The Beach Boys' sound is truly unique. If there was any group who can put you in a good mood, they're it. Also, don't think to deeply into the lyrics of this song. It's just about a guy who's in love with a girl and the tingle he gets when he's around her.
Well said … the Beach Boys were definitely from a much more innocent time and thought pattern. They were a VERY different band from any other, asp during the later 60s. Great stuff! I grew up with this, saw them twice. Just good good music, and super influential on so many, incl the Beatles
@Erik Isaksen. Innocent time? Innocent time? Just who the F are you kidding...innocent time my ass! The Beach Boys WERE NOT all PB&J and wholesome milk... let’s water down the bs a bit please. And please, tell the full narrative of influencing “even The Beatles”...give me A BREAK!!!
It's nothing to do with a physical act. It is just him seeing a gal he feels a connection with (vibe - vibrations) and it makes him happy (excitation). When he closes his eyes, she is closer meaning he is thinking about her. The song is more innocent than what today's world makes things out to be.
Exactly! But these are millennials reacting to one of the most amazing songs that ever came out of the 60s and they didn't live through the Peace Love era. The 60s was all about good vibrations. Peace love and good vibes! ✌
There’s so much music that never would have existed if not for Brian Wilson’s writing and composing influence, decades later it still sounds so unique and brilliant.
@@michaelsangster2354 It was the LSD he was taking during the production of "Smile" which killed that album. Supposedly he thought thatg his recording of "Fire" for the Elemental Suite had caused a series of fires in the area of the recording studio.
@@surlechapeau Agreed. This is a “put on some good headphones, lay back, and close your eyes” song. The sounds are much more psychedelic than they appear on a casual listen. When I am relaxed and focused on the music, this song gives me kinesthesia. The sounds are making flowing and changing geometric forms. Each instrument gives the forms a texture or outline. Especially the cello! That darn cello IS the core vibration, rich and deep.
Although it wasn't quite on the same level Let's Do It Again was put together by Wilson and Mike Love in about 15 minutes apparently, if you believe Mike Love. Amazing.
The Beatles were huge admirers of the unique sound of the Beach Boys, arguably the Beatles' biggest rivals on the pop charts for a few years. Try "Don't Worry Baby", "God Only Knows", "Help me Rhonda", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Little Deuce Coupe", Surfin' USA" - all big hits.
A huge massive song for the Beach Boys, it took 6 months to record this song in about 4 different studios, Brian Wilson wrote it and produced it finally getting his Phil Spector "Wall Of Sound". Glad you listened to the studio version of this one. You two ROCK!!! HUGS!!! :)
The Beach Boys is one of my favorite bands. They started in the early 60s as a west coast "beach rock n roll" band. Some good early songs: "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Surfin USA", "I Get Around", and "California Girls". Later in the decade, they were in a friendly competition with the Beatles musically and came out with "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows". A big rabbit hole to explore.
Its easy to take a song like this for granted because it just sounds so cute and fun, but it truly stunned the music world when it came out and helped elevate pop music to a more artistically mature level. The writer of the music, Brian Wilson, called it a pocket symphony which really sums it up, I'd say. But yeah, it was shockingly ahead of its time in 1966.
I’ve been listening to this song for decades, and it still astonishes me. More people would be stunned today if they listened to it closely, without outside distractions. Brad’s mistake was trying to figure out what the lyrics mean, rather than just listening. He does that a lot, but on a song like this he is sadly missing out.
Pet Sounds is one of the best albums ever made. All tape, no effects, just pure talent and artistic brilliance. It marked a paradigm shift in music that reverberated through the Beatles, ELO and even through punk (Ramones) and its influence continues today (Weezer, Fontaine’s).
"No effects" would be a lie. There are instances of reverb through echo chambers all over that album. While this single has heaps of it added at the sub-mixing and mixing stages to disguise its numerous edits. Sure, not how so many today like to categorize the use of effects, but still making them a part of the masters all the same. Also, while the first tracking session is dated to February 17th, 1966, using Goldstar Studios. This ended up becoming the verse part in the final edit. This took at the way till September 21st to get the last of vocals and a part of the electro-theremin lines. To finally see complete, some of the tracking sessions did happen during the time the Pet Sounds sessions were being carried out. However, Brian Wilson did not ever intend the two to be one, he saw what became "Good Vibrations" as a whole new era of conceptualizing music for him. The only reason the initial Goldstar session ended up as the verses in the master edit was due to how he dug the sound and tone of that day's work. He was compiling together a series of "feels" that reflected sounds he was into at that time. That would have to be chopped up and spliced together for the final edit. A technique he then next envisioned for the entirety of the eventually cancelled SMiLE album. And worked hard from the second half of '66 to the first half of '67 to try and see through. But we all know how that went....
As others have said, it helps to know that you're listening to a little musical revolution here. When people first heard this it was widely seen that The Beach Boys had achieved the near-impossible, in techniques and innovations in recording, and in the richly ambitious and complex arrangement. I find it stunning every time I hear it. It's a bona fide masterpiece worthy of genuine awe.
I was wondering why Lex wasn't getting it, now I understand. It's fascinating to watch people this unfamiliar with the era and meanings and not get it.
I’m not from the era. There’s nothing to get. He’s just weird. 😂 Apparently he’s never had a good feeling about a woman. He just knows he gets stiffies 🤦♂️
There's a whole new-age-y undertone to "vibrations", too. There was a connection with the theory of "auras", and how they had something to do with the "vibrations" one's being created.
