So that's the last track. I have now set myself the unenviable task of a write up of the while album which cannot turn into an essay. I may be some time!
When attempting a write up on an album I tend to read up on it a little. I have never seen so much written about an album as I have seen for Pet Sounds.
The album is widely ranked among the greatest albums of all time and extensively analysed for its musical and production innovations. Is this reputation, reverence and aura around the album greater than the parts of the album. Overall, I would say yes but many of the parts are very, very good, maybe not quite good enough though to elevate it to legendary status in my mind although it’s always difficult looking back at an album with contemporary ears. What might have sounded extraordinary in 1966 does not necessarily sound the same today
One thing which I do find extraordinary about the album is that it was recorded largely between January and April 1966. That feels to me an incredibly short time to record such a complex album.
Influences for the album have been credited to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound and the Beatles' Rubber Soul, both of which I completely get.
There is a consistent theme to the album, which works well but I find the production, at times, suffocating. It’s too much. I know, I know, I’m going to get slated for saying that but that’s how I feel although I recognise how ambitious it must have been in 1966
The orchestration and harmonies through are top draw and, some but not all of the songwriting is of the highest order, just not enough to make this a great album but it is a very, very good album indeed
Brian Wilson said of the album “If you take the Pet Sounds album as a collection of art pieces, each designed to stand alone, yet which belong together, you'll see what I was aiming at. [...] It wasn't really a song concept album, or lyrically a concept album; it was really a production concept album.” Which I think is pretty fair
I still don’t get the reverence with which the album is held, but that’s possibly a consequence of time and the album being 60 years old. I can certainly see why people might have considered it extraordinary at the time
Great write-up, Johnnyo. That Brian Wilson quote is encapsulating. It's amazing how fast he worked given the complexity and treating the studio itself as an instrument. It's definitely one of my favourite albums and I go through phases of going back to it. A lot of it is tied up with memories of a friend who got me into the album to begin with. I completely get your point about the production. It's the not the first and last word in the canon but it's certainly a cherished part. _________________ Bluesky · Facebook · Spotify
Great write-up, Johnnyo. That Brian Wilson quote is encapsulating. It's amazing how fast he worked given the complexity and treating the studio itself as an instrument. It's definitely one of my favourite albums and I go through phases of going back to it. A lot of it is tied up with memories of a friend who got me into the album to begin with. I completely get your point about the production. It's the not the first and last word in the canon but it's certainly a cherished part.
I have to admit that I found this experience very rewarding and I realised that I had never REALLY LISTENED to the album until now. it's gone from a 75 to an 85 (an album needs to reach 90 for me to consider it a classic) and maybe Pet Sounds will achieve legendary 90 status eventually.
Thanks for engaging with the thread and for everything you do in keeping BEA a great place to interact with others
So, the listening group met this morning. Interesting discussion.
I thought that the vast majority of people would have gone on the side of stone cold classic album, and I guess that is where the conversation headed but there were quite a few who had issues with the album, aa number thinking that it's not actually that great.
I fall in-between those two camps. Not a classic but a very decent album
The August album has been chosen and I'm rather disappointed that it's another "stone cold classic"
I have nothing against the album at all but it's been discussed over and over and over for decades that I'm not sure what more there is to say. I am however going to set up a thread to undertake the discussion
NB - I'm trying to steer the group into picking more obscure albums but not have a great deal of luck, yet!
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