Man, we were on such a roll…

[Till I Die]

So I’m 51, have heard BB music etc but then became an obsessed, loving fan in 1993.  Brian became my most beloved musical treasure of them all, went through the whole entire era where I couldn’t just buy a two fee or Pet Sounds on CD’s, etc.  Those were dark times.  My brother and Zi almost got into a fist fight when we found Surf’s up in a used bin.  All in all, they have been my band for decades!

With that being said, with all the teases and TBA (to be announced) catalog starts, stops and freezes, it’s made me not believe anything until it’s in my hand.

So, it’s clunky and frustrating, the copyright releases non physical have been awesome!  I love the combing of the vault.  It drives me nuts there are no announced and if you catch them, good on you? But I love them.

Now, with all this being said, let’s get seriously down to the box sets.

I, as a serious HUGE fan can not say enough about them.

I feel like this starts with the pet sounds box set after the ill fated “smile sessions” box set that my brother and I kept checking week after week for info in 1995 only to constantly read TBA… to be announced.

I didn’t believe Feel and Sailor were real until I had them in my hands.

I am in 100000000000% as a consumer and as a fan for more and more box sets.

After the sale of the partial catalog, I thought we would see more.  I love The Beatles, Pink
Floyd, Jimi, etc.  I still hoped the Bob could be marketed to include their shirts among these other bands in stores.

Our band has always been marketed horrible and image wise go on the cover of Pet sounds and no stupid striped shorts, etc.

Ok so back on topic, I am dying for more 73 soundboard shows, Adult child/15/love box maybe include any 74 Carribou recordings that survived… even if it’s only digital I would love a MIU/LA/Keeping box.  There is so much more to go but I feel like the end is here on this front.

Truly hope I’m wrong but man, we can seriously keep going with so many things.  I hope this isn’t it and we get more.

Wishful thinking.  Love and mercy!

[Till I Die]

PS: what about a fan club subscription service if rare releases in many formats to service the fans.. flac/wav/mp3.

[Bedroom Tapes]

Your words don't go unnoticed.  We shall see what the future holds...

[Lonely Summer]

You could say I was on anything but a roll....

[All Summer Long]

Hi Till I Die,

Definitely agree with you on pretty much everything (if not everything) you posted.  I definitely trusted Howie Edelson, Mark Linett, and Alan Boyd as they prepared Feel Flows and Sail On Sailor, and I still trust them to this day.  From what I've heard/read/as I understand it, some sort of 2023 box (most likely to celebrate the 1973 "In Concert" live album) was being prepared for some type of release.  Capitol reportedly killed a (physical at first, and then presumably also a digital/streaming) release based on "poor" sales below expectation for the Sail On Sailor box set.  I still haven't had a chance to pick that one up because of the high price it initially had, even though I've heard it's gone down since on various online stores.  I've also heard that this was a source of frustration for many and that the 2022 box cost was higher than the somewhat similarly sized 2021 box set.  So it looks like corporate (American) greed once more killed our chance to hear more archival music. 

Occasionally, they dump bits and pieces for brief periods of time to extend the copyright (like they did on Bandcamp in the past); I don't know if they did something similar this year (I don't think they did, though).  I haven't seen lately if Howie has posted anything here, on the other board, or on Facebook (partly because I haven't had a chance to do much music leisure reading here (and elsewhere since mid-August).   I'll have to try to find some time to relax and see if any new information has been revealed since I last checked.  (I think a 2024 EP of Caribou material is possible, but it really all depends on Capitol, assuming the band and BRI/Iconic are on board).  Fingers crossed!!

PS: what about a fan club subscription service if rare releases in many formats to service the fans.. flac/wav/mp3.

Back in 2006, before I was a member here, there was a plan to make a website/subscription service called Beach Boys Central for that purpose, but it never came to fruition.

[Bedroom Tapes]

PS: what about a fan club subscription service if rare releases in many formats to service the fans.. flac/wav/mp3.

Back in 2006, before I was a member here, there was a plan to make a website/subscription service called Beach Boys Central for that purpose, but it never came to fruition.

That is correct sir, shame really.  Perfect way to get more rarities released!   

[Howie Edelson]

Gotta say -- it's an incorrect assumption that anything was sidelined due to "sales" -- poor, or otherwise.
Trust me, there's PLENTY going on.

[FreakySmiley]

I do find it odd when people jump to hasty assumptions about the grand plans of the various legacy acts and their archival releases. Assuming sets that are discussed offhandedly in interviews are cancelled during a quiet spell for news... The same happens in the world of Beatlemaniacs with assumptions about whether or not certain albums will be remixed or have already been remixed and are waiting to be released or will just be skipped entirely... Hendrix fans assuming the legal action between Experience Hendrix and the estates of Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding have been the cause of delays with the 'Electric Lady Studios' box set that briefly appeared on amazon listings a couple of years ago... Zappa fans  assuming that Universal Music Enterprises isn't interested in producing physical DVD/Blu-Ray products based on "reportedly low sales"... And while all of this is certainly possible, it always seems to me like a knee-jerk reaction. Lots of us expect the industry machine to always move at breakneck pace and capitalize on every scrap of hype and momentum to deliver more and more ever faster, but in a lot of cases, the machine does move slowly and things do take time to materialize. Plans can change and hangups that the average Joe couldn't/wouldn't fathom get in the way. I'm sure there's some sort of project in the pipeline that probably won't be exactly what I'm wishing for, but will still blow me away whenever it becomes a reality.

[Shane]

I will admit I didn't buy the Sail On Sailor set.  Why?  Because it seemed that Brian was more or less MIA in this period.  I listened to some of the rare tracks from the set and my reaction was "blah".   Frankly, it's a period of the band that doesn't particularly interest me, just my personal taste I guess.  BUT, I would totally go for a 1976-77 set where Brian was back and recording a bunch of some of the most eccentric music of his career.  Oh yeah.   