@@terryspak5763 Come on. Brad is dense. I’m sorry, I got to say it. He’s not always this dense. Sometimes he picks up on things Lex misses, although that is rare. Usually I don’t care. I enjoy his goofy reactions and the way he plays off Lex and vice versa. But this was a bad, disappointing reaction. A microbe could make the jump from Vibration to Vibe. It’s not weird obsolete slang. Lex was starting to get into the music, and Brad derailed her from wherever she was going with it, talking about strangers getting boners. 😲🤨 He can’t figure out what a good vibration is, but he somehow thinks stiffies are involved. JFChrist! 🙄 I’ve been watching Brad and Lex for a while. They do fun reactions, they are charismatic, and they have good chemistry. But I think this is the worst reaction they’ve ever done.
"God Only Knows" - likely the most musically intriguing pop song of it's era, both structure and production-wise. Is no wonder Paul McCartney is so impressed with it. Pet Sounds was every bit as ground breaking in recording as Sgt. Peppers but over-shadowed by the later. Good Vibrations - As far as I know this is likely the only hit song with a Theremin in it beside maybe dazed and confused by Led Zep? Though I do not think the latter was a top ten charter. Vibe as a slang word became common around this era. The lyric came from something Brian Wilson's mother told him when he was little... Their dog barked at people or not, she told him the reason was vibrations that the dog could sense from them. So, the meaning is not hard to figure out apparently the girl gives off a good vibe to him (gives him butterflies or interested in her), either that or she's a toy hidden? ;)
Yeah he is just crushing on her, nothing sexual. He finds her attractive and would like to know her. So he has to keep those vibration happening, so he can work up the courage to go talk to her. Catching wood would be inappropriate for that conversation.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned "Sloop John B" here in the comments--one of their best. "God Only Knows" may very well be there best song. "Heroes and Villians" is another personal favorite of mine. Their last hit, "Kokomo", is also worth a listen. So many great suggestions here in the comments--you can't go wrong with any of them.
I think it's just a love song. How he feels when he looks at her. She makes him feel good. I love it. The harmonies are so beautiful. So is the feeling the song gives the listener. The whole album is pure genius. The Beach Boys are a National Treasure.
Amazing that you're hearing the Beach Boys for the first time. Unique, innovative, still a one-off. Pet Sounds probably one of the most influential albums of its time.
In "Good Vibrations" Brian Wilson merged his earlier California surf sound with the new psychedelic music of the later 60s. There's nothing explicitly sexual in the lyrics. The vibrations are just the guy's basic attraction to the young woman about whom he sings. That is to say, he likes her.
That was a reaction so far afield it’s hard to respond to…and that was the point of the song. One line explains the song…”I don’t know where, but she sends me there.” It’s attempting to describe what’s in his heart and mind when he thinks about the woman. Define love.
Brian Wilson: a composing equal to The Beatles. It was fun watching their faces trying to take it in. He was the only composer that The Wrecking Crew ever really thought was as good as they were. It's a shame they focused on trying to figure out the meaning, rather on the fact that they noted they'd never heard anything like it before.
This is "Surf Rock", early 60's california music, quintet. This song is from 1966, things were changing fast by then and this song is very different from a regular Beach Boys song, it's a Surf Rock Opera all in one!!! Brian's masterpiece, as 45's go. A number 1 hit on the charts!!! HUGS!!! :)
"Surfing" was certainly a key topic for them -- thanks to Dennis; Brian never surfed -- but not really surf-rock. That would be more the instrumentals from Dick Dale, the Surfaris, the Ventures and so forth.
‘Good Vibrations’ is anything BUT surf rock. It’s psychedelic pop, avant-garde pop, art-pop, etc. It pushed the boundaries of what could be produced in a studio session and proved what musical revolutionary Brian Wilson was.
Definitely not Surf rock. If you look at an earlier Beach Boys song like Catch a Wave that is a fine example of surf rock. By this point the Beach Boys hadn't written a song about surfing for about 2 years. This song could be considered pschedelic rock, art pop, acid rock, pschedelic pop, avant-pop but not surf rock. If you can find me a track that is "Surf rock" and has harpsicord, cello, piccolo and double bass please let me know!
Haha!!!! A song about a stiffy. In my whole life knowing this song I’ve never thought about it like that!!!!! To me this was always a song about being young hanging out at the beach and meeting the beautiful people
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds album is considered one of the groundbreakingest ever. It's Brian Wilson, basically, with the Boys doing harmonies. The musicians are the legendary Wrecking Crew group of LA studio musicians.
This song is unique in all of music history. That's why it sounds so different. Nothing like it came before it or since. Its composer described it as "a pocket symphony to God". It's about a young man falling for a girl. It's not about a "stiffie".
I’ve been a Brad and Lex fan for a long time and this is just the worst reaction they’ve ever done. It’s like listening to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony as saying “It’s about a banana. BA-NA-NA-NA.” Except it might be worse, because Brad starts talking about boners and creepy strangers getting boners from looking at a girl.
I don't think it meant what you thought it meant. I take it as he just had a good feeling about her and him together.as a couple. A good connection (vibration). The Beach Boys were a huge, huge band in the day. Summer time fun style music. Their harmonies were amazing. I grew up with this music.
Children, don't be so literal. He's smitten by a beautiful woman, by the sunlight on her hair, by the breeze carrying her fragrance, the lovely sound of her kind voice - they needed a word that rhymed with vibration, so they made up excitation to communicate that he was excited by everything about her. Countless lyrics are poetic and can be interpreted in more than one way, like Higher Love by Steve Winwood. And their exquisite harmonies and the way the song builds is the core of its beauty, not a literal interpretation of the lyrics! "I don't know where but she takes me there" is about a profound response, not just a physical one. This isn't a simple"I like big butts" song!
It's a love song, not a lust song, by the greatest vocal band ever. These guys were basically America's Beatles. The amount of unique, exceptional, and groundbreaking songs produced by the Boys was off the charts.
You guys crack me up with your interpretation of the songs. Listen to the complexity of this song with the vocals and music changing tones and vocal layering. Brian Wilson is a true musical genius.
