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Beach Boys
While formulating ideas for his upcoming album project, Brian Wilson felt that he needed to collaborate with a lyricist. Tony Asher was a friend of a friend whom he thought might be a good foil for his gentle yet ever more complex melodies. When Asher got the call from Wilson, his initial reaction was disbelief. This famous rock star was requesting his services not only as a songwriter, but as a collaborator! He wrangled a three-week leave of absence from his day job as an ad writer and immediately went to work with Wilson.
At the time, the Beach Boys were touring the world with Bruce Johnston taking Wilson’s place while he stayed home to work on the album. Since Wilson was following a highly personal muse, he was averse to sharing his ideas with the other Beach Boys, feeling that they would reject them as both inappropriate and uncommercial. He did not let this fear deter him from his intentions, though. Musical ideas that were much moodier than the usual Beach Boys fare were flowing from him, and Asher provided words that almost always reflected his personal concerns and problems. Since Asher found Wilson to be extremely difficult to work with, he often insisted on finishing his lyrics at home. Wilson continued to write, even when there were no words. One song in particular, "Let's Go Away For Awhile", was so musically expressive and evocative that they abandoned the idea of writing lyrics altogether, and the song remained the instrumental pastiche that Wilson began with. It eventually ended up on the B side of "Good Vibrations". After recording the basic tracks, Wilson recorded most of the songs for the new album live, using a hired ensemble of some of the best session players available. The result was, in essence, the first Brian Wilson solo album, called Pet Sounds.
When the Beach Boys returned from their tour, Wilson's instincts about their reactions proved to be correct. They were shocked to find that he had been presumptuous enough to record an entire album in their absence and were uncomfortable with the rococo production and writing style that he employed. While on tour, they were simply a surfing band, but when they came home, they discovered that Wilson was fully prepared to change everything. This took some getting used to. To their credit, they basically remained patient with him and followed his instructions for putting down the vocal lines. If he was unhappy with the results, he would simply erase the tape and record his own voice over theirs.
Musically and thematically, Pet Sounds was Wilson's baby. It also signifies the high watermark of his creativity. Every song is either heavily laden with a longing melancholy or celebrates some type of escapist fantasy. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" kicks off the album and was the first intentional single. It fit neatly into the “escapist fantasy” category, and three decades later has lost none of its artful significance. Innocently and deliberately, the song conveys the fanciful desire of a youthful couple to "say goodnight and stay together." The love is pure and the desire is reasonable. The most beautiful and touching line comes in the refrain: "Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true." The power of positive thinking has been said to move mountains, so why not try? The spiritual beauty of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" lies in its blend of youthful optimism and in its childish impatience. Best of all, it captures the singular moment in which the promise of a happy future and the desire of the present make these traits not only appropriate, but enviable.
 
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