The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (FIRST REACTION) 

It really is remarkable that an album that came out in 1966 would be in contention for the best sounding album of all time. 35 minutes of straight ear candy

I gotta beg for a "Smile Sessions Album" by the beach boys next ! Thats their opus i would say. Not the smiley smile btw thats a different thing

Love how you describe this as straightforward when it's actually very complex musically. That's the genius of Brian Wilson.

The album is called Pet Sounds as the whole thing is Wilson's "pet sounds" or "go-to sounds" - this being the wall of sound production that originated from Phil Spector, who Wilson greatly admired. Wilson combined this sound with adolescent themes, and inspired by Rubber Soul, tried to make an album without any filler. This was the only album where he had almost complete control, writing, composing, arranging, producing and singing, and he wasn't even 24 yet. To get the perfect sounds he wanted, he hired the top LA studio band The Wrecking Crew and was telling experienced musicians exactly how he wanted them to play their own instruments. He did all of this because, firstly he wanted to prove he could do it, but also to push the possibilities of pop music. He could have just continued to make hits, but instead believed he had a responsibility to push the art form further, even though this was rather alienating for the record label, fans, and even his own band mates.

One of the first albums I fell in love with. Like you said the vocals are just so incredible across the board and they are just deceptively simple songs that have so many layers to them and are fun on repeat listens. Still crazy to think the rest of the band didn’t want to make it other than the main writer Brian Wilson.

I first heard this in 1999 as a 23 year old, & except for all the radio songs (radio songs then, on the oldies station, nowadays the 80’s is oldies, or something, idk), but except for the radio songs, this was one of the first albums I ever heard where I couldn’t predict sh*t, I couldn’t predict where the melodies were going, or the arrangements, or anything (& im not saying I can usually predict good songs, it’s just usually, especially as a musician, one is at least a tiny bit clued in, some of the songs on this album are just all over the place, in a good,,& surprising way)….it was quite a ride….I just listened by myself one spring afternoon, & those things I just mentioned left an impression on me for sure, & I could def see why it’s so loved, by Paul McCartney & everyone else, & loved pretty soon after by me also.

The beach boys got me into music I have loved them since seven when my grandma started playing them for me, this is probably my third favorite album from them after surfs up, and love you.

Hal Blaine is the drummer for these. He drummed on 39 #1 songs in his career, including Be My Baby. Bridge Over Troubled Water, etc.

When I discovered that Al Jardine sings on I know There's an Answer the line 'They isolate their heads...' right before Brian sings the chorus, I was amazed how much he sounds like Brian and not even related! Carl Wilson, who sang God Only Knows is Brian's brother so obviously sounds like Brian. But Carl's voice is more throaty, and Brian's more nasal. Mike Love is the Wilson's cousin, but he sticks out a bit with the lower notes. But a full voice of Brian sounds a lot like Mike as well.

Highly recommend you listen to just the instrumentals of all the song it will blow you mind how many instruments and how many hidden melodies were stacked in these pocket symphonies. The production on this album is like never ever made and has influenced every musician and producer to this day wondering how a 22 year old kid who is deaf in 1 ear btw made all of this. Anyone studying music this album is an absolute must.

The stereo mix you’re listening to was done in 1996 for the 30th anniversary. The album’s original mono mix was what was available to listeners before.

There's a reason why Brian is considered one of the most influential -- if not the most influential -- producers in rock history. You are listening to this after decades of music influenced by this. You have no concept of how fresh this was in 1966, and that's one reason the album wasn't a huge success in the States (although it was big in the UK). Everyone expected the Beach Boys to keep to the hit formula, but instead Brian came up with the album of a lifetime. You had really great reactions to this. Except for songs like "Stairway to Heaven," Deep Purple's "Lazy," the Allman Brothers' "Jessica," and a few others, songs do NOT have to be four, five, six, or seven minutes long. If you know how to write, you can pack so much into two - three minutes of creativity. Alas, that art seems to be lost these days, as so many songs are so repetitive. Brian had more musical ideas in his 2:30 songs than many other writers did in songs twice as long.

