Wouldn't It Be Nice?

It’s dangerous this time spent admiring new sneakers, newly returned to the world of hustle and bustle and wireless internet connections that practically dance in comparison to that snoring bandwidth they put up with in the country. Aaah, country mice your world is lovely and green but so slow and the coffee so varied in quality! So while there are things that really ought to be done, better to take solace in the broadband and the stereo and the left-over booze happily discovered upon inspecting the cupboards. Which brings me to my subject for today – Pet Sounds. Spent last week uming and aahing about lashing out on a ticket to Brian Wilson perform Pet Sounds at the Opera House. Decided instead it might just be better to sit like all the other plebs in the Domain and listen to the free concert. I don’t have a date, after all, so the notion of all those old boomers settling in all comfy like to see the show and relive their youth is not quite so funny if you don’t have someone there to giggle with.
And yet, now listening to the album here at home on the stereo I’m thinking maybe I made the wrong decision. When people talk about concept albums I mostly roll my eyes – the concept of the concept album should only be treated with the most sincerest form of irony. Pet Sounds though, man, it just captures all these wonderful things – mostly teenage longing – in the most poetic and gorgeous and sweetly cute ways and yet it’s not at all saccharine. I’ve not really had many of those cheesy “this song is talking to ME” type moments, and certainly not with the Beach Boys, but recently I found myself listening to certain parts of the BB oeuvre in a different light. “Wouldn’t it be nice?” for instance – a song that’s really about teen passion and the forbidden – hideously ruined thanks to the Cadbury-Schweppes corp. Wouldn’t it be nice? Hell, yes. It certainly would – I’d love to for you to spend the night. “Don’t talk, put your head on my shoulder” Fine with me, Bri. I like the way you know just the right thing to say. And you’re saying just exactly what I’m thinking. Let me quote for a moment: “Being here with you feels so right/We could live forever tonight/Lets not think about tomorrow/And don't talk put your head on my shoulder”
There’s an awful lot on this album about the threat of tomorrow and how things are going to be very different when the sun comes up which appeals to the hopeless doomed romantic in me. And I might add, the cynical realist. Things *sure* will be different. Make no mistake – doesn’t matter if it’s the oppressive rule of parents or the hangover or the impending doom of real life.
And of course, I have to own up to a particular sympathy for “Caroline No” since the lovely lady in question has cut her hair and appears to have lost that lovin’ feeling:
“Could I ever find in you again/Things that made me love you so much then/Could we ever bring 'em back once they have gone/Oh, Caroline no”
Ouch, my heart is breaking all over again. Caroline, no. But, oops, too late! Caroline could we? But no! But yes! And yet, still, achingly, no. Life is just one bittersweet accident after another.
No question, Pet Sounds is the album for hopeless romantics, heartbroken beaus, and lustful honeybunnies. I think I should’ve done the washing up and typed those job applications... I’m now a breathless wreck of teenage passion.
If you see me in the Domain in January next year I suggest you either steer clear or be prepared for some pretty frantic back row necking.