Pet Sounds : The Beach Boys
Cultural Gentleman by Zach Falconer-Barfield
It is strange for a London city rat like me who grew up in the 1980s to have as his favourite band a 1960 ’ s Californian ‘ Surf ’ group as his favourite band but that is the case . I have loved The Beach Boys since I first heard them in when my step-father moved in in my early teens . He possessed several vinyl albums by the group and when I first put needle to groove and the sound hit me I was in love .
I am not sure if it was the sunshine that came through even the most sad lament of lost love or the glorious choral like harmonies that meddle across the airwaves or even the fact that the drove in me a sense of longing for a beach life I had never known . I still have yet to work it out after over 30 years of listening to them .
Whenever I hear the distinctive sound of The Beach Boys the corners of my mouth raise in a smile , it always puts me in a good mood , this is especially true of their masterpiece album ‘ Pet Sounds ’.
Pet Sounds has just been released as a 50th anniversary edition of the album it comes in a variety of formats Vinyl , CD , Blu Ray . They all feature the entire album in both mono & stereo versions as well as other recordings and studio outtakes .
The music itself is the thing that stands the test of time , highlights include : The opening lament about teenage romance ‘ Wouldn ’ t It Be Nice ’ is full of joy and unfulfilled desire and hope .
‘ God Only Knows ’ is one of Paul Mccartney ' s favourite songs of all time , it is a beautiful tale of love and the arrangement is superb .
My personal favourite is ‘ Sloop John B ’, the elements of a modern sea shanty that imparts about the loneliness that comes from youth , which then falls in line with the social attitude of the song ‘ I Just Wasn ’ t Made For These Times .’
For a band that is known as a Californian one of happiness , the songs on this album are introspective , thoughtful and musically challenging . There is one man that is the linchpin of the album and the band is the genius , Brian Wilson . He has unique and uncompromising visions for composition & production .
As you might have guessed I can wax lyrical about The Beach Boys and this album , but I am not the only one Rolling Stone Magazine things it the 2nd most influential album of all time and various other critics and publications including the NME , The Times & Uncut consider it the greatest album of all time .
Don ’ t take my word for it , listen to it , the whole album in one sitting and let it take you to the hazy sunshine filled days of the musical invention of the 1960s .
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