Surell

This is my third time trying to get this in, but i'm prevailing this time.

Conceptual Depth: To judge this, we have to enter the mind of Wilson while composing Pet Sounds and SMiLE: Drugged out, antisocial, perfectionist, and a sensitive artist guy. On the two albums, he strives for innocence, youth, love, and triumph; things he was lacking. His label, which he shared with the Beatles, didn't want to put out his form of experimentation, likely because it wasn't the same kind his colleagues were finding success with. The drugs were feeding into his paranoid state and his music at the same time. No one was approving of his art, aside from Van **** Parks, so he was feeling more depressed and straying from the innocence in which he was sheltered as a youth. So the music represented his desires to be young and pure, to love everyone, and to find victory; after all, there's a lot of 50's-early 60's influence in his songwriting (motown, R&B, gospel, some country and jazz, etc.). The classical complexity and lyrical themes display his turmoil in meeting these desires.

BTW: According to Wikipedia, the album is based mostly on Acid and Zen philosophy, along with a zen riddle foundation called "koan" which is supposed to "free one from preconceptions."

Lyrical Originality: Though it seems the lyrics are simply about California summer love (which is really only the case on Pet Sounds), there's a tinge of doubt and anxiety throughout. The first point made in "God Only Knows" is that, though right now he's head over heels in love with his woman, helpless even, he doesn't know how he'll feel tomorrow. He'll be miserable, and he wants to assure her of this, but the possibility of the infatuation dying is recognized. This also arises on "Wouldn't It Be Nice," which looks at ideal infatuation while realizing the reality of most relationships. Now, on SMiLE, pretty much all this changes. Sure, "Good Vibrations" is pretty much a love song, but the writing is psychedelic, based on spiritual "vibrations" he feels from a very special lady. Aside from this, many of the songs deal with varied subject matter, or sometimes a more abstract kind; told through themes, harmonies, or word repetition. I mean, there's songs about eating your vegetables and the joy it can bring a lad ("Vega-tables") or "Heroes and Villains," a constantly shifting ballad about a lover he lost and how he lives amongst chaos- this is more face value evaluation. There's also "Child is Father of the Man," which merely repeats those words in an intriguing melody. This sounds boring in text, i'm sure, but it's one of the best tracks on SMiLE.

Musical Techniques: The way to see it is opposite of the Beatles of this era: They were pop-chameleons, who used various styles in a pop songwriting format for experimental value; they meandered a little into Classical composition, but used it mostly as a backdrop for more Rock/Pop records/songs. It was a more overt manner of experimentation/eclecticism compared to Wilson's way. The Beach Boys began practically with a classical template for writing and composing: focusing on shifts, harmonies that compliment in contradiction rather than uniformity (a theme of the music), and incorporating pop elements for the music's tone and instrumentation. From there you see what genres you'd like to blend into the composition: There's country ("Cabin Essence"), western saloon playing ("Heroes and Villains") gospel in the harmonies, R&B and Motown in the lyricism and some instrumentation, a little folk in some lyrics and playing (though a little lush), jazz in instrumentation, and, of course, the rock and pop undertones.

That's my thesis.

I'd use Heroes and Villains, but i'm scared it'll break the romance rule, so here's my contribution:



Child is Father of the Man. If you look up the Brian Wilson version, he has more lyrics, about a boy making his way in the world and whatnot.

The vocal harmonies are complex enough, jumping out at you and then soothing immediately after. There's a couple of shifts as well, a mark of Classical level writing, or at least jazz. The theme of the song is evocative/thought provoking, and it does it without even having to use more than six words. As i said, the theme is further explored on Wilson's own version, which sounds somewhat different as well, but i chose this one.

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