I think that "Pet Sounds" is the most progressive album of the year in as much as Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherezade" was. It is the pop equivalent of that. A complete exercise in pop technique. Personally I consider it to be a fantastic album. The lyrics are tremendous. The way Wilson has suited them to the songs is outstanding. I see pop music as a form of escapism, and "Pet Sounds" is a great example of escapism. (p. 8)

Andrew Oldham, in Melody Maker (© IPC Business Press Ltd.), July 30, 1966.