Where is that %^&$@#&* MIC Box Set @#$%^&*(!!!

[The Shift]

… imagine … a 1967 acetate of a Brian-mixed-and-mastered first side of SMiLE turned up in a vault somewhere. You'd HAVE to delay the box until you had it cleaned up and ready for inclusion … wouldn't you?…

Well I'm not lending them mine and as far as I know it's unique. So it better not be that…

[bgas]

I know NOTHING - no, really, it's true, I don't have any AGD-style 'in' of any kind - but I just wonder whether there might be a good reason why this box is late, and weirdly, missing the crucial Christmas sales period. Like - what if it's because they found something SOOO cool, the box just HAD to be delayed to include it? I mean, it's not going to be this, *obviously* but imagine they were preparing a career-spanning box set in time to be out at Christmas, and a 1967 acetate of a Brian-mixed-and-mastered first side of SMiLE turned up in a vault somewhere. You'd HAVE to delay the box until you had it cleaned up and ready for inclusion, until you had rejigged the tracklists to allow its inclusion, and redesigned the sleeve notes and printed tracklistings to include it, wouldn't you? And even if that pushed the release date beyond Christmas, you absolutely would NOT let the box go without making sure that was included.

OK, so maybe it's actually just the usual boring legal setbacks that are pushing it into the new year. But I have a funny feeling that we might be glad this sucker was pushed back in the long run.

And really, really - I honestly don't know anything. I just have a indefinible, weird feeling, based on a couple of things that have happened with other landmark archival projects in the past...

I admire the breadth of your imagination, however misdirected it might be.  

I figured as much. I'd just like to know how long you've had a copy to listen to.  
Perhaps the best way to hear this set would be to hack AGD's computer

[I. Spaceman]

Any Oasis fans here?

[buddhahat]

It won't be as beautiful as this one, anyway:




 

Not sure "beautiful" is the right word, those cds covers are quite freaking ugly.

I must agree with you. Very much of their time is the best I can say about them. The first Byrds box suffered from the same problem.

You're right - they are of the time but there's an honesty in that, that I appreciate. The illustrations try to capture esoterically the different themes and concepts - the mythology of the band. I think they're quite successful!

The new box will inevitably have some self-consciously retro design going on. Fine if it's done well, but very few designers can pull that off successfully.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Look, let's face it, we can speculate all we like, but i'd be willing to bet serious money that the reason for the delay is thus:

Mike objects to the inclusion of some of the Brian songs (he'll probably use the baffling excuse that he doesn't think they'll serve Brian's reputation well, somewhat forgetting that it aint Brian who's got the reputation issues...);

Mike objects to the number of Dennis songs (if we get WIBNTLA and Carry Me Home then i'll eat my hat, and i'll send photographic evidence too to prove i've done it (again, there'll probably be the baffling excuse that they're 'too down', and most definately not because they're so freakin' good they'd put everyone else's songs from the same period in the shade);

Mike wants more of the 'traditional' Beach Boys 'boy-meets-girl' 'coz that what people connect with' etc. songs, even though there are already a million soddin' releases wherein people can hear those songs;

Mike wants more sh*te from the '80's;

Bruce agrees with all Mike's objections about the box.

If you think i'm wrong, if you think i'm just talking anti-Mike nonsense, then let's bet on it people!

[The Heartical Don]

Look, let's face it, we can speculate all we like, but i'd be willing to bet serious money that the reason for the delay is thus:

Mike objects to the inclusion of some of the Brian songs (he'll probably use the baffling excuse that he doesn't think they'll serve Brian's reputation well, somewhat forgetting that it aint Brian who's got the reputation issues...);

Mike objects to the number of Dennis songs (if we get WIBNTLA and Carry Me Home then i'll eat my hat, and i'll send photographic evidence too to prove i've done it (again, there'll probably be the baffling excuse that they're 'too down', and most definately not because they're so freakin' good they'd put everyone else's songs from the same period in the shade);

Mike wants more of the 'traditional' Beach Boys 'boy-meets-girl' 'coz that what people connect with' etc. songs, even though there are already a million soddin' releases wherein people can hear those songs;

Mike wants more sh*te from the '80's;

Bruce agrees with all Mike's objections about the box.

