When are you going to post your review Ego?
8/26
Interesting. I take this to mean that you think eight of the 26 unreleased tracks are good, or 'worth it' (a minefield of personal subjectivity, of course!)
It's so hard to figure this kind of stuff out. For a start, what are the 26 unreleased tracks? I mean, like REALLY unreleased.
It depends how you look at it, especially if you don't place a lot of importance on, say, the difference between a mono and a stereo mix of something, or whether a track is live or not. Of course, here in the fanatical camp of hardline admirers of this half-century old Wilson-led musical beat combo, we know that, say, a 1972 live version of Wild Honey can be so far removed from the original home-studio-like 1967 recording as to be an almost totally different song, and the same goes for, say, a bootleg stereo mix of California Girls from the tracking session over the original mono, or the 1998 stereo remix, or the 2002 stereo remix (and so on and so on...!). But for casual listeners, even ones who like the band (into which group my wife falls...), it's all just Wild Honey and California Girls. *Again*.
When I put my Amazon order in for MiC, my wife said 'ANOTHER Beach Boys box? What's on *this* one that you've not heard a million times before?'
I started saying, "oh, loads. For example, the very first track, Surfin, is a home recording..."
She replied bluntly with 'But Surfin' has been out! It was their first single!'
And we proceeded through the track list, with her demolishing almost every track that was supposedly unreleased. It was funny and I laughed a lot, because of course if you take an absolutely rigid, hard-line attitude to 'unreleased', there actually isn't all that much on this box that's not been out before IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
I mean, even if we start with the starred (or, in the list below, diamonded) items on the MiC tracklist, which is the supposed *official* list of what's unreleased on this set, there's a maximum of what I make to be 68 unreleased tracks.
Home Recordings / "Surfin'" Rehearsal Highlights (2012 Edit - Mono) (Brian Wilson, Mike Love) ♦
"Surfin'" (with Session Intro - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Surfers Rule" (with Session Intro) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Back Home" (B. Wilson, Bob Norberg) ♦
"I Get Around" (with Session Intro - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Amusement Parks USA" (Early Version) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Graduation Day" (Session Excerpt and Master Take, 2012 Mix) (Joe Sherman, Noel Sherman) ♦
"There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (2012 "Unplugged" Mix with Party Session Intro) (Phil Spector, Leroy Bates) ♦
"Our Prayer" (2012 The Smile Sessions Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson
"Country Air" (2012 Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Meant for You" (Alternate Version) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Sail Plane Song" (2012 Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson) ♦
"We're Together Again" (2012 Stereo Mix) (Ron Wilson) ♦
"Do It Again" (2012 Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Susie Cincinnati" (2012 Mix) (Jardine) ♦
"(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (D. Wilson) ♦
"Rock and Roll Music" (2012 Mix w/Extra Verse)(Berry) ♦
"It's OK" (Alternate Mix) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"It's Over Now" (Alternate Mix) (B. Wilson) ♦
"California Feelin'" (B. Wilson, Kalinich) ♦
"Brian's Back" (Alternate Mix) (Love) ♦
"It's a Beautiful Day" (Single Edit) (2012 Mix) (Jardine, Love) ♦
"Goin' to the Beach" (Love) ♦
"Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich) ♦
"Da Doo Ron Ron" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich) ♦
"Soul Searchin'" (B. Wilson, Andy Paley) ♦
"You're Still a Mystery" (B. Wilson, Paley) ♦
"Runaway" (Chicago 1965, with Concert Promo Intro - Mono) (Del Shannon, Max Crook) ♦
"You're So Good to Me" (Paris 1966 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"The Letter" (Hawaii Rehearsal 1967) (Wayne Carson Thompson) ♦
"Friends" (Chicago 1968 - Mono) (B. Wilson, C. Wilson, D. Wilson, Jardine) ♦
"Little Bird" (Chicago 1968 - Mono) (D. Wilson, Kalinich) ♦
"All I Want to Do" (London 1968) (D. Wilson, Kalinich) ♦
"Help Me, Rhonda" (New Jersey 1972) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Wild Honey" (New Jersey 1972) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Only with You" (New York 1972) (D. Wilson, Love) ♦
