Brian Wilson… why still no solo career retrospective?

[The Shift]

I bunk any comp ought to cover only the years since 1988. Bedroom Tapes really belong to his Bb years, even if Brian did work on them essentially alone, creatively speaking.

[Please delete my account]

I bunk any comp ought to cover only the years since 1988. Bedroom Tapes really belong to his Bb years, even if Brian did work on them essentially alone, creatively speaking.

Yes, but it could be an acceptable context for the powers that be to let us hear that material.

I'd suggest leaving it a couple of years then release a two disc chronologically-reversed collection like this:

DISC ONE
Kick off with a killer new single
followed by a song from 'Rock and Roll album', if it ever happens, or perhaps a rocking song recorded on his last tour.
then fill the rest of the disc with highlights from the solo years, with precedence given to rare or unreleased material, and alternative versions like the soundtrack version of "Live Let Live", the charity version of "Love and Mercy" and a remix of "Runaway Dancer" to make it sound better. I'd say it would be legitimate to include "In Blue Hawaii" or  another SMiLE track (live version, in any case) as BWPS was such an important milestone in his solo career. End the disc with "Rio Grande".

DISC TWO
a disc full of 70s demos, (and from the early 80s and late 60s too if there are any suitable). Maybe kick the disc off with "Stevie" if that doesn't have too many other Beach Boys on it to count.
Perhaps end the collection with "Caroline, No", unless the collection can stretch further back in time than 1966.

[Awesoman]

I’m sometimes surprised by the level of enthusiasm hardcore fans will give to hits/best-of compilations. Especially in the post-cassette era when you can burn (or rip) your own compilation. What is there to be excited about? Cover art? Liner notes?

I normally agree, unless the tracks are newly remastered.  I'd then be a little more interested in the picking it up.  But we've been getting spoiled lately with Beach Boys re-releases: the 2012 remasters, the box set, and now the SACD releases this year.  Seems a tad redundant. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Two CD set, the other disc being BWPS. Because it has to be experienced as a whole, not excerpts.

Better still, a three disc set, the other other one being a rarities collection. Call it Last Wilson Standing.

[Rocky Raccoon]

I think Brian Wilson's solo material doesn't lend itself to that kind of collection.  I mean you look at albums like Smile and That Lucky Old Sun and Gershwin, material that was very much put together to be listened to in an album context.  How do you decide which songs make the cut and don't?

[alf wiedersehen]

"Greatest Hits" and "Best Of" collections result in decreased sales of an artist's actual albums.
A lot of artists hold off on issuing compilations if they can. Joni Mitchell waited until 1996 to release her first one, and Paul McCartney still hasn't released one that includes material from after 1987.

[KDS]

While NPP did well initially, I don't see there being much demand for a BW solo compilation, especially for all the trouble it would be with all the different labels involved.  

Realistically, I don't think Brian Wilson's solo material has the mass appeal that we'd all like to think it should.  

The only reason a label would release such a compilation would be to get some more money out of us diehards by including an unreleased track or two.  

[Awesoman]

While NPP did well initially, I don't see there being much demand for a BW solo compilation, especially for all the trouble it would be with all the different labels involved. 

Realistically, I don't think Brian Wilson's solo material doesn't have the mass appeal that we'd all like to think it should. 

The only reason a label would release such a compilation would be to get some more money out of us diehards by including an unreleased track or two. 

I concur.  BW's solo career is more an extension of the Beach Boys more than anything else.  And despite the acclaim he has received as a musical genius, he never really became a household name.  This even after the Barenaked Ladies wrote a hit song about him.

[Please delete my account]

"Greatest Hits" and "Best Of" collections result in decreased sales of an artist's actual albums.
A lot of artists hold off on issuing compilations if they can. Joni Mitchell waited until 1996 to release her first one, and Paul McCartney still hasn't released one that includes material from after 1987.

It's slightly different for the artists you mention though. Joni Mitchell has had hits. There existed the man in the street who wanted "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Raised on Robbery" who was forced to buy the parent albums to get them, short of tracking down the singles. What man in the street knows any solo Brian Wilson songs? Besides, lots of his solo catalogue is out of print anyway.

That said, I think with single-track downloads and custom playlists the heyday of greatest hits albums is over. I don't suppose there actually will be one for Brain Wilson solo any time soon. My earlier comments were just playing along with the hypothetical.

[KDS]

They may be out of print, but they're really easy to find for a good price on Amazon.   

I wouldn't mind seeing a re-release of the Smile Live DVD (with a full concert, not just the Smile part).  The prices for that DVD are obscene. 

[Rocky Raccoon]

I wouldn't mind seeing a re-release of the Smile Live DVD (with a full concert, not just the Smile part).

That was the full concert actually.  It was just the Smile songs filmed specifically for the DVD, it wasn't from the tour.  I think the Royal Festival Hall show was filmed professionally too though, it would be nice to see that in its entirety as a separate release.

[KDS]

I wouldn't mind seeing a re-release of the Smile Live DVD (with a full concert, not just the Smile part).

That was the full concert actually.  It was just the Smile songs filmed specifically for the DVD, it wasn't from the tour.  I think the Royal Festival Hall show was filmed professionally too though, it would be nice to see that in its entirety as a separate release.

Ah, didn't realize that.  I thought it was a part of the tour he did for Smile. 

Thanks for the new info though.