Album Wars: Sgt Peppers v Pet Sounds...go!

bartman100

Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band



Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26 May 1967 in the United Kingdom[nb 1] and 2 June 1967 in the United States, it was an immediate commercial and critical success, spending 27 weeks at the top of the UK albums chart and 15 weeks at number one in the US. On release, the album was lauded by the vast majority of critics for its innovations in music production, songwriting and graphic design, for bridging a cultural divide between popular music and legitimate art, and for providing a musical representation of its generation and the contemporary counterculture. It won four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year, the first rock LP to receive this honour.

Pet Sounds



Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966. It initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 in the Billboard 200, a significantly lower placement than the band's preceding albums. In the United Kingdom, the album was hailed by its music press and was an immediate commercial success, peaking at number 2 in the UK Top 40 Albums Chart and remaining among the top ten positions for six months. Originally promoted as "the most progressive pop album ever", Pet Sounds attracted recognition for its ambitious recording and unusually sophisticated music, and is widely considered to be one of the most influential albums in music history.

crispybug2

Sgt Pepper for me, a far more innovative album whose influence has traveled further through the years.

However, for my money Revolver is a better Beatles album!

p.s. Pet Sounds, a great album but an utterly awful sleeve photo!!

lostboysaint

Bloomin' 'eck that's some choice. I've finally plumped for Sgt Pepper's, but I do completely understand the incredible production ceilings that were smashed on Pet Sounds (some of the techniques were subsequently used on Sgt Pepper's).

This could be one of the toughest polls ever on BR!

Ben6899

Sgt Pepper's. The Beach Boys sleeve cost them it, for me!

qube

Pet Sounds by a mile.

Beatles = Overrated.

cooldad

Neither would be in my top 500.

kingstongraham

Does anyone actually listen to Sgt Pepper for pleasure? It's impressive, and a milestone album, but it doesn't have anything like Here Today, Don't Talk (Put your head on my shoulder), or God Only Knows.

lostboysaint

Yes. A Day in the Life and She's Leaving Home would be up there with those.

kingstongraham

lostboysaint wrote:

Yes. A Day in the Life and She's Leaving Home would be up there with those.

Fair enough, but Pet Sounds has 10 of them.

kingstongraham

The only things wrong with Pet Sounds are: Sloop John B, and the bicycle horn at the end of You Still Believe in Me.

laurentian

I haven't got a dog in this fight and wouldn't really want to choose between the two as I don't know enough about either (although I have undoubtedly heard more of Sgt Pepper than Pet Sounds) but I did see a documentary on BBC4 (I think) a while ago that basically said that if it weren't for Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper would not be the LP it is, such was the huge influence of Pet Sounds on Sgt Pepper.

crispybug2

laurentian wrote:

but I did see a documentary on BBC4 (I think) a while ago that basically said that if it weren't for Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper would not be the LP it is, such was the huge influence of Pet Sounds on Sgt Pepper.

Brian Wilson has said that Pet Sounds was influenced and driven by trying to match and better both Rubber Soul and Revolver!

pblakeney

Option C - Pointless.
All music is subjective. There is no finite best. Which one would depend on my mood of the day.

carbonclem

Its a tough call, but worth considering is that Sgt Pepper gets ranked amongst other Beatles of the same/similar quality, not so for the Beach Boys. I'd say most of the wider back catalogue bar a few highlights, obvs, lack any depth whatsoever.

On that basis, Im voting Pet Sounds as it was such a highlight.

mr_goo

The Beatles a rock band ? Since when?..... same goes for Beach Boys.

Not a fan of The Beatles so like one other on here St Peppers wouldn't feature on my list. Only decent thing McCartney ever wrote is Live and Let Die. And best performed by Guns n Roses.

