Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

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twentysixdollars
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Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by twentysixdollars »

So somebody pointed this out to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiLlM7wBmuk

And I got to thinking.

Lately I've been feeling really estranged from Pet Sounds. It was never my favorite Beach Boys album, but it wasn't until recently that I fully realized how not-favorite it is. It's seriously behind Little Deuce Coupe for me at this point. (For the record: 1. Smiley Smile 2. Friends 3. Love You 4. Today! 5. Wild Honey 6. Holland 7. Sunflower. 8. Surfer Girl/Little Deuce Coupe 9. Pet Sounds. Yeah, that's right. Ninth place.) Playing it a few times last week I found myself admiring it more than I was moved by it, and sometimes not even that. What's the deal? Have I gotten too old to relate to it? True, Friends speaks closely to my condition, but I loved it long before it did. And it's not like I've OD'd on Pet Sounds - I always played it less than the above. I'm only just now admitting it.

What I'm hearing right now is an album with a handful of perfect songs, maybe three or four of them, that I like as much as the best four or five songs on, say, Friends or Love You!, but not more.
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by BzaInSpace »

I agree. It has a couple of outstanding tracks for me - 'Don't Talk' being the best maybe, but its not something I listen to too much now. When I first heard it aged 17, after getting into the wave of retrospective hype I couldn't get into it at all initially. It's not exactly rock n' roll is it? However, I began to appreciate it as what it is - a collection of extremely well crafted, sung and produced songs.

All this 'best album ever' crap just makes it less appealing. Its is...what it is. Maybe a lot of this hype has a hollow ring to it. I guess you could sit and wallow in the sadness of it but i'd prefer to hear Dennis sing some of the tunes. I like '20 Golden Greats' better..even though it has 'Sloop John B' over something - anything - else. God, I hate 'Sloop John B'!
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by SpacemanRob »

Surely this should be posted in the 'Other' section & after the excitement of a new Spz album and tour surely we don't need another thread to feed your over-blown ego. For years you have been banging on about BW - surely he must have his own website/forum. Quite honestly who gives a fuck how you rank the BB albums. Maybe you want to share what you had for dinner or your last row with the missus. It truely astonishes me that after all these years all you can think about is yourself. Your pathetic cry for attention is quite frankly embarassing. If the Mod's(you included) had any sense of decency you would move this post.....
Let's wait & see....

I am really excited about the tour, can't wait for the album and have had a great week enjoying the Sian Alice Group(as posted in 'Other'). Why do i let you ridiculous cries for attention annoy me?
twentysixdollars
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by twentysixdollars »

SpacemanRob wrote:Surely this should be posted in the 'Other' section & after the excitement of a new Spz album and tour surely we don't need another thread to feed your over-blown ego.
I beg to differ.
Maybe you want to share what you had for dinner or your last row with the missus.
Vegetarian pad thai. It was delicious.
The missus and I don't have rows, thank you very much.
It truely astonishes me that after all these years all you can think about is yourself.
Well, you've got to admit (and the ardor of your post attests), I'm pretty fascinating.
twentysixdollars
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by twentysixdollars »

BzaInSpace wrote: I guess you could sit and wallow in the sadness of it but i'd prefer to hear Dennis sing some of the tunes.
Interesting. I agree, basically - the best (or most 'rock') tune is the one that Dennis plays drums on ("That's Not Me"). I don't know if I'd call it consistently sad - only a couple of tunes, and the strategic placing of the amazing "Caroline No" contributes to the impression. But for wallowing I'd say there are better records!

I'm beginning to wonder whether the choice of Pet Sounds as the Beach Boys' best, and its constant appearance in top tens, is tokenism somewhat akin to all those best-ofs that include nothing but guitar rock, plus What's Going On, Kind of Blue and Straight Outta Compton.
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by SpacemanRob »

Its constant appearance is pure sentamentality. It is terribly sad that BW suffered from mental illness and was unable to perform for many years but nothing else. It is probably hugely different living in Canada or the States. The BB and BW mean far less here. I remember vividly, as a child, enjoying my dad's record collection(The Stones, Beatles, Led Zep, The Troggs, Dylan, early blues etc) & through friends recommendations buying Pet Sounds. 20 years ago my dad warned that it was truely under-whelming and an album that people would often reference but always failed to live up to expectations. These words still stand up today. Maybe it is a cultural thing - maybe the album doesn't work in the context of a drab North London?
Still good to see that you are abusing your power as a Mod and not moving the post to its correct index. Astonishing you can ever enter a room with such a ridiculous ego. Nothing changes.....
mc
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by mc »

Eh? What does it say on the front of the forum?

