My growing interest in the subtly seminal American rock group, The Beach Boys, came from multiple sources, one of them in an ironic environment. The first came from my History of Rock class I took a while back, my professor devoted one of his lectures to the ambition of Brian Wilson, who may have spurred on one of the most creative eras in rock 'n roll. My professor usually plays us specific songs as examples for his lectures, this one being California Girls. As it was playing he would comment on the complexity of the instrumentation as well as the vocals that would construct an epic piece. I didn't think twice when I purchased a handful of songs on itunes from the band, including, Surfin' USA, I Get Around, Good Vibrations, California Girls, and Kokomo. There were the songs I have known since childhood, but never gave them much thought. Frankly, I never game The Beach Boys much thought since I hollowed out much of their uniqueness and, later, ambition and only thought of them as this shell of American idealism; why would I listen to them when there were more emotional and ferocious bands and singers? Ignorance was certainly not a blissful state, and the first time I sat down a listened to these songs with much focus made that clear for me. It was a short time after that I began reading up on them, any place I could find on the internet. That led me to Pet Sounds.
The other source, the ironic one, came during my documentary work with my school's music ensemble group, No Jackets Required. They were putting on a Beatles tribute show and I volunteered to film everything, from the auditions to rehearsal to the actual show...so I heard around thirty Beatles songs about, well, thirty times each. The funny thing is, as the people around me talked about the greatness of the Beatles, their masterful albums, and what seemed to be an infinite amount of great songs, I couldn't help but looking back at what I learned about the American rock band from California in which only one of them could actually surf. Sgt. Peppers was thrown around a lot, obviously, during rehearsals, but I did remember that album was essentially inspired by Paul McCartney's favorite album, which happens to be Pet Sounds. Then I realized I had not actually heard the whole album before. Of course, I've heard of the singles, but like the Beatles albums that came out around the same time, you have to hear the whole spectrum of songs that make up such a piece. Luckily, to an extent, the whole album is on Youtube. Listening to this album for the first time amid a continuous exposure to the Beatles left an intense impression on me.
I'll begin by talking a little about Brian Wilson, who constructed the instrumentation for Pet Sounds and is hailed as one of the grandmasters of popular music, yet was also subjected to oppressive psychological issues. Numerous pressures suffocated much of his thought and made way for stark anxiety, causing him to have a panic attack on a plane at the start of a tour and thus ending his time of performing with the band for a long time. He has been a tragic and triumphant character most of his life; his triumph obviously is his lasting legacy. Yet his creative ambitions, his emotional challenges, and his musical brilliance create this colorful vignette of a person that deeply intrigues me, maybe it's the filmmaker in me capturing a dramatic, real life, figure. All the stories I've read up on him formulating and constructing intricate melodies and deep orchestration with an obsessive touch fascinates me. The ending result, which the rest of the band took time to get use to, is a spectacle but, more importantly, an achievement in human perseverance.
When you know you really like the music you are listening to, it begins to enter your thoughts and control your feelings. You let yourself go to such control, and each and every note being hit is another trigger for emotional and physical response. Pet Sounds sets up its tone right from the beginning, and it is sustained gracefully throughout. I won't go through each and every song in the album, that would lengthen this post to more of a novella in some way, so I will highlight several of my favorites.
Starting out with the energetic song, Wouldn't It Be Nice, is an easy segway from the bands older music to the music in the album. The way it builds and slows down in an upbeat manner somewhat hides the new style of the lyrics, which were not about the beach, surfing, girls, or cars. Well, it wasn't that far removed, it is about love, but there was something more, it was as if the band began observing their trademark innocence with more reverence and focus. Such observance gives light to a certain nostalgia or an impossibility of return to such an innocence; the title of the piece fits such a description and this nostalgia and gradual loss of youth is the underlying theme of the album, and Wilson does an incredible job at wrapping his music and harmonies around such melancholy.
The next track is much more haunting; You Still Believe In Me begins with a forlorn harmony. It is a song that talks about the mistakes the man has made and is surprised his girl is still with him after all this time. The song's outro, following the last line, "I'm starting to cry," echoes the sadness and self doubt with a lingering harmony. It fades to an extent, but rushes back with such ghostly and powerful force. Now, the insertion of the bicycle horns is slightly arbitrary, but, to connect the theme, it does offer some auditory glimpse of youth. Nonetheless, that pianoforte (correct me if I'm using the wrong term, but I feel I must use a musical term to describe such a happening) at the end of song is chilling and lasting. My heart begins to pound faster in the moments before such an ending; it is so well done.
