133 tracks on 5 CD box set versus 62 tracks on the vinyl set. I would go with the CDs. Still have my original vinyl purchases from 1970 & 1971. I'm old.
Beach Boys is my favorite band. Used to keep me sane as a kid, and I love these albums. Brian Wilson is a kindred spirit with me, and his childlike wonder when it comes to making music makes me very, very happy. I've tried to keep that ideal when it comes to making my own.
The 5 CD boxset is definitely better than the vinyl boxset. It has a better track sequence, more material is included, and a nice hard cover with the book included. The one downside of the whole thing is the mixing, too bass heavy.
One thing I would change about this (besides adding another lp and moving all the bonus tracks over to that) would be the vinyl colour. I feel like Sunflower should've been orange and Surfs Up should've been blue...
Cool review. I recommend picking up (or streaming) the 5CD set since it has the most material and comes with a hard cover book. I've listened to it from start to finish and I loved it (then again, I am a sucker for Beach Boys early 70s)
Thanks for reviewing these 2 albums, Mr. Vinyl "Geek." It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this. I'm kind of a purist myself. I like the albums as they are, then get to the "extras." Both of these albums deserved better success.lthan hey originally got. As for myself, I like live tracks, especially if they add something new to them. By the way, I like the suit with the Hawaiian style shirt, very appropriate for the Beach Boys. As for if I agree or not, I'd have to get a copy, listen to it and then let you know. Once again, thanks for doing a great job and as always, good to see you again!
Thanks for the shout out! If anyone in the comments has a issue with the color vinyl email BB HQ and they will send you a replacement. I had a scratched, off center issues with the Sunflower LP, the replacement they sent plays fine.
I love this set and love that the Beatles are getting some love recently on some of these releases. This area of music is pretty great and underappreciated.
Great review, I bought the albums when they were released in the UK, always loved the music and knew they would be classic, will stick to the original albums. Guess it’s a business move to do a box set, it’s becoming fashionable!
Their albums always performed better commercially and critically in the UK and Europe at this time which I will always applaud those audiences for. 67-74 is my favourite period for this band and it’s a shame the material from this time is not better appreciated.
The mastering on the original albums is less than stellar on this set. It’s very bright sounding. Plus, I have the 2LP version and Surfs Up is pressed off center. :/
It probably doesn’t help that they are squeezing bonus tracks onto the albums, which necessitates a downgrade in sound quality. Low frequencies are often sacrificed when space gets tight on an LP.
I have to agree with you on the track listing and that has definitely made me apprehensive about buying this box. They would have been better off either putting those tracks on an ep or maybe just skipping them entirely. Great for fans who are completists. I will cross my fingers and hope for a reissue of the original albums individually. Thanks for another great video!
Really enjoyed your thorough and fair-minded review - and I agree with your assessment. Thanks for taking the trouble. Will be watching more of your presentations. Whose bright idea was it to press Sunflower in blue vinyl and Surf's Up in yellow/orange? Should have been the other way round, clearly.
It’s quite interesting how you think Cotton Fields fit well on the 20/20 album, because that was a very meandering, inconsistent album! The single version (which I prefer) sounds much more sunny, happy and hard-hitting; certainly much more Sunflower-esque than more mellow 20/20-ish in my opinion.
It's a very pretty book - I have it digitally because I didn't want to spend too much... and all of that bonus stuff is cordoned off... having said that, these last several sets have had an unfocused kitchen sink aspect and not really a study like the Pet Sounds box was years ago.
I was visiting LA from London, the friend I stayed with was a friend of Carl Wilson. We visited Brian's house at this time in Belair where they had set up a recording studio in a main room. The control room was up behind a fireplace. I remember a mosaic swimming pool and a nice fountain in a courtyard. Brian had a nice small dog named bananas. I met Brians's wife and I also chatted with Brian, I have to say he seemed perfectly ok to me! An amazing memory. I also stayed at Carl & Annie's house on Coldwater canyon. The stained glass panel by the front door is featured on the cover of wild honey. The mailbox was a whale, their son was named Jonah.
@@hawkwing I really don't remember the date, just the visit & the music. Carl was a friend of Bob Jenkins who did music photography in LA. Via him I also met Elvis in Vegas.
Hi there, Love this box. I have been playing it a lot. Hard to imagine that after Pet Sounds and Smile that they can outdo themselves and they did.... with everyone contributing music and vocals.... they certainly matched the Beatles and they influenced them. Beatles and Beach Boys are my favorite. Speaking of the Fab Four.... is Let it be next. The vocals..... on the acapella versions alone is worth the price alone. I understand your point.... you can never include all the music from the CD box set and for me to get the complete picture you need the 5 cd version. I thoroughly enjoyed every track.... and even the repetition God bless and keep well, Tino
I totally understand what you mean about the extra songs feel tacked on. Like it should all be on its own separate LP in the set. Like can you imagine if The Beatles did something similar and release Sgt Peppers and right after you hear A Little Help From My Friends, we would hear Paul McCartney's live version of Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite from 2016? That would ruin the flow of the album!
