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Post by Dawn on May 26, 2003 8:56:24 GMT -5
Today's album was suggested by 55dodger when I was posting this feature at ML. Thanks, dodger!
Today's album is:
Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys, 1966[/size]
The tracks:
1. Wouldn't It Be Nice
2. You Still Believe In Me
3. That's Not Me
4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
5. I'm Waiting For The Day
6. Let's Go Away For Awhile
7. Sloop John B
8. God Only Knows
9. I Know There's An Answer
10. Here Today
11. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
12. Pet Sounds
13. Caroline No
What are your thoughts on this album?
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Post by 55dodger on May 26, 2003 10:03:36 GMT -5
Hi Dawn
What a great album. Required for any collection. Consistently included in lists of ultimate or must have albums. Proved the Beach Boys were more than surfin', hot rods, and cheerleaders. Sloop John B is an underplayed classic. Wouldn't it be Nice has become a personal favorite since I heard them in concert 2 years ago. God Only Knows is a very pretty love song. Other favorites: Caroline No, Pet Sounds, Don't Talk, Here Today, I Just Wasn't Made for these Times.
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Post by SAT-I need more room!! on May 26, 2003 11:00:02 GMT -5
I have a feeling Pete is gonna have the biggest response today.  Great, legendary piece of work. Inspired by Beatles works, such as Rubber Soul, and then this in turn inspired Pepper, which in turn inspired Smile....and Brian's breakdown.  Now, hold onto your hats everyone-I DON'T OWN THIS ONE!!  Not on disc, vinyl or cassette! But the box has 8 of the 13 cuts (technically 7, but I Know There's an Answer is there in its earlier form as Hang Onto Your Ego.) The 4 singles are some of the BEST songs that represent the 60s. Paul McCartney says he gave all his kids copies of the disc to show how music is done. He also says he cries still when he hears God Only Knows. It certainly is a masterpiece! |
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Post by Pete70s on May 26, 2003 13:22:23 GMT -5
I was first introduced to Pet Sounds in the summer of '94, by one of my best friends who has been a die-hard Beach Boys fan since birth. It didn't totally hook me on the first listen, but over time I grew to like it a lot. One year later I could barely listen to anything BUT Pet Sounds.
The history behind this album was that Brian retired from touring in December 1964, to concentrate on the Beach Boys recorded output. Growing tired of surfing and hot-rod songs, and wanting to keep in touch with the rapidly changing music scene, he heard The Beatles "Rubber Soul" album and decided that singles were dying, and the album format was the way to go. This was the vehicle that he wanted to use to get his real emotions out, and share them with the public.
The idea behind the album was love, not so much male/female love, but the love one feels when hearing this music, and the emotions it stirs up. In Brian's own words "I believe that music is God's voice". He chose Tony Asher, an ad writer, to help with the lyrics and to articulate what Brian was feeling at the time. He brought in the best studio musicians in the country, The Wrecking Crew, known for their work on Phil Spector's hits. Among them were Hal Blaine, Carole Kane, and Glen Campbell, all of whom were blown away by how good these songs were.
When the album was finished, however, he realized that it would be a hard sell for the other Beach Boys to like it. Away on tour during most of the sessions, the other Beach Boys were still wearing the striped shirts, performing "Surfin' USA" and "Fun Fun Fun" every night to screaming fans.
The rest of the group were stunned when they heard it. Apparently, Bruce Johnston loved it, Carl and Al were indifferent (more concerned about how they were going to perform this stuff live), and Dennis always supported his older brother. Mike Love, on the other hand, HATED the album and was very vocal about it. "You're going to kill our careers, Brian! Don't F*** with the formula!" These words would haunt Brian for years, especially in the wake of the Smile sessions.
The album didn't fare much better with the public, as Capitol records decided to promote a "Best Of" album featuring their early hits, rather than Pet Sounds. I personally believe that the public was simply not ready for this music at the time, despite the fact that FOUR hits were pulled from it). Hard to believe, but it was only recently (within the past two years!) that Pet Sounds was certified GOLD!!
Within the past ten years, people have finally started to warm up to the album. Artists ranging from Eric Clapton to James Hetfield of Metallica have raved about Pet Sounds, and the album has been recieving the acclaim that it should have had in 1966.
As far as I'm concerned, It doesn't get any better than this. It's my favorite album of all time. There were times in the past when I've literally bawled my eyes out to this album, because I've never heard ANYTHING so REAL before or since! I've made love with this album playing, and it's always the first CD I put in when I get a new stereo/CD player etc..
