The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds Entry

Prior to the recording of Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys were known mainly for their surfing and car songs.  The Beach Boys were able to relate very well to teens at the time because of the subject matter of their music.  They were viewed as a very unique sounding pop/rock group with tight harmonies and catchy melodies.  Their music grew very popular, and the Beach Boys became the most popular band in America.  Once the Beatles came along, the game had changed.  When Brian Wilsons’ mind was blown by the Beatles’ album Rubber Soul, he took on the challenge of topping it with his own album.  He collaborated with Tony Asher to create the album we now know as Pet Sounds.

Brian Wilson was the founder, producer, arranger, writer and leader of the Beach Boys.  His role within the Beach Boys was extremely significant, as he was a major factor in the band’s success. 

Pet Sounds was the first pop album where all of the songs were conceptually linked to a certain theme.  The journey from adolescence to adulthood was the theme of the album.  Brian Wilson used several different instruments that were very rarely, if ever, used in pop music at the time.  He used instruments such as accordions, a theremin, bicycle bells, and makeshift percussion. Wilson used 23 session musicians in one studio to record parts of the album.  The arrangements were extremely well done, and the blend of the different instruments worked very well, creating a unique sound that people wanted to hear.  Wilson took many things he learned from watching Phil Spector in the studio and applied them to this album.  The song “God Only Knows” was the first pop single to have “God” in its title.  This album would prove to be inspiring and influential to his peers and listeners, much like the Beatles’ Rubber Soul album was. 

The album Pet Sounds is very influential and inspiring to me, as it is with other musicians and music industry professionals.  I grew up listening to the Beach Boys among several other artists from that time.  The first time I listened to this album, I remember how I couldn’t help but just listen to the magnificent harmonies and the unique sounds that came from the speakers.  Their sound was so unique, and this album in particular, was even more unique than any of their other work.  The Beach Boys finally began experimenting with other sounds and building on their talent in this album.  I feel as though Pet Sounds was a huge success and revolutionized how people produced and listened to music.  I love how everything is blended together and how different it sounds than anything else on the radio.  The Beach Boys had a huge impact on pop/rock music throughout the world, and Pet Sounds was a large factor in their inspirational success, and it’s all thanks to Brian Wilson.