"Pet Sounds" will be celebrating 60 years come May and so, why not reissue the record yet again? This time there will be a number of options, including a "definitive sound" edition for $100, making all previous "definitive" editions...umm...undefinitive. There will be a 2 LP set featuring both a stereo and mono mix. There will be a sessions set featuring a cappella tracks, alternates, etc.. And there will be a special Zoetrope vinyl edition which plays the audio from "Pet Sounds" while showing visuals from Coppola's "Rumble Fish" A good time is guaranteed for all.
Taken whole, it's hard to argue the brilliance of "Pet Sounds," but I will anyway. First, I've ranked the songs on "Pet Sounds" from favorite to least favorite.
God Only Knows
Caroline, No
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Don't Talk
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
You Still Believe In Me
Sloop John B
Here Today
Here Today
Let's Go Away For Awhile
I Know There's An Answer
I'm Waiting For The Day
Pet Sounds
That's Not Me
The issue I've always had with "Pet Sounds" is that there are far better songs on other Beach Boys records than these seven:
The issue I've always had with "Pet Sounds" is that there are far better songs on other Beach Boys records than these seven:
Sloop John B
Let's Go Away For Awhile
I Know There's An Answer
I'm Waiting For The Day
Here Today
Pet Sounds
That's Not Me
Take these four from "Today," for instance.
When I Grow Up
Please Let Me Wonder
Kiss Me Baby
She Knows Me Too Well
Please Let Me Wonder
Kiss Me Baby
She Knows Me Too Well
Or, these four from "Summer Days."
Girl Don't Tell Me
California Girls
Let Him Run Wild
You're So Good To Me
Girl Don't Tell Me
California Girls
Let Him Run Wild
You're So Good To Me
The problem is, the rest of the tracks on "Summer Days" and "Today" can't hold a candle to any of the 13 on "Pet Sounds," not even the two instrumentals, which I think are gorgeous.
If asked what my favorite Beach Boys album was, I'd say "Pet Sounds" in a flash. If asked for my favorite records of all time, "Pet Sounds" would be in the Top 20. And though I reach for both "Summer Days" and "Today" more often than "Pet Sounds," I don't think either would even crack my Top 100 of all time.
How's that for confusing?
32 comments:
"Today" is pretty much my favorite too. For years, the Holy Grail for me was finding genuine stereo versions of the songs, and I remember almost having all of them when they finally reissued an officially version of the whole in multi-track. 😎
I've always put Sloop John B as my least favorite. It's a good song, but it just doesn't fit with the rest of the album. That being said, I'm not sure we need another deluxe album. It's all been covered before. I was lucky to see the 50th anniversary tour of Pet Sounds with Brian Wilson. It was amazing, though Brian was only minimally active in the concert.
"An official version." Not "an officially version". 😎
Sal, I totally get what you're saying. I have a similar listening pattern with Dylan. Greatest Dylan albums? Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks. Duh! But do I reach more often for New Morning, Street-Legal, and, yes, Self Portrait? I do! I also don't know why. Maybe it's more interesting to see an artist you love have a mixed day at the plate, a single, a legged-out double, a stolen base, a couple bad strike outs rather than a three-homer day?
Bruce H.
I'm a pretty big "Friends" fan. I also was pleasantly surprised by the 50th anniversary tour. After so many reissues, I remain confused; it seems like many of "Sessions" cut come from the old "Pet Sounds" box set. Hmmmm.
I have 11 GB of Dylan in my iTunes library, but I only own four Dylan records on vinyl-- Blood On The Tracks, Shot Of Love, Infidels and Oh Mercy. Those are the four I play most.
“Help Me, Rhonda” makes the cut for me. An ear worm favorite. :)
Pet Sounds is great, and deserves it's position as The Beach Boys best. But it's not a "perfect (or near perfect)" record, like Rubber Soul, Imperial Bedroom, Bring The Family, Who's Next, or Moby Grape. It surely makes a good start to become perfect with some of those other tracks you suggest.
https://kleaveburg.blogspot.com/2023/06/perfect-or-near-perfect-again.html
Oh boy, can we buy the Zoetrope section where they play the music paired with images from "Rumble Fish" on its own? I've got to have that, but hate to buy the whole box over again. **sigh**
Hmm, emotional favorites versus intellectual favorites? We're only human. But personally I love Pet Sounds–Sloop John B and all. Happily, this blog has pushed me to dig deeper so I appreciate a lot more Beach Boys and not just Pet Sounds and the marvelous compilation Endless Summer.
