A year out of High School and soon on my way to Vietnam to get shot at and missed, shit on and hit. Four years later and safely back in the States, I can lite up a doobie, put the headphones on, fire up "Only God Knows" and instantly back to happier times. I'm so glad I lived through all the great music of the '60s and '70s. What a gift.
Koichi Litrose I've been listening to them all my life or at least that's the early 60s I'm getting a little Beetle ish with them now! LOL! Want to know everything
This is one of those pop songs that is so hauntingly and beautifully melodic it transcends 99% of even the best stuff ever written. It has it's own place in history that will always be revered.
Just flipping gorgeous. All these years, I thought that Brian did those vocal leads. No wonder he said, when Carl died, that the world had just lost the voice of an angel. Sheer Heaven, this song.
At the 2:50 mark, Mr. Bill Pitman is next to Carl Wilson. A master of the guitar, and ukulele, Mr. Pitman was an integral part of the Wrecking Crew throughout hundreds of sessions. Mr. Pitman is a healthy 102 years young today. I am honored to lunch with him as often as possible.
Absolutely genius. I remember my older sister once saying that if Brian Wilson had been a Beatle there's no telling what music the world would have. Many believe that Wilson was held back creatively at the height of his genius. First by his father, then by others. But what a beautiful song
An overlooked part of Brian's genius The instrumentals sound like completed songs without room for vocals The vocals sound like completed tracks without room for instrumentation. With his infinite genius, Brian welded them together into his little masterpieces That's great arrangements and phenomenal mixing
I had no idea the orchestration was quite that detailed. Like the entrance of the flutes. Amazingly subtle. At the beginning with the French Horn, Brian lacked the vocabulary to say he wanted the two notes legato, but he demonstrated what he was looking for and got it across. And, of course, he was right. This is frighteningly good work.
They should teach the language of music from grade 1. I am always impressed on how good musicians really are. Jimmy Paige showing Edge and Jack White his technique was amazing......edge and white were like 2 kids watching candy being made.
Brian didn’t have all the vocabulary he needed, like telling the French horn player he wanted more legato. But he’s right about every criticism. And 23? Insane. He was right to insist on those takes. This would be a classic on the vocal ending alone, and there’s so much more to it than that. I learned a lot from this video. Like I didn’t even know the flutes were there.
Words really cannot describe the feeling this song conveys. Rapturous sublimity? Whatever it is, it is a glorious musical experience. One of the very few songs that never gets old. Having have heard this hundreds of not thousands of times, life still stands still when it comes on.
Brian is as meticulous about recording a track as Stanley Kubrick was directing scenes in his films. Both men used the very best performers and technical crew. Both demanded perfection and would accept nothing less. It is testament to the Wrecking Crew, who could pick and choose who they worked with, that they recognized Brian's genius for arranging and accepted his instructions without hesitation.
He was just gorgeous in this one. A lovely, almost angelic voice. Went very well with his almost cherubic cuteness. Brian and Carl are my favorite Beach Boys. Certainly the 2 most talented.
Well that story is always mentioned and is not quite accurate . He never said it was the best song ever in history, that is just plain wrong. He said it was one of his favorites. Here are his remarks : "It's a really, really great song---it's a big favorite of mine. I was asked recently to give my top ten favorite songs for a Japanese radio station...I didn't think long and hard on it, but I popped that ["God Only Knows"] on the top of my list. [Thinks for a moment] It's very deep. [Quotes the lyrics to "God Only Knows"] Very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. There are certain songs that just hit home with me, and they're the strangest collection of songs...but that is high on the list, I must say." That is a far cry from saying it;'s the best song ever in history. It's simply one of his favorites.
It's so fascinating to see how a song is actually put together. People like Brian Wilson live in a different world, able to see/hear music in their mind's eye and, thankfully, share it with the rest of us mere mortals.
WOW !!! when I listen to this on the radio I never heard how complex this song was. So many different instruments and melodies. I arrogantly thought of the Beach Boys as a pop band and not real musicians. Brian Wilson was a genius.
Well it was pop but Brian Wilson wrote beautiful music and didn’t sit just doing pop - this song is not pop - a classic - pet shop sounds is a must to show what Wilson did - !!
When Pet Sounds came out, I asked my sister (who bought it) how it was. She said, "eh, it's ok. No more surfing music though!" I left it alone for years. Then one day - years later- I wondered what all the fuss was about, so I listened to it all the way through. I was so deeply moved. It was ageless! It's an album to take with you throughout life because it never becomes dated. Songs like this seem to stand outside of time. Does it sound like it was made in 1966? 76?2016? None of them! If it came out today, it would knock people's socks off.
