The Beach Boys – Sunflower (1970) [APO Remaster 2016] MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Sunflower (1970) [APO Remaster 2016]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 & DST 4.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 37:01 minutes | Scans included | 2,63 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 697 MB

After Reprise rejected what was to be their debut album for the label, the Beach Boys re-entered the studio to begin work on what would become a largely different set of songs. The results signaled a creative rebirth for the band, a return to the beautiful harmonies and orchestral productions of their classic mid-’60s material. Though the songwriting didn’t quite reach the high quality of “California Girls” or “God Only Knows,” Sunflower showed the Beach Boys truly working as a band, and doing so better than they ever had in the past (or would in the future). Many of the songs were co-compositions, and the undeniable songwriting and performance talents of Dennis Wilson and Bruce Johnston were finally allowed to flourish: Dennis contributed “Slip On Through,” “Forever,” and “Got to Know the Woman,” while Bruce wrote “Deirdre” and “Tears in the Morning.” After a succession of spare, unadorned lead vocals on rock-oriented albums like Wild Honey and 20/20, Sunflower returned the Beach Boys to gorgeous vocal harmonies on the tracks “Add Some Music to Your Day,” “Cool, Cool Water,” and “This Whole World.” And the arrangements, tight and inventive, showed Brian Wilson once again back near the top of his game (though the production is credited to the entire band). Sunflower is also a remarkably cohesive album, something not seen from the Beach Boys since Pet Sounds. As with that album, Sunflower earned critical raves in Britain but was virtually ignored in America.

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The Beach Boys – Smiley Smile (1967) [APO Remaster 2016] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Smiley Smile (1967) [APO Remaster 2016]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 Stereo & Mono 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 27:40/27:48 minutes | Scans included | 2,23 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | MONO | 27:48 mins | Full Scans included | 468 MB
Mastered for this SACD by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio

After the much-discussed, uncompleted Smile project – which was supposed to take the innovations of Pet Sounds to even grander heights – collapsed, the Beach Boys released Smiley Smile in its place. (To clarify much confusion: Smiley Smile is an entirely different piece of work than Smile would have been, although some material that ended up on Smiley Smile would have most likely been used on Smile. Also, much of Smiley Smile was in fact recorded after the Smile sessions had ceased.) For fans expecting something along the lines of Sgt. Pepper (and there were many of them), Smiley Smile was a major disappointment, replacing psychedelic experimentation with spare, eccentric miniatures. Heard now, outside of such unrealistic expectations, it’s a rather nifty, if rather slight, effort that’s plenty weird – in fact, often downright goofy – despite Brian Wilson’s retreat from both avant pop and active leadership of the group. “Wind Chimes,” “Wonderful,” “Vegetables,” and much of the rest is low-key psychedelic quirkiness, with abundant fine harmonies and unusual arrangements. The standouts, nonetheless, were two recent hit singles in which Brian Wilson’s ambitions were still intact: the inscrutable mini-opera “Heroes and Villains,” and the number one hit “Good Vibrations,” one of the few occasions where the group managed to be recklessly experimental and massively commercial at the same time.

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The Beach Boys – Shut Down Volume 2 (1964) [APO Remaster 2015] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Shut Down Volume 2 (1964) [APO Remaster 2015]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 Stereo & Mono 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 27:34 / 27:52 minutes | Scans included | 2,06 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Stereo | 25:35 mins | Full Scans included | 483 MB

Shut Down Volume 2 is the fifth studio album by the Beach Boys, and the first of three they would release in 1964. Shut Down Volume 2 reached number 13 in the US charts during a chart stay of 38 weeks. The “Volume 2” in the album title refers to a multi-artist album featuring and named for the Beach Boys’ song “Shut Down”, released eight months earlier by the band’s label.

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The Beach Boys – Little Deuce Coupe (1963) [APO Remaster 2015] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Little Deuce Coupe (1963) [APO Remaster 2015]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 Stereo & Mono 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 25:06 minutes | Scans included | 2,06 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Stereo only | Full Scans included | 483 MB

Little Deuce Coupe is the fourth studio album by the Beach Boys, and third overall LP release within 1963. Despite the potential for over-saturating the record market, Little Deuce Coupe was a success, reaching number four in the United States during a 46-week chart stay, and eventually certified platinum by the RIAA. Because it largely deals with cars as a subject matter, some observers have retroactively cited Little Deuce Coupe as an early example of what would become known as a concept album.

