3. I Can Hear Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqn6-RtKz5g This song is different than any other on this list in that Brian Wilson had nothing to do with it; Brian literally had no involvement in this song. In the wake of the Smile debacle, Brian began to sink deeper into drugs than he ever had before. The drug use aggravated Brian's already-existing depression, sending him to his bedroom for sessions of solitude that could sometimes stretch out for days. Upon seeing his brother sink into an ever-worsening state, Carl Wilson stepped up and became the leader of the band. Carl played an essential role for the Boys during this time; his leadership was practically the only thing that held the band together from 1968 through 1976 (when Brian came back as lead producer). The first song that Carl produced on his own was I Can Hear Music, a song that had originally been recorded by the Ronettes in 1966. The song, originally being a Ronettes song, had been written in part by Phil Spector; one can't help but wonder if Carl chose this song, knowing full well how big a fan Brian was of Spector's style, as a homage to his brother. At any rate, Carl took a page from his brother and put together a "wall of sound"-like arrangement, emphasing guitar, drums and tambourines. Carl also added an A Capella section to the middle of the song, which is noted to this day for its use of harmonies and counterpoint. The result of Carl (and the rest of the band)'s work is one of the rarest of musical rarities: a cover that's better than the original. When one listens to the Ronettes' version, one finds a surprisingly stripped-down tune; Ronnie Spector and her fellow band members don't seem to enjoy singing the song, singing the lyrics without any emotion. On the other hand, The Boys' version provides a much richer-sounding musical experience, and when Carl belts out the lyrics, you feel like he really means what he's saying. The tune peaked at a respectable #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and rightly so; in this writer's opinion, this song is one of the Beach Boys' best of the post-Pet Sounds period.