Hi all! It’s me again. Today I thought I would review my favorite album of all time, Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. It definitely isn’t normal for a 7th grader to, when asked who their favorite artist is, respond with “Brian Wilson.” But, nevertheless, that was me.
I think I’d always grown up listening to The Beach Boys’ music, without really even knowing what it was. I remember my grandma playing “Surfin’ USA” on her old CD player and thinking it was 60s-y and summery, but at that point I was getting The Beach Boys confused with the similarly-named but otherwise completely different Beastie Boys. So, yeah, I didn’t really know them.
That all changed when I watched the 2014 movie Love and Mercy, which features John Cusack as an older Brian Wilson (the mastermind behind most of their music). At this point, Brian is seriously affected by mental illness, and reflects back on the production of the incredible 1966 album Pet Sounds. I don’t want this to be a review of the movie (though it’s amazing and you should definitely watch it to see the context of the album!), but I think it was really the start of my love for Wilson/The Beach Boys in general.
I got Pet Sounds on vinyl for Christmas in sixth or seventh grade, listened to the whole thing, and loved every single minute of it. Later, I went to go see Wilson perform the whole album (and many other songs) for its 50th anniversary at Radio City. I may or may not have been crying the whole time but that’s beside the point. I want to share my favorite songs from the album with you so you can see what it’s all about!
Obviously, my favorite song on the album is “God Only Knows,” because that is also my favorite song of all time. Brian Wilson is a genius, and this song definitely shows it. I tear up listening to it all the time. And I’m not the only one—Paul McCartney has both said that Pet Sounds makes him cry and that “God Only Knows” is his favorite song of all time. What can I say? Great minds think alike. Just kidding. But seriously, this song is incredible. The Beach Boys always kill it with their harmonies, but something about this song is special. It is a simple, sweet love song at first glance but the actual orchestration is super detailed, intricate, and complex. Having watched the movie, you will see that this reflects much of Wilson’s inner dialogue and his relationship to musicianship.
Another great song on the album is “You Still Believe In Me,” which is worth it all for the part when they go “I wanna cryyyyy.” Also, you can just hear Wilson’s creativity (and, frankly, depressing internal torment by the noises inside his head) in the background honks and rings of the bells you would put on a bike. So great.
The song “I Know There’s An Answer” is another cute song at first glance, which is actually about Brian Wilson’s experiences with LSD and a critique of those who continued to use it. Heavy, I know. But listening to it with that perspective gives it a whole new meaning about escaping reality through substance abuse. It’s a really pretty song, too.
“Here Today” is just a great song about a girl who moves on from Brian (or any of them) to another guy. Full of fun lyrics and a great instrumental break. I feel like the same vibe has been recreated in later songs by other artists… maybe they were inspired by this? Who knows.
“Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)” is a chill, slow song. The melody is really intricate, reminds me of lots of popular songs from the 1960s. It gets a little repetitive but in a mesmerizing way.
“I’m Waiting For The Day” has never been my favorite song on the album, but it’s also good. The drum beat in the background is fun.
“Let’s Go Away For Awhile” is a purely instrumental song that really demonstrates the band’s great skill at composing. I typically skip it because I prefer songs with lyrics but it is pretty.
“Sloop John B” is a confusing song for me meaning-wise but it’s fun. Google tells me it’s about a group of guys who face problems on a boating adventure, which explains why they repeat “I wanna go home.” This one is more well known for its refrain and its road-trippy feel.
“I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” is one of my personal favorites. I think it is relatable, especially for a girl whose favorite band was The Beach Boys. And it has great layering of vocal parts too! I mean, it does repeat “sometimes I feel very sad” over and over, along a great melody. So its mental health relationship may have unfortunately been overlooked for its melody.
Getting to the end here, “That’s Not Me” is another one of my favorites. It’s more narrative and has some great parts!
Obviously, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is one of their best-known songs. I love it, especially since it starts the album. I think it’s so happy and fun and it just puts me in a good mood. If you don’t know it, just listen, and you’ll recognize it. This song deserves its hype!
I have never really been a huge fan of “Caroline, No,” just because I feel like I listen to it the least on the album. It has a similar kind of mesmerizing style, in a sad way.
Finally, we have to discuss “Pet Sounds,” which is the titular song on the album. Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t generally prefer instrumentals, but this song is so demonstrative of Wilson’s style and genius! You can literally hear dozens of instruments at once. Below is a more recent picture of Wilson!
I love this album so much. I think it’s one of the only albums that I listen to from start to finish on a regular basis. Brian Wilson is incredible and Pet Sounds shows his genius perfectly. And, if you like the album, I highly recommend the movie Love and Mercy. It shows you a whole new side to Wilson’s life both while making the album and after. I would be a completely different person if I had never encountered this band and album. Life changing!
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