Editing Pet Sounds (section)

==Concept, inspiration, and lyrics==
===Wall of Sound and ''Rubber Soul''===

Commentators frequently cite ''Pet Sounds'' as a [[concept album]], with some considering it the first such work in rock music.{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=249}}{{refn|group=nb|Author Carys Wyn Jones attributes this characterization to the record's "uniform excellence" rather than an explicit narrative or musical motif,{{sfn|Jones|2008|p=44}} while Lambert acknowledges the album's "unifying threads of melodic figures and harmonic devices".{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=250}} }} Wilson had sought to create "a complete statement" with ''Pet Sounds'', inspired by [[the Beatles]]' ''[[Rubber Soul]]'', released in December 1965.{{sfn|Jones|2008|p=44}} The American edition of ''Rubber Soul'', reconfigured by Capitol to emphasize a cohesive folk rock sound,{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=72}} struck Wilson as a unified work free of [[filler (media)|filler]] tracks—uncommon at a time when albums primarily served to promote singles.{{sfn|Fusilli|2005|p=80}}{{sfn|Schinder|2007|p=114}}{{refn|group=nb|The absence of a single on the North American release further reinforced its identity as an artistic whole.<ref name="LeafPerspective" />}} Contrasting the Beach Boys' earlier albums, which sometimes included lighter material,{{sfn|Fusilli|2005|p=80}} Wilson viewed ''Rubber Soul'' as a challenge to elevate his approach,{{sfn|Schinder|2007|p=114}} declaring to his wife, "I'm gonna make the greatest album! The greatest rock album ever made!"{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=75}}

[[File:Phil Spector with MFQ 1965.png|thumb|right|alt=Spector standing around musicians in the studio|[[Phil Spector]] (center) at [[Gold Star Studios]], where he developed his Wall of Sound method (1965)]]

Carl highlighted his brother's greater admiration for [[Phil Spector]] over the Beatles,<ref name=HimesSurf/> with Brian frequently crediting Spector's methods as foundational to his own production style.{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=120–121}}{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=225}} Brian identified ''Pet Sounds'' as an "interpretation" of Spector's [[Wall of Sound]] formula,<ref>{{cite web |title=INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN WILSON OF THE BEACH BOYS IN EARLY 1980'S |publisher=Global Image Works |url=http://www.globalimageworks.com/clip-brian-wilson-interview-beach-boys-1874_023?id=45092 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726074318/http://www.globalimageworks.com/clip-brian-wilson-interview-beach-boys-1874_023?id=45092 |archive-date=July 26, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 18, 2014}}</ref> with the production informing the album's intended "concept".{{sfn|Tunbridge|2010|pp=173–174}} He stated: {{blockquote|If you take the ''Pet Sounds'' album as a collection of art pieces, each designed to stand alone, yet which belong together, you'll see what I was aiming at. [...] It wasn't really a ''song'' concept album, or ''lyrically'' a concept album; it was really a ''production'' concept album.{{sfn|Tunbridge|2010|pp=173–174}}}}

Musicologist [[Michael Zager]] contrasted ''Pet Sounds'' with ''Rubber Soul'', writing that the former more closely aligns with Spector's Wall of Sound through its incorporation of the technique's hallmarks.{{sfn|Zager|2012|p=218}} Wilson said that he was especially fascinated with combining [[tone color|color tones]] to create new [[texture (music)|textures]], aiming to emulate those aspects of Spector's productions.{{sfn|Moorefield|2010|pp=16–17}} In a 1988 interview, he framed the Beach Boys via ''Pet Sounds'' as "messengers" of Spector's work, stating his goal was to expand upon Spector's innovations.{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=225}}

