Brian Wilson, co-founder and studio wizard of the Beach Boys, produced his music while suffering auditory hallucinations due to schizophrenia. Some of the cleanest, most pristine-sounding music in history was produced by a man who couldn't properly distinguish the noises in his head from reality

'God Only Knows' is literally the perfect song

“Listen, listen…listen” - the insistence and the emotion in “Don’t Talk” is perhaps the most beautiful section in any song I’ve ever heard.

Bro went from “I’m not looking forward to this” to “oh my goooood” so fast lol, glad ya loved this one Smags! Timeless masterpiece fr

the goofiest smile just spread across my face stoppp omg

1:18 Wouldn't It Be Nice 3:16 You Still Believe In Me 5:39 That's Not Me 7:44 Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder 9:30 I'm Waiting For The Day 11:42 Let's Go Away For Awhile 12:27 Sloop John B 14:10 God Only Knows 15:53 I Know There's An Answer 17:50 Here Today 20:09 I Just Wasn't Made For These Times 22:14 Pet Sounds 22:54 Caroline, No

The instrument at 21:25 is called a Theremin and it was first popularized by the Beach Boys. It's also featured heavily on the song Good Vibrations (definitely react to the Smile Sessions).

1966. Before Auto Tune. Before Ai. Hell, most homes didn’t have stereo speakers. The Beach Boys harmonies were always insane.

Crazy fact… Brian Wilson is also fully deaf in one ear, so that’s why he mixed all of their stuff in Mono. You should listen to The SMiLE Sessions! It’s the studio recordings of the failed follow up album to Pet Sounds… it’s waaaaay more ambitious than Pet Sounds and way more psychedelic.

NO WAY HE ACTUALLY DID IT

The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle is another pop gem from that era !

The Beach Boys late 60s-early 70s run was absolutely insane and highly underrated imo outside of this album. Everyone of them had a completely different sound. The planned follow up to this album called Smile was going to be so much more grand, experimental and conceptual, but due to a variety of factors most of all including Brian’s worsening mental health, it was never completed. Still though the sessions were released in 2011 and even those for me make my favorite beach boys release of alltime. I HIGHLY recommend checking them out!

Great reaction! Beach Boys: the song Good Vibrations, from the same sessions. 1966 albums: Revolver (The Beatles) - 14 songs, probably started 14 subgenres. Blonde on Blonde (Bob Dylan) - Dylan broadens his sphere of influence with more rock n roll and more poetry than ever before.

Best album of all-time. Really enjoyed your thoughts and reactions. I think The Beach Boys' best "group" album is 1970s SUNFLOWER. PET SOUNDS was more of a Brian Wilson solo album with the group's vocals in it. Brian was the most innovative writer/arranger/producer of his time, and even today, lots of people haven't come close to catching up with him. So glad you discovered this amazing genius. Go see the movie LOVE AND MERCY, which is about Brian, especially during the PET SOUNDS period. Absolutely brilliant movie and well worth your time.

Thanks for being willing to give "Pet Sounds" a fair audition. This is my favorite album ever. (For the record, no pun intended, I include some fairly modern albums in my Top Ten, such as Florence + The Machine "Lungs", and School of Seven Bells "Alpinisms".) Many people think "P.S." sounds pleasant, but not revolutionary. What they do not understand is that "Pet Sounds" changed popular music so pervasively that much of what followed eventually made it sound rather conventional. It was truly revolutionary in composition, lyricism, instrumentation, and production. I have dubbed this the "The Haydn Effect": Joseph Haydn, for all practical purposes, invented the Symphony (as well as the String Quartet). Many now consider his symphonies too ordinary compared to, say, Ludwig van Beethoven. What they fail to appreciate is that Haydn was the truer pioneer; there would be no symphonies by Beethoven, et al, without Haydn's 104 symphonies. (Similarly, Johann Sebastian Bach functionally invented Common Practice - modern major-minor music - with his use of the leading tone, via his 371 Chorales for the Lutheran Church.)

brian wilson is one of the greatest to ever do it

Smile sessions would go cray

Your facial expressions make this video so special. I absolutely love this album. I'm really pleased you enjoyed it.

22:09 that’s a theremin! It’s an instrument with two metal rods that you play by moving your hands in front of them. I believe The Beach Boys were the first to use it in popular music

Beach boys will always be in my top 5 oat

I remember popping this on after moving out of my home at 18 (14 years ago now) and the song That's Not Me hit me like a ton of bricks. An all timer.

