UPDATED: I met with Alan Boyd last week

[Jason]

I went through my Beach Boys playlist and came up with about four hours' worth of unreleased Beach Boys stuff. The lion's share are actual songs, with a few alternate/early versions. These are all commonly found on bootlegs. Thing is, I don't know how many folks would be clamoring for a release of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, At the Hop, Goin' to the Beach, Skatetown USA, Marilyn Rovell, Calendar Girl and such...

Of course, we've heard great things about unbooted stuff like (Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again, Where Is She?, Behold the Night, Surfer Suzie, Stranded in the Jungle, Boys and Girls, I'll Always Love You, Come to the Sunshine (assuming it still exists), Lucy Jones, and the California Feelin' piano/vocal track. There's also alleged dreck like Rubles, TM Siddhi Program (no bullshit; that's a real title), Basketball Rock, and the Dennis/Karen Lamm version of Here Comes the Sun.

Realistically, sticking with the MIC six-disc plan, could we actually FILL six CDs with usable stuff? I could definitely see a case for a GREAT triple disc set, but six discs? Not so sure. We may have our little favorites and all, but it all comes down to the band. For all we know, the band might actually approve Rubles for release and say no to Where Is She?.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

So can we all agree anymore than three discs devoted to hits is a total waste, or am I being generous

They couldn't fill three discs devoted to hits.

[Shady]

So can we all agree anymore than three discs devoted to hits is a total waste, or am I being generous

They couldn't fill three discs devoted to hits.

Hits is the wrong word. Non-rarities I guess.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

So can we all agree anymore than three discs devoted to hits is a total waste, or am I being generous

They couldn't fill three discs devoted to hits.

Hits is the wrong word. Non-rarities I guess.

Fair enough. What's a non-rarity? Is This Whole World a non-rarity? Farmer's Daughter? Surf's Up? Trader? The Night was So Young?

[monicker]

Realistically, sticking with the MIC six-disc plan, could we actually FILL six CDs with usable stuff? I could definitely see a case for a GREAT triple disc set, but six discs? Not so sure. We may have our little favorites and all, but it all comes down to the band. For all we know, the band might actually approve Rubles for release and say no to Where Is She?.

Well, that's the thing, it seems that with TSS and MiC a new standard is being set. Admittedly, 6 CDs is a lot, a whole lot (i don't think anyone is complaining in that department). But it doesn't have to be a quantity over quality thing. Imagine a 3 or 4 disc set of rarities (previously unreleased stuff from boots that have been cleaned up + never before booted stuff). As you said, that would probably be a GREAT collection. And it would have a totally different function than a career spanning collection. They can press less copies than stuff like the GV or TSS box, and maybe keep costs down by not having as many frills as the TSS box. Is there not a market for something like this, in addition to a career spanning box? I'm not suggesting it should be this year or close to an MiC release, but just the fact that it's never happened in all these years, that it's such a long shot, such a ludicrous notion, is very frustrating, and, i think, another way in which this band doesn't get taken as seriously as their contemporaries.

[Wirestone]

I went through my Beach Boys playlist and came up with about four hours' worth of unreleased Beach Boys stuff. The lion's share are actual songs, with a few alternate/early versions. These are all commonly found on bootlegs. Thing is, I don't know how many folks would be clamoring for a release of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, At the Hop, Goin' to the Beach, Skatetown USA, Marilyn Rovell, Calendar Girl and such...

The man speaks sense!

[Jason]

Realistically, sticking with the MIC six-disc plan, could we actually FILL six CDs with usable stuff? I could definitely see a case for a GREAT triple disc set, but six discs? Not so sure. We may have our little favorites and all, but it all comes down to the band. For all we know, the band might actually approve Rubles for release and say no to Where Is She?.

