Beach Boys - Pet Sounds.

One band I find absolutely inspirational to this era is the Beach Boys. Their fun, upbeat hits were something I grew up listening to. The peak of their reign was with the album Pet Sounds. It opened up the avenue to a new level of composition and production that hadn't been explored before (Unterberger).

The band consists of three brothers - Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson - as well as their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine (Bush). They fell in love with music after listening to George Gershwin and The Four Freshman. The harmonies they heard were ones they mimicked and built upon. (Edwards 2009). The Beach Boys got their start writing songs about surfing, hot rods, and teen romance. They were catchy and instant hits. They appealed to the restless youth who were apart of the hippie subculture, and shone a light on California and surfing (Rock and Roll).

Brain Wilson was the leader of the group. He orchestrated the harmonies, wrote the music, and produced the recording sessions (Rock and Roll). He took over the recording sessions against policy, and expanded the group's range beyond surf rock (The Beach Boys AllMusic). He did the writing and most of the band's tasks by himself, causing multiple breakdowns that fueled his creativity (Edwards 2009).

Brian began writing Pet Sounds in 1965 (Bush). He worked for four months, using an orchestra of session musicians and unique instrument to help him figure out the pet sounds he envisioned (Rock and Roll). The Beach Boys' biggest competition, The Beatles, had just released an album, and Brian worked very hard on achieving the same high quality into Pet Sounds (Bush). He and the group spent a great deal of time working on the vocals and their famous harmonic counterpoint (Edwards 2009). Tracks were layered upon tracks, creating a symphonic sound. The lyrical themes were much more intense compared to the earlier surfer songs, with songs about love affairs and failed relationships (Unterberger). 

I really enjoyed Pet Sounds. As a listener, there is so much to listen for - complex harmonies, innovative use of instrumentation, and pure emotion. Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys are definitely innovators for their time. In the industry, they are looked up to for the great effort they took in going outside of the norm to create musical genius, and to set themselves apart from the others. I believe this album is legendary, and will be looked up to for inspiration for generations to come.