The Pet Sounds Sessions

The Pet Sounds Sessions
Box set by the Beach Boys
Released	November 4, 1997 (1997-11-04)
Recorded	July 1965 – April 1966
Length	256:20
Label	Capitol
Producer	Brian Wilson (original recordings)
Compiler	David Leaf, Mark Linett, Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys chronology
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996) The Pet Sounds Sessions (1997) Endless Harmony Soundtrack (1998)
Singles from The Pet Sounds Sessions
" Here Today " Released: 1996

The Pet Sounds Sessions is a 4-

Original producer Brian Wilson writes in the liner notes to The Pet Sounds Sessions:

It was a heart and soul album; I worked very, very hard on it. The thing is, I’m glad we’re doing this new Pet Sounds reissue because the Pet Sounds box set is going to be very revealing to the public as to just what sort of music makers we really are. ... When we were making Pet Sounds we were absolutely positive we were cutting a milestone record. Carl [Wilson] and I knew for sure we were into something heavier than hell, and we just went with it.^[2]

Compiler David Leaf explains the purpose of the new compilation: "The first three CDs of this box set are designed to give you a sense of how Brian and the studio musicians cut the tracks [from Pet Sounds] and also to give you a unique glimpse into the harmonic magic of the Beach Boys singing."^[3] He adds: "It is not hyperbole to say that for every pop and rock group that followed in the Beach Boys wake, Pet Sounds became an audio benchmark. ... Since that time, nothing has really changed."^[4] Leaf had only a minor role in the set, with all creative work, including editing, mixing, and mastering. being done by lead producer Mark Linett.^{[citation needed]}

Stereo mix

Pet Sounds was first released in 1966 in

The new mixes created for the box set were made in January–February 1996.[6] Linett wrote: "In mixing Pet Sounds in stereo, every attempt was made to duplicate the feel and sound of the original mono mixes. Vocal and instrumental parts that Brian left off the record in 1966 were noted and duplicated, as were the fades."^[5] To this end, a Scully model 280 4-track was used to transfer the analog reels to digital multi-tracks – the same model used for Pet Sounds. The mix was then processed through an original tube console from United Western Recorders in the 1960s.^[5]

Some exceptions remain, and so the stereo mix of Pet Sounds does contain some differences from the original mono mix. Among them, alternate vocal parts used for the bridge of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and the end of "God Only Knows" due to the original tracks no longer existing. "You Still Believe in Me" features a single tracked vocal instead of the doubled vocal of the original due to a missing tape.^[5] In the mono version, chatter can be heard buried in various tracks; instances of them were omitted from the stereo version at Brian's request.^[5]

Release

There was a minor controversy regarding a significant 18-month delay in the release of the box set (originally planned for May 1996 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the album's original issue). Reportedly, Mike Love was dissatisfied with the accompanying essays that allegedly understated his involvement in the album's making.^[7] The original liner notes had featured none of his comments, even though other band members were interviewed, and new notes were subsequently commissioned to Dennis Diken. Biographer Timothy White said that "The Beach Boys apparently didn't get the track selections until late in the production phase, and they all had misgivings about how Capitol envisioned it."^[8]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[11]
The Guardian	[12]
MusicHound	4/5[13]
Q	[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[15]
Wall of Sound	70/100[16]

AllMusic calls the compilation "a fascinating, educational listen, even if it's not necessarily indispensable."^[9] Q gave the "enlightening" box set a perfect score and wrote that "the backing music tracks sans vocals opens your ears to a bevy of awe-inspiring nuances previously obscured by singing. At the same time, the isolated vocal tracks are nothing less than spiritual in their emotive wallop."^[14] The New York Observer's D. Strauss called the stereo mix "pointless", adding, "I must admit that, as a music geek, listening to Mr. Wilson hold myriad consultations on when to beep the bicycle horn in 'You Still Believe in Me' carries a portentous thrill".^[17]

The compilation was pivotal to the inception of the Brian Wilson