The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (Music CD)

This is more than just an album by a great American band; it's the great American pop album, an ambitious foray into the intricacies of harmony and melody. Masterminded by Brian Wilson, it changed the rules in rock & roll. Wilson's production brought record-making to a new level. He perfected Phil Spector's Wall of Sound into a more complex, stunning approach. He was inspired by the Beatles' Rubber Soul, and Pet Sounds was, in turn, an inspiration for Sgt. Pepper's. The devoutly romantic "God Only Knows" and the hopeful "Wouldn't It Be Nice" reflect the innocent time of yearning post-adolescence. From the complex, upward progressions of "You Still Believe in Me" to the heartbeat bass of "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)," Wilson paid attention to every nanosecond of sound. The traditional folk song "Sloop John B," with its thickly interwoven vocals, was a major hit for the band, but Pet Sounds' astonishing power comes from its less familiar songs. The shifting moods and devious instrumentation of "I'm Waiting for the Day" and the revealing "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" are further testaments to Wilson's tortured genius. Wilson has said that angels were overseeing the production of Pet Sounds, and there is no doubt about it.