Buttmunker

On all the popular lists that come out, only Pet Sounds (1966) by The Beach Boys is ever the stand-out album. You never see Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) or Little Deuce Coupe on the lists, despite these being bigger sellers than Pet Sounds.

I know that Pet Sounds has inspired many bands - but why? Because of the wonderful musical arrangements (which were done by studio musicians, I might add) written by brain-child Brian Wilson? Is it the rich harmonies (which were done by The Beach Boys)?

If Pet Sounds didn't exist, if it were never recorded...if Brian Wilson had died at the end of 1965 and they never recorded another album after Beach Boys Party!, what album would be their legacy? Would they even have a legacy, since Pet Sounds seems to overshadow everything prior to and post?

cungar

I have listened to Pet Sounds about 20 times and for the life of me cannot figure out why the album is considered a classic. Most of it is sappy, syruppy pop. Plus it's always bugged me that it was a bunch of hired stuidio musicians playing and not the Beach Boys. The Beatles never had to do that.

Of course Wouldn't it be Nice and God Only Knows are classic but the rest puts me to sleep.

nothingfails

^ what's so bad about pop music? Everyone always looks down on it, The Beach Boys are one of the greatest pop bands of all time and that music is timeless. Growing up in the 80's and 90's, I thought of them as a bunch of tacky old men who desperately want to hang onto their youth even tho they were pushing 50, but once I listened to the classics and realized Brian Wilson was the genius of the band, I *got* it

Pet Sounds is a brilliant album, and I can only imagine how the album would've sounded in 1966

In regards to the original post, "Today" did make the Rolling Stone 500 albums list, which was one of three Beach Boys albums do to do, the third was Sunflower.

wendersfan

It's likely Pet Sounds wouldn't be considered so extraordinary if they had released Smile.

majorjoe23

[QUOTE=Buttmunker] Because of the wonderful musical arrangements (which were done by studio musicians, I might add) written by brain-child Brian Wilson? /QUOTE]

Pet Sounds was Wilson's brain-child. Were you meaning to call him a man-child or something?

Buttmunker

I meant to refer to him as a whiz-kid. In ways, he was definitely a man-child, alas...

An4h0ny

it's kind of the 'citizen kane' of pop music

it was a revelation when it came out due to the pioneering recording techniques and production involved. the way it sounded was very unlike previous popular music and had such a profound and lasting effect on other musicians that it transformed the medium itself... which meant a lot of music to come after it incorporated similar techniques, and therefore a lot of popular music later in the sixties, VERY popular music took on similar qualities

by design, it seems less 'special' or revolutionary b/c so much of what later generations heard before they got around to listening to Pet Sounds (most especially The Beatles) was a direct result of what Brian and the Beach Boys did in 1966

they built the foundation of the musical house that nurtured and inspired many of the most talented and famous musicians of the later 20th century, and beyond.

nothingfails

I don't think people mind that PS has a lot of session musicians because I think for many people, Brian Wilson IS The Beach Boys. Notice that his solo tours do better business than the abomination called "The Beach Boys" which is really just Mike Love.

Groucho

I like their song about surfing. And that other one, about cars.

Buttmunker

I always wondered why Brian still distances himself from touring with Mike Love and The Beach Boys...its not as though Brian is still afraid of touring, since he does his solo thing...

Buttmunker

All of that is true. Yet the album only peaked at #10 on the album chart when it was released. It was not a bestseller at the time, and Brian Wilson was very disillusioned by the initial result. In hindsight, of course, I'm sure he's estastic, but I think that the poor response to Pet Sounds led to the demise of the SmiLe album.

Now, had Good Vibrations been included on Pet Sounds, well...

whaaat

edit: I answered before I read the first post. If we're keeping to pre-Pet Sounds albums only, then I'll say Today! (side 2 is basically side 3 of Pet Sounds).

whaaat

I hope that one day the legal hurdles can be cleared to release a box set of SMiLE sessions, a la the Pet Sounds box.

nothingfails

what is keeping the original Smile from coming out officially? I mean, you can find it on torrent sites

macnorton

I agree with the statement that Pet Sounds is the "Citizen Kane of pop music". And with that, like Citizen Kane, opinions are going to differ. Some say "Casablanca" is a better film or in the music case Sgt. Pepper is better. I suppose it comes down to a matter of opinion.

However to answer the question, it comes down to, at least for me, how it is sequenced. It kind of has this up and down effect for me...and it really works quite well. But the whole package start to finish is simply fantastic. It is one of this albums where you can't exactly describe why it is perfect, you just know.

foofighters7

I love Pet Sounds, but I think it isnt as great as everyone builds it up to be. Rubber Soul or Revolver are far superior IMO.. BUT, I think it was the one album that COULD have been Astounding but just wasnt given the time.
I think Smile could have been amazing.

I do love Pet Sounds.. certainly their best.

wendersfan

I've never understood the love for Pet Sounds. IMO it's massively overrated and full of mediocre songs. I also think the same of Sgt. Pepper.

nothingfails

^ I agree (this was FooFighters post I meant), plus who cares if the album is "pop"?

There are a lot of "rock masterpieces" that I just don't get, ala Back In Black or Exile On Main Street (and I am someone who GETS the hype for Sticky Fingers and Let It Bleed) but it seems like there's always so much snobbery against pop music and pop artists in general here. Notice the opinions towards Madonna in general here for example.

Andalusia

That, or you'd have people thinking The Beach Boys had fallen off. I dig "Smile", but I personally think it's a step down from "Pet Sounds".

wendersfan

See, I totally "get" Exile but don't care much for Sticky Fingers, and I really only like side one of Let It Bleed.

Also, I'm fine with "pop". I have no snobbery where that's concerned.

cungar

Agreed. Rubber Soul and Revolver both have 8-10 all time classic songs.

Pet Sounds has 2.

macnorton

Wow, I find Let It Bleed to be better than both of those. However they are #2 and #3 after Let It Bleed For...my opinion of course.

And I am not sold on Smile being better. Granted the Brian Wilson release is great, but I do wonder what might have been. And until I know, Pet Sounds will be the best.

Gerry P.

It was never completed.

What was recorded can be found on various official releases.

chino77

i really dont like the beach boys but "wouldnt it be nice" is one of the best pop songs of all time. that song kicks so much ass it isnt funny.

Cathepsin

Pet Sounds remains the Beach Boys' most notorious album because of the story of Brian Wilson and the recording of Smile. Wilson's meltdown colors the Beach Boys' mythology as much as Syd Barrett's meltdown colors the Pink Floyd mythology.

I can understand why Pet Sounds can be hard to get into. One of the biggest reasons is the lyrics, which have an almost pre-adolescent viewpoint. Wouldn't It Be Nice, for instance, has lyrics like "Wouldn't it be nice if we were older, than we wouldn't have to wait so long" and "We could be married and then we'd be happy." You might expect to hear this song played at a church virginity pledge ceremony, maybe back to back with God Only Knows. So lyrically, it's a pretty square album; I don't think kids were waiting that long even in 1965. As a concept album, I prefer Zappa and the Mothers' Freak Out! For Beach Boys albums, I prefer Surf's Up, but I also really like the Brian Wilson Smile recording of a few years ago.

I think the poll presents a pretty good consensus that the really good early Beach Boys albums as albums are Today and All Summer Long.