[Awesoman]

Gotta say -- it's an incorrect assumption that anything was sidelined due to "sales" -- poor, or otherwise.
Trust me, there's PLENTY going on.

Good to hear from you, Howie.  Haven't heard much from you these days and was starting to wonder...

[Till I Die]

Thank you Howie for keeping us sane!  Your the best.

[Lonely Summer]

I will admit I didn't buy the Sail On Sailor set.  Why?  Because it seemed that Brian was more or less MIA in this period.  I listened to some of the rare tracks from the set and my reaction was "blah".   Frankly, it's a period of the band that doesn't particularly interest me, just my personal taste I guess.  BUT, I would totally go for a 1976-77 set where Brian was back and recording a bunch of some of the most eccentric music of his career.  Oh yeah.   

And I'm just the opposite. I love the music of the mature Beach Boys in 1970-73, and very little interest in the work of a wacked out Brian in 1976-77.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I will admit I didn't buy the Sail On Sailor set.  Why?  Because it seemed that Brian was more or less MIA in this period.  I listened to some of the rare tracks from the set and my reaction was "blah".   Frankly, it's a period of the band that doesn't particularly interest me, just my personal taste I guess.  BUT, I would totally go for a 1976-77 set where Brian was back and recording a bunch of some of the most eccentric music of his career.  Oh yeah.   

He wasn't MIA.  Some days he didn't participate, but he's a presence on the featured LPs.  Plus, if you like eccentric Brian music, what about Mt. Vernon and Fairway?  Rooftop Harry?  Spark in the Dark?

[nts and the drum]

I will admit I didn't buy the Sail On Sailor set.  Why?  Because it seemed that Brian was more or less MIA in this period.  I listened to some of the rare tracks from the set and my reaction was "blah".   Frankly, it's a period of the band that doesn't particularly interest me, just my personal taste I guess.  BUT, I would totally go for a 1976-77 set where Brian was back and recording a bunch of some of the most eccentric music of his career.  Oh yeah.   

He wasn't MIA.  Some days he didn't participate, but he's a presence on the featured LPs.  Plus, if you like eccentric Brian music, what about Mt. Vernon and Fairway?  Rooftop Harry?  Spark in the Dark?

Those and the Gimme Some Lovin’ medley. Brian was cooking!

[HeyJude]

The "Sail on Sailor" set is doubly a game changer, because for the folks who think it's all about Brian, it (and of course the "Feel Flows" set as well) proves the other guys were turning out excellent material. And then, for those who conversely assume Brian played no role in things by that point, and just slept through the whole trip other than singing the opening line on "Saga", there's a bunch of quintessential Brian stuff that we had never heard before.

[Lonely Summer]

The "Sail on Sailor" set is doubly a game changer, because for the folks who think it's all about Brian, it (and of course the "Feel Flows" set as well) proves the other guys were turning out excellent material. And then, for those who conversely assume Brian played no role in things by that point, and just slept through the whole trip other than singing the opening line on "Saga", there's a bunch of quintessential Brian stuff that we had never heard before.

Right on! 

[Dan Lega]

I will admit I didn't buy the Sail On Sailor set.  Why?  Because it seemed that Brian was more or less MIA in this period.  I listened to some of the rare tracks from the set and my reaction was "blah".   Frankly, it's a period of the band that doesn't particularly interest me, just my personal taste I guess.  BUT, I would totally go for a 1976-77 set where Brian was back and recording a bunch of some of the most eccentric music of his career.  Oh yeah.   

Got to say I love the three new Brian songs (new-to-me, at least) at the end of disc 5 -- Spark in the Dark, Rooftop Harry, Body Talk.  You've got Marcella, Sail On Sailor, Funky Pretty.  An excellent bunch of Dennis tunes.  What's not to love?

Also got to say I love that Howie poked his nose back in here!  I'm so glad to hear there are still many things on the burner!  I'm dying for some solid facts on these projects, though!!!

[Don Malcolm]

Sorry to have missed Howie when he stopped by--he's covering all kinds of interesting ground in his playlist work, and don't be surprised if he has a project idea or two that builds on all that very sophisticated and eclectic perspective on the band's music.

Hoping he'll be on some of the still-burgeoning Internet media outlets again soon to share ideas and update folks a bit more on what's bubbing under behind the scenes.

SOS '72 was priced a bit high, and that probably didn't help sales, but it is a fine package and did justice to a fraught, frenetic, at times fractured period of the band's career, one where everyone's creativity was on display--as evidenced by the two anchoring LPs. Listening to Devin Lawrence's piano reconstructions of "Mess of Help" and "Funky Pretty" will make it clear that Brian still had it even as he moved into areas that collided with rock genres not previously associated with the band. We could use a companion to Brian's solo piano collection were he's pounding away on the tracks from this period through to Shortenin' Bread--call it "Brian Bangs The Keys"...would be great fun and could be another surrogate for that "rock'n'roll album"...

[Awesoman]

The "Sail on Sailor" set is doubly a game changer, because for the folks who think it's all about Brian, it (and of course the "Feel Flows" set as well) proves the other guys were turning out excellent material. And then, for those who conversely assume Brian played no role in things by that point, and just slept through the whole trip other than singing the opening line on "Saga", there's a bunch of quintessential Brian stuff that we had never heard before.

Right on! 

Agreed.  That early 70's period saw the Beach Boys behaving like a collaborative unit where everyone brought something to the table. It also allowed Wilson brothers Carl and especially Dennis to come into their own outside of Brian's shadow.  And having Ricky and Blondie involved gave the group a much-appreciated edge they never had before or since.  So the SOS set is by all accounts essential listening.