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THE BEACH BOYS
RATING: 10
PLAY THESE: WOULDN'T IT BE NICE, SLOOP JOHN B., GOD ONLY KNOWS
SKIP THESE: I'M WAITING FOR THE DAY, PET SOUNDS
Often regarded as Brian Wilson's masterpiece, Pet Sounds represents the absolute peak of the Beach Boy's recording career, an important reminder that the group could have given the Beatles a run for their money had Wilson not gone off the deep end. And I really do mean stark raving mad. You see, the entire music industry held Pet Sounds with such reverence that Paul McCartney felt compelled to top it with Sgt. Pepper, which in turn was so perfect that Brian Wilson was driven to the near-suicidal depths of despair. Wilson then abandoned all hope and halted work on his intended magnus opus, Smile, and instead spent the majority of the next ten years in bed, where he did nothing except do drugs, grow obese, and destroy his fragile psyche. My cousin once spoke to a music industry dude who actually witnessed Brian nonchalantly spreading butter all over his head with a knife in an L.A. restaurant in the late 1970's - and nobody raised an arm to stop him. A sad ending to what could have been a great chapter in rock and roll history....
Nevertheless, if one forgets about what might have been and focus of what was, one can always be grateful that Brian Wilson gave us this single pop masterpiece. Wilson pulls no punches on this album, utilizing an impressive array of instruments rarely employed in popular music: orchestras, glockenspiels, organs, Theremins, sleigh bells, harpsichords, animal sound effects, and even coca-cola bottles. The songwriting is also excellent, with Brian Wilson writing some unbelievably beautiful melodies that showcase the considerable singing talents of his band-mates, in particular his brother Carl.
Also notable is the fact that the lyrics do not deal with the typical Wilson themes of surfing, cars ,or girls - all of which makes it easier to take the group seriously. And although the reverb-heavy production sounds slightly dated at times, Pet Sounds is one of the best-recorded albums of the 1960's - hands down.
Highlights include 'Wouldn't It Be Nice,' a perfect pop song that might be the best tune in the entire Beach Boy catalogue and 'God Only Knows,' a gorgeous ballad that Paul McCartney once singled out as his all-time favorite song - by any artist. I love everything about this song: the chord progression, the melody, Carl's voice, the French horn - it's absolutely perfect in every conceivable way. The album also contains a memorable version of the traditional number 'Sloop John B.,' and even though it seems a little out of place on an album full of original material, the arrangement and harmonies fit the tone of the record to a tee. I also quite enjoy 'You Still Believe In Me,' an austere ballad featuring a harpsichord and a fragile falsetto supplied by Brian Wilson.
The up-tempo tunes 'I Know There's A Place' and 'Here Today' are also very memorable, while the intricate 'Caroline No' is another interesting ballad that indicates that Brian Wilson's influences reached far beyond the world of pop, and into the realm of classical music. There is really very little to criticize about this album, except perhaps the inclusion of two instrumental numbers, 'I'm Waiting For The Day' and 'Pet Sounds,' which stand out as filler in a sea of otherwise top-notch songs. In addition, I feel that the album could have used fewer ballads and more up-tempo tracks, but then again, maybe I should shut up just accept the album for what it is - a mellow, atmospheric masterpiece that deserves all of the lavish praise it receives. Ten out of ten.
