Remember The Zoo
Honkin' down the highways and byways while road trippin' to the joys of The Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds Sessions'
Greetings New Dimensions readers! For the past week-and-a-half I was on the road, driving to and from Cincinnati for a record sale (not just any record sale I might add…but more on that at a later time.)
As an avowed road tripper, there’s few things I love more than driving across the United States, road trippin’. Thru the years, I’ve driven across a wide swath of the USA, taking in the landscape and people and food and culture while exploring the backroads and side roads of the country, hunting for records and books and interesting experiences. And believe me, I always find plenty of all of the above, particularly when it comes to that last part.
With any road trip comes music; it’s not so much what am I going to listen to as what won’t I listen to! With hours of driving that entails a diverse and eclectic soundtrack, and I never fail in this department. Long driving trips are the perfect time to dig into deep cuts, anthologies and first and foremost, Box sets.
Amongst the selections picked for this trip was The Beach Boys Pet Sounds Sessions boxset. Originally released in 1997, this 4xCD set was an absolute revelation upon its release. The brilliance of the original Pet Sounds album has long been attested to by its fans and admirers, but to hear the inner studio workings for the album is nothing short of spectacular. I’ve often said that there’s two kinds of music listeners: those that just want to hear the finished piece, hear the hits, and be content with that; and those that want to hear every last bit of tape, want to hear all the backing instrumental tracks and vocal tracks. Neither kind of listener is wrong, though you can guess which group I fall into.
Wirth that in mind, and having been far too long since I’ve listened to the box set, I dived into the Pet Sounds Sessions, and what a glorious sonic swim it is. The original 1966 studio album is, truly, a spiritual listening experience; each and every time I’ve listened to the album thru the years, my opinion has never changed. The songs that Brian Wilson and Tony Asher composed exist in a world all their own; add to this Brian’s arrangements and production, the vocals of The Beach Boys, and more than ably musically assisted by the Wrecking Crew, and what you’ve got is truly beautiful and breathtaking. This is an album where every one who was involved played a crucial part in making it happen. It takes a group of truly talented artists and musicians to bring a record this special to creation.
Beyond listening to the original Stereo and Mono versions of Pet Sounds on the set however, we are treated to discs worth of instrumental tracks, along with vocal-only tracks. Hearing the layers behind the pieces of music, behind the songs, is beyond stunning and gives more appreciation for how the music came to be crafted. Add to this the studio talk and banter and it really feels like you’re in Western Recorders or Gold Star in 1965, observing magic taking place. Even with everything else in his day-to-day life, Brian Wilson knew that each day, he got to go to the studio and create new and exciting music with a group of fellow musicians and friends, and you can sense that joy bouncing off these tracks.
Driving along and listening to the set, it’s easy to get lost in the clouds (though while always paying attention to the road mind you). Watching the sunset and the sky change colors and taking in the beauty of the landscape while listening to some of the most beautiful music ever put to disc is an experience I highly recommend for all. Whatever else is going on in the world, with shitty government and evil politicians, it all leaves your mind momentarily when you hear the beauty of Pet Sounds.
Out of all the unreleased material included on the set, there’s one track that stands out. Not an easy task, mind you, but every time I hear it, it managed to stop me with its sheer beauty, so much so that I cannot help but listen to it again, and again, and again. I don’t think anyone could doubt the beauty contained within God Only Knows. It’s a gift of a song to the world, one that keeps on giving. But it’s this alternate version with an A Cappella bit at the end that just does it for it. Truly a gift that keeps on giving. No matter your mood, it’s impossible to put this on and not feel absolute joy.
