Brian Wilson Debut Gets Expanded Reissued In May (Rhino Records)

[sea of tunes]

http://www.musictap.net/2015/03/24/brian-wilson-debut-gets-expanded-reissued-in-may/

In 1988, Brian Wilson released his eponymous debut album on Sire Records. While it was well-received by the critics, the album didn’t sell as well as hoped for. In 2000, Rhino reissued the album, expanding it with a collection of demos, alternate versions, and other bonus tracks.
 
On May 19, Rhino will revisit the title with a new reissue. Brian Wilson will be offered with the same expanded track-listing found on the 2000 reissue (see below). This reissue will likely have new remastering of the album’s tracks. A standard issue of this album is expected, same date.
 

Personally speaking, I have a promo copy (CD) of the original and think it still sounds amazing; great dynamics, etc.  I also have the 2000 remaster which I have read uses incorrect mixes on two songs (including "Melt Away").  I've never noticed honestly. 

Hopefully the mastering on this one will be close to the original maybe with a little more "warmth" that is seemingly always missing from cd's made in the 1980s.

[37!ws]

I still can't tell the difference between 1988's "Melt Away" and 2000s. I can easily tell "Let It Shine," though.

What am I listening for when I A/B the two???

[Jim V.]

So does anybody know if this will indeed be the album with the original mixes? Or will it just literally be a re-press of the 2001 reissue? Because if indeed they have the right mixes on this one I will definitely buy it.

[Wirestone]

I still can't tell the difference between 1988's "Melt Away" and 2000s. I can easily tell "Let It Shine," though.

What am I listening for when I A/B the two???

High vocal on the tag. It's not there on the reissue. Some have said its a woman singing, but I never heard it that way ...

I've never been able to tell the Let It Shines apart!

[HeyJude]

I got into this a bit in the other BW ’88 thread (the one about the vinyl reissue).

I would guess this will simply be a case of putting the 2000 Rhino CD reissue back in print. The main question would be whether the incorrect mixes on a few of the tracks will be fixed. My recollection is that “fixed” versions of those tracks were submitted by the production team to Rhino back in 2000 after fans noticed the mistakes. But I haven’t heard any reports of Rhino ever re-doing the CD to include those fixed mixes. I would hope that even if they don’t “remaster” anything form scratch on this new pressing (the stuff doesn’t really need a remastering again anyway), they will at least incorporate those fixed mixes.

On “Let It Shine”, I don’t think there are any bits actually missing or added compared to the “original” mix. It’s just generally a more muddy mix. The drums aren’t as sharp. I can definitely hear the overall mix difference. But it isn’t a case where “oh, they didn’t mix in that guitar or keyboard part” or anything like that. It could be the same mix with VASTLY different EQ (I haven’t A/B’ed them in years to see if anything is panned left or right differently). I don’t think it’s just EQ differences. Either way, it’s wrong, and I believe it was confirmed that this and the other errors were pulled simply from the wrong tape, as they apparently never made a “banded” album master with all the songs on one tape. They had always mastered from individual song masters, and a few incorrect tapes were pulled in 2000. Why nobody did some QA on it to catch those mistakes, I don’t know. But no use beating them up about it 15 years later.

I didn’t even know the 2000 CD ever went out of print. I guess it may not have.

[sea of tunes]

Anyone get the re-issue yet?   

I ordered tonight from Amazon, expecting delivery later this week.  Hoping for different mastering than the 2000 version.

[Jim V.]

Anyone get the re-issue yet?   

I ordered tonight from Amazon, expecting delivery later this week.  Hoping for different mastering than the 2000 version.

Hey there JCM, would you let us know if the mixes on "Melt Away" and "Let It Shine" are indeed the original 1988 mixes or not?

[sea of tunes]

Anyone get the re-issue yet?   

I ordered tonight from Amazon, expecting delivery later this week.  Hoping for different mastering than the 2000 version.

Hey there JCM, would you let us know if the mixes on "Melt Away" and "Let It Shine" are indeed the original 1988 mixes or not?

Will be delighted to.  Expecting it by Saturday in the mail.

[grillo]

The mix of love &mercy on the 2000 reissue is also wrong. Has that keyboard ascending note thing at the end of the bridge before brian's "hey-ey". I remember being really bummed out that they coudln't even get the most well known and first song right on this expanded set. Seems impossible that would get by the compilers...

[mikeddonn]

I thought the keyboard notes were on the original mix? I'll need to have a listen.

[Rocky Raccoon]

When I saw the thread title, I thought that meant expanding even further than the last reissue, to which my first thought was "Disc 2 - Sweet Insanity".    But of course that would never happen (and I'm okay with that never happening, Sweet Insanity is way too depressing to listen to and has aged badly, Brian's first album is the opposite).

[VanDykeParksAndRec]

People wondering about the mixes.  It should have the proper 88 mixes of both songs. Rhino corrected the issue fairly early and even offered replacements iirc.

[HeyJude]

People wondering about the mixes.  It should have the proper 88 mixes of both songs. Rhino corrected the issue fairly early and even offered replacements iirc.

This was back in the day of the Usenet, so it's a bit sketchy. But I recall that it had been noted that a fixed mastering had been submitted to Rhino, but I don't recall hearing anything after that as far as replacements being offered or the fixed version actually being pressed up (though I recall it was tough for anyone to justify repurchasing a copy at retail again just to check). I may just have missed that happening a bit later on.

