Pet Sounds - Beach Boys (1966)

The Beach Boys were a mostly-family vocal harmony group that you might have heard of.

They got noticed for novelty surf rock singles in the early 60s (the best novelty surf rock singles ever made, but still). Leader and songwriter Brian Wilson wasn’t all that interested in novelty singles, but he was interested the complex harmonies of 50s vocal groups (also making a bit of a comeback in the early 60s).

Wilson grew as a songwriter and producer, enlisting the top echelon of SoCal session musicians to better handle the sound he was seeking, and putting his bandmates through more and more complex (and beautiful) harmonies on top.

Pet Sounds is the pinnacle of commercial success for the Beach Boys. Whether it’s the artistic peak depends on how you feel about the “SMiLE” sessions that never really turned into an album but contains some amazing work.

This is nearly a perfect album by any measure. Wonderfully recorded, exquisitely harmonized, with a huge array of instruments and musicians adding just the right touch to a diverse set of songs. The songs are gorgeous and heartfelt, full of joy and sorrow.

The band never quite got back to these heights, but this is a document of a glorious moment in time.