Brian Wilson called this song a pocket symphony and after this song was huge he wanted to write a concept album called SMiLE with the same kind of vibe to it. It was almost finished when he scrapped it for various reasons. There were so many bootlegs over the decades of the songs and snippets that came out that just made me stop and really listen to the music. Brian Wilson finally released a version of the album with his band in 2004 and the Beach Boys took all the original material and did what they could with it, and released it as much of a whole as they could in 2011 as well. It was so ahead of it's time back in the 60's. Wish it came out back then.
There is an argument to be made that, in the history of rock and roll, there is no more important an American rock group than The Beach Boys. They came out with their own enormously influential sound at the same time as the British Invasion bands were huge. There are echoes of their influence throughout pop music even into today. The Beatles even took some inspiration from them, which lead to Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, which in turn is said to have inspired Pet Sounds. You can hear their influence in Boyz II Men.
Yeah, it’s sinuous and beautiful. But how about the way the rhythm is set by the cello? Goddamn, this is such a musically deep song. It’s a very simple and lovely love song on the surface, but there’s so much more. I can really lose myself in it.
dad grew up on the Beach boys ,Beatles and the stones so definitely my father's generation, but Beach boys is kinda timeless. Brian Wilson's daughters were in the group Wilson Phillips.
Despite their name and their early radio hits, their catalogue is incredibly eclectic. In fact, much of their work is deeply melancholy. And their harmonies are second to none. Check out "Heroes and Villains." It's a total trip.
Vibrations = Vibes, he is enamored with a girl and gets a good feeling about her whenever she’s around or when he imagines her. It’s not about a ‘stiffy’.
It's one of the most recognizable sounds in pop music. It also turns out to be one of the most misunderstood. That high-pitched sound in The Beach Boys' 1966 masterpiece "Good Vibrations" is always assumed to be a theremin. But it's not. Paul Tanner was the man who invented the instrument that actually made that unforgettable sound. The Tannerin, an electrotheremin inspired by Paul Tannen's own version of a theremin
There's one instrument on this track that you've probably never heard before ( and are unlikely to hear again ) - an Electro-Theremin - it's the spooky sound at the end
The Beach Boys bring back all kinds of memories. This is the sound from my high school days. The the Beatles came followed by more British bands, and everything changed. Surf bands were big back then. That was their genre. Songs about surfing and hot rod cars. “My Little Deuce Coupe”, “Surfer Girl”, “Surfin’ USA”, “Be True to Your School”, “409”(A hot rod song about a Chevy with a 409 engine).
Good Vibrations is not only one of the greatest songs of the mid-60s, it is also one of the seminal recordings for the late 60s psychedelic era. As others have noted, the next song to listen to recorded by them is "God Only Knows", which is lauded by a number of musicians as the greatest pop song of all time. For example, Paul McCartney has said "God Only Knows" is the greatest pop song ever (and he wished had recorded it), and this is HIGH praise from the king of pop music.
The song stands firmly in psychedelia, but also looks forward to prog, with its multilayered production, parts with completely different instrumentation stitched together, and so on. Just an incredible, seminal song. Also super easy to listen to.
There was so much good music in the 60s and 70s that is outstanding. The differences between groups is what makes it so interesting. Try the Hollies "He ain't heavy he's my brother ". Argent "Hold your head uo". " Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum". You'll not be disappointed.
With over four hundred songs recorded by The Beach Boys it's hard to say any one or two songs are their best. How about " Surfer Girl", " In My Room", " Shut Down", " Don't Worry Baby", " The Little Girl I Once Knew", " She Knows Me Too Well", "California Girls ", " The Warmth of The Sun ", " Sloop John B ", " Surf's Up", " I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", " God Only Knows ", "Caroline No", and "Till I Die" are just a few worth a listen.
Wouldn’t it be Nice is my fav Beach Boys song. Has given me goosebumps for decades!! EVERYONE LOVES THE BEACH BOYS! All about surfing and fun in the sun in California in the 60s!!
Look up three part harmony in the dictionary. Brian Wilson and his brothers are the definition. The Beach Boys are as important as the Beatles to popular music. The Beatles knew it. Please do "Caroline No" if you do more Beach Boys.
The song was written by Brian Wilson and played by the Wrecking Crew - LA's music geniuses who played on everything from Herb Albert to Monkeys and even The Chairman of the Board Sinatra.
The Beach Boys were a California-based band of surfer boys who sang catchy pop songs with harmonic vocals in the early-to-mid '60s. Songs about things teenage boys like them loved - girls, surfing, and cars. Boppy, upbeat, feel-good music you could listen to while riding to the beach to go surfing or cruising the strip in your convertible. And then they came out with this. This song was progressive rock before progressive rock existed. The transitions, the Theremin, the introspection, all mixed in with the same Beach Boys vocals everybody knew and loved. Brian Wilson wrote most of their songs and had a long period of depression in which he never came out of his bedroom. Their Pet Sounds album that resulted from it was genre-breaking for them and is still one of the best classic albums ever.
The Beach Boys were known for their amazing multi-layered harmonies. They have a beautiful song called "God Only Knows" that ex-Beatle Paul McCartney says is his favorite song of all-time. The Beach Boys were comprised of the three Wilson brothers, Brian, Carl and Dennis. Along with their cousin Mike Love. There were a couple more in the group. But it was Brian Wilson that made things go in that band. He was the chief songwriter, musical arranger, bass player and singer. Carl Wilson also sang and played guitar. Dennis Wilson was the drummer and Mike Love sang most of the lead. They're in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame...
To me, this is Brian's masterpiece. Beautiful music, beautiful lyrics, unbelievable harmonies! This was the first ringtone I downloaded over 30 years ago!
It was actually an electro-theramin, not an real theramin. It uses a slide bar and volume-control knob to allow for greater control. There was only one ever built until 1999 when a replica was built.