RATING: 4
SKIP THESE: FALL BREAKS AND BACK TO WINTER, SHE'S GOIN' BALD, LITTLE PAD
PLAY THESE: HEROES AND VILLAINS, GOOD VIBRATIONS, WITH ME TONIGHT
This album has the potential to be the most powerful anti-drug advertisement ever created - at times brilliant, but mostly just stupid. Many people confuse Smiley Smile with the abandoned "masterpiece" Smile, and although a few tracks from the latter made it on to the former, it must be remembered that the two records are completely different projects. You see, the unreleased Smile was solely Brian Wilson's brainchild, a work of art intended to render The Beatles' Revolver musically obsolete, while the more humble Smiley Smile is more of a "group" effort, with the mentally unstable Brian fading out of the picture somewhat. The end result is a truly bizarre hodgepodge of half-finished recordings, which might be best described as 'avant-garde' if only Mike Love - the king of banality - wasn't directing the proceedings. As a result, most of the tracks are just plain goofy, and only the most dedicated of Beach Boys aficionados will find anything worthwhile here, with the notable exception of 'Heroes and Villains' and 'Good Vibrations.' Besides these two classics, there really aren't any other proper songs here apart from 'Vegetables,' a nonesensicle Wilson composition that features celery crunching noises supplied by Paul McCartney, and 'Let The Wind Blow,' which stands out only because the song has a basic, discernable structure. 'Wonderful' and 'Wind Chimes' aren't too bad either, but then again they are nothing to jump up and cheer for. But what is, really?
That being said, Smiley Smile must be taken seriously because it contains the classic 'Good Vibrations,' a complex-yet-catchy track that Brian Wilson painstakingly pieced together over a period of several months while the rest of the boys were on tour. Each section is a song in its own right, held together by great Wilsonian production and excellent harmonies - a sonic accomplishment that could very well be the most important single ever released in pop history. The inclusion of the the rarely-heard Theremin - a spooky sounding electronic instrument that is played without being touched - is also pretty darn cool addition, too. The other moment of sonic greatness, 'Heroes and Villains,' was Brian's attempt to outdo 'Good Vibrations,' and although he ultimately failed in doing so, it is still a great track. Once again, this song is actually a mini-medley of almost unrelated musical ideas, edited to perfection by Brian Wilson and boasting some truly outstandingly kooky lyrics by songwriter Van Dyke Parks. I especially love the slowed down "I've been in this town so long" section - just listen to Carl's beautiful upper register vocals. It's just too bad that Brian Wilson wasn't disciplined (or sane) enough to produce an entire album of gems like this.....
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: WILD HONEY, I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER, DARLIN'
SKIP THESE: A THING OR TWO
A return to musical basics, Wild Honey can best be described as an album's worth of white bread soul - a genre previously uncharted by the Beach Boys, and a welcome change from the crazy disjointedness of Smiley Smile. And although Brian Wilson contributed much of the material on this album, the undisputed leader of the proceedings is the thoroughly unlovable Michael Love, who, for all of his simple thoughts and self-worship, was nonetheless correct in his basic conviction that the Beach Boys needed cut out the psychedelic, unfocused crap and to get back to basics. The end result is straightforward guitar-based soul music, with nary a weird sound or esoteric Van Dyke Park lyric in sight. It is a sizeable step backwards, yes, but is there really anywhere to go after you've recorded a masterpiece like 'Good Vibrations'?
That being said, Wild Honey is a solid, enjoyable album that probably deserves more respect than has been its due over the decades. The best cut on the record is the top twenty hit 'Darlin,'' an energetic Motownesque ditty that was reportedly written four years prior but left unrecorded until the Summer of Love (not Mike Love, but "brotherly" love). Also good is the title track, a great soul tune featuring a raucous Carl Wilson vocal, a brass section, and some cool Theremin playing and 'Here Comes The Night,' a good Wilson/Love original that is NOT a cover of the more famous Van Morrison/Them song by the same name. The album includes stellar one cover, 'I Was Made To Love Her,' a Stevie Wonder song that blows the socks off the original, demonstrating that The Beach Boys could have been a great soul band if they had just put their minds to it.
Overall, the album has a decidedly light-hearted feel: one can not help but laugh at the juvenile yet enjoyable 'I'd Just Like To See You (In The Nude),' or at the Smiley Smile-like 'Mama says' ("Eat alot/ Sleep Alot/ Brush 'em like crazy." Good stuff!). The album even contains Dennis Wilson's debut composition, 'How She Boogalooed It,' which demonstrates that the erstwhile drummer had a talent for writing, even if he could never hope to compete with his elder brother, Brian. All in all, the entire album is pretty solid except for the awkward 'A Thing Or Two,' but otherwise this album is an unjustly forgotten gem. A high seven, almost an eight.
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