Audio CD review:
The Beach Boys - The Pet Sounds Sessions

The Beach Boys - The Pet Sounds Sessions

Band: The Beach Boys Title: The Pet Sounds Sessions Rating: Release Date: 1997-11-04 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 2: You Still Believe in Me 3: That's Not Me 4: Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 5: I'm Waiting for the Day 6: Let's Go Away for Awhile 7: Sloop John B - The Beach Boys, Traditional 8: God Only Knows 9: I Know There's an Answer 10: Here Today 11: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 12: Pet Sounds 13: Caroline No 14: Sloop John B - The Beach Boys, Traditional 15: Sloop John B - The Beach Boys, Traditional 16: Trombone Dixie 17: Trombone Dixie 18: Pet Sounds 19: Pet Sounds 20: Let's Go Away for Awhile 21: Let's Go Away for Awhile 22: Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 23: Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 24: Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 25: You Still Believe in Me 26: You Still Believe in Me 27: You Still Believe in Me 28: Caroline No 29: Caroline No 30: Hang on to Your Ego - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 31: Hang on to Your Ego - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 32: Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 33: Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 34: Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 35: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 36: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 37: That's Not Me 38: That's Not Me 39: Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys, Love, Mike 40: Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys, Love, Mike 41: I'm Waiting for the Day 42: I'm Waiting for the Day 43: God Only Knows 44: God Only Knows 45: Here Today 46: Here Today 47: Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 48: You Still Believe in Me 49: That's Not Me 50: Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 51: I'm Waiting for the Day 52: Sloop John B - The Beach Boys, Traditional 53: God Only Knows 54: I Know There's an Answer 55: Here Today 56: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 57: Caroline No 58: Caroline No 59: Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 60: You Still Believe in Me 61: Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 62: I'm Waiting for the Day 63: Sloop John B - The Beach Boys, Traditional 64: God Only Knows 65: Hang on to Your Ego - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 66: Here Today 67: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 68: Caroline No 69: Dog Barking Session - The Beach Boys, 70: God Only Knows 71: Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys, Asher, Tony [Rock] 72: Sloop John B - The Beach Boys, Traditional 73: God Only Knows 74: Caroline No

