Per Jimmy's 'Classic' Album Review: The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds: Mono vs Stereo / CosmoMusic.ca Blog | Cosmo Music Analogue Productions 200 Gram Vinyl (Mono and Stereo): "To the die hard 'Pet Sounds' fans out there, there is a third 50th Anniversary Edition of the album available for special order. It's a 200 gram pressing (in either Mono or Stereo) produced by Analogue Productions. Analogue Productions is a company that specializes in audiophile reproductions of classic albums. Their LP reissues feature thicker grade vinyl (180 gram or better), and their audio mastering is done using only the original analogue master tapes." Order Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary Analogue Productions 200 Gram Vinyl
I have to say that I have never bought into to the explanation that Brian produced in mono because he was deaf in one ear. Considering that after the first album, the next 7 albums were released in stereo debunks that theory. It is not until 1965 that Brian starts his mono only phase. This had more to do with patterning himself after Phil Spector than anything else. He truly bought into the Wall Of Sound and controlling the listening experience. Notice too, that by 1968 stereo was the preferred method of listening, and the Friends album was released in stereo. Brian was fully involved in the production of that album. He also produced his own tracks on 20/20 and Sunflower and they were released in stereo. Mono was just his preference at the time and that is all.
If I don't breathe my last while it's playing, Don't Worry Baby is certainly in the running for top of the list of my funeral playlist. As Wavy Gravy said, "We must be in Heaven!".
Frankly, I've always thought The Beach Boys sounded best in stereo and if original Chuck Britz stereo mixes existed of their entire early catalog those would be my goto mixes. Opening up the vocals and getting some air in there is what it's all about for me. Pet Sounds in stereo is fun, as well as the other newish stereo remixes, but they've ended up as mostly just curiosities for me. I can enjoy them from time to time and I do enjoy hearing previously buried detail, but there's something funny about them that ends up not sounding right to me. And I don't think it's a matter of it "not being what you're used to" so let me pre-empt that line before it starts. I think it's a matter of equipment used in the remixing / remastering process, but as I'm no expert that's a guess. So for The Beach Boys Today! Summer Days (and Summer Nights!) The Beach Boys Party! Pet Sounds mono is what I regularly listen to. Smiley Smile was recorded so badly to begin with that its one where I prefer the new stereo remix and I might feel the same about the new stereo Wild Honey material when I get a chance to hear it.
This may have been mentioned upstream (maybe even by me) but Chuck did do stereo mixes of some of the Today songs. This according to paperwork seen by our host and noted by him on the forum. Unfortunately the mixes are long missing from Capitol and the Beach Boys tape archive. The thing I don't like about many of Chuck's stereo mixes is, compared to the mono mixes, the vocals are too loud in comparison to the backing track. I suspect that the volume of the backing track was set lower when the Beach Boys did their vocals and the balance wasn't adjusted afterward the way it was for the mono mix.
I would like to see more factual historical recollections about PS awareness in this post from long time BB fans to determine how they remember PS was received in its first few months of release. I was only 8 when PS was released in May 66. I used my Communion money and bought singles Sloop then WIBN. Two of my older cousins (15 at the time) bought the album, and I heard the entire album maybe twice that year at their homes. Based on their record buying from June 66 through late '69, I never saw PS in either of their collections again. It wasn't until May 1972 that I ever saw PS again in any store selling records (including department stores) when paired with "So Tough", and bought it. My point is, PS was quickly forgotten, was deleted by Capital for years, and started its resergence after it became available again from '72 on. By the time I got to College in the mid to late 70's it was getting more appreciation and publicity as the BB's began their "comeback" in relevance.
How did duophonic versions replace the stereo mixes that's Britz did that, I'm assuming, Brian must have liked and approved?
I agree with this sentiment but surely the problem lies in the marketing? For example, go ahead and remix anything you like but ONLY ever let it be sold tied-in with the original unmolested version and not separately. That way, the "kids of tomorrow" will hear the originals and be able to make up their own minds which they prefer. It's like the old saying: you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
On the original albums duophonic did not replace stereo. In most cases the tapes either went missing or overdubs were done direct to mono, in which case a stereo mix could not be made with those overdubs.