Wilson later credited ''Rubber Soul'' as his "main motivator" for ''Pet Sounds''.{{sfn|Cunningham|1998|p=76}}{{refn|group=nb| Asher recalled Wilson playing him the album and declaring a desire to surpass it,{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=104}} while Johnston remembered Wilson praising its thematic cohesion after a Christmas 1965 listening session.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exclusive – Bruce Johnston on the Making of Pet Sounds |url=http://www.udiscovermusic.com/exclusive-bruce-johnston-on-the-making-of-pet-sounds |website=uDiscover Music |date=May 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620124210/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/exclusive-bruce-johnston-on-the-making-of-pet-sounds/ |archive-date=June 20, 2021}}</ref> In a 2002 foreword for ''Mojo'', Wilson wrote that although he had already begun working on some of the songs, the urge to express his feelings after hearing ''Rubber Soul'' led to his decision to seek out a new lyricist.{{sfn|Wilson|2002 |pp=4–5}} Conversely, he told David Leaf in 1996 that he believed he was introduced to the LP by Asher.<ref name="BrianWilson1997" /> In 2009, he said he wrote "God Only Knows" with Asher the morning after listening to the album for the first time.<ref name="rubber09"/>}} He explained that while inspired to create music "on the same level" as ''Rubber Soul'', he was not interested in replicating the Beatles' sound.<ref name=HimesSurf>{{cite web|last1=Himes|first1=Geoffrey|author-link=Geoffrey Himes|title=Surf Music |work=Rock and Roll: An American History |publisher=teachrock.org |url=http://teachrock.org/media/essays/surf_himes_with_maia_edits_2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125223127/http://teachrock.org/media/essays/surf_himes_with_maia_edits_2.pdf |archive-date=November 25, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2009, Wilson said that although "''Rubber Soul'' didn't clarify my ideas for ''Pet Sounds''", the Beatles' use of [[sitar]] had inspired his choice of instrumentation for the album.<ref name="rubber09">{{cite news |last=Carlin|first=Peter Ames |author-link=Peter Ames Carlin |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/beatles/article6818698.ece |work=[[The Times Online]] |date=September 12, 2009 |title=Brian Wilson on the Beatles' Rubber Soul}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In a 1966 interview, he contrasted their approaches, suggesting his arrangements would have expanded tracks like "[[Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)|Norwegian Wood]]" with orchestration, "background voices", and "a thousand [other] things".{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=72}}

===Other contemporary influences, jazz, and pre-rock 'n' roll pop===
[[File:Rodgers and Hammerstein and Berlin and Tamiris NYWTS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|left|Asher and Wilson modeled ''Pet Sounds'' after [[Tin Pan Alley]]'s songwriting craftmanship (pictured in 1948; [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]] with [[Irving Berlin]])]]

Asher disputed the notion that he and Wilson had followed templates set by the Beatles or rock in general, recalling Wilson aimed to craft "classical American love songs" akin to [[Cole Porter]] or [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]].{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=77}} During their collaboration, they exchanged musical influences, with Asher introducing Wilson to [[jazz]] recordings, being promptly "blown away" by records such as [[Duke Ellington]]'s "[[Sophisticated Lady]]" (1932) and [[Hampton Hawes]]' "[[All the Things You Are]]" (1955).{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=139}}{{refn|group=nb|Asher also shared standards like "Stella by Starlight", believing their harmonic complexity would appeal to Wilson's interest in unconventional progressions, such as those in "[[The Warmth of the Sun]]" (1964).{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=138–139}}}} Asher remembered Wilson's limited familiarity with [[Tin Pan Alley]] songs and orchestral jazz structures: "He didn't know much about jazz or jazz standards, but he knew [[the Four Freshmen]]."{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=138–139}} Drawing from his own studio experience, Asher advocated for incorporating classical instruments like violins, cellos, and [[bass flute]]s into the arrangements.{{sfn|Dillon|2012|p=93}}

