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Review: Pet Sounds (Beach Boys)
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Subject: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: woodsie Date: 20 Aug 06 - 09:35 AM This album has topped many a poll of all time great albums. I have been playing it over the last few days. It still hasn't clicked. Apart from "God Only Knows" & "Sloop Jhon B" it seems to me just a collection of poorly produced "boy meets girl" pop songs sung with squeeky voices. Don't get me wrong I like the Beach Boys and I think that Smiley Smile is a must have album, but I must be missing something with Pet Sounds. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: John MacKenzie Date: 20 Aug 06 - 10:50 AM I can only say read this critique of the album. I was there, and for me it's a nostalgia thing as well as it being an amazingly well recorded album, with some great stuff on it. Giok Not very folky BTW ! |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: woodsie Date: 20 Aug 06 - 12:27 PM I never said it was folky. It's just that I can't see what all the fuss is about. It just does not seem to be the groundbreaking piece of work that it's cracked up to be. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: fat B****rd Date: 20 Aug 06 - 01:09 PM Each to their own innit ??To most of us there is a massive selling/influential artist or album whose success is bewildering. Lots of factors involved and there must be many other 'catters who are baffled by a certain artist/album success. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST,Wesley S Date: 20 Aug 06 - 01:40 PM One problem might be that you've listened to the record with your 2006 ears. Pet Sounds was recorded back in 1966 { in mono because Brian is deaf in one ear }and at that time it was a groundbreaking work.It inspired a lot of musicians to upgrade their production values. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Lonesome EJ Date: 20 Aug 06 - 01:54 PM I agree. It hasn't clicked with me either. Let's talk about the songs. 1. Wouldn't It Be Nice This was a great song when I heard it at the age of 15, and is still a great expression of innocent teenage love, and the longing to "be your own person" that teenagers always feel. The production, Wilson's version of the Spector Wall-of-Sound, was very powerful. 2. You Still Believe In Me This song is a sweet expression of love and loyalty, but for me never coalesces into anything memorable. After repeated listenings, I couldn't really tell you how it goes. It strikes me as a kind of lullaby, the kind that has no distracting elements, such as a true melody. 3.That's Not Me This one is a slight improvement over "Believe in Me",but it's interesting more as a Wilson confessional than as a song. 4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) The refrain is heartfelt and touching, but still there's nothing here musically that stands out to me. More lullaby stuff. 5. I'm Waiting For The Day More teenage angst here with nothing that really stays with you. 6. Let's Go Away For Awhile Some interesting insrumentation, which is a theme throughout the album. Otherwise, it doesn't move me. 7. Sloop John B The Beach Boys make a stab at the Traditional Folk/Rock real estate that the Byrds were effectively farming, but with Wilson's new big echochamber production.. A great song done in a memorable way. 8. God Only Knows Maybe the prettiest pop rock ballad ever written. This strikes me as what Wilson was shooting for and missing on "Don't Talk" and "Still Believe". The beauty and fragility of Carl Wilson's voice still brings tears to my eyes 9. I Know There's An Answer Falls into the ambient pleasant sound pattern of songs #2 and 4. 10. Here Today Not very moving, not very memorable. 11. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times A companion piece to "That's Not Me", but with more of the complex instrumentation Wilson was toying with 12. Pet Sounds Yawn. 13. Caroline No Brian's vocal on this is stunning and maybe the best he ever did, which is saying something. This song takes the "last dance at the prom" format that worked well earlier for the Beach Boys on songs like "Warmth of the Sun", and gives it a near-jazz flavoring that makes the chorus especially plaintive. This is bitter sweet in the sense on two levels: Brian saying goodbye to his wife, and simultaneously saying goodbye to the simple teenage hit-song style he was abandoning. 