After Pet Sounds, then what?

[ProgArtist]

A little history first: I was born in the 70's and grew up hearing the regular "hits" from the Beach Boys on occasion. I liked some of what I heard but was never overly interested. Then Kokomo came out and it really turned me off of them. When I heard that there was some sort of rivalry between the Beatles and the Beach Boys in the late 60s I honestly thought it was a joke. Really? They're not even close to being in the same league! But being on ProgEars over the last 16 years (really, is that possible???) I kept hearing "Pet Sounds" proclaimed as some sort of masterpiece. I finally had to hear what the fuss was all about and bought it, only to discover that it really is that good!

My question, then, is what next? Did the Beach Boys or Brian Wilson ever produce anything else that compares to the excellence of "Pet Sounds"? And have I been wrong to write off their earlier work?

[mkeneally]

Before PS there are all kinds of wonderful things - beautiful tunes on "Today," "All Summer Long" and "Summer Days (and Summer Nights)" - and afterwards there are magnificent things on "Smile," "Smiley Smile," "Wild Honey," "Friends," "Sunflower," "Surf's Up" and "Holland." Nothing quite like "Pet Sounds" ever happened again but if you need more you should definitely investigate those titles - then check out the rest because I think there are things of great beauty on all the albums up until at least the "Love You" (things do get pretty sketchy after 1977 except for a number of wonderful compilations with older unreleased treasures tucked away in them). There's a two-fer CD from the early 90s with "Smiley Smile" and "Wild Honey" and some great unreleased tracks that I really love, it's out of print but probably not too hard to come by. Have fun :-)

[Mister Triscuits]

Nothing else in their discography is quite like Pet Sounds in terms of having the quasi-classical art-song feel or the overall mood of melancholy and longing. I would suggest going next to Smile Sessions, the reconstructed version of the aborted follow-up to Pet Sounds. It's not a "proper" album, but it's the most arty/progressive stuff they ever did. It's a more cheerful affair than PS, often downright wacky, but it includes the breathtaking "Surf's Up" and the overexposed but still brilliant "Good Vibrations."

[mike_hunt]

I would pick up Brian Wilson's solo album Smile, where he was finally able to finish the album how he intended to. It's quite excellent.

[bigjohnwayne]

You'll want the "Smile Sessions" too. It's amazing. Truly amazing compositions hiding behind childlike masks.

If you want more like Pet Sounds (and are willing to put up with filler), get the "Today"/"Summer Days and Summer Nights" double-shot. Side two of "Today" is Pet Sounds-esque, a collection of rich and melancholy ballads. "Summer Days and Summer Nights" is a bit spotty but includes classics like "California Girls", hidden gems like "Girl Don't Tell Me" and the amazing instrumental "Summer Means New Love". It's "Let's Go Away for a While" turned inside out.

The albums after the aborted Smile sessions are very underrated.

"Smiley Smile"/"Wild Honey": Smiley Smile is a dim, strange reimagining of the Smile stuff. Wild Honey is at times almost a blue eyed soul record with great highlights-"Darlin", "Aren't You Glad", and "I'd Love Just Once to See You"

"Friends"/"20-20" is the album I listen to the most besides Pet Sounds and Smile. Friends especially is like Pet Sounds recorded in a basement. It was a very influential record among the Elephant 6 collective in the 90s (Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, et al). 20-20 is an odds and sods collection to get out of their record deal, but it hangs together very well.

"Sunflower"/"Surf's Up"--Sunflower is awesome. It's their best album since Pet Sounds. Surf's Up has its fans, but for me, I normally just see it as a bunch of songs to fast forward through to get to "Til I Die" and the title track.

Everything after that is for true believers. But if you love you some Brian Wilson (as many of us do), you may find yourself buying some awful records for two revelatory songs and feeling fine about the exchange.

But, even if you don't make the plunge otherwise, check out "Brian Wilson presents Smile" and "That Lucky Old Sun". The former is the famous 2004 completion of Smile and the latter is a 2006ish song cycle which is sometimes a bit corny but incredible in parts.


Join us down the rabbit hole

[trurl]

Yeah, I'd personally say Sunflower. Then everything SMiLE related. The Brian Wilson solo version is wonderful but does suffer (imho) from not having the true BB's harmonies, though they do a damn good approximation. Brian has aged though; what can you do. On something like Our Prayer there's no real comparison.

[zombywoof]

SMiLE Sessions is even better, IMO.

[trurl]

SMiLE Sessions is even better, IMO.

Yeah, that's ultimately what I meant. The only problem is that you can't experience the actual work, just bits and pieces. And of course the sound on the modern version is amazing. But the vocals on the original sessions; they're amazing... (naturally)

[RapidRefresh]

As others stated, there is nothing else in the BB discography that's like Pet Sounds. Two solid and way less baroque studio albums that are worth checking out are Sunflower and Surf's UP.

