Capitol/UMe will issue a 50th anniversary edition of The Beach Boys‘ 1966 album Pet Sounds this June that will feature the much-delayed blu-ray audio and four CDs of content including previously unreleased live recordings.

Again: Pet Sounds 50th anniversary box set on the way Do It Again: Pet Sounds 50th anniversary box set on the way

Although don't love 45's and the breaking-up of an album's flow, it does win out over the 33 purely on sonics. It really brings the whole "Teenage Symphonies to God" comment full circle when you're able to hear the individual instruments more clearly and realize just how much is going on. I've heard several songs from that album, but like yourself I haven't heard the whole album in its entirety. The sound is easily the best for Per Sounds that I own: the mono reissue from 1977 green label Capitol and the recent Capitol Vault series release. If it did, Wilson would have created an endless string of them, but he didn’t, because it just was what it was at that moment in time back in1966, competing with those four lads from Liverpool.

The fourth CD features a capella versions of the songs on the album and this is where The Beach Boys collectively shine. Some people on the Steve Hoffman forums who bought Analog Productions' mono vinyl reissue of "Pet Sounds" have reported off-center grooves on "Side One", and have stated that it is audible. This is not a lecture, I simply wanted more Beach Boy singles, and while the album certainly delivered those, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B” and “God Only Knows” the rest of the album was like so many other Beach Boy albums, filled with songs, concepts, desires and visions that I wasn’t interested in, forever leaving me feeling that I wasn’t smart enough, didn’t get it, or just wouldn’t give myself over.

Pet Sounds (2017, 200 Gram, Gatefold, Vinyl The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (2017, 200 Gram, Gatefold, Vinyl

From the blurb on the Facebook page, it asks; “Did you know that a Dominoe plays a part in the making of this classic album? Is there a way to distinguish an original 200g pressing from the 180g reissue by looking at the packaging?

When I purchased this shortly after it came out I thought it was very blah and found the stereo a much better sound despite all I heard about the mono. Hey all, I'm having trouble figuring out which pressing I have, hoping someone might have some insight.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds | Releases | Discogs The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds | Releases | Discogs

I got mine for a quid and keep it in the racks as part of my Beach Boys collection, but the 70s Reprise release is the one I listen to. I came away thinking that this new one from "Analogue Productions was overall the very best, though in a few small ways the Carl and the Passions "twofer" was at least as good in some ways, better in some and not as good in others. This record has so often been written about and reviewed that all I want to do here is get to the sound of this recent reissue mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog tape, and compare it to previous issues.

The instrumentals sound absolutely divine in mono, especially Pet Sounds, which I would say is actually better in mono rather than stereo's odd timing issues. This is the kind of record that makes life worth living, reaffirming the notion that pop music is the most admired art form in the world. Love that it lists each musician from each session for each song, Glen Campbell really played his part on this one.