Tom Moon on the Beach Boys

"Sooner or later Brian Wilson had to grow up. Summer might last forever, but at some point slinging surf music was gonna get old. … Though it's somewhat unified in terms of text, Pet Sounds is remarkably diverse in the orchestration department — virtually every track comes with its own set of instrumental touches, from the chiming bells of 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' to the kettle drums that frame 'Sloop John B.' Though Pet Sounds did have several charting singles … the record didn't get massive promotion from Capitol; incredibly, it took until 2000 for the album to reach the million-copies-sold plateau. Despite these figures, Pet Sounds … has influenced just about everyone who makes pop music. It's also an illustration of the reciprocal nature of pop inspiration. Wilson cited the Beatles' Rubber Soul, released in December 1965, as a primary catalyst for Pet Sounds. In turn, Paul McCartney has said that he was deeply affected by Pet Sounds during the making of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. McCartney was once quoted as saying, 'I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard Pet Sounds'" (1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, p. 55).