Pet Sounds: Most Overrated Album of All Time?

There is a YouTube video in which a pianist sits at his keyboard, explaining and demonstrating the "bones" (chord progression, modulations---aka key changes, melody, counterpoint) of "God Only Knows" as he leads you through the musical construction of what is not only the "best" song on Pet Sounds, but imo one of the best songs ever written. The craft involved in creating that song, the musical knowledge and wisdom required to do so, is far above what most Rock songwriters are in possession of, and apparently far above what some listeners are capable of appreciating, as is the beauty of the song. No offense intended. ;-)

But I completely understand why some don’t care for the Pet Sounds album. It is NOT Rock music, and sounds in a way "quaint". Most Rock music contains at least trace elements of Blues, which gives the music a "hard" edge, which people like their Rock to have. Pet Sounds contains zero Blues, and sounds gentle, soft, very "white". Is it okay to say that? ;-)

One songwriter who DOES appreciate "God Only Knows" is Paul McCartney, who still considers it his all-time favorite song, and Pet Sounds his favorite album.

Once you’ve heard Pet Sounds’ follow-up---the aborted Smile---PS just sounds like Brian Wilson warming up to do Smile. That Smile was not completed in 1967 and released prior to Sgt. pepper---as was intended---is one of Rock ’n’ Roll’s great artistic tragedies. Hope that doesn’t sound too "grand". ;-)

@bdp24,

Smile is a fine example of one man stretching himself too far.

Just like Newton and his alchemy or Einstein with his Unified Field Theory.

Listening to it, for me, was a case of "if only's".

Anyway, Pet Sounds is more than good enough even if I disagree about its best song.

I tend to prefer Here Today.

I'm 70 and grew up in the pre-Beatles era, so I've seen and heard a lot of stuff come down the pike. I don't know what is a 'classic' and what is not. I do not know what is overrated and what is not. All I can tell is whether I enjoy listening to something or not. There are lots of things I do not enjoy at all, including entire genres like opera, country, blues, and a few others, that I will not put down for that reason; people have different tastes. Many people who have experienced a lot of music in various contexts have a lot to say about 'Smile'. It's not something I like, but that's not a requirement for being good, but hey, good for Brian Wilson! 

The FACT PS is being discussed 12 years since this thread was started is telling.

Few albums are worthy of debate such as Pet Sounds. Nothing contemporary or in the last 40/50  or so years is close to the level of PS-at least in how it influenced musicians who listened to it when it was introduced. 

I just watched the David Leaf film Beautiful Dreamer-Brian Wilson And The Story Of Smile. To establish the context for the creation of the amazing Smile album (a subject for another time), Leaf covers Pet Sounds, the album that proceeded Smile. Quotes about Pet Sounds from scenes in the film:

- Jimmy Webb: "Pet Sounds is probably, um, really, the most significant album of our generation." Wow.

- Burt Bacharach: "I think it is one of the, THE great albums."

- George Martin: "It floored me. I thought it was fantastic, and it gave The Beatles great inspiration. And it gave a challenge to them."

- Rob Reiner: "We used to play that all the time in the writer’s room because we thought this is like the most incredible Rock ’n’ Roll album we had ever heard." Pet Sounds "Rock ’n’ Roll"? Not from where I come from, but okay, maybe I’m taking the phrase too literally.

Are the opinions of the above any more credible than those with whom they disagree? Again, just a matter of opinion.