Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Regarding the Audio Fidelity version

Cabinessence | USA | 05/06/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There are some good and bad aspects of this release.

Good:

- The sound is much better than the official CD and marginally better than the bass-heavy DCC. If you like the DCC's sound, then save your $30. If you think the DCC is a little bottom-heavy, then splurge on this. It is more open and present, though one should keep in perspective the fact that we're talking about a mono recording from the '60s. It's no sonic marvel.

- That's about it. Try before you buy on your local BitTorrent tracker to see whether the sound is for you.

Bad:

- A weird tape drop-out at the beginning of "I'm Waiting for the Day" that is not present in the DCC or any other CD versions.

- A huge gap between "Sloop John B" and "God Only Knows" that supposedly mimics the time in between flipping a record. One of the nice things about listening to CDs is that you don't have to take time to get up and change sides. I have never noticed this on any other digital release and think it's annoying. Others may disagree.

- Why and how does this sound different from the DCC? Both of them say they were from the original master tapes, which is obviously false information as noted in previous reviews. I don't buy this stuff about the so-called Kensei Audio Transformer--there has been EQ tweaking on the DCC, the AF, or both. This is either a good or bad thing depending on your opinion of the results.

- The packaging, advertised as "deluxe," is embarrassing. The slipcase looks like it was printed on grandma's 10-year-old inkjet and my copy has little bubbles under the sticker on top of the CD. I have read a lot about broken teeth and cracking, which is not surprising given the flimsiness of the case. Audio Fidelity is clearly a slapdash operation skating by on Hoffman's name recognition.

- The price. Then again, it's cheaper than a used copy of the DCC.

All in all, I don't regret my purchase but I'm close. The 1970s C&TP vinyl reissue is better, but this is probably the best available digital version."

A Moving Look into the Sensibility of a "Pop Star"

Jon B. Truelove | Chicago, Illinois | 11/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm young (26) and had always thought of the Beach Boys as kind of a tired, hear-it-while-you-shop-at-Kmart type of band. I only bought their Endless Harmony CD to hear "Heroes and Villians" because the lead singer of one of my favorite bands (Barenaked Ladies) claimed in the Wall Street Journal that the above song was one of five songs he felt most influenced by.On this same CD was a rehearsal version of "God Only Knows," and I was, well, MOVED. I rushed out and bought Pet Sounds and began to explore this un-Beach Boys album.I really fell in love with the super-personal level of the lyrics, how Brian Wilson expressed his insecurities and wishes for safer places, and how the album seemed to use a metaphor (in the form of an audible train) to get across the idea that he was on the inevitable path to growing up, and how he'd have to leave any childish longings behind.The last song on the album, "Caroline No," is as personal and moving to me as any piece of music I have ever heard, especially after reading about the life of Wilson.Pet Sounds is certainly Wilson's goodbye to childhood, and, unfortunately (in my opinion) his goodbye to writing and producing such beauty."

No lie, the best album of all time

jason | Shreveport, Louisiana | 06/12/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"everyone's heard it, Pet Sounds is the greatest album of all time. come to think of it, it's all true. Immediately on the first listening anyone can recognize that Pet Sounds contains some of the most beautiful harmony on record. Wouldn't It be Nice, Sloop John B, and God Only Knows are inarguably three of the most beautiful songs in music. But wait, there's more. Beneath this wonder of sound mixing that would make Phil Spector drool is a story of angst and yearning and all those other emotions that young people experience. It is the story of a person in love chronicling both the highs and the lows. From the daydreams and wishes of Wouldn't it Be Nice to the bittersweet denoument of Caroline, No it is obvious that this is a hearfelt statement. And sprinkled within are such masterpieces as That's Not Me and I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, obviously personal messages from one of the greatest musical geniuses of the twentieth century. Fear not: this is no Surfin' Safari. This is an emotional and groundbreaking classic."

The sounds of a masterpiece

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 04/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"PLEASE NOTE-THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE NEW AUDIO FIDELITY GOLD VERSION OF "PET SOUNDS" FOR SOME REASON AMAZON IS GROUPING REVIEWS OF THIS ALBUM UNDER ONE HEADING.

One of Brian Wilson's masterpieces "Pet Sounds" was his response to the increasingly sopisticated albums by The Beatles. Working with the best session musicians in the business (something Wilson would do while The rest of The Beach Boys were touring), Wilson composed and produced "Pet Sounds" and then invited the band to come in and do the vocals, contribute lyrics as needed, etc.

This new Audio Fidelity remaster is the second time that Steve Hoffman has done this popular title. Evidently the original mastertapes are in fragile shape so Hoffman used a first generation copy that was unequalized (the same one he used on the DCC release)to remaster this again. I never had the DCC but I did have the Capital mono master and this edition blows away that version which used noise reduction. The album sounds warm and inviting with nice detail and isn't compressed or too loud. The disc is also HDCD encoded for those with high definition CD players. After the debacle with the reissue of "Heartbeat City", it appears that Audio Fidelity got this one right.

The booklet includes Brian Wilson's note on his intent with "Pet Sounds" as well as photos but it doesn't include the extensive booklet that came with the previous Capital editions of the album which is a bit disappointing. I should note though that all the musicians that played on this classic release are credited in the booklet. Other than that this is a terrific reissue and is available for a limited time with each edition numbered on the cardboard sleeve that houses the jewel box.

Brian Wilson's classic song cycle has never sounded better to me. Highly recommended.

"

Brilliant/Passionate Music

galwin@ix.netcom.com | Mass. | 07/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was among those who thought of the Beach Boys as a lightwieght band with great harmonies that did surfer ditties, and consequently never gave them the serious listen they deserved. I bought Pet Sounds two years ago based upon its reputation as a materwork. It exceeded even my wildest expectations. It is musically more sophisticated than anything the Beatles did, even with Geroge Martin at the producer's helm. Not better! Just more complex. Only Frank Zappa was creating popular music with this level of sopistication in the 60's, though Zappa's cynical sensibility is as far from Brian Wilson's sweet sincerety as you can get. In a way this music defies comparison. You can hear the influence of Bach, Mozart, the Four Freshman, Esquivel, Spector, and the Beatles. But Wilson ultimatley created a unique work of art that has stood the test of time and that continues to move listeners to profound expereinces. You can't say that about many (any other?) pop albums. Plus, it is purely an American sound! No Brit band could have made this.Don't be a fool like I was. I missed years of enjoying this masterpiece simply because I closed my ears and my mind. If you love music, buy it. You won't be disappointed. (The Pet Sounds box set is also outstanding.) Also, be aware that Capitol released a remastered version with mono and stereo mixes on 7/13. That's probably the copy to get."

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