Pet Sounds Overrated?

[Adult Child]

Pet Sounds is obviously universally (yes, even in other galaxies) considered one of the greatest albums ever. A year ago, Uncut magazine voted it the single greatest album ever. I remember some guy responding to this by writing a long essay type thing on why Pet Sounds was the most overrated album ever. From what I remember most of his reasons were silly (mushy, half-decent songs, only reason anyone cared was cause it influenced Sgt. Peppers which he also said was overrated), but he is not alone in his feelings:
http://adeepershadeofsoul.blogspot.com/2006/10/most-overrated-album-ever.html
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343792
http://exclaim.ca/music/article/pet_sounds_sucks-story_vs_songs
https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/3apnc5/pet_sounds_by_far_and_away_the_most_overrated/
http://www.somethingawful.com/your-band-sucks/greatest-albums-ever/

As for me, in the words of Carl Wilson: Personally, I love(d) it.
I know this might be a worthless question, but I was curious to see if anyone on a Beach Boys message board felt Pet Sounds was overrated. And if so, why?

[Lee Marshall]

Not sure that the title song necessarily fits.  I was written and recorded, after all, for an entirely different and unrelated purpose and then tossed onto the pile pretty much because it was there.  At this point we're used to it.  At THAT point we were pretty much used to there being instrumental music on Beach Boys lps so no one really paid it no nevermind.

Outside of that...Pet Sounds is ALL THAT.

[Stephen W. Desper]

COMMENT to Pet Sounds being overrated . . . b u l l   s h i t !!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

COMMENT to Pet Sounds being overrated . . . b u l l   s h i t !!

^ a million percent agreed!

-Billy

[the captain]

Uh...

I guess to be fair a person has to ask: who is rating, and how do they rate it? (If someone is out there rating Pet Sounds as somehow curing cancer or something, maybe...

But seriously, that's really, really dumb. Pet Sounds is as good an album as there has ever been. First, second, fourth, seventh, whatever. But it's as good an album as there can be. It's absolutely a flat-out classic. Someone who wants to call it overrated is trolling or ignorant.

[undercover-m]

I don't think it's overrated. The complexity of Pet Sounds merits the praise it receives. There are plenty of albums out there that get a lot praise or are regarded as "essential," only sustained by popularity and not by its musical content. Quite frankly, I don't hear enough about PS .

[Debbie KL]

COMMENT to Pet Sounds being overrated . . . b u l l   s h i t !!

^ a million percent agreed!

-Billy

Agreed - it changed the course of music and many people's lives, but other than that...no big deal ;-)

As far as people who want to argue about it, who cares really?

[Emdeeh]

It's not my favorite BB album, but PS's importance as an major musical influence is undeniable. And, for the record, I love GOK!

[urbanite]

Wouldn't It Be Nice is one of the greatest pop songs ever written and produced, perhaps the greatest.  So, no it's not overrated.

[Robbie Mac]

Pet Sounds was my best friend at a time in my life when I felt like I had no friends. Anybody who calls is "overrated" is spoiling for a fight in my eyes.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

The music that made me a huge Beach Boys fan was the Smile sessions that I heard on the Endless Harmony documentary on vh1 in 1998. With Pet Sounds, the production is perfect, but I have to be in the mood. Albums like Smile, Wild Honey, Friends and Love You I am more often in the mood for. But if Pet Sounds is over rated, I would say slightly. But it is still great!

[KDS]

Anytime something is as revered as Pet Sounds, you'll always have a few who'll say its overrated.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

If you want to read something that will make your IQ drop several points, read  this

http://adeepershadeofsoul.blogspot.com/2006/10/most-overrated-album-ever.html

[Lonely Summer]

It's overrated in relation to the rest of the BB's catalog. In other words, if you read the hip music publications, you'd think all you need for a BB's collection is Pet Sounds and a collection of their early single hits...and maybe Smile Sessions. To me, that does such an injustice to Sunflower, Wild Honey, Beach Boys Today, Summer Days and Summer Nights, Holland, All Summer Long......and yes, i'll say it....Smiley Smile. I am so thankful that I did not stop with Pet Sounds and Endless Summer way back in 1981, so glad I investigated the rest of the catalog, especially those much maligned post-PS albums (gee, reading David Leaf's book, I  was lead to believe the only worthwhile moments on those albums were the Brian Wilson songs...but I kept my ears and my mind open, and found out "wow, the other guys wrote some good stuff too! And Carl Wilson can make even the most average song sound won-won-wonderful!").

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It's overrated in relation to the rest of the BB's catalog. In other words, if you read the hip music publications, you'd think all you need for a BB's collection is Pet Sounds and a collection of their early single hits...and maybe Smile Sessions. To me, that does such an injustice to Sunflower, Wild Honey, Beach Boys Today, Summer Days and Summer Nights, Holland, All Summer Long......and yes, i'll say it....Smiley Smile. I am so thankful that I did not stop with Pet Sounds and Endless Summer way back in 1981, so glad I investigated the rest of the catalog, especially those much maligned post-PS albums (gee, reading David Leaf's book, I  was lead to believe the only worthwhile moments on those albums were the Brian Wilson songs...but I kept my ears and my mind open, and found out "wow, the other guys wrote some good stuff too! And Carl Wilson can make even the most average song sound won-won-wonderful!").