[Progbear]

I would pick up Brian Wilson's solo album Smile, where he was finally able to finish the album how he intended to. It's quite excellent.

Agreed. I haven’t heard the Beach Boys reconstructed version of Smile that came out recently yet, but I really love his solo LP version of it. It may be my favourite BW-related thing, and I love PS.

Later albums tend to be patchy, but there’s brilliance on all of them. Sunflower is probably my favourite; it’s definitely the most listenable from start to finish (minus a couple of roadbumps like “Got to Know the Woman” and Bruce’s execrable “Tears in the Morning”). After that, I really like Wild Honey and Friends a lot (note that there’s barely any Brian on the latter, it sounds like the other members’ attempt at their own Pet Sounds). 20/20 is kind of all over the map, but with some real highlights. Apart from the Brian and Carl stuff, I can pretty much leave Surf’s Up, though the title track is an all-time classic that I never tire of, and may be my fave Brian song ever. That leaves Smiley Smile, which apart from the unquestionable brilliance of “Heroes and Villains” and “Good Vibrations” is pretty much a druggy embarrassment.

There’s also The Beach Boys Love You, Brian’s bizarre comeback album. It’s sort of funny, creepy and uncomfortably revealing all at the same time, with some bizarre arrangements based around synthesizer, cheap roller-rink organ and skeletal percussion. Sort of the BB’s version of those post-Floyd Syd Barrett freak-show solo albums; car-crash fascinating and a guilty pleasure as a result. Unfortunately, it’s saddled with 15 Big Ones on CD, which is a complete and total waste of your precious listening time.

[arturs]

You'll want the "Smile Sessions" too. It's amazing. Truly amazing compositions hiding behind childlike masks.

If you want more like Pet Sounds (and are willing to put up with filler), get the "Today"/"Summer Days and Summer Nights" double-shot. Side two of "Today" is Pet Sounds-esque, a collection of rich and melancholy ballads. "Summer Days and Summer Nights" is a bit spotty but includes classics like "California Girls", hidden gems like "Girl Don't Tell Me" and the amazing instrumental "Summer Means New Love". It's "Let's Go Away for a While" turned inside out.

The albums after the aborted Smile sessions are very underrated.

"Smiley Smile"/"Wild Honey": Smiley Smile is a dim, strange reimagining of the Smile stuff. Wild Honey is at times almost a blue eyed soul record with great highlights-"Darlin", "Aren't You Glad", and "I'd Love Just Once to See You"

"Friends"/"20-20" is the album I listen to the most besides Pet Sounds and Smile. Friends especially is like Pet Sounds recorded in a basement. It was a very influential record among the Elephant 6 collective in the 90s (Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, et al). 20-20 is an odds and sods collection to get out of their record deal, but it hangs together very well.

"Sunflower"/"Surf's Up"--Sunflower is awesome. It's their best album since Pet Sounds. Surf's Up has its fans, but for me, I normally just see it as a bunch of songs to fast forward through to get to "Til I Die" and the title track.

Everything after that is for true believers. But if you love you some Brian Wilson (as many of us do), you may find yourself buying some awful records for two revelatory songs and feeling fine about the exchange.

But, even if you don't make the plunge otherwise, check out "Brian Wilson presents Smile" and "That Lucky Old Sun". The former is the famous 2004 completion of Smile and the latter is a 2006ish song cycle which is sometimes a bit corny but incredible in parts.

Pretty much sums up my perspective as well. I would highly recommend all the BB twofers listed above. Regarding the "awful albums for two songs" conundrum you can avoid this by getting the Best of the Brother Years compilation. You get songs like the amazing Sail On Sailor and Marcella but not the stuff that is (supposedly) crap on the 70s records.

[trurl]

Totally agree on Surf's Up, one of Brian's best songs ever but not really a very good album overall from what I remember- luckily it's on SMiLE!

[Mister Triscuits]

Totally agree on Surf's Up, one of Brian's best songs ever but not really a very good album overall from what I remember- luckily it's on SMiLE!

There's some very good stuff on Surf's Up: "Feel Flows," "Long Promised Road," "Til I Die"...but of course nothing compares to the title track.

[ThomasKDye]

There's some very good stuff on Surf's Up: "Feel Flows," "Long Promised Road," "Til I Die"...but of course nothing compares to the title track.

I'm going to add "A Day in the Life of a Tree." Jack Rieley's vocal might put off some people but I think it's a beautiful song.

[rcarlberg]

Maybe some of Van Dyke Parks' works should be mentioned, "Song Cycle" (1968) or "Clang of the Yankee Reaper" (1975). I always found him a bit twee (hell, A LOT twee) compared to Brian but you can see what attracted them to working together. "Orange Crate Art" (1995) never did anything for me, but Parks was instrumental in getting "Smile" assembled and released in 2004.

