I think PS is a great album, with some beautiful melodies. And some good wring, production & layers of vocals and sounds. Hell i would even agree that it is one of the best albums of all time....

But why is highly regarded as it is? i mean Rolling Stone said it was the 2nd best album of all time and many have listed as the best ever

And everyone from Paul Mccartney to Dylan to Tom Petty to Clapton. Elton, Stevie, Keit Moon etc.

Hell Tom actually said ''I think I would put him up there with any composer - especially Pet Sounds. I don't think there is anything better than that, necessarily. I don't think you'd be out of line comparing him to Beethoven - to any composer''

As much as i adore music & i do think this is a damn fine album, i find it to be insanely overrated. The melody and sounds are fantastic, maybe even a bit game changing.. but so many other albums to me had better layers of sounds, vocals & lyrics.

I just feel it doesn't sound like this album, that changed everything around it musically and can be compared to Beethoven

[Edited 6/7/12 17:46pm]

Gunsnhalen said:

As much as i adore music & i do think this is a damn fine album, i find it to be insanely overrated. The melody and sounds are fantastic, maybe even a bit game changing.. but so many other albums to me had better layers of sounds, vocals & lyrics.

I'm curious. Name others in that time period.

Probably, as with many musical periods i'd guess, certain albums/artists don't have the same effect if you didn't grow up into it.

What I mean by that is growing up with what came before it. I'm sure it probably has a different effect listening back in time on it.

Music for adventurous listeners


tA

Tribal Records

Sounds like you understand it just fine.

It really is a beautiful album. It took me quite a while to really appreciate it. In fact, I am still in that process. For me, the difficult part of listening was my expectations based on uptempo and easy to listen to BB songs.

Maybe part of the ridiculous love comes from the fact that nobody would expect the beach boys to create a masterpiece. Plus it's kind of a hip choice because other than Wouldn't It Be Nice, there are really no particularly famous songs that you might hear on the radio. Same with Love's Forever Changes which is always on those best of lists.

I expected a great rock album, and it is not that. But it's great. And whether it's number 1 or 2 or 10 or 100 on this or that list doesn't really matter. I wouldn't say you could compare it to Beethoven, but that doesn't make it any better or worse. I wouldn't compare Miles Davis or James Brown to Beethoven, either. They are different. Brian Wilson is a serious artist. As serious as you can get in the pop world. Like the Beatles. People still praise the music after nearly 50 years, so it has some of the staying power of Beethoven.

I can see Audience point, i meant album from 1968 & on. I think that probably is what make's the album special... it was so original when it came out.

But to me Pet Sounds imo is not as good as Sgt. Pepper(The album it influenced) Led Zeppelin IV, Stevie or Bob's classic era. Hell even some of the stuff with The Miracles albums.

But i think i do need to look at it from a late 60's perspective..

I might also add outside of this, i only had the Surfs Up album. And a best of... so i don't know much about The Beach Boys big output

The irony is that Brian Wilson was obsessed with the Beatles and wanted to surpass the type of musical experimentation that the Beatles were doing previous to Pet Sounds. But, in my opinion Sgt. Pepper surpassed what Wilson was attempting to do with Pet Sounds, which was heavily influenced by the Beatles.

Ta's right. You had "to be there" to really get the full effect of its' full revolutionary impact.

For me though, it's all about "God Only Knows". I think that's one of the best songs (pop, anyway) ever recorded.

purplethunder3121 said:

The irony is that Brian Wilson was obsessed with the Beatles and wanted to surpass the type of musical experimentation that the Beatles were doing previous to Pet Sounds. But, in my opinion Sgt. Pepper surpassed what Wilson was attempting to do with Pet Sounds, which was heavily influenced by the Beatles.

That is true! especially when With The Beatles came out! he said he wanted to be better than that & everyone said he couldn't make a number 1 hit. Well.. look what happened

purplethunder3121 said:

The irony is that Brian Wilson was obsessed with the Beatles and wanted to surpass the type of musical experimentation that the Beatles were doing previous to Pet Sounds. But, in my opinion Sgt. Pepper surpassed what Wilson was attempting to do with Pet Sounds, which was heavily influenced by the Beatles.

