My Ideal Band – THE DREAM TEAM

One of the beauties of being a child is our relentless and unchallenged imagination. When we are young, nobody could tell us that our fantasy worlds and imaginary friends were not real. Our innocence believed whole-heartedly. Unfortunately, as we grow older we begin to look at these acts as “childish” rather than “imaginative.”

Well, I am here to share with you the child in me that I never let disappear. Just like Fantasy Football leagues, I’ve put together my own “ideal” band called THE DREAM TEAM. I have even gone as far as adding what I would contribute to such a collage of artistic ability as a producer. I call them THE DREAM TEAM as a reminder to those who feel dreaming and imagination is childish. We will aim to highlight the beauty of it and show that the happiest adults are the ones whose childhoods never perished. Join me in the studio as I introduce you to all of the legendary members and our production process.

The Funk Brothers

If you had parents like mine, you probably heard a lot of Motown records growing up. I’m talking Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, The Temptations, Diana Ross, and Stevie Wonder… The hits go on and on. Did you know that there was a band of musician session players that recorded the instrumentations for all of these hits?  They were the masterminds behind the trademark “Motown Beat” and those individuals called themselves “The Funk Brothers.”

With Richard ‘Pistol’ Allen on the drums, James Jamerson on bass, and Joe Messina on guitar, the rhythm section for THE DREAM TEAM band is guaranteed to have your foot tapping even if you don’t want it to.

DAFT PUNK

Adding to the instrumentation I will have Daft Punk as creative contributors and synthesizer masterminds giving the band a timeless yet futuristic edge. For piano it is only fitting to have Stevie Wonder at the keys blessing us with his decades of experience and passion and also adding vocals and harmonies.  Also, for stabs and solos you could look to stage left and catch Miles Davis blowing away like never before adding a jazz element that only brings more character and soul to the band’s productions.

DJ SHADOW

Although these members are not traditionally Hip-Hop, I want a Hip-Hop twist to the band. I feel it is fitting because many of these artists have been sampled by a countless amount of Hip-Hop producers. This is why I brought in DJ SHADOW to perform live by adding scratches, sound effects, and dynamic to the beautiful music these individuals will produce.

NASIR JONES

COMMON

As a final element of Hip-Hop the main performers will be a duo that I have dreamed about for years: Common and Nas. For those Hip-Hop Heads reading this, we got a glimpse of this duo only once in the song “Ghetto Dreams” off of Common’s 2012 release of “The Dreamer/The Believer.” Since then I thought these two should do an album together and bless us with raw talent and extraordinary knowledge and wisdom.

As a producer, I would approach with a sound in mind yet the willingness to compromise and seriously consider the suggestions from all of these musicians. From my studies over the years, with documentaries, articles, songs, and stories, these individuals have always seemed to be humble and loving.  I feel that blending such a high mix of talent could be disastrous if the musicians did not posses the right attitude.  Luckily, I highly doubt that would be an issue among these gentlemen. Since these session players have much more experience than I do I will allow them to take the creative roll when necessary.

STEVIE WONDER AND THE FUNK BROTHERS

My role will be to keep the harmony and creative juices flowing; catering to their personalities and the environment to make sure it is an area striving off of positive vibes.  My ear is Hip-Hop oriented, so I will work closely with Nas, Common, and DJ SHADOW to turn this legendary array into a modern Hip-Hop Wonder.  I’m sure The Funk Brothers would love it too.

This band would be independently funded and working out of my own Independent Label while using Major label distribution.  To market THE DREAM TEAM we would begin with a couple of music videos and a short documentary of how we all joined forces.  Given the immense appeal to audiences all of these individuals have, their discographies and careers will be our greatest marketing tool. After the buzz is building, we would release the studio album and market it digitally as well as physically. One tour, if the boys are willing, will solidify and then one live album recorded throughout the tour. Giving a once in a lifetime experience to a generation with two albums and one tour.  Yes, that’s all.  Just enough to leave us feeling blessed.