I got the cd set for the unreleased tracks like seasons in the sun which was given to them before Terry jacks. In fact it was produced by him. They hear the Beach boys do this song is amazing, a revelation. It probably could’ve been a hit for them so I don’t find the box set a disappointment at all
As a young boy l saw the BB's perform at the Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx, NY during this phase of the band. I was taken aback as it wasn't the 'surfin' sound l'd expected.
I agree with you that bonus tracks don't belong on vinyl records. Sundazed did this too, with The Monkees. On CDs it works, but NOT on LPs. I also don't like live tracks from different eras than what the albums are from, that REALLY sticks out like a sore thumb.
Love your videos. Couldn't agree with you more about the tracks added on to the end of the original albums. It just feels strange having them there and spoils the flow.
The things that bother me the most was the fact that a lot of Lps came with pressing problems ( Off center, noise surface, ...) Plus the Mastering was kind of disappointing and too much compressed, The best deal still the Cds version with a lot more and better addition than simple excerpts and lives But yeah, it's cheap and you get quite a lot, so it was the deal
You forgot that that is a completely different version of Cottonfields….not the one on 2020, that’s why it was included in the sunflower/surf’s up box set
Hhhmmm.. Big Sur is one of my all time favorite Beach Boys songs, but the odd mastering pretty much kills the rest of the set for me. So do I really wanna pay $65 for one song?? Although the box and book are pretty neat it looks like, I’ll be hoping it drops a little bit more some time 🤷♂️
I love the unreleased tracks like seasons in the sun which is only available on TH-cam as a terrible Fidelity song. It has an interesting history. It was first offered to the beach boys before Terry jacks made it a worldwide hit 1974. For that historical artifact alone it is worth the price of admission
The track listing for the vinyl collection is just such a massive let down. I'd love to buy the set, but I can't bring myself to do it current scattered listing. It feels sloppy, or a way to save money.
The CD does a better job at being a re release for these albums. All of the original albums are at the start of each disc and the bonus material is afterwards like it should be.
Whoa! Yeah. Weird! Can’t understand that track listing choice. Why break up the flow of the record that you’re trying to encourage deeper dives into? Can’t imagine why they would do this? Why not just go the Beatles Remix/Remaster/Reissue route, and give us great new experiences with music we already love? Then add all the fun outtakes on the bonus disks?
I don't really understand why they included the original albums in this set. There have been better recent reissues of them for newcomers and most Beach Boys fans would likely already have them. I would have rather just had the session material, outtakes and alt mixes/ remixes.
133 tracks on 5 CD box set versus 62 tracks on the vinyl set. I would go with the CDs. Still have my original vinyl purchases from 1970 & 1971. I'm old.
Beach Boys is my favorite band. Used to keep me sane as a kid, and I love these albums. Brian Wilson is a kindred spirit with me, and his childlike wonder when it comes to making music makes me very, very happy. I've tried to keep that ideal when it comes to making my own.
The 5 CD boxset is definitely better than the vinyl boxset. It has a better track sequence, more material is included, and a nice hard cover with the book included. The one downside of the whole thing is the mixing, too bass heavy.
I agree u get more a cappella versions of songs on the 5 CD set
One thing I would change about this (besides adding another lp and moving all the bonus tracks over to that) would be the vinyl colour. I feel like Sunflower should've been orange and Surfs Up should've been blue...
Cool review. I recommend picking up (or streaming) the 5CD set since it has the most material and comes with a hard cover book. I've listened to it from start to finish and I loved it (then again, I am a sucker for Beach Boys early 70s)
The cd release has a better track listing for sure.
Sunflower is one of my favorite Beach Boys Albums: I'm so glad this box set was released. 😍🌻
The single version of Cottonfields was on the International version of Sunflower
I buy vinyl and often purchase new releases such as this, however this is a good example of where my Spotify subscription pays off.
Thanks for reviewing these 2 albums, Mr. Vinyl "Geek." It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this. I'm kind of a purist myself. I like the albums as they are, then get to the "extras." Both of these albums deserved better success.lthan hey originally got. As for myself, I like live tracks, especially if they add something new to them. By the way, I like the suit with the Hawaiian style shirt, very appropriate for the Beach Boys. As for if I agree or not, I'd have to get a copy, listen to it and then let you know. Once again, thanks for doing a great job and as always, good to see you again!
Now I feel really lucky that I managed to find original copies of those records a long time ago
Thanks for the shout out! If anyone in the comments has a issue with the color vinyl email BB HQ and they will send you a replacement. I had a scratched, off center issues with the Sunflower LP, the replacement they sent plays fine.
