Pet Sounds (review)
Hi, Hey, Hello. ItzSonny and this is another ALBUM REVIEW babyyy. Let's go with something fun for today, something more pop-filled, yet still another all-time classic. Hmmm. How about we go with a boy band or something like that, an album that is a classic, a pop record, and also crafted by a group of dudes, one quite like "Pet Sounds" by The Beach Boys...whose music I have never heard in my life, yah...I'm really showing my music history aren't I (ya bitch), ANYWHOOO, I had listened to at least one of their tracks from this very same album in "God Only Knows" from my "Best of the Best" experiment (Video on my YouTube, "Why Music Matters" go watch pls) and why not tackle the overall album on its own and see just how good this bunch of guys are at music, let's dive into Pet Sounds.
BACKGROUND
The Beach Boys were an American rock band formed in 1961 California. Their July 1964 release "All Summer Long" ended their beach-themed era of music, striving to take a different creative approach from now on. One of the members (Brian Wilson) wouldn't accompany the band on tour to better focus his efforts on writing and recording, which showcased great advancement with their albums "The Beach Boys Today!" And "Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). Album after album after album, Wilson kept striving to push the group into their best creative limits, evidently meeting 26-year-old lyricist (Tony Asher) who agreed to collaborate with him, creating the song "You Still Believe in Me." The two gents were hard at working on songs together to the point of full-on determination eventually creating Pet Sounds.
“It felt like we were writing an autobiography, but oddly enough, I wouldn’t limit it to Brian’s autobiography...”
REVIEW
"Wouldn't It Be Nice"
Wow, what a nice and sweet opener to the overall LP. It's nicely fun and playful with its overall sound, yet sets up the overall great idea of what's to come as though it's clearly a pop song, especially for its time and iconic, it has little traces of the psychedelic, art, and chamber pop tones we're going to be experiencing as the flow of this album goes on, it's catchy, enjoyable, and the right kind of serviceable opener.
"You Still Believe in Me"
A nice and steady shift from the opener, a much more focused and jingle jangle sort of production overlay to the really great vocal harmony from the boys and it's very cheery with some solid writing and though not exactly an intentional Christmas song...really works well as a Christmas song to listen to regardless, a nice progression onward.
"That's Not Me"
Moody. A great overall atmosphere to this track with the best writing thus far with a clear sense of delivery in both arrangement, production, and vocals, it's not exactly a "fun" song though, yet not depressing either, it has a middle ground to it, feeling both retrospective-thinking and having a surrealism to the overall composition, it's a very effective song.
"Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)"
This is the best song so far, something has to actually try to top this, it's more-so the same vibe as That's Not Me, yet even more heavier with its overall thought-provoking lyricism and even slower psychedelic edge to it, a much more longer flow to it that really makes you sit back in your chair and think about some heavy ass shit as thoughts and memories come into your head, a genuine track.
"I'm Waiting for the Day"
A nice transfusion between the two tones established so far, having the mood with the lyricism once again, yet having more of the fun attitude with how the LP kicked off and it works great into one cohesive melody, never making it side to either one or the other and crafting a listenable song from it.
"Let's Go Away For Awhile"
This one is for sure the most experimental track thus far by removing lyricism entirely and just focusing on the tone with this very...I wouldn't say elevator music, but dreamy and ringing sort of backbone to it that makes this I guess I would describe as "elevator ascending to another dimension" kind of music, with some great trumpet work put into it.
"Sloop John B"
A nice circle back around to the more cheery attitude that this all kicked off with, feeling like a simpler harmonic gesture and celebratory nature, yet has a darker undertone with getting drunk and wanting to go home and it's a great song, maybe not the highlight, yet it works into being effective to the flow of the album once more, being a fun and production-heavy progressor with a surprising idea to it.
