[78-L] Beach Boys 78

[Cary Ginell]

Just got my Beach Boys 78 set in the mail. Here are a few observations, some of which have already been mentioned.

1. The album came sealed, with a sticker on the shrink wrap that said "RecordStoreDay.com exclusive." 
2. There was a price tag of $11.99 on the set, showing that most mark-ups on eBay are at least 200% (not unusual). The problem would have been to find a copy in a record store that was carrying it before supplies ran out. To me, to avoid that kind of trouble was well worth the extra $14 I paid for it (I paid $26.03 on eBay).
3. The cover packaging ain't cheap. It's a solid blue/purple background with gold foil stamp for the lettering. This process is usually charged according the "area" utilized," and there is a good deal of it, with all the radiating daggers pointing at the words "The Beach Boys." This isn't an embossing job, which would have been even more expensive, but gold foil certainly demands a premium. Since I worked in the print world, I know how much this can add to the cost of a cover.
4. The back cover has a minimum of information, none of which (except for the issue number - in my case, 4495) is printed in gold foil. The words are merely printed with a similar color. The stylized word "Smile" is printed on the back. The package came with a 4 3/4" square paper insert that reads: "Smile" (in the same font as "The Beach Boys" on the cover) Coming Soon" in red lettering. Production is credited to Michael Murphy. Art direction and design by Tom Recchion.
5. The label is LP sized - four inches in diameter - but the logo is the same as for Capitol 78s of the 1950s.
6. The background color of the first disc - with the issued takes of "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes & Villains" - is a dull dark purple, the color and the font style used similar to those used on 78s in the 1950s. 
7. The background color of the second disc - with an "early take" of "Good Vibrations" and an "alternate take" of "Heroes and Villains" - is black, the color and the font used similar to the design used on Capitol 78s of the mid-1940s. 
8. All four sides are monophonic. The discs are housed in plain white heavy paper inner sleeves with die cuts for the labels. There is no writing of any kind on the sleeves. 
9. The spine has the record number, artist name, song titles, and Capitol logo all printed in the gold foil stamp.
10. Etched in the run-off grooves on the first disc are the words "Jump In The Pig Pen" ("Vibrations" released side) and "Next Time I'll Take My Shoes Off" ("Heroes" released side). 
11. Etched in the run-off grooves on the second disc are the words "Hit the Dirt, Do Two and a Half" ("Vibrations" early take side) and "Next Time I'll Leave My Hat Off" ("Heroes" alternate side)
(Note: these are lines taken from the lyrics from the Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks song "Barnyard")
12. The copyright info on Disc 1 is written on the lower perimeter of the label (9:00 to 3:00). On Disc 2, it is on the upper perimeter of the label, with the "Unauthorized use" disclaimer running across the bottom. Copyright date on Disc 1 is 1966. Copyright date on Disc 2 is 1990. 
13. It's very weird hearing "Good Vibrations" on a 78. The sound on my system is excellent, with a much better bass response than on my 45 version.
14. On the song "Heroes and Villains," the words "sunny down snuff" have excessive sibilance distortion, much moreso than on either my vinyl or CD copies of the song. 
15. The "early take" of "Good Vibrations" includes what sounds like a jews harp in the mix.
16. I really enjoyed hearing the alternate "Heroes & Villains" scat chorus. This side also has some excessive sibilance distortion. The "alternate take" is markedly different from the released version. Sounds like they patched together several different takes, but I can't be certain.
17. Both sides play well with my microgroove 1.1 mm stylus.
18. Vinyl appears to be good quality - rigid, not "dynoflop" quality. And plays very quietly. 
19. I have no way of knowing at what speed the record plays since I don't have the kind of turntable that registers actual speed.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. 

Cary Ginell