The Beach Boys Vinyl Reissues - Capitol/UME Tranche 2

[Custom Machine]

My system now is a very good one. VERY good for enjoying HDTV and Blu-rays and 3D and 5.1 Surround and CD's. If these offerings were all SACD, I'd get a SACD player and call it a day. Good enough. But we're talking high fidelity virgin vinyl here - the best format sonically produced so far for these Beach Boys records. You can't get better than the warm vinyl sound anywhere. No snaps, crackles, or pops. But to enjoy these Acoustic Sounds records, you need a very good stereo system to reproduce the fullest effects of the analog sound of vinyl. ALL the highs, mid range, and lows nuances and details of the vocals and instruments - the best mixes and mastering reproductions money can buy up to this point, right here. You pay for what you get.

Mikie, as your fellow Mike, in this case mikeddonn, pointed out, you appear to be on the wrong thread.  This one if for the newest Capitol vinyl reissues from the 70s and 80s.

I have the first five Analog Productions mono albums, stereo albums (excluding Surfin Safari), and the first five Analog Productions SACDs.  I even did a comparison of one track from SD Vol 2 from the new AP stereo LP compared to previous releases.  The thread is entitled "14 Beach Boys albums coming to vinyl/SACD" and can be found at http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,16766.400.html, « Reply #412 on: March 21, 2015, 07:07:45 PM ».

And something very important to remember concerning audio systems, the law of diminishing returns is in play here, with the result being that at some point (which is not the same for everyone), the more you spend on a system the less you get in return as far as sonic improvement is concerned.  For me, by far the most important components in an audio reproduction chain, assuming everything else is of decent quality, are your speakers (or headphones). 

[mikeddonn]

My system now is a very good one. VERY good for enjoying HDTV and Blu-rays and 3D and 5.1 Surround and CD's. If these offerings were all SACD, I'd get a SACD player and call it a day. Good enough. But we're talking high fidelity virgin vinyl here - the best format sonically produced so far for these Beach Boys records. You can't get better than the warm vinyl sound anywhere. No snaps, crackles, or pops. But to enjoy these Acoustic Sounds records, you need a very good stereo system to reproduce the fullest effects of the analog sound of vinyl. ALL the highs, mid range, and lows nuances and details of the vocals and instruments - the best mixes and mastering reproductions money can buy up to this point, right here. You pay for what you get.

Mikie, as your fellow Mike, in this case mikeddonn, pointed out, you appear to be on the wrong thread.  This one if for the newest Capitol vinyl reissues from the 70s and 80s.

I have the first five Analog Productions mono albums, stereo albums (excluding Surfin Safari), and the first five Analog Productions SACDs.  I even did a comparison of one track from SD Vol 2 from the new AP stereo LP compared to previous releases.  The thread is entitled "14 Beach Boys albums coming to vinyl/SACD" and can be found at http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,16766.400.html, « Reply #412 on: March 21, 2015, 07:07:45 PM ».

And something very important to remember concerning audio systems, the law of diminishing returns is in play here, with the result being that at some point (which is not the same for everyone), the more you spend on a system the less you get in return as far as sonic improvement is concerned.  For me, by far the most important components in an audio reproduction chain, assuming everything else is of decent quality, are your speakers (or headphones). 

Custom, did you receive your MIU and Beach Boys 85 replacements yet? I have ordered the other 3 in the meantime.  A package arrived today but had the wrong lp in it! Now I'm having to send I back.  The other 2 are from a different seller so I'm still waiting.

[Mikie]

My system now is a very good one. VERY good for enjoying HDTV and Blu-rays and 3D and 5.1 Surround and CD's. If these offerings were all SACD, I'd get a SACD player and call it a day. Good enough. But we're talking high fidelity virgin vinyl here - the best format sonically produced so far for these Beach Boys records. You can't get better than the warm vinyl sound anywhere. No snaps, crackles, or pops. But to enjoy these Acoustic Sounds records, you need a very good stereo system to reproduce the fullest effects of the analog sound of vinyl. ALL the highs, mid range, and lows nuances and details of the vocals and instruments - the best mixes and mastering reproductions money can buy up to this point, right here. You pay for what you get.

Mikie, as your fellow Mike, in this case mikeddonn, pointed out, you appear to be on the wrong thread.  This one if for the newest Capitol vinyl reissues from the 70s and 80s.

