To ask any of their peers, Pet Sounds is The Beach Boys‘ magnum opus. Inspired by the Beatles’ Rubber Soul, Brian Wilson set forth to make an album that was so rife with rich material that no song would be skippable. He certainly achieved that with this feat of production. Pet Sounds came out nearly 60 years ago today. Uncover the story behind this seminal album, below.
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The Story Behind The Beach Boys’ Magnum Opus, ‘Pet Sounds’
In the mid-’60s, Brian Wilson decided to take a step back from touring with The Beach Boys to focus solely on the studio side of things. The end result was Pet Sounds. Effectively a Wilson solo project, this album didn’t have much input from his bandmates. Moreover, they were largely absent from the sessions.
We feel bad voicing this, but Wilson really didn’t need much input from his bandmates…With the help of some session musicians, Wilson created one of the most innovative albums of all time. From new-age production techniques that had seldom been attempted, to employing off-the-wall instruments, Pet Sounds was something completely new to the music industry.
Wilson is famously a perfectionist. Not only did he broaden his horizons, he made sure his experimentation didn’t take away from the overall craft. Pet Sounds is equal parts stellar rock album and cultural reset.
Peers Reaction
Beach Boys fans have long lauded this album, but their fellow musicians were impressed too. One of the biggest fans of Pet Sounds, peer wise, was Paul McCartney. The Beatle has spoken about this album at length, including noting it as necessary for a proper musical education.
“It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water,” Paul McCartney once said. “First of all, it was Brian’s writing. I love the album so much. I’ve just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life—I figure no one is educated musically ’til they’ve heard that album.”
McCartney’s applauding of Pet Sounds means even more when you consider that Wilson was inspired by one of the Beatles’ album. A full circle compliment.
Revisit Pet Sounds below. Do you agree with McCartney that this Beach Boys album is a staple in every music fan’s collection?
(Photo by Andre Csillag/Shutterstock)
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