"Music - For new sounds, old sounds and favourite sound discussion..."

Pretty apt, I think.
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A concerned reader writes

Post by BzaInSpace »

SpacemanRob wrote: Still good to see that you are abusing your power as a Mod and not moving the post to its correct index. Astonishing you can ever enter a room with such a ridiculous ego. Nothing changes.....
Jesus Rob. Still good to see you over-reacting about essentially nothing.
It's only a bloody post! I suspect 26$ just wanted to engage some debate - I certainly took the bait - hardly an abuse of power surely? Man, if one was to get ultra pendantic we could swap posts on threads for eternity... "hmm, this topic mentions music and films so maybe it belongs in 'Other', shit, it mentions Spacemen 3 so maybe it should go there, ah, it mentions a gig so it ought to go in 'Gigs'..."
Sorry. Life's too short.

And maybe you should calm down. Go for a walk or something.

Maybe i'll move this thread to one of the invisible sections -'New Boots & Panties' or 'SpaceManRob's Hi Jinx' sound good.

Kind Of Blue in those top tens you mention 26$ - I've never worked that one out either. There must be a good 20 or so albums by Miles alone better than that. I mean, its OK but...
SpacemanRob wrote: If the Mod's(you included) had any sense of decency...
:shock:

Whoever said anything about being decent?

God's my judge mate.
SpacemanRob wrote:Astonishing .....
You said it.
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by SpacemanRob »

God is your judge? - said like a true redneck! That is astonishing! It becomes so dull with endless conversations about BW & BB! Move on. There is another thread about new music & i am fast becoming a huge fan of the Sian Alice Group and enjoying Growing and Pram. With $26 supposed love of jazz the new Pram album should be endlessly praised. Maybe it is the title that offends me the most. Booking the tickets for another Spz tour and an album(from the acoustic gigs) sends me into raptures. And is there any London venues i have not seen Spz at? This is true conversation(Electric Ballroom, Hammersmith Appolo, QEH, Town & Country Club, Astoria, the Notre Dame Hall(Sp3) and Shepherds Bush)). Really excited....
twentysixdollars
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by twentysixdollars »

SpacemanRob wrote:Its constant appearance is pure sentamentality. It is terribly sad that BW suffered from mental illness and was unable to perform for many years but nothing else. It is probably hugely different living in Canada or the States. The BB and BW mean far less here. I remember vividly, as a child, enjoying my dad's record collection(The Stones, Beatles, Led Zep, The Troggs, Dylan, early blues etc) & through friends recommendations buying Pet Sounds. 20 years ago my dad warned that it was truely under-whelming and an album that people would often reference but always failed to live up to expectations. These words still stand up today. Maybe it is a cultural thing - maybe the album doesn't work in the context of a drab North London?
The major problem with your argument is that Pet Sounds is - and always has been - much more popular in the UK than in the US. In fact, the latter-day adulation it's received was kicked off solely by Brits. In the US they even tried giving it away (in '72 it was packaged as the freebie in a twofer with Carl and the Passions) and even that didn't work. But it charted high in the UK and I even think has returned to the UK chart sporadically since.

In fact, if you factor out hits compilations (Endless Summer and its various subsequent permutations) I'm quite certain you'll find that the UK has liked the Beach Boys more than the US since, oh, 1968 or so. That goes for singles and albums. You can play the armchair sociologist all you like (God knows just about every Briton since the Victorian era has had a theory about rain, class and popular taste) but sales don't lie.
With $26 supposed love of jazz
If you think I'm gonna sit here and brook an accusation like that you better think twice!
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by Zenchan »

Why does everyone always cite Sloop John B as the weak track on Pet Sounds? I actually love it.

