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Post-Surf Music Phase

• Brian Wilson's focused creative activity (and collaboration with enigmatic oddball Van Dyke Parks) resulted in the release of Pet Sounds (mid-1966)
  • using state-of-the-art studio techniques & extra musicians, the album was critically acclaimed, but didn't sell as well as their surf music recordings
  • the album was cited openly by the Beatles as an influential element in their move toward experimentation (e.g., Sgt. Pepper)

Brian's creative process in the Studio; session tapes:

• "Good Vibrations"
  
• "God Only Knows"
  lead vocal: Carl Wilson
  

• if the Beach Boys had stopped prior to late 1966, they would be remembered only as a good R&R band of the early 60s, spearheading the surf music trend
• the real move to their second phase began with the release of "Good Vibrations"
  • literally pieced together from musical sessions at 4 different studios
  • the song took over 90 hours of studio time, 11 versions, and ~$50,000 to produce
• the most creative & innovative single to be released in rock to that time
  • juxtaposes sections varying widely in musical style
  • introduces new timbres (e.g., Theremin; 1924 by Leon Theremin)
  • incorporated these new sounds along with doo-wop style background vocals

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Good Vibrations

(#1 in 1966)

Musical Form (repetition & contrast): A-B-A-B-C-D-[Ahh!]-B-E-B
an expanded Verse-Chorus form including a uniquely complicated, two-part bridge

The complexity of this piece goes well beyond the style of pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys music, yet retains the characteristics of the Beach Boys sound ... i.e., Chuck Berry-influenced rock guitar sound with thoughtfully arranged vocal harmonies.

"Good Vibrations" was a milestone in the development of rock:

• more sophisticated than any song to this time
• did not follow the "pop song" formula
  • Brian Wilson said that in its "3 min. & 35 sec. ... it had a lot of riff changes. It had a lot of movements ... changes, change, changes. Building harmonies, here, drop this voice out, this comes in, bring the echo chamber in, do this, put the theremin here, bring the cello up a little louder here. I mean it was a real production. The biggest production of our life." (Leaf, 1985, 90).

Other Recordings of "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys:

Alternate Take: an earlier version of "Good Vibrations" with less harmonic adventure

live recording in 1966, prior to song's release (note lack of ability in the performane of the Theremin part!!)

The success of "Good Vibrations encouraged Brian to pursue further experimentation. He began planning a new album entitled Smile to expand on these creative ideas; other members of the Beach Boys feared the possible commercial backlash, so (hurt) Brian dropped the project to record Smiley Smile with his bandmates. Eight of the 20 songs from Smile were eventually released, including:

Heroes & Villains

(#12 in 1967)

Musical Form: A-A-B-A'-A''-C-C'-B
another example of an expanded Verse-Chorus form with a two-part bridge

Alternate Version: Listen to added section

try to appreciate the complexity of this song ... Brian did it on his own (vs. the Beatles w/George Martin)

1967 - Beatles release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, initiating a new musical world ... and a redefinition of rock!!

In actuality, the Beach Boys were paralleling the development of the Beatles, but to the American public they would always represent the carefree sound of surf music; even their later returns to the spotlight seemed to serve only to capture the nostalgia of "the good ol' days" at the beach.

• "Wipeout" with Fat Boys reached #12 in 1987
• "Kokomo"--without Brian--reached #1 in 1988
• the song appeared on the soundtrack for the film Cocktail (starring Tom Cruise)

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