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The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds finally out on blu-ray audio in April

By Paul Sinclair

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25

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The Beach Boys‘ classic 1966 album Pet Sounds will be issued on the Pure Audio blu-ray audio format in April 2015, over a year after the release was first touted.

While the delay has been frustrating, the new blu-ray arguably ticks all the boxes because it includes three versions of the album: the 5.1 surround mix, a stereo mix and a mono version. All are in hi-res of course.

The blu-ray edition is scheduled for release on 27/28th April 2015.

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Track listing

1. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
2. You Still Believe in Me
3. That’s Not Me song review
4. Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
5. I’m Waiting for the Day
6. Let’s Go Away for Awhile
7. Sloop John B song review
8. God Only Knows
9. I Know There’s an Answer
10. Here Today
11. I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times
12. Pet Sounds
13. Caroline, No
14. Unreleased Backgrounds
15. Hang on to Your Ego
16. Trombone Dixie

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25 Comments

25 thoughts on “The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds finally out on blu-ray audio in April”

  1. I’ve had this on order for more than a year; never got it. Did it ever, in fact, come out on Blu Ray? I see that it’s now time for a “Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary” reissue – which touts a 4-CD/1BD version… Maybe the Blu Ray was held for that release? Anyhow – confirmation that this item actually exists would be nice. :)

    1. Was it Warner or Capitol? Anyhow people might be interested in these latest releases from Analogue Productions:

      Little Deuce Coupe Mono/Stereo (Super Audio CD / CD Hybrid)
      Shutdown Vol. 2 Mono/Stereo (Super Audio CD / CD Hybrid)
      Surfer Girl Mono/Stereo (Super Audio CD / CD Hybrid)
      Surfin’ Safari Mono/Stereo (Super Audio CD / CD Hybrid)
      Surfin’ USA Mono/Stereo (Super Audio CD / CD Hybrid)

      These contain mono and true stereo, not that psuedo stereo crap. And they’re hybrid discs as well.

  7. Am I the only one that found the 5.1 mix on the dvd-a EXTREMELY disappointing? On my disc the front and rear channels are NOT reversed. There’s no problem with the channels. It just sounds a little “Meh”…

    …and its not the age of the recordings. All the Beatles stuff they have released in 5.1 sound good/great.

  9. @ FOB

    Yes I agree, I have the mono reissue from a few years back. Sounds right like that, although you think it should be awful due to our thought that a stereo mix is the very minimum.

    1. Not wanting to get into the mono v. Stereo debate too much, but the Beach Boys were a special case as Brian Wilson as writer/producer is deaf in one ear and could not have approved a “true” stereo mix.

      Most of the stereo mixes I have of the early songs (pre Pet Sounds) have lead vocals panned left and harmonies panned right with instruements in the middle. A bit more palatable than the early Beatles, but still not great.

  10. Pet Sounds used 1966 4/8 track technology and was intended to be heard in MONO, Its not bad in 5.1 but it will never be an album that sounds like a modern 64 track recording

  11. too bad Blu-Ray audio discs can’t pass hi-res audio to a good 2-channel receiver due to stupid HDCP restrictions. You’re limited to 16 bit/48 which defeats the purpose. If you listen to music on your home theatre system then you’re set I guess.

  12. I can understand those that think this album is over-rated.
    Think of this album as the “Citizen Kane” of albums. If you watch Kane for the first time you may think “its ok, but whats the big deal ?”
    The big deal lies in the technical achievements that it achieved during its time. Before Pet Sounds, most albums were recorded very quickly and to some extent, live. Everyone would enter the studio do a number of takes for a song and thats it. Pet Sounds took months and months and then the album was reconstructed by Brian Wilson.
    Back then a razor blade was the primary tool in editing and this was a long laborious procedure.
    Wilson showed the world what could be done in a studio. Even if the album consisted of crappy songs, and it doesn’t, it would still be highly regarded for its technical achievements.

    1. The CD Japan site doesn’t say what mix is on the SHM SACD. My expetience is that they only feature a stereo mix ans no CD layer. Very limited for the money when the CD/DVD package with mono and stereo is available (even if you can’t play the 5.1 mix)

      According to the notes, the stereo mix misses out elements that couldn’t be separated from the mono mix, so the mono mix is still the definitive version.

    1. Good question… the whole ‘Pure Audio’ initiative is hard to fathom. At first we had ‘waves’ of titles being issued standalone, now the strategy tends to be put out as part of a reissue campaign (TFF, Simple Minds, Bryan Adams etc.).

  16. Paul –

    One of the press releases I saw said the 5.1 mix was “brand new.” Do you know if this is the same 5.1 mix that was on the previous DVD-A or in fact a brand new remix?

    1. Hmm… I had assumed it was the old mix. I’d be very surprised if a new mix had been created for ‘just’ putting out a blu-ray, but stranger things have happened I suppose. Will see what I can find out.

      1. Apparently there were some major technical problems with the original DVD-A. The front and rear channels accidentally getting reversed during the mastering process on several tracks.

        It also wouldn’t be the first time that a second 5.1 mix had been done for an album. It happened with both Tommy & Brain Salad Surgery, although I admit those are more the exception rather than the rule.

      1. Well…that’s a drag. Just an absolute mess of a mix in my opinion. It’s just a cacophony of sound. As great as I think the stereo remix sounds, is how bad I think the 5.1 mix sounds. So wish they might have given someone like Steve Wilson a crack at it. An absolute master at mixing into surround AND a Wilson to boot.

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