Song #176 "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys

Recorded - February 17 - September 21, 1966

Released - October 10, 1966

#1 for week of December 10, 1966.

     And now for the song that should have won rock and roll song of the year instead of that silly "Winchester Cathedral". The Beach Boys remain a beloved band to this very day, yet quite a few casual fans don't realize the full extent of Brian Wilson's genius. When I last left off on the "Semi-abridged history of The Beach Boys" during my "Help Me Rhonda" review, I mentioned how by the second half of 1965, Brian was starting to slowly write songs for a groundbreaking new album. This album, Pet Sounds, was released in May of 1966. 

     Although the album only reached #10 in the US, its influence would be massive. It is a phenomenal album with not a single bad song on it. From the happy and optimistic "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to the spine chilling "Don't Talk", from the classic "God Only Knows" to the melancholic closer "Caroline, No", this is miles more mature than say, "Fun Fun Fun". How could Brian possibly have topped this masterpiece? Well, he actually started to, during the middle of the Pet Sounds sessions in February of 1966, with a little number called "Good Vibrations". Grab your popcorn kids as this is going to be a mega-review!

     After this initial February 1966 session, which received a test lead vocal about two weeks later, Brian decided to put the recording on hold and save it for his next project. You might be wondering why I didn't bother posting each individual recording date of "Good Vibrations". That's because there were nearly 20, and a good third of these sessions contained material that was unused. Brian recorded the song in a piece-by-piece format, using different recording studios as a way to get each recording to have its own unique vibe. 

     Much of the spring of 1966 was spent recording these numerous musical sections, after which the song was put on hold yet again. During this time period, Brian started working with lyricist Van Dyke Parks, and the two of them started brainstorming the next groundbreaking Beach Boys project - SMiLE. Sessions for SMiLE commenced in August of '66, and it was during this late summer period that "Good Vibrations" was finished musically, and the vocals were finally recorded. 

     Each of the five musical "Pieces" that were recorded and edited together to make "Good Vibrations" have their own unique sound. The first "Piece" is the quiet verses, which are musically full of suspense. A haunting organ and a tight and gentle bass-line are blended with several sudden snare drum hits. It is as if Brian is trying to get you through the door into this psychedelic realm he has created. All throughout this mysterious sounding music is Carl Wilson's absolutely wonderful-sounding lead vocal. We've already achieved musical perfection, and this is only the first verse of the song!

     The chorus sounds downright otherworldly, with a ghostly theremin and numerous cellos playing sharp triplet notes. To add to this potpourri of sounds, you have a meticulously arranged Beach Boys vocal melody. Mike Love, starts off on his own and is soon joined by the other five Beach Boys with Brian capping off the harmonies on the high end. Then, just as soon as it started, we are swept out of the chorus and back to the verses, where the sequence repeats. 

     There's not one, not two, but three bridges in "Good Vibrations", all of which make up the remaining three "Pieces" of the song. The first of these, which most prominently features Mike singing the line "I don't know where but she sends me there", sends the listener on a journey upward. The most prominent instrumentation, a harpsichord and a mouth-harp, give me the impression that we are traveling through time and space. There is a blend of baroque and ancient musical sounds. And this is all in a less than four minute song, let's see today's chart toppers do something this thrilling. 

     After experiencing the uplifting first bridge, we get to what I like to call the "Spiritual" bridge. Containing a heavenly organ played by Dennis Wilson, a thumping bass played by brother Carl, and a serene harmonica part, it is as if Brian is offering us a glimpse of the heavens. While there are many progressive rock songs that achieve this level of music consciousness such as "Close To The Edge" by the band Yes, "Good Vibrations" was made in 1966, a full three years before prog became an official genre. 

     We are then swept away from the heavens and back to this psychedelic Earth, with the return of the chorus. This is swiftly followed by the final bridge, which repeats several of the instrumental motifs heard throughout the song. On top of this are wordless vocals by The Beach Boys. The song is capped off with the return of the theremin and cellos, which act as a wakeup call. The song, and the magical dream it took you on, is over. 

     The parent album of "Good Vibrations", SMiLE, was to consist mostly of songs recorded in this piece-by-piece format. Brian spent the summer of 1966 through the spring of 1967 working on these, way ahead of their time, recordings. Tragically, due to backlash from Capitol Records, Mike Love's dislike of this radical new direction, and Brian's own personal demons, the album was never properly finished and, by May of 1967, SMiLE was scrapped. 

     The Beach Boys spent 1966 being tied with The Beatles in terms of artistic genius. Sadly, due to the non-appearance of the SMiLE album and their withdrawal from the hip Monterrey Pop Festival, the pop market turned its back on The Beach Boys in '67. The Beach Boys would spend the next eight years releasing critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums. Many of these underrated gems would be augmented with SMiLE era material such as "Heroes And Villains", "Cabinessence", and "Surf's Up". 

     Then, in 2004, a now solo Brian Wilson re-recorded SMiLE, and finally put the tracks in a proper order. This was followed, with even greater fanfare seven years later, with the release of The SMiLE Sessions: A box set that included a re-constructed SMiLE from the original sessions, plus four discs of session tapes. It truly is a testament to Brian Wilson's musical genius, and it's a must own. It certainly will make you see the band in a different light, and not as "Those surfing guys".

Final Verdict - "Good Vibrations" is one of the finest compositions in music history. It was way ahead of its time, it is musically and lyrically pure nirvana, and it influenced millions of musicians and music styles over the years. Two spirited thumbs WAAAYY up for me.

              Last Up For 1966 - "I'm A Believer" by The Monkees. 

      Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I'm picking up good vibrations -