Pet Sounds v Revolver [Reviews]

zAbbo

I have been listening to a fair bit of these two great albums recently and I think it’s a fairer analysis to compare them to each other rather than say Sgt Peppers, The Beatles had just come of the ground breaking Rubber Soul which was showing their change in musical direction. Apparently Brian Wilson heard the “Rubber Soul” album and felt he had to top it. This began by bringing on board Tony Asher. Asher was a man that Brian Wilson felt he would be able to collaborate with, a man he also felt matched the emotional aspect to the lyrics that he was looking for this time out.
Wilson wanted to express musically how he was feeling on the inside, each track a very different sound experience in its own right. To further enhance the emotional aspect he decided the only way to get his true feelings across was for him to sing the lyrics.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)


1) Wouldn’t It Be Nice
Opening tracks I think are very important and usually set up the mood for the album, this is a typical 2 minute pop song, with sublime harmonies and a great poppy happy vibe 8/10
2) You Still Believe In Me
Another great harmony and some interesting background music, plays like a floaty dream song. 7/10
3) That’s Not Me
Very strong vocal driven track which relies mainly on lead vocals and background harmonies to hold the song together, the repetition of the song title sounds weird, a song that definitely grows on you 8/10
4) Don’t Talk(Put your head on my shoulder)
My favourite track of the album, as with all songs on Pet Sounds it has mind blowing vocals. Brilliant deep blue sound. 10/10
5) I’m Waiting For The Day
Written two years previous and it shows, it doesn’t really carry the same vibe as the rest of the album, but is somehow twisted to fit, often cited as the weakest song on the album, but still plays ok and has a nice happy feeling 6/10
6) Lets Go Away
A very calming, instrumental based track, almost plays as a backing track, sets up the next song very well 7/10
7) Sloop John B
Somehow sounds like a song everyone’s heard. A distinctly unique sound and lyrics, a song that for some reason you cant help singing along with 8/10
8) God Only Knows
One of the best from the album, Carl lays the vocals on this, and fittingly so. 10/10
9) I Know There’s An Answer
A slightly trippy track, especially the lyrics, more lyrically based as opposed to the harmonies of the previous tracks, still good 7/10
10) Here Today
Sounds like a few different songs patched together, as the song begins and finishes in a different way. An interesting song with many twists of direction 8/10
11) Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
Another deeply personal song, with some nice cross vocals, plays rather slowly almost to a stop, another one that grows on you 7/10
12) Pet Sounds
Another instrumental piece, and a great one at that. Plays like a James Bond theme song, has some great percussion sound on it 8/10
13) Caroline No
Cited as one of the most personal songs from Brian Wilson, many fans favourite, it’s a great reminisce love song 9/10
14) Hang On To Your Ego
Strangely no backing vocals, another lsd referenced track, its an ok track in the company of some greats 7/10


Revolver – The Beatles 1966

Many peoples favourite Beatles album, and the follow up to Rubber Soul, and released after Pet Sounds ( I think)

1) Taxman
Harrison written, in retort to the huge taxes they were paying. Has a banging guitar and drum sound, copied by The Jam with “Start”. Great opening track 8/10
2) Eleanor Rigby
And next into McCartney’s better songs , it seems almost totally Paul based, an easily a classic 9/10
3) I’m Only Sleeping
Written by Lennon, a great floaty sleepy song. Has some of the best fitting lyrics iv heard Everybody seems to think I’m lazy/I don’t mind/I think they’re crazy/Running everywhere at such a speed/Until they find that there’s no need’’ 9/10
4) Love You Too
Harrison’s second on the album, and a very strong eastern influenced vibe 7/10
5) Here, There and Everywhere
Next up is Maccas soppy love song, it’s a very slow based song, but is brilliant, a touch of the Beach Boys harmonies in the background “But to love her is to need her/Everywhere/Knowing that love is to share’’ 8/10
6) Yellow Submarine
The one Beatles song everyone knows, the original version here, without the added cartoonyness, Ringo sings, while technically nothing wrong with it, I hate it 6/10
7) She Said, She Said
The lyrics were inspired by an acid trip and contain references to passing innocence (’’When I was a boy/Everything was right’’). The song features chiming guitars that give it the appropriately dark feel.7/10
8) Good Day Sunshine
A more upbeat McCartney song, it has a very summertime theme to it and seems disjointed to the other songs 7/10
9) And Your Bird Can Sing
The song features a stinging guitar riff with lyrics that are sung to someone who is a materialist. ’’When your prized possessions/Start to wear you down/Look in my direction/I’ll be around’’. Only Lennon can write that sorta stuff 8/10
10) For No One
One of McCartneys superb ballads, he song features great lyrics, which detail a failed relationship, and excellent orchestral accompaniment, which makes the song even more emotionally striking. 9/10
11) Doctor Robert
Lennon’s upbeat Dr.Robert is a nice little rocker with references to some Drug Dealer, I think 7/10
12) I Want To Tell You
Another Harrison song, and has the typical feel to it. The lyrics contain themes that anyone listening to can identify with: “Sometimes I wish I knew you well/Then I could speak my mind and tell you”. 7/10
13) Got To Get You Into My Life
A very Motown feel from McCartney in this one, has a nice arrangement of horns 8/10
14) Tomorrow Never Knows
The undeniable gem in the album, a track which was way before its time, and is mind blowing to say the least. The song itself cannot be described in words; it has to be heard to be believed. Has since been copied many times, namely by The Chemical Brothers 10/10

