The Beach Boys Now "Mastered for iTunes" (Possible New "Wild Honey", "Friends", "20/20" Remasters?)

[Too Much Sugar]

Today, the iTunes Store completely revamped The Beach Boys page, introducing a new splash page better organizing their material, and are having a sale on some of their albums for $6.99.  In addition, many of their albums are now labelled as Mastered for iTunes, which basically means that the files are encoded from 24 bit sources, instead of the CDs.  The idea is that by using a better source, in addition to improvements with Apple's encoder, the files that result should avoid some of the common pitfalls of MP3s (distortion), and hopefully sound as close to the source files as possible. 

Anyways, none of that is really a big deal under most circumstances, particularly when I assumed that most of the albums labelled Mastered for iTunes would be the 12 that were remastered in 2012, but I'm noticing some albums, namely "Wild Honey", "Friends", and "20/20" all have 2015 copyrights and, based on the samples I'm hearing, sound remastered, at least the latter two.  Definitely different than the 2000 remasters that I own.  There's also a Capitol Albums Collection now available in the store.

I'm curious if my ears are deceiving me, or if there was some news about this that I missed, or something in-between?

[37!ws]

Just hope they come out on CD. After hearing Made In California, I'm especially drooling over a remastered Friends!

[sea of tunes]

Almost positive these were released MFiT in 2012 at the same time the physical releases happened for the other titles through Capitol.  I think HOLLAND and SMILEY SMILE were also in that bunch.

It's nice to know iTunes revamped the Beach Boys section, too. 

[Shady]

Wild Honey sounds exactly the same, sadly.

[Too Much Sugar]

Almost positive these were released MFiT in 2012 at the same time the physical releases happened for the other titles through Capitol.  I think HOLLAND and SMILEY SMILE were also in that bunch.

It's nice to know iTunes revamped the Beach Boys section, too.  

The way I remember the iTunes page is that, up until this week, the only MFiT releases for The Beach Boys were "That's Why God Made the Radio", "Greatest Hits", "Made in California", "Pet Sounds", and the 2009 remasters of "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up".  The 2012 remasters were available, but those were not MFiT until a few days ago.  Also, the remaining twofers that weren't part of the 2012 program seemed to just get split up (sans the bonus tracks), with the same remastering as the 2000 releases.

So what I'm curious about are where some of the sources are coming from.  For instance:

1.  "Surfin' Safari" is now "Mastered for iTunes" and sounds much quieter (and, frankly, a lot better) than my 2000 issue.  This was not part of the 2012 program.  I'm assuming this is the Kevin Gray/AP release?

2.  The same goes for "Surfin' USA".  There's both a stereo and a mono/stereo version, but unlike the 2012 reissue, the white strip on the left with the Capitol logo is gone on the artwork.  I'm led to believe that this is also another Kevin Gray/AP release?

3.  Finally, this leaves us with the "Wild Honey", "Friends", and "20/20" MFiT releases.  "Wild Honey", as Shady says, does sound quite similar to the 2000 remaster, so it's possible that this is just a quieter version of that.  But "Friends" and "20/20" are definitely markedly different.  To my knowledge, however, neither releases have been part of any recent remastering program, so I'm not sure where these sources are coming from.

4.  One other note: there's also now a mono/stereo, MFiT version of "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album" now up.

[Awesoman]

The whole "mastered for iTunes" thing seems like a gimmick.  A compressed file is a compressed file; there are still frequencies lost.

[mikeddonn]

Friends and 20/20 were remastered last year by Ron McMaster for the vinyl release on Capitol/UMe so maybe that's why they sound remastered.

[zaval80]

The whole "mastered for iTunes" thing seems like a gimmick.  A compressed file is a compressed file; there are still frequencies lost.

They should consider a "mastered for torrent" version.

[Jason Penick]

The whole "mastered for iTunes" thing seems like a gimmick.  A compressed file is a compressed file; there are still frequencies lost.

This is true, for now. I know Apple's eventual plan is to start releasing much of their online catalog as lossless. When this happens (and perhaps the recent acquisition of Beats is laying the groundwork for this) we'll be able to reap the benefits, so it's good that the labels are falling in line with this practice-- these tracks can be re-encoded when the time comes.

Friends and 20/20 were remastered last year by Ron McMaster for the vinyl release on Capitol/UMe so maybe that's why they sound remastered.

