Sunday, September 7, 2008

The Beach Boys Network

The Beach Boys Network

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 06:52 AM CDT

Ripped it at 128, using Sony MDR-V150 cans.

Thing is, none of the other CDs I've put on my iPod have shown any change at all, well, to these ears anyway.

Interesting, as I would assume your ears are quite educated Smiley

Most people reckon they're smarter than all the rest of me put together...  Roll Eyes

That was a very poor piece of writing - of course there's a difference, but it's never something I can't live with (unlike mini-disc, which I could not listen to). The change in the sonics of
TLOS is quite remarkable.

I've used a simple type of spatialiser on the CD too, and yes, it sure helps.

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 06:51 AM CDT

Turn Me Up!™ is a non-profit music industry organization campaigning to give artists back the choice to release more dynamic records. To be clear, it's not our goal to discourage loud records; they are, of course, a valid choice for many artists. We simply want to make the choice for a more dynamic record an option for artists.

Today, artists generally feel they have to master their records to be as loud as everybody else's. This certainly works for many artists. However, there are many other artists who feel their music would be better served by a more dynamic record, but who don't feel like that option is available to them.

This all comes down to the moment a consumer hears a record, and the fear that if the record is more dynamic, the consumer won't know to just turn up the volume. This is an understandable concern, and one Turn Me Up! is working to resolve.

http://turnmeup.org/

I have yet to hear TLOS but am surprised to learn that it sounds better as a non-hi fi 128 rip!

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 05:58 AM CDT

Used some audio software on my TLOS - a bit of stereo expander - bought up some intrumental lines wonderfully - gave the BV's better seperation and punch - thus smoothed 'in' the dodgy vocal moments from BW (most noticable on MAD- it's now georgeous) as a unexpected bonus.

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 05:37 AM CDT

Ripped it at 128, using Sony MDR-V150 cans.

Thing is, none of the other CDs I've put on my iPod have shown any change at all, well, to these ears anyway.

Interesting, as I would assume your ears are quite educated Smiley

I've never owned an actual iPod, but I have owned a couple of MP3 players and my phone (Nokia N73) is reckoned to be pretty good at MP3 reproduction.

Any time I rip a CD, even at high bitrate, I can notice a difference. One can tweak the settings and produce a reasonable, enjoyable set of MP3 files from a CD...but there are always differences...especially in the top end.

However, AGD's suggestion that maybe TLOS has actually been mastered for download is interesting...and I should think quite possible. By that I mean I am sure it is possible that they made a download master, and perhaps were lazy enough to use it for the CD.

I've not heard the TLOS CD...US or UK version...so I cannot comment further.

New song - The Same old Sunday [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 05:27 AM CDT

Hello
I've put up a new song on my myspace, a bit of a downer ballad called 'The Same old Sunday', please have a listen! Any feedback appreciated!
Cheers
Matt

www.myspace.com/brigadiermusic

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 05:19 AM CDT

Never use iPod buds, even though it means the cans are twice the size of my Nano 3G  Grin.

1 - the fidelity is crap
2 - my ears must be a funny shape, they fell out every time I tried.

And yes, for whatever arcane  reason, the CD sounds much better on my iPod. A definite WTF moment. I seriously think it was mastered, if not mixed, for download.

Re: TLOS bonus tracks [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 04:47 AM CDT

Does anyone know the credit details for the bonus tracks? At least one sounds, to my ears, more like a Paley era track than a recent effort. Are BW band members involved in all, as some of the backing vox are less characteristic. HAs Brian been recording with session musos on the side?

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 04:02 AM CDT

AGD, are you saying the UK TLOS CD sounds better on your ipod?

And are you using the same headphones as your CD player, or using the ipod buds?

Curious.

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 03:34 AM CDT

Ripped it at 128, using Sony MDR-V150 cans.

Thing is, none of the other CDs I've put on my iPod have shown any change at all, well, to these ears anyway.

Brian Wilson GARDEN BOX 09/13/2008 Hollywood Bowl ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 03:32 AM CDT

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Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 02:39 AM CDT

Andrew -- it could depend on the bitrate at which you ripped the CD and the headphones you're listening to it with. If you ripped it as a lossless file (wav or Apple lossless) it should sound precisely the same -- it will be the same data as the physical CD. If you rip it in lower quality (as a 128 kbs AAC, for example), it will sound somewhat different. That lower quality file would be closer in spirit to an AM radio broadcast -- in which compression helps an audio recording "pop" instead of degrading it.