Great reaction, I've been looking for people to react to this one because I just listened to it for the first time a few weeks ago and fell in love! My only note is that like other comments have said, you really should listen to I Just Wasn't Made for These Times again. Brian Wilson says this album is best listened to in the dark at night, and I would totally agree. The amazing compositions and mixing can make it easy to miss just how profoundly sad this record is, and that song is likely one of the most tragic of them all. Look into Brian Wilson a bit and you'll see why. The movie Love and Mercy is a great telling of this period of Brian Wilson's life and the creation of this album. Cheers!

12:39: "I've been lovin' the bass lines." This whole album - but especially "Sloop John B" and "God Only Knows" - changed the way bass guitar is played in rock and pop. Paul McCartney himself said it forever changed his approach to song writing and playing. I overheard a man leaving a Brian Wilson concert circa 2000+ say, "He was never a great [bass] player himself, but he changed the way the instrument is played." Wilson was actually better than many think, but he had stage fright, and preferred to work in the studio in his youth. He was at heart more of a composer than performer.

Sloop John B is goated tho. Also yeah, Let’s Go Away For Awhile is probably my favourite on here. The mixing is absolute perfection, just, the sound of the song is so damn gorgeous. A close second favourite would be Don’t Talk. I remember being in love with someone when I first heard this album, and that song fuelled that passion a lot. It’s so dreamy and ethereal, especially those harmonies! *chefs kiss* What an album. Brian Wilson really put his entire soul into this project. Great reaction, as always ❤️

Songs didn't start getting longer until a year later or so. Later in 1966, The Beach Boys released Good Vibrations at 3 minutes. They had to beg Capitol Records to put it out because they thought it was too long.

It's always a pleasure to here someone discovering this masterpiece 🐐

Great reaction, but I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times is one of the best songs ever made and you reaally need to relisten to it

Love this album, really blew my mind when I first listened to it and everytime I re-listen, I painfully relate to a lot of these lyrics. A lot of your reactions (MBV, Slowdive) are awesome but this album is truly my favourite of all time

i think the indie group that comes closest to this is animal collective, they have similar vocal tones and arrangements, I saw that you didn't love Merriweather, but I recommend Feels or Sung Tongs if you're curious to hear more from them

Good evening sir! This album was prayed 🙏 over 🙏 🙌!

Love your pet sounds reaction

Go ahead and purchase the Pet Sounds Sessions box set and take it all in for the rest of your life. I guarantee you will not regret it. If you do regret it, i will buy the box set from you. I am a fan from the beginning and i still enjoy this music at 71 years young!! Happy listening.

Beautiful review I wish more youngsters would review this. Thank you so much

Subbing, great and meaningful reaction. Looking forward to more, hopefully Beach Boys :)

Funfact God Only Knows constantly changes in key. And the way it does it so seamless is the two scales share a lot of notes.

Please please check out the movie Love and Mercy which is half about Brian during the time he recorded this Understanding the lore and history surrounding this album makes it a thousand times better.

There are many absolute genius songs in terms of written music, sounds, and singing by the beach boys. So much so bands wrote songs to sound like them to pay tribute. Pink Floyd, beatles could go on

To appreciate Sloop John B, you have to have some context. It was a very new take on a very popular folk song by the Kingston Trio, Al Jardine's favorite group. In fact the striped shirts they wore in the early days, was copied from the Kingston Trio.

Music sent from the heavens. Now you MUST do SMILE

Hey I am a huge Beach Boys fan I like there music I like Good Vibrates wouldn't it be nice, fun,fun,fun surfing songs. I like there song still cruising

great album. great reaction, I like how you pick up so many details on the first listen. "don't talk put your head on my shoulder" is one of my alltime faves. also if you're looking for experimental beach boys, look no further than the next album they released after this : Smiley Smile. it was largely made under the influence of acid, was a HUGE FLOP that got crushed by The Beatles' Sgt Peppers and caused Brian Wilson to go into a long depression where he didn't leave the bed for years. It's only later that it's appreciated, it's actually one of my faves but has some of the strangest music I've ever heard on it. You'd probably be into it.

nooo!! i just wasn't made for these times is my favorite song davecher!! noo you breaking my heart davecher!!! just kidding, thanks a bunch

You gotta listen to the mono version tho!! Mono is the only 'intended' mix done by Brian himself, and some instruments/vocals are missing in stereo versions because they were directly mixed into the mono master tapes. edit: also I'm asking you to reconsider the lyrics of "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"... It's not an 'ugh I was born in the WRONG GENERATION' song, it's genuine sadness coming from a guy making an album that was groundbreaking at the time, being misunderstood from his bandmates(particularly Mike Love) and his father(who used to manage the band before and was very controlling). What Brian Wilson was doing was pretty much unheard of in popular music, with intricate layering and complex harmonies, and the subject matter of these songs were also a big departure from what the Beach Boys were known for at the time(which were mostly about surfing and girls and all that).

