> Brian Wilson was quoted as saying: “Rubber Soul blew my mind. I liked the way it all went together, the way it was all one thing. It was a challenge to me to do something similar. That made me want to make Pet Sounds, I didn’t want to do the same kind of music, but on the same level.”
Then
> However, it was Paul McCartney who was possibly the biggest fan of ‘Pet Sounds’. He was even quoted as saying: “It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water. I played it to John so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence.”
And further:
> At the time, Brian Wilson was working on the The Beach Boys’ Smile album and was struggling to complete it. One day, whilst driving in his car under the influence of drugs, the newly released ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ was played on the radio. His passenger at the time, Michael Vosse, recounts “he just shook his head and said ‘They did it already – what I wanted to do with Smile. Maybe it’s too late.’”
Also, the Beatles and Beach Boys. One article about that is here: https://mathewstreet.co.uk/the-beatles-vs-beach-boys/. A pull quote:
> Brian Wilson was quoted as saying: “Rubber Soul blew my mind. I liked the way it all went together, the way it was all one thing. It was a challenge to me to do something similar. That made me want to make Pet Sounds, I didn’t want to do the same kind of music, but on the same level.”
Then
> However, it was Paul McCartney who was possibly the biggest fan of ‘Pet Sounds’. He was even quoted as saying: “It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water. I played it to John so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence.”
And further:
> At the time, Brian Wilson was working on the The Beach Boys’ Smile album and was struggling to complete it. One day, whilst driving in his car under the influence of drugs, the newly released ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ was played on the radio. His passenger at the time, Michael Vosse, recounts “he just shook his head and said ‘They did it already – what I wanted to do with Smile. Maybe it’s too late.’”