"God only knows what I'd be without you..."

Hello, readers, and welcome back! Today, we're covering my favorite album of all time: Pet Sounds.

First things first, yes; I am skipping an album. That album would be Party!, an acoustic cover album from late 1965. I'm skipping it because there really isn't much to say about it.

Second thing's second: I will be taking a break from the Boys after this review, to focus on some other projects. Don't worry, though. One of the projects I want to work on actually does relate to this, though it's not a review.

Now, without further ado, let's begin!

HISTORY

Pet Sounds began with Sloop John B., a folk song that Al Jardine suggested the Boys cover. Brian Wilson recorded a dense, layered backing track, but set it aside. He spent the end of 1965 polishing up "Sloop", and recording new compositions.

While working on Pet Sounds, Brian heard The Beatles' Rubber Soul album, and was impressed by it's lack of filler, feeling that it was the first truly cohesive album. He was now inspired, reportedly exclaiming to his wife, "Marilyn, I'm gonna make the greatest album! The greatest rock album ever made!"

In late 1965, Wilson met Tony Asher, a young lyricist. Together, the two discussed ideas for songs, and later contacted him for a potential collaboration. Within ten days, they were writing together. Brian played Tony some of the music he'd been recording, and gave him a tape containing the backing track to a song tentatively called "In My Childhood". The result of Asher's work was retitled "You Still Believe In Me", and it convinced Brian that this was the collaborator he needed.

TRACK BY TRACK BREAKDOWN

Wouldn't It Be Nice: The classic opening harp line starts off the album, before turning in to musical glee. This song is love and happiness incarnate. This is enforced by the backing track, which just sounds like someone happily frolicking, and the lyrics, which are incredibly heartfelt and innocent. Speaking of the backing track, it's very dense; there are so many things going on, and it's amazing in that way. This track also exemplifies one of the album's greatest traits; you can listen to it without the vocals, or without the backing track, and it's still stunning. Combine the two, and you get something even greater. 5/5

You Still Believe In Me: The innocent beauty of Wouldn't It Be Nice continues in to this gorgeous, melancholy ballad. The vocals are especially impressive here; Brian goes in and out of falsetto effortlessly, and the harmonies are breathtaking. Of course, the backing track is nothing to sneeze at either; it's heavy and layered, and downright beautiful. Another stunning song. 5/5

That's Not Me: A down grade from the previous two songs, though not by much. It feels rather barren in comparison with the rest of the album, though it's certainly not underproduced. The little things are what leave an impact; the recurring, haunting guitar line; the bombastic drumming, the short, pretty vocal harmonies; overall, it's pretty great. 4.5/5

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder): This song is, frankly, kind of indescribable. It has the magical quality that just puts me in an unbreakable trance. Everything here is amazing; from the tender vocals, to the intricate backing track, with it's bittersweet sounding strings. Something to behold. 5/5

I'm Waiting For The Day: The first upbeat song since Wouldn't It Be Nice, and while it's not quite as great, it's still excellent. Like WIBN, the vocals are the main attraction; both the subdued lead in the verses, and the swirling, dense harmonies in the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, it's easily the most impressive thing in the song. The loud, excited lead is complemented by the previously mentioned backing harmonies, the joyful drumming, and the rich production. The verses fall a little flat, but they're still great. 4.5/5

Let's Go Away For Awhile: The first of two intsrumentals on the album, and unlike instrumentals on Beach Boys albums, it's much more than filler. It's a lot like Don't Talk in that it's very trance inducing. Something I like is how the song "rises". It starts out very quiet, but soon more and more instruments are added, and it becomes a breathtaking piece of work. It's hard to describe; it's just an experience that you have to hear for yourself. 5/5

Sloop John B.: A very impressive song that just misses the high bar set by some previous songs. Again, the vocals are what shine here. They're all over the place, and they're some of the best harmonies I've ever heard. The backing track is no slouch either; it's very complex, though it falls short of previous songs. That statement applies to this whole track. 4/5

God Only Knows: This song. this song. This is beauty incarnate. Everything here is just jaw dropping. From the opening vocals to the gorgeous coda. Carl Wilson's lead established him as one of the greatest singers in pop music history. If everything else here sucked, and the only good thing was this lead vocal, it would still be a good song. But, luckily, everything else is stunning. The backing track perfectly complements the lead vocal, and the backing vocals support it well, too. But, the best part of this song is the coda/fade out. All the voices swirl in and out of each other, while the backing track reaches a new high. Overall, amazing. 5/5

I Know There's An Answer: And here's the least good song here. That's most certainly not to say it's bad, though. The chorus is very good, with Al Jardine turning in a good lead vocals, and there's a lot of interesting intsrumentation here, such as the bass harmonica and the banjo. But it just misses the heights set by previous song. It's a bit underproduced, like That's Not Me, but that lack of production was sort of TNM's benefit; it made the song sound lonelier. Here, though, it just feels lazy. 4/5

Here Today: Now, here's a great song, and a marked improvement from IKTAA. It's more mean spirited than previous tracks, but that's to it's benefit. The song is more intense than previous songs, thus making it a different listening experience, that's similar enough to not feel out of place. This intensity is highlighted in Mike Love's excellent lead vocal, that sounds rather confrontational. The backing track, though, is what really shines, especially the guitars. The best is the instrumental break. It's amazing. I really can't describe it, it's that good. 5/5

I Just Wasn't Made For These Times: The album reaches an emotional climax here; and it could be my favorite song. Everything is excellent. The vocals, most notably Brian Wilson's emotional lead, are stellar. The backing track has so much going on, that it creates a sort of wall, that is just stunning to listen to. The little details here are worth mentioning, too; the castanets are the most haunting castanets you'll ever hear, and the theremin that "sings" the main melody line is kind of creepy. All these things add up to the high point of the album. 5/5

Pet Sounds: The second and final instrumental, and it carries the intesity present on the previous two songs. The guitar work here is amazing, and it's what really takes center stage. There's not much to say, instrumentals are always hard to talk about for me, but trust me when I say that it's really good. 5/5

Caroline, No: Intesity makes way for utter sorrow; this is, frankly, one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. The nuances here really bring this out. I especially love the saxaphone bit on the "it's so sad..." line. Previously mentioned line is one of the saddest in music history; really the whole verse is depressing:

Caroline, you

Break my heart

I want to go and cry

It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die

Overall, a stunning to an amazing album. This is especially true if you're listening to the 40th anniversary edition, which has part of the backing vocals of Wouldn't It Be Nice play after this song ends. 5/5

Final Thoughts:

This is an amazing album. That's all I can say. If you've never listened before, do it.

RATING:

5/5