Thank you! I bought what I believe is this mastering of Friends on RSD and haven't been able to find out any information about where it came from. The artwork is identical to the original Cap release, without the "From the Capitol Vaults" disclaimer I've seen on most BB reissues. Incidentally, the fidelity is SUPERB. Easily the best I've ever heard this album sound. Hopefully we'll get lossless digital at some point. Cool to know they did 20/20 as well.

[buddhahat]

The whole "mastered for iTunes" thing seems like a gimmick.  A compressed file is a compressed file; there are still frequencies lost.

This is true, for now. I know Apple's eventual plan is to start releasing much of their online catalog as lossless. When this happens (and perhaps the recent acquisition of Beats is laying the groundwork for this) we'll be able to reap the benefits, so it's good that the labels are falling in line with this practice-- these tracks can be re-encoded when the time comes.

Friends and 20/20 were remastered last year by Ron McMaster for the vinyl release on Capitol/UMe so maybe that's why they sound remastered.

Thank you! I bought what I believe is this mastering of Friends on RSD and haven't been able to find out any information about where it came from. The artwork is identical to the original Cap release, without the "From the Capitol Vaults" disclaimer I've seen on most BB reissues. Incidentally, the fidelity is SUPERB. Easily the best I've ever heard this album sound. Hopefully we'll get lossless digital at some point. Cool to know they did 20/20 as well.

Balls - I just shelled out for the 80s Capitol green label pressing thinking that was the best sounding one ...

[mikeddonn]

The whole "mastered for iTunes" thing seems like a gimmick.  A compressed file is a compressed file; there are still frequencies lost.

This is true, for now. I know Apple's eventual plan is to start releasing much of their online catalog as lossless. When this happens (and perhaps the recent acquisition of Beats is laying the groundwork for this) we'll be able to reap the benefits, so it's good that the labels are falling in line with this practice-- these tracks can be re-encoded when the time comes.

Friends and 20/20 were remastered last year by Ron McMaster for the vinyl release on Capitol/UMe so maybe that's why they sound remastered.

Thank you! I bought what I believe is this mastering of Friends on RSD and haven't been able to find out any information about where it came from. The artwork is identical to the original Cap release, without the "From the Capitol Vaults" disclaimer I've seen on most BB reissues. Incidentally, the fidelity is SUPERB. Easily the best I've ever heard this album sound. Hopefully we'll get lossless digital at some point. Cool to know they did 20/20 as well.

You are welcome Jason!  Here's a link to the start of the discussion about Friends, 20/20 and some others in the Capitol/UMe reissue series.  The ones I have opened so far have all sounded good.  I loved 20/20.  They have done a great job with these. Good heavy, flat vinyl and nice reproductions of the original artwork.  All without very much fanfare.

[“Big Daddy”]

Tip: You can get a free 3-month trial of “Apple Music” starting today and you can check out these iTunes versions for free (that is… if you turn off auto-renewal of course).

[NateRuvin]

I think the remastered Friends & 20/20 sound horrible. There's a loud hissing noise, that drives me crazy.

[drbeachboy]

I think the remastered Friends & 20/20 sound horrible. There's a loud hissing noise, that drives me crazy.

According to Steve Hoffman, hissing is a good thing.

[bgas]

I think the remastered Friends & 20/20 sound horrible. There's a loud hissing noise, that drives me crazy.

According to Steve Hoffman, hissing is a good thing.

Let's all hiss at Hoffman, then!

[GetHappy!!]

Most of the MfiT files sound fine, but there's a huge problem with one track in particular - on the Deluxe Edition of All Summer Long, "Don't Back Down" (Mono) is a mess. The first 00:54 sounds muffled, along with a few crackling noises (almost as if it was a needle drop), then after that the remaining section is fine. Not sure who prepared these files (Mark Linett?), but that's a major gaffe.

[Ron]

The way they do this mastering gimmick is awesome.  They redo the album every couple years (any album) and get the same exact people to buy the same exact music again because some of the levels have been tweaked slightly differently.   


it's kind of like how in the 80's Nintendo released the gameboy... then the gameboy with a different colored case... then the gameboy pocket which was smaller... then the gameboy pocket with a different colored case... then the gameboy color... then the gameboy color with a different colored case... then the gameboy advance... then the gameboy advance with a different colored case... then the gameboy advance SP.... then the gameboy advance SP with a different colored case....


I'm not saying they shouldn't do it... i'm just saying I marvel that it works. 

[rogerlancelot]

I made an attempt at remastering the Wild Honey album but since I didn't own the master mixdown tapes coupled with the fact that I couldn't resist adding many farts to it, the project quickly fell apart.

