone]

.... And the rest of them.

[Wirestone]

The problem with a chronological approach (which is what the 93 boxed set had ) for the BBs, is it makes the band's decline from the 70s through the 90s abundantly and painfully clear. In the case of the Beatles, you're dealing with far fewer albums over a much smaller time scale. The two bands just do not compare in chronological terms. The only way such an approach would work for the BBs would be if you included BW solo material, which would paint a portrait of continued creative striving, if not necessarily growth.

If we're talking a best of, though, then the decline isn't nearly as apparent as on the 93 box set.

For one disc, true. Over two discs ... dicier.

[HighOnLife]

The Warmth of the Sun had some of the best packaging I've ever seen on a Beach Boys product. Nice picture and lettering on the cover. Good pictures of all eras inside. Good selection of tracks, too.