Vibration, shortened to "vibe", is just another way of saying "energy". He likes the good energy that he feels around/about her and the good state of feeling/euphoria he is in due to this.
The Beach Boys could've had a fantastic career just churning out surfing hits, but they had a genuine musical genius in the band, and he had bigger plans.
the song starts with the guy noticing this stunning female...sun glimmer hair, whif of perfume...they meet/interact/develop relationship/he never will allow her to get away - he loves her so much. Will never let the vibrations die.
When this came out in 1966 it was a musical achievement. I believe it was the most expensive single song ever recorded up to that point. I highly recommend you listen to The Beach boys God only knows. Paul McCartney from the Beatles favorite song of all time. And no the songs not about watching a woman and getting a chubby, LOL. It's much more innocent.
The beach boys were way before my time, but growing up I remember always associating them with surfing. To this day, every time I hear one of their tunes, I think of surfing the coast of California in the 1960s and how cool it must have been to be a part of that, before the beaches became built up and there was so many people in those areas. Must have been epic!!
To understand Beach Boys you have to get into the aesthetic a little: fast cars, surf parties. They projected alpha male swagger with a soft underbelly. All to an amazing soundtrack.
The Beach Boys were originally "Surf Rock". Their sound changed in the mid 1960s with the release of the album "Pet Sounds", when they got sort of Hippy/Psychedelic. They sort of paralleled the Beatles in their musical style changes.
Grew up on the Beach Boys. Seen them two years ago at a casino. Fun concert even though only two members are left in the band. Great instruments, best I've heard live.
As Brian and his mother were walking down the street one day when he was a young boy…a man walking in front of them passed a house with a German Shepard in a fenced in yard…when the man passed…the dog went crazy trying to jump the fence and get the man…when Brian and his mother passed..the dog wagged his tail and let them pet him…as they were walking away Brian asked his mother why the dog acted like he did…his mom told him that the dog could pick up on the vibrations of people…good or bad…it stuck with him and….hence…the song Good Vibrations….get your minds out of the gutter….not every song is about love or fucking.
The Beach Boys' sound is truly unique. If there was any group who can put you in a good mood, they're it. Also, don't think to deeply into the lyrics of this song. It's just about a guy who's in love with a girl and the tingle he gets when he's around her.
Yes, really don't dig too deep into all lyrics!!
Excellent commentary.👍🏻
Well said … the Beach Boys were definitely from a much more innocent time and thought pattern. They were a VERY different band from any other, asp during the later 60s. Great stuff! I grew up with this, saw them twice. Just good good music, and super influential on so many, incl the Beatles
@@19thcenturyman95 Did you miss what Erik said about The Beach Boys being from an INNOCENT time?
@Erik Isaksen. Innocent time? Innocent time? Just who the F are you kidding...innocent time my ass! The Beach Boys WERE NOT all PB&J and wholesome milk... let’s water down the bs a bit please. And please, tell the full narrative of influencing “even The Beatles”...give me A BREAK!!!
It's nothing to do with a physical act. It is just him seeing a gal he feels a connection with (vibe - vibrations) and it makes him happy (excitation). When he closes his eyes, she is closer meaning he is thinking about her. The song is more innocent than what today's world makes things out to be.
Bingo. Shows how much things / perceptions have changed, not necessarily for the better imo.
Yeah, not sure why this was so difficult to understand 😕
Exactly! But these are millennials reacting to one of the most amazing songs that ever came out of the 60s and they didn't live through the Peace Love era. The 60s was all about good vibrations. Peace love and good vibes! ✌
@@wbmstr24 Because they're Millennials and have no idea what the 60s vibe was all about. Very entertaining reaction though I have to give them that.
So glad someone posted this!! I was like they just don't know where VIBE came from!! I bet if the Beach Boys sang vibe they would have gotten it. SMH
There’s so much music that never would have existed if not for Brian Wilson’s writing and composing influence, decades later it still sounds so unique and brilliant.
He actually influenced Paul McCartney
They influenced each other.
It definitely doesn’t sound like 1966 for sure
Wilson Phillips.
I feel like this was also the birth of ELO
Brian Wilson is a musical genius, and this song is just one part of the proof of that.
this may have been his masterpiece
Up until he let the Smile alblum this song was written for drive him insane.
@@michaelsangster2354 It was the LSD he was taking during the production of "Smile" which killed that album. Supposedly he thought thatg his recording of "Fire" for the Elemental Suite had caused a series of fires in the area of the recording studio.
@@surlechapeau Agreed. This is a “put on some good headphones, lay back, and close your eyes” song. The sounds are much more psychedelic than they appear on a casual listen. When I am relaxed and focused on the music, this song gives me kinesthesia. The sounds are making flowing and changing geometric forms. Each instrument gives the forms a texture or outline. Especially the cello! That darn cello IS the core vibration, rich and deep.
Although it wasn't quite on the same level Let's Do It Again was put together by Wilson and Mike Love in about 15 minutes apparently, if you believe Mike Love. Amazing.
The Beatles were huge admirers of the unique sound of the Beach Boys, arguably the Beatles' biggest rivals on the pop charts for a few years. Try "Don't Worry Baby", "God Only Knows", "Help me Rhonda", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Little Deuce Coupe", Surfin' USA" - all big hits.
“I Get Around” aswell
kokomo one of my favorites
In My Room and Sloop John B
Need to add "Warmth of the Sun". One of their best, tightest harmonies.
Need to listen to all these this group listed! Great music.
A huge massive song for the Beach Boys, it took 6 months to record this song in about 4 different studios, Brian Wilson wrote it and produced it finally getting his Phil Spector "Wall Of Sound". Glad you listened to the studio version of this one. You two ROCK!!! HUGS!!! :)
The Beach Boys is one of my favorite bands. They started in the early 60s as a west coast "beach rock n roll" band. Some good early songs: "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Surfin USA", "I Get Around", and "California Girls". Later in the decade, they were in a friendly competition with the Beatles musically and came out with "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows". A big rabbit hole to explore.
