Album #93 : The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

Pet Sounds (1966)

The Beach Boys found fame in the 1960s composing and producing songs about surf, sand, cars and babes....and nothing else. Their brand of surf rock, featuring multi-layered vocal harmonies and rocking arrangements found a home in America, the land of surf, sand, cars and babes (and nothing else).

By the mid 1960s, though, and with his mental state growing more fragile, the group's talismanic genius, Brian Wilson, had grown tired of churning out album after album of surf rock. On the verge of burnout, he began to become not only more introspective of his mental demons, but also sought to push the boundaries of musical production. Inspired by The Beatles' Rubber Soul, which he saw as the perfect album, Wilson set out to create something better. The result was Pet Sounds, incredibly the band's eleventh studio album in five years.

It was to play a part in the redefinition of pop and rock music. It was also the beginning of the end for the Beach Boys as a chart-topping force.

The Album

Drawing largely on baroque influences and instruments, Pet Sounds is far removed from the early surf rock sound. Guitars and drums are at a minimum, replaced by horns, strings, harpsichords, flutes and percussion. However, those famous vocal harmonies are turned up several notches, and were never better at any time in the band's career than right here (save for Good Vibrations, perhaps). Additionally, Wilson's growing experimentation with LSD meant the songs also took on a psychedelic edge, with a heavy use of reverb on instruments and vocals (one example being I Know There's An Answer, which was written during Wilson's second acid trip). The result is the most experimental, boundary-pushing Beach Boys album in their entire catalogue.

The songs themselves are a testament to Brian Wilson's abilities as a songwriter (though he was ably supported with lyrics by Tony Asher). Wilson's gift for creating melody and weaving intricacy into a song's arrangement is all over the album. Leading the way is a song that deserves consideration as one of the finest ever written, God Only Knows. One of the few tracks not sung by Wilson (his brother Carl takes the lead vocal), it is utterly gorgeous. French horns and harpsichords play us in, before Carl Wilson's lead vocal takes us to a higher plane - haunting, beautiful, crisp. Baroque influences abound due to the ever-present harpsichord, and at the song's denouement, C Wilson, B Wilson and Mike Love's vocals swirl around each other creating a kind of vocal Shepard note. 

It simply must be heard.

That's not all though. Wouldn't It Be Nice is one song closer to the 'old' Beach Boys sound, featuring a more traditional rock percussion track, though the instrumentation is gloriously lush with horns, accordions and guitars. It takes an optimistic tone musically, and this is supported by a set of hopeful lyrics. Sloop John B, based on an old West Indian folk song, is a highly underrated tune. More great vocal harmonies (there's a brief moment near the end where it's just the vocals alone, and it's stunning) and a simple folky chord structure make the song such a great listen. Also of an upbeat mood is I'm Waiting For The Day, with its BIG choruses (featuring booming drums and strings, as well as vocal harmonies) and even bigger coda.

Most of the album's tracks, however, would be classed as 'baroque pop', and there's some variety in these baroque tunes (which, to be frank, there needs to be; I find baroque pop to be good as something different, but it shouldn't be an album's dominant musical landscape.) They range from the dreamy yet doleful You Still Believe In Me and the short, yet pretty instrumental Let's Go Away For Awhile, to the downbeat yet beautiful Caroline, No and Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder). The latter two are almost as good as any of the 'big' songs on Pet Sounds; the former with a downbeat melody, accentuated by Brian Wilson's double tracked lament and the soft tones of a vibraphone, and the latter featuring sombre, yet creative, chord progressions and the gentle emotion-generating string arrangement.

There are also signs of the demons that were beginning to plague Wilson, encapsulated partly in the song That's Not Me (which, interestingly, was actually sung by Mike Love). Wilson himself thought the song related perfectly to him, although when it was written by he and Asher that wasn't the intention. However, the track I Just Wasn't Made For These Times entirely sums up Wilson's mental state, as he began to believe that his musical visions were far outstripping the technological capabilities of the time, as well as dealing with people who thought that Pet Sounds was too ambitious. 

Which, in fairness, it probably was.

The Verdict

We, however, should be thankful for Wilson's ambition. History records that Pet Sounds became the catalyst for so many bands to reinvent their sounds; upon hearing the album, Paul McCartney was inspired to continue the musical arms race, leading The Beatles to compose and record Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which also helped change the face of music. A massively diverse range of musicians, from Elvis Costello to somebody called Biffy Clyro, have cited the album as inspirational.

In terms of songwriting and production, it truly is one of the great albums. It helps that it's also just so damned beautiful to listen to. It's not quite perfect though - for mine, it lacks those electrifying goosebump moments that elevate great albums to another level (although, I'll grant that God Only Knows is one great big electrifying goosebump moment) and it goes back to the baroque/psychedelia well a little too often. 

As far as that Rubber Soul comparison? Well, Pet Sounds has higher highs, but Rubber Soul is more consistently good. So it's not quite a five star album because it doesn't quite have that consistency of quality....but it is, nonetheless, an album that you must listen to if you've never heard it. The Beach Boys (and rock music) would never be the same again because of Pet Sounds.

My rating: **** and a half

Standout Tracks

God Only Knows

I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

Sloop John B

Caroline, No

Tomorrow, another request album!