I Just Wasn't Made for These Times: Brian Wilson and the Making of Pet Sounds

by Charles L. Granata

This illuminating book offers unique insight into the making of the seminal album Pet Sounds, revealing the intimate processes that went into its creation and featuring brand-new interviews with key players. From conception and composition to arrangement and production, the ways in which Pet Sounds changed the face of American popular music are chronicled. While Pet Sounds carries the tag of being a Beach Boys record, this lively exposé reveals just how little input the rest of the band had in its recording. Illustrating Brian Wilson's prodigious talent, the book chronicles his ability to turn his back on the protest songs and folk-rock of his contemporaries, and even on the bright surf sound of his own creation, in order to reach deep within himself to make music that struck an emotional chord and touched people's souls. Wilson's ability to embrace the rapidly advancing recording technology of the 1960s and to expertly blend rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz sounds with velvety harmonies and sensitive melodies to create a brand-new studio sound are discussed. An intimate portrait of Wilson's family, breakdown, and drug use is included.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, History

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any information you can glean about Wilson and Pet Sounds is a good thing, but I feel like an album with such obsessive attention to detail deserves a book that shares the same quality. That said, that doesn't really seem to be what the author was going for. You get some of the stuff that pleases obsessive geeks like myself like the details of the composing and recording dates, but just not enough to really feel satisfied. It's more of a primer-type thing for someone with a passing interest in the subject.

A good thing this book does is really illustrate the fact that at this point Wilson was at the level of Lennon/McCartney, he just really doesn't get recognized for it because his vision and world fell to shit during the recording of his potential magnum opus Smile so he didn't get the chance to create a bigger body of lasting work during his peak whereas the Beatles went on to release the second half of their classic string of records.

Yeah, so overall not a terribly impressive book for the initiated but good for people who are interested in learning more about Wilson and particularly Pet Sounds without getting a doorstopper examining every possible aspect of this record and the man who made it. I'm not even sure that book exists, at this point.

[Rolls · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Pet Sounds like I do this book is for you. It gives one a deeper understanding of the process that produced this beautiful record. More on this later.

[Jenn A. Maronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know Pet Sounds well, and/or you are willing to listen to certain album tracks while reading, you'll really enjoy this book. It's written for an audience who knows some music theory and has interest in technical production of one of the greatest albums of all time.

[Katie Hanrahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read while listening to the songs. An in-depth look at the creation of music with insight into the influence Brian Wilson’s album had on other artists. Most of the musical references were beyond me, who never played an instrument, but the book was enjoyable just the same.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every summer I put the Beach Boys on my listening devices. Growing up in Southern California their music certainly resonated in just about all we did. Add to that surfing and fast cars and not necessarily fast girls summer wasn't complete without the music of the Beach Boys. I clearly remember the first time I heard "Wouldn't It Be Nice" the first cut on the album Pet Sounds. It was really different from previous music from them. At that time the backstory of the BBs wasn't known. It was the music that mattered. Brian Wilson was truly a genius. Pet Sounds is a truly remarkable piece of music. This book goes deep into the making of it. Brian had stopped touring with the band and was in the studio putting together the music thst would become Pet Sounds. Piece by piece the record came together with the best session musicians in the business and of course ftom the vision of Wilson. This book is not for everyone. It is for the music lover who can celebrate the creativity and work that goes into a great piece of music. Even if you don't read it listen to the album. It's wonderful.

[Christopher Rush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a bit hagiographic at times (no doubt precisely how I sound when speaking of Babylon 5), this was a very engaging story of the making of perhaps the best rock album of all time. Mr. Granata gives us a modicum of historical background prior to the album, with a smattering of post-Pet Sounds knowledge, mainly relating to Smile and Brian's miraculous return to the land of "emotional stability" as Brian calls it; none of which is wholly new but all of it is presented well and concisely. For my purposes in reading this book, Mr. Granata's sparse yet efficient history was an ideal compilation of pertinent episodes in the life of the Beach Boys beyond the main album under discussion, so I very much enjoyed that unsought aspect as well.

Some may say this enthusiastic (shall we say) presentation suffers from too much verve, though I certainly wouldn't want to read a history of Pet Sounds from some one who didn't like it very much. Some may say it suffers from too many technical details, though considering Mr. Granata's background, such technical aspects (such as the nature of the recording equipment, the tonal/harmonic construction of the vocal arrangements, the psychological reasons why we respond to such celestial harmonies, the history of recording/printing/tracking/compression/digitization etc.) of the album is part of Mr. Granata's main purpose in writing this book. The subtitle (the title itself is never addressed why Mr. Granata chose that track as the initial focus) clearly indicates this is about the making of the album, not just a "here's why I love it so much" biography (though there is plenty of that, most of which is strings of unexplored/unsupported superlatives - I don't disagree, I just would have preferred a tad more substance in this area).

Some may be confused, as I was, why Mr. Granata intentionally did not speak to Brian Wilson directly. He says it was a purposed choice, but that's all - no explanation why he made that choice. Some may be confused, as I was again, why Mr. Granata intentionally gave us a revised edition in time for the 50th anniversary of the album ... but then said nothing about the 50th anniversary tour beyond one brief reference by (I think) Tony Asher in the foreword! Why this book couldn't have waited two more months for some words on the phenomenal 50th anniversary tour with Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, and more is very perplexing.

Be that as it may, it's hard to disagree with Bruce Johnston, Carol Kaye, Tony Asher and others when they say this may be the definitive (if concise) story of the great(est) album Pet Sounds. I'm not saying this book (or the tour) made me think PS is the most enjoyable Beach Boys album to pop in on a whim (even Brian says Friends is his favorite), but it will give you a great appreciation for it and its worthy claim to greatest of all time.

