10 Perfect Rock Albums For Production

Each step that Brian Wilson took in the mid ‘60s felt like it was designed to reach Pet Sounds. In the wake of the Beatles getting more and more psychedelic with their records, Brian was convinced that he could take his band further, and set out to make songs that were about more than just fun in the sun with your girlfriend. Even with his back against the wall half the time, what came through turned into one of the most stunning albums in rock history.

Though Brian was already known for his unorthodox style of writing pop songs in the early days, he seems to go even more off the rails on every other track, using the Wrecking Crew session band like an instrument unto themselves, turning these magical moments into little symphonies like on God Only Knows and Don’t Talk Put Your Head on My Shoulder.

In between the traditional Beach Boys harmonies though, there are different pieces that shouldn’t really work in the context of the song yet somehow do, like when the band continues on while the bass is playing in a completely different key or the beginning of You Still Believe In Me as Brian “plays” the strings of the piano with different pins to get the raw sound that comes through the speakers. It may have sounded a little bit strange on mono mixes back in the day, but that’s because technology wasn’t even ready for Brian. Here was a guy that was working with a stereo mindset in a world that needed a few more years to catch up to him.