The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

 (Mono)










The ultimate pressings of the Beach Boys discography from Analogue Productions!

Original mono mix produced by Brian Wilson

One of 10 titles featuring 33 1/3 mono and stereo remastered editions: Surfin' USA, Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down Vol. 2, All Summer Long, Today!, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), Beach Boys Party!, Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile

Audio production — Mark Linett

For Brother Records — Elliott Lott

Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, most from the original master tapes or best sources available

Lacquer plating by Gary Salstrom and 180-gram vinyl pressing by Quality Record Pressings!

"These are the best sounding and best-looking versions of the Beach Boys records that have ever been produced. We want everything about these to be better than the original." — Chad Kassem, owner and CEO, Acoustic Sounds

"It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water…I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life. I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album." – Paul McCartney

"All of us, Ginger (Baker), Jack (Bruce), and I consider Pet Sounds to be one of the greatest pop LPs to ever be released. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out and rolled it all into one." – Eric Clapton

"For those in search of an original mono in pursuit of sonic quality, search no more. This Analogue Productions pressing is now the definitive pressing and the one we chose to feature at our Classic Album Sundays events to honour the 50th anniversary of Pet Sounds, an album that helped change the course of pop music." — Colleen ‘Cosmo' Murphy, Classic Album Sundays

"Overall though, this new reissue is the best sounding of all. The bottom end has more weight and solidity and the instrumental separation and front to back layering is nothing short of astonishing compared to the pleasing mush offered up by other editions. ... Pet Sounds belongs in every serious rock record collection and if you're going to have but one version this one from Analogue Productions is the one to have."  — Music = 11/11; Sound = 11/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the whole review here.

"What I can say is that Kevin Gray has been able to extract every last bit of information from whatever tape is in the box, and present it in a way that is pleasing and natural to the ear. ... in my opinion, the Analogue Productions pressings are now THE definitive issue of each Beach Boys album, and will be my reference copies until if and when something better comes along — which may be never." — Lee Dempsey, Endless Summer Quarterly, Summer 2015 Edition

To meet the standards of Analogue Productions, our Beach Boys album reissues had a mission to achieve: Present the band's music the way that Brian Wilson — famed co-founder, songwriter and arranger — intended. Mono mixes created under Wilson’s supervision were how the surf rockin’ California crew rose to fame! And we’ve got ‘em!

For the early part of the Beach Boys' career, all of their singles were mixed and mastered and released only in the mono format — they didn't release a single in stereo until 1968. In those days, hits were made on AM radio in mono. And the mono of those times worked well for Wilson, who suffers from partial deafness. In fact, for their first 13 albums, Wilson originally turned in all the final mixed Beach Boy albums to Capitol Records only in mono. The mono mixes were where Wilson paid intense attention, and the dedication paid off!

We’ve taken 10 of the most classic, best-sounding Beach Boy titles ever and restored them to their mono glory!

But there’s no disputing that the close harmonies and one-of-a-kind rhythms of hits like “Surfer Girl,” “In My Room,” “Little Deuce Coupe” and more lend themselves naturally to stereo. So we’ve got your 2-channel needs covered with prime stereo mix versions as well. 

Mastered by Kevin Gray, most from the original master tapes, and plated and pressed by Quality Record Pressings, the finest LP pressing facility in the world, these are awesome recordings to experience. And the look of each album befits its sonic superiority! Presented in "old school" Stoughton tip-on jackets, these time honored favorites shine brighter than the originals!

Pet Sounds is famous for its use of multiple layers of unorthodox instrumentation as well as other cutting edge audio techniques for its time. It's considered 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).

VH-1 named Pet Sounds as the No. 3 album in the Top 100 Albums in Rock 'n' Roll History, as judged in a poll of musicians, executives and journalists. It's been ranked No. 1 in several music magazines' lists of the greatest albums of all time, including NME, The Times and Mojo Magazine. It was ranked No. 2 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Music


Sound

Ratings from Michael Fremer @ AnalogPlanet.com

 

 

 



Side A
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
You Still Believe In Me
That’s Not Me
Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
I’m Waiting For The Day
Let’s Go Away For Awhile
Sloop John B

Side B
God Only Knows
I Know There’s An Answer
Here Today
I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
Pet Sounds
Caroline No

Customer Reviews (4.55 Stars) 11 person(s) rated this product.

As close as I've ever gotten to a religious experience!

posted on 02/27/2021
5 Stars
Reviewer: Tony
AP pressings of Pet Sounds (Mono & Stereo) + Disc Doctor Miracle Record Cleaner = True Analog Audio Bliss

It's a simple equation, really, but one you've got to 'solve' for yourself. If you don't, you're doing yourself a disservice.

Well done Kevin Gray & AP!


It finally clicked!

posted on 02/11/2021
5 Stars
Reviewer: Scott Wilson
I have to admit, I bought this record because I thought I should have it, not because I particularly liked it. I never really "got it", Why all the praise? When Analogue Productions announced it, I figured this is the one to get. And after a couple of plays, it sat on my shelf for over a year until tonight. I don't know why it hit me differently this time. I was totally immersed in it, marveling at the creativity that just bursts forth from this recording. The sound is fantastic. The pressing is immaculate and the jacket is stunning. The experience is very similar to one I had with Love's Forever Changes, another one that took a few tries. Great job, Chad!


The Best!

posted on 10/31/2018
5 Stars
Reviewer: SS
Any fan of this album have owned many different releases of it over the decades. The AP mono release that I'm listening to now is the best that I've heard and takes my appreciation of the album to new level. Chad and crew does it again!


Eye Opening

posted on 02/07/2016
5 Stars
Reviewer: Vic
This is one of those albums that must be heard on vinyl. I actually never liked the album before I heard it on vinyl and this version is the best I ever heard, esp. with the mastering job.


Well,

posted on 01/09/2016
5 Stars
I only planned on getting this one Beach Boys AP reissue, but after hearing the sound quality, I will be getting more.


simply stunning!

posted on 01/05/2016
5 Stars
Reviewer: Danny Kaey
Fellow audio enthusiasts and music lovers, here's one for the ages!

Over the holiday break, a friend of mine whom I rate to be exponential more in tune with The Beach Boys than myself, came over for a visit. In previous conversations I had mentioned that I just received the Acoustic Sounds reissue of Pet Sounds in mono which he didn't really know what to make of given he had just about every issue and reissue known to man already. Alas, nothing prepared him for what was about to happen - dropping the "needle" on Sloop John B, he appeared immediately transported to his childhood it seemed. By the end of the song, he had a tear rolling down his face (well, maybe more than one...); then a long pause. With a straight and dry face he proclaimed: "I have never ever heard this song in such quality". So much for all the commercially released reissues having been "faithfully remastered".

We listened to many more cuts over the afternoon.


Write a review and let people know what you think of this product OR just rate it.