Pet Sounds Blog

The Beach Boys were one of the biggest and most influential bands of the 20th century, and theireleventh studio album, Pet Sounds, has proven to be one of the most important albums of all time[1].  Pet Sounds introduced many new styles, instrumentation, and subject matter that Beach Boys fans had not heard before.  Prior to Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys’ sound was a harmony rich rock style, typically focusing on surfing, cars, and young romance.  

The driving influence in the evolution of the Beach Boys sound was their principle writer, producer, arranger, and band mate, Brian Wilson[2].  This overload of responsibilities eventually took its toll on Wilson and near the end of 1964 he announced that he would no longer tour with the band.  This sent him back to the studio full time to focus on writing and letting his creativity prosper.  Brian had also observed the practices of the great Phil Spector in the studio, which led to the addition of new instrumentation that was not typically associated with rock music, such as accordions and bass harmonicas.  Brian Wilson was also greatly influenced by landfall of The Beatles.  The two bands were in a direct yet friendly competition to be the number one band, and they were continually pushing each other to achieve new heights.  After hearing The Beatles album Rubber Soul, which was released December of 1965 just prior to the Beach Boys Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson has said, “I really wasn't quite ready for the unity. It felt like it all belonged together. Rubber Soul was a collection of songs ... that somehow went together like no album ever made before, and I was very impressed. I said, 'That's it. I really am challenged to do a great album.'”1

That he did.  Pet Sounds was something totally new, a progressive album by which the collection of songs worked together as a whole.  The subject matter in Pet Sounds had also progressed to deeper matters like heartache, ego, and even hints into Brian Wilson’s own struggles with success.  The album also was produced with such a new variety of instrumentation, which melded with the vocal harmonies to create a thick and powerful sound. 

When listening to Pet Sounds, I can really admire the inspiration behind it.  The instrumentation really sounds out to me now.  I can remember hearing some of these songs before and I never noticed how much is going on.  I also truly appreciate the content of the album.  The Beach Boys new how to sell albums, but with Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson chose to break away from the standard and display a more expressive and artistic side. 

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Sounds

[2] The Bob Edward’s Interview with Peter Ames Carlin, Author of catch A Wave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson – August 13, 2009