Looking at my list, I have "Smile" (from the Smile Sessions box), Friends, 20/20, Sunflower as great and another six albums as very solid. But I do love how you don't even suggest "Good Vibrations" as an add to Pet Sounds. Do you feel it's just too far afield of that album's delicate vibe?
For the record, I wasn't suggesting touching "Pet Sounds." It's fine the way it is. I was simply pointing out that half of the songs on "Pet Sounds" were not as strong as the eight tracks I cited from the other two albums.
Glad to see the love here for Friends. As a wall-to-wall listen, that's my second favorite Beach Boys album after Pet Sounds.
Bruce H.
I've always felt as incredible as The Beach Boys were that completely great albums were not their strength. In my opinion not even "Pet Sounds", "Surf's Up" or "Smile" are 100% solid from start to finish. There always seemed to be a clunker or two in with the greatness.
Captain Al
I concur with your list of "better" songs, and I'd add (from Summer Days) the exquisite Summer Means New Love. I always wished that Sonny Rollins would record it...
I feel like you just said the quiet part out loud that I never hear mentioned ... in the pantheon of immaculate albums that everyone loves, boy does "Pet Sounds" have some clunkers. Beyond the clunkers, it just has some I personally don't care about. Yeah, I said it!
Which is why I love "Caroline No" but don't love the whole "Pet Sounds" album. Sorry. I'd rather hear "Beach Boys Love You" or "Sunflower" any day compared to "Pet Sounds."
I know I am in a tiny minority in my opinion, and I'm fine with that.
Today and Summer Days do have better songs than some of Pet Sounds, but they also have I'm So Young, Bull Session With Big Daddy, Girl From New York City, and Amusement Parks U.S.A. What pulls Pet Sounds ahead for me is the music construction moreso than the lyrics. That said, I find the vocals-only versions of the songs just as mesmerising as the instrumental tracks.
And your Rumble Fish line made me spit my coffee.
A) Thanks for noticing AND spitting coffee.
B) And you're right, re: "Summer Days" & "Today," which is why I said this, "The problem is, the rest of the tracks on "Summer Days" and "Today" can't hold a candle to any of the 13 on "Pet Sounds."
My feeling is that TODAY is the Boys RUBBER SOUL, that SUMMER DAYS is their REVOLVER, and that PET SOUNDS is their SGT PEPPER. 😘
"Death is my bread and danger my butter - oh, no, danger's my bread, and death is my butter. No, no, wait. Danger's my bread, death - no, death is - no, I'm sorry. Death is my - death and danger are my various breads and various butters."
Huh?
I took a shot that someone would get it.
My opinion, but Rubber Soul and Revolver are better records than Sgt. Pepper. Sgt. Pepper was a milestone, but it hasn't aged as well as the others.
Here's my ranking:
Revolver
A Hard Day's Night
Rubber Soul
With The Beatles
Abbey Road
Beatles For Sale
Magical Mystery Tour
Help!
Sgt. Pepper
The White Album
Let It Be
Please Please Me
Woody Allen. From "take the Money and Run," I think. He used the bit in several places. I think it's on one of his albums.
You left off Yellow Submarine. Ha ha. I'll just put that one on the bottom of the list.
I remember it from "What's Up Tiger Lily," but it could have been in "Take The $$," as well. We've got a winner.
I probably should include "Mono Masters," since A) it's killer and B) most of it isn't anywhere else.
Thank you for common sense . I have argued it's beatification for years. I'm just one album shy of your list - good ears 😉
Hey, I gotta add California Girls to the "better" list, at least the start of, right up to the very moment the vocals start...
It’s there!
From what I've been hearing, the 1972 Brothers label remix is the one to have . Together with the 1-step process I've ordered the DSS version. You can never have too many versions of this landmark album.
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