Now you know my dream team.  It’s fun to think this way.  It could even be healthy to your creative process.  Challenge yourselves.  Explore your deepest desires and wildest ideas.  Learn from them. Please, feel free to share with me what your ideal band would be.

“Stay Hungry.  Stay Foolish” – Steve Jobs

Respectfully,

Ishmel Pineiro

The Marshal Mathers LP – 2000

The Marshal Mathers LP

Hip-Hop is only about 4 decades old, almost five. Being such a young genre, not many albums have been marked as classic, game changing or pivotal. However, one album release will change the pitch, pigment, and standard of rap music forever.  That album was The Marshal Mathers LP (MMLP) released on May 23rd, 2000.

Eminem and Dr. Dre in the Studio

Produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre, The MMLP was unlike anything Hip-Hop had ever heard before. The term “Politically Correct” was not only challenged, but was completely annihilated with Eminem’s controversial song topics. Cuts like “Kill You” and “Criminal” threw mainstream media onto its side. Parents and protestors slandered against the derogatory and offensive content of the song lyrics again and again. With the album selling 1.76 million copies the first week and over 21 million copies worldwide since then, mainstream media and the parents of America had no choice but to sit back and watch. A young generation had spoken and they wanted to hear Eminem.

Eminem Performing Live

The three biggest singles off of the MMLP were: “The Way I Am”, Stan”, and “The Real Slim Shady”. These songs catapulted the album right into radio rotation. Being a young 10 year old in Miami, FL, every radio station was playing these 3 songs on my way to school. Little did I know; this album would become one of the greatest influences of my musical career.

So what was it about the MMLP that helped it become the fastest selling solo album in Hip-Hop history? A big part of it goes to Eminem himself. Being a controversial, comedic villain with unbelievable linguistic ability gave him mass-appeal like no other. Mix that with intense sensations like “Stan” using a Dido sample, Eminem was reaching fans he had never been able to.

Dr. Dre in the Studio

Another note that cannot go unmentioned when discussing the success of this album is the production, courtesy of the beat doctor himself, Dr. Dre. Together, Eminem and Dr. Dre consistently brought the best out of each other. They converted the listening album into a cinematic canvas with skits, plots, SFX, and recurring themes of self-expression, tribulations, and tragedies turned triumphs.

Eminem Writing Lyrics

Aside from its commercial success and musical genius, the MMLP changed my views on rap forever. Up until this point of the new millennium, I had only listened to Tupac, LL-COOL-J, and a lot of Motown. When I heard what Eminem was doing over instrumentation, it blew my mind away. This album became the very first album I would ever memorize. Not only did the MMLP raise the standard of Hip-Hop as a whole but it also raised my standards as an MC. I owe a lot to this album.

If you have not heard this album yet, or have not heard it in a while, give it a listen. Make sure to hear the explicit version and clear the area of any impressionable young children. As always, decide for yourselves, and see if you can pick out the characteristics that have turned the MMLP into one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums to ever be released.

Happy Listening!

– ISHMEL PINEIRO

 

Grammy Producers – Over The Years

 

This Multi-Media Presentation takes you on a journey of 20 of the hottest Grammy winning producers over the last 4 decades.

Along with it is a playlist of one song from each producer mentioned so that you can get a jump start on their discographies.

As always, we leave the curiosity to you after the seed has been planted.

Happy Listening!

– Ishmel Pineiro

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Kraftwerk – The Influencer of Electronic Music

Almost every electronic musician in today’s music industry notes the significance of the German Electronic group, Kraftwerk.  Some have even gone as far as noting them the largest influence to electronic music, ever.  What was it about their music that sparked such an inspiration of genre development?  What innovations did they make that laid such a strong foundation for the electronic musicians that followed?  Lets journey back through some of their most fundamental productions and see if we could find out for ourselves.

