Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Musically the best, spoiled only in the detail, 24 Jun 2005
Musically this compilation, which at last puts together all the Beach Boys hits and best known songs from both their surfing days with Capitol and their (slightly) more serious stuff when they left to form their own label Brother, deserves five stars. Even the bad songs were good, and they still sound good today, 30-40 years on.However, in other areas it's not perfect. Although the post-1969 tracks are scheduled chronologically, with one exception, the Capitol ones are all over the place - I wouldn't mind if there was any logic or theme to it, but there isn't, it's just perverse, and irksome. I also wouldn't mind (as much) if the original recording, release or copyright dates were shown in the booklet tracklisting, but instead only the date of the digital remastering is given, which is useless. Nearly all the tracks have been remastered. I was surprised to find that half of the Capitol recordings (including "Good Vibrations") are in mono, and, if you're listening on headphones, you'll notice quite a high level of background hiss on a couple of (the lesser) tracks on CD1. The essay in the booklet is quite general and very sycophantic; I would certainly not call it extensive. My scant knowledge of the Beach Boys, beyond remembering their hits from the 60s, has not been improved. So you see that EMI have tried their hardest to spoil an excellent collection, and it gets one star docked for their trouble. It comes in the old-style double CD jewel case, without a slipcase (which is no loss, actually). If you browse the shops or the Amazon listings, you will see there is no shortage of Beach Boys "Best ofs"; this one is definitely the best and well worth the extra few bob, despite my niggles!
|
|
|
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitive triple CD, 1 Jun 2005
There have been many Beach Boys compilations - single CD's, double CD's and boxed sets. I cannot recall a Beach Boys triple CD compilation previously so this could be the first. Such a compilation may be too much for some casual fans but it does mean that there is room for every hit, however minor, together with a few choice album tracks. I notice that no tracks are included from their album of duets with country stars (Stars and stripes) although this does not surprise me - still, it would have nice to see one track here. Their UK hit duets with the Fat Boys (Wipe out) and Status Quo (Fun fun fun) are here. Most of the tracks are from their peak years in the sixties but all the essential later tracks are here.So many of their songs are well known, and not just to those who were raised on this music, but to people of all ages. Part of the reason may be that surf music is inextricably linked with the sixties - you won't find any modern equivalent. Here you get the classic songs they wrote themselves - California girls, Fun fun fun, Good vibrations, Little deuce coupe, God only knows, Darlin', I get around and Wouldn't it be nice to name just a few - together with songs that they covered in their own unique way - Do you wanna dance, Then I kissed her, Sloop John B and Cotton fields. Though they weren't UK hits, it's great to see Beach Boys classics such as Don't worry baby, In my room, Little Honda, Little deuce coup, Wendy, All summer long, and Warmth of the sun all included. The classic Pet souds album is also well-represented. I don't mind whether compilations are presented chronologically or not but it can be confusing when (as here) the order is approximately chronological. You may look at the track listing and think that something is missing when it's simply been moved to somewhere you wouldn't expect to see it. There have been plenty of compilations of their music down the years and will be many more. This particular compilation includes every UK hit (however minor) and every important American hit (I haven't checked if all the minor American hits are here). If you have bought other Beach Boys compilations only to discover that one of your favorites is omitted, this may solve your problem while avoiding the need for a boxed set. You can replace all your previous compilations with this one.
|
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great track selection-- but what about the sound??, 7 Mar 2008
I eagerly purchased this CD because AT LAST it looked to supercede all others. It contained the late 60's- early 70's singles (Long Promised Road, Student Demonstration Time etc.) which had been omitted from other compilations.
What I wasn't prepared for and no other reviewers seem so far to have mentioned, was the SOUND! I dug out a previous "best of" and played "Do it Again", then the ORIGINAL vinyl 45 of the same, then (one more time again!) played THIS recording and the piercing, ear splittingly THIN sound was unlistenable beyond a moderately low volume. WHAT a dsappointment!
So yes, at last- all the good stuff on one reasonably priced 3-cd set,but seemingly at the expense of the overall sound. I would be interested to know what others who have several different copies of particular tracks think.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
~ Mamas & Papas
~ Fleet Foxes
~ The Beach Boys
~ Simon & Garfunkel
See all 20 tracks on this disc
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). 
Amazon Home