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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 7, 2020 15:02:03 GMT
I think they were trying to make a car album out of an album that wasn't really a car album, continuing to ride the fad.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Mar 7, 2020 15:23:06 GMT
I think there are enough car-related songs on the album to merit a car cover. I do think this one or something similar would have worked better on Little Deuce Coupe, but since we didn’t get that, I don’t mind at all seeing the band posing with cars on SDV2. The matching blue jackets are nice. The only thing that puzzles me (besides the album title) is the wonky colour casting. In some images online, it looks pink, in others yellow, and in others, green. Physical copies that I’ve seen have the green colour. Regardless of what it’s actually supposed to be, in all cases, it’s just a weird colour.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Mar 7, 2020 20:41:31 GMT
I think there are enough car-related songs on the album to merit a car cover. I do think this one or something similar would have worked better on Little Deuce Coupe, but since we didn’t get that, I don’t mind at all seeing the band posing with cars on SDV2. The matching blue jackets are nice. The only thing that puzzles me (besides the album title) is the wonky colour casting. In some images online, it looks pink, in others yellow, and in others, green. Physical copies that I’ve seen have the green colour. Regardless of what it’s actually supposed to be, in all cases, it’s just a weird colour. I know what it is... it looks smoggy.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 11, 2020 19:50:21 GMT
I suppose this is one of the better ones. It has everything I've been requesting - photos that have to do directly with the album concept (if there was indeed a concept), plenty of photos of the guys, some nice colors (yellow, orange, purple - it's very Easter-y), and a good title (though I Get Around would've worked, too). And, they did have a thing about non-blue skies!
The back cover is a little corny, almost like a fan club-type thing with the personal paragraphs, but at least they were going for something different. I guess that's OK, but Capitol was adamant about using black and white photos, huh? More self promotion with the advertising of the albums, and the OCD in me questions why Surfin' Safari and Surfin' U.S.A. are flip-flopped.
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Post by kds on Mar 11, 2020 20:05:26 GMT
Not bad, even though The Beach Boys apparently couldn't be bothered to check a weather forecast prior to a photo shoot.
In general, I prefer a single photograph cover to a collage, but this one works, and like SDV2, it's very of the time.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 11, 2020 21:36:32 GMT
I talked about this one before I knew we were going in order. I like it.
To KDS’s point about the skies, it’s a recurring theme so far. I think bellbottoms is right that it’s smog. We have to remember, before the Clean Air Act and EPA (both under Nixon administration, of all things!), California (and much of the Rust Belt and east coast) was pretty heavily polluted.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Mar 12, 2020 0:53:22 GMT
I really like the All Summer Long album cover. The photos are fun and everyone looks like they're legitimately having a good time. Even with that hazy sky and what looks like a chilly/windy day, it still gets the point across. It looks like the kind of weekend gathering you might wish you had been invited to, when everyone gets back to school on Monday and starts reminiscing with tales of long football catches, jokes about hot dogs, and the girl that got away.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 12, 2020 12:45:03 GMT
Do Brian and Dennis have the same girlfriend?
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Post by kds on Mar 12, 2020 12:47:02 GMT
With Dennis, everyone was fair game.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 13, 2020 0:13:10 GMT
OK, I'm coming clean. Despite what I wrote above, and it wasn't entirely positive, I don't think the All Summer Long album cover is effective.
"I Get Around", "Drive-In", "sitting in my car outside your house" - why not a photo of a) a car, and b) why not one of the Beach Boys sitting behind the wheel with a young lady sitting next to him? There is a mini-one with Mike and girl but it doesn't really work.
When I think of the beach, the beach in summer, the beach in summer in California, and the beach in summer in California with The Beach Boys, I have to say that I don't envision a picture of Carl Wilson being buried in the sand. Sure, it's a fun picture, but why not, one more time, put a surfboard in Dennis's hand and take a picture of him at/in the ocean. And, include a surfer girl, in a bathing suit, next to him, too.
Two photos of a Beach Boy holding a football? OOOOOKKKKK.
Finally, when I think of all SUMMER long, I think of hot weather. Is it just me or does the All Summer Long album cover look more like All Spring Long? It looks cold in those photos! In most of the pictures, the Beach Boys are wearing sweaters! On the beach! You have the girlfriends wearing long sleeves and that girl in pink wearing a bandana thing (because it's cold and windy?). And those skies. Were they calling for rain or...snow? T-shirts, cutoffs , and a pair of thongs. Right! Where are they?
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 14, 2020 14:00:05 GMT
In my above rant, I forgot to mention the infamous misprint of "Don't Back Down" as "Don't Break Down" on the first pressings of the All Summer Long album. Nothing like good quality control from Capitol's art department.
Also, here are some outtakes from the All Summer Long photo session:
Remember when you spilled Pepsi all over your blouse...
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 21, 2020 15:17:09 GMT
This is one of the better ones. Nice and direct and to the point. And the only Beach Boys' album cover with the striped shirts. But you know I have to nitpick.
Beach Boys Concert and not THE Beach Boys Concert? The "This is the Beach Boys' first live album..." writing on the front cover wasn't necessary was it? And, the front cover photo could've been better IMO. Most of it is fine, the shirts, the guitars (they look like Blue Oyster Cult!), the smiling faces. I don't know...I always thought Brian looked too chubby, that Dennis was too detached, and that they look like they were joking around. I'll post an alternate shot below that I prefer.
The back cover is an improvement. No promoting past albums and...photos in color! If you like photos of the group/guys then this back cover is for you. One other quibble. I purchased the vinyl album back in the day and the cover did not wear well. The paper they used combined with black color caused the circular ring to appear over time, moreso than their other albums. You can see the ring on the above photos. Anyway, I guess this one is pretty good. It really stood out in the record store displays and in the bins. It gets your attention.
Alternate album cover photo (if in color):
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Post by B.E. on Mar 21, 2020 19:45:15 GMT
The back cover is an improvement. No promoting past albums and...photos in color!
Good point. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Concert and Party! were the only Capitol albums pre- Friends with color back covers ( Smiley Smile was Brother). Uncoincidentally, I'm a fan of both departures. Honestly, I think Concert is one of their best album covers. I can't really imagine it being improved much. I guess my only complaint is that the 'vocal solo' and 'guitar solo' signifiers are kind of confusing/clunky. But, I love the colors. The black is striking and exciting. The font is cool. I even like the circles on the back. And, knowing what we know about the finished album, I like that "live" is in quotes. Something of an in-joke.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 22, 2020 13:15:54 GMT
I'm not a big fan of this album, but I really like the cover. Great color scheme, cool font for the band and album names.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Mar 22, 2020 20:58:30 GMT
I don't really have anything new to add, as I pretty much agree with what's been said above. Concert was definitely given album cover treatment - very effective and eye-pleasing.
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