"God Only Knows"
Yes, the only song I've ever heard from this as stated before and wow, I mean I already loved the song beforehand...but shit, now it's really hitting me, like the lyrics aren't downright like overly mature or horrific or anything, yet, it's kind of depressing in a way. How this guy literally might contemplate suicide because he so much desires to keep this special love interest in his life, I knew about this already, yet, it's really hitting to me now with listening to the album as a whole and still worthy of its staple in the music verse.
"I Know There's an Answer"
Wow. This album is starting to slowly reveal it's truth within now that I'm really paying attention to it as though this one is less complex as others so far, it for sure has a real and relatable idea of how we judge people who prefer to be alone and safe in their comfort zones, contemplating about things, yet how we ourselves kind of have no right to judge with still some very cheery and pop instruments thrown into this pop melody that makes this so damn astonishing.
"Here Today"
Wow, it's like as we reach the end, it's just getting crazier and crazier, it has that same time loud and explosive cheery music work put into it with all the different instruments thrown in to create an embracive melody, yet the lyrics are so...damn sad, describing this guy falling for a girl and worrying things won't pan out from the perspective of seemingly our main guy having lost her from god only knows...fuck me, the album's beauty is really starting to hit me.
"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"
Okay...this might actually be the best song so far. The way they combine both the sad lyrics and the cheery sound probably peaks here as the way they infuse every single core component established so far by blending the psychedelic, rock, art pop, and chamber sound tones into one cohesion is fucking marvelous and makes this probably the most captivating song and the writing here just gets the most real here by expressing our frustration with not belonging to our generation and the desire to find our people. Just...peak.
"Pet Sounds"
Another non-lyrical song and it's just...OH MY GOD, THEY ARE COOKING, OKAY BEACH BOYS. Nah this right here, like, forget everything I just fucking said about the last one, this right here is the best fusion of everything, this feels like 5 different songs layered on top of one another and yet it's the most brilliantly mixed melody thus far, it feels so damn good to the muddafuckin' ears, like damn, let this shit pop off, for a motherfucking song with the title of the album, this shit is crisp, ya know it's good when I cuss like 5 mothafucking times, gawd-DAMN.
"Caroline, No"
Damn...what a depressing ass way to end the album, yo. This is a marvelous closer for having that sorrowful push that was so beautifully built up to across the entire experience that was this album and it working greatly with still the narrator-esc delivery from Brian Wilson and how it's such a dark and miserable way to close, yet showcases the hidden beauty of this LP, with that tragic audio outro of a train going by...only hearing the sounds of a dog barking.
CONCLUSION
I'm going to be super honest, gang...on my first listen...I wasn't feeling it. Not to say I hated this on first listen, I still really enjoyed and thought it was a fun pop album for the era it released in, either a solid 7 or 8/10, yet...nothing truly special about it. Now though...now I see why this is actually a masterpiece. Though this is the only Beach Boys album I've heard, it's still a great one that makes me understand their musical style before this drops, seeming to be a simple, yet high quality summertime boy band for their era...yet this clearly changed their music forever, not just even their music...music as a whole, as though from the outside, listening to the gorgeous and wonderful melodies and overall production, it still has that summertime vibe to it that is splendid and also gets really creative and experimental with its progressive, psychedelic, and art rock/pop grooves that is very fantastic...it's when you pay attention to the writing and how the sound really enhances it that makes this such a masterful album and makes this now after a re-listen, for sure a top-tier LP for me as this is one of the many things that really ticks me for great music...when it's fun and playful on the outside, yet dark and depressing on the inside. This story of a boy and his relationship with himself, the woman of his life, and the world around him is really dark and sad and greatly conveyed through this album, and feels like something out of a classic novel. I love this shit and this was for sure revolutionary for its time as to go in expecting the typical BB stuff, only come out with this is sheer genius. If you haven't or may not vibe with this one, too much, give it another go and really let it sink with you...you might just uncover the genuine power of emotional humanistic music. It's been Sonny and so long, farewell, and goodbye.
“Where is the girl I used to know? How could you lose that happy glow? It’s so sad to watch a sweet thing to die.”
