‘Pet Sounds’: Al Jardine Initially Misinterpreted the Meaning Behind the Beach Boys’ Album Name
The Beach Boys are the artists behind Pet Sounds, a fan-favorite album featuring the song “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” With a confusing title and animal-based cover art, one member of the Beach Boys thought the album title was actually about making out or “petting.”
The Beach Boys released their album ‘Pet Sounds’
Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine are the founding members of the Beach Boys, appearing on chart-topping hits by the surf rock group. In 1966, the band released their album Pet Sounds, complete with songs “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “That’s Not Me,” and “I Just Wasn’t Meant For These Times.”
Writing this album was described as a “religious experience” by Brian Wilson, with the musician saying he and Carl Wilson held prayer sessions, asking God to let them bring music to people.
Even Paul McCartney of the Beatles mentioned his appreciation for the Beach Boys’ album, specifically noting the bass line. Wilson also mentioned that the bass appears at the forefront of this album.
“Because the bass parts resound better in a studio, and you can take three hours to get one line if you really needed it,” Wilson said, according to Best Classic Bands. “You could take forever and get a goddamn line, you know?”
“Larry Levine what Phil Spector did with his basses, and Larry said Phil uses a standup and a Fender [electric] at the same time,” he added, according to the same website. “And the Fender guy used a pick. So I tried it out at my session, and it worked great!”
Al Jardine thought the Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ was about making out
Regarding Pet Sounds, this album title doesn’t actually have to do with a pet or sounds. One band member thought the production was meant for people who were making out.
“I thought it was about making out. You know, petting in high school, I don’t know what they call it now,” Jardine said, according to Huffpost.
The same article reports that this album actually got its title from a joke about Brian Wilson “being able to hear noises others couldn’t, like dogs.”
Al Jardine didn’t like the Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ album cover art
Complete with a green header, the Pet Sounds album cover featured the Beach Boys at the zoo, feeding and petting animals. This wasn’t the best choice for art, as Jardine felt it didn’t accurately reflect the songwriting in this collection.
“I think the art department screwed up pretty badly on that one,” Jardine said, adding that the idea to shoot at the San Diego Zoo “was crazy, crazy.”
“And you just have to live with what we did. You live with the branding they put on you,” he said. Of course, Pet Sounds remains a favorite of many Beach Boys fans, with the album now available on most major streaming platforms.
