'Wouldn't It Be Nice,' 'God Only Knows,' 'Caroline No,' and 'Sloop John B' (the last of which wasn't originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as 'You Still Believe in Me,' 'Don't Talk,' 'I Know There's an Answer,' and 'I Just Wasn't Made for These Times.' It's often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record.

The Beach Boys weren’t even around when it was written, nor were they there for most of the recording. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). These two obsessions coupled with a bad LSD trip that lasted 8 months culminated in ‘Pet Sounds.’ This record really, for all intents and purposes, was a Brian Wilson solo record. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound.

The best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on Capitol Records.

Beach boys pet sounds