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Topic: Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys |
Wayne Carver
From:
Martinez, Georgia, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 5:22 am |
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This album shows up on all of the Top 50 or Top 100 list of the greatest albums. Some even consider it the best or 2nd best album ever. For some reason I never got around to listening to it until recently.
I like all the Beach Boys songs about Girls, Cars, and Fun but didn't care much for "Pet Sounds". With all of the sound effects it sorta reminded me of the "Langley Schools Music Project". I realize the importance of the Beach Boys and their influence on other bands though.
Just wondering what others think of this album? |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 7:01 am
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I don't have time to write much this morning, have to get off to work soon.
But I'm from the "top one or two albums ever made" school.
It wasn't your obvious "I Get Around" or "Fun,Fun,Fun" - easily appealing to the masses type of work.
If only I had never heard it before so that I could listen it now for the first time. It would be like discovering buried treasure in your backyard!
This album has practically become a part of my DNA since it came out, and I was about 12 at the time.
It's one of my son's very favorite albums as well, and he's not quite 21.
_________________
Mark |
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Wayne Carver
From:
Martinez, Georgia, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 8:24 am
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Maybe I haven't listened to it enough or it just wasn't what I was expecting to hear. I will definately listen to it more often.
I like the band "Jellyfish" alot which has been compared to The Beach Boys and Queen. |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 8:25 am
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| well.. basically the whole Baroque-pop and Sunshine-pop genres are spin-offs of this record, so essentially I have to love it. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 3:44 pm
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| You have to appreciate this as one of Brians highest artistic acheivements. Girls and cars...that's one thing, but he grew into something much more than that and Pet Sounds was just what he was hearing and what he had to produce. If you have ever heard the tracks of the sessions as they are going down, you realize that he was indeed a young genius in this type of production. Even the hardened LA studio cats he used learned that what they thought might be wrong with the parts he gave them to play made perfect sense when they heard the playback and the final product with the vocals done. He was still a kid when this was done. Pretty amazing. Is it Mozart...well not quite, but it is just as viable in it's bag and the music holds up very well even today. In contrast with some of the new pop music out there today it has much more style and depth and melody and chords. Your a Beach Boy fan...you have to love this record. It is Wilsons' "Pepper". |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2008 9:20 pm
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Yes, those other fellows have said often that Pepper was inspired by Pet Sounds.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
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Bryan Daste
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 12:59 am
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A true classic. I got the Pet Sounds box set from the library, and it has tracks of just the vocals...amazing melody, harmony, arrangement, performance. And oh yeah, writing.
Just listened to Jellyfish's "Split Milk" the other day for the 1st time in years and heard a strong Pet Sounds vibe! |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 5:28 am
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| God Only Knows is still off the hook IMHO. |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 7:34 am
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| Rick Schmidt wrote: |
| God Only Knows is still off the hook IMHO. |
And then the voice of Mike Love knocks it off the tracks. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 7:50 am
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Only because opinions are being solicited (I hate when people feel the need to jump into someone's praise-fest of an artist with their own "I don't think it's all that"....who cares?
but you are seeking comment.....
I enjoy some of Pet Sounds. Some of it I like a lot. I don't dislike or disrespect any of it. But I never did understand the degree of critical praise. For me personally it is not an important part of my life. It didn't kill me then, doesn't kill me now. Enough people think so highly of it that if I were asked what should be on the next Victrola sent out into the galaxy as an extraterrestrial greeting I would mention that, well, a lot of people would say to be sure to include a cut from Pet Sounds. But I wouldn't really include it for myself. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 7:55 am
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Does Mike attempt to sing this with what I call "The Beach Boys Franchise?"
The only long time Beach Boys in the outfit that still tours under that name are Love and Bruce Johsnston, and I have no interest in attending, whereas I have seen Brian Wilson and his band three times since he returned to the stage on a regular basis about eight or nine years ago.
We had a thread about it here some time back, and I was in attendance early last year with my son at Oakland's Paramount Theater for what was to be the final performance of Pet Sounds in its entirety by Brian and Band. Originally the final concert of Pet Sounds was supposed to happen in Malibu the following night, but for some reason that show was cancelled.
After the band finished "God Only Knows" the concert stopped for about three or four minutes with a standing ovation. It was a pretty emotional moment.
_________________
Mark |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 7:56 am
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I grew up in a Beatles/Stones house (I'm 33 now) so I only investigated Pet Sounds a few years ago. I think it's pretty great, and it's obviously HUGELY influential, but I'm not sure about it being a top one, or two, or whatever. There are two problems with it, for me; the first is Sloop John B. Brian Wilson didn't want it included, but the record company insisted. Second, I find the lyrical content (while being something new at the time of creation) to be very sweet, but childish and unsophisticated.
That said, the vocal performances and harmonies, harmonic structures, composition and arrangements are flawless. It would have been great to hear what Brian might have worked up as an arranger/co-writer with a great lyricist if he hadn't gone off the deep end... |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 8:02 am
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Jon, if everyone had the same opinion about some of the most well known record albums in the history of pop/rock music, then instead of the top 100 albums there would only be the top 5 albums or something along those lines.
