By Lee Dempsey
In addition to the much-reviewed premium DSS One-Step mono-only release (see my detailed review in the Fall 2026 issue of ESQ), Universal / Capitol released a 2-LP Vinylphyle 60th Anniversary edition of Pet Sounds, presenting both the mono and stereo mixes in one high-quality package. These LPs were mastered at Sterling Sound in Nashville by Joe Nino-Hermes (note: Sterling Sound, where the DSS One-Step was also mastered, is notable for its all-analog vinyl cutting process). The very flat and quiet (except perhaps for a minor amount of swishing at the end of each side) 180-gram records were pressed at RTI in California, one of the best pressing plants in the world. The gatefold cover is sturdy and of the same quality and weight as the cover for the DSS One-Step, and the records are packaged in rice paper sleeves like the One-Step. A bonus is a 4-page insert with liner notes by Howie Edelson, and full-size color photos of the mono and stereo tape boxes.
The source for the mono LP is Capitol’s New York 15 inches-per second, full-track mono tape copy from 1966. This is considered the best available 1960’s-era tape source, with the Los Angeles master unfortunately compromised due to excessive wear from decades of use. The source for the stereo is a new 30 inches-per-second, ½-inch analog tape copy, created by Nino-Hermes from Mark Linett’s first-generation 1996 15 inches-per second Dolby SR-encoded stereo master. The stereo can never be considered a pure-analog release, as the 1996 stereo mix was created in the digital domain and then mastered to analog tape.
Compared to the DSS One-Step, the Vinylphyle mono has heavier bass, slightly recessed midrange in the vocal range, and not as much high-end air – but the presentation is still very pleasant. In fact, to my aging ears, the Vinylphyle mono and stereo are sonically very close to the much-heralded 2015 Analogue Productions 33 1/3 RPM issues, except for perhaps a slight bit of high-end sparkle. In my opinion, however, they do fall short of the detail of the superb Analogue Productions 45 RPM 200g issues, which are still my reference copies. The Analogue Productions 33 1/3 LPs are still in print as 180g pressings, but a set of those will cost you $80 (2x$40) US today. So the $54.98 US price of the Vinylphyle is a cost-effective way to get high-quality 180g vinyl pressings of the mono and stereo mixes in one well-crafted package. The first pressing is sold out, but as of this writing, a second pressing was due on September 3rd, and can be purchased on thebeachboys.com and udiscovermusic.com.
© 2026 Lee Dempsey and Endless Summer Quarterly/All Rights Reserved