Pet Sounds

Imagine making this masterpiece and later having people scream “Kokomo!” at you at every single show you play for forty years straight until you die, when you then have people scream “Kokomo!” at you in the afterlife for all eternity. Sometimes I get very sad.

Fucking nightmare. Too much sound. Everytime I start to like it someone goes 'oooohhh woooooo' and then a horn starts honking

wouldn't it be nice to fuck off

Out of over a thousand possiblities I get an album I've already listened to, hahah Pet Sounds is great but I slightly prefer The Beach Boys Today Post-listen again: OK PET SOUNDS IS A FUCKING MASTERPIECE I TAKE IT BACK

OK, OK, we get it: it’s one of the greatest albums of all time, it redefined pop music, without it there’d be no Sgt. Pepper, it still has a hold on indie bands today. But one of the biggest cliches of all is that “Pet Sounds” was the very first concept album. Actually, that one is true… but I’m here to tell you that, in fifty-eight years, nobody has realised what this concept actually is. Here is the defining thesis you will ever read on this album: it’s literally an album of pet sounds, with each song being the sound made by a different pet. Hear me out… “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is naive and childlike, obsessed with the idea of love as much as love itself. It represents a couple of young rabbits bounding through a garden to their coital hutch. Stay with me. “You Still Believe In Me” is hymnal, majestic and graceful, with a wordless sequence gliding up octaves like water. You guessed it: it’s the sound of a fish tank. “That’s Not Me” is a restless piece of self-analysis about returning home after prowling around alone. Only a cat could be such a self-empowered and independent pet. “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)” is stirring, gentle, reassuring, moving at a crawling pace. It’s the sound of a particularly loving tortoise. Listen to that insistent pounding of the snare drum in “I’m Waiting for the Day”. Those needy lyrics. That lolloping rhythm. Definitely a doting Labrador pup. “Let’s Go Away for a While” is a tricky one, because it’s totally non-verbal, punctuated by delicate vibraphone and a yearning for some faraway climate. So probably newts. “Sloop John B” is a Bahamian folk classic reimagined, familiar words and melodies repackaged into busy, chattering vocal arrangements. It’s clearly a cage of budgies. Still with me? Good. Opening the second side is “God Only Knows”: an achingly sincere, classic outpouring of love that could only come from a dog. “Dog” is even in the title if you look closely: in the tradition of the 1960’s, it’s a hidden backwards message because that’s cool and clever to do. “I Know There’s An Answer” addresses a crowd of idle, self-isolated time-wasters in their safety zones. A tripped-out rooster addresses the sheep in the pen, and a duck supplies the bass harmonica solo. “Here Today” is bold and brassy, reflecting on a failed relationship, a tad confrontational, not afraid to butt heads. Just like a pen of wizened goats. In “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”, things get all existential, with a misplaced protagonist and the use of a theremin! Who is this? The poor seal, a circus pet, juggling his day away, yearning for a time when he can get on with his bloody life. And then in the title track, “Pet Sounds”, the whole damn cast return in harmony for a final instrumental, taking their bows before… “Caroline, No”. Mournful, elegiac and utterly beautiful, with a train crossing thrown in at the end for good measure. Here, the perspective shifts to the owner as his beloved prize pony, Caroline, becomes roadkill. And there you have it. “Pet Sounds” will never be the same to you again. I’m available for any lectures or birthday parties.

I first listened to this album a few years ago, and remember not liking it. When this album came up on this list, as I knew it would, I hoped that with my expectations lowered it would be an improvement for me. It wasn’t. The album was full of midtempo tracks that were neither particularly rocking or particularly chill. I don’t like Brian Wilson’s voice when he sings with more drawn out notes. The reputation of this album proceeded it, but it just wasn’t for me. My personal enjoyment: 1.5/5 Did it belong on this list: 5/5

I hear (and see) Pet Sounds as a pure Masterpiece. It is my belief that it has some of the best music the band ever created...lovely, catchy, and experimental. The Beach Boys were in major transition and Brian Wilson was insisting on pushing the envelope in writing and instrumentation. Some of the sounds on the record are quite raw and wild, and while the rest of the band wasn't feeling it, Wilson's mental health imbalances and his creative genius combined were strong contributors to making sure this piece of art was recorded as it was. I am so grateful that I was able to take my mom to Milwaukee to see Brian Wilson and his band (including original member, Al Jardine) perform Pet Sounds in its entirety a few years back. We were overjoyed. We were choked up often. The album live was gorgeous! The second half of the show was a long line of Beach Boys hits written by Brian. We sang along and smiled at each other often. I'll never forget it. Only a few years prior, I witnessed the entire band perform at Bonnaroo. The crowd was nuts and hundreds of massive beach balls were flying overhead. This was a time that the ego of Mike Love and mental health of Brian Wilson were able to merge for a reunion tour. Wouldn't It Be Nice to experience a music festival again and the Beach Boys again soon! **important to note that Love & Mercy with Paul Dano & John Cusack (each taking on two stages of Wilson's life) is a stellar representation of the highs & lows of the Beach Boys and Wilson.

I may be committing a spot of heresy here but this is...a bit shit? The songs tend to drag, the production and orchestration feel creaky and I really struggle with the drippy, lugubrious vocals. I am to understand that this is an enduring work of genius, but one or two tracks aside I'm not getting any juice out of this lemon. The soupy sounds of a bunch of wet lads, criminally overrated all told.

I studied this album as part of my college degree, it's that big of a deal. Even so, I wasn't prepared to give it a 5 start review. But, as I listened, I realized that this really is a milestone album in the history of recording. So many of these songs are OBJECTIVELY great songwriting and (despite Brian Wilson's penchant for lazy fade-out endings) the production really is astounding. Wilson truly was a mad genius and his capacity for brilliance is on full display here.

i want a reason to live and this site isn’t helping

Technically, this might be the best pop record ever made. An absolute masterpiece that is completely enjoyable on multiple levels.

One of the most exquisitely beautiful albums you could ever hope to hear. Also a very brave and heartfelt album, leaping head first into uncharted territory beyond genres. Nothing else sounds like this. In my ideal alternate universe this would have caught on more commercially and the Beach Boys would have continued more in this vein. I absolutely adore Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. This was one of the first CDs I ever owned. I drove down to Iowa to see him perform the album in it's entirety in 2017 and hearing God Only Knows in person was one of the most powerful musical experiences of my life. I always come back to this one and I always will. Transcendent. Hors categorie.