Frank Wilson

It's a no from me.

meursault

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

eric_draven

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

It doesn't mean he has a bad or poor taste in music,I don't care for either of these groups or albums,as influential as they were and probably on quite a lot artists that I listen to

veronese68

eric draven wrote:

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

It doesn't mean he has a bad or poor taste in music,I don't care for either of these groups or albums,as influential as they were and probably on quite a lot artists that I listen to

Must say I agree with this.

ayjaycee

I vote for Pet Sounds if only because it gave us 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'God Only Knows' which are two of the loveliest pop (not rock) songs ever written - it's just a personal opinion but I don't think that Lennon or McCartney (or Harrison for that matter) ever did anything to come close. That said, I've never really been a big Beatles fan (and that's from somebody old enough to have been around when they first made it big).

meursault

eric draven wrote:

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

It doesn't mean he has a bad or poor taste in music,I don't care for either of these groups or albums,as influential as they were and probably on quite a lot artists that I listen to

In my defence, I didn't specify whether he has good or bad taste. I am highly dubious his top 500 'better' albums are actually such.

cooldad

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

I don't mind Beatles or Beach Boys stuff, but not really a pop fan as such, which is what they are, influential or not.

My tastes run to blues, prog rock (early genesis ec.) heavier rock (Deep Purple), lots of 60/70s stuff, love Bob Dylan and Neil Young, a lot of jazz, Django Reinhardt, some classical music. I even enjoy ballet (short skirts and long legs, what's not to like?). My tastes are pretty varied, but generally not pop or hit parade stuff, which I get really bored with.
Except for Blondie, because Debbie Harry was stuck on my wall at school, along with my Virgin label poster.

Also I find dancing a bit silly so tend to listen to stuff you listen to, not dance to.

Music is a very personal thing.

cooldad

meursault wrote:

eric draven wrote:

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

It doesn't mean he has a bad or poor taste in music,I don't care for either of these groups or albums,as influential as they were and probably on quite a lot artists that I listen to

In my defence, I didn't specify whether he has good or bad taste. I am highly dubious his top 500 'better' albums are actually such.

I think 'shudder' makes it pretty clear...

And I don't think I am exaggerating. I have possibly thousands of albums in one form or another, including both of those (in fact the entire boxed set of every Beatles album ever made), can't think of the last time I listened to either.

I accept influential, just not my personal preference.

ps. and neither are 'rock' bands. per the original OP. Unless surf rock counts in the case of the Beach Boys.

DeVlaeminck

Of the two Sgt Peppers for me. I'm not a huge Beatles fan, I have come to appreciate them more as I've got older but even then Sgt Peppers wouldn't be my favourite of theirs.

Pet Sounds I did try and get into just because it always rates highly on all time best album charts and I like a few of their hits. Taking nothing away from others who love it but to me it sounds very lightweight throwaway pop.

Frank Wilson

Must admit I agree with the chap who said not in my 500. I can't find anything to appeal to me in either album or artist.

I suppose my musical tastes have always been about discovering music for myself rather than follow the masses, in the same way I wouldn't listen to the Beatles I wouldn't listen to other "in media speak" musical influences like Queen or Bowie, they do absolutely nothing for me but have garnered a large following because people are easily influenced.

It is what I term as LOI (Lack of imagination) music, not so much on the part of the creators of the music but the people who listen to and become fans of it)

carbonclem

Frank Wilson wrote:

Must admit I agree with the chap who said not in my 500. I can't find anything to appeal to me in either album or artist.

I suppose my musical tastes have always been about discovering music for myself rather than follow the masses, in the same way I wouldn't listen to the Beatles I wouldn't listen to other "in media speak" musical influences like Queen or Bowie, they do absolutely nothing for me but have garnered a large following because people are easily influenced.

It is what I term as LOI (Lack of imagination) music, not so much on the part of the creators of the music but the people who listen to and become fans of it)

I always assumed your username was the singer, but I guess from your comments its actually your name?

meursault

cooldad wrote:

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

I don't mind Beatles or Beach Boys stuff, but not really a pop fan as such, which is what they are, influential or not.

