Great analysis and editing, The Beach Boys are truly underrated. I remember I once read Lennon was asked how the Beatles felt competing with the Stones and he said something to the effect of: We're not competing with the Rolling Stones, we're competing with the Beach Boys.
On the other side Wilson said that The Beach Boys thought they were pretty cool until the Beatles came along and suddenly "we looked like a bunch of caddies"
@@gbeachy2010 They pretty much tried to one-up each other. IIRC, I think Paul McCartney once said that Sgt. Pepper was somehow inspired by Pet Sounds, which was inspired by Rubber Soul.
@@minstrelofMir Listen to the complex arrangements from Pet Sounds. Nothing the Beatles made ever touched that. I love the Beatles as a band more, but Pet Sounds is literally the perfect album.
Brian Wilson is a musical genius; check out some of the behind the scenes videos of him directing recording sessions. Brian and the rest of the Beach Boys are egregiously underrated and underappreciated to this day. "Good Vibrations" is the Magnum Opus of Brian and the rest of The Beach Boys. "Good Vibrations" is a top ten, pop/rock song, hands down, no questions, no hesitation, no reservation, no equivocation. This video is a brilliant dissection of the song. Exceptionally well done.
Man, I always bring the Beach Boys as one of my favorite bands, and people always react in a shocking way, then I begin my defense on why people should really listen to them. Thank you.
Javier Del Cid same here, because I feel like most people that have only a passing knowledge of the band just see them as a surf rock band and nothing more. Which is fair I guess, but their musical masterey and lyrical content is so much stronger and deeper than people realize.
I feel like people only know half the story and don't see the mastery of the craft of songwriting that whole band has. And the real genius of Brian Wilson. He's a master of playing the studio as an instrument.
Unfortunately, the little graphic you showed for a Bb major depicts an Ab minor, but I'll say as both a musician and audio engineer, I bloody adore the way you thoroughly broke this song apart. I'm loving your work more with each new video.
Just for anyone scrolling by who doesn't know much about music and is wondering what a Bb major chord would look like, I'll try to explain without a picture. If you take the given graphic for it, shift the top (furthest to the right) and bottom (to the left) notes each over by 1 key to the left, and then shifted the middle note 3 keys to the left (i'm explaining like this for people who can't recognize named notes on a piano) then you'd have a Bb major. Well technically an inverted Bb major. The Ab minor chord is also inverted (although differently than the Bb major chord I described is), while the two other chords are exactly what they're labeled as. To make the Ab minor not inverted you would use exactly the same notes except you would move the bottom note up an octave (meaning it's the same note but in the next repetition of the pattern of the keys).
Joshua Capati in the 65-67 era, both bands were the spearhead for popular music. The thing is that The Beatles ended soon enough to become a legend, and the The Beach Boys perpetuated to be just an old band with some funny songs, under appreciating the incredible magic and genius behind.
@@ericrose3877 he may as well be dead, the poor guy seems to have barely any cognitive function sometimes; in the middle of concerts he'll stop and stare into space, he gives one worded responses in interviews. He may be physically living but personally it seems like he's dragging on without much fire left in him.
I think they were seen as a novelty because the whole beach scene culture that was going on but they had some seriously great songs and Brian Wilson was a genius
I think they were undone by themselves when Brian blew a gasket doing SMiLE, or they might have been known as the greatest band ever. The Monterey Pop cancellation signified the beginning of the end for them
I'm a Beatles nut and have been since I was 4 or 5. I'm now 48. But, the greatest pop song ever produced, and the greatest 3 minutes in music ever, is Good Vibrations. It's perfect in every conceivable way.
Bree Pearson right? I mean, yeah, Brian Wilson is great. But he spent most of the time the album was being made "dealing" with "things" (no one's perfect, so I use gentle terminology). The amazing hooks and riffs were created from barebones scratch tracks by uncredited and AMAZING session talents.
Carol Kaye did play on 3 sessions for Good Vibrations, but none that made it into the final edit (one of those was guitar, and one of those didn't involve either of the famous riffs she demonstrates in interviews). The bass parts in the single are distributed between Ray Pohlman, Lyle Ritz, Bill Pitman, Jimmy Bond and Arthur Wright. All of the lines were written by Brian.
Brian Wilson is one of the very few genuine musical genius in pop music. Not only was the song "Good Vibrations", the entire album that it was on, "Smiley Smile" is a work of symphonic art.
@@dud3stuff Prince is definitely up there with jus the sheer amount of instruments he could play. But Brian Wilson has a sophistication (I hate that word because it sounds rude but it’s really not meant to be) that Prince lacked to some extent.