That was perfection. "Good Vibrations" later became widely acclaimed as one of the finest and most important works of the rock era.
Of any era! A masterpiece of recorded music!
Its easy to take a song like this for granted because it just sounds so cute and fun, but it truly stunned the music world when it came out and helped elevate pop music to a more artistically mature level. The writer of the music, Brian Wilson, called it a pocket symphony which really sums it up, I'd say. But yeah, it was shockingly ahead of its time in 1966.
I’ve been listening to this song for decades, and it still astonishes me. More people would be stunned today if they listened to it closely, without outside distractions.
Brad’s mistake was trying to figure out what the lyrics mean, rather than just listening. He does that a lot, but on a song like this he is sadly missing out.
Pet Sounds is one of the best albums ever made. All tape, no effects, just pure talent and artistic brilliance. It marked a paradigm shift in music that reverberated through the Beatles, ELO and even through punk (Ramones) and its influence continues today (Weezer, Fontaine’s).
This isn’t on Pet Sounds. But it was partly done during some of the pet sounds sessions
This is on "Smiley, Smile."
"No effects" would be a lie. There are instances of reverb through echo chambers all over that album. While this single has heaps of it added at the sub-mixing and mixing stages to disguise its numerous edits. Sure, not how so many today like to categorize the use of effects, but still making them a part of the masters all the same.
Also, while the first tracking session is dated to February 17th, 1966, using Goldstar Studios. This ended up becoming the verse part in the final edit. This took at the way till September 21st to get the last of vocals and a part of the electro-theremin lines. To finally see complete, some of the tracking sessions did happen during the time the Pet Sounds sessions were being carried out. However, Brian Wilson did not ever intend the two to be one, he saw what became "Good Vibrations" as a whole new era of conceptualizing music for him. The only reason the initial Goldstar session ended up as the verses in the master edit was due to how he dug the sound and tone of that day's work. He was compiling together a series of "feels" that reflected sounds he was into at that time. That would have to be chopped up and spliced together for the final edit. A technique he then next envisioned for the entirety of the eventually cancelled SMiLE album. And worked hard from the second half of '66 to the first half of '67 to try and see through. But we all know how that went....
As others have said, it helps to know that you're listening to a little musical revolution here. When people first heard this it was widely seen that The Beach Boys had achieved the near-impossible, in techniques and innovations in recording, and in the richly ambitious and complex arrangement.
I find it stunning every time I hear it. It's a bona fide masterpiece worthy of genuine awe.
This is arguably one of the ten greatest rock songs ever recorded.
If by "10" you mean "2" then you're right. This and "God Only Knows"
Beach Boys are in a class by themselves. They are the epitome of feel good, summertime music.
"God only knows" and "I get around" are two of the best Beach Boys songs.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you also acknowledged “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”?
@marcel0000 The group "America" did a nice version of "Caroline No".
There are about 100 of the best Beach Boys songs.
Okay. I'll second this, though my two favorites are Slope John B and In My Room.
Feel Flows
I think their use of the word "vibrations" is where the term "vibe" comes from. She's giving him good vibes.
I was wondering why Lex wasn't getting it, now I understand. It's fascinating to watch people this unfamiliar with the era and meanings and not get it.
I’m not from the era. There’s nothing to get. He’s just weird. 😂
Apparently he’s never had a good feeling about a woman.
He just knows he gets stiffies 🤦♂️
@@crujones4774 Might be a cultural thing.
There's a whole new-age-y undertone to "vibrations", too. There was a connection with the theory of "auras", and how they had something to do with the "vibrations" one's being created.
@@terryspak5763 Come on. Brad is dense. I’m sorry, I got to say it. He’s not always this dense. Sometimes he picks up on things Lex misses, although that is rare. Usually I don’t care. I enjoy his goofy reactions and the way he plays off Lex and vice versa.
But this was a bad, disappointing reaction. A microbe could make the jump from Vibration to Vibe. It’s not weird obsolete slang. Lex was starting to get into the music, and Brad derailed her from wherever she was going with it, talking about strangers getting boners. 😲🤨 He can’t figure out what a good vibration is, but he somehow thinks stiffies are involved. JFChrist! 🙄
I’ve been watching Brad and Lex for a while. They do fun reactions, they are charismatic, and they have good chemistry. But I think this is the worst reaction they’ve ever done.
“I don’t even have the vocabulary…” no truer words have ever been spoken about the Beach Boys. Thanks for listening to them.
"God Only Knows" - likely the most musically intriguing pop song of it's era, both structure and production-wise. Is no wonder Paul McCartney is so impressed with it. Pet Sounds was every bit as ground breaking in recording as Sgt. Peppers but over-shadowed by the later.
Good Vibrations - As far as I know this is likely the only hit song with a Theremin in it beside maybe dazed and confused by Led Zep? Though I do not think the latter was a top ten charter.
Vibe as a slang word became common around this era. The lyric came from something Brian Wilson's mother told him when he was little... Their dog barked at people or not, she told him the reason was vibrations that the dog could sense from them. So, the meaning is not hard to figure out apparently the girl gives off a good vibe to him (gives him butterflies or interested in her), either that or she's a toy hidden? ;)
Agree, but only over shadowed at the time, Pet Sounds is a regular No1 in best album of all time with critics, as is Pepper.
@@JosephHuntelvisnspiders Yes... at the time.
They used a theremin on Dazed and Confused? Damn, I thought I knew that song so swell, but I could have missed that.
@@taylorallgood5078 You're right...it's a bow on a guitar there... it's “Whole Lotta Love” page used a Theremin on, Thanks.
Yeah he is just crushing on her, nothing sexual. He finds her attractive and would like to know her. So he has to keep those vibration happening, so he can work up the courage to go talk to her. Catching wood would be inappropriate for that conversation.