Man it KILLS me they didn’t include “Good Vibrations!” If you’ve never heard it, I HIGHLY encourage you to react to it! It was originally recorded during the Pet Sounds sessions and has a semi “Here Today” feel to it with a theremin thrown in. The time signatures constantly change and this was by far their most progressive pop song they ever recorded

More is ready for you. Good Vibrations was planned for Pet Sounds but wasn't finished in time for release. It came out as a single later in 1966 and became Worldwide #1 hit record. Good job..

Probably the most influential album in American pop music.

Surprised you haven’t checked out MGMT, very underrated discography. Start with oracular spectacular and by the time you finish little dark age, their newest album should be out. If not mgmt please check out the black parade by my chemical romance.

If you loved this album you definitely should check out their albums Surf’s Up and Sunflower! Recorded very close to each other and I guess you consider them sister albums. Fantastic production on both but I think I prefer Surf’s Up

Sloop John B is a cover of a Bahamian folk song from over 100 years ago. The Kingston Trio had a version on their no.1 debut album in the late 50's, Brian Wilson took the whole thing apart and put it together again in such a fantastic way.

also if you want more impactful albums from the 60s then Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited is an essential

Check out SMiLE (not Smiley Smile) next. It's the first disc on the Smile Sessions compilation. It was Brian's true vision for his follow-up to Pet Sounds. He uses the same musicians from the Pet Sounds sessions.

Always been a Beatles fan and never thought any album could beat Sgt Pepper or Abbey Road, never gave much credit to the Beach Boys. It's now 2 years since I've listened carefully to Pet Sounds for the first time and to this day there wasn't a single day without listening to Brian Wilson's music. It really speaks to me.

"Not excited for this" ... instantly starts vibing

You should check out the album The Beach Boys Today!. The B-Side is filled with songs similar to Pet Sounds.

This is the GOAT album of all time absolutely no question. So unique and interesting yet relatable and catchy, changed the way music was recorded forever and the entire album has a beautiful childlike naive innocence running through it from start to finish, the best album ever made.

I’m glad people are still reacting to The Beach Boys loved ur reaction😂, I love them baddd, especially being from California an my grandparents raising me on them and the Beatles and shit, s/o 2 them! but yea u should give their record SURFS UP a listen, the stand out tracks on that album are Don’t go near the water Disney Girls Feel Flows Til i Die and the title track Surfs Up Brian Wilson went thru some shit, but bless that man, he and all them go crazy, definitely leaders n innovators for progressive rock

I second MGMT. Please do their album "Congratulations"

These guys were basically the American Beatles, the two bands had a sort of rivalry at the time.

I won't lie, I have a soft spot for The Beach Boys. I was born in the 80's but I've loved them since I was a child. God Only Knows is such an amazing song. There are songs by them that I hate, as well. But their good songs are great.

If you want another beach boys album which is similar to pet sounds, i recommend "Today!" the predecessor to pet sounds. Another great album is "Sunflower".

One of those perfect albums, a rarity.

you should definitely listen to smile sessions by the beach boys

Brian: i guesss i just wasn’t made for these timesss Smags: damn.. bro tighten up im cryinggggg😂😂😭

i thought every song would be like Wouldnt it be nice, but this had way more variety. such a pleasent experience

Beach Boys albums are loaded with gems. Capitol Records just didn't promote them because they weren't filled with surfin and car hits. And they refused to promote anything that Brian didn't have his stamp on.

im SO happy you are showing appreciation for this album!!! it's one of my favorites ever. I also recommend listening to their album "Surf's Up,"- it's so underappreciated

It's probably already been answered but the instrument you hear in "I just Wasn't Made For These Times" is a theremin. They also used it famously on "Good Vibrations". Glad you liked the album.

So I might not have believed this, but you can hear audio of Paul McCartney confirming it, he and John Lennon visited the studio while Beach Boys were recording this album, and asked to hear what they’d been doing. He said that they left realizing that they had to step up their game, and Sgt Pepper was the result. Apparently “God Only Knows” is still Paul’s all-time favorite song.

The Masterpiece of Sad/Beautiful songs. Ahead of its time and timeless....

This is an excellent album. A couple of great 60's albums that you need to check out some day are "Astral Weeks" by Van Morrison & "Forever Changes" By Love. Classic decade defining albums.

A work of genius.

Please listen to Beach Boys absolute magnum opus The Smile Sessions. Its INSANE

caroline, no is probably one of my favorite songs ever. such a somber song with a beautiful melody

Definitely check out Sunflower and Surfs Up by them. Sunflower has what’s basically a dream pop song in All I Wanna Do. Also, speaking of Beach Boys, you gotta check out Sung Tongs by Animal Collective!

I just realized how much The Beach Boys remind me of Caribou at times. If you haven't listened to Caribou, you should definitely check them out. I'd recommend the albums Andorra, and Swim. Both albums are quite different, but fantastic.

