Pet Sounds - Stereo [VINYL]

Product Information

With that being said, this mono reissue isn't the best sounding version of the album, technically. However, it's the one that connects with me most. I love the stereo version as well, however the mono mix intended by Brian Wilson has an almost magical property to it. The instruments blend together like a carpet strewn about a finely sanded off, glossy wood floor - this is including the beautiful vocals. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times has an absolutely cinematic feel in mono, where the vocals drown out the instruments to a point where it feels very grand and definitive. The instrumentals sound absolutely divine in mono, especially Pet Sounds, which I would say is actually better in mono rather than stereo's odd timing issues. Pet Sounds evokes something gorgeous within one, and whether it be stereo or mono, one thing's for certain: it's a classic for a reason. Flawless strings and brass and percussion and absolutely gut-churning bottom end with a tight and symphonic feel.

Pet Sounds (1966, Los Angeles Pressing The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966, Los Angeles Pressing

This record has so often been written about and reviewed that all I want to do here is get to the sound of this recent reissue mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog tape, and compare it to previous issues. Universal International Music B.V. Gerrit Van Der Veenlaan 4, 3743 DN, Baarn, Netherlands. BIEM/SDRM. LC 01846. 00602547822291. When people discuss the mixing of Pet Sounds, there's often an objectivity to the remarks - they say Stereo is definitively superior because you can hear more of the instruments than mono. However, this is missing the rather spiritual experience of listening to music, and instead taking it as an analytical "this MUST be better" stance. On ‘God Only Knows’ it is just Carl, Brian and Bruce that are singing and on the acapella version, when they finish their vocal, a voice asks, “How was that? Was that cool?” It’s Bruce Johnston asking the question and it is the perfect coda for not just the song, but also the album, because Pet Sounds is arguably the coolest record of all time. This is the kind of record that makes life worth living, reaffirming the notion that pop music is the most admired art form in the world. Pet Sounds features some of the greatest LA musicians of the period. There are guitarists as varied as, Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel, Tommy Tedesco and Al Casey. On keyboards there’s Larry Knetchel, drummers, Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon along with French Horns, violins, an electric Theremin, and all manner of percussion instruments, including Coca-Cola cans. Listening to Brian encouraging, demanding and cajoling the musicians on the session tapes is like a master class in record production.The big no no is the limited edition repro Holland EMI-Capitol 7" of God Only Knows/Wouldn't It Be Nice in yellow vinyl that has come out as a tie in/teaser 45 and is discounted when bought with the vinyl album.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966, Vinyl) - Discogs

And then there are the vocals that include Brian’s most poignant ever performance on the sublime, ‘Caroline No’, Mike Love on ‘Here Today’, as well as Carl Wilson’s heart-stopping tour de force – ‘God Only Knows’. The fourth CD features a capella versions of the songs on the album and this is where The Beach Boys collectively shine. The soaring harmonies of ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’, the beautiful harmonic counterpoint of ‘I Know There’s An Answer’, and ‘I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times’ are all surf-soul music As for the stereo vinyl debuts of "The Beach Boys Today", "Summer Days...and Summer Nights", "Beach Boys Party" & "Smiley Smile", there is no reason why Capitol Records themselves couldn't offer those stereo mixes on vinyl. Capitol owns the recordings, after all. Before I get started, let me emphasize, that when I mention anything that I've seen posted on Steve Hoffman's forums, that i have not been a member of the forum for more than 4 years, therefore the opinions that I mention are not my opinions. The best album with one of the worst covers ever (well, at least of that era), has only grown in stature since it was first released in the Spring of 1966.Wilson spent almost a half-million 2015 dollars producing the record to his definition of musical and sonic perfection, mixing it to mono, his preferred format, in part due to his hearing in mono.