There we go, two of the greatest albums ever. If I had to choose one, I’d take Revolver, but without Pet Sounds I don’t think we’d have Sgt Peppers.

Anyone else got any opinions?

wild_eyed

i am firm believer that revolver is the best beatles album, 2 years back i used to do a lot of late driving and that wasthe only tape i had in the car and i never got bored of it, every track, mccartneys ballads and lennons acid lyrics , just amazing.

as for the beach boys, the whole crazy thing scared me. but did put a spin on their image that the beatles tried hard to do, i.e. paul is dead.


revolver is better than pet sounds.
good thread well written bazH.

zAbbo

To some people i think Pet Sounds will sound very dated, where as Revolver wont, But everyone should listen to Pet Sounds.

Actually i like Abbey Road the best I think from The Beatles, but its always going to be between Peppers/Revolver/Abbey Road, and maybe the White Album, but it doesnt have any flow at all in it. To much ego on The White Album tbh, half the songs should have been binned. Hmm i dunno

shotamoose

Good topic and great post Bazh. To me Pet Sounds and Revolver represent the best music from the best year in pop music history, 1966. This was the pinnacle, and afterwards the music was that bit looser and more self-indulgent. I think this applies to both the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Though both went on to do amazing stuff afterwards, they were never this consistent again. Both Sgt Pepper and Smile (what I've heard of it) or more simple and child-like, and not in a good way, and after those records neither band was as interested in sonic experimentation.

Personally I think Pet Sounds might have the edge musically on Revolver, but that's a matter of taste. Lyrically I have to say Pet Sounds is sometimes a let-down - especially That's Not Me, I'm Waiting For the Day and I Know There's An Answer (by the way, you know that IKTAA is the same as Hang Onto Your Ego with different lyrics, right?). But songs like You Still Believe In Me, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, Caroline No and Pet Sounds are some of the most beautiful ever made. I heard Sloop John B on the radio while walking to work the other day and was struck by how totally different it is to everything else you hear. It's completely unique.

Smile (the abandoned follow-up to Pet Sounds) actually has more interesting lyrics in places - see if you can track down Heroes and Villain, Surf's Up and Cabinessence, but the music just isn't quite as god-like.

As for Revolver, it's almost faultless but not quite. I can't bring myself to like Doctor Robert, and Yellow Submarine is pretty rubbish alright. Lennon and Macca both produce amazing songs, but personally I enjoy George's contribution most - I Want to Tell You is just an incredible song for a guy that young to have written. Musically Revolver is mind-boggling - from the guitar sounds on Taxman to the strings on Eleanor Rigby to the piano on Good Day Sunshine to Ringo's drumming throughout, the arrangements on For No One and Got to Get You Into My Mind ... and of course Tomorrow Never Knows. Without being too much of a muso, Revolver must be one of the best-produced albums ever made - it sounds so clean, and light and heavy at the same time. Sorry, sounds like bollox I know. Anyway I think of everything else only London Calling has that kind of quality.

Kali

One thing thats frequently said is that Pet Sounds originally came about because Brian Wilson listened to Rubber Soul and was just blown away... and he wanted to make an album that good... and did. [edit: just noticed you already mentioned that!]

