AOTW #21 - Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds is one of the classic greats, one of the LPs that made the album the definitive music release format of the past 40 years. The story of Pet Sounds really begins with Rubber Soul, which I would argue was the Beatles’ turning point. Brian Wilson, who had spent his hold career improvising and experimenting with recording techniques saw Rubber Soul as a landmark, something that was more than a collection of songs. “They all belonged together,” he said, and sought to create something to rival that and even surpass it.

Wilson’s magnum opus, composed toward the end of his happy period, Pet Sounds never commercially successful, only going gold or platinum in 2000. It is however, perhaps the most critically claimed album ever released. Characterized by a deeply layered sound backing simplistic melodies, it is the cornerstone of Brian Wilson’s style.

Thematically, it tells of nostalgia for youth; nostalgia for the same things the Beach Boys sang about in their big hits: girls, surfing, and cars. Though none of the songs are explicitly about this, they recall the feelings of the sunniness of youth. However, Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, and Al Jardine saw this as a break from their earlier style, and were resistant to lay down vocals over the backing tracks Wilson had already meticulously recorded.

Pet Sounds

The record starts off with one of my favorite Beach Boys tracks, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” that sets the tone and the theme for the whole album. It’s about the feeling kids get, the romanticism of adult life, staying up late, running away to get married, etc. Brian Wilson, “Listen for the rockin' accordions and the ethereal guitars in the introduction. Tony and I had visualized a scene. We had a feeling in our hearts, like a vibration. We put it into music, and it found its way onto tape. We really felt good about that record.” Personally, I also love the drumming on this track. Not sure why, I just do.

Followed by “You Still Believe In Me,” a track about a guy who seems to be letting his own issues get in the way of relationships. The girl, for her part, keeps coming back even after all that. “Every time we break up/You bring back your love to me/And after all I've done to you/How can it be?” It also evokes the sound of childhood through its boys’ choir sound and remnants of bike horns and chimes from a previous version of the track.

“That’s Not Me,” is about someone who just packs up and leaves, and builds off another theme touched on in “You Still Believe In Me,” a sort of self-loathing, and self-escapism. The protagonists in both songs want to escape part of themselves, but running away only brought more loneliness. It’s also notable for being the only song on the album that actually features the whole band playing instruments.

The next standout track for me is “I’m Waiting for the Day,” which is the best representation of a situation which most “nice guys” have faced. Crushing hard on a girl when she and her boyfriend break up, being there to comfort her, but really being happy about the breakup and wanting her to be with you rather than lamenting the loss of the other guy. “He hurt you then/but that's all done/I guess I'm saying you're the only one/I'm waiting for the day when you can love again.” I know I’ve been there more than once, and Brian Wilson obviously has too. Again, excellent drum track as well.

Next is “Let’s Go Away for a While,” an instrumental composition. Weezer borrowed the name for the opening lyric on their “Holiday,” and I think Brian Wilson does a better job of explaining this track than I ever could:

"the most satisfying piece of music I've ever made. I applied a certain set of dynamics through the arrangement and the mixing and got a full musical extension of what I'd planned during the earliest stages of the theme. I think the chord changes are very special. I used a lot of musicians on the track; twelve violins, piano, four saxes, oboe, vibes, a guitar with a coke bottle on the strings for a semi-steel guitar effect. Also, I used two basses and percussion. The total effect is Let's Go Away For Awhile, which is something everyone in the world must have said at some time or another. Nice thought; most of us don't go away, but it's still a nice thought."

Again, it comes back to that theme expressed in “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” to run away, and find world peace.

What follows is “Sloop John B,” a cover that forms the real cornerstone of the album. It’s recording preceded the rest of the album, and really set up what Wilson was trying to do. The cover of the West Indies traditional was suggested by Al Jardine, and remains a classic. Fantastic vocals and melodies all around.

“God Only Knows” is exemplarily of this subgenre, baroque pop. Technically complicated and artfully complex, it is probably the second best Beach Boys song ever written.  Jimmy Webb, a famous American popular music composer, had this to say, “its bow to the baroque that goes all the way back to 1740 and J.S. Bach. It represents the whole tradition of liturgical music that I feel is a spiritual part of Brian's music. And Carl's singing is pretty much at its pinnacle - as good as it ever got."

It’s a song about breaking up, and though you know “life would still go on, believe me,” it feels like it still isn’t a life worth living. This raw emotion combined with such intricately crafted vocals and backing track(s) make it a superb song by any standard.

“Here Today” is about puppy love and its fleetingness. “Love is here/and tomorrow it’s gone,” Mike Love sings, about the nature of teenaged love, when everything feels like the end of the world. It’s a great bouncy song that captures early romance so well and fits with the childlike feelings expressed on the album.

Originally titled “Run James Run,” the title track of the album is a rollicking surf rock instrumental, not far off from work by The Ventures or Dick Dale and his Del-Tones. The original title comes from Wilson’s intention that it become a James Bond movie theme. This would have been at the end of the Sean Connery era, (the next movie after the song would was You Only Live Twice) and would have fit the overall motif of the series rather well, I think.

The last song, “Caroline, No,” was Brian Wilson’s first solo single, and heavily influenced by Phil Spector. It’s a ballad of unrequited love and really sums up the album in terms of nostalgia for times past and the feelings of childhood/teenagerdom.

Overall, while I understand how groundbreaking it is, Pet Sounds is not one of my favorite albums. I like a couple of the songs on the album, and I realize that one of my favorite albums, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band was inspired by it, but it just doesn’t quite resonate with me.

However, the best Beach Boys songs ever recorded came out of the Pet Sounds Sessions, and that song is “Good Vibrations.” It’s also the best use ever for an electro-theramin. Love that song.

An interesting footnote is that the album was entirely produced in mono as opposed to stereo for several reasons. One, Brian Wilson was deaf in his right ear, two, the remaining prevalence of mono sets, and perhaps most interestingly as I await the release of the Beatles’ mono box set, In spite of the availability of complex multitrack recording, Wilson (and the Beatles and Phil Spector) felt that mono mastering provided more sonic control over the final result that the listener heard, regardless of the variable speaker placement and sound system quality.

[iTunes] <- definitely recommend this version, as you get both the mono (great for laptops!) and stereo versions for 12.99
[Amazon mp3]

Album of the Week appears every Wednesday at Knowhere. Each week Ryan discusses an album in context of influence, artistic merit, and whatever else seems slightly relevant