Either way, hopefully someone can confirm if the corrected mixes appear on this new reissue.

[Wirestone]

The mix of love &mercy on the 2000 reissue is also wrong. Has that keyboard ascending note thing at the end of the bridge before brian's "hey-ey". I remember being really bummed out that they coudln't even get the most well known and first song right on this expanded set. Seems impossible that would get by the compilers...

That was on the original CD.

[HeyJude]

The mix of love &mercy on the 2000 reissue is also wrong. Has that keyboard ascending note thing at the end of the bridge before brian's "hey-ey". I remember being really bummed out that they coudln't even get the most well known and first song right on this expanded set. Seems impossible that would get by the compilers...

That was on the original CD.

I think there is an additional little "keyboard spurt" (sorry, couldn't think of what else to call it) at the very end of the middle section/bridge on the 2000 reissue CD that is either missing or mixed way lower on the original album. Definitely a very subtle mix difference, but a difference nonetheless, and one that can't be explained by alternate EQ and whatnot.

[mikeddonn]

The mix of love &mercy on the 2000 reissue is also wrong. Has that keyboard ascending note thing at the end of the bridge before brian's "hey-ey". I remember being really bummed out that they coudln't even get the most well known and first song right on this expanded set. Seems impossible that would get by the compilers...

That was on the original CD.

That's what I thought and posted further back!

[HeyJude]

There are audio samples on Amazon that I just listened to on a listing that includes the new 2015 reissue, but the sound samples could easily just be from the previous 2000 iteration. In any event, based on my crummy computer speakers that I'm hearing at the moment, the mix of "Let It Shine" there sounds like the "incorrect" 2000 version.

[ForHerCryingSoul]

Honestly if they are reissuing a reissue without any new content, why should it be bought?  Is Rhino releasing this to capitalize on the movie release??  I second an official release of Sweet Insanity, but I heard the master tapes were stolen, so who knows how long it will take (if ever) for it to be released.

[grillo]

The mix of love &mercy on the 2000 reissue is also wrong. Has that keyboard ascending note thing at the end of the bridge before brian's "hey-ey". I remember being really bummed out that they coudln't even get the most well known and first song right on this expanded set. Seems impossible that would get by the compilers...

7
That was on the original CD.

I think there is an additional little "keyboard spurt" (sorry, couldn't think of what else to call it) at the very end of the middle section/bridge on the 2000 reissue CD that is either missing or mixed way lower on the original album. Definitely a very subtle mix difference, but a difference nonetheless, and one that can't be explained by alternate EQ and whatnot.

8
yeah, you are right. Its like a fader was lèft up or a cue was unmuted a second too early. Its for sure NOT on the 88 release!

[Wirestone]

The mix of love &mercy on the 2000 reissue is also wrong. Has that keyboard ascending note thing at the end of the bridge before brian's "hey-ey". I remember being really bummed out that they coudln't even get the most well known and first song right on this expanded set. Seems impossible that would get by the compilers...

7
That was on the original CD.

I think there is an additional little "keyboard spurt" (sorry, couldn't think of what else to call it) at the very end of the middle section/bridge on the 2000 reissue CD that is either missing or mixed way lower on the original album. Definitely a very subtle mix difference, but a difference nonetheless, and one that can't be explained by alternate EQ and whatnot.

8
yeah, you are right. Its like a fader was lèft up or a cue was unmuted a second too early. Its for sure NOT on the 88 release!

The ascending keyboard figure is indeed present in the original release. It's just mixed more quietly.

Anyway, I picked up the re-reissue today, and the mixes seem to be corrected. So buy away, everyone!

[HeyJude]

It sounds to me like the several notes of ascending keyboard is on both mixes (at relatively the same volume), but there is literally a one-note sort of "stab" or "spurt" right before that figure that is on the 2000 reissue and mixed down nearly inaudibly on the '88 CD.

[Wirestone]

Having done an A-B comparison, the entire keyboard figure in the break is definitely louder (along with that blurt you're talking about) in the uncorrected reissue.

But yes, everything seems to be fixed in the re-reissue.

A new interesting point: Warners has reissued the plain, 11-track BW88 album too! That's right, there are TWO BW88 reissues out there now, one with the bonus tracks, and one without.

[Douchepool]

Sucks they didn't expand the expanded reissue even further. It'll be good to have a CD copy of the original mix. My vinyl can have a rest for once.

[c-man]

Having done an A-B comparison, the entire keyboard figure in the break is definitely louder (along with that blurt you're talking about) in the uncorrected reissue.

But yes, everything seems to be fixed in the re-reissue.

A new interesting point: Warners has reissued the plain, 11-track BW88 album too! That's right, there are TWO BW88 reissues out there now, one with the bonus tracks, and one without.

Isn't the bonus-less version on vinyl (only)?

[sea of tunes]

Image comparison of all 3 copies I have (left-to-right: 2000, 2015, 1988 promo).



Barcode and copyright details are identical to 2000 release.



Hype sticker on the front is new for this release, emphasis on the LOVE AND MERCY (song) inclusion.



Have yet to open it and compare the actual mastering, will do so very soon.