Couldn't hear any pets but some good songs otherwise

Pet Sounds is the best pop album of all time. You’ve probably heard that take before. You may have also heard different versions of it: Pet Sounds is the most beautiful pop album of all time, Pet Sounds is the best produced pop album of all time, and I’d disagree with that, that’s a stretch, at least for me. But I do think the original take is correct, that Pet Sounds is indeed the best pop album of all time, at least from the ones I’ve heard. There’s just something to this album that can never be replicated. Maybe it’s the jumbly sound of the mix, maybe it’s Brian’s vocals, maybe it’s his lyricism, maybe it’s the vocal layering, maybe it’s the instrument layering. I really couldn’t tell you. I can’t think of any way to transition this into a track-by-track but Wouldn’t it be nice to be the most adorable song I’ve ever heard? One of the few (mostly) happy songs on the album, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, is genuinely just fun. I absolutely adore songs written about stuff like this, young love. As somebody who pulls all the bitches, I can really relate to it. With that, the lyrics are so fucking good. They’re not coated in metaphor, they’re not stuck together with filler, it’s just fantastic straight-to-the-point line after fantastic straight-to-the-point line. I went to look at the lyrics to try to pick out a specific example but each line is just so damn good. A guy in a relationship that’s “too young” for true love, too young to get married, and wishing (or waiting) for the day you and your lover can be married. A day you don’t have to fear about breaking up (well, divorce exists). The pure innocence coming from the track is adorable, and it’s amplified by basic childish ways to say things like “maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray.” Also things like “we could be married, and then we’d be happy,” it’s such a normal phrase but it’s not just something you’d say to a girl if you didn’t want her to think you were an immature loser, but that’s the point, it IS immature. I love how the final chorus is kind of tension-building and then it just says fuck that, we should talk about it. The “but wouldn’t it be nice?” (“But” sometimes being replaced with “oh”) ending the choruses and bridge are just so cute, and I’m sure I don’t need to talk about it too much, but yeah the actual music is sick. Perfectly catchy melodies, things starting and stopping and perfect moments, the lush harmonies, the call-and-responses, the vocal styles, it’s basically perfect. Pet Sounds is really a grower, and songs like You Don’t Believe in Me are good examples of why. Compared to other albums coming out from this time, it’s actually pretty weird so if you’re expecting something like Revolver or Abbey Road, you’re gonna be pretty disappointed. Going into this track from Wouldn’t It Be Nice? while still expecting it to be cheery is gonna make it honestly sound kind of terrifying. But then you start humming the cryyyy to yourself, and then the verses, and then you know the whole song, and it’s gorgeous. The track builds but it still sounds perfectly full before building. And it’s not like when it does build, it’s too much, it actually feels better, like an orgasm. Brian’s vocal performance and his lyrics are perfectly looking at immature things that the narrator has done in a mature way. The lyrics are devastatingly beautiful: “I can’t help how I act when you’re not here with me, I try hard to be strong, but sometimes, I fail myself.” It feels like he’s genuinely begging you to explain why you still believe in him. There’s so many wind instruments playing things that feel a little off, which works perfectly in the song’s favor, and there’s of course the “me” note in the chorus. The last part where the harmonies are just repeating “cry” is obviously beautiful and if you haven’t heard it before, I would recommend doing it immediately. That’s Not Me, in my opinion, is the most devastating track on the album, but without the lyrics, I would think this song is about horses and trees and life and shit. Heck, you could probably think it was about that until you hear the line “I went through all kinds of changes, took a look at myself, and said that’s not me.” I used to not be extremely into this track, but I love it now. The melody is fantastic, the instrumental is fantastic, the backing vocals are fantastic, everything about it is just amazing. And obviously, there’s the repeated mantra at the end of the song, that is just literally everything: “I once had a dream so I packed up and split for the city, I soon found out that my lonely life wasn’t so pretty.” How the lyrics feel so personal to Brian but still relatable to the listener is just beyond me. I can totally see why somebody would find Pet Sounds annoying and Don’t Talk is the perfect example. Like half of the song is just falsetto. Anyway, this song is fucking amazing and gorgeous and perfect. I love the stereo mix of Pet Sounds so fucking much because it makes some of the songs feel more full, yes, but I feel like if the vocals weren’t panned like how they are on this track, it’d sound sort of off? The melody is gorgeous, the bass is loud as fuck but what it’s playing is great, and the hi-hat(?) just repeating really makes it feel more dense. The lyrics are a little basic (“We could live forever tonight”), sure, but that doesn’t stop them from being pretty. I really like “don’t talk, close your eyes and be still,” it’s so calming and almost reassuring. The last “listen” during the bridge is the perfect segue for those aweing strings to come in, I love it. It varies from time-to-time, but currently if I had to choose a favorite song on the album, it’d be I’m Waiting for the Day. The way it blends this lush, but still kind of hollow instrumentation and that gorgeous melody with an upbeat, fun, cute, catchy banger is absolutely beyond me. Straight off the bat, things snap into this chaotic, bouncy beat and a flute melody, which after TEN SECONDS, drops into this beautiful verse with these genuinely amazing lyrics. The chorus perfectly attaches to the verse like a puzzle piece that you can barely even notice the switch, the only thing that really changes is some of the instruments get louder and the, I think, oboe stops playing the same thing as the lead melody. Then, Brian says “I’m waiting for the day when you can love again” and we go BACK to the sound from the beginning. This one part would hit so much differently if even ONE aspect of it was changed, even one of the notes were changed, if one of the instruments were removed, if the vocal style was slightly different. It is done so intelligently well that it is almost incomprehensible. Immediately, after the switch-up, we’re thrown into the second verse, WITH the upbeat instrumental. It just flows so goddamn well. I think the lyrics on the first verse are a little better than the ones on the second verse but the lyrics on the second verse are so much more memorable and meaningful to me (and they’re beautiful ofc) so you need to read them: “I kissed your lips and when your face looked sad It made me think about him and that you still loved him so Baby, don't you know that pretty soon, I made you feel glad That you belonged to me and love began to show?” And then things drop AGAIN into the chorus, this so calming but feels so human, using phrases like “I guess” to get it to work that way. And then things are amped up AGAIN for an instrumental break with some backing vocals and then they drop AGAIN for ANOTHER chorus. Brian adds more falsetto to his voice to acknowledge the change from the previous chorus while balancing it with the in-the-moment aspect. The chorus ends and this layer of strings is placed beneath it, ending the track. But no. No, the track doesn’t end. Because things get bouncy AGAIN. And this point, it’s a fucking trampoline with how fun it is. It’s not these beautifully crafted lines, but these genuine statements and that honesty makes it beautiful even if it wasn’t trying to be. I’m immediately stressing out over what to say for the instrumental tracks, like this one, Let’s Go Away for a While, considering how much I’ve been dickriding the lyrics. I think it’s a gorgeous track, don’t get me wrong, but I really don’t know what to say about it. Okay wait. I really like the balance of the instruments being used. I was going to mention which ones are being used most, basically like leads, but I really couldn’t pinpoint a specific one. The glockenspiel gets its moment, the saxophone does too, the strings, the bass, the drums, it’s just so much. And it’s gorgeous, can’t forget that. I really love the little string flair at 0:34 seconds in, it makes the track really memorable. That’s it. Adding not only a cover, but a cover about being on a boat, to an album like this is a risky move, but Sloop John B does not disappoint because it’s honestly one of my favorite tracks on it. Sure, the lyrics are really fucking stupid, but it’s so damn fun, and there’s still a genuine attempt to make a great track. Throughout the track, the band switches through singers, specifically Brian and Mike Love, which works because I mean duh they’re on a boat with a bunch of people, but Mike’s voice just perfectly blends with the rest of the song. While Brian’s voice is childish, I would say Mike’s is even MORE childish, at least on this track, and for a song like this, it works perfectly. Heck, the vibe of the whole song is childish. Literally everything the beat is doing feels like baby steps: it’s either very slowly banging the snare or playing a basic beat (it does something a little weirder in the third verse but I lowk don’t care abt it). I think there’s a kalimba in the mix, maybe that high instrument is something else, but either way those are literally elementary music class instruments. There’s high instruments like flutes or piccolos, but also lower instruments which still feel surprisingly childish as well. I think there’s a bari sax panned to the left, but it’s almost stupid, playing staccato. The part where all of the instruments drop and the chorus sings different things, just to be transitioned into literally the same thing with that high-ass “hoist up the John B-” is just so unnecessary but so fun, I love it. As much as I could argue how overrated of a song God Only Knows is, I still can’t deny how GOOD of a song it is because it is fucking gorgeous. Every instrument is brought in so cleanly that you can barely even tell. The french horn, then the bass. And then, it drops where this really weird melody is being sung. The end of that melody finishes up the first verse, and it’s repeated for the second verse, which is coated with a layer of strings which REALLY adds to it for some reason. Maybe it’s because the bass gets a little louder too. The verse EASILY has the best lyricism of