I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you, it would require too much time for one, and two, it would fall under that great saying: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture."
To draw another musical analogy for the sake of comparison, there is no shortage of people that think that Jimi Hendrix is the most overrated guitarist in history, and legions of others who believe that statement is akin to blasphemy.
_________________
Mark |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 8:22 am
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Due to the inherent difficulties of forum communication and miscommunication......just hoping that my post didn't convey anything other than an expression of my personal taste and opinion. It is only in the rarest of circumstances (music & musicians who are clearly evil like....well, nevermind) that I will disparage the music or its advocates.
Although I can almost be tempted to try to 'convert' people who I am convinced would see/hear it my way if only they could be exposed to what I hear in it and then they'd sure thank me......I will always try to remember that there's no accounting for what may catch someone's fancy or passion. And I also try to remember; although a zillion proponents of something do not necessarily make it valid, if I, alone, am not a fan of something that a zillion people love, there's a chance that there's something I am missing.
Last time I heard traditional Chinese opera I said "Jon, keep your mouth shut. There are several billion people who do NOT think of cats in heat when they hear this." |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 9:55 am Childish Lyrics
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Although there are some exceptions to this rule, Brian Wilson has generally not been known for his great lyrics. If you want lyrics, listen to Bob Zimmerman. What draws me to Brian's stuff is his unique approach to harmonizing melodies, arranging parts and writing tunes. His work in the studio ain't half bad, either. 
_________________
Amor vincit omnia |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 10:12 am
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Marc, you appreciate the album, but since you're only 33, I guess one could say it's more from an historical perspective.
The lyrics are mostly about teenage/young adult romantic relationships, and yeah, you have a point. But those of us old enough here to have grown up with the album - it was just what you needed to hear on the headphones that evening when you got home to your bedroom, and you were about 16 and the girl that you spent weeks mustering up the courage to ask to the high school dance just turned you down.
There was as much Beatles and Stones in my house growing up as the Beach Boys (in fact, the first two albums I bought completely with my own money instead of chipping in my allowance with my older brothers were the Stones Aftermath and Between The Buttons. On top of that, I was the only kid around taking lap steel guitar lessons - by the mid-Sixties that was pretty weird. But my teacher got me the sheet music for "Michelle" which I learned to play on my Supro).
Push come to shove, we were always going to pull for the Beach Boys in my house, maybe it was a California thing...
Most here know of Paul McCartney's fondness for Pet Sounds but I'll supply the quote if you have never seen it:
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| It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life ... I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album ... I love the orchestra, the arrangements ... it may be going overboard to say it's the classic of the century ... but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways ... I've often played Pet Sounds and cried. I played it to John [Lennon] so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence ... it was the record of the time. The thing that really made me sit up and take notice was the bass lines ... and also, putting melodies in the bass line. That I think was probably the big influence that set me thinking when we recorded Pepper, it set me off on a period I had then for a couple of years of nearly always writing quite melodic bass lines. "God Only Knows" is a big favourite of mine ... very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. On "You Still Believe in Me", I love that melody - that kills me ... that's my favourite, I think ... it's so beautiful right at the end ... comes surging back in these multi-coloured harmonies ... sends shivers up my spine.[14] |
And previous to Pet Sounds Brian's take on Rubber Soul:
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| 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."[5] |
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Mark |
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Arty Passes
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 4 Jul 2008 12:28 pm
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The boxed set has (among other cool stuff) a disc with just vocals.
Amazing. |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 5 Jul 2008 5:29 am
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My copy (which I listened to yesterday--just great--came with another LP, Carl and the Passions, So Tough.
I'm wondering if anyone knows who played pedal steel on "Hold on Dear Brother"? Couldn't find a credit. |
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JB Arnold
From:
Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)
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Posted 5 Jul 2008 7:17 am
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Pet Sounds is absolutely one of the watershed albums-definitely on my top ten, but I'm a Wilson nut and his "Pepper" was SMiLE which only got released a couple of years ago in the format he intended. And Wilson's band he has now is what the Beach Boys were supposed to sound like for all these years.
From what I saw on a TV special about the release of SMile, it was those tracks McCartney heard on a trip to LA that sent him back to London with the word that someone was closing in on them and they really needed to get to work.
JB
_________________
2 Fulawka D-10's 9&5
Sho-Bud Pro 2 8&5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
"Your FIRST mistake was listening to your wife instead of your steel instructor." (H.Steiner) |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2008 11:24 am
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This album is where I got off the Beach Boys train, as I found it over-produced to the point of silliness. I prefer 'In My Room' and 'Surfer Girl' production values to this overblown style. But like with those 2 songs, I enjoyed a number of firsts in my life thanx to GOK.
These songs are better enjoyed when played without the studio overlays. I'd love to hear the box set someday.
