History Music / PetSounds

* CoversAlwaysLie: A ground-breaking BaroquePop masterpiece has a photo of The Beach Boys feeding goats at the San Diego Zoo as its cover.

''Pet Sounds'' is the eleventh studio album by Music/TheBeachBoys. It was released on May 16, 1966. Most of it was recorded by Music/BrianWilson with the group of UsefulNotes/LosAngeles session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew.

** "Sloop John B." is, at times, considered this, as it's a cover of an older folk song about a sloop and its drunken crew sinking into doom, and that doesn't really fit in with the theme of the trials of young love that every other non-instrumental has. But it's often given a pass for being a pretty sweet melody... and it was the highest charting single from the album, so its kinda important.[[note]]It does serve a more fitting purpose upon further examination however. It ends the mostly happy-go-luckiness of the first side with a song about a shipwreck. The next side starts with a song about a poor soul finding life meaningless without his love, possibly almost to the point of suicide.[[/note]]

While the album initially had only modest sales and reception in the US, it was an enormous success in the UK, scoring hits with such classic songs as "Wouldn't It Be Nice?", "Caroline, No", "Sloop John B." and "God Only Knows". Today, it's a routine pick for the single greatest album ever recorded, and for understandable reason: it would not be hyperbole to state that a multitude of fundamental practices in the popular music of today would not exist without ''Pet Sounds''.

* EverythingIsAnInstrument: You better believe it. As Wiki/TheOtherWiki elaborates:

* NotChristianRock: "God Only Knows" certainly isn't Christian music, but it was the first pop song to have the word "God" in the title.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The session musicians used on the album, known as "The Wrecking Crew".

The song "I Know There's an Answer" was originally written as "Hang on to Your Ego", a song about LSD use. As singing openly about getting high wouldn't be popular until a bit later in TheSixties, Brian elected to change the lyrics after Mike Love objected to them. Interestingly, in Australia the album was released as ''The Fabulous Beach Boys'' with an alternate cover.

Music/PaulMcCartney called ''Pet Sounds'' his favourite record of all time and one of the main inspirations for Music/TheBeatles ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' from 1967, along with Music/FrankZappa's ''Music/FreakOut'' from 1966. [=McCartney=] also considers "God Only Knows" "one of the most beautiful songs ever written."

The song "I Know There's an Answer" was originally written as "Hang On to Your Ego", a song about LSD use. As singing about getting high wouldn't be popular until later in TheSixties, Brian Wilson elected to change the lyrics after Mike Love objected to them. Interestingly, in Australia the album was released as ''The Fabulous Beach Boys'' with an alternate cover.

While the album initially had only modest sales and reception in the US, it was an enormous success in the UK, scoring hits with classics such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice?", "Caroline, No", "Sloop John B." and "God Only Knows". Today, it is a routine pick for the single greatest album ever recorded, and for understandable reason: it would not be hyperbole to state that a multitude of fundamental practices in the popular music of today would not exist without ''Pet Sounds''.

Initially, the album had modest sales and reception in the US, but was an enormous success in the UK, scoring hits with classics such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice?", "Caroline, No", "Sloop John B." and "God Only Knows". Today, it is a routine pick for the single greatest album ever recorded, and for understandable reason: it would not be hyperbole to state that a multitude of fundamental practices in the popular music of today would not exist without ''Pet Sounds''.

--> ''Right now you think that she's perfection\\

--> ''I may not always love you''
--> ''But long as there are stars above you''
--> ''You'll never need to doubt it''
--> ''I'll make you so sure about it''

--> ''I had to prove that I could make it alone''
--> ''But that's not me''
--> ''I wanted to show how independent I'd grown now''
--> ''But that's not me''
--> ''I could try to be big in the eyes of the world''
--> ''What matters to me is what I could be to just one girl''

--> ''I guess I just wasn't made for these times''
--> ''Every time I get the inspiration to go change things around''
--> ''No one wants to help me look for places''
--> ''Where new things might be found''

---> ''Break my heart''
---> ''I want to go and cry''
---> ''It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die''

---> ''He hurt you then, but that's all gone''
---> ''I guess I'm saying you're the only one''
---> ''I'm waiting for the day when you can love again''

--> ''I once had a dream''
--> ''So I packed up and split for the city''
--> ''I soon found out that my lonely life wasn't so pretty''
--> ''I'm glad I went now I'm that much more sure that we're ready''

--> ''The first mate he got drunk''
--> ''And broke in the captain's trunk''
--> ''The constable had to come and take him away''

--> ''Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?''
--> ''Then we wouldn't have to wait so long''
--> ''And wouldn't it be nice to live together''
--> ''In the kind of world where we belong?''
--> ''You know it's gonna make it that much better''
--> ''When we can say good night and stay together''

--> ''Where did your long hair go?''
--> ''Where is the girl I used to know?''
--> ''How could you lose that happy glow?''

--> ''You've got to keep in mind love is here today''
--> ''And it's gone tomorrow''
--> ''It's here and gone so fast''

--> ''I try hard to be strong''
--> ''But sometimes I fail myself''
--> ''And after all I've promised you''
--> ''So faithfully''
--> ''You still believe in me''
--> ''I wanna cry...''

---> ''The happy times together we've been spending''
---> ''I wish that every kiss was never-ending''
---> ''Oh, wouldn't it be nice?''

