The Greatness That is Pet Sounds

‘Pet Sounds’ by the Beach Boys is 50 years old this year, considered by many to be the best American album from its era. “Wouldn’t it be Nice,” Sloop John B,” “God Only Knows,” and “Caroline No” all come from this Brian Wilson classic.

Glen Campbell played his 12-string electric guitar on the album, as do a majority of the legendary Los Angeles based ‘Wrecking Crew’ studio musicians. Rolling Stone Magazine lists ‘Pet Sounds’ as one of the greatest albums of all time, VHI lists the album as one of the top LPs, the New York Times considers the album to be best album ever recorded and released. The album is the complete effort of Brian, written and recorded over a five-month period in 1966, as Brian had stopped touring to concentrate on creating the next Beach Boys album.

‘Pet Sounds’ was considered a concept album in that it had contained tracks of barking dogs and Coca Cola cans. The expense was enormous as well, running up studio expenses of nearly $80,000 – unheard of for a record at the time of its recording. The project was all Brian and ruffled the feathers of all the other members of the group as they fought over song selections, lyrics, and overall direction of the album.

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