This song featured the "Theremin", a musical instrument played without touching it, which was not used a lot in the 60's in rock and roll music.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned "Sloop John B" here in the comments--one of their best. "God Only Knows" may very well be there best song. "Heroes and Villians" is another personal favorite of mine. Their last hit, "Kokomo", is also worth a listen. So many great suggestions here in the comments--you can't go wrong with any of them.
Slight correction. The song "Kokomo" was their last #1 hit. They had their last hit in 2012 with " That's Why God Made The Radio".
Sloop John B and In My Room.
Sloop John B is my favorite Beach Boys song
I love Heroes and Villians too and you're the first person I've ever heard mention it. Sloop John B is also a favorite of mine.
I love Sloop John B! Probably my favorite Beach Boy's song
I think it's just a love song. How he feels when he looks at her. She makes him feel good. I love it. The harmonies are so beautiful. So is the feeling the song gives the listener. The whole album is pure genius. The Beach Boys are a National Treasure.
Amazing that you're hearing the Beach Boys for the first time. Unique, innovative, still a one-off. Pet Sounds probably one of the most influential albums of its time.
In "Good Vibrations" Brian Wilson merged his earlier California surf sound with the new psychedelic music of the later 60s. There's nothing explicitly sexual in the lyrics. The vibrations are just the guy's basic attraction to the young woman about whom he sings. That is to say, he likes her.
Brian Wilson was a brilliant songwriter. In the 60s there was the Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys.
That was a reaction so far afield it’s hard to respond to…and that was the point of the song. One line explains the song…”I don’t know where, but she sends me there.” It’s attempting to describe what’s in his heart and mind when he thinks about the woman. Define love.
Brian Wilson: a composing equal to The Beatles. It was fun watching their faces trying to take it in. He was the only composer that The Wrecking Crew ever really thought was as good as they were. It's a shame they focused on trying to figure out the meaning, rather on the fact that they noted they'd never heard anything like it before.
Brian vs 3 great songwriters and one of the greatest producers, yet...for my money.......
The story behind the song is insane. The wrecking crew changed my life.
This is "Surf Rock", early 60's california music, quintet. This song is from 1966, things were changing fast by then and this song is very different from a regular Beach Boys song, it's a Surf Rock Opera all in one!!! Brian's masterpiece, as 45's go. A number 1 hit on the charts!!! HUGS!!! :)
"Surfing" was certainly a key topic for them -- thanks to Dennis; Brian never surfed -- but not really surf-rock. That would be more the instrumentals from Dick Dale, the Surfaris, the Ventures and so forth.
‘Good Vibrations’ is anything BUT surf rock. It’s psychedelic pop, avant-garde pop, art-pop, etc. It pushed the boundaries of what could be produced in a studio session and proved what musical revolutionary Brian Wilson was.
Definitely not Surf rock. If you look at an earlier Beach Boys song like Catch a Wave that is a fine example of surf rock. By this point the Beach Boys hadn't written a song about surfing for about 2 years. This song could be considered pschedelic rock, art pop, acid rock, pschedelic pop, avant-pop but not surf rock. If you can find me a track that is "Surf rock" and has harpsicord, cello, piccolo and double bass please let me know!
no surfin and no rock at all
This isn’t surf rock man. This is way after they abandoned that shit.
These guys were on the charts at the same time as the Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Mamas & Papas.........
"This is so, like, 'groovy'!" EXACTLY! _This_ is what groovy is.
The beginning of modern rock….Brian was and still is a musical genius 😊
One of the best and most influential bands ever. God bless Brian Wilson!
Haha!!!! A song about a stiffy. In my whole life knowing this song I’ve never thought about it like that!!!!! To me this was always a song about being young hanging out at the beach and meeting the beautiful people
Great harmonies and layers from a man (Brain Wilson) who was deaf in one ear.
That Scifi sound was Mike Love playing a Theremin.
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds album is considered one of the groundbreakingest ever. It's Brian Wilson, basically, with the Boys doing harmonies. The musicians are the legendary Wrecking Crew group of LA studio musicians.
Big hit in ‘66! What a great group and fun music!
This song is unique in all of music history. That's why it sounds so different. Nothing like it came before it or since. Its composer described it as "a pocket symphony to God". It's about a young man falling for a girl. It's not about a "stiffie".
I’ve been a Brad and Lex fan for a long time and this is just the worst reaction they’ve ever done. It’s like listening to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony as saying “It’s about a banana. BA-NA-NA-NA.” Except it might be worse, because Brad starts talking about boners and creepy strangers getting boners from looking at a girl.
I don't think it meant what you thought it meant. I take it as he just had a good feeling about her and him together.as a couple. A good connection (vibration). The Beach Boys were a huge, huge band in the day. Summer time fun style music. Their harmonies were amazing. I grew up with this music.
I've always seen this song as being about the brainwaves that are about a growing crush on someone.
Yes! That was how the slang "vibrations" was used in those days, right?
@@bgaona Just like the 'twitterpations' the animals in the Bambi movie felt in the spring when they looked at potential mates.😍
Yes and how contagious good feelings (vibrations) are!!
Children, don't be so literal. He's smitten by a beautiful woman, by the sunlight on her hair, by the breeze carrying her fragrance, the lovely sound of her kind voice - they needed a word that rhymed with vibration, so they made up excitation to communicate that he was excited by everything about her.
Countless lyrics are poetic and can be interpreted in more than one way, like Higher Love by Steve Winwood. And their exquisite harmonies and the way the song builds is the core of its beauty, not a literal interpretation of the lyrics! "I don't know where but she takes me there" is about a profound response, not just a physical one. This isn't a simple"I like big butts" song!
