It was very competitive in the '60s. And everybody caught the bug, y'know? It was like a competitive bug. And, as far as I could see, everybody was turning everybody on. … The Beatles were a part of that whole competition thing. Rubber Soul blew my mind. It really made me wanna record; it made me wanna cut. It sounds like a collection of songs that belong together, and it was an uplifting feeling. So I thought I'd make a collection of songs — called Pet Sounds — together. That's how I got that idea. … I'm proud of it. I think it's a very everlasting album. I'm very proud of the love that went into it. A lot of love went into that album. And people pick up on that too, and they really like it 'cause they feel the love.

Bassics interview (1999)