It really is impossible. This is the single greatest musical work I've ever heard in my life, my favorite album of all time, the songs that made me a fan of The Beach Boys and a staggering, unbelievable, wonderful, stunningly beautiful work of perfect genius. So yeah. Tough to rate, when every single song is utterly amazing.
I know I could easily write a several-page essay for each track, but I'll save you the headache:
1. Wouldn't It Be Nice - My #1 favorite song in the entire universe and beyond, a tune for me that will never, ever be equaled on this plane of existence. My soul in a glorious monophonic two and a half minutes. I'd like to think that for every person on earth there is a song that's theirs entirely, I mean there are more than enough songs to go around for billions of people. I'd like to think this song is mine all mine.
Thanks Brian, Tony, boys.
2. God Only Knows - That a so-called "damaged" human being can write something this perfect gives me faith in all of mankind, even on a bad day. STUPENDOUS.
3. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) - Few songs have quite the capacity to bring on goosebumps for me than this one. The transitions and chord progression is utterly fantastic, specifically the strings playing behind the part where Brian sings the chorus. The way it ascends then descends, simply beautiful. Just kills me, every time.
4. You Still Believe In Me - I know now I'm gonna run out of adjectives with this album. AMAZING, spectacular, wonderful, sheer bliss and everything else. Love the harmonies, some of the band's best.
5. Caroline No - The original sped up version in all it's glory. Slow but not too slow. And simply breathtaking. Adore it.
6. I'm Waiting For The Day - Sad to see so many put this near the bottom of their rankings; I find it simply amazing. The dynamics are second only to WIBN in the BBs discography. WONDERFUL song.
7. That's Not Me - A personal tune for me, 'cause when I first heard this album, in spring 1999, I was going through some transitions in my life, and this song stuck with me big time through it. Tony Asher shouldn't doubt his lyrics here like I know he does; they're spot on, especially for my life.
8. Sloop John B. - REALLY ridiculously underrated by many, I'll never understand why. IT FITS. PERFECTLY. And the song is simply stunning, one of Brian's brightest and most beautiful arrangements. Can't help but adore it.
9. Let's Go Away For Awhile - The single greatest instrumental that Brian ever did; even 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow' can't compare, brilliant as it is. This song is stunning, wonderful all the way through. Music for me to cool out by.
10. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times - Brilliant, really unlike anything the group had ever recorded. I can almost see why Mike might call this "ego music", it's so personal and so Brian. It's something almost everyone can identify with, one way or another. Gutsy song, to bare so much of your feeling about the place, the time you're in. WOW.
11. Here Today - Really cool arrangement, lotsa tension and unsure footing, musically, which fits perfectly the great, great lyrics. Complex as all hell, a simply beautiful, wonderful tune.
12. I Know There's An Answer - They were right to change 'Ego' into this; it's less....esoteric I think, easier to connect with people on some level. Tremendous tune, another great arrangement, like everything else on the album.
13. Pet Sounds - Another masterful instrumental, really outta site and exciting. Love the experimentation here with the Leslie'd guitar and percussion. Riveting. Splendid!
There's my ranking, I suppose...
....but for me it's really more like:
1. Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Don't Talk, You Still Believe In Me, Caroline No, I'm Waiting For The Day, That's Not Me, Sloop John B., Let's Go Away For Awhile, I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
2. Here Today, I Know There's An Answer, Pet Sounds
....
27. The Stereo mix.
(Sorry, nice effort, really cool, but... MONO baby, MONO all the way!!)
_________
So. I know I'll always feel this album is Brian Wilson's greatest achievement musically, no doubt about it. The Smile music does amaze me, it's truly awesome, spectacularly brilliant and simply leaves my jaw hanging at some points, but none of that music or anything else for that matter will ever come closer to me than Pet Sounds. PS for Brian is kinda like the US going to the moon, which for NASA was more of a triumph than actually walking on it. You can't moonwalk if you don't first make that amazing leap forward. Pet Sounds is the triumphant going there and landing on the moon, Smile is the icing on the cake: something Brian couldn't do if he hadn't already made that amazing leap forward with this peerless album.
Love and mercy, Brian. You give us a whole ton of it and we hope you get a ton for yourself, you've earned it. Pet Sounds is a marvel of art and emotion. In other words: GENIUS.