Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys - what should I buy?

[Jukka]

Hi,

I'm about to buy some of the contents of Good Vibrations (30 years) box set on iTunes. I already have all the twofers and other albums, Smile Session and Pet Sounds boxes included. I compiled a list of things I believe I'm missing, if anyone wants to check this to make sure I'm not missing anything or buying duplicates, I'd be very grateful. Oh, and I left out the Smile stuff - it's all on the TSS box, right?

DISC ONE

"Surfin' U.S.A."

• [Demo Version] (Brian Wilson/Chuck Berry) – 1:49

"Little Surfer Girl"

• (Brian Wilson) – 0:31

"Surfin'

• [Rehearsal]" – 1:31

"Surfin'" – 2:28
Featuring Take 1, followed by Take 7 (master)
"Their Hearts Were Full of Spring" [Demo]

• (Bobby Troup) – 2:35

"Punchline" [Instrumental]

• (Brian Wilson) – 1:52

"The Things We Did Last Summer"

• (J. Styne/S. Cahn) – 2:27

"Radio Station Jingles/Concert Promo"

• (Unknown) – 1:03

"Hushabye" [Live] / "Happy Birthday Four Freshmen" [Hidden Track]

• (D. Pomus/M. Shuman) – 3:56

DISC TWO

"Barbara Ann" [45 RPM Single Version] (Fred Fassert) – 2:04
"Ruby Baby" [Outtake]

• (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) – 2:10

"KOMA [Radio Promo Spot]"

• – 0:10

DISC THREE

"Can't Wait Too Long"* (Brian Wilson) – 3:51
"Cool, Cool Water"* (Brian Wilson) – 1:12
"Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) (45 Version)" (Huddie Ledbetter) – 3:03
"San Miguel" (Dennis Wilson/Gregg Jakobson) – 2:26
"Games Two Can Play"* (Brian Wilson) – 2:01
"I Just Got My Pay"* (Brian Wilson) – 2:20
"H.E.L.P. Is on the Way"* (Brian Wilson) – 2:30
"4th Of July"* (Dennis Wilson/Jack Rieley) – 2:44

DISC FOUR

"California" (Al Jardine) – 3:20 (<-THIS IS THE SINGLE VERSION, RIGHT?)
"Fairy Tale Music"* (Brian Wilson) – 4:05
"It's Over Now"* (Brian Wilson) – 2:50
"Still I Dream of It"* (Brian Wilson) – 3:26
"Our Team"* (Brian Wilson/Dennis Wilson/Carl Wilson/Mike Love/Al Jardine) – 2:33

DISC FIVE

"In My Room (Demo)" (Brian Wilson/Gary Usher) – 2:33
"Radio Spot #1" – 0:09
"I Get Around (Track Only)" – 2:19
"Radio Spot #2" – 0:15
"Dance, Dance, Dance (Tracking Session)" (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:12
"Hang On to Your Ego (Sessions)" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) – 6:40
"God Only Knows (Tracking Session)" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) – 9:14
"Good Vibrations (Sessions)" – 15:18
"Heroes and Villains (Track Only)" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 0:47
"Cabinessence (Track Only)" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 3:59
"Surf's Up (Track Only)" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 1:40
"Radio Spot #3" – 0:06
"All Summer Long (Vocals)" – 2:12
"Wendy (Vocals)" – 2:27
"Hushabye (Vocals)" (D. Pomus/M. Shuman) – 2:42
"When I Grow Up (Vocals)" – 2:19
"Wouldn't It Be Nice (Vocals) (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) – 2:43
"California Girls (Vocals only)" – 2:34
"Radio Spot #4" – 0:11
"Concert Intro/Surfin' USA (Live 1964)" – 3:15
"Surfer Girl (Live 1964)" (Brian Wilson) – 2:52
"Be True to Your School (Live 1964)" – 2:29
"Good Vibrations (Live 1966)" – 5:14
"Surfer Girl (Live in Hawaii Rehearsals 1967)" (Brian Wilson) – 2:18

DISC SIX

"Here Comes the Night (12" version)"

[Jukka]

(Well, actually it seems it's cheaper for me to buy the whole box than all those individual tracks separately...)