I have the first five Analog Productions mono albums, stereo albums (excluding Surfin Safari), and the first five Analog Productions SACDs.  I even did a comparison of one track from SD Vol 2 from the new AP stereo LP compared to previous releases.  The thread is entitled "14 Beach Boys albums coming to vinyl/SACD" and can be found at http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,16766.400.html, « Reply #412 on: March 21, 2015, 07:07:45 PM ».

And something very important to remember concerning audio systems, the law of diminishing returns is in play here, with the result being that at some point (which is not the same for everyone), the more you spend on a system the less you get in return as far as sonic improvement is concerned.  For me, by far the most important components in an audio reproduction chain, assuming everything else is of decent quality, are your speakers (or headphones). 

Just saw this. Sorry for being on the wrong thread, boys. Agree with you, CS, regarding speakers. I'm saving for some real nice column speakers now. They ain't cheap!

[mikeddonn]

My system now is a very good one. VERY good for enjoying HDTV and Blu-rays and 3D and 5.1 Surround and CD's. If these offerings were all SACD, I'd get a SACD player and call it a day. Good enough. But we're talking high fidelity virgin vinyl here - the best format sonically produced so far for these Beach Boys records. You can't get better than the warm vinyl sound anywhere. No snaps, crackles, or pops. But to enjoy these Acoustic Sounds records, you need a very good stereo system to reproduce the fullest effects of the analog sound of vinyl. ALL the highs, mid range, and lows nuances and details of the vocals and instruments - the best mixes and mastering reproductions money can buy up to this point, right here. You pay for what you get.

Mikie, as your fellow Mike, in this case mikeddonn, pointed out, you appear to be on the wrong thread.  This one if for the newest Capitol vinyl reissues from the 70s and 80s.

I have the first five Analog Productions mono albums, stereo albums (excluding Surfin Safari), and the first five Analog Productions SACDs.  I even did a comparison of one track from SD Vol 2 from the new AP stereo LP compared to previous releases.  The thread is entitled "14 Beach Boys albums coming to vinyl/SACD" and can be found at http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,16766.400.html, « Reply #412 on: March 21, 2015, 07:07:45 PM ».

And something very important to remember concerning audio systems, the law of diminishing returns is in play here, with the result being that at some point (which is not the same for everyone), the more you spend on a system the less you get in return as far as sonic improvement is concerned.  For me, by far the most important components in an audio reproduction chain, assuming everything else is of decent quality, are your speakers (or headphones). 

Just saw this. Sorry for being on the wrong thread, boys. Agree with you, CS, regarding speakers. I'm saving for some real nice column speakers now. They ain't cheap!

No problem Mikie! 

[Custom Machine]

Custom, did you receive your MIU and Beach Boys 85 replacements yet? I have ordered the other 3 in the meantime.  A package arrived today but had the wrong lp in it! Now I'm having to send I back.  The other 2 are from a different seller so I'm still waiting.

I received the MIU and BB 85 replacements, and both were fine.  Also sent back NPP, due to tons of medium to heavy clicks throughout Last Song (which, surprisingly, on the double LP is the last song on side 3, but not the last song on the album).  Received a second copy, which is fine on all tracks except Last Song.  The second copy I received has over 50 medium to loud clicks throughout the second half of Last Song, which is about half as many medium to loud clicks and pops as my pervious copy, but still unacceptable.  Wonder how many times Amazon will take back the same LP in exchange for another?

[mikeddonn]

Thanks Custom, I'll order MIU and BB85 to go with the others.  Shame about NPP as that's another I'll be purchasing.

[Alan Smith]

15 Big Ones, MIU, L.A., Keepin' the Summer Alive, and BB 85 were released last Tuesday, March 31st.

Not sure why it didn't see release with the others, but Carl and the Passions is scheduled for a May 12 release.

Sound is excellent on the five released so far.  In the very quick comparisons I made, comparing about 20 seconds of the first track on side one to the same track on an original LP release, I found the sound to be essentially similar to the original releases.  Hopefully Alan will check in with Ron McMaster to confirm that he was once again responsible for the mastering of these new LPs from the original analog tapes.

Packaging is top notch, but unfortunately I am returning MIU and BB 85 for an exchange.  MIU has an odd glitch at the beginning of "Pitter Patter" where the word "It" partially drops out at the beginning of the song.  Hopefully this is a one-time issue with my copy, but it's such an odd sounding glitch that I'm wondering if it could be an LP mastering error.  On BB 85 "It's Just a Matter of Time" has about 2 seconds of irritating non-fill distortion in the right channel, which I don't like to hear but may have been willing to overlook, but that's followed by more scratchy non-fill, at a lower level, during the last 12 seconds of the song.  As I've mentioned before, thick LPs, such as these 180 gram reissues, are much more susceptible to this type of pressing distortion than are regular 120 gram albums, although top notch plants such as QRP rarely have issues with this.

