Carl Wilson singing "Wouldn't It Be Nice"

[pixletwin]

That line, like in the orginal mix, seems to be Brian and Carl, but Carls voice is definately in the foreground on that line.

[shelter]

I didn't mean just that line, I'm pretty sure that (at least on the Friends + 20/20 2fer) Carl sings the first verse and Brian takes over after the line "But now each day is filled with the love". And than Al does the chorus.

[John]

The proper single version [which is on Friends-20/20] has Carl on the first verse. The Hawthorne CA version is an alternate take with Brian on the first verse. Somewhere in the Warmth of the Sun discussion thread someone noted that they'd used the Hawthorne version of the song, which really is a bit like using the Anthology version of Strawberry Fields Forever instead of the proper one on a Beatles' greatest hits. Its basically the "wrong" version.

Carl sings both verses, Alan the chorus, Mike the "Found out it was.." segment and Brian sings the "that very same love" section.

[pixletwin]

Well if the WotS Break Away is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

WotS Break Away is mixed better and is much more enjoyable (to me). The fact that Brian, Mike, Al, and Bruce selected this version for inclusion on the WotS album is pretty revealing.

[tpesky]

Maybe they didn't??? Capitol has been known to make these mistakes before!! Think Endless Summer Help me RONDA and Be True To Your School

[Eric Aniversario]

Maybe they didn't??? Capitol has been known to make these mistakes before!! Think Endless Summer Help me RONDA and Be True To Your School

Not to mention the horrible album version of "Rock And Roll Music" on Sounds Of Summer.  The single version is 100x better!  Also I wish they had used the "real" version of "Heroes And Villains" on Sounds Of Summer, rather than the made up Hawthorne "stereo single version", which incorporated music that was not on the original Smiley Smile release.

[LostArt]

I understand where you are coming from re: Heroes and Villains.  But the thing for me is that the "made up" stereo single version from Hawthorne, CA sounds so much better.  The 'mud' is greatly diminished, and the sound just opens up.  Some folks like the 'mud', and I respect that, but that Hawthorne version is my favorite Beach Boys version of H&V.  If the song would've been released sounding like that, I think it would have done better than #12.  Just an opinion, natch.

[pixletwin]

So I guess some people don't like revisionism in art. I do. If something can sound better than it did when it was originally released, I'm all for it.

I kind of wish they would remix all the Beach Boys albums and all the Beatles albums.

That being said, as far as H&V is concerned I think the version on Brian's Beach Boys complilation is the best mix.

[Roger Ryan]

That being said, as far as H&V is concerned I think the version on Brian's Beach Boys complilation is the best mix.

Yep, that's the mix that came from the "Hawthorne" collection and was used again on "Sounds Of Summer".

[John]

Call me sacreligious, but I'd like to see a "Best of" use a H&V that's basically the single, but with the cantina segment edited in. Also, a Surf's Up featuring the Brian/piano version with the LP instrumental track behind it for section one, and the CIFTTM LP ending too.

I'll understand if that makes me a pariah on the board.

[pixletwin]

Call me sacreligious, but I'd like to see a "Best of" use a H&V that's basically the single, but with the cantina segment edited in. Also, a Surf's Up featuring the Brian/piano version with the LP instrumental track behind it for section one, and the CIFTTM LP ending too.

I'll understand if that makes me a pariah on the board.

There is a bootleg put out by Purplechick that pretty successfully marries the brian piano demo and the backing track of Surf's Up.

[MBE]

Really I hate when remixes become the offical versions. I like things like the Hawthorne Vegatables, but Brian and the others did a great job orignally.

[pixletwin]

I don't know MBE. Seems to me like the Albums from Smiley Smile to Holland have an "unproduced" feeling. At least to me. I would take a remastered version over the originals any day.

[mikeyj]

I don't know MBE. Seems to me like the Albums from Smiley Smile to Holland have an "unproduced" feeling. At least to me. I would take a remastered version over the originals any day.

I wouldnt say that they were better but I just like hearing re-mastered versions of songs if they open up a lot in the song. Saying that Smiley Smile I think should be left alone, its just perfect the way it is. As for Wild Honey though, I think SOME of the songs need to be re-mastered from that album.

[MBE]

Again I personally like them the way they are. Elvis' catalog is a mess thanks to constant remixing. The original takes and mixes deserve to be perserved. They are really the only real way to hear the Beach Boys artistic legacy as it truly transpired. No offense to those who like remixes, I think they are interesting but it becomes sad when an artists vision is played with. Even when artists do this themselves I don't like it because it's just not the real record as it was historically. Do you all like the remixes because they are different then the recordings you know well?  They may not have the same sound as what went before but I still say the 67-72 is every bit as creative and rewarding as what went before. In some ways more so. In the case of Sunflower and Surf's Up I think they are as sonically amazing as Pet Sounds or Today. This is all subjective of course, but again don't underestimate the importance of having the original sixties and Seventies mixes available. A song like Darlin or Heroes sounds great compressed.

[mikeyj]

Again I personally like them the way they are. Elvis' catalog is a mess thanks to constant remixing. The original takes and mixes deserve to be perserved. They are really the only real way to hear the Beach Boys artistic legacy as it truly transpired. No offense to those who like remixes, I think they are interesting but it becomes sad when an artists vision is played with. Even when artists do this themselves I don't like it because it's just not the real record as it was historically. Do you all like the remixes because they are different then the recordings you know well?  They may not have the same sound as what went before but I still say the 67-72 is every bit as creative and rewarding as what went before. In some ways more so. In the case of Sunflower and Surf's Up I think they are as sonically amazing as Pet Sounds or Today. This is all subjective of course, but again don't underestimate the importance of having the original sixties and Seventies mixes available. A song like Darlin or Heroes sounds great compressed.

