I heard quite a lot about this album prior to picking up the KTSA/BB85 two-fer in 2000. Much of what I read was dismissive. Until I bought the CD, all I'd ever heard from the album was 'Getcha Back' which I loathed (still do), so I was worried.

Well, this album is not quite as bad as I figured it would have been. I like, I guess a bit in a guilty pleasure way, 'It's Gettin' Late' (Carl can sing just about ANY song and turn it from garbage to more than listenable), 'Maybe I Don't Know', 'I'm So Lonely' (seriously!), 'Where I Belong' and the great doo-wop vibe of 'It's Just A Matter of Time'. Everything else on the album sucks in my opinion and should be avoided at all costs.

Carl Wilson is almost the only reason to listen to a lot of post-Love You BBs albums.

'That's Not Me' doesn't feature everyone like 'Girl don't Tell Me' does (minus obviously Mike, who can't really play a thing). And I had said "of the era" meaning Brian's 1965-66 pinnacle.

The separation between "oldies" and "classic rock" for radio stations I think happens somewhere around 1967, when the Jimi Hendrix Experience (classic rock), The Doors (classic rock) and Pink Floyd (classic rock, but they never play old Syd Barret stuff) all released their debut albums. The Beatles are an interesting case in themselves; their early period stuff, till about 1965, is almost never played on classic rock radio (unless it's Breakfast With The Beatles or something special), but really only on oldies radio. Much of their singles from about 1967 on are played on classic rock stations.

Note that 1967 was also the year that the general public mostly stop caring about the Beach Boys, at least in the United States.
You're not gonna hear 'Heroes and Villains' or 'Breakaway' on oldies or classic rock radio for pretty much the same reason: what the hell is that?

Of course, when I refer to oldies radio, I mean a format that doesn't seem to exist anymore. My local so-called "oldies" station, KOOL105, played up until several years ago great stuff like 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', 'Build Me Up Buttercup', 'Time of the Season', 'Hanky Panky', 'That'll Be The Day' and lotsa Motown. Now all they play is up to early '70s stuff. I dropped them like a rock after that.

I agree. I love designing my own album covers so I'm in.

1. Hey Bulldog
2. Hey Bulldog
3. Hey Bulldog

Aww yeah. My namesake. I like Pet Sounds, Today! and Sunflower more, but still, this is one of the very best Beach Boys albums. Not every track is great, but hell, you kind of expect that from the boys.

Best songs:
'Let Him Run Wild' is my #2 favorite Beach Boys song. It's spine-tingling beautiful. The arrangement is just outta sight. I don't know all that much about the technical side of music, but man, that...chord progression I think it is at the end of the chorus back into the verse (the way up and then meandering down horn lines before "guess you know I waited for you girl")is perfection, just amazing. The backing track on Stack O' Tracks is astounding. Soak it up.

'California Girls' survives over-exposure for me primarily because of the intro, which feels like a prologue/overture and the bitchin' BGVs.

'Help Me Rhonda' just rocks. Whaddya want?

'And Your Dream Comes True' is another fine example of the effortless talent Brian and the boys had for unspeakably brilliant harmonies. Like a lullaby to my birth season.

'Girl Don't Tell Me'...yeah, surfy, dopey 'Ticket To Ride' for beach bums, but I LOVE it. One of the very few BBs tracks of the era that actually features the members of the band playing instruments.

'Amusement Parks USA', though by no means a great song, I still kinda like for some reason. Maybe it's because I love old, classic amusement parks and loathe crowded, expensive and lifeless theme parks. The lyrics now stand, more than 45 years on, as fond tributes to some defunct parks such as Pacific Ocean Park, Euclid Beach and the great Palisades Park.

'The Girl From New York City' is bad-assss. I love Brian's falsetto wailin'.

'Salt Lake City' is really only notable to me for that amazing backing track. Lovely, vibrant stuff.

'You're So Good To Me' has a great beat and Brian's vocals are tough and groovy. Love it.

Don't much like 'I'm Bugged at My Ol' Man' and their cover of 'Then I Kissed Her' is eh okay.

