The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds

For my very first Blog, ever, I am going to be discussing The Beach Boy’s Album entitled Pet Sounds (released in 1966).


I will be discussing several questions related to this album and what kinds of influences were involved in its conception and birth.

Describe the music and image of The Beach Boys prior to the recording of Pet Sounds.

From the early stages of the Beach Boy’s career, the image that they were responsible for was the “surfer” look and sound. Surf music was fairly new and the ability to capture the essence of the “wild and free” mentality and express it through music was an amazing feat. Singer, songwriter and founder of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, combined his experiences with surfing, cars and living under the control of his father, and manager, related to the one thing that other youth of that era could relate to and that was being free to do what they wanted. It wasn’t until Brian Wilson took a needed break from touring that he was able to think clearly about his next move. With the release of The Beatles’ Revolver album in 1966, Brian realized that he had found the sound he was looking for and continued on to create, what he referred to as, "...the greatest rock album ever made!" (Carlin, Peter A.).

Discuss Brian Wilson and his role within The Beach Boys.

Brian Wilson was the older brother, cousin and inspiration for the Beach Boys and was primarily the songwriter for the group. Although he wasn't the front man or lead singer for the band, he was under the constant pressure of his father, and manager at the time, to perform stronger and better than anyone else.          

What influenced Brian Wilson to write and record Pet Sounds?

After many years of touring with the group, the pressures were building up. It wasn't until Wilson had heard the Beatles’ Rubber Soul album that he was able to focus on a direction he wanted to go. Wilson described his first time hearing the track as "a whole album with all good stuff." (Elliot, B.).

Discuss a minimum of two characteristics of Pet Sounds that set it apart from other popular recordings of the mid 1960s e.g. arrangements, session musicians, instrumentation, production qualities, lyrical themes, etc.

From the very first songs I heard from the Beach Boys, to the very last released song, I have always had a great respect for the abilities they had for deriving concepts from everyday life. Their lyrical ability was the first thing I remember to be a major characteristic of theirs. With the emergence of politically inspired music of the 60’s, the “Psychedelic Rock” sound became a major image for the group now. Drifting away from the “surf rock” image and plunging “head-first” into this new sound was a major step for Wilson. As stated, “While other bands at the time were looking outwards toward social problems and oppressive governmental policies and circumstances, Wilson looked inward for lyrical inspiration. His recent experiences from his nervous breakdowns to breaking away from the band's touring would supply him for the written content throughout Pet Sounds, specifically on the second side (Carlin, Peter A. Audiobook).

One of the other major characteristics that I found to be exceptional was that, for the most part, the entire album was conceived, recorded and produced by Brian Wilson who had taken a break from the touring and recording with the band to work on this new sound. The creative use of unusual instruments and tools created a sound that would change the face of the Beach Boys. Primarily influenced by the Beatles’ album Revolver, the sound was new to the group, and did meet with some hesitation from them. ”…it was an entirely new aspect for the other members to adapt to. It was initially met with resistance, but they eventually gave in, thinking of Pet Sounds as "Wilson's ego album" (Matthew, G.).


What impression does Pet Sounds have on you as a listener and as an industry professional?

My first experiences with Pet Sounds were complete immersion into the music. I truly enjoyed the ability of a songwriter and musician to completely captivate an audience with sound. The use of unique instruments and production techniques allowed for a very wide range of chord changes, altered chords and inversions, as well as the harmony and use of counterpoint to create the sound Wilson had incorporated into the music over the years. As an industry professional, I found that the sound was very different than Revolver. The sound was bolder and offered a more technical approach to the recording techniques. There was a very distinct difference between the harmony sound, the instrument placement and overall sound that was more enjoyable to listen to than the music on the Revolver album, for example, but still was considered a pleasant approach to the “Psychedelic Rock” era.