Two things; yes, this is early again for the second week in a row, but I have a busy day tomorrow and will then be gone for 4 days after that, so here it is. The other thing is that I somehow mislabled a couple of the prior weeks because Elvis was # 9, Dylan # 8, and this week is # 10. If you don't like it, call my complaint office at 1-800-Eat-Dirt.

Anyway, this week's selection is a no-brainer, with The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966). Of late, Pet Sounds has replaced Sgt. Pepper's as the critics' choice of Greatest Album of All Time. Composed by the increasingly reclusive Brian Wilson while the rest of the group were touring, it might well have been a solo album. The beauty resides not just in its compositional genius and instrumental invention, but in the elaborate vocal harmonies that imbue these sad songs with an almost heartbreaking grandeur. Without this....where to start? The Beatles acknowledged its influence; Dylan said of Brian Wilson, "That ear! I mean, Jesus, he's got to will that to the Smithsonian."

I grew up listening to this band, although I didn't appreciate this record until I was much older, instead listening to their "hits" like most of my friends (I still really love "In My Room"). While I may stop short of calling this the "Greatest Album of All Time", it certainly should be considered among the very best and is among my all time favorites.

Swish