Beach Boys

Pet Sounds

This always appears at or near the top of best of lists, and rightly so. Rubber Soul appeared, an album full of good stuff and no filler, according to Brian Wilson. This spurred Brian on to record a full artistic work of his own. Tracks were built up using unusual instruments to create a patchwork of subtlety. The songs have a landscape of musicality that trounces all opposition. By contrast The Beatles sonic experiments were more two dimensional.

Not that the new direction the music was taking was greeted with open arms, even by band members. After returning from their tour some band members were critical that Brian was moving away from the surfbeat formula. How the hell would they play these songs live? The lyrics to Hang On To Your Ego were savaged and the song rewritten, and not for the better, as I Know There's An Answer. Thankfully the original is included as a bonus track on the CD.

The resultant album was not the multi-million seller it deserved, and did better business in the UK than in the US. But a flawless list of tracks, yes even Sloop John B, make this a great listening experience topped by the peerless Caroline No.