The Beach Boys record John Cale wishes he had made
The incredible career of John Cale leaves very little to be desired. From his pioneering work with The Velvet Underground, who changed the face of alternative music indefinitely, to his long and well-respected solo work, which pushed the boundaries of experimental music. At the risk of over-hyping the Welshman, it is not controversial to suggest that Cale is one of the most important and wide-reaching musicians of the 20th century.
The world was first exposed to the stylings of John Cale through The Velvet Underground, the innovative New York outfit which he formed with Lou Reed. The first two Underground albums, The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat, were imbued with the experimental brilliance of Cale, forming the two greatest projects of the band’s career – though some would disagree. They changed music forever, inspiring everybody from David Bowie to The Clash, and remain perhaps the greatest products of New York’s proto-punk scene.
Following his departure from The Velvet Underground, amid rising tensions with Lou Reed, Cale began his fantastic solo career, embracing the more far-out experimentation that the Underground hinted at. Tirelessly enmeshed in the world of music, Cale also worked as a record producer for the likes of The Stooges, Patti Smith, and Squeeze, among many others.
Despite his intense level of success and critical acclaim, John Cale is consistently looking forward, not content with wallowing in his own success. However, the multi-instrumentalist always maintains a high level of respect for the influences that went into his sound. In particular, the Welshman has an unexpected love for The Beach Boys.
Titans of surf rock, The Beach Boys are fairly contentious figures within the history of rock and roll, often criticised for their undeniable plagiarism of rock ‘n’ roll stars like Chuck Berry. Nevertheless, Cale affirms that their 1966 seminal masterpiece Pet Sounds is among his favourites, even labelling it as the one record he wishes he had written. In a 2013 interview with Uncut, the songwriter said, “I was just in awe of that album. I still am.”
Continuing in his appreciation for the album, Cale shared, “The way Brian Wilson manipulated the studio, the strings and the arrangements, and the use of the voice as an instrument that was in there. There was a pair of ears that was at work there that was so entertaining and dealt with sounds so originally. I suppose he paid a heavy price.”
It makes sense that Cale would have such a love for Pet Sounds, given how revolutionary the work was in terms of establishing the idea of a ‘concept album’. It was among the first to establish the art of the album, as opposed to merely being a collection of disparate songs. This innovative way of tackling a musical project was something that Cale would draw upon for the entirety of his career.