True! Brian wanted to better what TB did on With The Beatles & the group thought he couldn't make a number 1 hit. Boy where they wrong

NDRU said:

Maybe part of the ridiculous love comes from the fact that nobody would expect the beach boys to create a masterpiece. Plus it's kind of a hip choice because other than Wouldn't It Be Nice, there are really no particularly famous songs that you might hear on the radio. Same with Love's Forever Changes which is always on those best of lists.

Not true. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," which peaked at number eight, wasn't even the biggest hit from the album, at least in America. "Sloop John B" made it to number three so there are at least two songs from Pet Sounds that are staples of oldies radio.

JamFanHot said:

Ta's right. You had "to be there" to really get the full effect of its' full revolutionary impact.

For me though, it's all about "God Only Knows". I think that's one of the best songs (pop, anyway) ever recorded.

I was sad when they replaced it as the Big Love theme - it's in the patheon of songs I just never get tired of hearing.

That said, I do find the album to be a bit overrated.

There's really nothing to understand, in my opinion. Either you like a particular album, artist, or song are you don't. I never cared that much for Beach Boys music, corny as hell. For all the gushing about what they - or what Brian did- and how revolutionary it was; that ablum was about as interesting as watching paint dry for me.

You liked "Pet Sounds", that's all that matters.

rialb said:

NDRU said:

Maybe part of the ridiculous love comes from the fact that nobody would expect the beach boys to create a masterpiece. Plus it's kind of a hip choice because other than Wouldn't It Be Nice, there are really no particularly famous songs that you might hear on the radio. Same with Love's Forever Changes which is always on those best of lists.

Not true. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," which peaked at number eight, wasn't even the biggest hit from the album, at least in America. "Sloop John B" made it to number three so there are at least two songs from Pet Sounds that are staples of oldies radio.

Fair enough, but I had never heard any song other than Wouldn't it Be Nice (and I still haven't) until I had listened to the cd.

Actually, I had heard Bowie's version of God Only Knows.

NDRU said:

rialb said:

Not true. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," which peaked at number eight, wasn't even the biggest hit from the album, at least in America. "Sloop John B" made it to number three so there are at least two songs from Pet Sounds that are staples of oldies radio.

Fair enough, but I had never heard any song other than Wouldn't it Be Nice (and I still haven't) until I had listened to the cd.

Actually, I had heard Bowie's version of God Only Knows.

I guess it varies from person to person depending on what songs their local stations play. Where I live I would guess that both songs receive roughly the same amount of airplay.

NDRU said:

rialb said:

Not true. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," which peaked at number eight, wasn't even the biggest hit from the album, at least in America. "Sloop John B" made it to number three so there are at least two songs from Pet Sounds that are staples of oldies radio.

Fair enough, but I had never heard any song other than Wouldn't it Be Nice (and I still haven't) until I had listened to the cd.

Actually, I had heard Bowie's version of God Only Knows.

The two songs I had already known before hearing Pet Sounds in its entirety for the first time (fairly recently actually) were "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows". "Sloop John B" was familiar only because I had an obscure French cover of it:

rialb said:

NDRU said:

Fair enough, but I had never heard any song other than Wouldn't it Be Nice (and I still haven't) until I had listened to the cd.

Actually, I had heard Bowie's version of God Only Knows.

I guess it varies from person to person depending on what songs their local stations play. Where I live I would guess that both songs receive roughly the same amount of airplay.

OK, and compare that to Zeppelin IV or Sgt Pepper where more than half of the songs are famous--even though Sgt Pepper had zero singles.

I think it's more of a hip choice because it's not full of mainstream hits.

[Edited 6/8/12 14:01pm]

best album of all time

hahah no, not really, not necessarily

but probably the most beautiful and most honest album of all time, when I listen to this album I think of "beauty" and "melody"

Caroline No is one of those few songs that truly MOVES me

I Still Believe In You sounds like a Gregorian chant produced by Phil Spector, and that's a compliment, lol

Don't Talk Put Your Head on My Shoulder was the ultimate, well, "don't talk, just love me" song until Enjoy the Silence appeared...

title-track and Let's Go Away for Awhile are quality instrumentals

I'm Waiting for the Day and Here Today are epic, and probably the most respectable songs that Mike Love ever sang...

