Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

I think the margin of excellence between Pepper and Pet Sounds is very slim. It's probably not even much a difference whoever is on top, however, one has to be, and most people will have their reasons why.

I think as far as innovation and the music goes, both reach superlative levels that are just unmatched to any standard, before and after their generation. The defining point of a "victor" (yes, this does sound stupid) is historical, cultural, and influential significance. It's no doubt that Pet Sounds is reverberated to this day and totally shaping the minds of listeners and musicians alike, it just doesn't have the breadth as Pepper (and this is still by a slight margin). The reason is because of who the Beatles are, and what Peppers did for THEM as much as it did for music as a whole. The Beach Boys had their own brand of surf rock. Then they dominated the psychedelic movement with the mammoth that is Pet Sounds. A majority of their early career was critically successful, but also impressive from an innovative standpoint. Meaning, they had a hunger to grow. They didn't follow a standard relevant at that time, doing covers and providing albums like a grab-bag of music. Same goes for the Beatles, but they have been far more consistent than The Beach Boys. From how they performed, to their influence as people, being a spectacle to the public eye, these social elements are just as important to how important a work of art is because we have to care for the people who do it for it to matter to us. They had much more expectations on them, a higher level excellence to surpass. Pepper wasn't just groundbreaking for music in general, but it also beat the Beatles, and Revolver, simultaneously. Pet Sounds already has trouble competing with Revolver, since Pet Sounds was a reaction to Rubber Soul. Since Revolver is almost like a Rubber Soul Vol. II, and noticing the larger than life presence of Revolver, it almost shows the strides Pepper makes ahead of both Revolver and Pet Sounds, just by comparison via proximity alone.

I think Pepper is the best album. However, it's not my favourite Beatle album (it's my close second). A Day in the Life is indeed my favourite track though, and I will never forget hearing it for the first time.

But, that doesn't mean someone can't have Pet Sounds as their best/favorite album. Essentially, critical perception of a work of art is a consensus of the everyday person and musicologist alike. That's already grounds for subjectivity. So, it's not entirely wrong for someone to have more orgasmic mind blowing epiphanies while listening to Pet Sounds, or any album for that matter, over Pepper.

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

understandable argument, yeah, most consider Pepper the greatest album, and I did for the longest time, and it had a bigger impact, and did more for The Beatles than any other. It was Pepper that crushed Wilson's hope of making another album better than Pet Sounds. The Beatles have some of the most emotional, beautiful, and complex peices I've ever seen, but they can be spread across some albums (not saying that albums are mixed, nearly every beatles album has ALL good songs, Rubber Souls was my favorite album for a long time, though now Revolver, but I see the beauty of Rubber Soul having all originals that are ALL AMAZING. Revolver soon followed suite, and IMO, they didn't have a bad song on an album till the white album (convincing me that Wild Honey Pie and Why Don't We Do It in the Road are good will take some effort)) However the Beach Boys fit 14 complementary and equally mesmerizing and emotionally powerful pieces into one album. Peppers, as good as everyone song was, clearly had mixed levels of euphoria, A Day in the Life, the Beatles best song IMO, and definitely their most influential and popular, far out stretched most other compositions on the album, like Fixing a Hole, and I still love that song. But I understand, the subjectivity is there, which is why I asked for your opinion. And it was a good one too, thanks.

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

I also enjoyed your thoughtful response, and your observation between Beatles and Beach Boys albums. I only hope people actually add to this thread, because I think we could have some even more colorful responses, opinions, and discussions.

To be honest Please Please Me, With The Beatles, and early Beach Boys is what is stopping me from pursuing rock. Not just for their great music, but being important and integral like them. I don't have an ounce of their charisma, swagger, or personality haha. Same goes for Beethoven. I don't even feel like trying classical because of him. And Aphex Twin for electronic music. I realize that being important isn't the only thing I should worry about, and should make music for the fun if it. And that's what I'm doing. It's just like my writing; I treat my artistic endeavors like a recreational activity, like keeping a journal.

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

It's because I'm an avid member of digitaldreamdoor

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

im enjoying reading the responses here though i dont really have anything to contribute. ive always enjoyed the beach boys and the beatles but ive never really gotten into either of them enough to contribute to any discussion such as this

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

Probably not too significant to note, but any point of view or response is a valuable contribution. Speak up because what someone thinks or has to say is unique; we can grow as listeners, and others can grow from our feedback. That's the beauty of interaction. You probably knew that, and I'm not trying to get you to start contributing here, but since this is a forum thread that's not too serious, it never hurts to indulge in some light participation.

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

I mean, I'm just a classic rock junkie so to speak, but more of a music connoisseur. I love exploring and finding which are the valuable gems and which aren't, I love the history, growth, and exploration of the music. I was raised on classical music, and slowly delved into the evolution to jazz, blues, and then rock, and found my niche in the epiphany of what I think, was musical creativity and genius at it's peak, rock in the 60's 70's. It was the natural progression of everything that came before, from pop rock that could be deeper than anything you can imagine, the reinvention and popularization of the guitar since Andres Segovia, the reinvention of music as a whole, which turned pop into a musical complexity of whirling emotion, complex composition, orchestral and foreign influences, beautiful lyrics, and tasteful playing that evolved into the greatest artists I've ever heard, from the Beatles, to Clapton, The Doors to Bowie and Queen. So much can be found in this era with an underlying complexity and beauty unlike anything seen before, or since. Pet sounds is a great example, The Velvet Underground and Nico is an often over looked album of ridiculous complexity and experimentation, coupled with amazing lyrics and a sense of realism and story telling that still gives shivers today. Symphonic rock ended up at a peak with prog bands like Yes and ELP (King Crimson was more experimental prog), where classically trained musicians created orchestral rock pieces scoping levels we have never seen before. The music was so diverse, so original, and honestly, so beautiful that many things of that era bring tears to my eyes for how beautiful and capable the world once was. Music has hit a stagnation recently, and a revival is eminent, or the fall of rock as a whole is close. I stopped at the 80's, where rock fell from the beauty and complexity it once had, and delved further into the 'image' of the rocker, not saying the music was all bad, but a lot of it failed, and considering how hair metal and glam died so quickly is proof of that. 90's, though far from my favorite musical decade, is many's favorite since it was technically a rock revival, as much as I hate to say it, grunge saved rock, albeit for a little while, and then remained stagnant. But if you like classical music, jazz, or blues, I recommend exploring 60's/70's rock, and you will be greatly surprised. And if you like it enough, check the origins and fathers in the 50's, and you will be thoroughly surprised with your findings, I assure you

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

The reason for the Beatles' popularity has a lot to do with timing. The assassination of a president, America's morale shot down (hah quite literally) and the rest of the world in need of a new generation of pop hits. The Beatles were at the right place at the right time and the catchy-ness of their tunes just exploded all over. It was such a mood booster and they greatly owe their popularity to this.

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

That is true as well, but after listening to all their songs, and I mean ALL of them, their best songs were not their poppy ones, or their biggest hits. The Beatles, from what my research, my opinion, and the music tells me, were most likely some of, if not the greatest, musical geniuses of the 20th century

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

Oh I agree their best songs aren't even on the charts (or barely) but the way they could construct a song with such ease and variety is still mind blowing to this date.

Re: Pet Sounds greatest album of all time?

I've heard a lot of their recording session for a whole album only took a few weeks, that's so unbelievable considering how amazing and different all their songs were. We will never see a band as talented as the Beatles, probably ever again