the whole track, mixing what could be interpreted as desperate and sad with something loving; he’s saying if he lived without this girl, the world wouldn’t have anymore meaning. Sure, it might sound cliché in theory, but the way Brian bounces around sounding cliché and still being able to make a lyric that sounds fresh is crazy: “The world could show nothing to me, so what good could living do me?” After some sort of short instrumental interlude, the vocals come back but not singing words, which weirdly makes them feel a bit more lush. Until the babababababas which can be seen as kind of funny but they’ve grown on me so it’s fine. The third verse actually opens up with what is usually the last line of the verses (could also just be called the refrain): “God only knows what I’d be without you” and I’m pretty sure it’s actually sung higher than it usually is here? For the last section of the song, it’s really just the phrase repeated over and over again, but it makes the most of it. Everything drops at the beginning, but it adds more and more instruments and layers so at first, you can barely even notice that it’s repeating the same stuff. And then, after the build-up, it simply fades out, which I’m pretty sure was just a normal thing in the 60’s but it still works. I guess it’s kinda like drinking something, the longer you drink it, the more it starts to go down, and then you stop drinking it and the taste slowly stops. That’s the best metaphor I’ve got for that. Besides the instrumental tracks, I Know There’s an Answer is honestly my least favorite on the album. Not saying it’s a bad song, I’m sure the rest of this paragraph is only gonna be praise for it, but it’s just personally the least memorable for me. Actually, even including the instrumental tracks, I’d say Let’s Go Away for a While is more memorable than it (Pet Sounds, not so much). Anyway, the baritone sax breaking the looped instrumental, which then adds a tambourine was a great move. It makes things flow way better, which this song is great at, transitioning into the chorus from the verse. During the chorus, these absolutely gorgeous percussive hits are just going fucking off, same with Brian’s vocals. The lyrics are really great too. Speaking of the lyrics, if you just showed me the lyrics to the chorus alongside the lyrics to the chorus on the demo (“hang on to your ego, hang on but I know that you’re gonna lose the fight”), I would honestly probably pick the demo, but the lyrics in that were chosen honestly perfectly fit the rest of the song. Yet another reason why this album is basically perfect, everything is done to its max. If you listen to the demo, literally titled “Hang On to Your Ego,” you will hear just teeny tiny errors or things that weren’t added yet, like some harmonies, which make it feel just a LITTLE less beautiful. In the original song, there’s NONE of that, which goes to show the amount of effort this had to have taken. And then, the chorus casually transitions to the second verse, so smooth that you can barely even tell there was a transition (which btw I love this tactic of not being able to tell the first chorus from the second verse). Then, there’s a bari sax solo. I’ve said enough about the bari sax solo. Then, it basically just repeats the pre-chorus, the chorus, and then there’s some pretty flutes, and then the instrumental loop from the beginning comes in, with some added stuff, boom: end of song. It’s a cool moment, yeah, but there’s not much to really add to it. Going back to this song a few times for this, though, made me realize how good the lyricism was, and how good the actual song was too, so I will honestly probably come back to this a lot more. I know I totally just said that I’m Waiting for the Day is the best song on the album, but honestly, Here Today might be one of my favorite songs to come out of the 60’s (</3). Even before I let Pet Sounds grow on me, Here Today was one of my favorite songs from the 60’s. It was the first song on the album, and from the Beach Boys’ entire discography, that I fell in love with. Right off the bat, we’re hit with AMAZING lyrical content. I see it as almost a contradiction of Wouldn’t It Be Nice?, maybe a grown person telling a young kid that falling in love is a mistake and to slow down, almost mocking them. It also perfectly encapsulated a time in my life when I needed it, so thanks, Beach Boys. The music of the first verse starts off quiet, but then it adds a layer of harmonies and low brass, which does help add texture to the song, but THEN, it adds more. The percussion is playing quicker and more aggressively, almost like it’s freaking out. When this happens, the lyrics also change from an acknowledgement to a warning, which I just talked about. And that really helps with the instrumental context. With these two extra layers, things fall into this sad moment, where the narrator speaks from experience, talking about how much love hurts. The only instruments in this section are what I believe is an organ and a bass, so it’s pretty fucking stripped back, ESPECIALLY for fucking Pet Sounds. Then, the bass does this weird little thing I can’t really explain, but it’s basically a transition. The vocals pull another I’m Waiting for the Day too, lowering themselves for a smooth switch. And smooth it is, because the layer of low brass and harmonies and the percussion come back in another warning: “Love is here today, and it’s gone tomorrow, it’s here and gone so fast.” The second verse starts with almost dark humor. It’s honestly a really sad line, but it’s still sort of funny: “Right now, you think that she’s perfection, this time is really an exception.” Then, at the end of the verse, we got a PLOT TWIST. In a song, a plot twist. The narrator tries to explain why they’re being so harsh, and in doing so, admits that they were the person that they’re talking to’s girlfriend’s ex. Yeah, the narrator is warning their girlfriend’s next partner. Now, it could seem like they’re trying to scare the new partner. But maybe, the narrator is being genuine, that the girlfriend broke his heart, and she’ll break his too. During the second pre-chorus, the narrator changes the lyrics talking about how “it” will make you feel bad to how “she” will make you feel bad, which makes it even more sad. And then the happy-go-lucky instrumental comes back though, so it’s aight. Then, the instrumental almost flashes, while the bass plays this thing that I can almost describe as a DJ scratch sound effect, you know what I mean? It sounds nothing like that, sure, but it almost feels related. Then, the instrumental goes off with a snare almost call-in-response, to which it stops, and then the back and forth with the organ and the bass start again, repeating the instrumental from the pre-chorus, without the pre-chorus. Which is great, because directly after, it opens up the actual chorus. It works so buttery smooth that it’s hard to explain it, so if you haven’t heard the song already, please do. It’s worth it, it’s amazing. Brian Wilson is the only person who could make the line “sometimes I feel very sad” actually sad, which he does on I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times. The song starts immediately, no intro or anything. And the lyrics are immediately depressing, talking about trying to find a place in life that’s right. In classic Beach Boys fashion, things get a little faster for only about two lines. They also do this tactic that I LOVE here, where you sing a note, move up to a higher note, and quickly move back down (“I wish they could”). It’s gorgeous. Then, things slow down but there’s more instruments added, so it doesn’t feel unnecessary. That moves to the chorus, which is that line I mentioned earlier repeated, and one added line: “I guess I just wasn’t made for these times.” This line is so poignant because of how human it is. Brian could have just said “I wasn’t made for these times,” and it’d be fine, but he added the human instinct of trying to downplay things and it works so damn well. The second verse is my favorite one lyrically, just because of how depressing it is, but it still manages to be relatable. He’s talking about “every” time he gets the inspiration, like this happens a lot. It’s like a loop, and it’s sad to see. After the second chorus, the woodwinds copy the melody to the first line of the verse, and then a theremin is introduced. Yeah, a theremin. It’s surprisingly not cheesy too. I don’t really think it was the best instrument that could have been used, but it still blends in well, and the solo’s short enough that I don’t really care all too much. Surprisingly enough, this is probably my first time actually listening to Pet Sounds (the track) in detail, and I’m finding so many little details I love. I’m pretty sure that main percussion instrument is a ratchet and I may be incorrect, but I THINK that lead instrument is a guitar? They blend in surprisingly well with the orchestral instrumentation that I don’t even process it. At 1:38 in, there’s this brief part with a percussion instrument that I’m barely even recognizing for the first time right now, but I LOVE it. But what instrument is that?? It works so well. The song is a little too short, considering it’s not even the shortest track on the album (that’s Let’s Go Away for a While, which uses its runtime really well), but it works well for the flow of the album, and it’s just fucking good. Caroline, No was my final piece of evidence to little old me’s “Pet Sounds is the first horror album” theory, and it’s honestly a WAY better reason than You Still Believe in Me imo. Mainly because of the chorus, it’s REALLY unfulfilling, but that’s a good thing. It’s supposed to feel empty, unfinished. This is added onto with how the third verse doesn’t switch into anything, but an absolutely gorgeous flute section just playing the verse melody, which fades out (eventually guiding us towards literal pet sounds). Imagine at the beginning of the track, the two percussion instruments are actually a hi-hat and a snare, right? And it’s hi-hat, hi-hat, snare, repeat. WHAT is that snare, dude?? It’s so ominous, I love it. The two things I THINK it is are either claves or a woodblock–I’m leaning towards claves–but either way, it’s pretty fucking perfect. And the delay on it, too, oh my GOD?? I love how Brian just uses any instrument ever. The lyrics are SO sad too, obviously talking about someone that’s changed that said that they’d never changed. It’s kind of funny too, because the first line is “where did your long hair go?” so it technically could be interpreted as him freaking out that his friend cut her hair because it never really adds any other metaphors like that. It’s obviously not about hair though. That’s it. That’s my Pet Sounds review. I Uhh Love you <3 Favs: Here Today, I’m Waiting for the Day, Wouldn’t It Be Nice? Least fav: Pet Sounds RIP Brian Wilson