Damn, as many times over the yrs I've listened to this beautiful song, I never realized how many individual instruments were actually on this! Honestly it's like a rock symphony!
It’s amazing to me that Brian Wilson had all this in his head; every instrument’s part, every vocal harmony. He knew exactly what he wanted the song to sound like down to the smallest detail. Amazing
Fascinating look at not only Brian Wilson's genius and technique but the mysterious Wrecking Crew, the greatest studio band ever assembled. Carl Wilson's voice is often underrated and here he shines. When will 5 part harmony exist so perfectly again in song? And next to Laura Nyro, no one affected musical composition innovation in pop music in the 20th century as much as Brian Wilson. All the rest followed.
+Sam Adams After all these years I never knew it was the Wrecking Crew playing on this, no wonder those drum fills at the very end sound so good, only Hal Blaine could play them like that - all hail to the master, the greatest pop drummer of all time!
Kate Bush was very innovative and influential and used a lot of seamless layering of many sounds and vocals, similar to Brian Wilson. She also became a recluse and made it big as a song writer at a young age. She came later of course.
I was 10 when this was released. Here I am about to turn 60. I have followed 50 years of pop/rock music and while some has come close none has toped this for its timeless artistic brilliance! Thank you ever so much for posting. Brian will easily live on for another 50.
Just saw Brian and band do this in April on his "Pet Sounds" tour...did the entire album as well as a bunch of other hits...Al Jardine's son sang the high parts Brian couldn't get to any more. The band was amazing...at any given time 6 guitars and 10 vocalists...totally lush and on point. One of the best shows I've ever seen....saw them after watching "Love & Mercy"...a magic night...this 40 years after seeing them, (with Brian), the 1st time in upstate NY at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in 1977...
Each individual little part isn't particularly difficult. But writing something like this, and getting 20+ people to play it precisely together with every little nuance just perfect... man, THAT is particularly difficult!
Hal really nailed that little triplet on the snare for the final track. This sounds like an early take when he is still getting the feel of the (complex) song...not easy with no vocal and just Brian's directions. He'll always be the greatest drummer ever! RIP Hal Blaine 🥁💕
When I heard years ago how McCartney said how Pet Sounds, and this tune inspired him and The Beatles for "Pepper" I didn't hear it. Duh....What was I thinking. or NOT hearing? Brian Wilson's genius, The Wrecking Crew, and Beach Boys harmonies just were just majic. God only knows indeed.
I graduated high school in '66 after putting myself through the educational process and never heard these songs, until I was in the MARINE CORPS. I caught KP during my time in Onafra (?). It was 0400hrs, when I heard GOD ONLY KNOWS from someone's radio at CAMP PENDLETON, standing in the cool darkness with five other Marines at attention. Ready to be marched to the MESS HALL. That memory is sweet.
Wulfdane in my opinion It’s a record that still has yet to be topped, or even matched for that matter. It stands alone as a perfect pop rock and roll masterpiece. People talk about pet sounds and sgt pepper in the same sentence but I don’t think the Beatles ever came close to what Brian did in 1966 with this album, good vibrations and the smile sessions
This is partly true. This music was never made again because it was Brian at his creative peak, trying to bring what he heard in his mind, to life. The studio process is special because you'll find things that you didn't plan on happening and that'll inspire something else and before you know it you have something even better than you'd first imagined. That's what I believe happened in these sessions, and because of that convergence of things it'll never happen again. There is still amazing music being made today, but you have to really look for it, which is sad. Check out an album called MCII by Mikal Cronin.
***** Occam's Razor ... if a person like that existed, we'd know about it. Simplest answer is usually correct. One would not have to look far to find him/her. That level of talent doesn't hide well. I agree that it's incredibly difficult nowadays to get heard - but still, if you're a "Brian Wilson" - you can make it happen.
2021 - its still beautiful, still makes me tear up and is and always will be the most complete love song and composition ever. I was nine years old when they made this and I remember hearing it on holiday that year and its never had anything but that warm fuzzy effect on me. I'm 66 years old soon.
It is the timing of the instrumental work that amazes me. The drum delays for accent. The harmonic horns and organ, if that’s what it is. Echoing the theme. This song could almost be played in medieval courts to suit a king, yet 100 years from now it will speak to another generation.