[smile-holland]

And I can definitely recommend you to buy the box. It's a great box set .

[seltaeb1012002]

"California" (Al Jardine) – 3:20 (<-THIS IS THE SINGLE VERSION, RIGHT?)

Nope, album version.

Would definitely recommend the set, although it's a cooler experience with the packaging. I think Wirestone said that it's available on Amazon for like $25 ?

[Jukka]

Found one in Discogs, cheap and mint. Feel free to remove this thread.

[PaulTMA]

I'd prefer if it was left up as I'm planning to check I've ripped all the necessary tracks.  How about the Smile stuff compared to the 2011 box, any mix differences?

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

I'd prefer if it was left up as I'm planning to check I've ripped all the necessary tracks.  How about the Smile stuff compared to the 2011 box, any mix differences?

Yes there are. Might just be because I grew up with those versions on the '93 box, but I'd take ALL of them over the 2011 version.

Wonderful for example...nice blunt edits like there would have been in the sixties, mono mix, job done. Although there was some after the event reconstruction, the Smile stuff from '93 just feels a little less obviously tinkered with in another era.

[Paulos]

I'd prefer if it was left up as I'm planning to check I've ripped all the necessary tracks.  How about the Smile stuff compared to the 2011 box, any mix differences?

There are differences from the Smile Sessions versions. On GV Wonderful doesn't have the yodels, Vega-Tables is a different (inferior IMO) mix as is Do You Like Worms. I think I Love To Say Da Da is same as TSS aprt from the flown in vocals. H&V sections is slightly different.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

Surfin' Safari and 409 don't fade if I remember correctly

[PaulTMA]

Thanks for pointing these out.  The world of Smile remains massively daunting to me, even to this day, though I may as well know to have all of these in my digital collection.

I'm chuffed as I recently picked up CD1 of the GV Box for just £1, as my original copy was scratched beyond use by the previous owner.

[PaulTMA]

If anyone remembers if anyone has written a detailed guide to this box on the forum (or elsewhere) before, pointing out any errors etc., I'd be pleased to read it.

For example: is everything marked '45 Version' just so, save for 'Cottonfields' as mentioned above?

[Bean Bag]

Found one in Discogs, cheap and mint. Feel free to remove this thread.

Well done!  This box set is great.  There's a lot of essential stuff that I don't think exists elsewhere.

Fairytale Music is one that jumps out at me.  Classic.

[Cabinessenceking]

"Surfer Girl (Live in Hawaii Rehearsals 1967)" (Brian Wilson) – 2:18


This is absolutely essential!

[Lowbacca]

Jukka - buy the box. It's a beautiful thing. You should find it for around 30€ (or whatever your currency is up there ).

[Rocky Raccoon]

Last year, I got it used in good condition on Amazon for 25 bucks, well worth it.

[bgas]

Jukka - buy the box. It's a beautiful thing. You should find it for around 30€ (or whatever your currency is up there ).

Better yet, get the cassettes Box  for the best sound around! 

[AllIWannaDo]

Jukka - buy the box. It's a beautiful thing. You should find it for around 30€ (or whatever your currency is up there ).

Better yet, get the cassettes Box  for the best sound around! 

the cassettes box? as in tape cassettes? cool i've not heard of this before is there anywhere i can get a compare and contrast sample of each? interresting!

[Jukka]

My box arrived yesterday. Of all things, Our Team made me cry of joy. "You'll never lose it, to us you're still number one." That line, and the way it's sung, gives me so much strength, faith ja hope. On Beach Boys, humanity and myself. I love how they can still blow me away after all these years, as I find great, unheard songs. I love this band so much.

[bluesno1fann]

I just realized that this box set is unavaliable on Spotify!

[silodweller]

Ah, I absolutely love this box set.  I must have bought it about a year or two after its initial release.   It holds a special place on my CD shelf (and heart!) for sure.  I can remember going to amazon's website and previewing all the tracks over and over in anticipation of its arrival - I live in South Africa, you see.  Oh, it really is an endless summer when you listen to this beautiful music.  "Fairytale Music" is otherworldly. 

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Buy the box, or if not be sure you get some of the Smile tracks as they're almost all in some way different to the TSS versions.

