Some random questions from a relatively recent Beach Boys convert

[Freddie French-Pounce]

Anyway, there are some strange things going on with digital compression or something on the vocals for the stereo Do You Wanna Dance ... like, you can hear the volume actually go DOWN when the vocals get louder.

YES! Finally someone else who has noted this! It's pained me for ages hearing that. it's also the way it goes 'do you WANNA Dance and hold my hand, TELL EM babY I'm your loving man [etc]'

It really annoys me! It has so much power bar that. I almost presumed it was a tape problem at first.

[Andrew G. Doe]

After all, "Cottonfields" being in mono defies the pattern as well.

True, but as it was the Capitol contract fulfilling single, chances are no-one was particularly bothered one way or the other. Rightly, as it turned out (in the US, anyway).

[Mitchell]

I presume the DYWD stereo problems are due to it being an "extraction" mix, but I will not confirm or verify that assertion.

[Ron]

IMHO, Breakaway is basically a clusterfuck.  Brian never mixed it, and they recorded all kinds of different vocals for it, so there's really no "what did Brian want" for that song, you can mix it like 40 different ways.

It's one of those songs you just have to appreciate for what it is.