This is really cool to watch. Back then we only heard the final result, having no idea how many instruments and musicians were involved in the process. This is actually fantastic, so much to learn about their greatness.
But Brian did a version also. As well, many other songs Brian & Carl shared vocals. Some, hard to discern. “Surf’s Up” Break Away” Alternate “Wild Honey” an few others. McCartney & Lennon did same. I believe they did it on purpose. It was that time of experimentation et al.
@@franciscrisp6245 Brian didn't record a version of GOK in 1966 with him singing the lead. All of the available alternate versions are different takes of Carl that have been mislabeled as Brian.
when this came out I was 14 and great music was under every rock, and I took this for granted. 50 odd years later I know now that this was one of the high points of my earthy existence. God bless the boys.
+Pastor Bruce Spot on, I couldn't agree more but who are we to second guess Brian. My son once told me he knows he likes music if it gives him chills, the flutes and french horns make the hair on my arms stand up!
It still amazes me how one guy had all these parts in his head. Here is a guy that must have spent endless hours sitting at the piano and learning every note in a chord by ear. Not just 3 note voicings but 4 note voicings and at first applying this to vocal harmony then later to orchestration. He is not a schooled musician but with raw talent was able to do what few others could do which was to compose catchy melodic yet inventive commercial songs. Not many people can do that.
Down to maybe a half second of actual music ( the french horn) which he corrected does indeed shows the level of detail he had in his mind about the entire arrangement, words cannot express the brilliance of this man.
It's a gift...A gift for musical details!. You can have musical talent but even talented musicians, (vocal or instrumental) require detail in order to achieve success in what they're doing. Most of them get that from an outside source in the studios.
There are so many ways to enjoy this song. You can just soak in its glory. If you're into musicology, you can try to figure out what key it's actually in. You can examine how masterfully he uses 2nd and 3rd inversion chords to keep up a sense of instability that feels and sounds so good when it is finally resolved. It's magnificent and for me, anyway, the most beautiful pop song that's ever been written.
For my money the greatest pop song ever committed to (insert current recording technology here), and it's mostly the production that puts it over the top, though the song itself and the vocals are key factors. Carl's voice is just perfect for this song. A fascinating peek behind the scenes of a watershed moment in music history!
I've considered this to be the all time BEST SONG EVER CREATED for now 55 years. In fact I was 15 years old when Brian first produced it. There has never been a greater musical genius than Brian & never a more beautiful work of musical genius than God Only Knows.
RC was tone-deaf compared to BW. RC wrote nothing but 3 part harmony in parallel motion, mostly block chords, no variation of the texture, and not nearly as well recorded. BW was writing in 5 real parts in contrary motion, with a real bass line and frequent inner counterpoint, and was also composing numerous real songs as well. There is simply no comparison.
Simply staggering beauty...Carl's isolated vocal at the beginning is heartbreaking. A remarkable job putting this video together, it answers a lot of questions for me about the process behind the creative flow
I feel some people just don't appreciate what goes into making real musical masterpieces. We give credit to the singer & the band & fail to notice all the other beautiful instruments others play. These studio back ups are not seen but most definitely ARE heard & appreciated, the icing on the cake so to speak. Sleigh bells even!!. Beautifully stunning anthem. Thankyou for this video, listening on headphones is awesome & I'm getting goosebumps. A real honour to hear that. ✌from London.
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome !!! One of the All-time great songs, by an All-time great band ....... and we get to hear the individual tracks, cut-outs and other post-production wizardry. This is a true gem !
The precision in the BB's vocal harmonies rivals Benedictine chants - no exaggeration - listening to their voices acappella is heady stuff. Brian Wilson might well have been a Gregorian choir master in a previous life. These are gems...
What a beautifully written song. This will always be one of my all time favorites...If only there were songwriters like this around today in the mainstream, music might actually have some depth and meaning like it used to.
Every time I hear this great song, I get goosebumps because it is such a cool song and it is so interesting how it was conceived in the recording studio as well! One of my all-time favorite songs :) Brian is certainly a musical genius without question.
I actually "discovered" this in 1976 when I was 20. I bought some sort of bootleg stereo version of Pet Sounds titled "Good Vibrations." One night, I was laying on the floor with my headphones on and put this on the turn table. I was completely blown away. From then on, I would play it for friends and say, "Put the headphones on an listen to how much depth this song has." A masterpiece.