---> ''Come close, close your eyes and be still''
---> ''Don't talk, take my hand and let me hear your heart beat''
---> ''Being here with you feels so right''
---> ''We could live forever tonight''
---> ''Let's not think about tomorrow''
---> ''And don't talk put your head on my shoulder''

--> ''Why don't they let me go home?''
--> ''This is the worst trip I've ever been on''

** "Sloop John B." is, at times, considered this, as it's a cover of an older folk song about a sloop and its drunken crew sinking into doom, and that doesn't really fit in with the theme of the trials of young love that every other non-instrumental has. But its often given a pass for being a pretty sweet melody... and it was the highest charting single from the album, so its kinda important.[[note]]It does serve a more fitting purpose upon further examination however. It ends the mostly happy-go-luckiness of the first side with a song about a shipwreck. The next side starts with a song about a poor soul finding life meaningless without his love, possibly almost to the point of suicide.[[/note]]

* AntiLoveSong: "Here Today", which is about all the nasty stuff that relationships can bring about, and how fine little lovers should be careful and whatnot.

** "God Only Knows" also deserves a mention, for the strangest line ever to open a truly beautiful, romantic song. But it is immediately subverted afterwards:

* Al Jardine - backing and lead vocals, tambourine

* Carl Wilson - backing and lead vocals, guitar

* Bruce Johnston - vocals

* Mike Love - backing and lead vocals

* GoingHome: "Sloop John B."
--> ''Well, I feel so broke up''
--> ''I wanna go home''
--> ''So hoist up the John B's sail''
--> ''See how the mainsail sets''
--> ''Call for the captain ashore''
--> ''Let me go home''

!! '''"I may not always trope you:"'''

! '''''I may not always trope you''''':

* StandUpToTheMicrophone: Bruce Johnston sings his first co-lead vocal as a Beach Boy at the end of ''God Only Knows''.

''Pet Sounds'' is the eleventh studio album by Music/TheBeachBoys. It was released on May 16, 1966. Most of it was recorded by Music/BrianWilson with the group of UsefulNotes/LosAngeles session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. Initially, the album had modest sales, but was an enormous critical success, scoring hits with classics such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice?", "Caroline, No", "Sloop John B." and "God Only Knows". It is widely seen as one of the best albums ever recorded. Music/PaulMcCartney calls ''Pet Sounds'' his favourite record of all time and one of the main inspirations for Music/TheBeatles ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' from 1967, along with Music/FrankZappa's ''Music/FreakOut'' from 1966. [=McCartney=] also considers "God Only Knows" "one of the most beautiful songs ever written."

A documentary about the creative process behind the making of this album can be seen in the ''Series/ClassicAlbums'' TV documentary series. In 2004, ''Pet Sounds'' was included in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically important". ''Magazine/{{Time|Magazine}}'' magazine also included it in [[TimeAllTime100Albums their 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums]] and it was listed at #2 in all three versions of ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] ([[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 2003, 2012]], and [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime2020 2020]]). Currently #1 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAlLTimeTopAlbums 2020 compilation of critics' lists]]. The album would be certified platinum (sales of over one million copies) in the U.S. by the RIAA in 2000.

A documentary about the creative process behind the making of this album can be seen in the ''Series/ClassicAlbums'' TV documentary series. In 2004, ''Pet Sounds'' was included in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically important". ''Magazine/{{Time|Magazine}}'' magazine also included it in [[TimeAllTime100Albums their 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums]] and it was listed at #2 in all three versions of ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] ([[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 2003, 2012]], [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime2020 2020]]). Currently #1 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAlLTimeTopAlbums 2020 compilation of critics' lists]]. The album would be certified platinum (sales of over one million copies) in the U.S. by the RIAA in 2000.

A documentary about the creative process behind the making of this album can be seen in the ''Series/ClassicAlbums'' TV documentary series. In 2004, ''Pet Sounds'' was included in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically important". ''Magazine/{{Time|Magazine}}'' magazine also included it in [[TimeAllTime100Albums their 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums]] and it was listed at #2 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.]] Currently #1 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAlLTimeTopAlbums 2020 compilation of critics' lists]]. The album would be certified platinum (sales of over one million copies) in the U.S. by the RIAA in 2000.

A documentary about the creative process behind the making of this album can be seen in the ''Series/ClassicAlbums'' TV documentary series. In 2004, ''Pet Sounds'' was included in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically important". ''Magazine/{{Time|Magazine}}'' magazine also included it in [[TimeAllTime100Albums their 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums]] and it was listed at #2 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.]] Currently #1 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAlLTimeTopAlbums 2020 compilation of critics' lists]].

A documentary about the creative process behind the making of this album can be seen in the ''Series/ClassicAlbums'' TV documentary series. In 2004, ''Pet Sounds'' was included in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically important". ''Magazine/{{Time|Magazine}}'' magazine also included it in [[TimeAllTime100Albums their 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums]] and it was listed at #2 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.]] Currently #1 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAlLTimeTopAlbums 2018 compilation of critics' lists]].

* IAmTheBand: Despite being billed as a Beach Boys album, Brian Wilson is actually the one who was the most-involved in its creation. The other Boys were actually absent for most of the recording sessions, because they were busy touring in Japan. Aside from vocals, the few things they contributed to the album were the instrumentals for "That's Not Me", the inclusion of "Sloop John B." at Jardine's suggestion, and some co-writing credits from Mike Love on "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "I'm Waiting For The Day", and "I Know There's An Answer" (and his contributions of those songs were minimal at best, with Mike ad-libbing the lines "Good night, baby / Sleep tight, baby" at the coda of "Wouldn't It Be Nice", re-writing "I Know There's An Answer" from "Hang On to Your Ego", and making slight edits to "I'm Waiting for the Day").