Pet Sounds: Most Overrated Album of All Time?

its still being played regularly 40 some years after the fact on my stereo for sure. however my favorite beach boys albums are sunflower(tremendous), 20/20(pieced together with sinles. b sides, and relics from the unreleased 'smile' it hangs together, and is still great,and friends(one of the great sunday morning albums ever)...i've heard friends is brian's as well......ps, the beach boys hold my personal record for live concert events. i saw them 19 times beginning in 65. after carl died, i called it quits....couldn't imagine the band playing on without him.

one more tidbit...pet sounds was a commercial failure at the time..the poorest selling lp the band had released to date(1966). it would years before many of their fans would come back to the band....and new lp sales never did. like hendrix, the stones, and others, you either 'get' the beach boys, or you don't. if you don't its not a high crime....thats just rock n roll.

to call pet sound's compositions 'mediocre' even after decades, is pretty bizarre. the beach boys started reaching for more with the anthem 'california girls'.as far as that album called 'smile'by brian, the original and re-worked tracks(most of which are scattered across a half dozen beach boy records)are still the way to go. the new record by brian was fun for 'one' listen for me. the modern day equivalent of a 'whiskey bottle' recording(where a vulture record company lures an artist back to re-record legendary songs, with the promise of new money, and perhaps a record of new material).it's a bit classier than that, but not much...the tunes are heavenly, but it just doesn't have that 'magic'.

here are thought about 'pet sounds' initial commercial failure...the jump from 'the beach boys party' and 'summer days and nights' to 'pet sounds' was day and night. the beatles on the other hand led up to 'sgt pepper' with some pretty sophisticated releases..'rubber soul' and 'revolver'. the beach boys were an acquired taste(even in their cars and girls days). they were however brilliant, and bold(at the time). highly influential in terms of melodies, and for the better part of their original career, they sang like no one else and they made it look easy. you may not like them, but they were not mediocre. their original demographic was an older consumer as well. 'pet sounds' was going for the beatles fans..younger, hipper. etc. it may not have found that audience as one willing to listen, but it certainly impressed the hippest fans(the beatles themselves). the vinyl and cd re-issues of the title are hard to keep up with, which speaks volumes about its longevity. this is my last rant on this, and i'm not out to convert anyone...'its like tryin' to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll'-john sebastian(another genius).