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HEILOOBAAS
I just listened to it for the first time and couldn't make it past the first twenty seconds. Whoever is singing the lead vocal is way out of his range. It sounds like his balls are in a bloody vice. It's 'orrible!

Try side 2. It's the most accessible side and I think it's a lot easier to see / hear why the album was/is so revered. Personally I love it and consider the album a masterpiece.

Pet Sounds and Smile with outtakes and different versions is the deal. Overrated? Yes of course. But not as overrated as Ram (McCartney). The hipsters ruin everything.

In the end if lot of "experts" agree that something is great I respect their opinions because they know more than I do about the art piece. The experts say that "Sergent Pepper" and "Pet Sounds" are great so I don't mind respecting their collective judgement.
I don't find the "Mona Lisa" extraordinary but I respect the fact that a lot of people rave about it. Sometimes it is not about "me" but about "us".
Rockandroll,
Mops

I agree that this record is waaaaay over-rated. I blame Paul McCartney who has said he was bowled over by the "sound" of the record. I have to think that he was talking about the harmonies, multi-tracking etc. and not the songs per se. He's also said that after hearing Pet Sounds he knew The Beatles had to up their game with their next record which turned out to be Sgt. Pepper. Obviously, Sgt. Pepper eclipsed Pet Sounds (and just about every other record of that time) in every way and immediately made Pet Sounds irrelevant. Personally you couldn't pay me enough money to sit through Pet Sounds.

I think Wouldn't It Be Nice Is just about the perfect pop song, beautiful, shimmering melancholy.

I will have this played at my funeral.

Always amazes me when someone revives a thread from ten years ago.

The album came out in 1966. It pioneered a number of studio recording techniques that we now take for granted -- double-tracking, backing tracks, reverborators.

When it came out in 1966 nobody had heard anything like it. To use the LA parlance of the times, it was "boss." It is revered in part because it was the firsts of its kind.

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virgil
Always amazes me when someone revives a thread from ten years ago.

I thought the same last night. Stirring something perhaps.