I agree that the records deserve to be re-released as they actually sounded back when they were originally released but of course they already are on the two-fers (on the whole anyway). I think I like the re-mixes because for example the stereo mix of Pet Sounds "opens up" the track so that you can hear more of the beautiful instruments being used underneath those beautiful voices. I still prefer the mono mix because it has a nice warmth to it but I still like listening to the stereo remixes of Pet Sounds too. I would much rather have stereo mixes of certain songs than not have them. I too would be annoyed if for example the ONLY mixes available on the cd werent the original mixes but in most cases the mixes on the cds are the original mixes so I dont see a problem with it. It has nothing to do with creativity because my favourite era of The Beach Boys is from 1965-1971. I LOVE the albums from Smiley Smile to Surf's Up (they are my favourites along with the albums from Today to Pet Sounds - excluding Party!), its just I think the production could have been better on some of the songs. For example I prefer the re-mix of Let The Wind Blow. That doesnt mean that I hate the original mix but I just prefer the new mix and am glad that its available. If you prefer the original then you dont have to listen to the remix. Just my opinions anyway, but I can understand your point of view.

[MBE]

mikeyj I think what you said makes a lot of sense. I just don't want the original recordings to ever disappear which has happened with a few artists. Actually the original Here Today is gone now. There was a cough on all pre 1990 releases that is mixed out. That is OK but some of the compression effects on the vocals are missing too. Maybe that's minor, but I hope other songs don't get reissued without keeping the original mix out there. I do like hearing these mixes for fun, but sometimes when I hear all the unreleased songs and concerts that have not yet come out I get frustrated when they take up space on Beach Boys archive releases. No doubt you can hear dfifferent things that are of interest.

[mikeyj]

mikeyj I think what you said makes a lot of sense. I just don't want the original recordings to ever disappear which has happened with a few artists. Actually the original Here Today is gone now. There was a cough on all pre 1990 releases that is mixed out. That is OK but some of the compression effects on the vocals are missing too. Maybe that's minor, but I hope other songs don't get reissued without keeping the original mix out there. I do like hearing these mixes for fun, but sometimes when I hear all the unreleased songs and concerts that have not yet come out I get frustrated when they take up space on Beach Boys archive releases. No doubt you can hear dfifferent things that are of interest.

I understand your point entirely and I couldnt agree more that I dont want the original recordings to ever disappear. I dont think its minor that some of the compression effects on the vocals are missing. That is a major fault especially when the vocals are some of the most important thing on a Beach Boys record. I couldn't agree more. I would MUCH rather having songs like "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again", "Life Is For The Living" etc.. rather than ANY song that has been remixed into stereo or whatever.

[John]

I think that the albums should have the original mixes, but a greatest hits [and again, only one "ultimate" best of is needed for the Capitol era] should have remixes and other features; whatever makes the music more attractive to new listeners, which will then open the door to them buying the albums and disovering the original mixes. That said, I don't see how Brian singing the first verse of Break Away is any more welcoming than Carl singing it.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Actually the original Here Today is gone now. There was a cough on all pre 1990 releases that is mixed out. That is OK but some of the compression effects on the vocals are missing too.

That just made me sad. I just realized that means I've never heard the "real" Here Today and likely never will.

[Roger Ryan]

Are we sure we're talking about "Here Today" and not "Wendy"? The latter song is the one that had the cough during the organ break. The original mono mix of "Here Today" has so much noise during the instrumental break, I'd be surprised someone would mix out a cough and leave everything else in (when it was remixed for stereo in '96, of course, Brian requested all extraneous noise be removed; Mark Linett cleverly included all the noise as a hidden bonus track on one of the "Pet Sounds Sessions" CDs).

[mikeyj]

Mark Linett cleverly included all the noise as a hidden bonus track on one of the "Pet Sounds Sessions" CDs).

It took me ages to hear that because I always used to stop the Cd at the end and then put on the next one.

[Glenn Greenberg]

I understand where you are coming from re: Heroes and Villains.  But the thing for me is that the "made up" stereo single version from Hawthorne, CA sounds so much better.  The 'mud' is greatly diminished, and the sound just opens up.  Some folks like the 'mud', and I respect that, but that Hawthorne version is my favorite Beach Boys version of H&V.  If the song would've been released sounding like that, I think it would have done better than #12.  Just an opinion, natch.

An opinion I agree with fully!

[Glenn Greenberg]

Call me sacreligious, but I'd like to see a "Best of" use a H&V that's basically the single, but with the cantina segment edited in.

Me too--totally!  Someone created a version like that for me in MP3 format, but the sound quality isn't what it would/could be in an official release. 

Also, a Surf's Up featuring the Brian/piano version with the LP instrumental track behind it for section one, and the CIFTTM LP ending too.

Have you ever heard the Anne Wallace version?  It's exactly as you describe, and as close to perfection as we're probably going to get.   Probably my favorite version of the song.  (Sorry, Carl!)

I'll understand if that makes me a pariah on the board.

If it does, you're not the only one!

[shelter]

A lot of albums from the 60s (Pet Sounds, Odessey & Oracle, several Love albums etc.) have been reissued on CD with all the songs twice: once in the original mono mix, once in a new (stereo) mix. I think that's the way to go. I want to hear the songs the way they sounded when they first came out, but if we have the technology to make the songs sound better and clearer, I'm interested in hearing that as well.