Sunday, August 2, 2009

Album of the Week: Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys


The eleventh studio album from The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds was released on May 16, 1966.

Track listing:

1. Wouldn't It Be Nice
2. You Still Believe In Me
3. That's Not Me
4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
5. Waiting For The Day
6. Let's Go Away For A While
7. Sloop John B
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

Why I chose this:
Pet Sounds has been one of my all time favourite albums ever since those first few listens. It is laced with magical melodies, and an amazing array of sounds. AotW is about taking the time to indulge in an album, and when indulging in Pet Sounds I surrender myself not just to the music but also the emotion that Brian Wilson has poured into it.

-Eden

AotW Home

8 comments:

  1. That was their eleventh album?!? Crazy.

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  2. This is now one of my favourite albums (how good is AOTW?), every single song is great. On this album are the two best and most intense love songs I know - Dont Talk and God Only Knows. Also, Lets Go Away For A While, without a word at the end of that song I feel somewhat sad... its funny because its perhaps a more complex set of emotions that you would feel that a song with words (that might be "directly" telling you what to feel), if that makes sense. I basically can't speak when this album is on.

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  3. I know what you mean about not being able to speak. I sort of find myself just staring without focusing at a random object just in a trance. Either that or mimicking the drums with my fingers and singing the lyrics and harmonies in my best falcetto

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  4. Haha! Yeah I try to join in with the harmonies... at times I've thought, "Yeah... I sound good" and then I've turned the music off and listened to myself trying to sing the same parts. It's actually Wilson and Love who sound good.

    I gotta say the singing on this album is so so good. The way he sings "I wanna go home" in Sloop is heart-breaking to me. Maybe heart-breaking isn't the right word but the emotion is so prevalent in those words.

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  5. Haha i was singing Sloop John B the whole time i was making the Lips review. And yes it can be heartbreaking, the whole album can be at almost any point. Pet Sounds the song gets me everytime, but not on the same level of emotion as Let's Go For a While, i get more involved in the little changes every time, i feel like it almost surprises me more each listen.

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  6. You guys have to read the Paul quote in the wiki article
    "I figure noone is educated musically til they have heard that album"

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  7. There aren't many things that can stop you dead in your tracks like Don't Talk. I hear it and I get a feeling of love for Helly mixed with fears of losing her which creates a mix of emotions

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  8. Don't talk is Brooke's favourite song. The song sort of undulates as if it were a heartbeat.

    This album is one of the best sounding albums I've ever heard too, the production is flawless.

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