That's how I feel. Pet Sounds is the band and Brian's best work, but it's not my #1 favorite even though it's flawless in every way. I actually prefer to listen to the work Brian did  in the latter part of the decade and early part of the next.

[Jay]

This comment will probably be misunderstood and I might get some flak for it, but I'll say it anyway. Pet Sounds is overrated, in that it makes albums like Friends, Sunflower, and Wild Honey underrated.

[Ang Jones]

No.

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

This comment will probably be misunderstood and I might get some flak for it, but I'll say it anyway. Pet Sounds is overrated, in that it makes albums like Friends, Sunflower, and Wild Honey underrated.

I agree, and a few people have said this now. It is over rated when compared to the rest of the Beach Boys catalogue. I truly think Brian really reached his zenith as a songwriter around the Smile to Friends period, and stayed on top of his game through the early 70s.

[Ang Jones]

I'm still sticking with 'no' because the question wasn't 'Did Brian (or the Beach Boys) do anything as good or better?' but 'Is Pet Sounds over-rated?'. I love lots of Brian's work, early stuff too but particularly music written from 1966 onwards. Friends was beautiful and I love the Sunflower album (though this really was more of a group effort). After this, the quality of the tracks on the albums were more variable so whilst they contained some great music there were less strong tracks too.

The whole of the Pet Sounds album is strong IMO and it marked a real shift for Brian. There had been hints of what was to come but with Pet Sounds Brian took a giant step into the future and others followed in those footprints.

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

The article / blog does get it right in places I think. There are some people (hate the term hipsters) who rave about Pet Sounds whilst dismissing the rest of the catalogue. I've met a few in my time.  So in that respect Pet Sounds is over rated. Musically, culturally, in terms of influence though, absolutely not over rated.

I'm fine with the fact tgat some people, such as the blog author, feel that way, and some of the comments made me smile. Especially those who bigged up the Beatles whilst saying Pet Sounds was an album with a few good songs and the rest was nothing more than filler. That's  EXACTLY how I feel about every Beatles album. Each to their own.   

[phirnis]

Overrated? I don't think so. It's probably the best pop album of the 20th century and many people have acknowledged that. It's also Brian Wilson's big statement as both writer and producer. I like albums like Friends and Love You just as much but I can see why it is singled out. It's a once-in-a-lifetime type of record, irrespective of how good their other stuff is.

[Debbie KL]

I'm still sticking with 'no' because the question wasn't 'Did Brian (or the Beach Boys) do anything as good or better?' but 'Is Pet Sounds over-rated?'. I love lots of Brian's work, early stuff too but particularly music written from 1966 onwards. Friends was beautiful and I love the Sunflower album (though this really was more of a group effort). After this, the quality of the tracks on the albums were more variable so whilst they contained some great music there were less strong tracks too.

The whole of the Pet Sounds album is strong IMO and it marked a real shift for Brian. There had been hints of what was to come but with Pet Sounds Brian took a giant step into the future and others followed in those footprints.

I answered with this understanding as well.  Pet Sounds isn't overrated.  Other works by Brian are underrated.  To me, these are two separate issues...

[Bicyclerider]

While I personally don't think PS is overrated, I can understand why some people don't like the album and therefor can't understand why the album tops many critics best lists.  The reasons are all detailed in the links from the first post - too many downbeat slow sentimental (one person said syrupy) depressing songs (Mike Love's critical appraisal as well?), only a few good songs (essentially because of the first point), overblown production that essentially copied Spector and so wasn't innovative, high voices/falsetto on some songs that are emasculating or embarrassing to even listen to (a criticism that Brian could relate to, feeling the same way about some of his vocal performances like on Let Him Run Wild). 

That's what I get out of the linked articles, and that these people who don't like the album believe the reasons the album is revered is because of the mythic back story that critics love - crazy mentally unstable rock star fights with record company to release his masterpiece before breaking down completely during the Smile sessions.

The albums songs ARE sentimental at times but also sensitive, reflecting the sensitive, emotional and emotionally troubled artist himself, and those sentiments are given a remarkable musical backdrop and melodies and harmonies that are nothing short of genius for those who can appreciate them.  And what the macho let's rock and roll upbeat only critics of PS perhaps don't realize is that the emotions and feelings explored in Pet Sounds are universal and very common in adolescence, even though at the time, 1966, few men or high school boys would ever admit to it.  It's a different age now, but it was very brave of Brian, with Tony's help, to bare his feelings and expose himself like that, when to do that in high school in 1966 would likely invite ridicule and taunts to "man up."

[the captain]

If you want to read something that will make your IQ drop several points, read  this

http://adeepershadeofsoul.blogspot.com/2006/10/most-overrated-album-ever.html

Sorry, I can't risk it.

[Gertie J.]

lol