The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds Entry

The Beach Boy's image before their album Pet Sounds was that of a typical southern Californian. It was all about the beach, sand, surfing, automobiles and good tunes. Their music was easy going and rich in harmony. Their musical style was the product Brian Wilson, who was the driving force behind the group. Brian was their leader, producer, songwriter, arranger and first and foremost the founding member of the Beach Boys. Brian was influenced by a lot of people in the industry including Phil Spector and The Four Freshmen who ultimately affected Brian's approach to music. Another influence from overseas, The Beatles with their album Rubber Soul, ultimately inspired Brian to create the Beach Boy's album Pet Sounds. There were certain elements of Pet Sounds that stood out from other recordings during that time period. One of these things was the fact that it was not a bunch of songs thrown together with a few singles. This album was complete and each song led into the next there were no need for fillers. This really made it stand out and caught the attention Brian intended. One other element that stood out to make this album different was the lyrical theme, the content. This album took on a much more mature tone dealing with love and relationships compared songs like Surfin' and 409 the difference was night and day. The depth of this album was different than the commercial sounds people expected. Pet Sounds really stood out and caught my attention mostly in part because of the direction that Brian wilson took in putting this album together. This album left me with an impression of awe, this is music my parents listened to and I automatically had written it off as outdated. However when I sit down and really listen to the genius in and behind this music I now understand the appreciation my parents had for this music. It takes me back to my childhood and that longevity is characteristic of classic material and all around great music. I definitely have a new found appreciation for this great music.