The stretch of three songs: Lets Go Away For Awhile, Sloop John B, and God Only Knows creates, personally, the climax of the masterpiece. The instrumental of Lets Go Away For Awhile holds a sort of tantalizing sweetness. The rising horn section mixed with the thunderous drums seems to provoke a unique vision in my mind that I am driving on a highway, the only car occupying the road, and I am driving away from something, something I want to get away from. The piece is meshed with excitement and caution. This instrumental is succeeded by Sloop John B., which could be the most depressing song on the list, depending on the way you look at it. Nevertheless, there is a longing to return to a familiar place, free from the chaos that can ensue. In this song particularly, I enjoy the imagery that the lyrics inspire, since it seems to be motivated by Murphy's Law through and through; the song thus becomes drenched in misfortune.
Next is God Only Knows, which I consider to be the perfect blend of instrumentation and a-capella; one of my favorite songs of all time. It combines the simplicity of its message with the complexity of its tone and feeling in a way that is utterly whimsical, every note is given such grace. It begins with a hopeful swell of the horns, the voice enter to add a layer of dolefulness as the singer explains that though his love for her may not always be there, he doesn't know what would happen if she wasn't there. The delivery of the title line is done with such doubt and reservation. The lyrics here and throughout suggest a certain conflict of feeling. One part of the singer seems to not care what the girl does, a forced apathy, if you will. The other part reaches back into memory and fuels its doubt to recite the title line. The verses seems to rise in pitch, which make it seems like the singer becomes more desperate as he remains careless of the situation at hand, then, when the chorus starts, we go back down to a calmer but more somber execution of the lines. It is hard for me to contain such exuberance when experiencing this song. It feels so direct, but when I try to grasp its full meaning the song seems to become translucent in a way. Then again, I sometimes get lost in the beauty of its construction to fully engage myself in the personal significance. Even so, I certainly lose myself in the final moments of the song, when the voices take full control and a multi-layered vocal outro is established. I believe this is the zenith of The Beach Boys vocal talent and why I say they have the greatest assemblage of vocals in any pop group ever. I know that's a bold statement, but their strength, in all the music I've listened to, is incomparable.
The rest of the album, not to demean it in any way by not focusing as much attention on it, is beautiful. The title song, Pet Sounds, is an eccentric instrumental that still evokes a sense of the tropical nature of the group before this album. The last song, Caroline, No, is a fitting way to end such a thematic presence; the singer sees an old love grow up and become detached to the feelings and memories of their youth. Once over, I began to reflect on such an abstract yet familiar narrative of this transformation, losing the innocence of yesteryear. Putting it in a historical context, it seemed appropriate to the way in which their generation saw this innocence now gone, something that songs like American Pie and Running on Empty would embody years later. Brian Wilson crafted a lyrical prose outline such a transformation that would hint at the coming of psychedelia and the counter culture, something The Beatles embodied with their albums around the same time period.
This album was said to inspire the great Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. George Martin explicity says that without Pet Sounds there would be no Sgt. Peppers. And if there was one song that was directly influenced musically it will be the famed A Day in the Life, whose orchestration is as deep and complex as many of the songs on The Beach Boys album. I will not say which one is better, I don't think there is a better album, although I will say I prefer Pet Sounds mainly because of its intriguing dichotomy of simplicity and complexity as well as something more connecting than the lavishly psychedelic nature of The Beatles' lyrics. Nevertheless, I admire the ambition that grew profusely during this time. It is a time where musically and artistically determination and creativity flourished...as well as a little arrogance. I wish to see more of this not just in music, but in all sorts of mediums of expression since there is a truthfulness and an obligation to do much more. And such triumph is amplified given the state of Brian Wilson, who seemed to be at war with his inner demons but still managed to formulate something of almost universal clarity.
The Beach Boys should not be ignored or looked upon with shallow focus. They are the band that gave us good times and beach vibes. The thing is, they retain much of their core foundations that made them stand out in the first place in Pet Sounds. Their direct lyrics (whether they are simple or not) and unique harmonies are still there. I feel, though, that a lot of credit is misplaced when discussing The Beach Boys, and of Brian Wilson, one of the most important figures in popular music. My curiosity long ago has satisfied me with such an opportunity to experience phenomenal piece of music. I hope you feel moved in some way, because I want you to feel compelled to listen, as well. It's even more fun to share such an experience.
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