Here's an example of God Only Knows in concert '67 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8FbjL1Ly1g&feature=related
I saw the original 5 Beach Boys in Honolulu around '80 or '82 do one of their best shows ever, and this song was one of an entire night of incredible highlites, Carl and the boys nailed it way better than the video here. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 5 Jul 2008 11:45 am
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| Charlie McDonald wrote: |
My copy (which I listened to yesterday--just great--came with another LP, Carl and the Passions, So Tough.
I'm wondering if anyone knows who played pedal steel on "Hold on Dear Brother"? Couldn't find a credit. |
Forumite Al Vescovo played pedal steel on some Beach Boys sessions, but I don't know if Carl and the Passions So Tough was one of them.
_________________
Mark |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 5 Jul 2008 2:00 pm
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I'm with Jon and Ron on this. That kind of bouncy pretty-boy music-hall sound leaves me cold. Give me the Beach Boys on cars and girls and the beach, with reverb and twang. And that is precisely the part of the Beatles sound I can do without. Oddly, I never made the connection until I just listened to the YouTube of "God Only Knows." The influence on McCartney is obvious, and probably why some of his contributions to the Beatles are my least favorite. And why I mostly prefer the Stones. And, while I hear the superficial resemblance to some of Mozart's lighter fare, it's like comparing the Peanuts comic strip to Shakespeare. But that's just my opinion. That and four bucks will get you a gallon of gas (if you hurry before the price goes up again).  |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 5 Jul 2008 2:52 pm
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Hey David, even though you tempered it at the end with the "just my opinion" and how much it is worth, you still made your point, and the knife was pretty sharp.
Peanuts to Shakespeare?
Pretty harsh, dude! 
_________________
Mark |
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Craig Stenseth
From:
Naperville, Illinois, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2008 5:23 am
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| I like it (and the box set is worth checking out for the 'vocal only' and 'instrument only' mixes). I don't remember - did the 'Wrecking Crew' play all the instruments, or did the actual band do some of it? |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 6 Jul 2008 6:53 am
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Here is the personnel list from a couple of CD reissues:
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Personnel
Band members
* Al Jardine - vocals, tambourine
* Bruce Johnston - vocals
* Mike Love - vocals
* Brian Wilson - vocals, organ, piano
* Carl Wilson - vocals, guitar
* Dennis Wilson - vocals, drums
Session musicians
* Arnold Belnick - violin
* Chuck Berghofer - upright bass
* Hal Blaine - drums, percussion
* Norman Botnick - viola
* Glen Campbell - guitar
* Frank Capp - percussion
* Al Casey - guitar
* Ray Caton - trumpet
* Jerry Cole - guitar
* Kyle Burkett - guitar
* Andrew Maxson - bass
* Gary Coleman - percussion
* Mike Deasy - guitar
* Al de Lory - piano, harpsichord, organ
* Joseph DiFiore - viola
* Justin DiTullio - cello
* Steve Douglas - saxophones, clarinet, percussion, flute
* Jesse Erlich - cello
* Ritchie Frost - drums, percussion
* Carl Fortina - accordion
* James Getzoff - violin
* Jim Gordon - drums, percussion
* Bill Green - saxophone, flute, percussion
* Leonard Hartman - English horn, clarinets
* Jim Horn - saxophones, flute
* Paul Horn - saxophone
* Harry Hyams - viola
* Jules Jacob - flute
* Plas Johnson - saxophones, percussion
* Carol Kaye - electric bass
* Barney Kessel - mandolin, guitar
* Bobby Klein - saxophone
* Larry Knechtel - organ
* William Kurasch - violin
* Leonard Malarsky - violin
* Frank Marocco - accordion
* Gail Martin - trombone
* Nick Martinis - drums
* Terry Melcher - tambourine
* Mike Melvoin - harpsichord
* Jay Migliori - saxophones, clarinets, flute
* Tommy Morgan - harmonica
* Jack Nimitz - saxophone
* Bill Pitman - guitar
* Ray Pohlman - mandolin, guitar, electric bass
* Don Randi - piano
* Jerome Reisler - violin
* Lyle Ritz - upright bass, ukulele
* Alan Robinson - French horn
* Joseph Saxon - cello
* Ralph Schaffer - violin
* Sid Sharp - violin
* Billy Strange - guitar
* Ron Swallow - tambourine
* Ernie Tack - trombone
* Paul Tanner - electrotheremin
* Darrel Terwilliger - viola
* Tommy Tedesco - guitar
* Julius Wechter - percussion
* Jerry Williams - percussion
* Tibor Zelig - violin
Other staff
* Ralph Balantin - Engineer
* Bruce Botnick - Engineer
* Chuck Britz - Engineer
* H. Bowen David - Engineer
* Larry Levine - Engineer
Sources
* Pet Sounds CD booklet notes, David Leaf, c.1990 and 2001.
* The Pet Sounds Sessions box set notes, David Leaf, c.1997. |
_________________
Mark |
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