Whenever we get these copyright extension/sessions/outtakes sets I usually compile a playlist for my personal listening of a conceptual deluxe album, kind of imagining if the album(s) in question had been released as a double album or something like that... I did this with the 'Friends' and '20/20' albums after those digital sets came out a few years ago. And after obsessive listening this past weekend I have done the same for the 'Sunflower' and 'Surf's Up' albums:
Sunflower Deluxe
Side A (19:31)
1. "This Whole World" (Alternate Ending) / 2. "Break Away" (Original 1969 Single Mix) / 3. "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" (2019 Mix) / 4. "Good Time" (2019 Mix) / 5. "Slip On Through" (Alternate 1969 Mix w/ Session Intro) / 6, "I'm Going Your Way" (Alternate Vocal Take) / 7. "Got to Know the Woman"
Side B (22:26)
8. "Susie Cincinnati" (2020 Mix. / 9) "San Miguel" (2020 Mix) / 10. "It's About Time" / 11. "Tears in the Morning" / 12. "Add Some Music to Your Day" (Alternate Version) / 13. "Walkin'" (2019 Mix)
Side C (23:08)
14. "Back Home" (Alternate Version) / 15. "Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)" (2021 Stereo Mix) / 16. "Celebrate the News" (2020 Mix) / 17. "Two Can Play" (2019 Mix) / 18. "Our Sweet Love" / 19. "When Girls Get Together" (2020 Mix) / 20. "Deidre" / 21. "At My Window"
Side D (16:58)
22. "Where Can She Be" (2019 Mix) / 23. "Cool, Cool Water" (Alternate 2019 Mix) / 24. "All I Wanna Do" / 25. "Won't You Tell Me" (2019 Mix) / 26. "Forever"
- Alternate Vocal Take of "I'm Going Your Way" sourced from the digital EP '1969 - I'm Going Your Way' released in 2019, I just enjoy the double-tracked vocal.
The only concept I really had putting this one together was trying to start it strong and fun, and end it sweet and sappy; I wound up with what I think is a real upbeat and even rockin' hypothetical side A, a fun and varied sides B & C, and a softer and more syrupy side D. Ending strong as you can hope to with Denny's "Forever" which I felt was appropriately prefaced in the lyrics of "Won't You Tell Me" (and even the concept of the lyrics in "All I Wanna Do"). So there you have your delxue 'Sunflower'.
Surf's Up Deluxe
Side A (18:40)
1. "Don't Go Near the Water" / 2. "Long Promised Road" / 3. "4th of July" (2019 Mix) / 4. "Disney Girls (1957)" / 5. "Big Sur" (Outtake) / 6. "It's Natural" (Outtake)
Side B (19:25)
6. "Take a Load Off Your Feet" (Alternate Vocal) / 7. "I Just Got My Pay" (2019 Mix) / 8. "H.E.L.P. is On the Way" (2019 Mix) / 9. "Settle Down/Sound of Free" (Basic Session Outtake) / 10. "Sound of Free" (1970 Single Mix) / 11. "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" / 12. "Medley: All of My Love/Ecology" (Outtake)
Side C (22:22)
13. "Before" (Outtake) / 14. "Behold the Night" (Outtake) / 15. "Awake" (Outtake) / 16. "Old Movie (Cuddle Up)" / 17. "A Day in the Life of a Tree" / 18. "Hawaiian Dream" (Outtake) / 19. "I've Got a Friend" (Outtake)
Side D (22:22)
20. "'Til I Die" (Alternate Mix) / 21. "(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" (Extended Mix) / 22. "Feel Flows" / 23. "You Never Give Me Your Money" (Outtake) / 24. "Surf's Up" (2019 Mix)
- "'Til I Die" (Alternate Mix) sourced from the 1998 'Endless Harmony Soundtrack' album, I don't care too much for the alternate lyrics of the long version on the new Feel Flows set, as interesting a historical document as it is... So I used this version.
I sort of had a vague concept for this one, I wanted to include as much Dennis as possible, but I also wanted to capitalize on some of the goofy songs they had recorded in this time that I actually think are quite fantastic... So for the hypothetical side A I figured, again, start strong, with the classic Beach Boys sound but across a progressive range of songs, from rockers to ballads and the gambit in between. Side B is where I cluster my beloved trio of fun/goofy songs, which is coupled with the instrumental session for "Sound of Free" and then the actual track itself, getting some Dennis in there. I debated including the new Feel Flows version of "Lookin' at Tomorrow" but decided to go with the original for the sake of the vocal effects. That gives us a nice transition into the Dennis medley that both closes the hypothetical side B and teases the material to come on this imaginary third side. Side C would be home for the majority of the 'Poops'/'Hubba Hubba' material, intermittently broken up by equally gorgeous Brian songs. Closing with the epic instrumental "I've Got a Friend" would be quite a statement. Side D would open with the extended "'Til I Die" followed by the extended "(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" followed by "Feel Flows" which would give us a succession of objective masterpieces from each of the Wilson brothers, oldest to youngest. The instrumental Beatles cover/snippet would really be more of an introductory segment to the curtain call of the title track.
EDIT: Sorry to anyone who's heartbroken over the removal of "Student Demonstration Time" from the sequence; if you really like that song you can just insert it in place of the session outtake before the single mix of "Sound of Free" and voila!
SECOND EDIT: After a few more days of listening, I decided to add "It's Natural" to the end of my imaginary A side of 'Surf's Up' Deluxe, it fits the mood, and gives Mike two dynamite vocal spots in a row.
THIRD EDIT: After further listening, I have slightly shuffled the sequence of my hypothetical Side C... This is a living playlist
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