influential, but why? in Why Don't You Love Me / Other Artists Forum

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influential, but why?

Author	Comment
CouldBeAnyone	influential, but why?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1832 (01/16/2011 06:29) 1st Woman on the Moon Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Click here to break the ad gravity rule. Remove this ad A friend of mine who mostly listens to classical music asked me to explain why Pet Sounds always ends up on Best Albums Ever lists and is cited by Paul McCartney and Elton John (among others) as a favorite. He doesn't get it. Although I don't know that I've ever listened to Pet Sounds in its entirety and I am not much of a Beach Boys fan, neither do I. So, what is it? The production? Harmonies? Do the songs just fit many peoples' definition of Perfect Pop Songs (even though they aren't really to my taste)? Was it just different from what came before it?
Torn n Frayed		#1	[-]
Perfect Child Posts: 289 (01/16/2011 07:17) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hmm, for me it was hearing the words and just how heartbreaking they are and contrasting it with the music, which is very upbeat sounding. Some of the best crafted pop songs, ever.
fandorin		#2	[-]
Posts: 5893 (01/16/2011 11:27) Faith Healer Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	the completely off-the-track free form instrumentation. theremin plus bass clarinet plus all-kinds-of-weird stuff was as fresh as nothing in pre-pepper days. ...because strange is what we need The Fandorin Foto Files
chrome3D		#3	[-]
Posts: 5300 (01/16/2011 22:53) Faith Healer Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Click here to break the ad gravity rule. Remove this ad I have never listened to Pet Sounds in its entirety either. I wouldn´t worry about it if Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John have a different taste than you... ----- So I tried once again. Track 1 Wouldn´t It Be Nice starts the album quite nicely. I admit that is a good one. Track 2 You Still Believe In Me continues from that and it´s quite okay but nothing special. Track 3 That´s Not Me is just mediocre filler track. Track 4 and the lethargig pace of Don´t Talk already makes the album go seriously downhill. I don´t mind lethargig pace from some other artists but this just doesn´t do it. Track 5 I´m Waiting For The Day. La-lal-laa circus lal-laa. Jellyfish makes this kind of stuff with some idea and sharpness, this is just aimless. Track 6 Let´s Go Away for Awhile...what? Pass. Track 7. Sloop John B. Okay here we get back to the track. Silly name for a song but it is pretty good. Track 8. God Only Knows is a true classic. Just the intro paints a sad out of season place with few masterly paintstrokes. Even the Paa-ppa-paa stuff feels profound. then there is poppier songs, quite okay but still they happily slip in to cocktail bar band in the title track...So, now I have listened it once in it´s entirety. The aim to create an album is admirable in the times when there was none. Still I feel that there is a big gap between the good songs and the "filler" tracks. Happily songs are all very short and they are over before you knew it, especially if you are used to +7 minute psych prog post-rock-stuff, har har. Even if the songs are what they are, I just feel that this is wussy stuff. There is not enough sharpness. Too much McCartney, not enough Lennon. Last Edited By: chrome3D 01/16/2011 23:51. Edited 2 times.
chrome3D		#4	[-]
Posts: 5300 (01/17/2011 09:18) Faith Healer Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	On a second thought it´s okay if an album has 2 killer tracks and 2-3 good tracks while the rest is so-so. It can still be a good album and even influential. They can´t all be The Beatles. While The Beatles is overexposed etc. there is never a doubt that they are mighty good while listening to their albums like Rubber Soul and Revolver from the same era. Even the album tracks and experimental stuff show that they are firing on all cylinders all the time. With Pet Sounds there is doubts every once in a while.
Oceanic Blues	Pet Sounds	#5	[-]
Snowfaller Posts: 404 (01/17/2011 11:00) Glow Worm Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It's funny because i went to a local store just today and they were selling "Pet Sounds" + DVD footage for only 7 € .So I took the headphones and what a great , brilliant album it is .The vocals harmonies and the search of something different, call it experiment,with lots of instruments is genius.But I agree that it lacks of sharpness, Sergent Pepper has that sharpness, more agressive sound with the guitars. I think Pet Sounds has maybe a more polished, "warm and gentle" sound and songs.There must be a hundred of modern bands that are quiet influenced by The Beach Boys: amongst them: The Shins,Avi Buffalo ("What's in it for me" single..), etc...
DEACON12	Pet Sounds	#6	[-]
Glow Worm Posts: 76 (03/25/2011 18:31) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Click here to break the ad gravity rule. Remove this ad It's probably hard to comprehend the scope of this album with "modern" ears because of the "harder" rock that has followed and because it has been filtered through so many subsequent songs and bands as an influence.This is true of many of the top classic rock albums where we can't hear them with new ears.And remember that the Beach Boys were not only influenced by Chuck Berry,etc. and surf instrumental rock but also vocal groups(ie The Four Freshmen),some of whom were acapella in style.This may account for a certain softness of the album.The reason it is compared to classical music is because the harmonic structure approaches the complexity of classical music.Jellyfish are brilliant, but I would dare say that they would tell you that Pet Sounds is the pinnacle of what they were trying to achieve when they were making Spilt Milk.

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