It is impossible to rate this album below perfection. This is arguably the best album of all time in rock and roll history. It as yet to be bettered today, decades later. It achieved more with less given limited yet innovative technologies at the time. Must be listened to start to finish.

I have mixed feelings about this album. Every time I have listened to it before was after reading a review that made me think I was gonna see god after listening to this. So this time I went in thinking I was going to hate it like I had every other time. It was actually pretty good, instrumentation was layered and interesting though the vocals still feel trapped in 1950s shtick. Overall I think this album is more historically significant as one of the first concept albums than some sort of sonic masterpiece.

Brian Wilson died today. There is near universal acknowledgement of incredible aptitude for melody and harmony, but really, I think we have been collectively mourning Brian Wilson for decades now. Was Pet Sounds, so beloved by hipsters, both the career zenith and breaking point for Brian Wilson? It feels unkind to suggest that he subsequently disappeared into a miasma of drugs, mental illness, internecine conflicts and his own legend. The Legend of Brain Wilson is one of the foundational myths of popular music, a piece of trauma porn that allows music snobs a visceral thrill on the basis of Brian's suffering. I think Brian's story is a cautionary tale of the dangers of a fucked-up father, too much success too fast, and the exploitative nature of the music industry (and the predators that lurk around it). Personally, I'm glad he seemed to find some stability and peace with his wife, Melinda, whom he credited with making his life possible. I saw Beach Boys with Brian Wilson live in 2012. They were performing in Central Park, NYC, for Good Morning America, so I got up at 6am to go see them. They only did a few songs (Help Me Rhonda, Good Vibrations, God Made the Radio, and maybe something else). Brian was super cranky, and berated the crowd for bumping around the giant beach balls that the production had provided during the lengthy breaks between performances. And I felt like he has been wheeled out against his will to perform like a curiosity and I could understand his bad mood. It is my usual (and somewhat) heretical view that Brian Wilson is over-rated and nearly everything he did after Pet Sounds is self-indulgent and unfocussed and often meaningless ('Vegetables', anyone?), the occasional good song excepted. Anyone who claims to truly love 'Surf's Up' is just too pretentious. But Pet Sounds really is something else. Loathe as I am to admit it, Pet Sounds is really great. It's difficult to hear with fresh ears because so many of these tracks are really important and much played vital pieces of pop music history. I can see why the Beatles felt the need to up their game in response. Five stars. Vale, Brian, you just weren't made for these times.