I love this set and love that the Beatles are getting some love recently on some of these releases. This area of music is pretty great and underappreciated.
Great review, I bought the albums when they were released in the UK, always loved the music and knew they would be classic, will stick to the original albums. Guess it’s a business move to do a box set, it’s becoming fashionable!
Their albums always performed better commercially and critically in the UK and Europe at this time which I will always applaud those audiences for. 67-74 is my favourite period for this band and it’s a shame the material from this time is not better appreciated.
The mastering on the original albums is less than stellar on this set. It’s very bright sounding. Plus, I have the 2LP version and Surfs Up is pressed off center. :/
Same here and I have the 4 LP colored version, somebody must have it against Surfs Up
Agree, I love all the new material but the mastering is awful
It probably doesn’t help that they are squeezing bonus tracks onto the albums, which necessitates a downgrade in sound quality. Low frequencies are often sacrificed when space gets tight on an LP.
I have to agree with you on the track listing and that has definitely made me apprehensive about buying this box. They would have been better off either putting those tracks on an ep or maybe just skipping them entirely. Great for fans who are completists. I will cross my fingers and hope for a reissue of the original albums individually. Thanks for another great video!
Evil Beach Boys be like: "wouldn't it be horrible"
It would be horrible
From the Evil Beach Boys album Frienemies- Anna Lee, the Killer: “She kills people with her hands. I’m just one of her many fans!”
Speak English Dillard.
Really enjoyed your thorough and fair-minded review - and I agree with your assessment. Thanks for taking the trouble. Will be watching more of your presentations.
Whose bright idea was it to press Sunflower in blue vinyl and Surf's Up in yellow/orange? Should have been the other way round, clearly.
The original title for sunflower was supposed to be “add some music to your day.”
It’s quite interesting how you think Cotton Fields fit well on the 20/20 album, because that was a very meandering, inconsistent album!
The single version (which I prefer) sounds much more sunny, happy and hard-hitting; certainly much more Sunflower-esque than more mellow 20/20-ish in my opinion.
I'd get this for Sunflower only. I loooove that album.
It's a very pretty book - I have it digitally because I didn't want to spend too much... and all of that bonus stuff is cordoned off... having said that, these last several sets have had an unfocused kitchen sink aspect and not really a study like the Pet Sounds box was years ago.
I agree completely! This is why I got the 2-CD version as well with my vinyl box!
I was visiting LA from London, the friend I stayed with was a friend of Carl Wilson. We visited Brian's house at this time in Belair where they had set up a recording studio in a main room. The control room was up behind a fireplace. I remember a mosaic swimming pool and a nice fountain in a courtyard. Brian had a nice small dog named bananas. I met Brians's wife and I also chatted with Brian, I have to say he seemed perfectly ok to me! An amazing memory. I also stayed at Carl & Annie's house on Coldwater canyon. The stained glass panel by the front door is featured on the cover of wild honey. The mailbox was a whale, their son was named Jonah.
Did you get to meet Dennis?
@@hawkwing Sadly no.
@@alanmeech69 I take it Carl was a gentleman, seemed a great guy, what year did you visit? Maybe Dennis was out of town, filming Two Lane Blacktop?
@@hawkwing I really don't remember the date, just the visit & the music. Carl was a friend of Bob Jenkins who did music photography in LA. Via him I also met Elvis in Vegas.
@@alanmeech69 Very interesting stories Alan, must be great memories for you, thanks for sharing.
Amazing review keep up the great work
Hi there,
Love this box. I have been playing it a lot. Hard to imagine that after Pet Sounds and Smile that they can outdo themselves and they did.... with everyone contributing music and
vocals.... they certainly matched the Beatles and they influenced them. Beatles and Beach Boys are my favorite. Speaking of the Fab Four.... is Let it be next.
The vocals..... on the acapella versions alone is worth the price alone. I understand your point.... you can never include all the music from the CD box set and for me to get the
complete picture you need the 5 cd version. I thoroughly enjoyed every track.... and even the repetition
God bless and keep well,
Tino
I have original copies of both I bought wayyyy back in the day .
I totally understand what you mean about the extra songs feel tacked on. Like it should all be on its own separate LP in the set. Like can you imagine if The Beatles did something similar and release Sgt Peppers and right after you hear A Little Help From My Friends, we would hear Paul McCartney's live version of Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite from 2016? That would ruin the flow of the album!
I just got the two records set and I'm pretty happy with it! Great review of this my friend
I'm addicted to this boxset, I'm most likely going to pick up the cd boxset as well lol
Sljivovica bottle in the background is priceless. You should do a Yugo rock special.
The acapella version of Surfs Up is absolutely gorgeous.
