61. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)

1. Wouldn't It Be Nice
2. You Still Believe
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

First Revolver and now this? This list is trying to spoil me or something!

This album is fairly intimidating to review, actually. Over half the Western world are convinced that this album is the greatest album to ever album. If you take a glance at acclaimedmusic.net (a very handy site if you're a list obsessed freak like me) it is number one with a bullet. What does one say to such unrelenting praise? One joins in enthusiastically, I suppose, because this really is a good album.

Pet Sounds is the crowning achievement of Brian Wilson's break from touring. Each song is ornately crafted to the point where you're hearing new things practically every time you play this album. I gave the Beatles credit for their increased usage of studio musicians to expand their sound on Revolver, but this album tops that easily. There's nothing but studio musicians, the Beach Boys barely play their instruments at all, and if they do you can't hear them under the 50 studio musicians playing on each track (seriously, look at the credits for this thing!).

The end result is one weird-sounding motha. While the Beach Boys have always been a pop-oriented band, you're never quite too sure who they're trying to appeal to here. While there's catchy radio hits sprinkled in here, most of the songs sound far too...spiritual or elaborate or whatever it is to get much popularity. There's some weird sounds thrown into the mix as well, such as the bicycle horn in 'You Still Believe In Me' or that wonderful bass harmonica/banjo interlude in 'I Know There's an Answer'. No matter how weird the instruments get, they always have this ethereal beauty to them that you're constantly left wondering "How the hell did he do that?"

The vocal harmonies are, as always, top notch. One need only listen to 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' to be convinced of that. The nifty thing about this album is while it prominently features harmonies (what Beach Boys record wouldn't?) but it doesn't rely on them. Three of the most beautiful tracks on here-'God Only Knows', 'Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)' and 'Caroline, No' have little to no harmony singing at all. Sometimes just a simple vocal melody is all you need.

While I certainly don't think it's the greatest thing in music ever, it is definitely a very well-crafted album. Some of these songs are so beautiful that I don't even feel like hating Mike Love! 10/10
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