The Beach Boys Album: “US Singles Collection Box: The Capitol Years 1962-1965”

A lot of fun for the serious fan of Brian Wilson and his band. This collection is worth the price to hear "She Knows Me Too Well" in stereo. Nicely packaged. If you do not have California Girls and Please Let Me Wonder in stereo these are included here as well. When I first saw this I thought it was a gimmick that I didn't need until I realized that there were new stereo mixes involved. If only it could include a full stereo mix of I Get Around and for the next set Good Vibrations. But if you want to see how the band emerged singles-wise, this is pretty cool.

Am I the only one who noticed that the stereo mix of she knows me so well is missing the guitar and doubled vocal tracks? Someone really missed the boat here. If those elements are missing, then it should be mentioned somewhere as it is in Pet Sounds. Also, the remixes are not faithful to the e.q. of the mono mixes. I shouldn't complain, but if you're going to do it, Capitol, do it right.

Most of the good and bad of this singles collection has already been mentioned by other reviewers

1st- the Production is the best, the Studio, and Engerning- produced a Capitol is absolute incredible (thanks, Brian and Chuck--just compare the Litte Deuce Coupe CD (orig 1963)-Stereo and Mono to the way overrated Beatles Box (ST and Mono for 1963-65)

I am a STEREO person- If there is a great stereo mix it needs to get out now once and for all

If "Dance, Dance, Dance" for the Great "Beach Boys Today" LP can come out in STEREO then why can't the full CD, etc.

I would recommend to Capitol to get out now (before us original BB fans hit 70) to put together a final and complete STEREO BOX SET----this could also include rarities (I have several true unreleased stereo versions of H & V, for example)-

How can they put our for the umteenth time Good Vibrations outakes (some 12-14 inst inst breaks, etc.) and a STEREO backing track without A Full stereo- It would do just as much justice to the song as the Pet Sounds CD.-

I would not put a 2nd singles box- for $100 bucks- we have all that- If necessary- they could just sequence it as it came out as singles

Maybe when Capitol hears what the real fans want- they will do this- but, if we keep buying their stuff alike this Singles Box- They will keep putting out them- We need to decide what we want

and that can only occur by determining what we buy and they will change in a heart beat- because it is all about money and they need to make some on a product like this and only we can determine that

Billy Boy

If you're a serious Beach Boys fan, then this Singles box set if for you. I've struggled a long time to assemble my own set of the mono Beach Boys singles and it's not easy. This set makes it all perfect. The original mono mixes for the singles (and one EP) and then bonus tracks of stereo mixes or other rarities. Plus reproductions of all the single picture sleeves. I do wish they had included The Beach Boys first single on the Candix label as a bonus disc. I can't wait for Volume 2 which should include Caroline No as released by Brian Wilson.

Also I can only hope that this set is a template for a possible release of The Beatles' singles on Capital Records.

It's absolutely disgraceful how Capitol treats its Beach Boys fans regarding the release of their stereo mixes. Every few years we have to purchase yet another redundant collection of songs just to get a few new songs in stereo. Last year it was "The Warmth of the Sun" (You're So Good To Me, All Summer Long), in 2001 it was "Hawthorne,CA" (Heroes and Villains, Dance Dance Dance), in 1998 it was "Endless Harmony" (California Girls), in 1996 it was "Pet Sounds", and on and on. This latest collection is the most absurd yet: $132.98 for two new stereo mixes (When I Grow Up To Be A Man and She Knows Me Too Well). At this rate the stereo Good Vibrations will cost $10,000 in 2025!! There's no reason (other than greed) why they couldn't have included "I Get Around" and "Help Me Rhonda" in stereo here as well. Bootlegs of these recordings exist with just one or two overdubs missing. There are many good homemade stereo versions of Good Vibrations out there on the web. PLEASE, Capitol, release these recordings while we are all still alive to buy them!!