Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds

Prior to the recording of The Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, the group’s image was that of the all American surfer group. Although this was only indicative of the lifestyle of one of the group members, the surfer image and stereotypical California lifestyle was appealing to the target market and thus allowed The Beach Boys to score impressive sales numbers. Brian Wilson, the group leader, wrote, composed and produced most of the group’s material throughout their career*. When Brian Wilson began the conceptualization process for Pet Sounds, he was in a period of musical discovery and experimentation. This prompted him to utilize more obscure instruments and venture into ever more unfamiliar musical territory. What set this album apart from many others of the time period was the fact that this was conceived to be a cohesive album with an overall theme, as opposed to a collection of different singles with the primary goal of radio spins. In addition, this album contained far more mature subject matter than what was found in the popular music of the time period. As an industry professional, I can’t help but respect the decision of the producer to make such a bold move toward unfamiliar musical territory, given the fact that he was already successful with his previous methods of production and composition. Though most people in the industry tend to follow whichever trend provided them with success in the past, it takes a true pioneer to dispense with the old, and try something new for the sake of innovation. This is both a commendable characteristic, and something that is missing within the music industry today. As a listener, I found the robust musical compositions of Pet Sounds to be intriguing. Due to the fact that during the early period of my life, many of the albums that I was exposed to and became a fan of contained cohesive subject matter and overall themes, I found Pet Sounds to be unexpectedly relatable.

*Edwards, B. (2006, August 13). Brian Wilson Podcast by chrispyspears on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free. SoundCloud - Your Sound, At The Heart. Retrieved September 5, 2011, from http://soundcloud.com/chrispyspears/brian-wilson-podcast