The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds is widely considered to be The Beach Boys' greatest achievement. When you listen to this album, it's hard to disagree. I remember when I took a college course on The Beatles (yes, you read that right. No shame. The Beatles are worthy of their own college course) that the instructor talked briefly about this album, stating that Brian Wilson got tired of being consistently beaten on the charts by The Beatles, and that this album represented Wilson's "everything including the kitchen sink" approach to production in an attempt to beat The Beatles. Pet Sounds ruled the world for a whole three months, at which point The Beatles released Revolver, which is considered by many to be the greatest album of all time. Brian Wilson was reportedly pissed when Revolver came out.

Whether or not I am remembering any of my facts correctly (I already took the test, what do I need to remember them for?), the fact remains that Pet Sounds is the absolute best that The Beach Boys are capable of. They never released a better group of songs, never performed them more expertly, and never employed such masterful production in anything else they ever did. This album is a masterpiece. Its inability to beat The Beatles is inconsequential now that a few decades have passed. Taken on its own merits, this album is breathtakingly beautiful and technically masterful.

Baleeted? "No," he said incredulously, as if he weren't asking himself the question.