“Pet Sounds was nearly shelved some 50 years ago, when Capitol Records executives heard the album’s lush orchestration and complex vocal arrangements and deemed them a little too sophisticated for the music fans of the day,” writes Ray Routhier in Thursday’s (1/7) Portland Press Herald (Maine). “The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds was eventually released in 1966 and is … so revered that its 50th birthday is being celebrated around the world. One of those celebrations will take place this week in Portland, with two performances of ‘PSO POPS! The Music of the Beach Boys: Pet Sounds’ at Merrill Auditorium on Saturday and Sunday. Guest conductor Jeffrey Reed will lead the Portland Symphony Orchestra plus a rock band and vocalists in performing all 13 ‘Pet Sounds’ songs, in order, plus ‘Good Vibrations.’ … The symphony planned these shows about two years ago, after hearing about Kentucky-based Reed and the pop music milestone shows he has put together with orchestras in the past few years, said Carolyn Nishon, executive director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra…. About 65 members of the symphony will perform. Reed will bring with him a band that includes two lead singers, two guitarists, bass, keyboards and drums.”
Posted January 8, 2016
