I originally owned the AP 33 rpm Stereo (200g) and that sounded fantastic except for the IGD near the end of Sloop John B. Decided to pony-up for the 45 rpm and does take care of that issue. 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. Flawless strings and brass and percussion and absolutely gut-churning bottom end with a tight and symphonic feel. The big no no is the limited edition repro Holland EMI-Capitol 7" of God Only Knows/Wouldn't It Be Nice in yellow vinyl that has come out as a tie in/teaser 45 and is discounted when bought with the vinyl album.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (2016, 50th Anniversary, Vinyl

Wilson spent almost a half-million 2015 dollars producing the record to his definition of musical and sonic perfection, mixing it to mono, his preferred format, in part due to his hearing in mono.Yes, I once declared the DCC Compact Classics edition best but I think that was before I heard the Carl and the Passions twofer! Now it's no contest. As for the stereo vinyl debuts of "The Beach Boys Today", "Summer Days...and Summer Nights", "Beach Boys Party" & "Smiley Smile", there is no reason why Capitol Records themselves couldn't offer those stereo mixes on vinyl. Capitol owns the recordings, after all. So, I spent the better part of last evening comparing this latest mono mastering by Kevin Gray at his Cohearent Audio mastering facility, with: 1) a mint original Capitol issue, 2) the Brothers Records "twofer" with Carl and The Passions' So Tough (2MS 2083), 3) The Brothers Records stand-alone reissue (MS 2197), 4) The DCC Compact Classics reissue mastered by Steve Hoffman (cut by Kevin Gray) and the Capitol reissue of a few years ago. The 50th anniversary release includes both Brian’s original mono mix and the later stereo remaster that captures the depth and perfection of Brian’s arrangements. The two ‘session’ CDs give us amazing insight into Brian’s control of the many musicians who play much of the music that underpins the sublime vocal harmonies of The Beach Boys.

Pet Sounds From Analogue Productions | Analog Planet Pet Sounds From Analogue Productions | Analog Planet

On my pauper’s system ~ Technics SL Q3, Audio Technica (model??), DCM CX-17 bookshelf pair, and Denon crap AVR ~ my NM minus minus DCC copy has got body. I think KG & SH brought out the lows. 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. On ‘God Only Knows’ it is just Carl, Brian and Bruce that are singing and on the acapella version, when they finish their vocal, a voice asks, “How was that? Was that cool?” It’s Bruce Johnston asking the question and it is the perfect coda for not just the song, but also the album, because Pet Sounds is arguably the coolest record of all time. 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. The influence that Pet Sounds has had, began even before it’s release outside the USA. On Monday, 16 May, 1966, Bruce Johnston, who was then the newest Beach Boy, arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport carrying a copy Pet Sounds that had come out in the USA that very day – well in advance of its UK release. The best album with one of the worst covers ever (well, at least of that era), has only grown in stature since it was first released in the Spring of 1966.Before I get started, let me emphasize, that when I mention anything that I've seen posted on Steve Hoffman's forums, that i have not been a member of the forum for more than 4 years, therefore the opinions that I mention are not my opinions. The blu-ray features the hi-res 5.1 surround sound mix, which has been out before of course, but additionally contains a new hi-res instrumental version of the album With that being said, this mono reissue isn't the best sounding version of the album, technically. However, it's the one that connects with me most. I love the stereo version as well, however the mono mix intended by Brian Wilson has an almost magical property to it. The instruments blend together like a carpet strewn about a finely sanded off, glossy wood floor - this is including the beautiful vocals. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times has an absolutely cinematic feel in mono, where the vocals drown out the instruments to a point where it feels very grand and definitive. 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. Pet Sounds evokes something gorgeous within one, and whether it be stereo or mono, one thing's for certain: it's a classic for a reason. 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.

is Pet Sounds so expensive?- Vinyl Engine Why is Pet Sounds so expensive?- Vinyl Engine

Thanks for the review. You laid out clearly why I prefer the original version; I don’t want the instrumental layering present in the newer versions. Is the image focus important? Wouldn’t a tighter image focus reduce the listening space to one person? This is important to me since I never listen to music alone at home. And then there are the vocals that include Brian’s most poignant ever performance on the sublime, ‘Caroline No’, Mike Love on ‘Here Today’, as well as Carl Wilson’s heart-stopping tour de force – ‘God Only Knows’. The fourth CD features a capella versions of the songs on the album and this is where The Beach Boys collectively shine. The soaring harmonies of ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’, the beautiful harmonic counterpoint of ‘I Know There’s An Answer’, and ‘I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times’ are all surf-soul music i agonized over which pressing to get for years...until the AP came out. thanks in part to this review! This record was the lynch pin around which the recent Brian Wilson bio-pic "Love and Mercy" spun. I highly recommend that movie to anyone who is a Wilson or Beach Boy fan.You want me to heap praise? Here goes … Both recorded and released in 1966, this record evolves endlessly with each listen, perhaps the first record to be considered a concept, from beginning to end listeners are immersed in an intense linear personal vision arranged around the vagaries of love affairs, the painful introverted anxieties that are the gut wrenching precipitates of the unstable chemistry for most all emotional relationships, where this trenchant ebbing cycle of love songs blisters forth infused with the impact of a shatteringly evocative novel. What, you didn’t know all that? Or perhaps in knowing such details, the record would take on a much darker form. Universal International Music B.V. Gerrit Van Der Veenlaan 4, 3743 DN, Baarn, Netherlands. BIEM/SDRM. LC 01846. 00602547822291.

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

When people discuss the mixing of Pet Sounds, there's often an objectivity to the remarks - they say Stereo is definitively superior because you can hear more of the instruments than mono. However, this is missing the rather spiritual experience of listening to music, and instead taking it as an analytical "this MUST be better" stance. I've heard several songs from that album, but like yourself I haven't heard the whole album in its entirety. but you are mistaken that it is necessarily "difficult to master and reproduce at home" - an 18 year old kid from australia did it a few years ago! Band [The Beach Boys] – Al Jardine*, Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson (2), Mike Love Seriously, it’s just Pet Sounds, what are you talking about. Yes, that’s the statement I’ve wanted to make for nearly fifty years now, though I don’t, as I fear the pitchforked mob that would storm my castle late into the night, smash my rather expensive stereo and distribute my precious record collection among themselves.I went into this listening session believing that the Carl and the Passions "twofer" offered the best sound. 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. The more recent Capitol edition mastered by Ron McMaster definitely captures the spirit of the original, but the bass is soft and squishy and the distinct instrumental layers are softened and mushed together. Absolutely phenomenal in all regards. Great soundstage, wonderful bass response…. all in all a very well balanced and emotionally gripping recording. It has a crazy dated and needless LH (Large Hole) 1 1/2" die-cut finish, what's wrong with a 4 prong OC (optional Centre) Dinked Centre ( Didn't EMI-Bovema finally realise the needless USA Large Hole die-cuts and go with Dinked OC centres!) Pet Sounds features some of the greatest LA musicians of the period. There are guitarists as varied as, Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel, Tommy Tedesco and Al Casey. On keyboards there’s Larry Knetchel, drummers, Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon along with French Horns, violins, an electric Theremin, and all manner of percussion instruments, including Coca-Cola cans. Listening to Brian encouraging, demanding and cajoling the musicians on the session tapes is like a master class in record production.