Pet Sounds
THE BEACH BOYS
The Beach Boys was mostly a family affair. The group was made up of brothers Carl, Brian and Dennis Wilson cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. The Wilson brothers father had modest success in the music industry. Brian had learnt to play piano while watching his father, and he and his brothers practiced vocal harmonies to hits of the day.
Their first gig was supporting Ike and Tina Turner in 1961. The following year, they signed a deal with Capital Records. The group had originally called themselves The Pendletons, named after the shirts they wore. However, on their first release, someone in the promotions department had named them The Beach Boys, in keeping with the current trend for surf bands. Their early sound drew influences from artists such as Chuck Berry and Phil Spector.
From the early and wistful sounds of summer, Brian created an altogether different sound for the classic album "Pet Sounds". He had been inspired by The Beatles’ album "Rubber Soul" and set about making “the greatest rock album ever made”. Although the newer sound wasn’t popular with band members, singles "Wouldn’t It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows" soared into the top 10 in the US and UK.
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Brian’s health deteriorated, exacerbated by heavy drug use, and he became increasingly reclusive. However, he continued to make music. Perhaps his greatest work, "Good Vibrations" was a masterpiece in complexity with its multi-layered harmonies and innovative use of unusual instruments, Wilson calls it his “pocket symphony” and ranks highly in the music press as one of the best singles of all time, whilst the album Pet Sounds ranks as one of the greatest achievements of the band.
The Beach Boys without Brian continued to perform whilst he spent all his time in the studio, eventually loosing his mind. Several albums were produced during that time including Endless Summer and Holland both containing some great tracks. During this time Brian worked on a sol concept album, Smile which he kept locked away for forty years fearing critical failure, the album eventually being released in 2004.
Elton John fans will be aware that his 1974 hit "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me" featured The Beach Boys on vocals. Success was slim until 1988 had a No. 1 hit in the 80s with "Kokomo", a track from the film soundtrack to ‘Cocktail’.
The Beach Boys’ story is marred by tragedy. Dennis Wilson drowned in 1983 after succumbing to drug abuse. Brother Carl lost his battle with lung cancer in 1998.
Surviving members reunited for the 40th anniversary of the release of Pet Sounds: Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks.
Brian Wilson still tours, as do a watered down version of the Band.
Originally formed in Hawthorne, Calif., in 1961 as the Pendletones; name changed to the Beach Boys, 1961; original group consisted of Mike Love (full name, Michael Edward Love; born March 15, 1941, inlnglewood, Calif.) lead vocals and saxophone; Brian Wilson (born June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, Calif. ) on keyboards and bass as well as being the group's composer and producer (has not toured with group since late 1960s); Dennis Wilson (born December 4, 1944, in Inglewood, Calif.; died by drowning, December 1983) on drums; Carl Wilson (born December 21, 1946, in Inglewood, Calif. ) on guitar, and Al Jardine (born September 3, 1942, in Lima, Ohio) on rhythm guitar, since late 1960s Bruce Johnston has taken Brian Wilson's place on live tours and has recorded with the band; numerous other musicians have recorded and performed with the group; debuted as the Beach Boys with the single "Surfin'," December, 1961; gave first professional performance, New Year's Eve, 1961; made first U.S. concert tour, 1962; made first major European tour, 1964.
Awards: Named the world's top musical group in England's Melody Maker poll, 1966; named band of the year by Rolling Stone, 1975; inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, January 1988.
Addresses: Office—c/o CBS Records, 1801 Century Park W., Los Angeles, CA 90067.
A landmark year, 1963 saw the Beach Boys leap to national celebrity, their success far outstripping all expectations. As their popularity escalated, so did demand for live concerts, and the rising stars found themselves constantly on the road. After several years, Brian, the group's main composer, decided to stop touring; while he stayed home to create new material for the group, Bruce Johnston replaced him live. By the end of 1964, the Beach Boys had recorded six albums for Capitol. Their future looked promising, and in the middle sixties the group assured their star status with hits that included such favorites as "Fun, Fun, Fun," "I Get Around," "Help Me, Rhonda," "California Girls," and "Barbara Ann."