In 1966, Wilson likened his work to that of the [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]] songwriting team.{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=64}} [[Nelson Riddle]]'s orchestral arrangements also influenced Wilson's approach,{{sfn|Toop|1999 |p=134}} and biographer [[Jon Stebbins]] felt Riddle's impact was more pronounced than Spector's on the album.{{sfn|Stebbins|2011|pp=74–75}}{{refn|group=nb|Musician [[Jim Irvin]] agreed that the "dense, lush arrangements" were indebted "at least as much to Nelson Riddle" as they were to Spector's arranger, [[Jack Nitzsche]].{{sfn|Irvin|2007|p=64}}}} Reflecting in 1996, Wilson characterized his collaboration with Asher as operating on a "little wavelength", emphasizing artistic integrity over competition with contemporaries like Spector or [[Motown]]: "It was [...] to do it the way you really want it to be."<ref name="BrianWilson1997" />{{refn|group=nb|In a March 1966 interview, Wilson acknowledged contemporary music trends' influence on his work,<ref name="MelodyMakerBlast" /> though Marilyn later stated he was singularly focused on creating "the greatest rock album ever", unconcerned with industry developments.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=70}} }}

=== Spirituality and coming of age themes===
{{quote box
| align = 
| width = 25%
| quote = I got into marijuana and it opened some doors for me and I got a little more committed to [...] the making of music for people on a spiritual level. | source = —Brian Wilson, 1994{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=102}}
}}
During his first [[LSD]] trip in April 1965, Wilson had what he considered to be "a very religious experience" and claimed to have perceived [[God]].{{sfn|Badman|2004|pp=87, 136}} Spirituality subsequently formed a core inspiration for the album.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beets |first1=Greg |title=Pet Sounds Fifteen Minutes With Brian Wilson |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2000-07-21/77984/ |website=Austin Chronicle |date=July 21, 2000}}</ref> He frequently emphasized the album's spiritual qualities in interviews,{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=244}} later explaining that he and his brother Carl conducted [[prayer]] sessions, aimed at global healing,{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=102}} that transformed the studio atmosphere into "a religious ceremony."{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=244}} During these sessions, Carl proposed "a special album" following their spiritual practices.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=102}} Brian explained in 1994, "We prayed for an album that would be a rival to ''Rubber Soul''. It was like a prayer, but there was some ego there."<ref name="IJWMFTT">{{cite AV media notes|title=[[Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times]]|year=1995|last=Was|first=Don|author-link=Don Was|type=Documentary film}}</ref>

''Pet Sounds'' contrasted with the group's earlier celebrations of adolescence, exemplified through lyrics wishing to be older rather than younger ("Wouldn't It Be Nice").{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=234}}<ref name="WBUR2016">{{cite web |last1=Rogovoy |first1=Seth |title='Pet Sounds' On The Road: Revisiting The Sad Genius Of Brian Wilson |url=http://www.wbur.org/artery/2016/06/14/pet-sounds-brian-wilson |publisher=[[WBUR]] |date=June 14, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521163247/https://www.wbur.org/news/2016/06/14/pet-sounds-brian-wilson |archive-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref> Asher stated that Wilson sought to create songs relatable to adolescents: "Even though he was dealing in the most advanced score-charts and arrangements, he was still incredibly conscious of this commercial thing. This absolute need to relate."{{sfn|Kent|2009|p=17}} Carl reflected that the album recurrently explores themes of disillusionment and [[loss of innocence|lost innocence]] associated with the realization that "everything's not [[classical Hollywood cinema|Hollywood]]" in adulthood.<ref name=HimesSurf /> Critics [[Richard Goldstein (writer born 1944)|Richard Goldstein]] and [[Nik Cohn]] found that the album's melancholic lyrics sometimes jarred with its music,{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=146}} with Cohn describing it as "sad songs about loneliness and heartache; sad songs even about happiness."{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=146}}<ref name="ABoysOwnStory" />{{refn|group=nb|''Rolling Stone'' editor [[David Wild]] characterized the lyrics as "intelligent and moving, but [...] not pretentious", comparing them to Tin Pan Alley's craftsmanship.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=90}}}}
{{quote box|align=left|width=25%|quote=People always thought Brian was a good-time guy until he started releasing those heavy, searching songs on ''Pet Sounds''. But that stuff was closer to his personality and perceptions.
|source=—Dennis Wilson{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=62}}}}

