Wouldn’t It Be Nice to See Brian Wilson Perform ‘Pet Sounds’ Live?
Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, the architect of one of the most iconic albums ever produced – “Pet Sounds” – will play Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on May 22 in honor of the 50th anniversary of its release. PHOTO: Brian Bowen Smith
By Mike Saucier
Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys and the genius architect of one of the most iconic albums ever produced – “Pet Sounds” – will play Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on May 22 in honor of the 50th anniversary of its release.
Wilson, who turns 75 next month, told Frontdoors that he and his backing band plan to cover “the classics like ‘California Girls’ and ‘Good Vibrations,’” among others, he said, “and then we’re going to do the ‘Pet Sounds’ album” from beginning to end, in order.
Wilson began a world tour last year to honor the 50th anniversary of “Pet Sounds” and expanded the performance run this year.
Wilson has said that the band has been “blown away by the reception of this tour” and did not expect the reaction they are getting in revisiting the material that cemented Wilson as one of the greatest pop composers of his time, if not all time.
It’s fair to say this is the last chance to hear the iconic masterwork played live in its entirety.
The 11th studio album from The Beach Boys, “Pet Sounds” was recorded and released in 1966 and has been drawing plaudits from critics ever since.
Rolling Stone magazine characterized its impact on its pages as such:
“In 1966, 23-year-old Brian Wilson hijacked the Beach Boys, a multi-million-dollar industry consisting of his two brothers, cousin and childhood friend, to give voice to the sounds he heard in his head and the emotions he felt in his heart. The result was an album that had leading musical figures struggling to match his technical innovation, lyrical depth and melodic genius. Half a century later, it’s questionable whether anyone has.”
The album features well-known hits such as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B,” and “God Only Knows.”
Wilson, when asked which melody he’s most proud of, said “God Only Knows” – which is his favorite because of its lyrics and the fact that it’s a “very intimate love song.”
He said a great song “comes from your heart.”
Wilson was asked what his Rosebud is – a reference to “Citizen Kane” of the name of a sled given to Charles Foster Kane (played by Orson Welles) by his mom. The sled represents childhood comfort, security and innocence. Wilson said he’d never seen the film but answered right away.
His Rosebud, he said, is the first time he ever saw the ocean, in Los Angeles when he was 12. “That was a big moment in my life,” he said. “My parents drove us down there and we saw the ocean. We had never seen it before. My dad said, ‘Well, there it is.’ And I said, ‘Wow!’”