Sloop John B was the name of the ship in the tale. This is a folk song widely covered at the time. NOT an original BB song. Folk rock was a thing in 66 and this is the BB take on the style. Glad you liked the record almost everyone does.

There's an acapella version of the album that has outtakes and Brian's studio direction that is fascinating.

I used to listen to this album at night a lot, before going to sleep.. it has this really dark, empty feeling to it.. really transports me to another time. Whether it's the sixties, I don't know.. but I feel like I'm somewhere else.

Another classic album that totally lived up to the hype for me was Abbey Road, if you haven’t heard it before. Also ( ) by Sigur Rós please!

Best vocal arrangementes ever, The Beach Boys were the best with this, and melodies makers... One of my favorite albums af all time is "Surf's Up", just an amazing and incredible album, but I think every album since "Summer Days (and Summer Nights)" to "Holland" are brilliant, and so so so underrated... Brian Wilson is a legend

If you listen to this album again, I suggest you try the original mono mix(not the 50th anniversary version but the original mix)!! It’s not just a weird audiophile thing, because mono is the only version Brian Wilson mixed himself(bc stereo was a novelty back then, and also bc brian’s deaf in one ear), and also some vocal tracks are either different or straight up missing in the stereo mix!

The instrumentals at the end of Don't Talk and I'm Waiting For The Day still butter my biscuit even though I've listened to this album countless times.

really glad you loved this album smags. the songs just get better on every listen. and theyre all super catchy too

Another 60s masterpiece i'd recommend is love's Forever Changes, keep em coming

Here Today is my favorite on the whole album

Well one band that is still around that was definitely influenced by the Beach Boys that I know you have listened to is Animal Collective. Basically Panda Bears entire vocal styling is influenced from Brian Wilson. This is one of the best albums ever period. Recommendations Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern Arca - Kick I-IIIII Oneohtrix Point Never - R Plus Seven

Now that you've done this, you should check out Panda Bear's Person Pitch, kind of an experimental update.

I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times. Man, my heart breaks every time I hear that song.

this album rules, you still believe in me makes me cry every time i hear it its actually crazy. And i just wasnt made for these times is so poignant to me especially after learning more abt brian wilson i feel like he just felt so out of place during that time period and scene (all speculation on my part ofc) If you ever are interested in checking out something different, you should check out some of the music coming out of argentina in the 70s and 80s, they were cooking. Anything involving the legend spinetta is pretty amazing (invisible - el jardin de los presentes is a personal fave)

2:20 im glad the upstarts are gravitating toward that slowed down half step lush sound theze daze

you should react to (Mer De Noms) - A Perfect Circle

SUNG TONGS

You’re really goated for this one!!! 🙏 I understand your feelings in the beginning on older albums. I promise if I recommend something from the past it’s just cause I think it sounds dope and timeless lol Like Pet Sounds! Truly one of the greatest pop albums of all time. Brian Wilson is the main Beach Boy, known for writing all of their music. On this album he collaborated with Tony Asher on the lyrics. He was inspired when he heard The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and made Pet Sounds. The Beatles then heard Pet Sounds and were inspired to make Sgt. Pepper’s lol this one was a game changer for sure. Singing and songwriting is just so on point, and the production still sounds great today. The instrument you were wondering about in I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times is a Theremin. You should look up videos of people playing these if you haven't seen one before. They’re really weird but interesting instruments lol but yeah, Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows and Here Today are my top 3. I definitely recommend Smile if you listen to more Beach Boys. It’s a legendary album by them that was shelved for 40 years due to various reasons at the time of production. It’s a lot more experimental musically than Pet Sounds, but tons of great vocal parts like on here. It’s definitely worth checking out. Also please listen to Funhouse by The Stooges! One of the greatest rock albums and I’m dying to hear your thoughts on it. Thank you again for this one dude! 🙂

50 first dates is a criminally underrated adam sandler film

now you know why its considered to be one of the very best ever

Paul McCartney has stated that the most beautiful song hes ever heard is "God only knows". When he first heard it he was Dumbfounded. This album inspired the Sgt Peppers album, which is said to he a direct repsponse to this record. If youve never listened to Sgt Peppers, you should do a reaction to that one.

I’m so glad you loved it! It is one of my favorite albums of all time and I’m so happy u reacted to it! Keep up the good work man :)

Literally just listen to this like an hour ago and then i saw this. 😮😮

I'm 66, and I remember my dad saying, when I was in my 20's: 'The trouble with all younger people is they think they INVENTED sex!; Both my parents were highly educated people. They weren't against us having a sex-life, they just wanted to shield us against the problems of 1970's attitudes, if things went wrong. This album was as bold an example of hinting about sexuality as the USA would allow. Read between the lines of 'Please, please me' by the Beatles and you'll get the message.

