I only have the Smiley Smile / Wild Honey HDCD from 2001 to compare with. I'm guessing that one will never win.
Honestly, I thought it and the Pastmasters CD were actually quite close past amplification. This isn't a great sounding mono mix anyway, but both the LPs I have sound particularly dull. Looking forward to your comparisons.
I also saw a green label 20/20 a few days ago. Cheap too. I think it might be worth going back and buying it. It wasn't anywhere near NM though. This is supposed to sound good as well from what I understand.
My most amusing discovery today was that it turns out I had another album by The Boys with Kevin Gray on the original mastering credit all along! ...M.I.U.
Have you had a chance to dig into your Wild Honey pickup? Regarding this thread, y'all defeated me - the last of mono AP LPs arrived today, meaning I did indeed end up with the full set, from Safari thru Smiley. I will say, that I'm disappointed with the colour grading on Safari and Shut Down - both being notably darker than my originals, making the cream coloured background on SDV2 especially unpleasing. The soft images on the covers is generally consistent across almost all of their pressings tbh, meaning the temptation to flog my originals has waned (not that I ever would, let's be honest). The sound is of course why I bought these though, and as always, is fantastic. I'm still after Surf's Up to complete the set, but it appears to be sold out everywhere sadly. I messaged AP on Instagram, and they confirmed a repress was 'not soon, but potentially'. Fingers crossed.
Yeah, AP Chad confirmed via here somewhere the paper stock they used on the first batch of LPs absorbed the ink or had some incompatability, hence the less than stellar look. You’ll notice a couple of other little inconsistencies in the first batch - it’s a shame given the $ & prestige of the series - but the art department and the print guys got better as they moved through the catalogue.
I just got the mono Pet Sounds to match my stereo copy. I noticed there was no "100% analog" sticker on the front. I remember reading the mono was AAA many times in this thread, did they just forget to put it on most likely or am I remembering wrong?
I would say it’s just a mistake. AFAIA the only digital ones are the stereo remixes. I also finally did an A/B of the UK/Duo/US/AP pressings yesterday, not just swapping out but needledropping “Do You Wanna Dance” and going from there. I’m going to make a short bonus pod episode so everyone can have a listen, but in short, the US Mono Original is by far the worst I’ve ever heard this album sound. The UK is light years ahead, and the UK Duo folded actually has some similar highs to the AP. Oh, and the AP was obviously the winner.
Apologies for the two week wait, but here you go! Bonus Episode #3 - 'The Beach Boys Today!' Mono LP Shootout
Great podcast, very informative. Any chance you can post the matrix info for your US copy? I’m curious which pressing plant it’s from.
Just want to say i recently bought sunflower and smiley smile stereo 200grams. i had an original usa press of sunflower and the AP is much better fuller, vocals more real sounding. i didnt have any prior copy of smiley smile. I will say however both smiley smile and sunflower had the same type of sonic signature in that it sounded a bit dull/flat type of EQ. its still very nice but seem to be very neutral sounding. since surf's up was out of stock i bought the EMI 100 1997 all analogue edition. To me this sounds better than the AP records. It's a bit more lively but retains the audiophile qualities found in the AP. So if you want surfs up and the AP skyrockets in price give a look to the emi 100 edition. the emi 100 also makes the cover textured which i think the first pressing was? but had no insert though unfortunately(well mine didnt).
Smiley Smile seems to be back ordered on Acoustic Sounds. Are these going to be repressed or do I have to deal with secondhand prices?
Will Capitol press more copies of Friends and 20/20? They going for the fat money. And how is it that the original mix of Wild Honey has never been part of a recent vinyl reissue series? Baffling. Remember how I said I wasnt crazy enough to buy 180 gram copies of 15 Big Ones, MIU, KTSA, and Light Album? I mean, I have originals, what good would it do? Well, things happened. And now I have nice sealed copies of late 70s Beach Boys albums. Will I ever play them? Who knows. I'm sick.
Does anyone know about the AP 180G Pet Sounds stereo record that’s available now ? Wasn’t it released in 200g originally ? Are there any other differences between those two pressings ? Merci
As of 2020, AP transitioned their non-UHQR 200 gram pressings down to 180 grams to ensure quality consistency across the product line. Same metalwork is used; the vinyl just shed some weight.
Looking at picking up the rest of these. I love the Stereo of Pet Sounds and Surfer Girl, but are any others good in Stereo? I have Summer Days & Today Mono. Now what are the recommendations for Shut Down Vol 2, Surfin USA and All Summer Long?
Summer Days & Today are awesome mono reissues. I have Shut Down Vol. 2 and All Summer Long in stereo and love them both!
The Today mono pressing is apparently gone on Acoustic Sounds. Anybody knows if there will be a repress (180g or 200g) ?
I've been dying to get my hands on the stereo Surfin' USA for a year now, so if there is a repress coming I imagine we will have to wait quite awhile longer.
Yeah, it and a number of AP titles have been sold out there and other places like Music Direct for quite a while now. I can’t imagine a repress but would love to be pleasantly surprised as this is a title I missed out on too.
Damn. Some of the monos I was interested in getting are sold out. For the era of the Chuck Britz stereo mixes (1963 ~ 1964), the stereos are my go to's, but I did have in the back of my mind I wanted the monos of some of those LPs.
It's crazy to me that these AP Beach Boys titles didn't have higher demand. There are a couple of stereo versions I would still like to have. I'd even settle for the SACDs which are hard to find now.