Anyway, I do prefer Smiley Smile, which gets far too hard a time with the "Smile reject" tag. It's a wonderful record.
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by twentysixdollars »

is wrote:Surf's Up not on your top 10. $26?
It could conceivably be number ten, depending on what sort of mood I'm in. There's not much I love on that record besides "Take a Load off Your Feet" and the last three magical cuts. It jockeys for a place with All Summer Long.
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by LUFC_SPACEMAN »

I bought it when I was about 17, took one listen to it and promptly returned it! Then I heard Ladies and Gentlemen....heard Jase was influenced by them....bought it again and fell in love with it!
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by TheWarmth »

Yeah, WTF is going on with Surf's Up not being up there? Also, Smiley Smile at #1 is just ludicrous, in my opinion. It's all way too tongue-in-cheek for me. What I really want to know, $26, is when you're going to back to me about GMF!!!
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by sendy »

Yes, i do agree that Surfs Up is underrated here. Also, $26, do you not rate the title track from said album? Surely this is one of the all time masterpieces?

Anyway, Pacific Ocean Blue. Thats where it is at for me. Its not the 'Beach Boys' of course, but it equals pretty much anything Brian did. Christ, Dennis is so good his majestic 'Cuddle Up' nearly makes Carl and The Passions a good album.
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by Horrorflick »

Maybe you should go here: http://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-ba ... s-ever.php, for what is probably going to be a fairly un-popular opinion. (It did give me something to think about...)
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by SpacemanRob »

Many a good word said in jest....
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by twentysixdollars »

Horrorflick wrote:Maybe you should go here: http://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-ba ... s-ever.php, for what is probably going to be a fairly un-popular opinion. (It did give me something to think about...)
Ha. Well, the only one of those records I feel strongly about is Marquee Moon. So the list went down easier than you'd think.

Sendy: Yes, I do think "Surf's Up" (the song) is a masterpiece. But it's not better than "A Day In the Life of a Tree", which is one of the greatest pop productions ever. "Till I Die" and "Take a Load off Your Feet" are both up there. But the rest of the record does little for me.

Warmth: I'm getting to it (GMF). Scout's honor!
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by ThiefofFire »

I sometimes enjoy and agree with the guy who does those 'your favorite band sucks' columns, but at one point he came out and confessed that his favorite music is top 40 hip hop and he doesn't really like anything that reeks of rock n roll... he considers it to be 'white people's music' and thus worthy of disdain, that old pseudo-progressive white poseur cliche, which is actually an insult to black artists
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by Horrorflick »

ThiefofFire wrote:I sometimes enjoy and agree with the guy who does those 'your favorite band sucks' columns, but at one point he came out and confessed that his favorite music is top 40 hip hop and he doesn't really like anything that reeks of rock n roll... he considers it to be 'white people's music' and thus worthy of disdain, that old pseudo-progressive white poseur cliche, which is actually an insult to black artists
I thought his favorite band was "Egyptian Head". (Not that I have any fucking idea who that is.) Most of the time, I think he's spot on, to a frightening degree...
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Re: Pet Sounds (A non-SongsInA&E-thread)

Post by onechord »

i've always kept my copy of sunflower nearby, especially during the late spring and early summertimes (along w/my copy of excuses for travelers..). so many wuverly harmonies to melt your speakers into warm tiny little kisses. as an example, the song 'at my window' has a vibe that absorbs all of your energy while at the same time gives you such a sweet buzzzz..especially the last 30 seconds. how beautiful. "the people must look like miniature toys.." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL-_fMxIge0 makes me think of the sweet side of sonic's music such as the 'world is dying'.

but then i put on sonic's 'forever alien' where the needle, as it approaches the record's center, spins roundnround sucking you into the blackest hole of the dirtiest psychedelia imaginable ever, where the only way to plug it up and stop it would be to throw a coupla hippies into it. i wonder if sonic likes bruce haack like he likes the beach boys..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFw8oGuYFGU
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