"It's About Time" (Chicago 1973) (D. Wilson, C. Wilson, Jardine, Burchman) ♦
"I Can Hear Music" (Maryland 1975) (Spector, Barry, Greenwich) ♦
"Vegetables" (New York 1993) (B. Wilson, Parks) ♦
"Wonderful" (New York 1993) (B. Wilson, Parks) ♦
"Sail On, Sailor" (Louisville 1995) (B. Wilson, Parks, Rieley, Almer, Kennedy) ♦
"Summer in Paradise" (London 1993) (Love, Melcher, Craig Fall) ♦
"Slip on Through" (A Cappella Mix) (D. Wilson) ♦
"Don't Worry Baby" (Stereo Session Outtake w/ Alternate Lead Vocal) (B. Wilson, Christian) ♦
"Pom Pom Play Girl" (Vocal Session Highlight) (B. Wilson, Usher) ♦
"Guess I'm Dumb" (Instrumental Track w/Background Vocals) (B. Wilson, Russ Titelman) ♦
"Sherry She Needs Me" (1965 Track w/1976 Vocal) (B. Wilson) ♦
"Mona Kana" (Instrumental Track) (D. Wilson) ♦
"This Whole World" (A Cappella) (B. Wilson) ♦
"Where Is She?" (B. Wilson) ♦
"Had to Phone Ya" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson) ♦
"Be with Me" (Demo) (D. Wilson) ♦
"I Believe in Miracles" (Vocal Section) ♦
"Why" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson) ♦
"Barnyard Blues" (D. Wilson) ♦
"Don't Go Near the Water" (Instrumental Track) (Love, Jardine) ♦
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) ♦
"Transcendental Meditation" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson, Jardine) ♦
"Our Sweet Love" (Vocals w/Strings) (B. Wilson, C. Wilson, Jardine) ♦
"Back Home" (1970 Version) (B. Wilson, Norberg) ♦
"California Feelin'" (Original Demo) (B. Wilson, Kalinich) ♦
"California Girls" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Help You, Rhonda" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Surf's Up" (1967 Version, 2012 Mix) (B. Wilson, Parks) ♦
"My Love Lives On" (D. Wilson) ♦
"Wendy" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
"Hushabye" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love) ♦
If we knock out commercially released tracks that are basically the same mixes as what we've heard before with extra tracking session recordings glued on the front, the list comes down to 63 tracks, as follows:
"Back Home" (B. Wilson, Bob Norberg)
"Amusement Parks USA" (Early Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (2012 "Unplugged" Mix with Party Session Intro) (Phil Spector, Leroy Bates)
"Our Prayer" (2012 The Smile Sessions Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson
"Country Air" (2012 Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Meant for You" (Alternate Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Sail Plane Song" (2012 Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson)
"We're Together Again" (2012 Stereo Mix) (Ron Wilson)
"Do It Again" (2012 Stereo Mix) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Susie Cincinnati" (2012 Mix) (Jardine)
"(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (D. Wilson)
"Rock and Roll Music" (2012 Mix w/Extra Verse)(Berry)
"It's OK" (Alternate Mix) (B. Wilson, Love)
"It's Over Now" (Alternate Mix) (B. Wilson)
"California Feelin'" (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"Brian's Back" (Alternate Mix) (Love)
"It's a Beautiful Day" (Single Edit) (2012 Mix) (Jardine, Love)
"Goin' to the Beach" (Love)
"Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Da Doo Ron Ron" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Soul Searchin'" (B. Wilson, Andy Paley)
"You're Still a Mystery" (B. Wilson, Paley)
"Runaway" (Chicago 1965, with Concert Promo Intro - Mono) (Del Shannon, Max Crook)
"You're So Good to Me" (Paris 1966 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
"The Letter" (Hawaii Rehearsal 1967) (Wayne Carson Thompson)
"Friends" (Chicago 1968 - Mono) (B. Wilson, C. Wilson, D. Wilson, Jardine)
"Little Bird" (Chicago 1968 - Mono) (D. Wilson, Kalinich)
"All I Want to Do" (London 1968) (D. Wilson, Kalinich)
"Help Me, Rhonda" (New Jersey 1972) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Wild Honey" (New Jersey 1972) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Only with You" (New York 1972) (D. Wilson, Love)
"It's About Time" (Chicago 1973) (D. Wilson, C. Wilson, Jardine, Burchman)
"I Can Hear Music" (Maryland 1975) (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Vegetables" (New York 1993) (B. Wilson, Parks)
"Wonderful" (New York 1993) (B. Wilson, Parks)
"Sail On, Sailor" (Louisville 1995) (B. Wilson, Parks, Rieley, Almer, Kennedy)
"Summer in Paradise" (London 1993) (Love, Melcher, Craig Fall)
"Slip on Through" (A Cappella Mix) (D. Wilson)
"Don't Worry Baby" (Stereo Session Outtake w/ Alternate Lead Vocal) (B. Wilson, Christian)