Overall, fantastic record, full of the warmth of the sun n' fun n' awf'ly purty Brian Wilson production and melodies. The two-fer CD that contains this album and Today! is, along with Pet Sounds and the new SMiLE sessions box, the best thing the BBs camp ever released.

Friends. But first replace the not-so-chill 'Transcendental Meditation' for 'I Went To Sleep' or 'Old Folks at Home/Old Man River.'

Original Pet Sounds album sped-up version in glorious mono. That stereo box set one is like molasses. One of the few good musical ideas Murry Wilson ever had, to speed it up, and Brian agreed with it.

Brian has said that he never really took credit for what he did 'cause he always felt a higher power was pushing him to create beautiful art. As an atheist, I obviously disagree with that. I say it's all Brian Wilson that made powerful, ingenious music; all from his head, hand and heart. Brian is "God" over his creations, not anybody or anything else, which is part of what makes him so extraordinary.

That said, I do respect that he has his beliefs and am loathed to trample on them.

:de-lurk:

I prefer Mike's bridge vocal not because he sings it better (and he sure as hell wasn't a better singer than Brian) but because that's how the song was originally released in 1966. It goes along with why I prefer mono to the new stereo mixes - it's original 1966 goodness (okay, so remastered too, which isn't original I suppose, but hey).

You know, it's not too often I listen to Surfin' Safari and Surfin' USA, but when I do, I always enjoy where it's all coming from. Sure, this album is quite primitive and artless, like crude cave paintings by a 2-year-old compared to much of the spires of brilliance that would come later. But you know what? This and Surfin' USA are FUN LPs to listen to, and I think that was the whole point, and it seems like, judging by so many comments on this album, a lot of people tend to forget about fun records. It's not high art, it's not art of ANY kind, but I find it oddly enjoyable and it puts a smile on my face. Especially 'County Fair' and 'Chug-A-Lug'. I'd honestly rather here the young, Pendleton-clad scrubby South Bay lads here barely bash out 'Little Girl (You're My Miss America)' than hear much of their pot brownie-induced giggles slugging through the mud and demented barbershop of Smiley Smile. There, I said it.

(and I like Smiley Smile...just sayin'....)

I betcha I could make a more bizarre and random track listing than some of those.
How about:

Side one
1. Gettin' Hungry
2. Our Car Club
3. Here Today
4. Do You Remember
5. I'm Bugged At My Old Man
6. Cuckoo Clock
7. Never Learn Not To Love

Side two
1. This Car Of Mine
2. Hully Gully
3. Cherry, Cherry Coupe
4. Diamond Head
5. Finders Keepers
6. I'm So Young
7. Mama Says

And of course the LP would have to have either a picture of the Beach Boys from 1963 or a picture of surfers on the cover, or both. Zany stuff.

I always had a weird fascination with those myriad BBs comps that have no rhyme or reason. I think it would be fun to sequence something like that.

It was 10 years ago this month that I first heard Pet Sounds. Or was it April? It's tough to remember, but during April-May 1999, I first listened to Pet Sounds, the first album I ever heard of the Beach Boys. I wasn't a fan at all until I heard this album, the 1990 CD reissue to be specific. I'm listening to it on headphones again tonight, which I rarely do. I usually stick with the 2006 40th Anniversary version, but tonight I knew I had to put on the old disc, the very same copy I heard ten years ago. I'm on 'That's Not Me' right now, a song that hit me pretty hard at the time (still does) because I was going through much the same experience as what's detailed in the lyrics at that time. I moved back home after spending many dark, cold months in Washington state, returning to the Colorado sunshine of spring that I love best.
I was staying at a friend of mine's house in the mountains for some months, April though July, and I went through a a little cabinet of CDs he had, and one that caught my eye was this CD. After hearing, Pet Sounds immediately became my #1 favorite album of all time. For many people, I know that it took a few listens to "get" the album or for it to sink it, but for me, it was IMMEDIATE, right when 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' came on, which became my #1 favorite song pretty quickly.
Soon, probably later in April or in May, for all I know TODAY in 1999, I picked up Endless Summer on CD at Barnes & Noble (back when it was still in print on CD!) to get a Cliff's Notes of the Beach Boys prior to Pet Sounds. And so...my obsession began.

