The Beach Boys: Making Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys: Making Pet Sounds is a compelling 2017 documentary that immerses viewers in the creative journey and inner workings behind one of the most iconic and groundbreaking albums of all time, Pet Sounds. Directed by viewers' favorite Martin R. Smith, it features illuminating interviews from key players including Keith Altham, Tony Asher, Hal Blaine, and hos of other music industry veterans. This opus is a testament to the enduring legacy of the fantastic Beach Boys, recording the making of their legendary album with wisdom and captivating grace.

The film commences with an introduction of The Beach Boys, outlining their musical journey which transformed them from surf music kings to the sophisticated pop/rock band that took the world by surprise. Immediately, viewers are invited into the deepest crevices of the explosive music scene of the 60s, as Smith sketches the cultural context in which Pet Sounds was created, including the burgeoning competition between The Beach Boys and The Beatles and the changing landscape of rock and pop music.

Featuring key figures from the band's inner circle, the documentary convenes the likes of Keith Altham, a noted British journalist and PR consultant and Tony Asher, famous lyricist co-writer on Pet Sounds. The legendary studio drummer, Hal Blaine, a vital part of the 'Wrecking Crew', who provided the instrumental backbone for Pet Sounds, is also given screen time, sharing anecdotes and insights on the band and the making of the album. These insider accounts provide a profound understanding of the album's creative process and underlying spirit.

Smith employs an array of techniques to bring out the cultural, personal, and artistic aspects of The Making of Pet Sounds. Performance footage, vintage recordings, rare photos, and archival interviews subtly complement each other, emphasizing how this classic album was far ahead of its time. The narrative succeeds in expressing the essence of The Beach Boys' music’s progressive nature, showcasing Brian Wilson's genius as a songwriter, arranger, and producer. Time and again, the film takes viewers into rarely seen recording sessions that expose the relentless labor, brilliant artistry, and some tensions that simmered behind the scenes.

However, Smith's film extends beyond a dry, musicological observation. It grasps the underlying emotional currents that drove The Beach Boys and the personal struggles they faced, particularly frontman Brian Wilson’s mental health battles. His maturation, evolution, and struggles are depicted in close-up, making the very human tragedy and triumph integral to Pet Sounds reachable for the audience. The emotional ride of the band members, their relationships, personal crises, and searches for new musical frontiers are carefully woven into the storytelling, a tribute to the passion and vulnerability often hidden behind the glamour of stardom.

The Beach Boys: Making Pet Sounds is a thought-provoking documentary for both dedicated fans of The Beach Boys and aficionados of popular music. It delves into the creative process with reverence and curiosity, showing the labor, love, and genius that marks Pet Sounds, and indeed, any musical masterpiece. Empathetically capturing the highs and lows of the band's journey, brutally honest quarrels, and euphoric memories; Smith’s work cans the history and humanity that brewed Pet Sounds, all through a deftly executed and distinctly intimate filmmaking.

In this era of instant, mechanically churned music, this documentary harks back to a time when music was a craft passionately honed and profoundly felt. Smith brings us closer to understanding this pivotal moment in pop culture history, anchoring it in the wider social and cultural context of its time. Through the eyes and hearts of those who were there, the challenges, crescendos, comedowns, and comebacks associated with Pet Sounds come alive. The Beach Boys: Making Pet Sounds is a celebration of an album that not only defined The Beach Boys but signaled a shift in the landscape of pop music in the 60s.