On BB 85 Landy's co-writer credits have been removed from Crack at Your Love, I'm So Lonely, and It's Just a Matter of Time, but the notation "Special thanks to Dr. Eugene E. Landy" remains on the inner sleeve.  I should add that while I said "Sound is excellent on the albums," BB 85 still suffers from an irritating overly bright metallic sound (with a ton of energy around the 2 - 6 KHz range), especially on Getcha Back, which is one of my all time favorite BB tunes.  While this could be attributed to the fact that BB 85 was recorded on 80's digital equipment, I'd place the bulk of the blame on the use of BBE processing, which is claimed to "restore natural brilliance and clarity to an audio signal" but in my opinion seriously degrades a recording by imparting a harsh, brittle sonic signature.  BBE could potentially be useful in some cases for individual instruments, but IMO should never be applied to an entire recording, as it was for the entirety of BB 85.  

The Caribou reissues use the same Brother/Capitol label, mimicking the Brother/Reprise label, that's used on the Brother/Reprise reissues.

For anyone into vinyl I can highly recommend these reissues, although I'm exchanging two of the five LPs due to pressing glitches.  From a surface noise standpoint they aren't quite as quiet as the Analogue Productions QRP reissues (and few LPs are) but they also cost 5 to 7 bucks less.  

One more note to Alan - if you do happen to contact Ron McMaster again, since BB 85 was recorded on a 24 track Sony PCM-3324 digital tape deck, (which I think went for about $100,000 when new, and now goes for just a few hundred bucks or less on eBay), I'd be curious what he used to master the new reissue.  Did he just do it the easy way and pop in a BB 85 CD, or did he use a DAT master of the album, or perhaps a digital file on a hard drive, although in 1985 I don't think there were any hard drives large enough to hold a PCM recording of BB 85.

Hey Custom,

Great review, man, I can't believe I totally missed this!

Interesting notes about the vinyl glitches, but good to notice this seems to have been a prob with the pressings rather than the source files.

I'll see what I can find out re the source files (although I can't guarantee a response of course) - I can remember joking around once that the source file for the BB85 may well have been U-matic tape (ie video tape), as I'm unsure if DAT was around then - came in around 87 or 88, I recall vaguely, but not sure.

If any of the big kids around here know, then please chime in.  From what we've seen re the A/P reissues, we know the digital archiving program for BB analogue tapes has been at 32 bit, 192 khz - hopefully Alan & Mark been able to archive something which were perhaps then used by Ron McMaster, if the original U-matic or similar was no longer available.

I didn't quite catch re the Caribou labels - have they dug out the Caribou in the misty field and the cursive writing of Caribou, or are they using something different.

Thanks again for a great review - I'll still prioritising the A/P items, but will be looking out for the majority of these (I'm yet to make up my mind about shelling for MIU).

Crazy ordeals with the NPP pressings - do you know where it was pressed?  I haven't ordered (yet!).

[kookadams]

Thanks Custom, I'll order MIU and BB85 to go with the others.  Shame about NPP as that's another I'll be purchasing.

I wouldn't. Id have someone make a mix tape if those albums best cutsx itd make one solid album. I own em all but if I ever hafta rebuy Im stoppin at holland..and love you.

[kookadams]

I see no reason why any post-holland albums should be re.issued. for us hardcore BBs zealots its cool, but after absorbing their output over&over again I see why the 63-73 is emphasized and why after is disregarded.

[dcowboys107]

How does the Friends reissue stack up? 

I know it's probably better to play it safe and get an original, but just curious.

[mikeddonn]

Thanks Custom, I'll order MIU and BB85 to go with the others.  Shame about NPP as that's another I'll be purchasing.

I wouldn't. Id have someone make a mix tape if those albums best cutsx itd make one solid album. I own em all but if I ever hafta rebuy Im stoppin at holland..and love you.

I already have them several times over, including mint original vinyl.

I am a collector so love having every version I can lay my hands on.  My wallet doesn't!

[Custom Machine]

How does the Friends reissue stack up?  

I know it's probably better to play it safe and get an original, but just curious.

