Pet Sounds Entry

Prior to the Recording of Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys sound was very raw and somewhat ragged but yet spirited with group harmonies, and color beach imagery, helping to spark the California Sound Revolution. Their sound was the California boys dream, filled with ambitions of hot rods, leading up to their song “409” which in-turn kick started the hot rod music craze. Brian Wilson played a major role in the sound of the beach boys due to his original and unorthodox way of bringing a sense of authenticity to his recordings. For example with “409” he decided that he wanted to record the sound of a real car for the demo, so around 2 a.m they placed a tape recorder beside the car’s hood and repeatedly reved the engine to get the sound that he had in his head. Brian’s influence for Pet Sounds was different than all the rest as he wish to only do better and top himself with every recording while trying something fresh. With Pet Sounds a lot of things were done differently. None of the Beach Boys were used in the instrumentation of the album, just soley their vocals and harmonies, with avant-garde string and horn arrangements to unorthodox instruments such as the theremin, bicycle bells, and makeshift percussion instruments. The album also included two instrumental tracks as well which was far left from their original direction. I feel as though Pet Sounds is what good music and being a producer is all about, breaking the mold and setting the foundation for others to follow through creative experimentation and fearless direction. The ability to run with what you hear in your head and have it put to life not just for sales but for your own approval is something I can respect and appreciate as a listener and industry professional.