Prince was a world class performer and a capable record producer, Brian is arguably the greatest record producer and songwriter of all time. They’re both among the greatest musicians ever, but I think few people who know of Brian Wilson’s achievements would deny his genius.
It's unfair to slag off all of Summer Days & Summer Nights as formulaic simplicity. Listen to "Let Him Run Wild", that's totally on par with Pet Sounds melodically, arrangement, & production wise.
Came here to say this, that was a misguided example when an earlier album would have served better. There was no discussion of the BB harmonies or what makes them unique, which was a through-line from their earliest efforts and showcased in Summer Days/Nights exceptionally
Summer Days and Summer Nights was so much more than "simple" Brian had already been pushing the musical envelope since '64. The instrumentation on Summer Days is so dense and layered. California Girls and Summer Means New Love? basically the prequels to Pet Sounds
The Disingenuous Gamer Absolutely. Also gems like Let Him Run Wild, You're So Good To Me and the ingenious Beatles-alike Girl Don't Tell Me where the guitar intro is the same as Ticket To Ride's with the notes slightly shifted around. Everyone goes on about Beach Boys Today, but Summer Days/Summer Nights is the real quantum leap towards Pet Sounds and all that came after, the difference being the advent of LSD in Brian's musical and spiritual advancement.
The dismissal of that album sort of illustrates truly how badly underappreciated they are, with a purported expert underappreciating them in a video that highlights why you should appreciate them
Not all of Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) is so simple. Brian's production aesthetic on Pet Sounds the following year began on the two fantastic 1965 albums Today and Summer Days. Plus, the second side of Today contained songs with lyrical themes akin to those on the songs on Pet Sounds. Starting with these two albums, Brian was developing a more mature, musically and lyrically, direction for The Beach Boys, reaching its zenith with his masterpiece Pet Sounds.
Summer Days was the BB's 'Revolver' IMO - as a cohesive focused unit at the peak of their powers and riding the crest of the wave, it's just viewed differently due to marketing, time frame, and cultural differences. Check out Unsurpassed Masters if you've not already - there's a Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) Boxed set in there, if you will. It's incredible.
Yeah I thought Today! was released closer to Pet Sounds especially with the themes that occur on the B-side. Even though technically the album right before Pet Sounds I'm pretty sure is Beach Boys Party! as well as some compilation album. Which use to be counted as part of their discography since the album 20/20 was a reference to it being their 20th album, when counting their compilations.
I would say that Summer Days is definitely a precursor to Pet Sounds and you can hear Brian Wilson start to take ahold of the complexity he would master (it’s beating a dead horse at this point but obviously the intro to California Girls is probably one of the best 12 or so seconds in pop history). Overall tho I would still say SDaSN is still far behind Pet Sounds.
The first time I heard this song I was in awe. I could have sworn it was at least five or six minutes long. Oh, that mellow part, ending with that big harmonic chord, and then... *nothing* They left us just hanging in space as the echo fades, for an instant, before falling right back into that delightful chorus. It's like a rollercoaster! Pure Magic! Every single time, man, it "sends me there!"
Poly, your arguments are stunningly good. I've never plunged this deeply into the Beach Boys, and now you've convinced me to investigate further. Well done.
I run a radio show at Rhode Island College called Vibes, named in honour of this song. In fact, every time I start my show, I only start it with this song. Such a masterpiece!
In the early 1960's the Beach Boys & the Supremes were the Only competition that Beatles & the Rolling Stones had for the Top of the Charts... The Beach Boys were truly a pioneering and iconic band. Their Music stands the test of time
To dismiss previous songs and work to 'Pet Sounds' is insane. On a shoestring and limited by his Father and overseers Wilson crafted amazing beauty. Made it radio friendly and profitable.
I was driving home and I turned this song up on the radio (I had heard a million times over the years). But I had it turned up, and as I was listening to it, I realized, I never knew how much had gone into it with the instrumentation. And also, as this video points out -- how many times it changes radically throughout the song. It was genius.
This breakdown of this song really got me thinking, so clear and perfectly executed. I loved it. I'd love a video on Jimi Hendrix's "1983... (A merman I should come to be)" as I believe it is a truly underrated masterpiece of its time!
I love 60s pop, 70s rock, and 90s alt-rock but I am not a fan of pop-rock. Exceptions: Blondie, Queen, and Mott the Hoople. So, if you are going to analyse a pop-rock band why not make it Blondie?
"Who whenever you're talking about the greats in rock, be sure to give Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys a little love." Except for Mike Love, ironically.
Mike wrote the lyrics to Good Vibrations as well California Girls, I get around, Fun Fun Fun and about 300 more. Get your facts straight. You know nothing about the Beach Boys.