11:39 That's because they basically are! While the band went on tour, Brian Wilson decided to stay behind and work on this album. Brian hired session musicians and all the band had to do was add their vocals to it

Pet Sounds got its name when Mike Love made fun of Brian Wilson by saying he was a dog because he could hear things in the music nobody else could (much like a dog), so Brian called it Pet Sounds

Wonderful reaction to a truly brilliant album. Brian Wilson wrote everything (except "Sloop John B"... which he arranged) and he was the musical conductor for this masterpiece. Basically a kid with hearing in only one ear takes his hugely successful band and makes a remarkable left turn. He hires the best musicians around (The Wrecking Crew... who have contributed so much brilliant work to so many hit songs in the 60s) and at his creative peak, Wilson makes two albums that would land, easily, in my Top 20 of all time albums. PET SOUNDS... and then the great lost album "SMILE" that was eventually put out... decades later... first by Brian Wilson as a solo artist... but then they released "THE SMILE SESSIONS"... absolutely justified its status a truly brilliant piece of music. I'd rank "SMILE" slightly above "PET SOUNDS" as it has some truly amazing songs. "CABIN ESSENCE" "GOOD VIBRATIONS" and "SURF'S UP" among them. So... I'm definitely going to subscribe. ALSO: You should check out the English punk / pop / new wave / art rock band XTC. They're the best pop band since THE BEATLES, THE KINKS, and THE BEACH BOYS. XTC is AMAZING with a deep catalog of incredible albums. ("ENGLISH SETTLEMENT" "SKYLARKING," "NONESUCH," and "APPLE VENUS VOL. 1" would probably rank as their best... but don't sleep on their alter-egos "THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR" ...probably the greatest tribute to 60s music (all original) ever made. Cheers!

The lyrics you were reading has an error in "Caroline, No". The lyrics actually read "Carol I know." The title is a mondegreen.

Maybe the artist you were trying to remember is Panda Bear? Definitely resembles him and AnCo

you should try sunflower

There is a album you could do Summer Dreams

Brian’s got A LOT of rizz

Listen to holland

When you mentioned the songs being straight to the point, I think that is very in line with Brian Wilson's personality. Although he was trying to innovate, he was totally unpretentious.

Hey, great vid! Now go immerce yourself in the instrumentals-only version!

Please try and listen to holland by the beach boys. Thank you so much. Steve uk

Please listen to more elliott smith albums!!! Love the reactions

Best Album of all time. If you like this check out the smile sessions. Nobody can top Brian Wilson in the 60’s

I find for Brian Wilson creations that the mono mixes are more authentic. He is deaf in one ear so he always mixed down to mono. Any stereo mix is almost an interpretation in my eyes, differing from the original idea.

I have to disagree with your take that this album is not super adventurous. This album is doing things no other rock album has ever done before. So much so that it is the main influence for a possibly even more influential album which is Sgt Peppers. Other than that I really enjoyed your reaction and insight on the album. 👍

Not done Low yet I see.

You need to do smile

The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle is another album worth checking out for a similar vibe. I'd say the two best songs on that album are even better than anything here. I love most of the songs on this one, but i only ever really listen to it in Spring/Summer. God Only Knows is amongst my all time favourites!

This would make a great e p definitely not a great l p, There are three songs on the sam that I like And that would make my e p, Got only knows, Wouldn't it be nice, Sloop john b, the rest is bla .

Americas greatest band.

I just wasn't meant for this time + cringe = impossible equation

It's hard to watch a genuine first reaction to Pet Sounds because it's strange and off-putting at first. It took me years to warm up to it.

Very disjointed to listen to reactions in this style.

Don't believe the hype. Average album

God only knooows. god.only.knows