It's a love song, not a lust song, by the greatest vocal band ever. These guys were basically America's Beatles. The amount of unique, exceptional, and groundbreaking songs produced by the Boys was off the charts.
it's NOT about a "Stiffy"
A little love at first sight! A damn nice day at the beach for all of us!!
Good Vibrations maybe just maybe the greatest song of it's time ... incredible production
God Bless Brian Wilson.
The most gifted, gentle sensitive soul ever.
You guys crack me up with your interpretation of the songs. Listen to the complexity of this song with the vocals and music changing tones and vocal layering. Brian Wilson is a true musical genius.
No no no..... it's about a "stiffy"🙄
Perfect word GROOVY!!! and they were! the sun, beach and beach boys! Good Ole days! So missed! they were Geniuses ❤️
One of the most important songs ever created from a recording standpoint.
I first heard Good Vibrations in 1965/66 and instantly loved it....I'm still a fan of the beach boys in 2022.
Brian Wilson called this song a pocket symphony and after this song was huge he wanted to write a concept album called SMiLE with the same kind of vibe to it. It was almost finished when he scrapped it for various reasons. There were so many bootlegs over the decades of the songs and snippets that came out that just made me stop and really listen to the music. Brian Wilson finally released a version of the album with his band in 2004 and the Beach Boys took all the original material and did what they could with it, and released it as much of a whole as they could in 2011 as well. It was so ahead of it's time back in the 60's. Wish it came out back then.
There is an argument to be made that, in the history of rock and roll, there is no more important an American rock group than The Beach Boys. They came out with their own enormously influential sound at the same time as the British Invasion bands were huge. There are echoes of their influence throughout pop music even into today. The Beatles even took some inspiration from them, which lead to Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, which in turn is said to have inspired Pet Sounds. You can hear their influence in Boyz II Men.
"Don't Worry Baby" is one of the best songs ever written and is a "must listen to." It's in my personal top 5 of all time!
Being completely confused with a smile from ear to ear is the perfect reaction to a first listen of this song.
God Only Knows is a must from this band.
God only knows is my second favorite Beachboys song next to Good Vibrations
I don't know. They think Good Vibrations is about getting a stiffy. I'd be afraid to know what they'd think God Only Knows was about.
agreed my favorite beach boys song
@@debjorgo I was disappointed that's what they took from this.
That California sound! Surf music had its own genre. Very cool stuff.
The Beach Boys have a big catalog of music. I'd recommend Surfin' USA and The Warmth Of The Sun to hear the sound that made them famous.
Brian Wilson is a music prodigy who borderlines on insanity , he’s a freaking genius
The harmonies are so butter smooth that I get chills. Also love the use of the theremin!!!
Ah, a Theremin! I was thinking it was a singing saw, but yeah!
Yeah, it’s sinuous and beautiful. But how about the way the rhythm is set by the cello? Goddamn, this is such a musically deep song. It’s a very simple and lovely love song on the surface, but there’s so much more. I can really lose myself in it.
dad grew up on the Beach boys ,Beatles and the stones so definitely my father's generation, but Beach boys is kinda timeless. Brian Wilson's daughters were in the group Wilson Phillips.
Despite their name and their early radio hits, their catalogue is incredibly eclectic. In fact, much of their work is deeply melancholy. And their harmonies are second to none. Check out "Heroes and Villains." It's a total trip.
"Good vibrations", you know, like "good vibes". Nothing particularly explicit, he just loves the colour that she adds to his world.
I don't think it's possible for people of your generation to understand how important this recording and album were. It changed how music was recorded
Vibrations = Vibes, he is enamored with a girl and gets a good feeling about her whenever she’s around or when he imagines her. It’s not about a ‘stiffy’.
It's one of the most recognizable sounds in pop music. It also turns out to be one of the most misunderstood. That high-pitched sound in The Beach Boys' 1966 masterpiece "Good Vibrations" is always assumed to be a theremin. But it's not. Paul Tanner was the man who invented the instrument that actually made that unforgettable sound. The Tannerin, an electrotheremin inspired by Paul Tannen's own version of a theremin
So it's not a theremin, it's a... theremin?
@@mistabook its a tannerin ! LOL
The Beach Boys are Legends. The Wilson Brothers. So good. They created a genre. Brian was just a damn genius.
There's one instrument on this track that you've probably never heard before ( and are unlikely to hear again ) - an Electro-Theremin - it's the spooky sound at the end
The Beach Boys bring back all kinds of memories. This is the sound from my high school days. The the Beatles came followed by more British bands, and everything changed. Surf bands were big back then. That was their genre. Songs about surfing and hot rod cars. “My Little Deuce Coupe”, “Surfer Girl”, “Surfin’ USA”, “Be True to Your School”, “409”(A hot rod song about a Chevy with a 409 engine).
The modern term we use is “vibe” which is short for vibrations
“You never know who might be looking at you and catching a stiffy…” lol, words to live by! 😂
Good Vibrations is not only one of the greatest songs of the mid-60s, it is also one of the seminal recordings for the late 60s psychedelic era. As others have noted, the next song to listen to recorded by them is "God Only Knows", which is lauded by a number of musicians as the greatest pop song of all time. For example, Paul McCartney has said "God Only Knows" is the greatest pop song ever (and he wished had recorded it), and this is HIGH praise from the king of pop music.
The song stands firmly in psychedelia, but also looks forward to prog, with its multilayered production, parts with completely different instrumentation stitched together, and so on. Just an incredible, seminal song. Also super easy to listen to.
There was so much good music in the 60s and 70s that is outstanding. The differences between groups is what makes it so interesting. Try the Hollies "He ain't heavy he's my brother ". Argent "Hold your head uo". " Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum". You'll not be disappointed.