Sloop John B kicks ass

God Only Knows is the best cheesy ballad of all time

Wouldn't It Be Nice sounds like a Xmas holiday in Southern California, lol

I Know There's an Answer and I Just Wasn't Made for These Times are 2 of the best teenage angst songs ever, and still resonate even when you're +20 years old

I'm not crazy about That's Not Me (slighty silly lyrics) but the chorus is a winner...

damn, this is a CLASSIC

purplethunder3121 said:

The irony is that Brian Wilson was obsessed with the Beatles and wanted to surpass the type of musical experimentation that the Beatles were doing previous to Pet Sounds. But, in my opinion Sgt. Pepper surpassed what Wilson was attempting to do with Pet Sounds, which was heavily influenced by the Beatles.

correction

Rubber Soul influenced Pet Sounds, which influenced Sgt.Peppers, which influenced Smile, which, for many reasons, was never released (at least until the 2004 re-recorded version and the 2011 special box)

sextonseven said:

NDRU said:

Fair enough, but I had never heard any song other than Wouldn't it Be Nice (and I still haven't) until I had listened to the cd.

Actually, I had heard Bowie's version of God Only Knows.

The two songs I had already known before hearing Pet Sounds in its entirety for the first time (fairly recently actually) were "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows". "Sloop John B" was familiar only because I had an obscure French cover of it:

hmm, Sloop John B enjoyed a 90s mini-revival when it was included on the Forrest Gump film/soundtrack

JoeTyler said:

purplethunder3121 said:

The irony is that Brian Wilson was obsessed with the Beatles and wanted to surpass the type of musical experimentation that the Beatles were doing previous to Pet Sounds. But, in my opinion Sgt. Pepper surpassed what Wilson was attempting to do with Pet Sounds, which was heavily influenced by the Beatles.

correction

Rubber Soul influenced Pet Sounds, which influenced Sgt.Peppers, which influenced Smile, which, for many reasons, was never released (at least until the 2004 re-recorded version and the 2011 special box)

If I'm remembering it right, most if not all of the Smile sessions were done before the release of Sgt Peppers. Brian would have been influenced by the Beatles' Revolver album while recording Smile. I've heard (but it might be just legend) that when Brian actually heard Sgt. Peppers for the first time, it was one of the factors that lead him to give up on finishing his own album.

duggalolly said:

JoeTyler said:

correction

Rubber Soul influenced Pet Sounds, which influenced Sgt.Peppers, which influenced Smile, which, for many reasons, was never released (at least until the 2004 re-recorded version and the 2011 special box)

If I'm remembering it right, most if not all of the Smile sessions were done before the release of Sgt Peppers. Brian would have been influenced by the Beatles' Revolver album while recording Smile. I've heard (but it might be just legend) that when Brian actually heard Sgt. Peppers for the first time, it was one of the factors that lead him to give up on finishing his own album.

I haven't read Brian's autobio, but word is out that he started Smile as the (bigger, more ambitious) sequel of PetSounds but when he heard the StrawberryFields/Penny Lane single he was devastated (the famous "Beatles got there first" line ) So that probably means that he liked Revolver, but he didn't feel threatened by it...

He probably thought that Smile was not good enough and when Sgt.Pepper's came out he collapsed (the song A Day in the Life deeply affected him); the mild-failure of the "Heroes and Villians" single was the final straw...(and drugs, and Mike Love, and his self-loathing, his mental illness, etc); sad story indeed...

Lists are meaningless when it comes to art.

JoeTyler said:

duggalolly said:

If I'm remembering it right, most if not all of the Smile sessions were done before the release of Sgt Peppers. Brian would have been influenced by the Beatles' Revolver album while recording Smile. I've heard (but it might be just legend) that when Brian actually heard Sgt. Peppers for the first time, it was one of the factors that lead him to give up on finishing his own album.

I haven't read Brian's autobio, but word is out that he started Smile as the (bigger, more ambitious) sequel of PetSounds but when he heard the StrawberryFields/Penny Lane single he was devastated (the famous "Beatles got there first" line ) So that probably means that he liked Revolver, but he didn't feel threatened by it...

He probably thought that Smile was not good enough and when Sgt.Pepper's came out he collapsed (the song A Day in the Life deeply affected him); the mild-failure of the "Heroes and Villians" single was the final straw...(and drugs, and Mike Love, and his self-loathing, his mental illness, etc); sad story indeed...