This is a mystery to me: Brian only wanted mono mixes, or at least only approved the mono mixes on Today through Wild Honey. So why was Capital allowed to do those horrible duophonic releases? Because it was cheaper than paying for real stereo mixes?
I just picked this up this weekend (stereo version) . I have only been accustomed to the Mono version for this LP. Let me tell you, I thought I bought a re-recording of Pet Sounds when I put the needed down. It sounded so different to me I was taken aback. It sounds amazing but in a different way than I was expecting. Anyone else have the AP Stereo version of PS?
No allowed about it, it was because they owned and paid for it. I blame Brian for Duophonic more than Capitol. Had Brian either allowed Chuck Britz to create the stereo mixes or gave Capitol the tapes, then Duophonic would never have been an issue in the first place.
On this we can agree. I guess Brian didn't realize that mono albums would be cut out of the catalog around a year after PET SOUNDS was first released. What this did was leave the ****ty Duophonic version as the ONLY version you could buy for many years. Bonehead move on Brian's part.
Too, even Reprise and the Boys' themselves made the decision to issue the fake stereo Smiley Smile & Wild Honey during the 1973 - 1974 reissue period. Mono definitely was not in vogue through the 1970s. At least they realized how bad the Duophonic Pet Sounds sounded and released that in mono, you know, "the way Brian cut it".
I personally love the stereo mix on the Pet Sounds Sessions box. I can hear more clarity in the individual voices in the harmonies, yet it's still a good harmonic blend.
Many here have the AP stereo. You can read more about it in the reissue thread. Most here seem to prefer it - I am not one that does. The vocal and instrumental textures sound synthetic to me on the stereo and much more natural and organic on the mono to my ear.
I used to have the original "shut down vol 2" and I believe it was true stereo? Am I remembering correctly ( sadly I no longer have it to check... I bought it in 1971 in the cut out bin at San Goody's records for .99...). And get this, around the same time a two record set called "close-up" which had tracks from Surfin USA and All Summer Long, also were in true stereo! So dr BB, were these Britz stereo mixes always used for the LP's Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down Vol 2 and All Summer Long which is why these albums were never Duophonic? Did Britz ever do Summer Days stereo? If not why did he stop? "Today" was never stereo and neither was "Party"or Pet Sounds of course. Christmas and Concert? Stereo? Can you shed some light on these mysteries? And when we're these stereo masters lost? Is this why most BB albums were deleted from around 66 on?
On Shut Down, Volume 2, there were no Duophonic tracks, but the stereo album did have 2 mono tracks; which were Why Do Fools Fall In Love and Denny's Drums. As for the other albums you mention, up through 1964, Brian allowed Chuck Britz to create stereo mixes for those albums. As stated earlier, there are Duophonic tracks on those albums; such as 409, I Get Around, All Summer Long, Our Favorite Recording Sessions, etc.. To your question regarding the 65 through 67 albums, Brian did not have Chuck prepare stereo mixes for those albums and Brian did not submit the tapes to Capitol for them to prepare their own stereo mixes, so all we got was the original mono and Duophonic/Rechanneled mixes in their place. Lastly, the albums were deleted after their contract was completed and they restarted Brother Records on Reprise. The 1966 -1969 albums were later leased to Brother for 10 years and reissued on Brother/Reprise starting in 1972.
Thank you Dr BB! I guess this is a good time to ask you if you liked Britz stereo mixes? I recall fun fun fun quickly ending at the tag with only vocals....interesting that was! I guess There is no longer any way to ever own a Britz stereo track unless you have old original released vinyl copies? When the Mono/Stereo releases came out in 2012, the stereo mixes were all new because the Britz ones, for all songs he completed, are lost and/or because Brian (Capital) wanted all new stereo mixes, especially for albums never mixed for stereo.
Not true. The CD albums have been remastered, not remixed. So, the 1990, 2001, and the newer Capitol and AP releases are all Britz mixes. Only the compilations have the newer mixes. I think the Britz mixes are great sounding, but I agree that he had quick trigger finger on the fades.