How's THAT for a write-up, Sat?
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Post by Ken on May 26, 2003 13:57:12 GMT -5
I had read a lot about Pet Sounds over the years about it's legendary status. And even though I had heard God Only Knows (such a beautiful song ,I love it) , Caroline No(ditto,love those harmonies) and Sloop John B . I had heard nothing else so a few years ago I decided to investigate and found a VERY used vinyl copy for a dollar. After playing it a few times I fell in love with it. Three years ago I upgraded and bought the CD (with both mono and Stereo versions of the album) . Including those above other faves include : I Just Wasn't Made For These Times , Let's Go Away for Awhile , That's Not Me and You Still Believe in Me - The album was way ahead of it's time:)
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Post by Dawn on May 26, 2003 20:54:45 GMT -5
Hi Dawn What a great album. Required for any collection. Consistently included in lists of ultimate or must have albums. Proved the Beach Boys were more than surfin', hot rods, and cheerleaders. Sloop John B is an underplayed classic. Wouldn't it be Nice has become a personal favorite since I heard them in concert 2 years ago. God Only Knows is a very pretty love song. Other favorites: Caroline No, Pet Sounds, Don't Talk, Here Today, I Just Wasn't Made for these Times. This is truly a classic album, dodger - thanks again for suggesting it. The Beach Boys really broke new musical ground with this album, and the songs contained on it are among their finest ever. 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' is absolutely superb - I've loved it ever since I was very young. |
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Post by Dawn on May 26, 2003 21:02:52 GMT -5
I have a feeling Pete is gonna have the biggest response today. Great, legendary piece of work. Inspired by Beatles works, such as Rubber Soul, and then this in turn inspired Pepper, which in turn inspired Smile....and Brian's breakdown. Now, hold onto your hats everyone-I DON'T OWN THIS ONE!! Not on disc, vinyl or cassette! But the box has 8 of the 13 cuts (technically 7, but I Know There's an Answer is there in its earlier form as Hang Onto Your Ego.) The 4 singles are some of the BEST songs that represent the 60s. Paul McCartney says he gave all his kids copies of the disc to show how music is done. He also says he cries still when he hears God Only Knows. It certainly is a masterpiece! I completely agree, Sat - this album is a masterpiece. The four single cuts are classics that seem to become even more special as time passes. I know I have really grown to love 'God Only Knows' even more in recent years. It's absolutely beautiful. |
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Post by djdave on May 26, 2003 21:39:29 GMT -5
Ahhh...so classic. A masterpiece. Don't own it yet, but I should. My mom prefers their earlier "surf and cruise" stuff, but I like their later 60's period when Brian was such an experimental perfectionist. Do know a lot of the tunes, "Nice" is one of my faves from the guys!
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Post by Dawn on May 26, 2003 21:46:56 GMT -5
I was first introduced to Pet Sounds in the summer of '94, by one of my best friends who has been a die-hard Beach Boys fan since birth. It didn't totally hook me on the first listen, but over time I grew to like it a lot. One year later I could barely listen to anything BUT Pet Sounds. The history behind this album was that Brian retired from touring in December 1964, to concentrate on the Beach Boys recorded output. Growing tired of surfing and hot-rod songs, and wanting to keep in touch with the rapidly changing music scene, he heard The Beatles "Rubber Soul" album and decided that singles were dying, and the album format was the way to go. This was the vehicle that he wanted to use to get his real emotions out, and share them with the public. The idea behind the album was love, not so much male/female love, but the love one feels when hearing this music, and the emotions it stirs up. In Brian's own words "I believe that music is God's voice". He chose Tony Asher, an ad writer, to help with the lyrics and to articulate what Brian was feeling at the time. He brought in the best studio musicians in the country, The Wrecking Crew, known for their work on Phil Spector's hits. Among them were Hal Blaine, Carole Kane, and Glen Campbell, all of whom were blown away by how good these songs were. When the album was finished, however, he realized that it would be a hard sell for the other Beach Boys to like it. Away on tour during most of the sessions, the other Beach Boys were still wearing the striped shirts, performing "Surfin' USA" and "Fun Fun Fun" every night to screaming fans. The rest of the group were stunned when they heard it. Apparently, Bruce Johnston loved it, Carl and Al were indifferent (more concerned about how they were going to perform this stuff live), and Dennis always supported his older brother. Mike Love, on the other hand, HATED the album and was very vocal about it. "You're going to kill