Ralf Hutter (Left) and
Florian Schnieder (Right)

For those who do not know of Kraftwerk, here is an overall idea of who they were.  These were 4 German gentlemen lead by Ralf Hutter and Florian Schnieder that created electronic music that was purposefully robotic.  All of their instruments were custom made and electronic, even their drums.  They had an almost gimmicky appearance; always performing in suits and ties with short-combed hair and clean-shaven faces.  It is said that their image and musical approach was a caricature of German Society at the time.  Kraftwerk’s performances were as stiffly quantized as their instrumentations were and they truly looked, and sounded, like a group of musical androids.  These men were not musicians in a studio but rather scientists of sound experimenting together in their laboratory.

From the year 1974 until 1981, Kraftwerk released what were arguably their most influential albums of all time – five albums to be exact.  Those albums were Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (1975), Trans-Europe Express (1977), The Man Machine (1978), and Computer World (1981).  Lets briefly dive into the significance of these five albums and see what they did to the electronic community of the late 70s.

AUTOBAHN

Autobahn (1974) was Kraftwerk’s first commercially accepted record.  Being known for their previously non-melodic “Beeps and Boops”, Autobahn was their first step into a more melodic form of production.  A long, peacefully progressing album depicting the idea of traveling the open road, Autobahn slowly became Kraftwerk’s first imprint on the future of electronic music.

RADIO-ACTIVITY

Radio-Activity (1975) was sort of an awkward album.  Encompassing the theme of nuclear energy and radio, it was starting to become clear the Kraftwerk produced with a purpose.  Although their lyrics were never elaborate, their albums always seemed to center around a specific theme.    These themes, like nuclear energy and radio, gave Ralf and Florian a sense of direction when choosing their sound palettes.  In an attempt to mimic radio waves and nuclear reactors, Radio-Activity was not as melodically appealing as Autobahn.  However, this album did further their level of creativity and showed that Kraftwerk was capable of creating electronic sounds that had never been used before.

TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS

Trans-Europe Express (1977) is probably my favorite Kraftwerk album of all time.  Again centering on a main sonic theme, Kraftwerk set out to make a record about European connectivity and train travel.  It’s a shame that this album was actually a commercial flop, however, it did manage to influence not only Electronic music but also Electro-Funk and Hip-Hop innovations as well.  This surprise evolution came from the sampling of the Trans-Europe Express album titled track by Afrika Bambaataa and Arthur Baker in “Planet Rock” (Sonic Alchemy. 2004)

THE MAN MACHINE

The Man Machine (1978) was exactly what the title sounds like; half man, half machine.  From the first track in the record “The Robots” until the final second, The Man Machine was designed to sound like there was no human involved in creating it.

COMPUTER WORLD

Computer World (1981) was an interesting album to say the least.  Even 33 years ago, Kraftwerk envisioned a world ran by computers.  They pictured an era of evolution where technology would control most human activity.  Creepy Huh?  The sonic field of Computer World gave off an aura of techno even before it was born in the industrial streets of Detroit, Michigan a few years later.  (How Clubbing Changed the World)

With that brief history, we could see the impact Kraftwerk has had over the decades.  Their radical approach has become a catalyst for genres such as Techno, Electronic, Electro-Funk, and even Hip-Hop.  The fact that they had custom built instruments assured them that any sound they created would be unlike any anyone had ever heard before.  Kraftwerk’s conceptually detailed themes and robotic like productions, have taken the word “electronic” to a whole new level.

KRAFTWERK PERFORMANCE

As an enthusiastic music listener and industry professional, I will be honest with you, Kraftwerk records sound outdated to me.  However, my level of respect for what they influenced will stand the test of time again and again.  If it were not for Kraftwerk I highly doubt we would have electronic musicians such as Daft Punk, Tiesto, and Skrillex blessing our air waves with sound.  Their work has opened the door for many musicians as well as genres and continues to show today with most of the Billboard Top 100 being Electronic Music.

If you want to listen to Kraftwerk for the first time, our suggestion is Trans-Europe Express.  And while you’re at it, check out Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock”

Happy Listening!