My parents gave me their boombox and some cassettes when I was about 4 so I could listen to music in my bedroom. The Best of the Beach Boys was in the little box they gave me and I played it over and over and over again. Good Vibrations was by far my favorite and I think listening to it at such a young age had a huge effect on what I would enjoy listening to in the future. I still have that tape and I put it in my boom box from time to time. Heroes & Villains was one that I heard much later in life in my 20s, but that one is an absolute masterpiece as well and I wish everyone knew it. Brian Wilson is a genius and I wish a better word to describe him existed.
Ever since watching Love & Mercy I have been appreciating the Beach Boys anew. I was a tween durig that time and was a Bealtes fan but I never bought any BB songs. I LOVE the harmonies. That's what music needs now - more harmonies! which of course came from the doo wap of the 50s.
"Good Vibrations" was written about Brian Wilson's childhood dog. As a boy Brian once asked his mother why do dogs like some people and bark at others? His mother responded "Dogs can sense your vibrations,some have good vibrations and some have bad" ..Love it! :-)
I am a huuuuge Beatles fan but I am not ashamed to confess I love Good Vibrations and always mention it when I say: one of the best songs ever published. And I love almost no album as much as the sadly abandoned and nevery finished "smile" - Just love it . Thanks for this vid ^^
I don't understand how a channel and have a couple million views with high a like to dislike ratio and still have only 26,000 (subs). Keep up the good work my dude!
Im honestly not gonna request or recommend anything, the topics, style, info and whatever it is that you're doing are brilliant dude, please continue to surpise me and produce such great content.
I was privileged to watch the Beach Boys perform live in Birmingham, England, in June 1967,what an amazing night! They were as good on stage as on record! Incredible!
The film Love and Mercy re-ignited my love of the Beach Boys from when I was a child and my mom played Pet Sounds seemingly on repeat in the car. I'm not dismissing their early albums with the surf-rock sound, but once they began experimenting is when their genius really began to shine.
You should TOTALLY make a video discussing the chords and harmonies in The Flamingos "I Only Have Eyes for You". Such an incredible composition with both a haunting and passionate interplay
What I NEVER get is why music critics praise complex song structures and use of different instrumentations in Pet Sounds or Sargent Pepper and, once this trend mutated into Prog Rock after Days of Future Passed and In The Court of The Crimson King, they dismiss the whole catalague. I really really can't understand it.
When I hear this song it reminds me of when my parents were young in their late 20s and early 30s. Memories I will treasure forever. I'm so thankful for them and I love them so much. Thank you Mom and Dad for loving Arthur and I, and for the unbelievable sacrifices you made for us growing up. Panchito
Add some love for the wrecking Crew here. The only Beach Boy to play instruments on this was Brian, everything else was the WC. Notably the great Hal Blaine on drums and Larry Knechtel on keyboards. How good was Hal Blaine ? He even played drums on the Carpenters recordings .. and Karen was the drummer. Geniuses the lot of them.
Carl Wilson on Guitar too, but the Beach Boys on tour learned to play what the Wrecking crew did. The Beach boys voices are amazing on every song they made, no band outside of the Doo-wop bands of the 50's, and a few bands here and there, could really come close to Matching the Vocal harmonies, The Beach Boys had, the Mamas and Papas are a pretty good harmony group, but that is my Opinion. The Beach Boys did not just live off the Wrecking crew, they were immensely talented and great.
My ear has always been more keen than my actual knowledge of music.This song has always stuck out as a masterpiece to me,but I’ve never been able to explain what I’m hearing.This clarified a lot for me and I never realized the chorus was “reversed”at the end.Thanks!
Wow! Have only recently discovered your channel, and I am extremely impressed. Thus, I subscribed immediately. Many thanks for your deep analysis and educational presentations. I've only watched a few of your vids, yet I am sold. Have already begun sharing them with 'the uninformed' as I gently refer to many friends who always never understand anything I say about music. So, please, keep up the exceptional work. Again, well done!
It's a song that goes right to the subconscious and sits there very comfortably, always reminding you that it's great, but rarely making you think about just how great it is. I admire the subtlety of that.
80's on the beaches of north carolina, south carolina and florida the things i remember most was the rise of the latin beat (yes, i still feel that conga) and the resurgence of the beach boys (do you remember a place called kokamo?). the beach boys were as much a part of my musical education as the beatles and pink floyd.
Great dissection of the song, and to fully appreciate it one needs to watch the movie The Wrecking Crew and YT videos related to the making of Pet Sounds. Brian was a devotee of Phil Spector and those studio musicians, and Good Vibrations was the first result of that process.
