These days it seems as if the acronym of GOAT is handed out a little too freely. It’s magnitude becoming increasingly diminished with each casual application, but when it comes to harmonies and composition within the world of pop music, the late Brian Wilson might actually be the greatest of all time.
In the week of his passing in June 2025, a lot of eyes and ears found their way to ‘Pet Sounds’ and understandably so. Despite finding success with earlier Beach Boys material and acclaim via his solo offerings, Pet Sounds will forever be Wilson’s legacy, his magnum opus.
Initially met with mixed reviews, Pet Sounds has since cultivated a reputation as the groups crowning achievement, and in the almost six decades since its initial release Pet Sounds has come to be considered, and rightfully so, one of the most influential records ever made.
It’s impossible to truly explain within three minutes why this record is so special, but I’ll do my best to scratch the surface layer of it’s brilliance. For starters, sonically speaking, it was a pioneer. Expanding upon Phil Spector’s famous ‘Wall of Sound’ technique, Wilson threw into the mix overdubbed vocals and bass lines. He layered sounds through his modular recording process. Splicing together separate sections from separate recording sessions, giving him a newfound flexibility to experiment with song structure. Literally piecing an album together as if it were a movie.
He also treated the studio as an instrument itself, utilizing analog tape effects, manipulating echo chambers and playing with reverb, delay and EQ in ways that were previously unheard.
And then there was the unorthodox instrumentation. Coke cans, water jugs, theremins, bass harmonicas, harpsichords, bicycle bells and actual pet sounds… courtesy of Brian’s dogs, Banana and Louie, are just a few colorful threads within the albums tapestry. With Pet Sounds there was no regard for commercialism or treading familiar terrain, it was a pure space for experimentation. An opportunity to push music far beyond it’s previously known limitations. And in doing so Wilson created a kaleidoscope of chamber pop, psychedelia, folk, jazz, and more. A record that has a dreamy presence yet is permeated by earnest, human emotions. Introspective thoughts on both internal and external relationships. A catalogue of songs that often sound joyous and bright yet are underpinned by a sense of isolation and longing. An incredible juxtaposition of tone. A prime example of head and heart working in tandem despite their opposing directions. The techniques and sonic expansion of Pet Sounds might not seem as spectacular nowadays. considering what’s followed, but there’s no doubt that Wilsons innovation created a generational domino effect and that Pet Sounds continues to have us ponder, god only knows what pop music would be without this.