– Ishmel Pineiro –

Afrika Bambaataa – The Father of The Electro-Funk Sound

How could you possibly mention Hip-Hop, or even Electronic Music, without mentioning “The Master of Records”, “The Godfather of Hip-Hop”, “The Father of The Electro-Funk Sound” himself – Afrika Bambaataa.  You just can’t.  This man was, and has been, the epitome of innovation.  Single handedly naming the culture of Hip-Hop and actively protecting it for over 40-years, as well as being a catalyst for the creation of genres like Miami Bass, Electronica, House, Hip House, Freestyle, and even early forms of Techno Afrika Bambaataa is Electro-Funk.

Unfortunately, his name has been shadowed by the commercialism of Hip-Hop.  No need to fret, we can pay our respects together right here, right now.  Originally devoted to a life of crime, Afrika was a warlord for the New York gang, the Black Spades.  Eventually, he realized he was in the wrong sort of gang.  He decided to revolutionize the gang idea into one that serves for the community, specifically the Hip-Hop community.

One of his most identifiable singles is “Planet Rock” in which he sampled Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” into an infectious beat track.  This song would be the birth of the Electro-Funk era and dub Afrika Bambaataa it’s metaphorical Father.  Afrika Bambaataa was best known for his block parties.  In a time when urban youth was being neglected, Hip-Hop rose through the ashes to unite the people of the South Bronx and Afrika was one of the main coordinators.

His parties were the places to be at due to his innate ability of finding the beat breaks that would make people dance.  The man has always known what to play to make you move.  Playing everything from Kraftwerk to James Brown, there was no stopping his creativity.  Album after album, party after party, Bambaataa engraved the Electro-Funk epidemic into every soul that heard it.

I personally love Hip-Hop.  My father was never around so in a way, Hip-Hop has raised me to be a man through my particular song choices.  Gratefully, I listen to more conscious music rather than the mainstream garbage out today.

This is why Bambaataa is such a huge influence to me, mainly with his creation of the Zulu Nation.  The Zulu Nation is a group of over 400,000 members aimed on protecting the integrity of the Hip-Hop culture as it battles the commercialism of mainstream media.  All of his songs are funky with an amazing rhythm and driving force.  Bambaataa truly has a gifted ear.

Listen, I can go on for months about Bambaataa’s legacy, especially within the realms of Hip-Hop.  That’s not how we get down though.  We want to spark your curiosity and encourage you to do the research yourself.  Get on YouTube, get on Google, and search his name.  If you love Hip-Hop or Electronic music you’re guaranteed to enjoy what you find.  Bambaataa is the Bambaataa.

Happy Listening!

ISHMEL PINEIRO

What’s Really Going On? – A Marvin Gaye Story

Marvin In The Studio

Not often do I feel empathy for a musician, or anyone for that matter, as strongly as I feel for Marvin Gaye.  His story and career have touched me and I write this blog with the greatest respect and admiration for the man.  Journey with me as we overview exactly what was going on.

A Young Marvin

Prior to the legendary album What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye was one of Motown’s hottest sex symbols.  The women loved him and his songs made sure of it.  Marvin Gaye was a clean-cut gentleman with an average build and his image of a baby-face romantic was obviously helping record sales.  However, as it does with all of us, life showed Marvin that it was not all fun and games.  Vietnam war stories, drugs, heartbreak, and touring brought Marvin a great deal of agony and frustration.  It was only a matter of time before his music felt the same pain.

What’s Going On was Marvin’s way of letting it all out.  Frustrated by the terror of the Vietnam War, the images of children eating out of garbage cans, and the crimes in his own neighborhood against his own people; Marvin wanted to break free of the “Motown Sound”.  His goal was to create something new and original that held more meaning than any other songs he had ever released.

Renaldo “Obie” Benson

One of the most noticeable and greatly admirable cuts of the entire album is the opening album-titled song, What’s Going On.  Originally created by Renaldo “Obie” Benson of The Four Tops, this song was destined to be a hallmark of music history.