Edit: I must admit that the farts really made "A Thing Or Two" almost bearable to me.

[Bean Bag]

The way they do this mastering gimmick is awesome.  They redo the album every couple years (any album) and get the same exact people to buy the same exact music again because some of the levels have been tweaked slightly differently.   


it's kind of like how in the 80's Nintendo released the gameboy... then the gameboy with a different colored case... then the gameboy pocket which was smaller... then the gameboy pocket with a different colored case... then the gameboy color... then the gameboy color with a different colored case... then the gameboy advance... then the gameboy advance with a different colored case... then the gameboy advance SP.... then the gameboy advance SP with a different colored case....


I'm not saying they shouldn't do it... i'm just saying I marvel that it works. 

Agreed.  It's frustrating.  That's why I was excited that Kevin Gray was mastering much of the catalog in hi-res for SACD.  That would have been my "tap out" time.  Clean, not loud, hi-res -- just like the master tape, masters.  Unfortunately it's not all the albums, leaving out many of those great 70s albums.

[HeyJude]

We're still debating tape hiss in 2015? That's what the tapes sound like; that's what "tape" sounds like in general, obviously to varying degrees. If you remove the hiss to any excessive degree, you suck the life out of everything an it sounds like a pillow is over the speakers. If you don't like the hiss, get an EQ unit or just roll bunch of treble off.

Early CD era stuff including, according to Mark Linett, the 1990 PS CD and the 1990 two-fer album reissues, were mastered using No-Noise, which rolled off a bunch of the hiss but made everything sound muffled, which seemingly everybody acknowledged within only a few years was something that could be improved upon.

As early as the 1993 GV boxed set, No-Noise was not used. When the 2001 two-fer reissues occurred, whadaya know? Lots of hiss! It's a compromise, more hiss but much more dynamic range and clarity. It's much easier to leave the hiss and let listeners EQ it than to roll off all the high end before we hear it.

[Bean Bag]

Hiss is fine... whatever's on the tape is what we should generally want.  What I don't like is "jacked" EQ, and loud.  Can't do the loud.  Hate compressed loud crap.

[HeyJude]

Yes, a lot of stuff (most modern stuff) is mastered too loudly. More modern BB stuff hasn't been heinously over-done in this regard, but definitely has been mastered more loudly.

I'm relatively okay with the EQ decisions on modern remasterings of original BB mixes.

It's the remixes that have often been rather disappointing for me. WAAAAAY too much reverb.

For some reason some folks here have a thing against Steve Hoffman (and/or his work), but the BB stuff he's mastered is the go-to mastering for me in many cases. I'm still planning on getting the Kevin Gray SACDs of BB albums (VERY surprised they haven't been discussed here more; but then again I haven't gotten around to buying them yet so I can't complain too much!), and I suspect they'll be go-to masterings as well.

[Bean Bag]

I haven't picked up the Kevin Gray SACDs yet either.  Still waiting on Amazon to get them... and frankly, I have been buying tons of other great stuff until they do.  No hurry/no worry.

Gotta admit... as much as I want to seal the deal and get them -- I'm really not losing any sleep by not re-buying all my Beach Boys albums for the 4th or 5th time at the moment.  I've got plenty of versions to hold me over until I get that lump sum of extra cash to plop down on the whole lot -- whenever they all get released.

[drbeachboy]

Yes, a lot of stuff (most modern stuff) is mastered too loudly. More modern BB stuff hasn't been heinously over-done in this regard, but definitely has been mastered more loudly.

I'm relatively okay with the EQ decisions on modern remasterings of original BB mixes.

It's the remixes that have often been rather disappointing for me. WAAAAAY too much reverb.

For some reason some folks here have a thing against Steve Hoffman (and/or his work), but the BB stuff he's mastered is the go-to mastering for me in many cases. I'm still planning on getting the Kevin Gray SACDs of BB albums (VERY surprised they haven't been discussed here more; but then again I haven't gotten around to buying them yet so I can't complain too much!), and I suspect they'll be go-to masterings as well.

I like Steve Hoffman's work that he has done on the Beach Boys, but I just don't think that they are end-all, be-all that some make them out to be. They serve a purpose if you are looking for a certain sound. I happen to refer the 2000-2001 re-issues. They may be a bit bright, but the Beach Boys vocals just shine on them and that makes them a winner for me.

[Ron]

I'm not much of an audiophile, most of the stuff people complain about I poo poo.  However, even I hear the compression crap in modern mastering.


It's particularly strange to do that to a Brian Wilson song because he was always so into dynamics.