Wind Chimes is shorter, but it also fades on an extended section of the piano section, which is very nice;
Wonderful doesn't have the yodels;
Vegetables is less carefully edited but does have a longer section of the fade, which first fades up and then fades out again;
Do You Like Worms, during the ba-ba-ba-ba section there is some slight warping of the vocals which is really cool and absent on the TSS version.

[punkinhead]

I actually just did a review of this box set on my videocast on Youtube


Here's my suggestions, assuming you have all their albums and only want unreleased stuff.
I'll post only whats not available anywhere else:

Disc 1
-Surfin USA (Demo)- slightly different than the one on Hawthorne.
-Little Surfer Girl- has never popped up anywhere else
-Their Hearts were Full of Spring- this particular version is only featured on this box (I think)
-Punchline (Only available on the Capitol singles box)
-The Things We Did last Summer (Murry Wilson Presents His Beach Boys)
-All the Radio Promos (if youre into that sorta thing)
-Hushabye (outtake from 64 Concert album, may be on SOT)
Disc 2
-Ruby Baby (may be on SOT Party!)
-Hang on to your Ego (unless you have the PS boxset, I'd grab this one)
-All the Smile tracks are up to you, I think they'd be inferior to TSS box, so if you want an alternative sound to your Smile stuff, go ahead.
Disc 3
-Can't Wait Too Long (Is on the Smiley twofer but this is a different version)
-Cool Cool Water (demo), again, I'm assuming this track is on TSS with better sound, I'm not sure, haven't listened to them back to back.
-San Miguel- (only previously released on Ten Years of Harmony)
-Games Two Can Play/I just Got My Pay/HELP is on The Way- If you don't already have these, get them! They may be previously released on "Landlocked albums" put together over the years if you have any of those.
-Fourth of July- A Dennis Wilson tune, I'd get it.
Disc 4
-Fairytale Music- As previously mentioned, this hasn't shown up anywhere else, it's really good! I'm really surprised this was put out on this box.
-It's Over Now/Still I Dream of It- Some very great Brian Wilson tunes from Adult Child era
-Our Team- Only on the documentary "Our Team," a very different tune from the MIU era.
Disc 5 Bonus Disc-
-In My Room Demo (has never been released anywhere else, quite a demo!)
-I Get Around Track/Dance Dance Dance (if you haven't got it from SOT, get it)
-Hang On To your Ego session (if you don't have the PS Box, get this, great session!)
-God Only Knows session/alt. version (same as Hang On)
-Good Vibrations/H&V/Surf's Up- same as I said for the Smile stuff on disc 2
-Tracks 13-17 (these are unique in that you can change the balance and have vocals on one side and the track on the other)
-California Girls Vocals Only (not found anywhere else)
-20-22- (outtakes from the 64 Concert album, good stuff)
-GV Live- first time ever performed, pretty awesome historically
-Surfer Girl Rehearsal- best version, in my opinion.

[Marcella]

If you live near a used record/cd store you should be able to pick up a good used copy. Try Amazon resellers where I've fed my recent Beach Boys obsession with everything from 1 cent Brian Wilson bios (most would agree that's all this ghost written bio is worth anyway) to $4 twofers to a $20 used Good Vibrations box. I got everything on my used box except the Beach Boys decal. If you're on this board I think it'd be worth your while to have the whole box set. Just my 2 cents.

[humanoidboogie]

I don't want to rain on your parade, but the thread starter bought a physical copy of the box back in June (see above).

It's still good info, mind you. Thanks for posting!

[Please delete my account]

Some months ago I bought some mp3 downloads (either on amazon or itunes, I think the latter) of tracks from this box. I tried yesterday to download one track I had neglected to buy ("Fairy tale music", as I'm bored of the Mt Fairway narration now), only to find that it seemingly isn't available as MP3 download anymore. I guess this is to encourage people to buy MiC instead, but it's a shame that the rare GV tracks that aren't on MiC (especially "Still I Dream Of It") will be unavailable to new fans.  Maybe they'll be available again later.

I know the general piece of advice is "search out the whole physical box", but as a non-collector, non-completist, with limited storage space, I'm really only interested in songs I don't have.