When Obie finally found Marvin Gaye, after many failed attempts of other singers, it was as if fate was with them all along.  Marvin reworked some of the song lyrics and fine-tuned the melodies to give the song a more personal feel, relatable to his emotions and world-views of the time.  As history has it, Obie loved the alterations and a beautiful song of peace, love, and overcoming was in the making.  (What Went On, Ben Edmonds. 2001)

Surprisingly enough, with how we now know of how successful and sonically masterful What’s Going On has been, Berry Gordy referred to the album as “the worst thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”  Apparently, Motown’s quality control did not want to risk losing Gaye’s sex appeal and commercial success by releasing protest songs, but Marvin Gaye needed to release this.  He knew in his heart that this was the next album that needed to go out.  The world needed to hear this.

Berry Gordy

A man of his honor, Gaye did not budge.  He refused to release any other music for Motown unless What’s Going On was released first.  It turns out, Berry Gordy never budged either.  It took the mischievous workings of Harry Bulk to release the album behind Berry Gordy’s back.  When Gordy heard the news he was infuriated.  He felt betrayed and undermined.  However, his attitude quickly changed when they informed him that the album sold 100,000 copies on the first day and was already underway for re-orders.  (What Went On, Ben Edmonds. 2001)

The recording process of this album is exceptional.  Marvin Gaye worked directly with Van DePitte to make sure that What’s Going On was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before; especially out of Motown.  With an aura of spontaneity surrounding the album, as well as pleasurable mistakes that worked beautifully, there’s no denying its originality.

For example, the opening saxophone of What’s Going On was actually a warm up take before the saxophonist, Eli Fontaine, even attempted to play.  It just happened to be exactly what Gaye needed.  Also, Marvin’s multi-layered lead vocal was an accident that was intended only to hear the differences between two takes.  When played back mono, Marvin fell in love with the sound and proceeded on with this technique for the rest of the recordings.  That just goes to show you, when you’re open-minded and passionate about your goal; things begin to work in your favor.

What’s Going On

Their goal in creating an album that strayed as far away as possible from Motown was a complete success.  The single What’s Going On was a complete opposite all on it’s own.  With the hook never repeating, a smooth laid-back-jazz feel with rhythmic percussions, party-like chit chat in the back ground, and lyrics filled with “extreme hurt and anger, yet the song never gives in to either”, What’s Going On went against all of the “rules.”  One amazing quality about the song is how joyful and beautiful it sounds while discussing such dark and painful topics.  That combination of subtly was carried on throughout the rest of the album and will baffle me for decades.

Personally, after learning so much about Marvin Gaye’s history and the making of this album, I hear What’s Going On with an entirely new level of perception.  I am actually listening to the album as I write this blog for you.  I absolutely love Marvin’s vocal ability and soft soulful approach to singing.  The lyrics of this album resonate within me and motivate me to use my music to help the world.  We songwriters have a gift and opportunity to turn many things around with the right level of influence.  It’s up to us to make a change and stand up for what we believe in like Marvin Gaye did with this album.

If you have never heard this album, please, do yourself the favor.  You will never regret it.

On that note… Rest in Harmony Marvin Gaye, and thank you for not giving up.

Rest In Harmony
Marvin Gaye
(4/2/1939 – 4/1/1984)

Ishmel Pineiro

Brian Eno – 40 Years of Changing Music

After 40 years of experience in the music industry, Brian Eno is one musician who has been covered in depth by many novelists, interviewers, documentaries, bloggers and more.  Struck by his persistence, passion, and extensive discography, I felt it was time Mehsi Music covered this innovator as well.