I got the cd set for the unreleased tracks like seasons in the sun which was given to them before Terry jacks. In fact it was produced by him. They hear the Beach boys do this song is amazing, a revelation. It probably could’ve been a hit for them so I don’t find the box set a disappointment at all
A great, well balanced review. I agree with your assessment. Even as a huge Beach Boys fan, I am less included to own this box set.
I have an Original Sunflower in mint
Me too..oh yeah.
As a young boy l saw the BB's perform at the Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx, NY during this phase of the band. I was taken aback as it wasn't the 'surfin' sound l'd expected.
I agree with you that bonus tracks don't belong on vinyl records. Sundazed did this too, with The Monkees. On CDs it works, but NOT on LPs. I also don't like live tracks from different eras than what the albums are from, that REALLY sticks out like a sore thumb.
Isn't it black vinyl, or is this a one time color edition?
I have an original sunflower that I got for 5$ but it is very beat up, and the cover is hole-punched etc
Love your videos. Couldn't agree with you more about the tracks added on to the end of the original albums. It just feels strange having them there and spoils the flow.
Great review. My only gripe is that you should know better than to expect anything to make sense when it's The Beach Boys haha.
The things that bother me the most was the fact that a lot of Lps came with pressing problems ( Off center, noise surface, ...)
Plus the Mastering was kind of disappointing and too much compressed,
The best deal still the Cds version with a lot more and better addition than simple excerpts and lives
But yeah, it's cheap and you get quite a lot, so it was the deal
Oh oh any beachboys is a álbum to listen for sure
You forgot that that is a completely different version of Cottonfields….not the one on 2020, that’s why it was included in the sunflower/surf’s up box set
I have the 2 albums on vinyl from their release so the CD set works better for me of the bonus material.
Hhhmmm.. Big Sur is one of my all time favorite Beach Boys songs, but the odd mastering pretty much kills the rest of the set for me. So do I really wanna pay $65 for one song?? Although the box and book are pretty neat it looks like, I’ll be hoping it drops a little bit more some time 🤷♂️
I love the unreleased tracks like seasons in the sun which is only available on TH-cam as a terrible Fidelity song. It has an interesting history. It was first offered to the beach boys before Terry jacks made it a worldwide hit 1974. For that historical artifact alone it is worth the price of admission
It's all Fun, Fun, Fun til Mike Love takes a good track list away.
Actually it wasn't Mike making all the decisions. It was Al for this particular set. Mike did give some input for the Live Tracks.
The track listing for the vinyl collection is just such a massive let down. I'd love to buy the set, but I can't bring myself to do it current scattered listing. It feels sloppy, or a way to save money.
The beach boys 20/ 20 is my favorite album Charles Manson songs is my favorite song
The CD does a better job at being a re release for these albums. All of the original albums are at the start of each disc and the bonus material is afterwards like it should be.
I had the same issue
Best era of the band. I think Sunflower is better than Pet Sounds.
The Dennis tracks push it up there for sure.
Pet Sounds, Sunflower and Surfs Up have all had massive influence on me. I can't choose which is better haha
You’re better off with the 5 CD set because u get a bunch of a cappella stuff and alternate takes etc
This seems to be for people who don't have either record, but as a compilation along the lines of "1967 sunshine tomorrow", it is very disappointing
Legal demais 👏
I agree with U
Whoa! Yeah. Weird! Can’t understand that track listing choice. Why break up the flow of the record that you’re trying to encourage deeper dives into? Can’t imagine why they would do this? Why not just go the Beatles Remix/Remaster/Reissue route, and give us great new experiences with music we already love? Then add all the fun outtakes on the bonus disks?
Love the Beach Boys but I don't really like any of their live stuff, so a separate live disc I could safely never listen to would have been good.
Someone send him judas 50 Anniversary boxset
Can you do a review on a david bowie LP?
The track sequence with the tacked on bonus tracks on each side is the reason I didn't want to buy this. Really interrupts the albums.
@Vinyl Rewind I have an original Sunflower… got it for around 56 dollars… but you’re right it takes some searching
The mixes ruins it for me, I was so hyped when I saw the tracks revealed...but disappointed in the lousy mixing
A cash cow of lousy tracks ,... .but its pretty decoration
I wouldn't imagine anyone getting a physical box set these days would be the type to be a casual listener.
Are you high again?
I don't really understand why they included the original albums in this set. There have been better recent reissues of them for newcomers and most Beach Boys fans would likely already have them. I would have rather just had the session material, outtakes and alt mixes/ remixes.
Oh dear,watta halfwit.
This looks cheap and tacky. I love Surfs Up in particular but you have to wonder what gets in the mind of whoever puts this together.
First
Nah you're second.
@@scottmatznick3140 by mistake, sorry