"Pom Pom Play Girl" (Vocal Session Highlight) (B. Wilson, Usher)
"Guess I'm Dumb" (Instrumental Track w/Background Vocals) (B. Wilson, Russ Titelman)
"Sherry She Needs Me" (1965 Track w/1976 Vocal) (B. Wilson)
"Mona Kana" (Instrumental Track) (D. Wilson)
"This Whole World" (A Cappella) (B. Wilson)
"Where Is She?" (B. Wilson)
"Had to Phone Ya" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson)
"Be with Me" (Demo) (D. Wilson)
"I Believe in Miracles" (Vocal Section)
"Why" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson)
"Barnyard Blues" (D. Wilson)
"Don't Go Near the Water" (Instrumental Track) (Love, Jardine)
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
"Transcendental Meditation" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson, Jardine)
"Our Sweet Love" (Vocals w/Strings) (B. Wilson, C. Wilson, Jardine)
"Back Home" (1970 Version) (B. Wilson, Norberg)
"California Feelin'" (Original Demo) (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"California Girls" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Help You, Rhonda" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Surf's Up" (1967 Version, 2012 Mix) (B. Wilson, Parks)
"My Love Lives On" (D. Wilson)
"Wendy" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Hushabye" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
If you knock out remixes of released tracks, as my wife would, the list is much shortened. No matter that, for example, hearing the bluesy backing vocals to Slip On Through in isolation will be an experience utterly different to hearing the original track on Sunflower, or that We're Together Again has totally different extra overdubs to the version released on the 1990 twofer: she would say 'but it's from the same recording of the same song. And it's been out before. End of discussion…'. The list would then look like this, with 42 entries.
"Back Home" (B. Wilson, Bob Norberg)
"(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (D. Wilson)
"Rock and Roll Music" (2012 Mix w/Extra Verse)(Berry)
"California Feelin'" (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"Goin' to the Beach" (Love)
"Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Da Doo Ron Ron" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Soul Searchin'" (B. Wilson, Andy Paley)
"You're Still a Mystery" (B. Wilson, Paley)
"Runaway" (Chicago 1965, with Concert Promo Intro - Mono) (Del Shannon, Max Crook)
"You're So Good to Me" (Paris 1966 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
"The Letter" (Hawaii Rehearsal 1967) (Wayne Carson Thompson)
"Friends" (Chicago 1968 - Mono) (B. Wilson, C. Wilson, D. Wilson, Jardine)
"Little Bird" (Chicago 1968 - Mono) (D. Wilson, Kalinich)
"All I Want to Do" (London 1968) (D. Wilson, Kalinich)
"Help Me, Rhonda" (New Jersey 1972) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Wild Honey" (New Jersey 1972) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Only with You" (New York 1972) (D. Wilson, Love)
"It's About Time" (Chicago 1973) (D. Wilson, C. Wilson, Jardine, Burchman)
"I Can Hear Music" (Maryland 1975) (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Vegetables" (New York 1993) (B. Wilson, Parks)
"Wonderful" (New York 1993) (B. Wilson, Parks)
"Sail On, Sailor" (Louisville 1995) (B. Wilson, Parks, Rieley, Almer, Kennedy)
"Summer in Paradise" (London 1993) (Love, Melcher, Craig Fall)
"Don't Worry Baby" (Stereo Session Outtake w/ Alternate Lead Vocal) (B. Wilson, Christian)
"Pom Pom Play Girl" (Vocal Session Highlight) (B. Wilson, Usher)
"Sherry She Needs Me" (1965 Track w/1976 Vocal) (B. Wilson)
"Mona Kana" (Instrumental Track) (D. Wilson)
"Where Is She?" (B. Wilson)
"Be with Me" (Demo) (D. Wilson)
"I Believe in Miracles" (Vocal Section)
"Why" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson)
"Barnyard Blues" (D. Wilson)
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
"Back Home" (1970 Version) (B. Wilson, Norberg)
"California Feelin'" (Original Demo) (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"California Girls" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Help You, Rhonda" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"My Love Lives On" (D. Wilson)
"Wendy" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Hushabye" (BBC -- Live in the Studio 1964 - Mono) (B. Wilson, Love)
If you then knock out live versions of songs previously released, there's another big drop, to just 24 tracks. I know, I know, the 1972 'Help Me, Rhonda' with Dennis sounds totally different to the 1965 single to my ears too, but let's go with it. The list now looks like this:
"Back Home" (B. Wilson, Bob Norberg)
"(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (D. Wilson)
"Rock and Roll Music" (2012 Mix w/Extra Verse)(Berry)
"California Feelin'" (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"Goin' to the Beach" (Love)
"Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Da Doo Ron Ron" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Soul Searchin'" (B. Wilson, Andy Paley)
"You're Still a Mystery" (B. Wilson, Paley)
"Don't Worry Baby" (Stereo Session Outtake w/ Alternate Lead Vocal) (B. Wilson, Christian)
"Pom Pom Play Girl" (Vocal Session Highlight) (B. Wilson, Usher)
"Sherry She Needs Me" (1965 Track w/1976 Vocal) (B. Wilson)
"Mona Kana" (Instrumental Track) (D. Wilson)
"Where Is She?" (B. Wilson)
"Be with Me" (Demo) (D. Wilson)
"I Believe in Miracles" (Vocal Section)
"Why" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson)
"Barnyard Blues" (D. Wilson)
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
"Back Home" (1970 Version) (B. Wilson, Norberg)
"California Feelin'" (Original Demo) (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"California Girls" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"Help You, Rhonda" ("Lei'd In Hawaii" Studio Version) (B. Wilson, Love)
"My Love Lives On" (D. Wilson)
And finally, if you really apply the non-serious-fan Occam's Razor (perhaps guillotine would be a better word) and brutally remove any version of any song that has ever been commercially released before in some Beach Boys-recorded form, you get this compact and bijoux little list-ette of 16 items:
"(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (D. Wilson)
"California Feelin'" (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"Goin' to the Beach" (Love)
"Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Da Doo Ron Ron" (Spector, Barry, Greenwich)
"Soul Searchin'" (B. Wilson, Andy Paley)
"You're Still a Mystery" (B. Wilson, Paley)
"Sherry She Needs Me" (1965 Track w/1976 Vocal) (B. Wilson)
"Mona Kana" (Instrumental Track) (D. Wilson)
"Where Is She?" (B. Wilson)
"I Believe in Miracles" (Vocal Section)
"Why" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson)
"Barnyard Blues" (D. Wilson)
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
"California Feelin'" (Original Demo) (B. Wilson, Kalinich)
"My Love Lives On" (D. Wilson)
And if we drop the 'commercially released' requirement, and ask, as of course my wife did, "so that's it - 16 tracks you've never, ever heard, *ever*, in any way at all…?" I had to admit that the list should shrink further, because of could I *have* heard some of them on bootlegs, albeit in different mixes, or *unmixed* versions:
"(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (D. Wilson)
"Where Is She?" (B. Wilson)
"I Believe in Miracles" (Vocal Section)
"Why" (Instrumental Track) (B. Wilson)
"Barnyard Blues" (D. Wilson)
"My Love Lives On" (D. Wilson)
Six tracks. Just six (as David Tennant might say). Which, finally, raises my question: how did EgoHanger66 arrive at 26 as the total? Which version of 'previously unreleased' do you adhere to…?
Of course, none of the above analysis diminishes the absolute certainty, bar the destruction of the planet between now and next week, of me purchasing MiC, and incidentally, I *did* win my wife over in the end as to the utterly essential nature of purchasing MiC by playing her the new mix of California Feeling. Not that this was really any kind of serious disagreement, but you know, I had to 'win' anyway, *obviously*...!
And to return to topic, it's really the final core list of six that I'll turn to first when I get my set, and about which I could realistically be 'spoiled'. But with the release this close, I think I'll hold out now, even if samples or leaks occur.
Beyond that six: I can't wait to hear Country Air and Do It Again in stereo, the alt version of Meant for You, the new mix of We're Together Again, the Lei'd In Hawaii studio tracks in properly mixed versions, the Beach Boys versions of the Paley session tracks from the 90s, and the 1993 'box set tour' live SMiLE tracks. Oh, and the stereo SMiLE Sessions Our Prayer. That's got to be worth a listen, right?
Yikes, like hypehat said, I meant I'd be posting a review online on Aug. 26th! Sorry to make you go through all of that. I'm toying with the idea of doing a top ten tracks from the box review. Anyway, I think you'll find much to enjoy on the box.
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