Since he was a lad living in the countryside of England, Brian Eno had been captivated by music.  Tuning into his radio to catch transmissions from a nearby U.S. Air Force base, he was able to catch broadcasting of American music.  As he grew older, he became fascinated with tape recorders.  He would record and manipulate random noises and sounds and blend them together in anyway he could.  Little did he know, these small experimentations would be the cornerstone to his musical career.  (Sonic Alchemy, 2004)

Eno has had a great deal of influences shape the way he conceives music over the years.  One large influence was art; painting in particular.  Having studied painting in art school he realized music as a painting of sounds.  The sounds to him were the colors being blended together to create a beautiful image.  He has also said many times that his musical background has been greatly inspired by avant-garde classical music as well as minimalist composers such as Steve Reich, La Monte Young, and Terry Riley.

I have compared and contrasted two of Brian Eno’s “works of art” for the sake of discussion.  I was curious to analyze how he could create ambient music with no sense of melody and rhythm, yet still be able to produce songs for modern sensations such as U2.  The albums I have placed under the lens of analysis are “Another Green World” (Eno, 1975) and “The Joshua Tree” (U2, 1987).  Although I wont go in depth of these two albums, as I always encourage my readers to decide for their own, I would like to discuss Eno’s versatility and creative approach.

The reason I chose these two albums is specifically because they are extreme opposites.  A solo ambient album (Another Green World) compared to a produced rock album for an artist (The Joshua Tree).  What I found delightful was how Eno is able to incorporate his sound without being destructive or distracting of the artist he is producing.  Another Green World shows his free spirit and nonconformity to the norm.  But as you listen to the nuances behind the U2 vocals of The Joshua Tree,  you can tell Eno has no problem building momentum and rhythm.

His ambient influences are clearly noticed throughout The Joshua Tree.  Eno has a way of shining through his arrangements as he builds up songs from silence, to ambiance, to modern rock with a minimalist approach.  One could clearly note with these two albums alone that Eno believes in the saying “less is more.”  His use of synthesizers is prominent in each album as well, as they always have been throughout his career.  Also, his use of time-based processing is extensive especially in the accompaniment of the U2 songs; specifically delay and reverb, which seem to be go-to tools for his productions.

To me, Brian Eno’s approach is refreshing.  With his views of music as visual art, he truly paints a soundscape that is as original as it is creative.  His minimalist approach also allows the instrumentation he does use to shine in the best form possible.  When it comes to producing an artist, he knows exactly when to fall back and when to intensify.  Both of these albums were truly enjoyable although I do not recommend listening to Another Green World while you are driving; it tends to be an extremely relaxing album.

I encourage you to check out more of his discography and these two albums in particular.  Brian Eno’s abilities cover film, pop, rock, and ambient music in depth over decades of innovation.  His current views on music and philosophy are also inspiring.  A simple YouTube interview search on the man could give you hours of inspiration.  For further information on Brain Eno, check out our Brian Eno multimedia presentation post at:
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Thank you for reading.

Happy Listening,

Ishmel Pineiro

BRIAN ENO – THE AMBIENT INNOVATOR

 

THE FOLLOWING LINK IS A PRESENTATION THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE AMBITIOUS CHARACTERISTICS AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE LEGENDARY BRIAN ENO.

WITH OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, ENO HAS INNOVATED, CREATED, AND REVOLUTIONIZED SEVERAL DIFFERENT GENRES AND STUDIO TECHNIQUES.

BY WORKING WITH ARTISTS SUCH AS DAVID BOWIE, JOHN CALE, U2, AND DAVID BYRNE – ENO HAS UNLOCKED THE SECRETS TO SERENDIPITY AND SELF-MASTERY THROUGH GROUNDBREAKING PRODUCTIONS.

A GURU OF SYNTHESIZERS AND AMBIANCE, HE HAS CREATED HIS OWN WAY OF PAINTING WITH SOUND AND HAS LEFT HIS MARK ON THE WORLD OF MUSIC FOREVER.

….ENJOY.

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Pet Sounds – An Evolution of Sound and Music Production

One can hardly reflect on the great music from the 1960s and not mention the industry-changing album by The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds. Prior to its release, The Beach Boys were well known for almost single handedly shaping and creating the “California Sound”. With their young and fresh beach bound image, their music was always about surfing, hot-rods, sunshine and good-times.