My tastes run to blues, prog rock (early genesis ec.) heavier rock (Deep Purple), lots of 60/70s stuff, love Bob Dylan and Neil Young, a lot of jazz, Django Reinhardt, some classical music. I even enjoy ballet (short skirts and long legs, what's not to like?). My tastes are pretty varied, but generally not pop or hit parade stuff, which I get really bored with.
Except for Blondie, because Debbie Harry was stuck on my wall at school, along with my Virgin label poster.

Also I find dancing a bit silly so tend to listen to stuff you listen to, not dance to.

Music is a very personal thing.

Prog!

The defence rests, your honour, no further questions.

Frank Wilson

CarbonClem wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Must admit I agree with the chap who said not in my 500. I can't find anything to appeal to me in either album or artist.

I suppose my musical tastes have always been about discovering music for myself rather than follow the masses, in the same way I wouldn't listen to the Beatles I wouldn't listen to other "in media speak" musical influences like Queen or Bowie, they do absolutely nothing for me but have garnered a large following because people are easily influenced.

It is what I term as LOI (Lack of imagination) music, not so much on the part of the creators of the music but the people who listen to and become fans of it)

I always assumed your username was the singer, but I guess from your comments its actually your name?

The Northern Soul angle is actually a great illustration of what I was trying to say Clem. Back in the early seventies whilst my friends of the time were going to the local clubs to hear easily accessible chart music like Rod Stewart / Slade / Sweet or whatever we would be seeking out clubs like the Torch in Stoke whey they played the lesser known music which obviously became know as Northern Soul.

Going back to what I was saying about it being media driven and people (for want of a better phrase) jumping on the bandwagon then Tainted Loved is perhaps a shining example of this. No radio DJ's ever played Gloria Jones's original version so no air time / hyping meant no sales. A decade or so later comes along the far inferior Soft Cell attempt and with the right hype and air time loads of people buy it which rather illustrates what I was trying to say by how easily people are manipulated into "liking" certain music.

Another example, not Northern, would be the original version of Love Rollercoaster. If I played that on the pub jukebox prior to the cover everybody would have turned their collective noses up at it because they didn't know The Ohio Players. Release practically the same song by a hyped Red Hot Chili Peppers and all of a sudden everybody thinks it's a great tune.

I however do agree with other posters on here that music is a very personal thing and I would never talk down someone else's taste, I just wonder sometimes do they really like what they are listening to or have they just accepted it because it was the easy way out.

cooldad

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

meursault wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Neither would be in my top 500.

I shudder to think what your taste in music is.

Both legendary albums, hugely influential. Genius composers.

I don't mind Beatles or Beach Boys stuff, but not really a pop fan as such, which is what they are, influential or not.

My tastes run to blues, prog rock (early genesis ec.) heavier rock (Deep Purple), lots of 60/70s stuff, love Bob Dylan and Neil Young, a lot of jazz, Django Reinhardt, some classical music. I even enjoy ballet (short skirts and long legs, what's not to like?). My tastes are pretty varied, but generally not pop or hit parade stuff, which I get really bored with.
Except for Blondie, because Debbie Harry was stuck on my wall at school, along with my Virgin label poster.

Also I find dancing a bit silly so tend to listen to stuff you listen to, not dance to.

Music is a very personal thing.

Prog!

The defence rests, your honour, no further questions.

Haha. no drugs were consumed in the typing of my post...

mrfpb

Sgt Pepper, because the band made it. Pet Sounds was made by Brian Wilson while the Beach Boys were on tour. Apart from God Only Knows (sung by Carl) the Beach Boys only contribute (admittedly beautiful) backing vocals. Pet Sounds isn't finished either. Brian Wilson took so long over it that Warner Brothers confiscated the tapes and released it with two instrumentals that were meant to be songs. They also added the Sloop John B single that was not part of Wilson' s love story concept.

mrfpb

Incidentally the poll doesn't say it's about which is "the greatest album of all time" it just says to pick one or the other. I love both albums, but they would not be among my top ten on most days. Also, It has to said that Pet Sounds is far and away the best thing the Beach Boys did, while Sgt Pepper has some serious competition for the title of the best Beatles album.