Genre: Baroque Pop 5/5 Ah, Pet Sounds. One of those truly ubiquitous albums that continues to stand the test of time. It's a true pop masterpiece, an album where each song has the tender love and care that most producers and songwriters at the time would put towards just one or two singles. Along with the efforts of The Beatles, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds is another example of how radically music was changing and growing at the time, and how the competition didn't come from the record companies (though they profited mightily), but from the songwriters themselves. Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney were trading pop masterpieces like boxers trade uppercuts. Pet Sounds, however, certainly does sound and feel its age. It's truly all so classic, from Wouldn't It Be Nice to God Only Knows to every beautiful nugget in between, but I'm sure this album does little to the impatient listener nowadays. The Wall-of-Sound style reverb, and the classical and baroque influences throughout I'm sure turn off some younger listeners nowadays, and the mystique of this album may die with the times. But Brian Wilson here is methodically walking us through his feelings garden, and it's quite the emotional journey, with each track leaving an impression throughout the length of the album. Sloop John B, Don't Talk, That's Not Me, they're all here and they're all songs that would be other band's best song ever. I think even if this album doesn't hit you as hard as it hits others, which isn't usually the case, it still serves as a monolith of the times. A pop project that set the bar quite high for the rest of time.

Perfect harmonies, lush production, and super complex layers, still sounding relevant and contemporary

This was the first time I listened to this thing. Great album! Influential, good songs, production, instrumentation, deserves all the praise it gets.

very close to as much as we can expect from pop music

Recognized as among the greatest and most influential albums in music history, "Pet Sounds" is often compared with the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band," though I believe that no comparison can be made. Brian Wilson had made his own, extraordinary mark on musical history. The charming "Wouldn’t It Be Nice" is the album’s opener. An upbeat song with angelic vocals, complex arrangements and youthful innocence (“You know it seems the more we talk about it / It only makes it worse to live without it”), Pet Sounds starts off with a banger. Although the most obvious 'weakness' of the Beach Boys is their monotony, with most songs following the same formula, "Pet Sounds" avoids this problem. The similarity between songs only adds to the realism of the album. "You Still Believe In Me" and "That's Not Me" are achingly beautiful tracks with angelic harmonies, and "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" is a dreamy love ballad. The Beach Boys's cover of "Sloop John B" is fantastically trippy. Definitely my favourite cover of theirs. Additionally, "God Only Knows" is arguably the best love ballad ever written and a true testament to Brian Wilson's songwriting. The lines "I may not always love you / But long as there are stars above you / You never need to doubt it / I'll make you so sure about it" are simple but achingly tender. I'm glad Carl Wilson sang this number—his soft voice compliments the song exceptionally. "Here Today" is dichotomous to the rest of "Pet Sounds," as it offers a more cynical view on love. Not my favourite, but a good song nonetheless. "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" and the title track are weaker but don't noticeably disrupt the listening of the album. "Caroline, No" is another focal point of "Pet Sounds" and a stark contrast to "Wouldn't It Be Nice." It is raw, albeit dramatic, and filled to the brim with heartbreak. Oh, Brian, you diva! "Could I ever find in you again / The things that made me love you so much then? / Could we ever bring 'em back once they have gone?" TL;DR, "Pet Sounds" makes me feel like I'm foolish and young and in love again. Definitely one of the GOAT.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice is reason enough to give the album 5 stars. I like the rest of the album too. God Only Knows. Caroline No. Gentle vibes.

The most celebrated album ever? Pet Sounds has cemented itself to the top ten of countless lists concerning the greatest albums ever, although curiously it's absent from this site's top 15. Anyway, such a position should neither extol nor sully the album in the ears of the listener, as the predictability of such lists indicates how meaningless they are. For instance, Citizen Kane has its reservation at the toppermost of film polls, and the first-time viewer usually concludes that it's actually, properly, seriously good, but the same lists that hold Pet Sounds aloft usually have the ridiculous phenomenon of 4 Beatles albums in the top ten albums of all time (I have recently concluded that the Beatles were primarily a singles band, and none of their albums display the Fabs at their fabbest). Happily, Pet Sounds falls into the Citizen Kane category. This is not to say that I consider Pet Sounds the GOAT; I don't. But I can't deny this album's magnificence. The genesis of Pet Sounds has been exhaustively documented: the Beach Boys began as the means for the autocratic, abusive minor songwriter Murry Wilson to attain stardom vicariously through a singing troop comprising his sons and nephews. However, one of those sons was the sensitive musical prodigy Brian Wilson, who broke from Murry to craft a more personal, emotional pop music inspired more by Phil Spector's Wall of Sound than the goodtime surf-music stipulated by the formula Murry conceived (then championed by everyone's one-despised Beach Boy Mike Love). With the British Invasion, and specifically Rubber Soul, Brian Wilson felt an overriding, and ultimately unhealthy, ambition to surpass the Beatles' sonic achievements (with hindsight, is Rubber Soul actually that good? Isn't it just an average, acceptable collection of songs? But then, do I know more about music than Brian Wilson?) One oddity of Pet Sounds is that it was released in 1966, during a time when the hippy movement was becoming established. Indeed, nascent psychedelic rockers such as the Doors, Love and Jefferson Airplane took Rubber Soul as a thrown-down gauntlet to reconnoitre into the beyond. Pet Sounds has none of this, focusing on producing the most impeccable soundscape. Along with this, Pet Sounds doesn't seek to investigate the more R-rated themes that had begun to interest rock. Rather, Pet Sounds is adolescent, almost childlike in its innocence and honesty. The opener, Wouldn't It Be Nice, is an almost-chaste yearning for the fireworks of romance the young assume are permanent with true love (maturity bestows the not-always-welcome realisation that romance and love are far more complicated, but the desire for love so intense never leaves you regardless of age). I Know There's An Answer (inspired by Brian's first experience with LSD) manifests that teenage sense of having everything figured out and nothing figured out, of recognising the phonies and not knowing whether to hug them or run away with a deafmute girl (baseball cap-clad douchebag Mike Love objected that the song was immoral to his square sensibilities, then later sued Brian for a songwriting credit). I could go through almost every song dissecting its guileless charm, but let's change focus to the flow of the album. It starts off exuberantly, and the first half maintains this joy, yet side 2 is far bleaker, far more introspective and self-doubting. Of course, this is still firmly adolescent, and instead of souring the album elevates it, articulating the alienation and despair that period of one's life attends. The album ends with Caroline, No, a heartbreaking song about heartbreak and the end of love, and the ideal counterpoint to Wouldn't It Be Nice. This is not to say that Pet Sounds is in any way a concept album, but it has a remarkable thematic coherence, a coherence that justifies its status as a masterpiece. Pet Sounds probably isn't perfect. God Only Knows suffers from its ubiquity, which is hardly Brian Wilson's fault. But tweezering out the minor faults of Pet Sounds would be fussiness, not diagnosis. The most valid criticisms one can make of Pet Sounds are the name and cover. According to Brian's first memoir, the title stems from somehow-more-villainous-than-Charles-Manson Mike Love damning the album, saying, "Who's gonna hear this shit? The ears of a dog?" Mike Love denies saying this (and sued him), but are there any circumstances where you want to believe Mike Love?