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 02:37 AM CDT

What in hell? That's weird, to say the least.

Re: Jan [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 02:31 AM CDT

An outstanding collection.

Jan and Dean pose an even more daunting paradox than the BBs/BW -- the consistency varies so wildly it can be difficult to get a handle on them. Ostensible throwaways like Anaheim, Azuza, etc. have some of the most inventive arranging. And "Sidewalk Surfin" is an A side. Weird.

I have to say that at first I found the way they used to re-use their own ideas numerous times (like the first lines of Surf City) almost insufferable. I mean, even Batman has that line, "Gotham City, here they come." Whoever thought Mike Love's citations of past Beach Boys hits could get tedious...
That said, I'm perfectly fine with all that, it just took me a while to get into it.

Re: Compression and Clipping on TLOS - is it that bad? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 02:19 AM CDT

OK... OK... this is odd. Most odd.

Just ripped my sonically challenged CD of TLOS to my iPod... and it's a different beast entirely. Is it possible that the thing was mixed and mastered with download in mind ?  Or did someone send the download master to Europe in error ?

Re: TLOS \ [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 01:54 AM CDT

I know there's some melody and harmony ripped off from it, but does anybody else hear somebody actually saying "Rock, Roll, Rollin' on a riv-ver" in the background of "Goin' Home" near the end?  I think the harmony chant ends up there for a little while... which may mean that Brian actually did finally put "Proud Mary" on one of his albums, lol. 

Yes, hopefully he won't actually feel the need to work anymore on Proud Mary!

Re: BWPS on Vinyl [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 01:38 AM CDT

It's very quiet, I wish LOS was this good in that regard though dynamically it's excellent too.

I think the LP is better than the cd but still not great.  Definitely nowhere near the quality of Smile.  I must say mine is pretty quiet though.  There was some noise at first, but I guess the needle cleaned the grooves out and now after playing it for a couple weeks it plays very quietly.  Maybe a cleaning would help in your case?

(I must add that as a reggae collector, I can state that Jamaica was the worst of all. If you bought a so-called JA pre-release, which always was about twice as expensive as a regular LP, you were happy if the needle did not simply jump out of the grooves altogether. Clicks, hiss, scratches, the lot. I still have to see a completely flat JA LP from the '70s, by the way. What you heard was, beside the music, the sound of burgers being fried as background noise. A friend who visited a JA pressing plant way back then told me how that could happen: outside the factory, in the hot sun, there were a sort of long 'pins' planted in the ground. Newly pressed copies, still lukewarm and not hardened, were placed on that 'needle' with their spindle holes, sometimes 50 copies on each other in the oppressive heat. So often these stuck together and had to be separated again for packaging.)

Oh my god!  That's the most horrendous thing I've ever read.  Shocked

Re: The Lucky Old Sun [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 01:19 AM CDT

A generous 3.5 from me, rounded to a 4.

It's not cringe-inducing (though 'Mexican Girl' comes mighty close).  In fact,  it's surprisingly good.  A little too peppy in places, but hey, the guy's on antidepressants - I guess they work.   However, full enjoyment does require some knowledge of the BB/BW saga, and thus its appeal will ultimately be limited.

I'll take it and be pleased but don't expect me to put it on for friends.

Re: beach boys late 70s christmas album [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 01:17 AM CDT

There's one here:

http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/unreleased.html.

However, I would add the caveat that, since the discovery that the band recorded the holiday songs in tandem with the tracks that wound up on M.I.U (somewhat damaging the previous accepted wisdom that one evolved out of the other), said listing is open to revision. Also, I only know of once source for this line-up.

Re: Brian on Jay Leno [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 01:04 AM CDT

You know what BriMel and Capitol should have done? Get Brian an iPod commercial. Going Home would be perfect for that, I think.

Great idea. Hey, it worked for the Stones & "She's a rainbow" in that one commercial from a few years ago.