The 2014 180 gram Capitol reissue LP sounds great - highly recommended.  Both it and the 1994 Capitol reissue sound a little fuller than the original, as a result of somewhat more prominent bass.  The 1968 Capitol original and 1981 Capitol green label reissue have a somewhat less prominent low end than later reissues.  But really, you can't go wrong with any of them.  

The one US Friends reissue that I'd tend to avoid from a sound quality standpoint is the 1974 Brother/Reprise Friends & Smiley Smile double LP reissue.  On that reissue the bass is too prominent and has a tubby characteristic, resulting in a loss of a sense of air and space around the vocals and instruments.  Also, that reissue lacks the classic Friends front and back covers, but it does feature some great retrospective liner notes inside.  And representing Friends on the cover is a relaxed looking woman in a bikini standing in front of a large carrot with her hair blowing in the breeze, while representing Smiley Smile on the back cover is a woman in a bikini with her hands across her chest, shivering in front of a large carrot.  Those cover illustrations couldn't have done a better job of representing the difference in the overall vibe of those two albums.  As a huge fan of the band back when that double LP was released, it was so great to see a slew of BB material coming back on the market in 1974.  In addition to Endless Summer in June, on Brother/Reprise there was Pet Sounds (unbundled from Carl & the Passions) in May, Wild Honey & 20/20 double LP in July, and the aforementioned Friends & Smiley Smile double LP in October.

[Custom Machine]

Hey Custom,

Great review, man, I can't believe I totally missed this!

Interesting notes about the vinyl glitches, but good to notice this seems to have been a prob with the pressings rather than the source files.

I'll see what I can find out re the source files (although I can't guarantee a response of course) - I can remember joking around once that the source file for the BB85 may well have been U-matic tape (ie video tape), as I'm unsure if DAT was around then - came in around 87 or 88, I recall vaguely, but not sure.

If any of the big kids around here know, then please chime in.  From what we've seen re the A/P reissues, we know the digital archiving program for BB analogue tapes has been at 32 bit, 192 khz - hopefully Alan & Mark been able to archive something which were perhaps then used by Ron McMaster, if the original U-matic or similar was no longer available.

I didn't quite catch re the Caribou labels - have they dug out the Caribou in the misty field and the cursive writing of Caribou, or are they using something different.

Thanks again for a great review - I'll still prioritising the A/P items, but will be looking out for the majority of these (I'm yet to make up my mind about shelling for MIU).

Crazy ordeals with the NPP pressings - do you know where it was pressed?  I haven't ordered (yet!).

Alan, if you do get some info from Ron McMaster regarding the source files, please let us know.  Yes, you are absolutely right - there's no way DAT was around in 1985.  U-Matic makes a lot more sense.  Bought my first Sony DAT recorder in 1991, but checking Wikipedia they say DAT was introduced by Sony in 1987, as you suggested.

The Caribou LP reissues on Capitol completely do away with any indication that the originals were released on the Caribou label.  They use the exact same yellow gold Brother/Capitol label used on the Brother/Reprise reissues, patterned after the original Brother/Reprise 70's label.

Don't know where NPP was pressed, nor the recent BB reissues on Capitol.  I'd also be interested to hear, if anyone knows.  None of them are as noise free as the AP reissues, but then again those AP reissues, while sounding and looking great, are so darn expensive!

When checking out my various LP copies of Friends today I was surprised by a couple of things.  First, my 1981 reissue is really noisy, filled with lots of low to medium level clicks and pops.  I'm surprised I didn't return it, although perhaps I did and the second was just as noisy.  I really haven't played it that much over the years, but it sounds far worse, from a click and pop standpoint, than my other copies for the album, including my 1968 original, and far worse in that regard than I recall the other 1981 reissues sounding.  Second, I had completely forgotten that I have a sealed unopened cut-out copy of Friends.  I have no recollection of when I bought it, but it's marked $3.99, so it was most likely a number of years after I bought the original for $3.38 at White Front (info provided for anyone in the US who was around back in the sixties and seventies and remembers the great White Front record departments).  I'm tempted to open it up and give it a listen, but for today I stuck in back on the shelf still unopened.

One more thing - out of curiosity I just plugged the price I paid for Friends in 1968, $3.38, into the US inflation calculator.  Adjusted for inflation, $3.38 is $22.93, while the list price back then of $3.99, which was the price some stores charged, comes out to $27.07 today.  So, in the US, buying a brand new 180 gram Capitol reissue of Friends costs about the same, adjusted for inflation, as it did back in the day.  Those inflation adjusted prices also make the Analogue Productions LPs appear to be not quite so expensive, except that if you're wanting to buy the mono LP, the stereo LP, and the SADC/CD you're actually paying 90 bucks per album available in all three of those formats.