If you think i'm wrong, if you think i'm just talking anti-Mike nonsense, then let's bet on it people!

I hope you are wrong. I fear you might be right.

The words: Pet Sounds Sessions, delay, and booklet come to mind.

[Cabinessenceking]

I really wish Myke had no say in anything. Everything he has done as a commercial venture since 1965 has been disasterous.

[The Shift]

I really wish Myke had no say in anything. Everything he has done as a commercial venture since 1965 has been disasterous.

So Symphonic Sounds wasn't classy??

[The Heartical Don]

I really wish Myke had no say in anything. Everything he has done as a commercial venture since 1965 has been disasterous.

So Symphonic Sounds wasn't classy??

Do not be afeard, Sir John. That is the exception. It should have been awarded the Nobel Prize For Music, no less.

*pfff... I need a stiff one... no MiC in sight... or it might be DJ Mic Luv...*

[Andrew G. Doe]

I really wish Myke had no say in anything. Everything he has done as a commercial venture since 1965 has been disasterous.

Yup, the tour this year was a complete financial & artistic disaster, wasn't it ?

[The Heartical Don]

I really wish Myke had no say in anything. Everything he has done as a commercial venture since 1965 has been disasterous.

Yup, the tour this year was a complete financial & artistic disaster, wasn't it ?

I think b'dum tish is the operative term here... 

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Financial, no. Artistic, meh... Great shows, but they could've - and should've - played more of their more artistic side. It should've been split 50/50, not 70/30 as it was. After all, these shows were almost 100% guaranteed to be successes, in terms of tickets sold - so this was an ideal opportunity more than ever to not be afraid to showcase some of their more 'less commercial' material live. And they only slightly kinda decided to do that. You know, Smile did rather well when released earlier this year - so why not more songs from that?? Instead we got Heroes and Villains, and maybe Our Prayer, if you were really lucky... Otherwise what is often described as the band's artistic peak barely got a look in. There was no Til I Die. There was no Surf's Up. Not a single one of Carl's solo compositions (who wouldn't have loved to have seen them give Feel Flows an airing?). It's like Paul McCartney doing a show of Beatles material and then basing the vast amount of the set on pre-Rubber Soul material only. I like Old Betsy, but we had enough Oldies in the set already. Why not Time To Get Alone? or Baby Blue?

So the show's were unarguably a great success, but artistically a missed opportunity in lots of ways...

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Any Oasis fans here?

Not me. Blur are - and always were - vastly superior

[Shady]

Look, let's face it, we can speculate all we like, but i'd be willing to bet serious money that the reason for the delay is thus:

Mike objects to the inclusion of some of the Brian songs (he'll probably use the baffling excuse that he doesn't think they'll serve Brian's reputation well, somewhat forgetting that it aint Brian who's got the reputation issues...);

Mike objects to the number of Dennis songs (if we get WIBNTLA and Carry Me Home then i'll eat my hat, and i'll send photographic evidence too to prove i've done it (again, there'll probably be the baffling excuse that they're 'too down', and most definately not because they're so freakin' good they'd put everyone else's songs from the same period in the shade);

Mike wants more of the 'traditional' Beach Boys 'boy-meets-girl' 'coz that what people connect with' etc. songs, even though there are already a million soddin' releases wherein people can hear those songs;

Mike wants more sh*te from the '80's;

Bruce agrees with all Mike's objections about the box.

If you think i'm wrong, if you think i'm just talking anti-Mike nonsense, then let's bet on it people!

