Beach Boys - Friends And 20/20...

Here is some trivia for all of you about creating double LPs out of singles ones. Back in 1974, Brother/Reprise reissued the Beach Boys' last four Capitol albums in two separate double LP sets.

But when they did it, they paired Wild Honey with 20/20 and placed Friends with Smiley Smile -- in that order (meaning Friends was the first disc and Smiley Smile was the second).

Wonder why they did it this way? Maybe they were trying to hide Smiley Smile away because psychedelia was out of vogue in the 1970s.*

These double LP sets also had unique cover art (see below) that connoted each album separately on the front and back covers. Once again, I wonder if they were trying to "disappear" the memories of their psychedelic-inspired LP covers from that period and make the artwork more current (I assume these were released following the success of Endless Summer).

I remember these reissues because you could always find them in discounts bins at used record stores in the 1980s and early 1990s. I had the original albums and never bought these, so I can't report on the sound quality.

The Beach Boys - Wild Honey & 20/20
The Beach Boys - Friends & Smiley Smile



* This might be difficult for younger people to get, but for decades after the psychedelic era, you got ROASTED by people for liking the genre. As late as 1986, I remember my friends and I being derided at in our college dorm for playing Tomorrow, Clear Light, the Seeds, and even Love. It wasn't until the 1990s that people revised their ideas about psychedelic music. The same also went for a lot of '60s soft pop -- like the Association -- but I digress. It wasn't always cool to be retro -- especially in the Huey Lewis/beer bong era.

 

I have both sets. In fact, Friends/Smiley was my first purchase of this material. Inner gatefold had photo of a woodie, which was strange. And I found the cover art rather unsettling. The shadows make the girls look a bit alien, as if they are frolicking on a beach on Mars or some post-apocalyptic hell.

 

What does "MIC" indicate?

 

Made In California box set versions, my friend.

 

I have that two-fer. I love having those two paired and picking and choosing from the four different sides with such ease. Though I do agree Wild Honey with Friends would make for a better power combo. Then another combo of Smiley Smile with Wild Honey. Cause I just can't get enough.

 

On LP you can have you first wish: The Beach Boys - Wild Honey / Friends

If you burn your own CD I think you can fit all three of them on a single Disc.

 

As others have said, 20/20 has its merits, but it’s a jumble. Friends is a cohesive work. I much prefer Friends to 20/20 because I like it’s mellow vibe. “It’s cool!”

A Beach Boys double album from the 60s could total up to like 46 minutes of music across two LPs!

 

I would love to see if someone could combine Smiley Smile, Wild Honey and Friends into a double album... maybe some of 20/20 too... would be amazing

 

In my 'timeline' playlist I generally always include the non-Smile material with Wild Honey. Little Pad, Gettin' Hungry, With Me Tonight, etc all fit seamlessly alongside the minimalist lite-psychedelia and R&B/garage-infused tunes. Add in some of the outtakes from both, Can't Wait Too Long, Time To Get Alone, Cool, Cool Water, a couple covers, and you've already got yourself a double album on par with the White Album imo.

 

Interesting... would you mind posting a tracklist?

 

1. Wild Honey
2. Aren't You Glad
3. The Letter
4. Little Pad
5. Gettin' Hungry
6. I Was Made To Love Her
7. Country Air
8. Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (I don't wanna live in a world that doesn't have both this and Fire)
9. Game of Love
10. A Thing Or Two
11. Darlin'
12. Here Comes The Night
13. She's Goin' Bald
14. With Me Tonight
15. Let The Wind Blow
16. Lonely Days (sunshine tomorrow)
17. Can't Wait Too Long (w/ tag) (sunshine tomorrow)
18. I'd Love Just Once To See You (w/ tag)(sunshine tomorrow)
19. Cool, Cool Water (sunshine tomorrow)
20. Time To Get Alone (alternate) (sunshine tomorrow)
21. I Was Made To Love Her (long version)
22. Honey Get Home
23. With A Little Help From My Friends
24. How She Boogalooed It
25. Whistle In

57mins. More could easily be added to flesh out another 10 or so minutes.

edit: nearly all of it is taken from sunshine tomorrow but just wanted to give an idea of the versions being used

 

I have the 2-fer CDs and I think Friends segues perfectly into 20/20. Also the bonus CD songs on 20/20 are probably the best ones. Break Away, Celebrate the News, We're Together Again and Old Man River seem to close out the 60s Capitol era perfectly. Their version of River (the shorter 20/20 version) almost sounds like there could be movie ending credits rolling as it concludes.

 

I like the acapella version on Made In California too! It's so great!

 

So I've been listening to this playlist everyday for the last few days... absolutely love it. Unlike every other double album I've heard on my life, every track in here is all killer no filler. It may be short, yes, but there is no superfluous material. What's amazing is that listening to this material everyday I'm not bored of it. Just a testament to the beach boys's amazing music!

 

I like that Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, and Friends are each their own unique little package. No song from one album would fit on another album. They are each perfectly cohesive in their own way. The myth has always been that after Smile, Brian dropped out and the boys had to bring in their own material. These 3 albums show a band with a very distinct sound, or rather 3 very distinct sounds. Not a group splintered by in fighting, but a group with a very unified vision.

 

Recently I was thinking of something even crazier... what if instead of a 68 double, they decided to do a double album in 69? Sounds crazy right? Yeah cause it is a crazy idea, lol. Imagine a double album with all the following tracks... (ommited smile tracks of obvious reasons, there is not particular order, havent sequenced it yet, maybe one day)

Meant For You
Friends
Wake The World
Be Here In The Mornin'
When A Man Needs A Woman
Passing By
Anna Lee, The Healer
Little Bird
Be Still
Busy Doin' Nothin'
Diamond Head
Transcendental Meditation
Do It Again
I Can Hear Music
Bluebirds Over The Mountain
Be With Me
All I Want To Do
The Nearest Faraway Place
Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)
I Went To Sleep
Time To Get Alone
Never Learn Not To Love
We're Together Again
Slip On Through
This Whole World
Add Some Music To Your Day
Got To Know The Woman
Deirdre
It's About Time
Tears In The Morning
All I Wanna Do
Forever
Our Sweet Love
At My Window

Jesus... what a monolith record that would be...

 

This idea is great too. Get the Friends and 20/20 twofer and leave our prayer cabinessence and walk on by off, end the double album with breakaway, celebrate the news, we're together again and old folks at home/old man river. Do that and you have a double album that, in my opinion, is on par with the white album. Great idea!

 

The two-fer CD of Friends and 20/20 is the Beach Boys release I listen more frequently. And my favourite besides Pet Sounds.

I can't listen Never learn not to love. It gives me the creeps

 

+1

 

Gee, by 1969 they looked terrible. Have you seen the booklet pics on the CD?

 

Does anybody else here strains of Dennis’ “Mona Kana” in Brian’s “Johnny Carson?”

 

They looked just fine. The polyester white suits were a major faux pas, but otherwise, what were they supposed to look like?

 

Actually I think the 20/20 cover is one of their best pics, even Mike looks pretty good there

 

I don't think much of 20/20 works with Friends but I think TM should be replaced with I Went To Sleep. Time To Get Alone also works on Friends but the rest of the album doesn't fit the vibe. Too rocky, or Smiley, or cover-y.

 

replace Cabinessence? BOING BOING