Personally the stereo seperation of instruments and vocals on Revolver (and Rubber Soul) does my bloody head in.. its a great album but it doesn't get a quarter of the amount of time in my cd player as Pet Sounds does (or any of the Beach Boys releases I have)... mostly because none of the Beatles had any real vocal ability, even to this day there are very few groups who can match the harmonys and vocal arrangements found on Pet Sounds.

zAbbo

I think a lot of the musical arrnagement in Revolver has to come down to George Martin, im not sure but i think the fact that the 8 track method was being used as opposed to the old "reels", which allowed further expansion in a time of inspiration and ideas. I know nothing about recording methods btw.

//edit, the stereo seperation on Revolver is damn annoying, try listening to Eleanor Rigby on Headphones, just when the "Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice....." at the very start of the song

Doctor J

Much as I love Revolver, I think Pet Sounds is one of the greatest things ever recorded. It wasn't until I saw it played by Brian Wilson in its entirety in the point that I fully appreciated just what was involved in it's construction. It's a truly incredible piece of work.

zAbbo

Originally posted by shotamoose
Both Sgt Pepper and Smile (what I've heard of it) or more simple and child-like, and not in a good way, and after those records neither band was as interested in sonic experimentation.

Its weird because Sgt Peppers, although a very good album, starts out as some pseudo band with the opening introduction of "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" then into introducing "Billy Shears" with Ringo singing on "Little Help From My Friends", then nothing else in this vein. There isnt a real connection to this pseduo band as shown in the album name and opening songs. A shame really as this was showing something inventive and experimental.

The more I`m listening to Pet Sounds, the better I think it is. I must get hold of some more Beach Boys stuff. The pet sounds i have actually has 16 songs with 14. Unreleased Backgrounds and 16. Trombone Dixie

Doctor J

I bought the Pet Sounds Tapes - box set thingy, it's just individual tracks from the master tapes (ie - vocal harmonies by themselves, instrumental sections broken down and isolated), it's well worth hearing. There's just so much detail to Pet Sounds, apart from the great songs.

According to Mojo magazine, Brian Wilson has finally completed Smile.

shotamoose

Originally posted by Doctor J
According to Mojo magazine, Brian Wilson has finally completed Smile.

]

Jeebus! What a victory that would be, considering he went so very nuts for years. Fantastic ...

Doctor J

Yep, with the help of the Wondermints (the band who played on the Pet Sounds tour and will play on the forthcoming Smile tour) who are very, very capable indeed. If the other stuff is even half as good as Heroes and Villains it'll be a truly remarkable album.

He's playing the album, in it's entirety live, in the UK shortly.

shotamoose

He already has! link

Doctor J

Ahhh Touché

Civilian_Target

Same as BazH, Revolver > Pet Sounds (just a better album if you ask me) and Abbey Road is the Beatles best album, no, actually Abbey Road is the best album ever.

There, I said it

zAbbo

Why was "her Majesty" the last song in Abbey Road, sigh, makes more sense to leave it as "The End"

anyway, was/is Smile any good, I might download it, before i buy it(if you can buy it)

shotamoose

You can't really buy Smile, at least not legally. It was never released, but a good bit of the material ended up on the next proper Beach Boy's album, cleverly entitled 'Smiley Smile'. Cabinessence was included on the album 20/20 and Surf's Up! on the album of the same name, and apprently a few tracks were included on the recent Good Vibrations box-set. There's also lots of bootlegs floating about. Further info here.

You can probably find bits of Smile on Kazaa or some other file-sharing network if you look hard enough.

zAbbo

I`m downloading the recent london live version called "Brian Wilson - Smile 21 - 2 - 2004"

more info - here

I`ll await and see

Executive Steve

both are absolute landmark albums in terms of where they took studio technology.

there was some freaky thing about the original stereo masters of pet sounds and the mono versions being completely different... anybody know more??? i know that lee perry around about the same time down in jamaica made a dub album which, depending on wheteher you played it in mono, or in stereo, or panned it back and forth between left and right channel sounded completely different.. and if a LUNATC like lee perry could do that in jamaica while stoned out of his mind i'm quite certain the brian wilson could have done it tripping off his nut in san fran.:D

shotamoose

So far as I know Pet Sounds was originally only done in mono, because Brian's a bit deaf in one ear or something. A stereo mix was only done recently, I think. Could be wrong, though ...