It was freaking cool seeing Bob lip synch to "Someday baby" in the iPod ad. And that album wound up being his biggest selling album in years.

beach boys late 70s christmas album [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 12:39 AM CDT

does anyone know the tracklisting for this album? I was thinking of assembling one

That Lucky Old Sun [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 07 Sep 2008 12:37 AM CDT


Discuss & Review Brian's That Lucky Old Sun released in Sept. 2008

Re: The Wilson Brothers picture thread [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 11:56 PM CDT

Brian Douglas Wilson, aka Big Brother, aka "The Genius"


                     


























Re: Jan [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 11:02 PM CDT

Speaking of Jan and Dean...

The only Jan and Dean I have is the two cd All The Hits (from surf city to drag city) comp.  It sounds pretty good.  Is the mono stuff really better than the stereo version.  Some of these stereo versions sound great to me.

Go for the mono if only to hear the songs the way Jan intended them to be heard. Some, if not all of the stereo mixes on the set you have are new mixes, which may be better than the stereo mixes from the 60's, but still sound thin and, well, crappy.

Re: Poor crowd at TLOS USA Premier [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 10:45 PM CDT

Hopefully, there'll be a better turnout in Portland on Sunday night; as of 8:30 Sat night, there are no reserved seats available on the floor and only third row balcony reserved available. GA seem to be the only readily available beyond that.

The only print I saw locally was some tie-in with the Surfrider Foundation (Portland Tribune). Brian hasn't played here since the Smile tour so maybe that will help tomorrow's gate.

Hey Peter Carlin - I hope you provide a review for Rick Emerson's show on 970! (I've grown addicted to listening to Rick's pop culture show).
Most of you probably already know this, but Peter writes a column for the Oregonian, so he'll no doubt be at Sunday night's show.

I hope I can get in touch with Mike Mitchell of the Kingsmen. I know he would want to be there (if he's not out of town on tour). Mike told me several great long stories about the Kingsmen and the BB's sharing a Greyhound tour bus in the summer of '65.

"I had a dream...singing with my brothers..."

Re: The Wilson Brothers picture thread [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 10:42 PM CDT

Thanks for the photos of Carl, Big Grin -- there's even a couple of my own pix of him in that set.  Cool

Re: Poor crowd at TLOS USA Premier [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 10:37 PM CDT

Well it's a lot of things. The economy, lack of promotion, the way Capitol has been promoting the shows etc. The same deal happened when I saw Brian at Bergen PAC in Englewood, NJ. It was VERY little notice on that show. The place and the crowd reminded me something out of a school assembly (not to mention the place looked like my high school auditorium). Plus that show SUCKED. I know a few people that went that disagree but that show was dreadful. Scott was sick from food poisoning, the band had only one small rehersal before the show, and everyone just looked beat.

Generally when I have seen his shows, especially Smile and Pet Sounds, there is close to max crowds for it. The greatest hits shows turn out less people. That is why I am semi surprised about the lack of people there. But at least it was 500 and not 0.

Trust me, this show did not suck.  It was one of Brian's best, and I've been to several shows in both the Bay Area and a few down in LA.  That's the pity of it.  But it was heartening to see how much of his heart and soul Brian put into it despite the small crowd.  And the SF Bay Area is an excellent market for Brian, as Hey Jude mentioned.  If all of his shows haven't been complete sell-outs, they've at least had reasonably good crowds.  Being in that theater was shocking!  Maybe not that important in the grand scheme of things, but I'm not even sure how or why the crowd was that small.  I also think it might have helped if they advertised ticket prices were being cut, as I only accidentally found out by delaying my ticket purchase on the Ticketmaster site itself.  Or get out there and paper the show like the do in places like Las Vegas.  You really don't want reviewers mentioning there were only 500 people in a 3000 seat theater.  I'm sure they could have gone to UC Berkeley, SF State, or Mills College and gotten some takers for free tickets.

Brian Wilson SEALED BEST BUY CD That Lucky Old Sun NEW ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 10:02 PM CDT

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Brian Wilson What I Really Want For Christmas CD ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 09:58 PM CDT

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BRIAN WILSON That Lucky Old Sun [digipak] ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 06:14 PM CDT

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Brian Wilson Beach Boys That Lucky Sun Signed 2 Disc ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 06 Sep 2008 03:06 PM CDT

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