[The Shift]

Amazon UK now seems to show at least some if not all of these bumped back to mid-May... anyone heard anything?  Wonder if they're being repressed in light of the comments above?

[mikeddonn]

Not only Amazon but they have disappeared from ebay too!  Strange as I have received LA and 15 Big Ones in the last week and BB85 and MIU are on the way.  KTSA was supposed to be here a few weeks ago but they sent the wrong item!  Now I can't re-order it until the 15th!

[mikeddonn]

Just got a few more of these in (The Beach Boys, MIU, and KTSA).  They were held up for a few weeks after the release dates changed (even though they had already been out and on sale).  Unlike the earlier ones the have a Back to Black sticker and download code.  Anyone have an inkling as to what mastering they would use and if the downloads would be high-res.  If these were mastered by Ron McMaster like the earlier vinyls then that would be a bonus.  Or maybe for the downloads they would have used the Linett mixes from 2000 ish.

Carl and The Passions is on it's way.  Anyone have this yet?

[Alan Smith]

Just got a few more of these in (The Beach Boys, MIU, and KTSA).  They were held up for a few weeks after the release dates changed (even though they had already been out and on sale).  Unlike the earlier ones the have a Back to Black sticker and download code.  Anyone have an inkling as to what mastering they would use and if the downloads would be high-res.  If these were mastered by Ron McMaster like the earlier vinyls then that would be a bonus.  Or maybe for the downloads they would have used the Linett mixes from 2000 ish.

Carl and The Passions is on it's way.  Anyone have this yet?

Hey Mike - If they're mastered by Ron McMaster, there should be his initials in handwritten "signature" form - ie, something resembling an R, then a squiggle that starts like an M but then zooms off in an upward diagonal (from left to right).  Should be located to the left of the catalogue code (probably also hand-scribed) in the run-out groove dead wax.

How's the sound, btw?

I touched CATP the other day, but did not buy it ($50).  Blew it instead, and then some, on the A/P stereo reissues - check ya - A

[mikeddonn]

Hey Alan!

I just received CATP yesterday.  Sounds good. Seems quite clear not to muddy.  I love the drum sound on that album!  Quiet and flat pressing.  Surprisingly there is only the catalogue number but no RMcMaster squiggle.

I also opened The Beach Boys 85 and it doesn't have the squiggle!

I haven't opened the rest yet. They're just so beautiful to look at sealed!

Cheers.

[lee]

Custom, did you receive your MIU and Beach Boys 85 replacements yet? I have ordered the other 3 in the meantime.  A package arrived today but had the wrong lp in it! Now I'm having to send I back.  The other 2 are from a different seller so I'm still waiting.

I received the MIU and BB 85 replacements, and both were fine.  Also sent back NPP, due to tons of medium to heavy clicks throughout Last Song (which, surprisingly, on the double LP is the last song on side 3, but not the last song on the album).  Received a second copy, which is fine on all tracks except Last Song.  The second copy I received has over 50 medium to loud clicks throughout the second half of Last Song, which is about half as many medium to loud clicks and pops as my pervious copy, but still unacceptable.  Wonder how many times Amazon will take back the same LP in exchange for another?

In no attempt to derail the thread, I'd like to comment on the NPP vinyl. I bought a copy with the same problem, exchanged it for another copy and it had the same problem as well. Both copies had loud clicks though out the end of Last Song beginning with the "There's never enough time for the ones that you love" line. I posted this on the SH forum and 4 other people commented. Everyone who had bought a copy on vinyl (and actually listened to it) had the same problem. One member went through four copies before he gave up. I haven't heard of anyone buying a copy that didn't have this problem. I couldn't find a contact on Capitol Records website so I contacted their online store with the problem. After a week I got a reply saying this was the first they have heard of the problem so they don't think it's widespread. That was basically it. So if you can find a contact for Capitol Records, send them an email. For a $35 album to have this problem is absurd and Brian deserves better. I'm hoping if enough people complain about it, Capitol might actually look into repressing the 2nd lp of this set.

[Alan Smith]

I haven't opened the rest yet. They're just so beautiful to look at sealed!

Cheers.

 

I sourced a copy of CATP at a decent price, from my preferred Record Store and my copy does have the squiggle of McMaster.

I'll give it a spin tonight!

[job]

Just received them all.  Can't bring myself to open them yet!