our careers, Brian! Don't F*** with the formula!" These words would haunt Brian for years, especially in the wake of the Smile sessions. The album didn't fare much better with the public, as Capitol records decided to promote a "Best Of" album featuring their early hits, rather than Pet Sounds. I personally believe that the public was simply not ready for this music at the time, despite the fact that FOUR hits were pulled from it). Hard to believe, but it was only recently (within the past two years!) that Pet Sounds was certified GOLD!! Within the past ten years, people have finally started to warm up to the album. Artists ranging from Eric Clapton to James Hetfield of Metallica have raved about Pet Sounds, and the album has been recieving the acclaim that it should have had in 1966. As far as I'm concerned, It doesn't get any better than this. It's my favorite album of all time. There were times in the past when I've literally bawled my eyes out to this album, because I've never heard ANYTHING so REAL before or since! I've made love with this album playing, and it's always the first CD I put in when I get a new stereo/CD player etc.. How's THAT for a write-up, Sat? Thanks, Pete. I wasn't really familiar with the background history of this album, and it was good to read how Brian was inspired to move in a new direction. This was such a sophisticated, technically advanced album of its time, and I agree, I don't think the record-buying public was quite ready for it. But it's truly a wonderful album, one of the finest in rock history. |
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Post by Dawn on May 26, 2003 21:52:08 GMT -5
I had read a lot about Pet Sounds over the years about it's legendary status. And even though I had heard God Only Knows (such a beautiful song ,I love it) , Caroline No(ditto,love those harmonies) and Sloop John B . I had heard nothing else so a few years ago I decided to investigate and found a VERY used vinyl copy for a dollar. After playing it a few times I fell in love with it. Three years ago I upgraded and bought the CD (with both mono and Stereo versions of the album) . Including those above other faves include : I Just Wasn't Made For These Times , Let's Go Away for Awhile , That's Not Me and You Still Believe in Me - The album was way ahead of it's time:) I agree, Ken - this album was years ahead of its time. The trademark harmonies from their earlier works are still there, but lyrically and musically they were moving in a different direction. 'God Only Knows' is such an emotional song, and is beautifully written. And 'Sloop John B' has been a favorite of mine ever since I was very young. |
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Post by Dawn on May 26, 2003 21:56:24 GMT -5
Ahhh...so classic. A masterpiece. Don't own it yet, but I should. My mom prefers their earlier "surf and cruise" stuff, but I like their later 60's period when Brian was such an experimental perfectionist. Do know a lot of the tunes, "Nice" is one of my faves from the guys! I agree with you about 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', Dave. It's fantastic! For many years it was my top Beach Boys song, until I heard 'Sail On Sailor' early last year, but it's still a close second. I need to investigate more of their late 60's work - what I've heard so far is really good! |
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Post by rabbit46 on May 26, 2003 23:48:21 GMT -5
Great album Dawn! I think "God only knows" is such a nice song. Also really like "Wouldn't it be nice" and "Sloop John B".  BR |
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Post by H2IZCOOL on May 27, 2003 10:21:18 GMT -5
Super Album!
I am amazed it wasn't gold until recently.
So many great tracks: I love God Only Knows and Caroline, No (which I believe is a Brian solo.) Also You Still Believe In Me and Wouldn't It Be Nice.
This may be the (heck, -- I think it IS) the album that people will point to even 50 years from now as what finally defined the Beach Boys.
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Post by Dawn on May 27, 2003 13:51:33 GMT -5
Great album Dawn! I think "God only knows" is such a nice song. Also really like "Wouldn't it be nice" and "Sloop John B". BR Thank you Brer! The three songs you mentioned are among my favorites on the album. |
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Post by Dawn on May 27, 2003 13:57:19 GMT -5
Super Album! I am amazed it wasn't gold until recently. So many great tracks: I love God Only Knows and Caroline, No (which I believe is a Brian solo.) Also You Still Believe In Me and Wouldn't It Be Nice. This may be the (heck, -- I think it IS) the album that people will point to even 50 years from now as what finally defined the Beach Boys. Thanks, H2! I too was surprised that it's only recently gone gold. As you said, this album was truly a defining moment for them. |
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Not on disc, vinyl or cassette! But the box has 8 of the 13 cuts (technically 7, but I Know There's an Answer is there in its earlier form as Hang Onto Your Ego.) 
BR