A departure from everything I thought the Beach Boys were. This is neither beach music or boys music. It is a combination of pop/jazz with a ton of orchestral music woven in. It showcases why Brian Wilson is considered to be one of the greatest songwriters in history. The music couldn't be more solid. Each of the songs instrumentals is carefully crafted and even some of the odder sounds feel like they fully belong. The lyrics are more mature and even though experimental it still has a fantastic flow and rhythm to it. I never thought I would love a beach boys album as much as I did this one and I feel a little upset at myself having obviously never given them a fair listen. The only issue I have with this album is the songs are too short, I always wanted more and with this the fade outs(while the singing was still going on) were not to mu liking. But the harmony of this album far out weighs and gripes I may have.

Masterpiece.

A masterpiece. Incredible songwriting, performances, and production. A haunting and beautiful album capturing the genius of Brian Wilson, who seems like he travelled to a higher plane of existence when recording this album.

Perfekt. Harmonier, produktion, instrumentaler. Alt. Lyder som om alle valg er velbegrundet. Første store 5'er

temu beatles

Just: no. The Beach Boys never actually sound like how the people who drink their Kool-Aid describe; it's not a magical wall-of-sound with beautiful harmonies and incredibly inventive instrumentation. It's a flat, tinny 3rd-rate Phil Spector knock-off with limited tuneage, mediocre vocals, creepy 60's incel lyrics and fucking harpsichords (please applaud). Comparing this to Rubber Soul (yet alone *Revolver*) is just laughable "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is the closest Earthly approximation of the soundtrack in Hell; imagine being poked in the arse by cheery demon pitchforks while something unattainably worse drivels on in the background "Caroline, No" has a recording of a fucking train and a dog appended at the end, for no apparent reason - genius! "Love and Mercy" (specifically, the later version) is the only Brian Wilson-related musical offering I have ever felt lived up to the infinite hype - maybe Landry had some benign influence after all? Wake up people, this is shit. Saved from 1* by a residual fondness for Frank Black's "Hang On To Your Ego"

i got this as my album of the day today and knew it was going to be a 5 star review because this is one of the greatest albums of all time and i love brian wilson, but i got this album on june 11th 2025 and brian wilson passed away today, RIP Brian Wilson, you were the greatest.

My first year of grad school was pretty miserable: I would be up till 4 a.m. reading Kierkegaard and listening to Bach, and never really socializing. That, and a lack of money, led me just after Easter to take on some ESL teaching to adult learners - folks from 18 and up who'd come to Cambridge for a few weeks or months to brush up their English. We teachers would take them out to the pub or to other social events; as spring turned to summer, we'd end up hanging out with them quite a lot informally as well. With my wages coming in, I was finally shedding my old habits of dressing exclusively in black rollbacks, and wearing more casual clothes: I was at last beginning to unwind myself. June sees the end of exams, Suicide Sunday, May Week, and all the balls - then the undergrads largely go home, and the place starts to fill with tour groups and language students. Then there are the fairs - Strawberry Fair, with the haze of weed, and Midsummer Fair, both on Midsummer Common, by the river. My flat on King Street wasn't far from there, so I'd wander over frequently. That became the story of most of my grad school summers: long summer afternoons, perhaps an evening at the Fort St George overlooking the water, hanging out with these visiting language students, many of them, like me, on the cusp of adulthood, and away from home, seeking adventure, exploration, and more. It was in these years that I first listened to "Pet Sounds." That, along with "Astral Weeks" and "Forever Changes," will always take me back to those times: summer as the moment of eternity, not as kairos, but as the locus of nostalgia, languid afternoons and the golden light of the early evening. All that to say - there's no way I could review this in any way objectively. But perhaps that in itself illustrates the impact of "Pet Sounds": it was always the right soundtrack for those times. All of those happy-sad songs, a sense of lack and loss of the very moment you're living in and the experiences you're having. God, I love it.

This week I had Blackstar, Highway 51, Diamond Life, Remain In Light and now Pet Sounds. 5 straight 5s for me. The perfect week.

Fantastic album.

God Only Knows is every bit as good as its reputation. I also really like the two instrumentals. The least effective song on the album is Sloop John B, which feels like it belongs on an earlier Beach Boys album. Still, an easy 5 stars.

The sentiments in Brian Wilson's lyrics are plain and juvenile and epitomize pop music. For some reason they hit me in a deep way that other pop lyrics are not able to. The production, instrumentation, performances, vocal harmonies are all first rate. This is another 6 out of 5.

sweaty. hellish. hate the harmonies. feel like i took too many painkillers

"a cohesive work with no filler tracks"?? Why's there so many duff fillers, then. This is below average tosh, and apart from a couple of tracks, not worth the time.

I always thought The Beach Boys were just some shallow surfer band. But talk about blown away by this album. From start to finish, it felt like a rock symphony of sorts. Best track: “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”

Potential GOAT. Definite goat on the cover too.

After the death of Brian Wilson, I decided to make the summer of 2025, my summer of Beach Boys and listen through the discography. I’ve always revered their style, and their songs have had an enormous impact on my appreciation of music in general. The earliest memory I have of intentionally listening to music of any kind was of sitting in front of my dad’s enormous sound system and popping in the Endless Summer compilation CD. Still, I’ve listened through the discographies of The Beatles and Dylan, but why not The Beach Boys? I thought this could be a project that could take me All Summer Long (see what I did there?). I’d just listened through their Christmas album (in July, no less) when the album generator gave me Pet Sounds for homework. Being somewhat ocd, I decided to power through The Beach Boys Today, Summer Days, and Beach Boys Party before turning on Pet Sounds, even though I’ve already heard Pet Sounds a million times. What I got was a tremendous dose of chronological Beach Boys all at once. For the first time, I really saw what a treasure and a breakthrough Pet Sounds was (is). This is The Beach Boys at their most mature to this point, and was the apex of their career. I mean, God Only Knows, Sloop John B, I Know There’s An Answer… I couldn’t stop there, and moved on to Smiley Smile, the Smile Sessions, and Brian Wilson presents Smile. They’re all great, but each leave you with a heavy feeling of defeat, or of what might have been if only. Mostly, you get a sense of what the enormous pressure, coupled with the drugs and fame and expectations, had on Wilson. You see a genius crack like an egg under the system, under social demand. It’s a tragedy really. Not that Wild Honey or Surfs Up or the later albums are bad, they just, you know, aren’t the same. They lack that special feeling that was captured best in Pet Sounds. Man, what a thing.

A beautifully touching,personal and poetic album. The melodies and orchestration blend beautifully to deliver Brian Wilson's genuis vision. You know you've done good when the Beatles reheated your nachos to create one of their greatest albums to later influence artists to this very day. God Only Knows where we'd be without this album.