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The Beach Boys – Holland (1973) [APO Remaster 2016] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Holland (1973) [APO Remaster 2016]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 54:01 minutes | Scans included | 2,19 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 982 MB
Mastered for this SACD by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio

The surprisingly weak result of a concerted effort by both band and label to push the Beach Boys back into the Top 40 (they succeeded, barely), Holland continued the muddy sound of Carl and the Passions – So Tough. The highlights here – Carl’s “The Trader,” Brian’s “Sail on, Sailor” and “Funky Pretty” – are marginally better than their immediate predecessors, though “Leavin’ This Town” (from recent addition Blondie Chaplin) is rather tiresome. Also, Al Jardine and Mike Love’s three-part “California Saga” shows the effects of their environmentalist spirituality left to bake in the sun a few minutes too long (though the conclusion, “California,” is a solid return to the harmony-laden sun-and-surf ’60s). “Only with You” is yet another tender ballad given an excellent reading by Carl.

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The Beach Boys – Smiley Smile (1967) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Smiley Smile (1967) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 27:44 minutes | Scans included |1,12 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 465 MB

After the much-discussed, uncompleted Smile project — which was supposed to take the innovations of Pet Sounds to even grander heights — collapsed, the Beach Boys released Smiley Smile in its place. (To clarify much confusion: Smiley Smile is an entirely different piece of work than Smile would have been, although some material that ended up on Smiley Smile would have most likely been used on Smile. Also, much of Smiley Smile was in fact recorded after the Smile sessions had ceased.) For fans expecting something along the lines of Sgt. Pepper (and there were many of them), Smiley Smile was a major disappointment, replacing psychedelic experimentation with spare, eccentric miniatures. Heard now, outside of such unrealistic expectations, it’s a rather nifty, if rather slight, effort that’s plenty weird — in fact, often downright goofy — despite Brian Wilson’s retreat from both avant pop and active leadership of the group. “Wind Chimes,” “Wonderful,” “Vegetables,” and much of the rest is low-key psychedelic quirkiness, with abundant fine harmonies and unusual arrangements. The standouts, nonetheless, were two recent hit singles in which Brian Wilson’s ambitions were still intact: the inscrutable mini-opera “Heroes and Villains,” and the number one hit “Good Vibrations,” one of the few occasions where the group managed to be recklessly experimental and massively commercial at the same time.

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The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 36:25 minutes | Scans included | 1,47 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 625 MB

The best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn’t have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group’s most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” “Caroline No,” and “Sloop John B” (the last of which wasn’t originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as “You Still Believe in Me,” “Don’t Talk,” “I Know There’s an Answer,” and “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times.” It’s often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). Massively influential upon its release (although it was a relatively low seller compared to their previous LPs), it immediately vaulted the band into the top level of rock innovators among the intelligentsia, especially in Britain, where it was a much bigger hit.

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The Beach Boys – Today! (1965) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Today! (1965) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 29:08 minutes | Scans included | 1,18 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 515 MB

Brian Wilson’s retirement from performing to concentrate on studio recording and production reaped immediate dividends with Today!, the first Beach Boys album that is strong almost from start to finish. “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Do You Wanna Dance” were upbeat hits with Spector-influenced arrangements, but Wilson began to deal with more sophisticated themes on another smash 45, “When I Grow Up,” on which these eternal teenagers looked forward to the advancing years with fear and uncertainty. Surf/hot rod/beach themes were permanently retired in favor of late-adolescent, early-adult romance on this album, which included such decent outings in this vein as “She Knows Me Too Well,” “Kiss Me Baby,” and “In the Back of My Mind.” The true gem is “Please Let Me Wonder,” one of the group’s most delicate mid-’60s works, with heartbreaking melodies and harmonies. Be aware that the version of “Help Me, Rhonda” found here is an inferior, earlier, and slower rendition; the familiar hit single take was included on their next album, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).

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The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights!) (1965) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights!) (1965) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 26:56 minutes | Scans included | 1,09 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 458 MB

Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) was a bit of a regression from the success of Today!, lapsing back into that distressing division between first-rate cuts and lightweight also-rans that characterized their pre-1965 albums. The difference is that the very best tracks were operating on a more sophisticated level than the 1962-1964 classics. “Help Me, Rhonda” was a number one single and would be their last Top 40 exercise in sheer fun for a while. More impressive was “California Girls,” with its symphonic arrangement, glorious harmonies, and archetypal statement of Californian lifestyle. On the other hand, subpar efforts like “Amusement Park U.S.A.” and “Salt Lake City,” throwbacks to the empty-headed summer filler of previous days, will necessitate that the CD remote button remains close at hand. The answer song “The Girl From New York City” and the cover “Then I Kissed Her” are well done but don’t break new ground. Yet a couple of cuts are among their most essential LP-only efforts. “Let Him Run Wild” is a soulful ballad with a great Brian Wilson falsetto vocal. “Girl Don’t Tell Me,” with its gorgeous melody, fine lead vocal debut from Carl Wilson, and subtle depiction of romantic rejection and disappointment, may be the best obscure pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys track.