Well, that's the thing, it seems that with TSS and MiC a new standard is being set. Admittedly, 6 CDs is a lot, a whole lot (i don't think anyone is complaining in that department). But it doesn't have to be a quantity over quality thing. Imagine a 3 or 4 disc set of rarities (previously unreleased stuff from boots that have been cleaned up + never before booted stuff). As you said, that would probably be a GREAT collection. And it would have a totally different function than a career spanning collection. They can press less copies than stuff like the GV or TSS box, and maybe keep costs down by not having as many frills as the TSS box. Is there not a market for something like this, in addition to a career spanning box? I'm not suggesting it should be this year or close to an MiC release, but just the fact that it's never happened in all these years, that it's such a long shot, is very frustrating, and, i think, another way in which this band doesn't get taken as seriously as their contemporaries.

Well, this was basically going to be the modus operandi with the Beach Boys Central website...and look how far that went. Don't get me wrong; I'd definitely buy dreck like Rubles if they released it, but at the same time, they also have their own costs to deal with.

[Shady]

So can we all agree anymore than three discs devoted to hits is a total waste, or am I being generous

They couldn't fill three discs devoted to hits.

Hits is the wrong word. Non-rarities I guess.

Fair enough. What's a non-rarity? Is This Whole World a non-rarity? Farmer's Daughter? Surf's Up? Trader? The Night was So Young?

That's a good point and you got me thinking..

I guess I'm personally not interested in buying another Good Vibrations box set. We have that.

I'm starting to really wonder about MIC. If they plan on updating the 30 years box set and just throwing in WIBNTLA for good measure well it's not really what I'm looking for. This year alone we already had a 50!! song greatest hits with some relativity deep cuts on that. The Barbara Ann horse has been flogged enough.

Just like TSS box set I hope this is being geared towards the hardcore fan with a substantial amount of room being given to unreleased songs, live tracks and rarities.

[monicker]

Realistically, sticking with the MIC six-disc plan, could we actually FILL six CDs with usable stuff? I could definitely see a case for a GREAT triple disc set, but six discs? Not so sure. We may have our little favorites and all, but it all comes down to the band. For all we know, the band might actually approve Rubles for release and say no to Where Is She?.

Well, that's the thing, it seems that with TSS and MiC a new standard is being set. Admittedly, 6 CDs is a lot, a whole lot (i don't think anyone is complaining in that department). But it doesn't have to be a quantity over quality thing. Imagine a 3 or 4 disc set of rarities (previously unreleased stuff from boots that have been cleaned up + never before booted stuff). As you said, that would probably be a GREAT collection. And it would have a totally different function than a career spanning collection. They can press less copies than stuff like the GV or TSS box, and maybe keep costs down by not having as many frills as the TSS box. Is there not a market for something like this, in addition to a career spanning box? I'm not suggesting it should be this year or close to an MiC release, but just the fact that it's never happened in all these years, that it's such a long shot, is very frustrating, and, i think, another way in which this band doesn't get taken as seriously as their contemporaries.

Well, this was basically going to be the modus operandi with the Beach Boys Central website...and look how far that went. Don't get me wrong; I'd definitely buy dreck like Rubles if they released it, but at the same time, they also have their own costs to deal with.

I realize that i'm running the risk here of being asked to come up with an example track list, which i don’t have the time to do, but i think that citing stuff like Rubles is going way back into the dark and absurd recesses of the vaults when no such thing is necessary. I think if it spanned their career, from Hite Morgan all the way to TWGMTR (with more emphasis on what is generally considered to be their peak years (’60s and ’70s), that 3 or 4 discs of really great stuff sans dreck could very feasibly be compiled. No?

Again, i want to emphasize that this is not a complaint about MiC or about the fact that a dream rarities box set is not on the horizon. This is not about entitlement or not being satisfied with what we do have. It’s more abstract than that. I’m just lamenting the reality of the Beach Boys situation, that the mere idea of something like this is, without hesitation, met with ridicule because the sad truth is that it's such a far-fetched idea, when it's not for other groups. 

