Pet Sounds

Recently I picked up this book about recording pet sounds and rediscovered why I think it might be one of the greatest records of all time. Now before you roll your eyes or say anything. I beg you to listen to this record with fresh ears and listen to the words that Brian Wilson and Tony Asher put together. If you are like me and my age you don’t realize how many elements this shattered when it came out. ProTools and all that digital crap didn’t exist then. Neither did AutoTune (a program that can tune your voice so you don’t sound like crap. Listen to kanye west to hear what I’m talking about). They had 8 track recorders and had to nail the harmonies in as little takes as possible, but they ALL had to get it right. Not just Dennis, or Carl, but every single member.

Reading that book “Wouldn’t It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the making of Pet Sounds” There was so much going on at the time when it was done. Brian Wilso had recently heard The Beatles “Rubber Soul” and was floored. To him it was the first album record he had really heard. Back then most albums were just a couple of singles and a bunch of filler tracks. Brian, was a bit intimidated when he heard it and told his wife Marilyn he was going to make the best rock album ever. Pairing up with Tony Asher who was a copywrighter at the time who wrote jingles for commercials. They set out a few months and did just that.

Brian Wilson, the most famous beach boy had a relatively hard life and was battling LSD. Their father and manager at the time was Murray Wilson and was kind of well…a jerk. He dictated that band like Fidel Castro and burnt many of the boys out pretty fast. Brian eventually stopped touring in ’65 and told the boys he needed to focus on writing and producing. They happily obliged and well the rest is history.

If I could, I would probably spend hours and upon hours writing about them and what was going on during that record and the tailspin of that band. If you are curious, pick up the record, order that book and remind yourself that God still exists.