When an album is praised as much as this I am usually disappointed when listening to finding it over-hyped lots of times. Not this time, this actually sounds as good as it is reputed to be. I had heard of it but never listened to it in it's entirity and I really loved it. 3 tracks have been on my list of best tracks ever for a long time and the rest doesn't disappoint. So a rare but deserved 5 stars.

It took years for me to listen to this album. I heard great things about it, but never listened to it except for the two monster songs-- God only Knows and Sloop John B. This album was really different. Melancholy, introspective. It hit me right where it hurt. The only song I skip is the title song, the "Revolution #9" of the Beach Boys. 4.5/5

I just want to acknowledge that it’s really cool that the developer pushed Beach Boys / Brian Wilson albums to people using this app the day after Brian’s death. Very nice tribute, and I’m happy to receive Pet Sounds to honor Brian in a small way. I’m not arguing with anyone calling this the greatest album of all time. Objectively, it very well could be. It’s one of my favorite albums regardless of how good everyone else says it is. The Beach Boys always made music for teenagers before this, but no album has ever captured the weirdness/sadness/thrill/confusion of growing up quite like Pet Sounds. It’s sonically beautiful and timeless. This album was made with 4-track recordings, which is pretty unbelievable when you listen to it. God Only Knows is well documented as a perfect song. I can’t add much here other than I of course agree. My personal favorite track is I Guess I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times… it’s my favorite song to listen to whenever I’m feeling a little disconnected from our crazy world. Mike Love gets a lot of heat from music fans, and some of it is probably for good reason (politics e.g.), but I do think it’s worth crediting him for the change of “Hold On To Your Ego” to “I Know There’s An Answer”. In my opinion the latter is a much better song with the lyric change, he was right to push for it. Anyway this is the 5-starriest 5-star album of them all. Thanks Brian!

The Beach Boys were surely two different bands. One was the fun-loving surfer pop stars who played big feelgood concerts to excited fans. The other was a brainchild of a man who grew tired of touring and longed to turn pop music into a complex, studio driven artform, with little concern for live recreations. What's weird is that both bands existed at once, with Brian Wilson locked away in the studio while his brothers played live. Even weirder is that the experimental stuff continued to sound like the original band, at least on the surface. "Pet Sounds" represents the peak of the Wilson's artistic success. Inspired by "Rubber Soul", he was one of the first to understand the value of an album as a single cohesive statement. This was particularly unusual in America where record labels were still cutting up tracklistings from British albums to increase sales. The Beach Boys would come to inspire The Beatles in turn when they went to record "Sgt Pepper" (and also stopped touring). Comparisons of the two bands is impossible to avoid. But while The Beatles used experimentation to set new templates for rock music, Brian Wilson is celebrating experimentation for its own sake, but fit it comfortably within the band's sound. The studio is very clearly the main instrument here but you could miss that if you were playing enough attention. "Pet Sounds" is a unique album for its various tricks but also it's ability to produce some great songs at the same time. It's as if you forced John Cage to make radio hits and he delivered. But it's also challenging which led to a number of critics dismissing it at the time. Not only for the studio trickery but for daring to mix upbeat music with depressing and introspective lyrics. Funny to think now that that seemed like such a controversial idea. I can't count how many times I put this album on repeat to try to fully absorb it all. Although I've never heard it in full before, I have to admit now that it's a masterpiece. The fact that I got this one today is no coincidence but a push from the generator to mark the loss of this mad songwriter. R.I.P. Brian Wilson.

Could it get better that this? (Yes)

Wiwiwikiwi

He died yesterday, I hope he’s better now.

I love you.

R.I.P. Brian Wilson... his true masterpiece is this album.

Рипуля Брайану Уилсону

Pet Sounds I’ve listened to this so many times but apart from Wouldn’t It Be Nice, God Only Knows and Sloop John B it’s always seems to be an effort to recall any other songs or tunes from it. And although I do like it when I listen, I often find myself drifting off, and it doesn’t seem to stick in my memory like Surf’s Up and Holland do. As I heard it after Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt Pepper I think I expected it to be as good as those, or at least as good in a similar way, considering the mutual admiration. And while I think you can hear some stylistic crossover and shared ambition, I don’t think the comparison is that helpful, even though I find it hard not to. John, Paul and George were all fantastic songwriters and combined introspection with a wider interest in the worlds around them, so there was an inbuilt eclecticism, where Brian as the sole songwriter with an inward looking personality makes for a more monolithic album - one person’s vision versus the push and pull and dynamic tension of the group. I presume that's why if you are tuned into Brian’s sensibility then you really love this album. I don’t think I’ve ever really fallen in love with it, although I think I have learned to admire it greatly and appreciate the intricacies and complexity, the skill, craft and the thematic conception and imagination, it really is an incredible piece of work, even if, apart from God Only Knows, it doesn’t make me feel how say Revolver makes me feel. Perhaps it’s the density of the instrumental arrangements and the amount going on that makes it hard for me to really get to grips with. Listening closely to it, again I admire it hugely and I do marvel at one person conceiving of it all and managing to translate that into actual music, it really is incredible, with moments of genuinely transcendent beauty, but as a whole it doesn’t quite move me the way some of my favourite albums do, even if it does have some truly excellent songs. I’ve listened to it a lot over the last few days, as well as listening closely, listening multiple times has made me like it more, with more songs becoming more fixed in my memory, although I still seem to have a disconnect when I see the song titles written down - listening to say I’m Waiting for the Day I really like the tune, but seeing it written when not listening to it I have no idea what it sounds like. Obviously his death last week does cast a different light over it though, the tenderness and sadness that underlies much of it feels heightened, and That’s Not Me, Don’t Talk, God Only Knows , I Know There’s an Answer and I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times all feel particularly redolent. There’s also a distinct emotional tone to it that I hadn’t really picked up on before that I do find very fascinating, a sort of sense of an introspective and naive psyche - that might be back projection in the light of last week’s news, but it’s certainly there for me. I’ve been thinking a lot about what to score it. It would be convenient to say that in listening to it on repeat I’ve discovered an affection for it I didn't see before, but that’s not really the case. My appreciation of, and wonder at, it, however, have grown hugely, and there is something about its thematic tone that I never noticed before. I may not always love it, but God only knows I do think it is an incredible album in conception and execution, and removing its veneration and comparisons to my favourite albums (and looking at what I’ve given 4s and 5s to), it has to be a 5. 🐕🐈🐇🐐🐏 Playlist submission: Obvious, but God Only Knows, a truly sublime song

Basically perfect and wonderful in every way, everything that can be said has been said so I'm not gonna kick a dead horse. Let me just immediately contradict that though and tell you that God Only Knows is a perfect song and one of the best things I've ever heard.

