Pet Sounds [Mono + Stereo]

1	Wouldn't It Be Nice 2:25
2	You Still Believe in Me 2:34
3	That's Not Me 2:30
4	Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 2:54
5	I'm Waiting for the Day 3:06
6	Let's Go Away for Awhile 2:21
7	Sloop John B 3:00
8	God Only Knows 2:52
9	I Know There's an Answer 3:11
10	Here Today 2:55
11	I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 3:15
12	Pet Sounds 2:23
13	Caroline No 2:54
14	Hang on to Your Ego Bonus Track 3:03
15	Wouldn't It Be Nice Stereo Mix 2:33
16	You Still Believe in Me Stereo Mix 2:36
17	That's Not Me Stereo Mix 2:31
18	Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) Stereo Mix 2:58
19	I'm Waiting for the Day Stereo Mix 3:06
20	Let's Go Away for Awhile Stereo Mix 2:24
21	Sloop John B Stereo Mix 2:59
22	God Only Knows Stereo Mix 2:54
23	I Know There's an Answer Stereo Mix 3:18
24	Here Today Stereo Mix 3:07
25	I Just Wasn't Made for These Times Stereo Mix 3:21
26	Pet Sounds Stereo Mix 2:37
27	Caroline No Stereo Mix 2:53

Barnes & Noble

The Beatles adored it, and the Rolling Stones took out an ad in the British music papers urging everybody to buy it: Pet Sounds is not only the Beach Boys' best album but also one of the undisputed classics of the '60s. Written (save for an adaptation of the old folk song "Sloop John B.") by head Beach Boy Brian Wilson and a young advertising copywriter named Tony Asher, the album is a melancholy meditation on adulthood, desire, and failed romance. Featuring stunning melodies ("God Only Knows"), intricate vocal arrangements ("Wouldn't It Be Nice"), and innovative instrumentals ("Let's Go Away for Awhile"), Pet Sounds was, in 1966, also a staggering technical accomplishment. Working the old-fashioned way -- that is, without the benefit of synthesizers and samplers -- Wilson created a rich, symphonic sound by blending multiple vocal tracks and conventional keyboards and guitars with harpsichords, flutes, and Hawaiian-tinged strings, then added a panoply of sound effects: bicycle bells, Coca-Cola cans, a Theremin, barking dogs. Although only a moderate hit upon its release, Pet Sounds has proved hugely influential over the years. In 1997 it was rereleased as a four-CD box set, including one disc of a never-before-heard stereo mix. The 1999 reissue marks the first release of the stereo version (plus the mono original) on a single CD. Bottom line: A masterpiece. Steve Simels

All Music Guide

The best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," "Caroline No," and "Sloop John B" (the last of which wasn't originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as "You Still Believe in Me," "Don't Talk," "I Know There's an Answer," and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." It's often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). Massively influential upon its release (although it was a relatively low seller compared to their previous LPs), it immediately vaunted the band into the top level of rock innovators among the intelligentsia, especially in Britain, where it was a much bigger hit. The 1999 reissue added a new stereo version of the entire album to the original mono program. Richie Unterberger