14. Hang On To Your Ego I find this very weak melodically, and hackneyed in its preaching of what amounts to a catch-phrase of the late 60s. This album was a giant leap for the Beach Boys, and for pop music in general. LPs had pretty much been collections of commercially-produced and unrelated hits and B-sides. This was perhaps the first "concept album" and one of the first where the artist had complete creative control. Wilson took advantage of this to create something new and groundbreaking, but marked by brilliant songs juxtaposed with self-indulgent mediocrities. Present day critics have a tendency to reward staying power. How else do you explain the enshrinement of banal acts like Rush and Aerosmith as rock icons? When Pet Sounds is named in the same company as Highway 61 and Revolver, it is benefitting from the innovations it launched rather than the inherent quality of the music. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Sorcha Date: 20 Aug 06 - 02:11 PM Barks? Meows? Chirps? etc? :) |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: woodsie Date: 20 Aug 06 - 03:12 PM Thanks lonesome EJ! I agree with all you say. An excellent synopsis. Are you a pro-musicologist? What about Smiley Smile? That album to me is more coherent as a whole piece. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Scrump Date: 20 Aug 06 - 03:47 PM I agree that Pet Sounds is (like most other albums by any artist you could name) a mix of excellent, good and probably mediocre stuff. But the best tracks (IMO God Only Knows, Sloop John B, Caroline No, WOuldn't It Be Nice and Here Today - yes, I like the last one!) are classic 1960s pop and stand up with the best from that era. The Beatles acknowledge it influenced them to greater heights so I believe the album contributed to the high standard of pop set in those days. All this is just IMO of course! |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: number 6 Date: 20 Aug 06 - 04:20 PM I have to agree with Wesley .... you have to look at when this album was recorded .... listening to in in '2006 ears' it does sound dated, but man, dated or not I find it pretty damned good ... and you must realize there had been nothing previously attempted like this before by a 'rock' band ... It was groundbreaking in that it did have a lot to offer in setting forth standards and inspiration in 'rock' production/recording/music. sIx |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Sorcha Date: 20 Aug 06 - 04:28 PM Woof! |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST,punkfolckrocker Date: 20 Aug 06 - 08:34 PM i couldnt give a dry stale crusty premature ejaculated limp f@ck what musicologists and accademics and inadequate overpayed hack music critics write about this LP.. in 1976 when i was 17 and i first experienced this sublime harmonised melodic expressed record of sad alienated teen depression...... like wow man!!!.. right on.. etc [and all that 70's hip shite bollocks..] either you 'get' this record or you dont.. if you dont.. ok.. fair enough.. if you do.. then i dont need to write no more about it.. its still in my personal top 5 LPs along with 'ziggy stardust' and the errrrm.. other 3 LPs i'm too old and cidered up to remember .. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Lonesome EJ Date: 20 Aug 06 - 10:20 PM punkfolk It's the "musicologists and accademics and inadequate overpayed hack music critics " that have put this one in the top 5 albums of all time. I'm just a guy with an opinion. But then Ziggy Stardust wouldn't be anywhere in there either, from my point of view. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST,punkfolrocker Date: 20 Aug 06 - 10:31 PM fair enough.. its only music and personal opinions... right now i'm more interested in sweet sugary food.. nothing in the larder or fridge.. and cant be arsed getting dressed agin to walk out to nearest 7/77 this time of night.. wifes too drunk to be any use... next door neibours are old miserable *****s so most likely wont play 'pet sounds' or any other favourite cd tonight.. thank god for boiled water and tea.. who cares.. no seriously.. who cares.. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker Date: 20 Aug 06 - 11:07 PM ..found some dutch syrup waffles teh wife hid from me.. and brewed tea.. so being a bit more serious now.. i'm not an academic or intelectual any more.. even though i got most of the way through an MA in ideology and culture befor i ran out of £££££££££$$$$$ 20 years ago.. i despise.. sorry.. dont have much respect for recieved critical evaluations of what we 'should' admire in pop culture.. any more than any other guy with 2 bobs worth of sense and experience.. but "pet sounds" is one of those phenomenal experiences thjat knocked me sideways during the painfull transition from teenager to growed up man and now that i'm knockin on 50 years old.. i stuill love it just as much.. its not shallow market ndriven nostalgia.. its pure heart felt devotion.. i love STILL "pet sounds" so what .. who else cares .. simple as that.. and if i was sober i might be more articulate. and spelling & gramer mihgt be more accurate.. but my love for this LP will still be none the less.. ps.. my mrs loves meatloaf bat out of hell and she'd probably defend that to death.. errrmm.. if she had'nt fallen asleep on the sofa downstairs a few hours ago.. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST Date: 20 Aug 06 - 11:08 PM BOLLOCKS TO THESE COMPUTER KEYBOARDS.. i love STILL LOVE "pet sounds" |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Little Hawk Date: 20 Aug 06 - 11:38 PM "Choip!" - a New York kinda pet sound. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST Date: 21 Aug 06 - 06:23 PM Doo Dooo dah Bee Dee |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Sorcha Date: 21 Aug 06 - 06:31 PM Meep! |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Geordie-Peorgie Date: 22 Aug 06 - 06:09 PM "Meep!" ???? |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Snuffy Date: 22 Aug 06 - 06:40 PM Yes "Meep". But I don't know anyone who's had a road runner as a pet. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST,effsee Date: 22 Aug 06 - 06:43 PM Surely that should be "Meep Meep" ? |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: GUEST Date: 23 Aug 06 - 01:44 AM I am still trying to figure out why what either Woodsie or Lonesome EJ hear or don't hear should make a difference to me. No offence intended, but your observations don't exactly ring with insight. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Ron Davies Date: 23 Aug 06 - 11:27 PM I thought it was interesting that the 3 songs cited as being good were also the hits--and the others weren't. ( I also happen to agree they are really good songs.) But their popularity seems to indicate that both the record company that picked them and --amazingly enough, the general public-- seems to have had good taste. Where the hell has it gone now? Actually, I've felt for a long time that 1966 was the top year in pop (rock) music. Beatles, Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, Lovin' Spoonful, Association, Mamas and Papas, Beach Boys, Supremes, 4 Tops, Miracles, Marvelettes, Temptations (probably left some out)--all had big hits in that year (US charts). What other year can compare? |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: number 6 Date: 23 Aug 06 - 11:43 PM It was a good year Ron ... here are some 'albums' from that year worth mentioning: Fresh Cream ... Cream Freak Out .... Frank Zappa East-West .... Paul Butterfield sIx |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Lonesome EJ Date: 24 Aug 06 - 01:04 AM Hey GUEST...then let's hear YOUR insights. At least I had some specific opinions, thought the album was a great adventure in sound. I just don't think it is one of the top 5, or even top 10, albums of all time. You just bitch about my opinion. I was just wondering if you had some reasons why you think it is one of the greatest of all time. Eh? Nothin? I thought not. |
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Subject: RE: Pet Sounds - am I missing something? From: Dave'sWife Date: 24 Aug 06 - 03:41 AM great review Lonsome El - you and I have similar tastes. I was 2 years old when Pet SOunds came out but I had an uncle who was 12 who bought it and played it all the time when he was over our house so most of the important music from my toddler years was in my ears before I could read. Nice thing about large Irish families that - having uncles and aunts only a decade or so older than you. (my Mum was the oldest child). My uncle Johnny, the one who had Pet Sounds is the biggest musician in our family now too. He inherited the mantle of musical patriarch when my grnadfather passed in 1994. My dad had a much younger brother who gave me all his blues and early Rock n Roll records before I was 8. I remember playing Sesame Street albums followed by Chuck Berry and just assuming it was kinda all the same. God Bless Uncle Brian. My Aunt Marsha was the folkie. I think she's 12 years older than me. She taught me all the verses to You Are my Sunshine. Funny how parents sing that to their kids today as if it's a hap hap happy song. She also used to sing me The Prisoner's Song as a lullaby (if I had the wings of an angel). I should ask sometime if it was me or her with the morbid taste in ballads. |
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