Brian Wilson talks about 'Pet Sounds' ... well, kind of
Don't try to get too deep with Brian Wilson.
The music legend who wrote and produced one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time with The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" - and who is bringing his band to Rosemont Friday to perform that album note-for-note - is not as nostalgic about it as one might expect.
That's not to say he doesn't understand why "Pet Sounds" is so beloved and revered, nor does it mean he doesn't hold a similar appreciation for it. But he is not going to wax poetic about its creation and eventual impact on music and culture in the 51 years since its release no matter how hard you try.
And I tried. I really, really tried.
Look, history is filled with brilliant minds who could be generously described as prickly with the press. So, just because Brian Wilson couldn't, wouldn't or won't regale a dopey fanboy with eloquent musings about a tremendously important pop album shouldn't stop anyone who loves the majesty of "Pet Sounds" from listening to him perform it live in Rosemont. Tickets are still available for some reason.
Maybe I should have known that Wilson, who once lived in St. Charles, was a man of few words. After all, the Charlotte Observer ran this headline over their Wilson chat: "I'm pickin' up bad vibrations from this interview with Beach Boy Brian Wilson." And a Post Media Network interview online was topped with this: "Beach Boys' Brian Wilson gives his most awkward interview yet."
Still, I thought the name of the album, which went through various iterations before "Pet Sounds," might elicit some fond recollections of band squabbling or battling with record label suits.
Nope.
"My cousin Mike (Love) thought of 'Pet Sounds' as the title and we both liked it very much," Wilson explained matter-of-factly.
I quickly moved on to the actual recording process. The storied meticulousness of tuning instruments. Putting tacks on piano hammers to get tinny, saloon-like sounds out of the instrument. Hours spent perfecting the vocals on just one song. There has to be some obscure moment during the album's creation that he can delightfully recall with pride.
Not with me, at least.
"'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'God Only Knows' are my two favorite songs. I don't know why. I just like Carl's vocals and my vocals," Wilson said.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon were so moved and inspired by "Pet Sounds" that it changed the way they approached music-making and sparked The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. Scores of musicians have cited the influence of that album on their careers as well. Some of the world's greatest minds have talked about the power of the songs on "Pet Sounds."
Whose compliment is Wilson fondest of?
"The Beach Boys told me they liked it a lot," he said.
Well, that's actually kind of sweet, since his bandmates had very little to do with the actual composition of the album's music and one might assume they'd be a little ticked off about being aced out of the creative process. This was a decent answer. Was I getting somewhere?
Turns out, no.
Given that "Pet Sounds" is almost universally heralded as a masterpiece, how would Wilson describe it?
"People tell me they think it's a masterpiece, and I agree, too. We worked very hard on it to get it recorded," he said.
Wilson is a songwriter at heart. That's got to be something he's interested in talking about. He's got to have some dandy tales about struggling with his lyricist Tony Asher, trying to find the right words to fit the melody or vice versa.
Not so much.
"I would write a few bars of music and he'd write a few bars of lyrics, and we'd do that until we got the whole song written," he explained.
As the interview rapidly wound down, I desperately tossed out one more spiritual question, a twist on a song title from the album.
"Have you found the times you were meant for?"
"Huh?" He responded.
I sheepishly repeated the question.
"Yeah," he replied.
Kids, don't interview your heroes.
Brian Wilson presents “Pet Sounds”
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6
Where: Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont, (847) 671-5100,
Tickets: Start at $39