Impressively, the Beach Boys were one of only a handful of American acts to survive the British Invasion of 1964 that was spearheaded by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Their music not only tapped into the surfing mania and the subsequent car craze, but it had also unfolded as a creative new sound distinguished by pure, joyous harmonies. In 1966 the group released their most sophisticated and successful song until that time, "Good Vibrations." By the end of the year polls were showing them to be the most popular group around, surpassing even the Beatles.
Nineteen sixty-six had also seen the release of their extraordinary Pet Sounds album, an unusual, innovative recording that critics acclaimed as one of the most brilliant in the annals of popular music. A departure from the Beach Boys' traditional fun in the sun themes, Pet Sounds employed extraordinary production techniques to help present an emotional exploration of the various states of mind experienced on the way to maturity. Perhaps too sophisticated for the typical Beach Boy fan of the day, Brian's brainchild album fared better with the critics than with the average audience.
Before 1967 was half over, many people believed the Beach Boys were washed up. They had issued no new recordings for months and there was evidence of turmoil in the stars' personal lives as well as rumors of divisiveness within the group. In addition, their long-awaited Smile album, expected to be Brian's master-piece, was scrapped (a few recovered cuts appeared on Smiley Smile, issued in lieu of the original). In retrospect, however, it appears that the Beach Boys' careers were only in remission. After their obscurity during the late 1960s, they made a successful European showing in 1970, reclaimed status in the United States the following year, and hit another peak when their 1974 album Endless Summer went double platinum. In 1975 Rolling Stone magazine named the Beach Boys band of the year.
Although the Beach Boys in fact never quite regained the adulation they commanded during their heyday, the musicians have succeeded in remaining among the most popular, and most versatile, live entertainers in the business. They have survived not only extraordinary changes in popular music, but strife amongst themselves and their changing membership as well, including the 1983 death of Dennis Wilson. Woes notwithstanding, the group has continued to find itself in demand throughout the 1980s—albeit as "oldies" entertainment—and in recognition of their achievement, the members of the original Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Beloved by fans around the world, the Beach Boys, according to Timothy White in the New York Times, are regarded by many music lovers as "the most successful musical group in American history." Trying to sum up the reasons for the group's appeal, White suggested that "The Wilsons' happy myth of an untrammeled life of endless summers struck a chord in American suburbia in a way no other popular musicians had done. The essence of the American Dream is the belief that anyone can escape the limits and sorrows of his background by reinventing himself. . . . The Beach Boys themselves embodied and celebrated that dream."
Albums (For Capitol, except as noted):
Surfin'Safari, 1962.
Surfin' U.S.A., 1963.
Surfer Girl, 1963.
Little Deuce Coupe, 1963.
Shut Down (two songs), 1963.
Shut Down, Volume 2, 1964.
All Summer Long, 1964.
Christmas Album, 1964.
Beach Boys Concert, 1964.
Beach Boys Today, 1965.
Summer Days (and Summer Nights), 1965.
Beach Boys Party, 1965.
Pet Sounds, 1966.
Smiley Smile, Brother, 1967.
Wild Honey, 1967.
Friends, 1968.
20/20, 1969.
Sunflower, Reprise, 1970.
Surf's Up, Reprise, 1971.
Carl and the Passions: So Tough, Reprise, 1972.
Holland, Reprise, 1973.
Beach Boys in Concert, Reprise, 1973.
Live in London, 1976.
Fifteen Big Ones, Reprise, 1976.
Beach Boys Love You, Reprise, 1977.
MIU, Reprise, 1978.
LA. (Light Album), Caribou, 1979.
Keepin' the Summer Alive, Caribou, 1980.
The Beach Boys, CBS, 1985.
The True to Your School.
California Girls.
That's why god Made the Radio
Also released numerous anthologies, including Sesf of the Beach Boys, 1966, Volume 2, 1967, Endless Summer, 1974, Spirit of America, 1975, Stack of Tracks, 1976, Ten Years of Harmony, 1985, and Golden Harmonies, 1986.;
Source: Enotes.com
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