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Post by Kapitan on Oct 1, 2022 13:27:41 GMT
I'm curious how you and others look at that "pure" version of The Beach Boys Past Masters Vol I&II. In a world where those songs were uncollected otherwise, would you have bought those? Been excited to buy those? How do you rate them compared to their namesake by those Liverpudlians? I would've purchased them just to have everything collected in one place. I mean, obviously most of them are easily available, but they're all over the place ( I know, I know, we're in the digital age so it doesn't matter much ). I am a firm believer that EVERY Beach Boys' song be available either on CD or digitally, so, yes, I would want songs like "Chasin' The Sky", "Happy Endings", and "Problem Child" in my collection.
Now, comparing The Beach Boys Past Masters with The Beatles Past Masters? That's a matter of opinion or which artist/songs you like better. I think I might go with The Beatles, but just specifically the Past Masters. Those songs are better than The Beach Boys' I think.
On those two bolded points:
1) Yes, but this whole exercise pretends that's not the case, so we're good. The idea falls apart quickly once you add our digital reality into the picture, as any of us can just make a playlist...
2) I agree, but it's mostly just because of their different strategies. The Beatles avoided using album songs as singles, or putting singles on albums (whichever way you want to look at it), while the Beach Boys didn't. When you consider that dramatic difference, it's inevitable that a collection of non-album singles is going to suffer.
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Post by B.E. on Oct 1, 2022 23:15:59 GMT
Two things: 1) What I think I'd have wanted out of a Beach Boys "Past Masters" would have been to stick to the officially released non-album tracks. I wouldn't have included single mixes or alternate mixes of album tracks. That would be my starting point, but I'd consider adding or substituting a few previously unreleased tracks (e.g. "The Letter"). Songs that would have fit alongside the rest and were substantially complete. And thing is...this album (more or less) was released! Rarities (1983)2) This discussion had me thinking about how I listen to music in regards to proper albums and bonus tracks. The main example I can think of is John Lennon's solo albums. I bought the early 2000s remixes which contained bonus tracks. I'd listen to those CDs in my car all the time. I'd listen to the proper album, then I'd either turn it off, start it over, or I'd listen to the bonus tracks - depending on my mood. I don't recall having an issue with the bonus tracks being there, but I was conscious of them being there. That said, CD-listening, and especially vinyl-listening, have been secondary to iPod-listening since at least high school. Whenever I imported a CD or downloaded an album with bonus tracks, I'd separate the two in iTunes before putting them on my iPod. So, I'd have Plastic Ono Band and Plastic Ono Band (Bonus Tracks). With the Beach Boys, I simply created "Twofers" Bonus Tracks and had them all in one place. So, I agree in preferring to keep bonus tracks separate, and I've achieved that. I very much like listening to albums in their entirety and how they were originally intended (tracklist-wise, moreso than mix or master-wise).
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 2, 2022 19:56:17 GMT
Two things: 1) What I think I'd have wanted out of a Beach Boys "Past Masters" would have been to stick to the officially released non-album tracks. I wouldn't have included single mixes or alternate mixes of album tracks. That would be my starting point, but I'd consider adding or substituting a few previously unreleased tracks (e.g. "The Letter"). Songs that would have fit alongside the rest and were substantially complete. And thing is...this album (more or less) was released! Rarities (1983)I dunno. I was thinking about Rarities, but it's really nowhere near complete for non-album tracks. From Wiki:
"With a Little Help from My Friends" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 2:22 "The Letter" (Wayne Carson) – 1:47 "I Was Made to Love Her" [alternate version] (Henry Cosby, Lula Mae Hardaway, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder) – 2:34 "You're Welcome" (Brian Wilson) – 1:06 "The Lord's Prayer" (Albert Hay Malotte) – 2:31 "Bluebirds over the Mountain (two-track mix)" (Ersel Hickey) – 2:49 "Celebrate the News" (Dennis Wilson, Gregg Jakobson) – 3:03 "Good Vibrations" [alternate version] (B. Wilson, Mike Love) – 3:33 "Land Ahoy" (B. Wilson) – 1:42 "In My Room [German version]" (B. Wilson, Gary Usher) – 2:15 "Cottonfields" (Lead Belly) – 3:02 "All I Want to Do" [live] (D. Wilson) – 1:39 "Auld Lang Syne" (Traditional) – 1:11
You're really still missing most of the non-album songs/single mixes, but getting a decent bunch of those previously unreleased things like you mentioned you'd like a few of. I look at it and immediately ask/exclaim, "No 'Break Away!?'"
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Post by lonelysummer on Oct 3, 2022 1:00:34 GMT
The reason for the Beatles Past Masters album was because the original US albums were being deleted, so they needed a way to round up all the singles that weren't on the UK albums. Which leads me to a strange thought: were the early (62-65) Beach Boys albums reverse-butchered over in the UK (songs from singles removed, and fewer albums? I can imagine removing the Little Deuce Coupe album, for example). Yes, I'm laughing as I write this. It sounds ridiculous, but I honestly have no idea what the pre-PS catalog was in the UK.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 3, 2022 11:59:58 GMT
The reason for the Beatles Past Masters album was because the original US albums were being deleted, so they needed a way to round up all the singles that weren't on the UK albums. Which leads me to a strange thought: were the early (62-65) Beach Boys albums reverse-butchered over in the UK (songs from singles removed, and fewer albums? I can imagine removing the Little Deuce Coupe album, for example). Yes, I'm laughing as I write this. It sounds ridiculous, but I honestly have no idea what the pre-PS catalog was in the UK. First, I hadn't put together the US Beatles album version situation, so that's good to know. Thanks.
As for the UK discography of the Beach Boys, the albums' release dates (and sequence) were radically different. But I'm not sure of differences with the track lists on each album: the only studio album I know had a different track list is Sunflower, where the international version opened with "Cottonfields." I do not see track variations listed on the wiki pages. (Anyone know about the earlier albums' track list variations, if any?)
The UK (original studio) albums discography was (per AGD's Bellagio and Wikipedia) as follows. I have put the US release dates in parentheses after each album for comparison.
Surfin Safari - April 1963 (October 1962)
Shut Down, Vol II - July 1964 (March 1964)
Christmas Album - November 1964 (November 1964)
Concert - February 1965 (October 1964)
All Summer Long - June 1965 (July 1964)
Surfin USA - August 1965 (March 1963)
Little Deuce Coupe - October 1965 (October 1963)
Party - February 1966 (November 1965)
Today - April 1966 (March 1965)
Pet Sounds - June 1966 (May 1966)
Summer Days and Summer Nights - June 1966 (July 1965)
Surfer Girl - March 1967 (September 1963)
Smiley Smile - November 1967 (September 1967)
Wild Honey - March 1968 (December 1967)
Friends - November 1968 (June 1968)
20/20 - March 1969 (February 1969)
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