you forgot an important point there, that the A Hard Days Night soundtrack LP was on the united artists label, not capitol

an album called Something New (gee I wonder what could that be).  capitol marketing department really earned their pay

"I don't have a problem with Capitol releasing a "best of" compilation in 1966"

the point is I'd be certain Brian certainly did have a big problem with it while recording pet sounds.  He should definitely not have been forced by the label to compete with himself that way.

the more I think on it I'd say capitol records did in fact tell brian and the guys they were preparing such best ofs, just enough to hold it over brians head if he didn't finish PS or SMiLE real soon then that these were going to be there chosen releases

that location of course is the famous Abbey Road studios crosswalk

when Brian says "I've done only one or two tunes and I hate them" undoubtedly he's referring to In My Childhood, and about the other I wonder if it was what we now refer to as Trombone Dixieland

Right or wrong (or somewhere in between) the Wikepaedia site speaks of Best of BB Vol. 2  as being released in July '67 because the SMiLE album failed to materialize.  If the Best Of BB vol. 1 was planned even while pet sounds was being recorded (as Nick Venet seems to say above) then it stands to reason Vol. 2 was LP 'ammunition' capitol prepared similarly early-on (certainly before the SMiLE collapse it seems)

makes me wonder how much Brian was informed while he was recording pet sounds (of Vol. 1), and recording SMiLE (of Vol. 2).  Did capitol keep their compilation plans totally secret--that's a helluva thing

I know it's been written that their Party! album was a time-buying concoction for Brian to prepare pet sounds.  Ironically it also furnished the lead track to Best Of BB Vol. 2 later (Barbara Ann)

My conclusion, for the time being, is things stink as regards the you're-only-as-good-as-your-last-record confidence and album subterfuge capitol displayed during that timeframe

scrutinizing that bogus dennis/manson supposed old photo the dead giveaway is denny's facial hair, typical of mid-'70s NOT 1968 when he knew manson.  it almost seems as if whoever photoshopped this selected a particular dennis image for the purpose of matching mansons level of facial hair

the other night based on this discussion I went back and gave rolling...heaven some fresh listens and I get a bit of a kick out of it.  It is NOT BAD, trite if fun brian Wilson style, and great album filler material as may be needed IMO

I have to say I'm confused about things you say in your response above

perhaps you'd actually meant "seems that SMiLE would never be finished"  (which certainly was the case because it wasn't in the end).  the first compilation was of course released a couple months after pet sounds and titled volume 1 inferring that capitol had a volume 2 up their corporate sleeves also at the time (wonder if the track line-up was settled on that early) even though release came later (7/'67) two months before smiley smile

perhaps what's really confused is what's exactly said, or meant, in the old steven gaines book

stepping back for a moment now it seems to me the actual 66-67-68 album releases are 'falling all over themselves' to use an expression, and logic may be hard to apply (Capitol records & brian Wilson now working cross-purposes in effect)

best of the beach boys vol. 1 came out in july '66 and did not contain Barbara Ann - that song was on Vol. 2 which was july '67 best of release

I believe brian really hated that capitol in effect made him compete directly with himself, new material album (pet sounds) vs. his old top 10 hits now altogether on one LP, which capitol decided to promote in ways that didn't happen w/ pet sounds.  After all, the old material was a proven success and as such didn't require extra promotional effort at all--the LP title says it all, whereas pet sounds might well benefit from such continued effort

I don't think there can be realistic dispute that SMILEY SMILE, WILD HONEY, and finally FRIENDS all are Brian Wilson produced Beach Boys albums, practically speaking if not nominally, but.......they are albums he produced bending more to the groups expressed desires (if not directly the labels too) of things they did not want to do and preferred instead.  No he could no longer produce the 'self-indulgent' shall we say types of works SMiLE certainly was (going to be), or even on the level of PET SOUNDS for that matter.  He lost, or forfeited that type of total control with the implosion of SMiLE.  After that, what else could be done?  The rest of the bandmembers were not (yet) to the point of taking over production reigns even to partial extent (that began with 20/20 though there is Dennis' BE STILL earlier),  so of course they had Brian continuing to produce since Capitol needed to release new product.  Brians once very creative vanguard was reduced to instances he was 'granted permission' for, hence the decline in output