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The Beach Boys – Shut Down Vol.2 (1964) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Shut Down Vol.2 (1964) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 27:29 minutes | Scans included | 1.11 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 529 MB

Another erratic early album from the Beach Boys; few other rock LPs have such a wide gap between the best and worst material. On the good side, you have absolute classics in the Chuck Berry-ish “Fun, Fun, Fun” and the superb “Don’t Worry Baby,” one of the most advanced pop productions of 1964 with its breathtaking harmonies and unusual lyric. “The Warmth of the Sun” is one of the most melodic (and melancholic) ballads they ever recorded, and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” is one of their best oldies covers. Yet the rest reduces the oceanic scale of the classics to dishwater, whether they’re throwaway hot rod tunes and instrumentals, innocuous high-school romantic ditties, or a soulless cover of “Louie Louie.” When this album hit the racks in early 1964, the Beatles were proving that you could make LPs that were all killer, no filler; the Beach Boys would soon be forced to up their ante.

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The Beach Boys – All Summer Long (1964) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – All Summer Long (1964) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 25:49 minutes | Scans included | 1,04 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 529 MB

The best pre-1965 Beach Boys album featured their brilliant number one single “I Get Around,” as well as other standout cuts in the beautifully sad “Wendy,” “Little Honda” (one of their best hot rod tunes, covered by the Hondells for a hit), and their remake of the late-’50s doo wop classic “Hushabye.” The nostalgic “All Summer Long,” another great production, seemed (whether intentionally or not) like a sort of farewell to the frivolous California beach culture that had supplied the lyrical grist for most of their music up to this point, with a longing, regretful chorus that was totally at odds with the bouncy arrangement. Other relatively little-known treasures are the sumptuous ballad “Girls on the Beach,” with some of their best early harmonizing, and “Don’t Back Down,” with uncommonly anxious lyrics. You can’t give an unqualified high rating, however, to an album that also contained such disposable filler as the “Our Favorite Recording Sessions” comedy bit and “Do You Remember?,” a “let’s-pay-tribute-to-rock’s-early-days” number with a sh*t-eating grin wide enough to qualify as an oldies radio ID jingle.

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The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966/2015/2017) DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966/2015/2017)
DSD64 (.dsf) 1 bit/2,82 MHz | Time – 1:14:41 minutes | 2,94 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/176,4 kHz | Time – 1:14:41 minutes | 3,25 GB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: AcousticSounds | Artwork: Digital Booklet,  Front Cover
Genre: Rock, Pop | ©  Analogue Productions

Pet Sounds is famous for its use of multiple layers of unorthodox instrumentation as well as other cutting edge audio techniques for its time. It’s considered the best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. It’s been ranked No. 1 in several music magazines’ lists of the greatest albums of all time, including NME, The Times and Mojo Magazine. It was ranked No. 2 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

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The Beach Boys – Beach Boys’ Party! (1965/2015/2017) DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

The Beach Boys – Beach Boys’ Party! (1965/2015/2017)
DSD64 (.dsf) 1 bit/2,82 MHz | Time – 31:07 minutes | 2,46 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 31:07 minutes | 1,18 GB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: AcousticSounds | Artwork: Digital Booklet,  Front Cover
Genre: Rock, Pop | ©  Analogue Productions

Released in November 1965 as a filler to meet Christmas demand, the Beach Boys convened in the studio with some friends, some acoustic instruments and a batch of cover songs to record this album intended to sound like there was a party going on. The covers include several songs by the Beatles, a Bob Dylan tune, some vintage rock ‘n’ roll and a version of Barbara Ann by The Regents, a surprise hit single for the Beach Boys that peaked at number two in the US and number three in the UK. This version contains both the mono and stereo mixes of the album.

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The Beach Boys & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

The Beach Boys & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 54:01 minutes | 1,12 GB | Genre: Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Capitol Records

This album combines the brilliant original vocal harmonies of The Beach Boys’ beloved classics with brand new symphonic arrangements performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, creating a unique and special experience of these iconic songs. 17 tracks produced by Nick Patrick and Don Reedman. Executive produced by Jerry Schilling. Orchestra conducted by Sally Herbert and Steve Sidwell and recorded by Peter Cobbin at Abbey Road Studio 2.

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The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys In Concert (1973/2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys In Concert (1973/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:14:20 minutes | 2,60 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Capitol Records

Although somewhat unimaginatively titled, 1973’s Beach Boys in Concert is significantly more than a hastily compiled live collection of hits. To the contrary, the set includes highlights from the band’s earliest sides (“Surfer Girl”) through to the groundbreaking Smile era (“Good Vibrations” and “Heroes and Villains”) as well as more concurrent material (“Sail On Sailor” and “Marcella”). These are complemented by a generous representation of deeper cuts including “You Still Believe in Me” from Pet Sounds, “Let the Wind Blow” from Wild Honey (1968), as well as later tracks like “Leaving This Town” and “Funky Pretty.” The song “We Got Love” was originally recorded and penciled in for inclusion on Holland, but the laid-back rocker didn’t make that release and instead makes its debut here.

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