Sixty years after the release of Pet Sounds, the legendary album that revolutionized pop music, two former Beach Boys bandmates, Mike Love and Al Jardine, are still honoring its legacy in their own unique ways. Despite the 60th anniversary of the album, the bad blood between Love and Jardine prevented them from coming together for a joint tour. However, both artists have found creative ways to pay homage to Pet Sounds, showcasing the enduring impact of this iconic record.
Mike Love, the surviving member of the original Beach Boys, has been actively promoting his officially licensed version of the band. He recently recruited Chris Cron, an Instagram-famous vocalist, to replace Bruce Johnston in his touring band. Cron's tribute group, Pet Sounds Live, performs note-perfect renditions of the full Pet Sounds album, making it easy for Love to introduce new songs like 'I'm Waiting for the Day' into his live shows. Additionally, Love's son, Christian Love, and Brian Eichenberger, a former member of Brian Wilson's touring band, take the lead on 'God Only Knows' and 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', respectively. This has allowed Love to delve deeper into Pet Sounds, performing more songs from the album than Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band.
Al Jardine, on the other hand, has been focusing on his own tribute band, the Pet Sounds Band, which consists of veteran members of Brian Wilson's backing band. They initially played only a few Pet Sounds songs, including 'Sloop John B.', 'God Only Knows', and 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'. However, when they returned to the road in June, they added an extended selection of songs from the album, such as 'I'm Waiting for the Day', 'I Know There's an Answer', 'Here Today', 'Pet Sounds', and 'Caroline, No'. This has allowed Jardine to perform a total of nine Pet Sounds songs per night, compared to Love's four.
One interesting detail is that Jardine began singing a portion of the Pet Sounds outtake 'Hang On to Your Ego' during his tour of Australia. This song is essentially 'I Know There's an Answer' with different lyrics, and Jardine's decision to perform it is a subtle dig at Mike Love, who insisted on changing the lyrics back in 1966 to distance the song from psychedelic drug use.
Despite their individual approaches, Love and Jardine have both been actively paying homage to Pet Sounds this year. While they won't perform together, Love has been adding new songs to his set, while Jardine has been performing more Pet Sounds songs than ever before. The Pet Sounds 60th anniversary celebration will continue through the end of the year, and it remains to be seen if either artist will perform the full album. However, one thing is certain: the legacy of Pet Sounds will continue to inspire and influence generations of musicians, ensuring that its impact will be felt for years to come.