Recommendations: Gorillaz : Self Titled Gorillaz: Demon Days Gorillaz: Plastic Beach I also recommend watching the movie “Love & Mercy”, tells the story of Brian Wilson during the process of Pet Sounds and events that happened later in Life. Fantastic movie.

Greetings from Brazil. Beautiful how Brian Wilson put all those melodies together. A real genius. Hey! React to TABUA DE ESMERALDA from JORGE BEN JOR.

easily one of the best albums of all time

u should also check out the smile sessions they’re inSANE

you’ve gotta check out the Smile Sessions, also by the beach boys. if you want deeper lyrics that album is crazy. way more experimental in its sound and its a surrealist odyssey of the hellish creation of America

After Pet Sounds i commented on your video to listen to Violator by Depeche Mode and that should be next cause I'll definitely enjoy seeing you experience to it 😉

I subscribed after I saw the Joy Division reviews, but I like that you're doing Sio much variety with classics like this and newer stuff like Lana Del Rey. How about "Achtung Baby" and "Zooropa" from U2 in honor of their Sphere anniversary shows? (They work as a pairing, but "War," "Unforgettable Fire" or "Joshua Tree" are also good). Some other favorites: Astral Weeks (Van Morrison), Alligator (National) and/or nice pairing of Crocodiles (Echo and the Bunnymen), The Suburbs or Black Mirror (Arcade Fire), Pretty Hate Machine (Nine Inch Nails), Dirty (Sonic Youth), 69 Love Songs (Magnetic Fields), I Am a Bird Now (Antony and the Johnsons), Wrecking Ball (Emmylou Harris), Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Lucinda Williams). Also maybe something from Nina Simone (Wild is the Wind?), Stevie Wonder (Innervisions, Talking Book, or anything 70s era), Leonard Cohen (many eras, The Future is fun), The Killers (Hot Fuss is good start) and cult favorite the Go-Betweens (like 16 Lovers Lane).

If you want to listen to some more old shit, check out revolver by the Beatles . Masterpiece

This reaction was a pleasant surprise. Always happy to see the younger ones open their ears to past golden oldies

Let’s go away for awhile is kino

Always love seeing reactions to this album, it's probably my favorite album of all time and it absolutely stands the test of time. The album has been described as being about the joy of falling in love, experiencing heartbreak, and letting love fade into memory. The band had also just picked up their sixth member, Bruce Johnston, the year prior to the release of this album. The Smile Sessions is something else of theirs to look into also, but the story behind it and its non-release is far too much to explain in a KZfaq comment. Smile was basically going to be the Beach Boys' Sgt. Pepper's months before Sgt. Pepper's even released. Its concept would have been focused around the topics of Americana, the elements, and the cycle of life.

Love listening to this album... All I'm missing is the sun outside. (It's dark, cold and pissing down in England) 👍 As always.. Everything Everything - Get to heaven

Recommendation: Ben Folds Five - The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner

Album definitely grows on you over time, but even on first listen it’s incredible. I always thought it was about how life catches you by and your loss of innocence with that first true love

Watching somebody that cares about music listening to pet sounds for the first time is so awesome

KISS is awesome too actually for harmonies - Magic touch, I’ll fight hell to hold you, Still know somethin, Exciter, Tears are fallin n so on lots of great tracks

just continuing to impress me with your work ethic, love your videos a few recommendations: Process - Sampha (experimental r&b, great production) Nurture - Porter Robinson (light summer electric with fun production) Koi No Yokan - Deftones (very heavy, sexier and heavier radiohead imo) Hypochondriac - Brakence (very experimental emo rap, glitch pop) Reading Writing And Arithmetic - The Sundays (the smiths ish, with beautiful female vocals)

God Only Knows, was my fav back in the day. Probably because my girlfriend loved it.

You commented I believe on the opening track about how many people were singing. All 6 members were singing, but it sounded like more because they double tracked not only the lead vocal but also the background vocals so it sounded like double the singers. Brian, who sang lead, also sang on the background vocals so you essentially had 6 members, but 7 voices plus tracked again for a total of 14 voices.

Excuse me from Japan. Please listen to the millennium's album "begin". It's from 1968, the same as petsounds, but I think it's surprising in many ways. Anyway, it's a great piece, so please give it a listen.

You absolutely should listen to Surfs Up easily one of the best musical pieces I’ve heard put together and absolutely loved your reaction to the album and speaking your mind openly on things!

I would love to see a week of 60s banger albums from you.

Soundgarden - Tighter n tighter , Nirvana - in bloom .. if u haven’t already heard it the grunge era is 💯