Pet Sounds: Most Overrated Album of All Time?


Try as I might -- and I have tried very hard -- I just don't get the "genius" of this album. I know that George Martin said that Sgt Pepper would have never happened without Pet Sounds, but I don't think the two are even in the same league. What am I missing?
jeffreybowman2k
Fun thread! Makes me want to drink beers with you all, put some tunes on the 'table and diss the heck out of each other's tastes. I admit to liking Pet Sounds a heck of a lot. Pretty tunes; beautiful voices; beautifully recorded. I even enjoy the LP's liberal use of the now frowned-upon practice of overdubbing. My older sister and even-older cousin were buying 45 rpm singles at the time, and I grabbed most of them when they wanted to throw them away. I have some of my parents' 1940's pop singles, as well. A high school buddy had a sitar and took lessons from Ravi Shankar when Ravi was living in L.A. Another buddy played the tabla and took a lesson or two from Alla Rakha. Somebody PLEASE take my laptop before I embarrass myself still more...
@edcyn: Do you like the scent of patchouli oil too? ;-) Far out, man. Gawd did I despise the hippie era, both musically and culturally. And too many guys with "attempted" mustaches (thank you Loudon Wainwright !!! ;-) . Now, young girls wearing thin tank tops with no bra, that was a different story. 
@edcyn,

No, keep going.

What do any of us ultimately have, if not our memories?

I sometimes prefer Surf's Up (better sound quality at least) but Pet Sounds with its Spectorish production and the Wrecking Crew on board was no doubt pretty far out.
I suspect Pet Sounds will retain its appeal for some time to come.

It is a near perfect historical snapshot of an America that may have been fictional but nevertheless still holds considerable charm, especially for those living overseas.

Another time, another place.
Perhaps one of the most overproduced albums of all time. Actually it is a masterpiece but in a way not normally associated with other music and not in the way I hold most dear.