Wow, there's loads of things to check out now, and some interesting points. Thankyou to everyone.
I much prefer the original SMiLE recordings too. My favourite one is far from the best version, but it was the first I listened to so it's now what I think of as the album.
For the person being defensive about the Beatles, don't worry. There's no presumption here that any of these albums are particularly influenced by Pet Sounds more than anything else, or necessarily sound the same, just that they have similar qualities, such as the production and the use of vocal harmonies.
With regards to baroque, I meant that as a difference between the Zombies and Beach Boys, I personally don't relate Pet Sounds with baroque music other than the use of counterpoint, whereas O&O sounds quite baroque. I see the label more commonly applied to artists such as the Doors and Scott Walker, with their solemn baritones.
Jo, can you give me an example of what you mean by "counterpoint" on Pet Sounds? I'm a big fan of music, but I don't play any instruments, and I've never been in a band or anything. But I'm fascinated by the construction of music.
I picked up the first Emitt Rhodes album yesterday after reading a well-written blog entry about it; up until then, I'd never even heard of the guy. They say it's the best album Paul McCartney never made, and it sounds about right. I was hooked after the first song.
I think Pet Sounds is unique. No other album (even any other Beach Boys album) sound like it and that's probably why it's AM #1.
The sound, the production are incredible.
None of my very favorite songs are in Pet Sounds (in fact God Only Knows and Sloop John B are respectively #265 and 277 in my top 300), maybe because when listening to them they sound like fish out of their aquarium.
But they managed to create a musical universe of their own.
"Rock Bottom" by Robert Wyatt has nothing to do musically with Pet Sounds, but it is also a cohesive and a successful attmpt to make a different sot of music.
A lot of modern songs are composed with thought to the harmony (notes played at the same time, such as in a chords played in a song), and the melody, the line of single notes that you'll be whistling after hearing a catchy song.
Counterpoint on the other hand is where two or independent melodies are played at the same time. You still have harmony when the notes from the different melodies are heard at the same time, but you can distinctly hear the different melodies moving independently, and they would be written separately.
The interlude or the ending section of God Only Knows is an example.
"He got sucked in and spat out by signing a cockamamie record deal with ABC/Dunhill that stated he had to put out two records per year. This was ridiculous because the debut took nine months to make. By 23 the industry burned him out."
That's too bad - he was a true talent. His debut is still on heavy rotation on my iPod ("With My Face on the Floor" had a catchy stop-start rhythm that I can't get enough of.)
