THE BEACH BOYS

                       PET SOUNDS

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                 USA - RAINBOW Capitol - T 2458 - MONOphonic

MINTY CLEAN VINYL

! SCARCE COLLECTION COPY !

GLORIOUS BOLD MONO MIXES! The "Real Deal"!

The ORIGINAL first edition pressing from 1967, aptly considered a MASTERPIECE just as Brian Wilson intended - superior over the "rock" releases of the era!

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Collectible ORIGINAL  1967 first pressing -- hard to find 50 years ago classic in BOLD MONO.... impeccably clean condition (see details below)

Pet Sounds is a slice of pure pop perfection.

To call this album classic doesn't do it justice. A rival with only two or three albums as the greatest album of all time. It is this good.

The Beach Boys are one of the greatest bands to have ever come out of the 60s. Their vocal harmonies are second to none, and Brian Wilson's compositions and arrangements are nothing short of masterful. Need proof? Listen to Pet Sounds. This is pop rock at it's best. "Wouldn't it Be Nice" remains one of my favourite songs, even after having known it for the vast majority of my lifetime. "Good Vibrations" would have been right at home here (and perhaps should have been), but even without it this album shines.

Besides the extremely well-known songs (Sloop John B, Caroline No, God Only Knows), the tracks which were not released as singles still have extreme merit. "You Still Believe in Me", "Here Today", and the even the (unfairly) oft-dismissed title track "Pet Sounds" are all stellar recordings in their own right. Pet Sounds was not supposed to be a final destination. Pet Sounds was to have been a stop on the journey of Brian Wilson’s continually evolving musical vision. Next up was to have been an album titled Smile, and who knows what was to follow.

Brian Wilson’s fertile mind would create the magnificent single “Good Vibrations” shortly after the Pet Sounds sessions, but he would then be hampered by illness for years. Smile would not be released for decades, so we are left with the brilliant Pet Sounds and the sadness of roads not traveled.

The technical merits of Pet Sounds are apparent even 42 years later. Brian Wilson built his skills in the studio for years prior to the album release, which brought them to full flower. Pet Sounds was an album recorded like a single. Brain Wilson intended for the album as a whole to have been a hit, rather than just a song or two. It was the whole rather than the individual songs that was important.

Part of Brian Wilson’s brilliance was the ability to take simple lyrics that spoke of basic human feelings and create an emotional impact through his music and harmonies. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is a song about simple desire, a journey we have all taken. The song's simple lyrics are bathed in gorgeous harmonies with arrangements and subtle percussion molded into the mix.

“Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)” is a quiet testament to love. The song just slips by with an understated vocal and then harmonies. “I’m Waiting For The Day” is a requiem to longing and waiting for the day you can love again. Unanswered is the question: Will this really happen?

“God Only Knows,” besides being one of the most beautiful ballads ever recorded, may have been the most sophisticated song on the album and was possibly pointing toward the future. Carl Wilson’s voice floats above a symphony of instrumental sounds. The layering of such instruments as French horns, strings, harpsichord, flutes, and a staccato percussion all provide a subtle background for this ethereal ballad.

Pet Sounds continues to satisfy. Paul McCartney once said, “No one is educated musically until they’ve heard Pet Sounds." In line with this quote I remember reading somewhere that the more you live, the better it gets. Pet Sounds’ legacy is that it changed the way albums were recorded and created.

Pet Sounds concludes with another beautiful ballad, this time of loss. The final sounds of “Caroline No" would echo Brian Wilson's most creative musical period. A train is coming down the track while a dog barks. The train passes and is quickly gone. Then silence.

An absolute must for any collection. The Beatles didn't change the face of music alone, you know.

CONDITION: The cover is rated: "EX" (excellent) has the original 1966 era store price sticker on the front upper cover...that's how it was sold by retail store advised the original owner!  Overall this is a strong cover, touch of past careful enough handling visuals is all, no upgrade needed, unless forking out $$$ for a shrink wrap cover copy. Overall been in relatively careful hands, all-around solid seams, crisp vibrant fresh colors, no writing, no delete marks ..should fill the gap in most collections.

The vinyl : all glossy and shiny both sides, rated: near M- and better!  Has a clean surface on each side - full of bright - clear - shine!  Plays with excellent audio; decidedly & ultimately enjoyable ! ... This copy has clean MONO Capitol labels too... see photos