Oh Christ. Mikes already pissed off millions of fans this year, what's stopping him from doing it again

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Look, let's face it, we can speculate all we like, but i'd be willing to bet serious money that the reason for the delay is thus:

Mike objects to the inclusion of some of the Brian songs (he'll probably use the baffling excuse that he doesn't think they'll serve Brian's reputation well, somewhat forgetting that it aint Brian who's got the reputation issues...);

Mike objects to the number of Dennis songs (if we get WIBNTLA and Carry Me Home then i'll eat my hat, and i'll send photographic evidence too to prove i've done it (again, there'll probably be the baffling excuse that they're 'too down', and most definately not because they're so freakin' good they'd put everyone else's songs from the same period in the shade);

Mike wants more of the 'traditional' Beach Boys 'boy-meets-girl' 'coz that what people connect with' etc. songs, even though there are already a million soddin' releases wherein people can hear those songs;

Mike wants more sh*te from the '80's;

Bruce agrees with all Mike's objections about the box.

If you think i'm wrong, if you think i'm just talking anti-Mike nonsense, then let's bet on it people!

Oh Christ. Mikes already pissed off millions of fans this year, what's stopping him from doing it again

Unfortunately, probably nothing.

[Andrew G. Doe]

You know, Smile did rather well when released earlier this year - so why not more songs from that??

Care to check any discography and then reconsider this statement ? 

[The Heartical Don]

Any Oasis fans here?

Not me. Blur are - and always were - vastly superior

What about Wishbone Ash, then?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Oh Christ. Mikes already pissed off millions of fans this year, what's stopping him from doing it again

Millions ? I mean, really, millions ?  Try a couple dozen on the forums and a couple hundred who couldn't read the press release properly. Tops.

[I. Spaceman]

Financial, no. Artistic, meh... Great shows, but they could've - and should've - played more of their more artistic side. 

Yes, because we all know their work had no artistic qualities before they started being influenced by The Beatles.

[The Shift]

Any Oasis fans here?

Not me. Blur are - and always were - vastly superior

What about Wishbone Ash, then?

More of a Stackridge man m'self…

[Matt Bielewicz]

I admire the breadth of your imagination, however misdirected it might be. 

And just for the record, AGD, although I DID say this in my original post - I don't seriously think they've found anything as amazing as a completed side of 1967 SMiLE*. I don't necessarily think they've found anything amazingly good at all that we don't already know about. I was just wondering whether they might have found something good _enough_ in recent months to justify taking a little longer over preparing the set. After all, once this box set goes out, the options for officially releasing rarities from the BB catalogue aren't going to be plentiful, unless, that BBCentral concept ever comes to fruition (ha ha). So if it doesn't go on MIC, it's probably not going to be seen for a long time. And so in turn, my thinking was: if they found something good in the vaults recently, they'd want to make sure it made it on to MIC, because that may be the last vehicle for ages by which they could get it out to the world. I am not _seriously_ expecting a 1966 'Look' with vocals or a finished 8-minute Barnyard Suite or Surf's Up with a second movement scored for laughing horns**. Or a crossfaded Elements track that would have changed the world of pop music forever in 1967 and reduced the Beatles into roadsweepers.




...I can just picture Ringo on the bins, mind...





*And anyway, everyone knows you've got the only copy of that...

** Again, because you've got the only safeties of those, right?

[GuyOnTheBeach]

Brian wanted the 'California Feeling' demo on there, Mike said the space was needed for a disk compiling all the material for 'Country Love' and 'First Love' alongside outtakes from 'Looking Back With Love', which is now what the outtakes are going to consist of, and for the hardcore fan, he fired up the old Mac used to record 'Summer in Paradise' and gave all the tracks a 'SiP' style remix.....


What a thought

[doc smiley]

[

More of a Stackridge man m'self…

notice my Bowler Hat?  ;-)

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Financial, no. Artistic, meh... Great shows, but they could've - and should've - played more of their more artistic side. 

Yes, because we all know their work had no artistic qualities before they started being influenced by The Beatles.

Yes, why not deliberately, willfully misinterpret and pretend not to understand what it is i'm saying? Oh wait, you just did...

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't his point to question your use of the term "artistic side"? Just because you don't like the way he couched it, doesn't make it an irrelevant observation.