Pet Sounds was recorded by the Beach Boys in 1966. It has been widely ranked as one of the most influential record albums ever released, including The Mojo Magazine and New Musician Express, who both rank the album at number one in their all-time lists. The album was created after Brian Wilson quit touring with the Beach Boys in order to focus his attention on writing and recording. In it, he wove elaborate layers of vocal harmonies, coupled with sound effects and unconventional instruments such as bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, the Electro-Theremin, and even dog whistles, along with the more usual keyboards and guitars. He worked rapidly through January and early February 1966, recording six backing tracks for the new material. When the other Beach Boys returned from a three-week tour of Japan and Hawaii, they were presented with a substantial portion of a new album, with music that was in many ways a radical departure from their earlier attempts. All the backing tracks for Pet Sounds were recorded over a four-month period using major Los Angeles studios and an ensemble that included some highly regarded session musicians, including jazz guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Carol Kaye, and session drummer Hal Blaine. All tracks were produced and arranged by Brian Wilson. He also wrote or co-wrote every track except for Sloop John B. Pet Sounds’ greatest success was in the UK, where it reached #2 in the LP charts. Its success there was aided by considerable support from the British music industry, who embraced the record warmly.

Official Beach Boys Website
Official Brian Wilson Website
Pet Sounds montage
Documentary segment focusing on “Caroline, No”
Rolling Stone feature on Pet Sounds
In-depth fan site
Pet Sounds Blog