It was “Pet Sounds” that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much… it may be going overboard to say it’s the classic of the century … but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways … I’ve often played Pet Sounds and cried. I played it to John [Lennon] so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence … it was the record of the time.
- Paul McCartney
The Beach Boys have been pigeon-holed and ignored as boppy, fun music, a sort of dumbed-down Jimmy Buffett when it comes to the waves and sand. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Although raised in a quasi-Jackson 5 environment the Wilson brothers broke away from their domineering father and produced some of the finest music of the ‘60′.
First and foremost is the trademark harmony. Borrowing heavily from vocals of The Lettermen, The Four Lads and other amazing vocal groups of the late ’50’s and early ’60’s The Beach Boys melded the style in with Chuck Berry guitar, fast cars and girls. And what began as party music transformed into a musical style that, for a few years, rivaled The Beatles.
In fact the two supergroups fed off each other. Pet Sounds, which produced such greats as God Only Knows and Wouldn’t It Be Nice, was influenced by The Beatles’ Rubber Soul. And The Beatles countered with Sergeant Pepper.
The Beach Boys were a family band from Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne, California. In 1961 three brothers, Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson were joined by their cousin, Mike Love, and a friend, Alan Jardine. Brian Wilson, who demonstrated an aptitude for music at an early age, was the group’s leader but it was their father, Murray, who was the driving force. Still, Brian was responsible for working out their harmonies, writing the music, producing the recording sessions. From 1962-1965 they put no fewer than 16 songs on the charts. Before The Beatles stopped touring Brian Wilson quit the road to spend more time creating. Pet Sounds took four moths to produce, a long time for an album in those days.
The toughest parts to learn in a Beach Boy song are the low parts, as they are in any song. The melody is easily picked up by the ear and the higher vocals go up in thirds, fourths, fifths (very bagpipish) and, sometimes, 6th’s. But going below the melody takes a good ear especially if you are standing next to the lead singer and trying to play your instrument at the same time! So the next time you hear one of their songs try to sing along with the lower parts.
The blend is also tough to get right. One false note will put the sound off kilter like some forgot to level a desk and the pens keep rolling around. As in all harmonies beginning the section and ending precisely at the same time and in perfect timber take complete concentration at first. Then, after many practice tries and several live gigs it becomes second nature. Then you work on the blend so the vocals have one solid sound.
Sound tough? It is, but when you get it you’ll have the satisfaction of performing what very few bands could do right: a Beach Boy’s song.
[...] size of this leap staggers the imagination. Imagine having been on the same stage as acts like The Beach Boys, The Judds, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ricky Scaggs, Charlie Pride, Steve Wariner and Patty Loveless and, as [...]