The Beatles album that blew Brian Wilson’s mind: “That made me want to make ‘Pet Sounds'”
The 1960s produced many innovators who changed the face of popular music. Two of the most prominent were The Beach Boys and The Beatles, with the groups’ respective frontmen making great strides to individually pull the industry from its rudimentary phases into something resembling the kaleidoscopic landscape of today. Given their prominent statures, both acts found solace in each other’s work, with Brian Wilson a big fan of John Lennon and his band’s efforts.
There is an inextricable link between the stories of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, a connection which stretches far outside of the coincidence that they both hailed from the Western coasts of their homelands. More resoundingly, it was shortly after the release of The Beach Boys’ chef d’oeuvre, 1966’s Pet Sounds, that The Beatles recalibrated.
Making good on their previous sonic hints that they were about to take things up a notch, 1967’s psychedelic cornerstone Sgt. Pepper’s was a response to the potent fusion of orchestral and experimental elements Wilson enacted across his masterpiece. Furthermore, this started a period of friendly rivalry between both outfits, fuelled by the desire to see who could institute the most searing artistic strides. Incidentally, it commenced the most fruitful creative periods for all involved.
When speaking to Paste in 2004, Brian Wilson discussed his love of The Beatles and revealed their album that “blew” his mind more than any other: Rubber Soul. The record also helped him shape the embryo of Pet Sounds. “Rubber Soul blew my mind,” he said. “I liked the way it all went together, the way it was all one thing. It was a challenge to me to do something similar. That made me want to make Pet Sounds; I didn’t want to do the same kind of music but on the same level.”
By 1965, John Lennon was also a big admirer of Wilson’s work with The Beach Boys. After ‘The Little Girl I Once Knew’ was released that year, he delivered praise for the track in a Melody Maker review. Notably, the standalone single was recorded during the making of Pet Sounds and pointed to what was to come from the Californians.
“This is the greatest! Turn it up,” Lennon said exuberantly. “Turn it right up. It’s GOT to be a hit. It’s the greatest record I’ve heard for weeks. It’s fantastic. I hope it will be a hit. It’s all Brian Wilson. He just uses the voices as instruments. He never tours or anything.”
“He just sits at home thinking up fantastic arrangements out of his head,” The Beatles leader added. “Doesn’t even read music. You keep waiting for the fabulous breaks. Great arrangement. It goes on and on with all different things. I hope it’s a hit so I can hear it all the time.”
Listen to Rubber Soul below.
