# Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" 50 years old **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [May 16, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931 "2016-05-16T20:08:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/1 "2016-05-16T20:08:18Z")
Just learned that the Beach Boys “Pet Sounds” album came out 50 years ago this month. Hard to believe they are in their 70’s now. I have always been a Beach Boys fan. “Endless Summer” was the first album I ever bought. Anyone else a Beach Boys fan? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/2 "2016-05-16T20:16:12Z")
Speaking of 50 years ago, and surfing, you might enjoy “Endless Summer,” the Bruce Brown film. Looks like it’s available online, [but for a fee.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6S5C12375c&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Db6S5C12375c&has_verified=1) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/3 "2016-05-16T23:31:05Z")
I think the title track encapsulates, symbolizes, reflects, honours, and “personifies” the 60’s in the most ultimate, hermetic, 2:21 form: https://www.youtube.com/embed/NQo8MrOeAv0?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLW79q83govkXJJBEnMnlvJ7B1b3xPosvO For some “who knows” reason I always visualize a forlorn, disillusioned Burt Lancaster from “The Swimmer” whenever I hear that number. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/4 "2016-05-17T01:06:20Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Just learned that the Beach Boys “Pet Sounds” album came out 50 years ago this month. Hard to believe they are in their 70’s now. > > I have always been a Beach Boys fan. “Endless Summer” was the first album I ever bought. > > Anyone else a Beach Boys fan? I’ve always enjoyed their music, but _Pet Sounds_ is the one that eventually blew me away. It took me a few dozen listens over a span of about fifteen years, but it’s grown to be my favorite rock/pop (whatever genre you want to put it in) album of all time. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/5 "2016-05-17T02:01:42Z")
I enjoyed their last album in 2012, _That’s Why God Made the Radio_. Too bad Brian and Mike have drifted apart again. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/6 "2016-05-17T02:37:16Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Speaking of 50 years ago, and surfing, you might enjoy “Endless Summer,” the Bruce Brown film. Looks like it’s available online, [but for a fee.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6S5C12375c&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Db6S5C12375c&has_verified=1) I loved that film so much I owned the sound track on 8-track tape and the movie on Laserdisc! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/7 "2016-05-17T04:16:08Z")
I just read somewhere that Blonde on Blonde was released on the same day as Pet Sounds, fifty years ago. By the way, half of the film Love and Mercy is set during the making of Pet Sounds. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/8 "2016-05-17T10:55:53Z")
I was very lucky that my parents introduced me to Pet Sounds when I was four years old. I was born in 1970, so we’re talking 1974, eight years after its release. They taught me how to operate a phonograph, and I literally wore out Pet Sounds and four other LPs around that time (it was cool of them to let me scratch the heck out of those things. They kept their own clean copies.) I called “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” “Wooden Nippy Nigh.” Anyway, what can I say that hasn’t been said a hundred times? Nothing much, which is why I’m boring you all with my personal stories. Every few years, I’ll go through another phase of revisiting this work. Around 1997, it was prompted by the Sessions CD box set, with all those fascinating outtakes and studio instructions. Two years ago, it was triggered by that movie about Brian Wilson, which recreated the sessions faithfully. Other times, it’s just been a feeling that it’s time to go back to that sad but joyous, utterly _sui generis_ musical space. Thank you, Brian! ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/9 "2016-05-17T11:12:32Z")
Off to see Brian again next week! The venue’s a whole mile from the house. 🙂 I was given Sunflower\* as a Christmas present in 1970, the year it came out, and I’ve been a fan ever since… \*The UK release that opens with Cotton Fields. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/10 "2016-05-17T12:23:13Z")
A source of joy and inspiration every time. Just so good. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/11 "2016-05-17T13:35:11Z")
My sister is 9 years older than me and I grew up with her listening to the Beach Boys. I love them to this day. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/12 "2016-05-17T14:00:51Z")
I’d place _Pet Sounds_ as one of the top three greatest rock/pop albums. I do slightly prefer the unreleased version of its follow-up, _Smile_. In my opinion, Brian Wilson is rock/pop’s greatest composer (with John Lennon its greatest songwriter). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-pet-sounds-50-years-old/754931/13 "2026-05-19T01:31:08Z")
Bumped. And now it’s hit the 60-year mark! > **[The Beach Boys Celebrate 60 Years of “Pet Sounds”: Band Members Share...](https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/beach-boys-celebrate-60-years-233000515.html)** > > Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston speak to PEOPLE about the enduring interest surrounding the music