[Paul Whitla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of a series of books on the making of various great albums and suffers a bit from having to stick to a formula, presumably provided by the publisher. The author though is very knowledgeable about the topic and has the capacity to write about the making of the music, perhaps not the most exciting of writers though, with little of the drama behind the creation and more of a chronicle of its development. Assumedly, other biographies of Brian Wilson/Beach Boys go into the more colourful aspects of the story, here it is a more straight-forward recounting of the recording, arrangement, engineering aspects, together with a technical analysis of each song. Something for the coompletist rather than the casual fan.

[Zack Lanigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book constantly flip flops from - incredibly interesting insight into the creation of one of my favourite albums and the man who created it, to - using meaningless metaphors to describe how a song I’ve heard 200 times sounds.

I also can’t lie - closing this book, to check my phone and see a BBC news push notification telling me that Brian Wilson had died put an extra dampener on the experience so I might be biased.

[Linda Belmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by Carol Kaye, legendary bass guitarist with the so-called "Wrecking Crew." I absolutely LOVED this book but do agree that you must be extremely familiar/obsessed with Pet Sounds to enjoy the detailed information here about the making of the greatest album of all time, IMHO.

[Steve Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome deep dive into my favorite album of all time. Diligently researched and well constructed encyclopedia containing anything you would want to know about Pet Sounds. Occasionally technical, but I enjoy that sort of thing. Charles Granata has gifted the world with the ultimate Pet Sounds reference in the form of a well written book.

[Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect companion for the Pet Sounds Box Set.
Well written and researched, gives an insight on what was on Brian's head at the time, what led to the creation and the sounds of the album and its legacy.
A whole book on Pet Sounds, what else do you need to be happy?

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This account of the making of Pet Sounds is enthralling. Granata's descriptions of Brian's sessions with Asher and the studio sessions wrap you up and make you feel like you're right there. A great companion to one of the most timeless achievements of modern music.

[Rob Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone wanting a deep analysis of the meaning behind the songs of Pet Sounds, this isn’t the book for them. As an exploration of the writing, recording, musical and studio techniques used though it’s a success. The interviews with Tony Asher are especially enjoyable.

[Dave Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book mentions some of Brian's drug use and mental health issues, it is a fairly gentle, but in depth look at his work as seen by people around him. A great deal of background information about the Pet Sounds album, but a nod to his other work as well.

[Sylvia Seymour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endless welcome details on Pet Sounds's inspiration, crafting, and appreciation.Thanks, Vinyl Frontier.

[Carrie Waibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and wish it hadn't been cancelled. Learning the history behind some of my favorite albums is a guilty pleasure.

[William Retherford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will tell you nothing but the honest truth.
Brian Wilson is a genius.

[Lord Bathcanoe of Snark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not read this book because l am a fan of Pet Sounds. I read it because l personally think it is probably the most overrated album of all time. I was hoping that the book would give me some insight as to why so many people rate it so highly. That didn't really happen.
God Only Knows is a brilliant piece of music. Sloop John B is also pretty good. But Wouldn't it Be Nice sounds like something the Partridge Family would have recorded. And the rest of the album achieves an insipid cheesiness that not even the Carpenters managed to accomplish.
To top it all l find out that Brian Wilson had to bring in session musicians to play the instrumental parts.
Can you imagine the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin doing that?
So the book did not change my view as to the status of Pet Sounds, but if it's other people's luke warm cup of tea then that's fine.

[Smh624 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the revised edition from 2017 updated after the 50th anniversary of the release of Pet Sounds. This book is for people who are interested in how music is crafted in the song writing process and in the studio. Having an understanding of the recording process and the technology that was available in 1965-66 and today makes it much more interesting. It is a very in-depth description of the making of Pet Sounds and does a good job of putting this ground breaking record in historical context. I have a new appreciation of where pop music was when Pet Sounds was made. St. Pepper's had not been made and actual rock music had not yet emerged. I highly recommend listening to the original mono version and the 50th anniversary stereo version. The differences are really interesting.

[Robert S · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was younger I couldn't get enough of The Beatles, particularly the work of McCarthy/Lennon. However, I find myself appreciating Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys more as I get older. Wilson was one of the greatest geniuses in the history of music and Pet Sounds is one of the greatest albums of all time.

While there is some great information here in Wouldn't it Be Nice, I suppose I was looking for other types of information than what was provided.

Definitely worth giving a read though if you are a fan of The Beach Boys.

[Joe Lewkowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this book is a good read for anyone interested in The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, or audio production in the 1960’s.

While the middle of the book gets a bit lost in technical details regarding the recording and writing of the album (going into individual tracks), it’s the clear this stems from the authors love of the album.

I found the back third of the book the most interesting, with a few chapters describing the release of pet sounds, and its influence/interplay with the Beatles’ releases at the time.

[Trace Reddell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, and I learned some new things to listen for, but ultimately it felt a little light and too dependent on extended quotes from interview subjects. It grew a bit repetitive, particularly in terms of the author's analysis of the album, which I kept wanting to go deeper and become more nuanced.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, informative about the historical context, songwriting, making, and impact of Pet Sounds and written in a clear style. I did knock off a star because the author got too opinionated in some places (for instance, going off on a tangent on why he doesn't think "Sloop John B" belongs on the album), which is a pet peeve of mine with music books.

[Grant Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched account on the making of for me the greatest album of all time.

[Matt Stennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading if you’re a huge fan of Pet Sounds

[K.D. Putnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Features a good balance of the technical side and the personal side of the record! Would recommend!

[Joe Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely in-depth.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the 33 1/3 book about Pet Sounds

[Jerrett Lyday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of just OK. This book really REALLY shines in the middle when the album is being discussed, but it gets a little stale after that.

[Manel Cano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenido, pero solo para fans. La comparativa con The Beatles casi da risa.