Keep The Beach Boys train going. “God Only Knows” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
The looks on your faces was priceless! John Lennon said this was the best music arrangement ever. They were legendary! Peace from Michigan 🌲
With over four hundred songs recorded by The Beach Boys it's hard to say any one or two songs are their best. How about " Surfer Girl", " In My Room", " Shut Down", " Don't Worry Baby", " The Little Girl I Once Knew", " She Knows Me Too Well", "California Girls ", " The Warmth of The Sun ", " Sloop John B ", " Surf's Up", " I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", " God Only Knows ", "Caroline No", and "Till I Die" are just a few worth a listen.
Wouldn’t it be Nice is my fav Beach Boys song. Has given me goosebumps for decades!! EVERYONE LOVES THE BEACH BOYS! All about surfing and fun in the sun in California in the 60s!!
Look up three part harmony in the dictionary. Brian Wilson and his brothers are the definition. The Beach Boys are as important as the Beatles to popular music. The Beatles knew it.
Please do "Caroline No" if you do more Beach Boys.
exactly!!!They were both musical geniuses!
The song was written by Brian Wilson and played by the Wrecking Crew - LA's music geniuses who played on everything from Herb Albert to Monkeys and even The Chairman of the Board Sinatra.
Gotta pay attention to the layers when listening to the Beach Boys.
The Beach Boys were a California-based band of surfer boys who sang catchy pop songs with harmonic vocals in the early-to-mid '60s. Songs about things teenage boys like them loved - girls, surfing, and cars. Boppy, upbeat, feel-good music you could listen to while riding to the beach to go surfing or cruising the strip in your convertible. And then they came out with this. This song was progressive rock before progressive rock existed. The transitions, the Theremin, the introspection, all mixed in with the same Beach Boys vocals everybody knew and loved. Brian Wilson wrote most of their songs and had a long period of depression in which he never came out of his bedroom. Their Pet Sounds album that resulted from it was genre-breaking for them and is still one of the best classic albums ever.
Don’t worry baby is one of my favorites
The Beach Boys were known for their amazing multi-layered harmonies. They have a beautiful song called "God Only Knows" that ex-Beatle Paul McCartney says is his favorite song of all-time. The Beach Boys were comprised of the three Wilson brothers, Brian, Carl and Dennis. Along with their cousin Mike Love. There were a couple more in the group. But it was Brian Wilson that made things go in that band. He was the chief songwriter, musical arranger, bass player and singer. Carl Wilson also sang and played guitar. Dennis Wilson was the drummer and Mike Love sang most of the lead. They're in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame...
This song is a masterpiece. A teenage pocket symphony to God. It has nothing to do with stiffies.
To me, this is Brian's masterpiece. Beautiful music, beautiful lyrics, unbelievable harmonies! This was the first ringtone I downloaded over 30 years ago!
"Theramin" is the weird instrument you are hearing. It was also featured in the original theme song for Star Trek.
It was actually an electro-theramin, not an real theramin. It uses a slide bar and volume-control knob to allow for greater control. There was only one ever built until 1999 when a replica was built.
Vibration, shortened to "vibe", is just another way of saying "energy". He likes the good energy that he feels around/about her and the good state of feeling/euphoria he is in due to this.
The Beach Boys could've had a fantastic career just churning out surfing hits, but they had a genuine musical genius in the band, and he had bigger plans.
THIS MUST HEAR CLASSIC WILL DEFINITELY HIT YOU DIFFERENT,,
THE GUESS WHO "SHAKIN' ALL OVER"
Wow , y'all went right into the gutter with this one .
exactly!!! its right there with motley crue
Keep the 60’s coming. A bunch of hidden gems in that decade. Thank you peace ✌️
It's pretty clear by the amount of comments that you should do a lot more of The Beach Boys. You won't be disappointed! 🎵 ☮
the song starts with the guy noticing this stunning female...sun glimmer hair, whif of perfume...they meet/interact/develop relationship/he never will allow her to get away - he loves her so much. Will never let the vibrations die.
When this came out in 1966 it was a musical achievement. I believe it was the most expensive single song ever recorded up to that point. I highly recommend you listen to The Beach boys God only knows. Paul McCartney from the Beatles favorite song of all time. And no the songs not about watching a woman and getting a chubby, LOL. It's much more innocent.
The beach boys were way before my time, but growing up I remember always associating them with surfing. To this day, every time I hear one of their tunes, I think of surfing the coast of California in the 1960s and how cool it must have been to be a part of that, before the beaches became built up and there was so many people in those areas. Must have been epic!!
To understand Beach Boys you have to get into the aesthetic a little: fast cars, surf parties. They projected alpha male swagger with a soft underbelly. All to an amazing soundtrack.
In hindsight, it's a Coming of Age soundtrack.
Best Harmonies of Alltime. Little Duece Coup, Catch a Wave, Help Me Rhonda and so on
You should do, "Dont Worry Baby" next , great song great Harmonies.
The Beach Boys were originally "Surf Rock". Their sound changed in the mid 1960s with the release of the album "Pet Sounds", when they got sort of Hippy/Psychedelic. They sort of paralleled the Beatles in their musical style changes.
To me it's about his fondness for a girl, and he's getting good vibes back from her, IE she likes him too, there's no sexual element to it.
Grew up on the Beach Boys. Seen them two years ago at a casino. Fun concert even though only two members are left in the band. Great instruments, best I've heard live.
Nothing ruins the vibe a song has built up than stopping it half way through.
This was the beginning of the term " good vibes" started!
As Brian and his mother were walking down the street one day when he was a young boy…a man walking in front of them passed a house with a German Shepard in a fenced in yard…when the man passed…the dog went crazy trying to jump the fence and get the man…when Brian and his mother passed..the dog wagged his tail and let them pet him…as they were walking away Brian asked his mother why the dog acted like he did…his mom told him that the dog could pick up on the vibrations of people…good or bad…it stuck with him and….hence…the song Good Vibrations….get your minds out of the gutter….not every song is about love or fucking.