I know it doesn't matter much to you guys, you all heard this album at different times, be it long before I was even born (1979; I was 19 almost 20 when I first heard PS...the exact right age!) or you picked up on it since then, but it means the world to me. It changed my life, that first listen back then, on a sweet spring day in April...or May...it's a shame I can't remember the exact date, but oh I remember the day clearly. Odd, huh?

I'm almost certain this has been covered before in a previous thread, but oh well...

My question is, does anyone know what Brian's reaction to Sgt. Pepper was, exactly? I know he's mentioned it before.

See, there's this silly video on youtube where the guy who posted it is running a Beatles vs. Beach Boys poll, and so many of Beach Boy-hating Beatle fans there keep insisting that Brian locked himself in his room for months doing cocaine in response to hearing Sgt. Pepper, which we all know is false. Funny where they get these things. Gee, why don't I lie and say that Paul McCartney almost jumped off a bridge after hearing Pet Sounds? 

Why, he did jump, didn't you know that? They found a lookalike and planted a few tiny indications for diehard Moptop fans. In fact, a milkman from Bstyfnntdwyddych, Wales, proved to be the spitting image of Paul McC. He got one week's training to get rid of his Welsh accent and to become a reasonable bass player (he didn't play anything). Don't tell anyone where you heard this, I am sworn to secrecy by Camilla Parker-Bowles, a huge Pepper fanatic.

I just KNEW someone would make a Paul is Dead joke. I was thinking about making one myself, but I'm glad you did it instead, Heartical Don, that was funny, thanks. (Still, makes me wish Sloop Doug B. was around to make a Mike is Dead joke.)

Um, we could go on ahead and lock this thread now. No need.

I just don't buy Derek Taylor's "Brian locking himself in his room" reaction to Sgt. Pepper, as someone else mentioned in this thread. Doesn't sound right. Sure, I'm betting the album blew Brian away, but good god, that's just hyperbole. The Beatles blew his mind once more, and then Brian worked on Smiley Smile. It's not like he locked himself away in depression and coping with his hangups, like so many say. That came later.

I heard about that, read it somewhere, Dancing Bear. Made me smile to know Lennon & McCartney dug into Pet Sounds.

Thank you for the link Luther, I thought I saw discussion for this somewhere.

I'm almost certain this has been covered before in a previous thread, but oh well...

My question is, does anyone know what Brian's reaction to Sgt. Pepper was, exactly? I know he's mentioned it before.

See, there's this silly video on youtube where the guy who posted it is running a Beatles vs. Beach Boys poll, and so many of Beach Boy-hating Beatle fans there keep insisting that Brian locked himself in his room for months doing cocaine in response to hearing Sgt. Pepper, which we all know is false. Funny where they get these things. Gee, why don't I lie and say that Paul McCartney almost jumped off a bridge after hearing Pet Sounds? 

Great pictures from the show! Wonderful to see the Honeys back and singing. Marylin looks terrific.
Which, by the way, I was wondering, did Brian and Marilyn meet up again at the show? That would've been interesting...

Wow, wish I was there. The picture of Jeff with the 'God Only Knows' sheet music notes blew my mind.

Not to get far off-topic, but brianc, try using that Quote button on the top right-hand corner of the user's post you want to quote.  There will be brackets around quoted text.

You know, I've read numerous personal testimonies about Beach Boys music, and I have to say that this is the best piece I've ever read about it, probably because your feelings about this song mirror my own.

The first song that would have to be included on any such CD or playlist for me is one that I know I’ve been hearing all my life, that I always remember loving, that conjures up both a feeling of innocence and the impending loss of same in a bittersweet blend, that simply through its sonics can still put a silly grin on my face after all these years. That song, of course, is "Wouldn't It Be Nice" from Pet Sounds, which is (possibly) my favorite album of all time, by (possibly) my favorite musical act of all time. It's very possibly my favorite song of all time.

