Pet Sounds is 50 and Beach Boys genius Brian Wilson is headed for Levitation to perform it. To celebrate, producer Al Lover compiled A Tribute to Pet Sounds with covers by festival acts both local (Holy Wave) and global (Brazil’s Boogarins), and sold at Carson Creek Ranch. In the meantime, chew on these renditions.
Peggy Lipton, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” (1970): Mod Squad TV beauty coos sunshine pop.
Kirsty MacColl, “You Still Believe in Me” (1981): No bicycle horns, but late UK siren MacColl had a voice Wilson would snap to.
Sonic Youth, “I Know There’s an Answer” (1990): Goo outtake slathered in howling warble.
Frank Black, “Hang on to Your Ego” (1993): Pixies frontman’s solo debut resurrects “Answer” with Mike Love-vetoed lyrics.
Sean Macreavy, “Let’s Go Away for Awhile” (1994): Convincing homage adds lyrics to Wilson’s instrumental.
Alex Chilton, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (1997/released 2013): Winged acoustic version from Big Star casualty performed by candlelight during Knitting Factory power outage.
Reigning Sound, “I’m Waiting for the Day” (2001): Memphis garage scuzz meets country-fried jaunt.
Mandy Moore & Michael Stipe, “God Only Knows” (2004): Pairing from Saved! soundtrack lands in purgatory.
Charles Lloyd Quartet, “Caroline, No” (2010): Tenor sax great imbues instrumental take with fluidity.
Michael Fracasso, “Caroline, No” (2016): Local songsmith mines the high lonesome.
This article appears in April 29 • 2016.