[DonnyL]

I think the box will be mostly hits, albums tracks and alternate/live versions with a number of repeated tracks. I suspect there will be fewer legit unreleased songs than maybe we'd hope for ... it's cheaper for the label to include multiple versions of the same songs. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 4-disc retrospective (with some unreleased tracks mixed in), with 'live' and 'alt mixes' (vocals-only, track-only, new stereo mixes, etc) discs to round out the set.

[Mikie]

I know.  Let's speculate!

[Jim V.]

I think the box will be mostly hits, albums tracks and alternate/live versions with a number of repeated tracks. I suspect there will be fewer legit unreleased songs than maybe we'd hope for ... it's cheaper for the label to include multiple versions of the same songs. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 4-disc retrospective (with some unreleased tracks mixed in), with 'live' and 'alt mixes' (vocals-only, track-only, new stereo mixes, etc) discs to round out the set.

I don't know why you guys are getting so nervous about the set. I have faith that the compilers and The Beach Boys have picked most of the very best unreleased material for the set, including the ones a lot of us have been wishing to hear for a long time now. I'm not sure the guys truly have four discs of awesome unreleased material. But I wouldn't be surprised if we get like 25 to 30 tracks that are brand new to us.

[guitarfool2002]

I’m just lamenting the reality of the Beach Boys situation, that the mere idea of something like this is, without hesitation, met with ridicule because the sad truth is that it's such a far-fetched idea, when it's not for other groups. 

Maybe individual members of those other groups are better able to put aside egos, differences of opinion, decades-old feuds, and other assorted nonsense in the spirit of celebrating their own past and giving their most loyal and dedicated fans something they actually want and have asked for instead of watered down versions of greatest hits packages which have fans repurchasing the same handful of tunes every decade.

In 1993 we got the GV box set, a terrific set. In 2012 we got the incredible Smile box, where the above scenario in and around the band members putting aside their quirks actually happened and the fans got what they wanted, and then some.

Maybe the Smile set is a good sign that this set will be different. Or maybe the BB's will lapse back into their unique brand of self-destruction and trade a genuinely good outtake's inclusion on this box for a new remix of Kokomo and a soundboard mix of the car medley from some live show in the 80's...

[urbanite]

If it hasn't been said already, I want the alternate version of Big Sur.

[Jason]

Realistically, sticking with the MIC six-disc plan, could we actually FILL six CDs with usable stuff? I could definitely see a case for a GREAT triple disc set, but six discs? Not so sure. We may have our little favorites and all, but it all comes down to the band. For all we know, the band might actually approve Rubles for release and say no to Where Is She?.

Well, that's the thing, it seems that with TSS and MiC a new standard is being set. Admittedly, 6 CDs is a lot, a whole lot (i don't think anyone is complaining in that department). But it doesn't have to be a quantity over quality thing. Imagine a 3 or 4 disc set of rarities (previously unreleased stuff from boots that have been cleaned up + never before booted stuff). As you said, that would probably be a GREAT collection. And it would have a totally different function than a career spanning collection. They can press less copies than stuff like the GV or TSS box, and maybe keep costs down by not having as many frills as the TSS box. Is there not a market for something like this, in addition to a career spanning box? I'm not suggesting it should be this year or close to an MiC release, but just the fact that it's never happened in all these years, that it's such a long shot, is very frustrating, and, i think, another way in which this band doesn't get taken as seriously as their contemporaries.

Well, this was basically going to be the modus operandi with the Beach Boys Central website...and look how far that went. Don't get me wrong; I'd definitely buy dreck like Rubles if they released it, but at the same time, they also have their own costs to deal with.

I realize that i'm running the risk here of being asked to come up with an example track list, which i don’t have the time to do, but i think that citing stuff like Rubles is going way back into the dark and absurd recesses of the vaults when no such thing is necessary. I think if it spanned their career, from Hite Morgan all the way to TWGMTR (with more emphasis on what is generally considered to be their peak years (’60s and ’70s), that 3 or 4 discs of really great stuff sans dreck could very feasibly be compiled. No?

