Astral Weeks is without a doubt one of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard in my life.
I think my fav track is Beside You.

I first listened to Pet Sounds on the recommendation of a work colleague. I was having a bit of a bad time in my life; the hubby had just left, I was really overweight, I had a job I hated etc.
I had heard a few Beach Boys songs before, such as Good Vibrations, Sloop John B etc, but didn’t really know the Beach Boys.
The opening song Wouldn’t It Be Nice resounds with a cheerful chorus, and is an instant feel-good song. From that moment I was hooked. I stopped everything I was doing and for the first time ever I sat down to listen to an album and do nothing else.
Pet Sounds takes the listener through a journey of beautiful vocal harmonies and feel-good melodies while lyrically speaking of all aspects of love and being in love. One critic even cited this album as ‘commercial chior music’. I think that’s up to the listener to decide.
But Pet Sounds offers something more than just a collection of 13 love songs (in fact, two peices don’t have any singing at all). Listen carefully and you can hear the production notes of extra-musical sounds. A childs bicycle bell, a car horn, a dog barking. All items/sounds/instruments not associated with mainstream popular music, but without them, the album could sound quite bland.
The last song on the album is the song that changed my life. Caroline, No is a melancholy tune that Brian Wilson released as a solo single in 1966. The opening lyrics ‘where did your long hair go, where is the girl I used to know, how could you loose that happy glow, Caroline, No’ just stuck in me like a knife. It was as if Brian Wilson was singing to me. It was the kick in the backside I needed to get over the stupid ex, loose weight, get a better job and get on with my life. It’s funny how music can do that!
Pet Sounds is a great album, and all the people I know who have listened to it, love it… and everyone has their own story about how Pet Sounds has influenced them. I suggest this should be consumed by all… and you wont be dissapointed.
Thanks for reading.
Caroline (Yes!)