BEACH EROSION: The series of “two-fer” CDs...

BEACH EROSION: The series of “two-fer” CDs offering a duet of Beach Boys albums--plus bonus tracks--on one CD was hailed as a great bargain when it was launched in 1990. Now it’s being deleted in favor of CD reissues of the original Beach Boys catalogue, and Capitol Records is being jeered for the move.

The “two-fers” contained at least an hour of music and sold at the standard CD price of about $14 to $16. In the return to the original configuration, most of the albums are only about half an hour long, with a “mid-line” price of less than $10 in most stores.

Capitol’s official rationale for the change: “The individual albums have never been out on CD,” says Philip Sandhaus, Capitol’s vice president of catalogue development and strategic marketing. “Now the consumer will not be forced to buy two titles at once and can buy the one he or she wants at a lower price. And they’ll be out for the historical value of the titles in their own right.”

Pete Howard, editor of the monthly CD newsletter ICE, says that judging by the fans who have called him, there’s more demand for the “two-fer” bargains than the “historical” reissues. “I don’t think people had the attachment to the Beach Boys albums that way,” he says. “The early albums, in particular, were just singles collections. After offering the ‘two-fers,’ this is a step backward.”

Sandhaus says that the decision to delete the “two-fers” was boosted by the fact that the CDs have not been selling well in the last two years or so. If consumer demand dictates, he says, the format could be revived. He also notes that the return of the original configurations, currently slated for September, will precede more Beach Boys releases, including such “rarities” as a long-discussed CD of the legendary “Smile” sessions, some of which were included in last year’s Beach Boys box set.