Angels Revealed With the release of The Pet Sound Sessions we get more than just a glimpse of creation. Any fan of any music secretly wishes that she or he can peek behind the curtain to witness the moment of creation. What we get instead is a front row seat to the reinvention of Brian Wilson's Beach Boys as they conjure one of the most beautiful, touching, and enduring soundscapes ever produced. When Pet Sounds was first released, the Beach Boys were viewed, from the perspective of the 60's, as an antiquated hold-over from a more innocent time when rock and roll had been bleached and tamed to make it less liberating and revolutionary. Performing in striped shirts and white pants and singing about summer, surfing, cars and chaste romance, the Beach Boys created the impression that parents had won the generation war. As a result, Pet Sounds received a luke warm reception from a rock press more attuned to the likes of the Beatles, the Stones, and the emerging West Coast scene. The Pet Sounds Sessions proves that everyone was wrong in their judgements about the Beach Boys. Hindsight is, truly, 20-20. From acapella arrangements, through instrumental run-throughs, and culminating in both mono magic and a reworked stereo masterpiece, this collection sets the record straight. Not only does it affirm Brian Wilson's genius -it offers hard-core and casual listeners insight into the mystery of creation. However you approach it, Pet Sounds is a great piece of art. Accessable to everyone, it demonstrates how good music transcends the boundaries of age and attitude, race and gender - and whatever categories we set up to pigeonhole music. In truth, wonder is unsayable. Close your eyes. Listen. Feel. Pet Sounds is Brian's gift to you. . what else can be said It's no wonder Paul McCartney was so impressed. What more can be said about Brian Wilson? I always knew he was great and hard working, but I somehow didn't realize that he wrote all the charts for this project. The Beatles had George Martin, the Beach Boys had Brian. GOD WAS SMILING ON BRIAN WILSON DURING THE PET SOUNDS SESSIONS....PET SOUNDS IS THE TCHIAKOVSKY OF ROCK MUSIC........... Pet Sounds Sessions might be overkill to the casual Beach Boys or rock fan but it should be listened to by all music lovers. An amazing journey into the creation of a musical masterpiece. Pet Sounds Sessions lets you hear the construction of each of the Pet Sounds songs. All thirteen Pet Sounds songs are extensively examined and disected. The Beach Boys talk during the recording demos is a fantastic trip into the construction and start of the psychedelic 1960s. You hear the genius of Brian Wilson verbally and the harmonies of his fellow Beach Boys as well as the professionalism of record producer and writer Phil Spectors wrecking crew. Brian needed this wrecking crew (musicians) to make his vision and sound come out properly on Pet Sounds. I dont believe Brian really knew what the finished result of Pet Sounds would be during these recording sessions. That is how far ahead Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were vocally and musically with Pet Sounds over any rock band of the time, yes including The Beatles. There are two booklets with this Sessions box set discussing in depth the Pet Sounds recording sessions. Disc one tracks 1-13 are the stereo mix of the complete Pet Sounds. The vocal sessions on disc three are an incredible listen and sound like a chorus of heavenly angels and will have you singing along with the included song lyrics. On the fourth cd you get to hear Pet Sounds as it was originally presented in 1966 with a new remastered 1996 mono mix). Here is how to listen to Pet Sounds Sessions: Start on cd-1 with track 14 (SLOOP JOHN B highlights) and listen all the way through to disc four to the Pet Sounds Mono Mix. After you listen to the this new mono mix you realize the greatness of Pet Sounds and how far ahead of its time it was and still is. The Beatles were so amazed and blown away with Pet Sounds and "Good Vibrations" that they tried to emulate the Pet Sounds sound in their 1966-1969 recordings. The Beatles 1966 Revolver' through their final recording 1969s "Abbey Road" were rock masterpieces but could never match the sound and creativity of "Pet Sounds" or Good Vibrations". "Pet Sounds" and "Good Vibrations" served as a blueprint for all Beatle recordings through 1966-1969. Beatles producer Sir George Martin has stated "if I had to pick one living musical genius it would be Brian Wilson". Sir George Martin has also stated that Sgt. Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds. Attempt??????? this came from Sir George Martin the producer of the worlds greatest musical band. Pet Sounds is definitly the Tchiakovsky of rock music. Pet Sounds Is A Masterpiece, Brian Wilson Is A Genius " I've also sung in various quartets and played lead, rhythm, and bass guitar, and harmonica. In 1965-66, I sang in my high school's "Select Choir. So I know about music and harmony. I always knew The Beach Boys were top notch vocalists. But when I listened to them on just the VOCAL tracks of this Pet Sounds box set, even I wasn't prepared for it. . . it blew me away! The instrumental tracks are also very beautiful and inspiring. If you get this box set, you should listen to the vocal and instrumental tracks SEPARATELY in a quiet place with no distractions or interruptions. And, of course, listen to the vocal & instrumental tracts TOGETHER (as the released version). You need to listen to them in the setting described above to be able to really (and fully) appreciate this musical masterpiece. The only thing that could top this Pet Sounds box set is. . . if VIDEO had been taken of the guys singing their vocal parts along with the sound being recorded, too. To have such a video/audio DVD made available to the public would be absolutely AWESOME! Paul McCartney was once asked by a Japanese radio station what his ten favorite songs were. At the top of his list was "God Only Knows. " But I believe the words of George Martin, the PRODUCER of The Beatles, carry even greater weight. He said: "If there is one person that I have to select as a living genius of pop music, I would choose Brian Wilson. . . [Sargent] Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds. " Notice that Martin used the word, "attempt. " Think about it: this man was the producer of the records of the group that many still believe is "the world's greatest group". . . yet, he says he would choose BRIAN WILSON if he had to name just "one" person as a "living genius of pop music. " Pet Sounds is a masterpiece, Brian Wilson is a genius. . . period. . Inside Brian Wilson's Head circa '65-'66 I mean, I agree that Pet Sounds is a colossal album, a triumph of all times, but 4 CDs? Yes. I thought 4 CDs of Pet Sounds and its outtakes would be too much. It is worth it. If you're a big fan of the album itself, you'll enjoy hearing it dissected, hearing all the different parts and how they were put together. Then. . . You listen to the stereo mix of the final album (not released at the time) and you realize that the hype is warranted. Pet Sounds is THAT good. . You can see a complete list of all The Beach Boys discography, or go back to the The Beach Boys tabs