Again, i want to emphasize that this is not a complaint about MiC or about the fact that a dream rarities box set is not on the horizon. This is not about entitlement or not being satisfied with what we do have. It’s more abstract than that. I’m just lamenting the reality of the Beach Boys situation, that the mere idea of something like this is, without hesitation, met with ridicule because the sad truth is that it's such a far-fetched idea, when it's not for other groups. 

I think there could easily be a three-disc set. If we're including Dennis stuff in the fold (since Brother has rights to his 1967-74 stuff), it could easily be four. But some grey areas exist. There are numerous unreleased tracks that exist only as backing tracks (Honey Get Home, from 1967, and Our Happy Home, from 1968, come to mind). Would they be against releasing tracks that only exist as backing tracks? That's where we hit a potential wall. Keep in mind, the bootlegged stuff only paints part of a picture. For all we know, there could be six discs of quality stuff.

[Micha]

If it hasn't been said already, I want the alternate version of Big Sur.

Me too.

[Cabinessenceking]

So can we all agree anymore than three discs devoted to hits is a total waste, or am I being generous

They couldn't fill three discs devoted to hits.

Hits is the wrong word. Non-rarities I guess.

Fair enough. What's a non-rarity? Is This Whole World a non-rarity? Farmer's Daughter? Surf's Up? Trader? The Night was So Young?

That's a good point and you got me thinking..

I guess I'm personally not interested in buying another Good Vibrations box set. We have that.

I'm starting to really wonder about MIC. If they plan on updating the 30 years box set and just throwing in WIBNTLA for good measure well it's not really what I'm looking for. This year alone we already had a 50!! song greatest hits with some relativity deep cuts on that. The Barbara Ann horse has been flogged enough.

Just like TSS box set I hope this is being geared towards the hardcore fan with a substantial amount of room being given to unreleased songs, live tracks and rarities.

I agree with you on the GV set. Few people want a new careerspanning set. Instead it should be a revamped GV set. Something like

Good Vibrations: The completed anthology of The Beach Boys.

- Spanning 4-5 disc done more or less exactly like the original GV set with the removal of a few oddities like Our Team
- Removal of the live versions (or alternatively put the best live cuts on a seperate final disc).
- All mixes in stereo (because if you're into the mono thing you most likely will get the albums anyway).
- No radio promos.
- No 'tracks only' or 'vocals only' (unless acapella song).
- NO BINAURAL mixes.
- Otherwise very little studio chatter and or more sessions with big daddy.


So basically the same as original GV, for the future sometime. Simply a replacement for GV which is now out of print.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

So can we all agree anymore than three discs devoted to hits is a total waste, or am I being generous

They couldn't fill three discs devoted to hits.

Hits is the wrong word. Non-rarities I guess.

Fair enough. What's a non-rarity? Is This Whole World a non-rarity? Farmer's Daughter? Surf's Up? Trader? The Night was So Young?

That's a good point and you got me thinking..

I guess I'm personally not interested in buying another Good Vibrations box set. We have that.

I'm starting to really wonder about MIC. If they plan on updating the 30 years box set and just throwing in WIBNTLA for good measure well it's not really what I'm looking for. This year alone we already had a 50!! song greatest hits with some relativity deep cuts on that. The Barbara Ann horse has been flogged enough.

Just like TSS box set I hope this is being geared towards the hardcore fan with a substantial amount of room being given to unreleased songs, live tracks and rarities.

I doubt it will be an expanded version of the non-selling Hawthorne CD though. I imagine that it will lean way more towards something like the Good Vibrations box set.

[guitarfool2002]

Wow, it doesn't seem that long but it has been 20 years since the GV box set, and marketing strategies would probably suggest an "updated" multi-disc collection along those lines after that much time has passed.