Mine too. My very favorite song off all time, by my favorite band of all time, on my favorite album of  all time. Unlike you, though, I haven't heard it all my life, only from the past 9 years or so, which is when I became a Beach Boys fanatic. It's because of this song that I became a fan to begin with.

I've always been hesitant to analyze the song very closely. Listening to it brings the most pleasure to me when the experience is untouched by the intellect. (I’ve only learned to play the song on the piano relatively recently, and knowing, for example, that most of the song is in the key of F major seems far too mundane an idea to apply to this magical creation.) Brian Wilson has said that one major intention behind his music is to deliver love to people (that may sound corny, but wow, just listen to his best music), and I believe he succeeded immeasurably with "Wouldn't It Be Nice." There’s something unique about the sound of his voice on this song; he sang many, many memorable and beautiful vocal parts with the Beach Boys during the 1960s, but I don't think any of them, not even those on the rest of Pet Sounds, sound quite like this one. And when the rest of the Beach Boys join in as the second verse takes off, I'm gone, capable of swooning like I do in response to no other recording I've yet heard.

I agree. The whole song makes me swoon, but I think the biggest part may be the bridge and Brian singing "oh we could be married", etc. The way he sings it, the longing and hope there I'm addicted to, I draw my own hope and optimism from that.

An interesting thing to me, is that 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' is my #1 favorite song, and Bob Seger's 'Against The Wind' is #2 on the list. 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' represents a bright, sunny outlook, again, a hopeful feeling for the future. 'Against The Wind' meanwhile is reflective, looking back to the past with regret. I think those two songs (along with my 3rd favorite song, the introspective 'Strawberry Fields Forever') are the two parts of me. Still, I am a little more in character like 'Against The Wind'; pensive, wandering, looking over my shoulder constantly. That's more of who I actually am right now and have been for years. Also, unlike 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', I've heard 'Against The Wind' since childhood, literally as long as I can remember. I think that if 'Against The Wind' represents who I am now, 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' represents what and where I want to be, eventually. And I much prefer that future to now, really. I wonder if there will ever be a day when, years down the road and I'm married, settled and doing what I love for a living, will 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' still be #1, still mean as much? It'll always be way in the back of my mind.

Thank you, Vega-Table man, for you thoughts on our favorite songs, and for making me think.

That is a cool tattoo. I've always wanted a Wild Honey tattoo, but I might include the flowers. I dunno. Probably on my chest or something.

Also all that SMiLE art could make for great tattoos.

The song was 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', now my favorite song, and it was the album it belongs to. I first heard the 1990 Pet Sounds CD remaster in April-May 1999, changing me forever. Very soon after that I bought Endless Summer on CD to get a feeling of what came before. So that's why I'm here.

Does anybody have the means to take the original speed 'Caroline, No' backing track from the Sessions box and speed it up to the way it is on the album? Like with some music editor program or something?

I'll never understand why so many prefer the slow-as-a-dead-snail speed of how it was originally recorded. Seems like only me and Brian Wilson liked Murry's idea of speeding it up, even if it was for commercial reasons. It made it sound better, IMO.

If there's some way to speed it up to normal, it'd be outta site.

I'm just speaking from zero knowledge really, but maybe 'All Day' has something to do with the later Smiley Smile song 'Whistle In'. Did you ever notice that song is very similar to the melody to the chant of "wah wah ho wah" in 'I Love To Say Da Da?'

"All day, all night, all day long, whistle in".

I could be, and probably am completely off on this. But it's fun to speculate, even if it yields nothing real.

Edit:  After getting Sony Vegas recently, and after receiving the honor of being personally commended by Hal Blaine for my other videos, I thought I'd make more "session videos" like the ones I made a few months ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIQEkeXPzpQ&fmt=18

This video is Vol. 1 of "Behind the Sounds".  I plan to cover all of Pet Sounds in this fashion over the next few months.

THANK YOU so much, Ebb, for covering in detail my favorite album and in particular here, my favorite song. Awesome job.