6. I JUST WASN’T MADE FOR THESE TIMES
Pet Sounds & the Cult of the Uncool
“Rolling Stone is no longer like 50 Cameron Crowes, extolling the ‘never to be experienced again’ majesty of the 70s rock age to anyone curious about music history”
Today, Pet Sounds is widely considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time, but it was met with a lukewarm response from American audiences. Since then, there have been many theories as to why: band infighting, bad marketing, or that it “just wasn’t made for these times.” The album would fall into relative obscurity until it was reclaimed in the 90s as the holy grail of hipsterdom by cool older sisters and obnoxious record store guys alike. Krista tells Rosie the story of how Brian’s passion project made the uncool cool… and how gatekeeping only furthered the legend. Rosie goes off on a DayQuil-fueled rant against the rock canon and Krista’s dog insists on making his own pet sounds while she’s recording. Both hosts cry over a 90s Doonesbury comic.
IN THIS EPISODE…
POCKET SYMPHONY RADIO
“I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” by the Beach Boys (1966)
LOVE & MERCY
Where to stream/rent the movie
[24:51] — [29:09]
SCENE FOCUS: Pet Sounds recording sessions (“I’m Waiting for the Day,” “Pet Sounds,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”), Brian and Melinda at Griffith Observatory
DISCUSSION TOPICS
- The story of Brian’s Pet Sounds: writing, recording, and producing
- How Capitol fumbled the bag and sunk one of the best albums of all time
- The creation of the American “uncool”: from jazz cats to Cameron Crowe
- The legacy of the album today… for better and for worse (exhibit A: the Portlandia skit)
THE FANTASY ALBUM DRAFT
CATEGORY: Pet Sounds song
- Rosie: “I’m Waiting for the Day” from Pet Sounds (1966)
- Krista: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” from Pet Sounds (1966)
MUSIC
Listen to the playlist on Spotify.
- “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” by the Beach Boys
- “Caroline, No” by the Beach Boys
- “Pet Sounds” by the Beach Boys
- “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift
- “22” by Taylor Swift
- “XS” by Rina Sawayama
- “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” by Sixpence None the Richer
- “I’m Waiting for the Day” by the Beach Boys
- “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys
EPISODE CREDITS
WRITTEN AND HOSTED BY
Rosie Alejandrino and Krista Kurisaki
EDITED BY
ADDITIONAL VOICE WORK
- Kyle Kizu as Brian Wilson (and additional voices)
- Nina Carlin
- Katelyn Dixon
- Andrew Miller
- Brit Wigintton
EPISODE SOURCES
READING
- Wouldn’t it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds by Charles L. Granata
- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé by Bob Stanley
- “The Beach Girl Behind the Beach Boys” by Phoebe Reilly, Vulture, 19 Apr 2016
- “The Band Behind the Beach Boys” by Kent Hartman, Esquire, 13 Feb 2012
- Pet Sounds comments from 1966
- “What’s The Origin Of The Term Hipster?” on Dictionary.com
- “The 1990s Lifestyles And Social Trends: Topics In The News” on Encyclopedia.com
- “Atticus Ross talks Brian Wilson, ‘Pet Sounds,’ ‘Portlandia’ and his Beach Boys mash-up” by Jeff Baker, The Oregonian, 09 Jan 2019
- “A Boy’s Life (in Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll)” by Anthony Bozza, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct 2000
- “RS #937: My Number 1: Pet Sounds” by Cameron Crowe, courtesy of Rolling Stone, 11 Dec 2003
- “Remaking Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums List” by Jason Fine, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep 2020
AUDIO
- Classic Albums: The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds (2010), dir. Martin R. Smith and Matthew Longfellow
- Riverdale (2017–probably way too long)
- Behind The Sounds: I’m Waiting For The Day
- Love & Mercy (2014), dir. Bill Pohlad
- The Beach Boys: Wouldn’t It Be Nice (2005), dir. Matt O’Casey
- Brian Wilson on QTV
- Pet Stories (2003), dir. John Anderson
- Art That Shook the World (2001–2002)
- @willtalksmusic on TikTok going off on the Pet Sounds album cover
- Saweetie | My Rotation | Amazon Music
- Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times (1995), dir. Don Was
- Taylor Swift explains “some indie record that’s much cooler than mine”
- Norman Mailer — What is a Hipster (literally smh)
- Portlandia (2011–2018)
- Almost Famous (2010), dir. Cameron Crowe
BACKGROUND MUSIC
- (FREE) Rex Orange County ft. Brakence Type Beat “feel good” [indie]
- Burnt to a Crisp or Bloody as Hell — Classic 60s Rock — Royalty Free Music
- [FREE] “Live Forever” Lorde Type Beat | Prod. Jonum
- Lime Light — smooth jazz ballad Kenny G style
- “Worth It” — Taylor Swift / Olivia Rodrigo / Pop Type Beat 2021
- FREE Lana Del Rey Type Beat SAD “Silence” | Amy Winehouse Type Instrumental Guitar
- (FREE FOR PROFIT) “For Who?” Arctic Monkey Inspired Beat