Edit:  even as I say Capitol needed to release new Beach Boys product, by then in fact they'd certainly realized the newfound value of old product with a Best of Vol. 3, a 3-record deluxe set repackaging, plus Stack-O-Tracks which is both new and old at the same time.  This no-brainer strategy covers all possible marketing bases

questioned VanDyke's lyrics?  More like rebelled against them, causing him (VDP) to forfeit the project and all the time spent on it.  (I think that the classic Beach Boys historical primer has it that Parks left not once but twice).  Danny Hutton said that Brian told him then point blank he cannot fight Mike (about him continuing to produce an album for Redwood, not just a 45) and it's hardly a stretch to imagine Brian also telling Van that too.  Brian needed a lyricist but an ally just as much it seems, both lost needlessly because VanDykes lyrics were the edgy part of SMiLE (it took Mike a little while but he was to realize that)

"Edit Edit: By the way, I like what you said about Brian's creativity being fueled by his control of their records" - that's not 'rocket science' as they say

don't be confused, genuine or otherwise - just remember the Redwood debacle

Brian lost control, over the Beach Boys and their records, with the SMiLE implosion (implosion I think's the best term to describe those events then).  His creativity was fueled by that control, record after record leading up to SMiLE, and when the others (primarily Mike Love) began successfully over-riding his plans and decisions that dissipated his creative desires (it certainly took the 'edge' off them), a gradual decline over the next couple albums, until in effect the others could eventually say 'we don't need you anymore' to produce records

early in 1967 David Anderle convinced Brian to start the Brother Records label, and it was this new label that facilitated solo beach boys recording projects for dennis & carl

I've seen the boys perform many times over the years, though not before 1970

but a particular regret I can name is not buying the Friends LP when it was a contemporary release

I bought Pet Sounds, Stack/Tracks, Wild Honey albums all at their original releases but Friends did not attract me back then, and worse yet it came and went in the record store bins in the blink of an eye.  To add insult to injury the very last sighting of it I recall was in the 88 cents bins as capitol was clearing out all stock, and I still didn't give in.  A couple years later I acquired a british pressing of Friends (which small comfort was a high quality pressing of it compared to many US records I bought at the time) because they hadn't deleted it (yet) over there.

But bottom line I now would rather I could say I had enough beach boys sense even then to've bought the US Friends release first pass

[LOVE]

you don't like the Beach Boys LOVE?

needless to say we're here to point up the humour evident in them, as applicable, which can be counted upon

["....featured on The Beach Boys Love album, marked...."]

"....featured on The Beach Boys Love album, marked...."

which of course pre-dates The Beatles Love album considerably

one might argue that a 3.75 ips true stereo recording tape is better than any 7.5 ips duophonic tape.  the point was of course that particular reel tape is the best possible old duophonic source

ZT 2458 is the capitol number for Pet Sounds reel tape @ 7.5 ips speed;  they later down-graded the speed on Pet Sounds to 3.75 ips and re-assigned number Y1T 2458.  the beatles revolver album on reel tape got speed down-graded by capitol from 7.5 to 3.75 in just the same fashion back then

this was the best duophonic original release of Pet Sounds album:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Beach-Boys-Pet-Sounds-4-Track-Reel-To-Reel-ZT-2458-rare/302609521714?hash=item4674eedc32:g:pQ8AAOSwmblZw~5c

the tape playing speed of this edition is 7-1/2 IPS, but later Capitol got cheap and re-issued it at the slower and inferior 3-3/4 IPS (which no longer qualifies as the best)

Capitol released a few other Beach Boys reel tapes then but not one other at 7-1/2 (just this P.S.)

"Seems like horrific events like this are happening with increasing frequency all over these days, with mudslides, fires, crazy powerful hurricanes, ect. Scary."

yes, but....pheww....at least no more global warming

fortunately the old RCA WDFFIL? single is a stereo pressing

the lead vocal Gloria Grinell shares with Terry Melcher.  Brians' voice is very prominent in the BGV's

I've always liked it

mike love certainly got it wrong calling GOK about as religious as the beach boys get

that'd be Our Prayer (brian's smile composition & recording)

I mimic Mike Love's various gestures from old '60s song live shows we see, but to mock him I deliberately scramble them (so they make no sense), as if Mike Love himself got them out of sequence with a lyric he was singing then.  You'd be interested at how well this works among the right company.  But I imagine others so inclined do similarly

NO GO SHOWBOAT = J'AI PAS LE TEMPS

Petula Clark sang this on a French record, but the lyrics were re-written so they've nothing to do with cars (so a translation of the title will have no connection)

this one can be found easily enough on compilation CD's

here's the (subject) book you want
the author (aforementioned)
together with the principals (one admittedly only on the bookcover photo)
altogether in one 2005 image (I love it)

http://www.sofein.com/mess/2005/images/3men.jpg