The Beach Boys


Pet Sounds (Capitol ‘66) Rating: A+
The legendary album where Brian Wilson’s studio obsessions and artistic vision reached a remarkable peak, this breathtakingly beautiful album deals with Brian’s desperate quest for love and acceptance. Its mature handling of subjects such as loneliness, alienation, and (the difficulty of) growing up made it a far cry from the perfect sounds of the endless summers that their fans had come to expect. Instead of relishing in boyish fantasies, Pet Sounds was a deeply personal adult album that Brian totally dominates (he sings lead on most of the songs, and quite beautifully at that), though his bandmates’ exquisite vocal harmonies help shape the album’s great overall sound. Mike Love also puts in some typically fine vocal leads, while Carl Wilson gives one of the all-time great vocal performances on “God Only Knows,” a song that Paul McCartney, who was greatly influenced by this album, called “the best song ever written.” The song structures here are simple on the surface but are incredibly detailed, and the album has a three dimensional feel that’s filled with an almost symphonic sense of wonder. The enthusiastic liner notes (by David Leaf) accurately describes the “airy feeling that complemented the cerebral nature of the songs,” while also noting their “classical overtones.” Varied instrumentation and adventurous production tricks also help make this a one of a kind experience. For example, on “Let’s Go Away For Awhile” Brian uses “12 violins, piano, four saxes, oboes, vibes, and a guitar with a coke bottle on the strings for a semi-steel guitar effect.” Despite its magnificence and lasting influence, the other band members didn’t quite know what to make of Pet Sounds at first (Love famously called it “Brian’s ego music”), and the album was a commercial flop compared to past successes despite superlative singles such as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Sloop John B,” which caused Chuck Britz to claim that “they could sing acapella and make tears come to your eyes.” Other highlights include the angelic “You Still Believe In Me,” one of the album’s most optimistic songs along with the comforting “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder).” The album’s most affecting songs might be the autobiographical “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times,” which details Wilson’s obvious sense of dislocation, and “Caroline No,” a devastating look at a young lady’s loss of innocence. However, you really need to listen to the album in its entirety to fully appreciate why the stature of Pet Sounds has grown and grown over the years, and why it is the primary reason that Brian Wilson enjoys the appellation of “genius.” In fact, Pet Sounds has won several several “greatest albums of all-time” critic polls; the album is especially revered in the U.K., where Mojo, Melody Maker, and NME all ranked it #1. Unfortunately, drugs and the pressure of trying to top this album literally drove Wilson crazy.

send me an email

Back To Artist Index Page