Although The Beach Boys collectively were extremely talented, much of the group’s success can be traced back to the undeniable talent and work ethic of Brian Wilson. Producing, arranging, writing, conducting, and performing in many of the group’s chart toppers, it is safe to say Brian Wilson has always been the mastermind behind it all.

His relentless determination and self-certainty allowed him to push and evolve The Beach Boys, as well as himself, to the next level – album after album, single after single. Well noted by those who have worked with Brian Wilson, including The Beach Boys and the famous “Wrecking Crew” musicians – although meticulous and at times excruciatingly picky – he was always a polite and pleasurable individual to work with.

Simply stated by bassist Carol Kaye in the Documentary “Pet Stories – The Making of Pet Sounds”

“If he barked at us that was great because we knew he knew what he wanted. You don’t want anybody nice, you want to get it done!”

Pet Sounds was arguably Brian Wilson’s Sistine Chapel. A truly phenomenal sonic experience that Wilson dates back to the initial inspiration of hearing “Rubber Soul” by The Beatles for the first time.

With a competitive air of musicianship, Wilson set out to top this marvelous album with his next Beach Boys project. Knowing he would not be able to do it alone, Wilson partnered up with lyricist and ad-writer Tony Asher to form a song-writing duo that would change their lives forever.

Surprisingly, when Pet Sounds released from Capitol Records on May 16th, 1966 it was not a commercial success. It was almost as if the public was not ready to hear it.

One can say the album was ahead of its time or maybe it was just not the normal musical experience that The Beach Boys fans were use to. Although singles such as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows” performed decently well on the charts, Pet Sounds was not as commercially successful as it was sonically innovating.

Ratings aside, music lovers cannot dispute the musical mastery Brian Wilson created with this album. One innovation of Pet Sounds was the beginning of albums as a complete thought and theme, rather than just a compilation of hit singles. As David N. Howard stated in his book “Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings”:

“Pet Sounds was pop’s first true song-cycle, an album where all the songs were conceptually linked to a theme – In this case, the turbulent journey from adolescence to adulthood.”

Another remarkable characteristic that sets Pet Sounds apart from the rest of the 1960s is its lush and unique arrangements and instrumentations. Brain Wilson utilized uncommon instruments in rock and pop such as the bass harmonica, the accordion, the theremin, and even unconventional instruments such as a bicycle bell and water bottle; all of which were supported by beautifully composed strings, brass, and vocal arrangements.

The Beach Boys’ were also exceptionally precise with their harmonies and melodies; unlike any they had done before. Lyrically, the content of the album was much more mature, wise, and poetic compared to their earlier surf bound hits. This was probably their greatest point of self-evolution.

With that as a basis of understanding, I now give you my personal opinion on this album and encourage you to listen to Pet Sounds and decide for yourselves. As an avid music listener, Pet Sounds carries me away in peace and harmony. Even the originally released mono version is enthralling and inviting to me.

I find that the song topics are relatable and refreshingly concise. The seamless transitions between tracks and overall theme make the progression of the album enjoyable to listen to and also difficult to not replay.

As an industry professional, the majestic sounds and innovative approaches of Pet Sounds as a whole captivate and motivate me. It is nearly impossible for me to listen to this production and NOT want to sit at my keyboard and create. Brian Wilson’s professionalism, consistency, and resilient determination are characteristics I admire and model after.

Mehsi Music gives Pet Sounds 5 Stars for its innovative advances, sonic originality, meaningful content, and majestic productions. Truly, An Evolution of Sound and Music Production.

“No Beach Boys were harmed during the writing of this article… I think.”

– Ishmel Pineiro, Mehsi Music

R.I.P. B.I.G.

Christopher George Latore Wallace
(May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997)
TheNotorious B.I.G., Biggie, Biggie Smalls