Much of the album's pessimistic and dejected lyric content stemmed from Wilson's marital struggles,{{sfn|White|1996|p=251}} exacerbated by his drug use.{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=48, 53, 56–57}}{{refn|group=nb|Soon after his first LSD experience, Brian began suffering from [[auditory hallucination]]s<ref name="Ability">{{cite magazine |year=2006 |title=Brian Wilson – A Powerful Interview |url=http://abilitymagazine.com/past/brianW/brianw.html |url-status=live |magazine=Ability |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218082138/https://abilitymagazine.com/past/brianW/brianw.html |archive-date=December 18, 2013 |access-date=February 10, 2014}}</ref> and significant paranoia throughout the year.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=48}} He attributed LSD's influence to it "[bringing] out the insecurities in me, which I think went into the music",{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=58}} and credited marijuana with encouraging his creative growth.<ref name="Varga2016">{{cite news |last1=Varga |first1=George |title=Brian Wilson talks 'Pet Sounds,' 50 years later |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/26/brian-wilson-and-al-jardine-disucss-pet-sounds |work=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |date=June 26, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627135815/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/26/brian-wilson-and-al-jardine-disucss-pet-sounds/ |archive-date=June 27, 2016}}</ref>}} According to Asher, he and Wilson drew from extensive discussions about their experiences and feelings concerning women and relationship dynamics to inspire their songs.<ref name="Tony Asher interview" />{{refn|group=nb|These discussions encompassed Wilson's doubts about his marriage, his "sexual fantasies", and his "apparent" attraction to his sister-in-law, Diane.{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=144}} His wife interpreted songs like "You Still Believe in Me" and "Caroline, No" as directly addressing their marriage.{{sfn|Fusilli|2005|p=84}} }} Asher later clarified that their songwriting conversations remained "theoretical" rather than explicitly autobiographical, focusing on hypothetical scenarios such as "a kid who doesn't fit in".{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=107}}

====Perceived storyline====
''Pet Sounds'' is sometimes suggested to be a [[song cycle]]{{sfn|Schinder|2007|pp=114–115}}{{Sfn|Howard|2004|p=64}} portraying the unraveling of a romantic relationship.{{sfn|Doe|Tobler|2009|p=21}}{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=249}} Author Scott Schinder argued that Wilson and Asher had crafted a song cycle about "the emotional challenges accompanying the transition from youth to adulthood", paired with "a series of intimate, hymn-like love songs".{{sfn|Schinder|2007|pp=114–115}} Music historian Larry Star traced a thematic progression from "youthful optimism [...] to philosophical and emotional disillusionment" across its track sequencing.{{sfn|Starr|2007|p=265}}

While ''Pet Sounds'' exhibits unified emotional themes, no deliberate narrative was planned.{{sfn|Tunbridge|2010|p=173}} Asher stated that he and Wilson never discussed a specific concept, though he acknowledged Wilson's potential to unconsciously shape one.<ref name="Tony Asher interview" />{{refn|group=nb|Responding to the songwriters' denials of a conscious lyric theme, journalist [[Nick Kent]] observed that the album's lyrics predominantly depict a male protagonist's struggles with self-identity and crises of faith in love and life, excluding "Sloop John B" and the instrumentals.{{sfn|Kent|2009|pp=23–24}} Granata writes that while these tracks disrupt the album's "thematic thread", they enhance its pacing.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=89}}}} Musicologist [[Philip Lambert]] argued that Wilson likely intended a narrative framework, influenced by his familiarity with similar "theme albums" by [[Frank Sinatra]] and the Four Freshmen.{{sfn|Lambert|2008|pp=116–117}}{{refn|group=nb|Lambert distinguishes "theme albums"—collections of songs linked by shared lyrical content but lacking musical cohesion—from concept albums, which integrate recurring melodic, harmonic, or structural elements into a unified artistic presentation.{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=250}} With regards to the issue of authorial intent, he felt that artists' commentaries on their work may reflect external agendas or lack objectivity, and that the artwork itself should remain the primary basis for analysis.{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=245}} }}