[soundsweird]

I like most of "Surf's Up", and some of "Sunflower" and "Carl & The Passions/So Tough". Other than that and "Pet Sounds", I'm happy with the compilations "Sounds of Summer" and "Warmth of the Sun".

[frippster]

There's great stuff throughout up until Love You. There's the Good Vibrations box that does a good job of covering the highlights of the post-PS years and also has a decent chunk of Smile, including the Cantina version of Heroes and Villians, a personal favorite. Also the Good Vibrations box is worth it alone for Brian's solo version of Surf's Up (the song), simply one of the most gorgeous performances of any song I've ever heard. Once you get past the Smile era, they go back to being much more of an actual band and less a studio creation as Brian's mental state fluctuates, but this gives an opportunity for the rest of the band to put in some classics with Carl's Long Promised Road, Dennis' Forever and Bruce Johnston's Disney Girls being my three favorite non-Brian tracks. Overall, I'd rate Surf's Up as the best of the post-PS albums with Sunflower a fairly close second then Love You, 20/20 and Friends. Smile, like Pet Sounds, is an entity unto itself.

FWIW, aside from hearing a finished product I didn't think all that much of Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Too polished and perfect or modern or something. It just didn't 'feel' right. Give me the originals. The Smile Sessions box or at the very least the 2-disc version of that set is essential.

[bill g]

I would pick up Brian Wilson's solo album Smile, where he was finally able to finish the album how he intended to. It's quite excellent.

Yep. Its amazing. And then you might want to also check out 'Freedom Wind' by 'The Explorers Club'. Brian Wilson styled music that is better than any of Brian's solo albums, except of course for Smile.

[bob_32_116]

Just adding to what has already been said: Sunflower and Surf's Up, are, in my opinion, the Beach Boys at their creative peak, if you discount SMiLE. I like those two albums better than Pet Sounds, and they are available on a "2 albums on one CD" release.After that, investigate Carl & the Passions and Holland; both of those are pretty patchy but there are several gems; I think Holland is the better of the two. And of course definitely get SMiLE. Whether you get "The SMiLE Sessions", Brian Wilson's 2004 SMiLE release, or both, is a matter of taste; personally I think Wilson's solo release is the definitive one that actually achieved his dream of recording the music as he imagined it.

That's Why God Made the Radio is very good too, though not in the same league as Pet Sounds/Sunflower/Surf's Up.

[bob_32_116]

I'm going to add "A Day in the Life of a Tree." Jack Rieley's vocal might put off some people but I think it's a beautiful song.

Apparently Rieley sang the track because none of the others wanted to do it. I think it was an inspired choice (or accident). He sounds just like i would imagine an ancient dying tree to sound if it could sing.

[JJ88]

IMHO they/Capitol released too many albums in the run-up to Pet Sounds. I suppose it's academic given they are all on two-fers now, but ultimately the throwaway tracks are still there for posterity. Most of these are the classic 'a few great tracks and a lot of filler' formula (even Today! has various weak moments IMHO- an inferior version of 'Help Me Rhonda' and studio in-jokes like 'Bull Sessions With Big Daddy').

There's no doubt the obvious next step is Smile. Bear in mind this is still not completely finished but the songs are superb and you can now more or less hear what might have been. That mid-section run from 'Cabinessence' through to and including 'Surf's Up' is amazing, and doesn't even encompass the two hit singles 'Good Vibrations' and 'Heroes And Villains'! Smiley Smile is dreadful by comparison IMHO.

I do like a lot of the 1970-2 material. The other members were delivering the goods and there was a contemporary sound on these albums. I'm not really sure what happened after Holland and the In Concert album, as it was back to scattered tracks among a load of junk again after this period (for instance, 'My Diane' is almost the only worthwhile song on the entire M.I.U. album!).

[JJ88]

The 80s debut has its moments as well, although the production is not aging well IMHO.

[bob_32_116]

The 80s debut has its moments as well, although the production is not aging well IMHO.

I think Brian's later solo album Imagination is a better album, especially for the two back-to-back tracks "Cry" and "Lay Down Burden", the latter a tribute to his brother Carl who was at that time terminally ill.

[Zeuhlmate]

Smiley Smile is great !

[Mister Triscuits]

Smiley Smile is great !

Yeah! Sure, some of it is just jokey throwaways, but you get "Good Vibrations," "Heroes and Villains," the stunningly experimental "Fall Breaks and Back to Winter" (the Beach Boys predict the Residents!), the lovely, low-key "Wind Chimes" and "Wonderful," and the silly but fun "Vegetables." That's most of the album right there.