Beach Boys vocalist Brian Wilson will pay tribute to the group’s highly acclaimed “Pet Sounds” album Sunday during the record’s commemorative 50th anniversary tour.

“Pet Sounds,” which was ranked second by Rolling Stone in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, was released in 1966, but the 50th anniversary tour kicks off Friday in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Wilson will perform at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

The album was praised by Rolling Stone for “its vivid orchestration, lyrical ambition, elegant pacing and thematic coherence.” Wilson, who was called “the band’s resident genius” by the magazine, will be joined on the tour by former bandmates Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin. Tickets for the show can be purchased online.

The tour was extended from last year to include 45 European and 128 North American shows, including Syracuse. Wilson will play the album in its entirety as well as several other top hits and fan favorites from his 54-year career.

“I think what was special about this, in the case of Brian Wilson, one is that his performance abilities are pretty debilitated at this time, so it’s unusual to get Brian Wilson up on stage,” said Theo Cateforis, a professor of music history and cultures at Syracuse University.

Cateforis, who specializes in research on American music and film music — and the history of rock music in particular — said the tour comes after a couple decades of artists, “reforming or taking special tours to perform entire albums.”

“Bands didn’t do that when albums used to come out,” he added.

“Pet Sounds,” which ranked No. 10 on American charts, had four singles. “Sloop John B” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” made the Top 10, and “God Only Knows” and “Caroline No” made the Top 40.

Cateforis described the unconventional instrumentations as adding a lot of color and being “very distinctive.” He said the album should be listened to in an intimate setting so the technical aspects of it can be heard.

“‘Pet Sounds’ is for many people, the pinnacle of (Wilson’s) style and the fact that it could bring together these really diverse and disparate elements,” he said.

Wilson’s performance at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater is important, Cateforis said, because critically acclaimed classic albums are rarely produced anymore. Although “Pet Sounds” is known for being technical music and a studio product, Wilson said the album is personal.

“‘Pet Sounds,’ on a human emotional level, it has a lot to do with relationships, wanting to be accepted, finding your place in the world,” Cateforis said. “I think it reaches a lot of people not just for the kind of technical aspects, but also because it’s very easy to relate to.”

The concert is not sold out; tickets can still be purchased online from The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater website.

Published on September 27, 2017 at 10:07 pm