Songs I grew up to.

this album makes me happy:)

I've got no notes about this album musically. It's perfect. Not a single wasted note. Instead I'm going to tell a quick true story. One day I randomly sat next to this super quirky, super friendly girl at a work thing whom we'll call "G". "G" and I became fast friends. She was one of the most outgoing people I'd ever met. Through her I met "M". Through "M" I met "H". One day I was hanging out with "H" and she introduced me to her former roommate "R". I married "R" and we have a beautiful family together. I often wonder how different my life would be if I'd randomly sat next to someone else that day at work. Anyway, this album is kinda like that story. The Beatles apparently wrote Sgt. Pepper because they wanted to write something as good as Pet Sounds. Sgt. Pepper inspired Ozzy Ozzborne to pursue music. Black Sabbath inspired every metal, grunge, & hardcore band ever. So... I often wonder what music would be like if this album was never made.

Delightful sound with lyrics full of love!

magical and whimsical, this album is the magnum opus of the classic rock legends. “wouldn’t it be nice” is the perfect opener to this album as it encapsulates their next era sound magnificently. there aren’t enough words to express how amazing this album is, topped off by what may very well be one of the most beautiful songs ever written, “god only knows”. this one is special. highlights: “wouldn’t it be nice” “sloop john b” “god only knows” “i just wasn’t made for these times”

Quel poulet cet album > beatles

A classic album through and through, from the unique sound of The Beach Boys, to theor lyrics. God Only Knows is my favourite song from the album. It might be quite a generic choice, but it is popular for a reason.

Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys, the Wrecking Crew, and a little bit of magic. Sloop John B is the best homesickness song ever.

Great

Emetic warning, particularly for Simon: this may the only record I’ve sobbed to with another. Fill that brown paper bag! Hadn’t listened to this in a long time, and got through it twice during a hellish drive into and out of the city, and it held up for me. The combination of heavy sentimentality, nostalgia, singing in harmony and a warehouse of strings drives many to hatred, but I fundamentally think this is a sad, lost little record made in good faith by an inspired eccentric. It’s creepy and I don’t mind. Considered dropping a star, then remembered how lovely Brian Wilson was to a friend who hosted him in an HMV, answering a ton of questions that others had channeled to my friend. He even answered: “Anyway, since you're willing to offend him, ask him what it was like to be so fat and fucked up that he couldn't get out of bed and had to have his maid/nurse jerk him off because he couldn't.” “A) it was great. it saved me from having to lie on my arm for 15 minutes.”

Must listen for any one.

great pop album

This is really great. I only knew the hits going in but the rest is really great.

Never thought, that I would enjoy a BeachBoys Album that much! Great easy listening.

Ace

We come on the sloop John B My grandfather and me Around Nassau town we did roam Drinkin' all night Got into a fight Well, I feel so broke up I wanna go home So hoist up the John B's sail See how the mainsail sets Call for the captain ashore, let me go home Let me go home I wanna go home Well, I feel so broke up I wanna go home The first mate, he got drunk And broke in the captain's trunk The constable had to come and take him away Sheriff John Stone Why don't you leave me alone? Well, I feel so broke up I wanna go home This is an outstanding album - More than just a selection of great songs, it is expertly produced to capture an exceptional emotional portrait. 5/5

Own

Well, it's the Wrecking Crew working under the intense direction of the profoundly talented Brian Wilson, so I'm not sure what more you can ask. Not everything is an earworm single here but the lush harmonies of the Beach Boys married to one of the most storied session groups of the 20th century (see also: The Funk Brothers, Booker T & The MG's and The Swampers), married under the direction of a genuine musical genius. Just imagine writing all of these parts in your head, which Wilson did. God Only Knows is, alone, a masterpiece. But why read my views on this? It's one of the most famous albums in the history of modern Western popular music. You don't need me to tell you about it.

The classic American rock album

Favorite tracks: Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Let’s Go Away for Awhile, Pet Sounds Rating: 5/5

Perfect score obv

Super cool album. Harmonies are amazing

Super diverse and interesting. Bounces from idea to idea without a wasted moment.

This album is stunning. God Only Knows is one of the best songs and the whole way this is weaved together with the wall of sound gives it such a presence. It blows my mind that this was done before computers played a huge part in sound engineering.

Symphonic. To my understanding this probably shouldn't have been a Beach Boys album. I feel there are still elements of the surf rock sound they deep in here, but this is so many levels above. Point is this elevates the pop rock sound and does something different. Great album, solid production, listened all the way through today at least 5 or 6 times. Always something new to discover. Insane unfortunate stories swirling around this album

Tremendous harmonies and song writing

Such a good album, glad to start the list with this one!

Great album.

The perfect coming of age album from the genius mind of Brian Wilson. Iconic songs to evoke feelings in an aural world.

That's not me... Slusam 30.11.2023. u jedan ujutru posle najgoreg dana od raskida. Univerzum mi salje znake. Toliko bih zeleo da ovo podelim sa nekim jednog dana. Specijalnim nekim.

All timer. Eneste minus er at den ikke er længere

No offense men det er altså lidt grinch behavior ikke at gi den her 5 stjerner. Jeg var nødt til at høre den 2 gange.

Still an unbelievable album. Not much new to say here that hasn't been said before, but the production still shines just as brightly as it did the first time I listened to it.

really slacking this week boys sorry!! this one is easy

Well, it’s Pet Sounds. Changed the game. Opener is off the wall, and Sloop John B - God Only Knows - I Know There’s An Answer is an absolutely insane sequence. I do think it’s hilarious how obsessed this group is with getting married.

More than a few great songs on here. Fantastic production, beautiful harmonies, masterful song writing. Such a good album

This is generally considered one of the greatest albums of all time. I do think it deserves a 5 for the production quality alone. Several of the songs are truly great -- "Wouldn't it be Nice" and "Sloop John B" are my favorites. All that said, I wouldn't count this among my personal top 20 or even 100 albums. Yes, Brian Wilson's genius clearly comes through though.

Deserves its reputation as a masterpiece. Wonderful all the way though, with songs that work as their own mini masterpieces sprinkled throughout. We learned about this in my history of rock and roll class as the album where rock and roll “grew up” into a serious intellectual pursuit and I can see why. Brian Wilson and Tony Asher give us songs about love, sadness, and aging but fill them with lush arrangements. GOATED for sure.

Great album. Best Beach Boys album, Repeats: wouldn't it be nice, don't talk, sloop john b, God only knows,

😳

une écoute fort agréable

It’s just so syrupy and clean. The arrangements are so smooth and the production is spectacular. I forgot how good this is and it’s such a remarkable climb from the lame ass junk they released early. This album is beautiful. 5 stars

So many classics. Sloop John, Wouldn't it be Nice, God Only Knows, so many iconic classics. How can this not be five stars?

I love the Beach Boys!! ❤️❤️❤️

Solid album, Pet Sounds song never took off like many of the other songs on this album. The remastered stereo does sound better to me compared to the older mono. "Caroline, no" was my favorite on the album.

One of the greatest