As if you needed another reason why this album is great…
Please note the extremely prominent placement of Pet Sounds at the front of the record collection left to William Miller by his sister in Almost Famous.
Pet Sounds is record about life the way that Almost Famous is a movie about life. Both have enriched my life immensely.
The Cool Thing for 4.23.03 is…
The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds
I grew up as a huge Beatles freak with only a passive acquaintance with The Beach Boys. As the years went on, my love of 60s music led me to discover the gems of The Who, The Kinks and others, yet my most profound discovery was the genius of Brian Wilson…
I met someone in college who took me aback with the suggestion – rather, assertion – that the three greatest albums of all time were The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, The Smiths’ Meat is Murder and The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. To help influence me to his point, he loaned me a copy of Pet Sounds to hear for myself.
Anyone with a passing interest in 60s music knows the hits from this record – “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B.” and “God Only Knows.” Those are great songs, for sure, so I figured the album would be somewhat interesting. But I was so used to too many groups putting out “filler” albums, where the supporting tracks would be throwaways that basically supported the record company’s desire to sell a full LP on the back of a couple singles that everyone already owned and loved. Luckily, The Beatles had already started eroding such matters with full albums where every track deserved attention.
Meanwhile, in Southern California…
Brian Wilson had already established himself as a wunderkind producer and arranger in the vein of the legendary Phil Spector. Wilson was the brains behind the Beach Boys’ vocal arrangements, but he also began to cut more intricate and layered backing tracks. Having heard the Beatles’ Rubber Soul, Wilson decided it was time to move in a more cohesive and personal direction.
Pet Sounds is not your typical Beach Boys record. There’s nothing on there about cars or fun in the sun. But there is an awful lot about love. Lost, troubled, unrequited, magnificent and plenty of the intangible types in between. When I actually dug into Pet Sounds, I discovered some of the greatest melodies ever recorded that beautifully complimented the words of a very vulnerable Brian Wilson laid bare for all to see. The insecurity of “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” is spelled out in a way you’d never expect from someone who only months earlier had penned an ode to “California Girls.”
I keep returning to Pet Sounds for several reasons. First off, the arrangements are beautiful and creative, including the odd banjo, tympani, harpsicord, bicycle horn, theremin, or orange juice container. There is a wild creativity at work here with magnificent melodies that won’t leave my head. Add to those the trademark lush Beach Boy harmonies and you’ve got one of the best experiences a musical ear could ever discover. These songs can carry me away from a crappy day or a bad mood any time I listen. Secondly, I am a huge fan of songs that come from a personal place. While I think such things can be taken too far, I do admire artists who can paint an emotional picture of their lives in song. Finally, I really relate to this record. I find myself in some of the same emotional places that the songs on this record sprung from. Were I a more inventive and bold communicator, I feel similar words would spring from within me.
Pet Sounds was considered a failure upon release, but over the years, the record gained a reputation that placed it ahead of all that came before and after it in the Beach Boys’ catalog. The shadows of this legacy continue today… I’m a firm believer that Weezer’s pinkerton is a spiritual cousin to Pet Sounds. Troubled yet creative songwriter Rivers Cuomo is thrust into the spotlight by interesting yet lightweight songs. He turns his gaze inward and produces a compelling collection of very personal songs that is initially considered a failure. Yet time helps the record’s reputation, eventually helping to grow Weezer’s following. Still smarting from the lack of acceptance for pinkerton, Rivers Cuomo goes back to writing more commercial pop songs, leaving pinkerton as a testament to the potential that may never be fully realized.
If you agree with any of that, then Pet Sounds might be a record for you, too.
A song lyric that I would want to speak for me:
“Don’t you know, ’bout your finger tip’s away,
Is a universe of atoms that thinks you’re real something.
Don’t you know, just a couple of lips away,
Is an evolutionary bean feast whose insides are jumping.”
“So you won’t mind if I kiss you now, before indecision can bite.
Don’t you know, in this new dark age, we’re all light.”
- “We’re All Light” by Andy Partridge (XTC)
And folks, that song therefore becomes the Cool Thing for 4.17.03
= D =
The Cool Thing for 4.6.03 is…
Superdrag – Last Call for Vitriol
Look no further for proof that the major labels have no foresight when it comes to letting bands grow into their skin.
You might remember Superdrag’s “Sucked Out” from 1994, which only bought the band a second shot at stardom before dropsville. But oh, how times have changed. Superdrag released “Head Trip In Every Key” on Arena Rock Records a couple years back, drawing mucho critical acclaim and a new audience.
Then came “Last Call for Vitriol.”
This was perhaps the best album I bought in 2002. I heard so many glowing reviews, I had to try it. At first, I latched on a couple tunes, but found many skippable. But I listened more. Now, I find myself going back to it every few weeks for its tasty mixture of flat-out rock and catchy slow numbers. Every song is now firmly ingrained in my cerebral cortex.
This is also a great choice for air drumming in the car, BTW.
If you can find some samples of tracks, I recommend trying “Baby Goes To 11,” “The Staggering Genius,” “Way Down Here Without You,” and “Remain Yer Strange.”
What are you waiting for?
The Cool Thing for 4.5.03 is…
Daylight Savings Time
Hope you remember to Spring Ahead!