The Beach Boys – “Pet Sounds” (The Sound of Vinyl Limited Edition) [Vinyl Review]

Simply put, Pet Sounds is often regarded as one of the best albums of all time. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it in the #2 spot on its the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list, while Pet Sounds topped MOJO’s special list of “The Greatest Albums of All Time” in 1995. Furthermore, the album is largely to credit for inspiring The Beatles to make some of the Liverpool quartet’s most highly-regarded work. But it must be remembered that Pet Sounds was not a commercial success when originally released in 1966. Not only did the general public and record label not “get it,” but as the legend goes, not all of The Beach Boys were fans of Pet Sounds.

Nowadays, you would be considered weird if you were a serious music fan that did not love songs like “God Only Knows” or “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” It is normal to be hear those songs — and also “Sloop John B” — played on the radio or covered by other artists. Creative mastermind Brian Wilson has taken the album on the road several times in recent years, and there have been multiple re-issues of the original album by Universal Music. In turn, the Pet Sounds legacy is alive and well.

New to the market is a limited-edition version of Pet Sounds of which only 2,000 copies were produced. Available exclusively from The Sound of Vinyl, this edition of Pet Sounds comes on green-colored, 130-gram vinyl. There are no bonus tracks or new liner notes, so the appeal of this release is in both its visual and audio components. The Beach Boys are known to be an “anniversary band,” so this may not be the last LP pressing of Pet Sounds, but it is likely to become a collectible.

Pet Sounds Track Listing:

01. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
02. You Still Believe In Me
03. That’s Not Me
04. Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
05. I’m Waiting For The Day
06. Let’s Go Away For Awhile
07. Sloop John B
08. God Only Knows
09. I Know There’s An Answer
10. Here Today
11. I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
12. Caroline, No

Run Time: 36 minutes
Release Date: February 9, 2018
Record Label: Universal Music

Here is a look at Pet Sounds from the PBS series Soundbreaking.