Fortunately, Brian unlike so many others, was able ro find his way back and start performing again...

purplethunder3121 said:

JoeTyler said:

I haven't read Brian's autobio, but word is out that he started Smile as the (bigger, more ambitious) sequel of PetSounds but when he heard the StrawberryFields/Penny Lane single he was devastated (the famous "Beatles got there first" line ) So that probably means that he liked Revolver, but he didn't feel threatened by it...

He probably thought that Smile was not good enough and when Sgt.Pepper's came out he collapsed (the song A Day in the Life deeply affected him); the mild-failure of the "Heroes and Villians" single was the final straw...(and drugs, and Mike Love, and his self-loathing, his mental illness, etc); sad story indeed...

Fortunately, Brian unlike so many others, was able ro find his way back and start performing again...

yeah, Brian's story is harsh, but it's not a tragedy, he finally released Smile, he's considered one of the greats and right now he's touring the globe with the rest of the Beach Boys. Happy ending indeed

JoeTyler said:

best album of all time

hahah no, not really, not necessarily

but probably the most beautiful and most honest album of all time, when I listen to this album I think of "beauty" and "melody"

Caroline No is one of those few songs that truly MOVES me

I Still Believe In You sounds like a Gregorian chant produced by Phil Spector, and that's a compliment, lol

Don't Talk Put Your Head on My Shoulder was the ultimate, well, "don't talk, just love me" song until Enjoy the Silence appeared...

title-track and Let's Go Away for Awhile are quality instrumentals

I'm Waiting for the Day and Here Today are epic, and probably the most respectable songs that Mike Love ever sang...

Sloop John B kicks ass

God Only Knows is the best cheesy ballad of all time

Wouldn't It Be Nice sounds like a Xmas holiday in Southern California, lol

I Know There's an Answer and I Just Wasn't Made for These Times are 2 of the best teenage angst songs ever, and still resonate even when you're +20 years old

I'm not crazy about That's Not Me (slighty silly lyrics) but the chorus is a winner...

damn, this is a CLASSIC

You meant "You Still Believe In Me" right ?

But you're right, you break the album down song by song and they're all great.

mynameisnotsusan said:

JoeTyler said:

best album of all time

hahah no, not really, not necessarily

but probably the most beautiful and most honest album of all time, when I listen to this album I think of "beauty" and "melody"

Caroline No is one of those few songs that truly MOVES me

I Still Believe In You sounds like a Gregorian chant produced by Phil Spector, and that's a compliment, lol

Don't Talk Put Your Head on My Shoulder was the ultimate, well, "don't talk, just love me" song until Enjoy the Silence appeared...

title-track and Let's Go Away for Awhile are quality instrumentals

I'm Waiting for the Day and Here Today are epic, and probably the most respectable songs that Mike Love ever sang...

Sloop John B kicks ass

God Only Knows is the best cheesy ballad of all time

Wouldn't It Be Nice sounds like a Xmas holiday in Southern California, lol

I Know There's an Answer and I Just Wasn't Made for These Times are 2 of the best teenage angst songs ever, and still resonate even when you're +20 years old

I'm not crazy about That's Not Me (slighty silly lyrics) but the chorus is a winner...

damn, this is a CLASSIC

You meant "You Still Believe In Me" right ?

But you're right, you break the album down song by song and they're all great.

ouch,

yeah

JamFanHot said:

Ta's right. You had "to be there" to really get the full effect of its' full revolutionary impact.

For me though, it's all about "God Only Knows". I think that's one of the best songs (pop, anyway) ever recorded.

I humbly beg to differ. I'd heard pieces of the album my entire life but listening to the entire album ti is a masterwork. I liken it to Supertramps, 'Breakfast In America.' I heard Supertramp first so . . . .

[Edited 6/15/12 20:17pm]

SUPRMAN said:

JamFanHot said:

Ta's right. You had "to be there" to really get the full effect of its' full revolutionary impact.

For me though, it's all about "God Only Knows". I think that's one of the best songs (pop, anyway) ever recorded.

I humbly beg to differ. I'd heard pieces of the album my entire life but listening to the entire album ti is a masterwork. I liken it to Supertramps, 'Breakfast In America.' I heard Supertramp first so . . . .

[Edited 6/15/12 20:17pm]

Point taken, Sup.

I should have said you "kinda" had to be there. The whole "full appreciation of the impact" thing isn't soley dependent on the context. I was like you, too (didn't hear Peppers or Pet Sounds "in cotext", but still appreciated their how impactful they both were).