The first time I heard this song, it knocked me off my feet.. It let me know that music would never be the same again. It had grown. The way it made me feel echoed one of the lines from it: "I don't know where but she sends me there". That's how it made me feel. It sent me somewhere I'd never been before.. From day one, I've been a tremendous Beach Boys fan. Some of us know genius when we hear it.
I grew up in their hometown of Hawthorne, CA. It's unfortunate that a lot of people did not like them, even my music teachers refused to acknowledge the Beach Boys instead of using them to encourage the students in positive ways. More poignant is the fact that the original design for the 105 Freeway was changed to veer south and bulldoze the Beach Boys original home in Hawthorne. (I saw the original designs at a friend's house back in 1981). Only thing that remains is a small plaque. ROCK ON! Great Band, great musicians and definitely ahead of their time.
I grew up on a beach in the 80's. I abhorred the Beach Boys as a result. When I got to college and my musical "nuts" dropped, I went on a tear, devouring every Beach Boys thing I could get in my hands.
He wasn't saying that Revolver came before Pet Sounds. He was just saying that The Beatles were recording and innovating music like Tomorrow Never Knows at the same time that Pet Sounds was being recorded.
Always thought of 'Summer Days (And SummerNights)' as the Beach Boys 'Revolver' - they were WAY ahead of the curve - 'Pet Sounds' their pre-Pepper 'Pepper' and 'SMiLE' & 'Smiley Smile' pre-empted the same sprawling disintegration as the 'White Album' - the difference being the Beach Boys stuck together and managed to make wonderful music well in to the next decade, but there were so many dynamic paralells, the main difference was that they were a family concern.
Revolver came out only 3 months after Pet Sounds. Pet Sounds was a much bigger influence on Sgt. Pepper than on Revolver, McCartney and George Martin said in interviews that Sgt. Pepper wouldn't have existed with out Pet Sounds and it was their attempt to replicate it. So basically, Rubber Soul led to Pet Sounds led to Sgt. Pepper
Confession: I've undervalued the Beach Boys. I enjoy Pet Sounds. But without much thought, I always wrote it off as them "trying to be the Beatles". You've opened my eyes -- I see Brian Wilson in a whole new light! GREAT content.
Although not necessarily my favourite, I think Good Vibrations is the greatest pop song ever written (Bohemian Rhapsody being the greatest rock song ever, naturally).
This song in Australia is used in sales jingles for stores selling cheap white goods. One of the top songs of all time flogging made in China crap. It doesn't make any sense to me. To me it's a haunting song, like no other.
Well, you see, The Beach Boys aren’t exactly considered “rock”. They’re more surf rock; pop; R&B. Not exactly “classic rock (hard rock, soft rock, progressive rock, etc.)”.
To the narrator in this video. I have listened to this about ten times since Friday and watched it for the fourth and last time just now. I had to focus on the instruments that made this track so revolutionary. I am not sure if you did this on purpose or not. Go to minute 2:06 where you say they used a dozen different instruments and then show a picture of instruments. In the photo you use, you have only applied eleven instruments, not twelve (for a dozen). The one instrument I do not see on there is the instrument I just taught myself and learned about. That instrument is the jaw-harp. I am not sure if this was a lack of editing, or if you thought no one would notice. I am sure there are going to be others like myself who will watch your video because this song is the song most of us choose to cover when on the chapters covering the psychedelic era of the sixties. You helped me a lot and I want to thank you for doing such an astute job on your video. P.S Please ENABLE the closed captioning for this video. It's not just for those who can't physically hear (ASL) music to not be able to enjoy this masterpiece analysis!
Not gonna lie, I kinda want to see one of these more or less dissecting either Paranoid or Black Sabbath since both were immensely important to the history of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music.
3:02 Didn't know Ab Minor and Bb Major were the same chord. In all seriousness, this is probably my favorite RU-vid channel at the moment. Great narrator, visuals, and of course, music. Keep it up!
It has been my favourite song since I heard it in a museum in Oslo while travelling. I had no idea it was so complex which might explain why I still like it and listen to it religiously after 5 years.
All of a sudden your videos are popping up in my feed. I'd never heard of your channel until today. Love the detailed analysis you bring to the music. I am currently binge watching your channel.
The same mistake is present @ 3:00 and 5:34 too. Then @ 6:00, both B major and Bb major are shown with the Ab minor chord. Other than those errors though, it’s a solid video.
Love your videos and this one is definitely my favourite since NOBODY PAYS ENOUGH ATTENTION TO BEACH BOYS AND ESPECIALLY THIS TRACK. seriously, we should've been playing the heck out of this song in radio, parties, playlist etc etc
