At the time, the members of THE BEATLES declared that "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" by the band THE BEACH BOYS were the two most beautiful songs to be composed and recorded in the history of pop rock.
The Beach Boys are musically and harmonically iconic; Brian Wilson is a genius. So many great songs. To start off with, I recommend: Don't Worry Baby; I get around; In my Room; California Girls - and so many more. If you're an ABBA fan, you'll love The Beach Boys!
Those interwoven harmonies at the close of this song are one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. And the way those are surrounded with all those wind instruments and those bells and... of of that, it just comes together into one of the most heavenly sounding things I know. Astonishingly beautiful.
This is Paul McCartney's favorite Beach Boys song. It made him cry when hearing it at Brian Wilson's house, after listening to Paul's tape of REVOLVER. This song went on to help propel Sgt. Peppers Lonely hearts club band. As typical, the WRECKING CREW did the music. The unit coalesced in the early 1960s as the de facto house band for Phil Spector and helped realize his Wall of Sound production style. They subsequently became the most requested session musicians in Los Angeles, playing behind many popular recording artists including Jan and Dean, Sonny & Cher, the Mamas and the Papas, the 5th Dimension, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Sinatra. The musicians were sometimes used as "ghost players" on recordings credited to rock groups, such as the Byrds' debut rendition of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" (1965), the first two albums by the Monkees, and the Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds.
McCartney said this song, and Brian Wilson, are genius. When hearing the Beach Boys for the first time, he rounded up all the lads and stated rather bluntly "What are we going to do about THIS?!" (or very close to that) Thats how much respect Paul had for them
The word genius is bandied around far too freely, but in the case of Brian Wilson, there's no other word to use. He heard it all in his head before laying the tracks down, like a 20th-century Johann Sebastian Bach. Beautiful song majestically arranged and brilliantly sung and played. Simply stunning.
One of the best 60's groups ever. Glad you are open to discovering all the great music you are reacting too. Hard to believe it's your first time hearing these classics but better late than never. Keep enjoying!
This may be one of the most perfect songs ever recorded. Beautiful tune, the lyrics are superb, and the vocals are astounding. Has been in my top five songs for 50 years and still holds up.
Oh Salvo! What memories this song brings back. Blasting these guys on my 8 track player riding the strip at Myrtle Beach in my red ‘68 Mustang!!! No better times….
Beatles producer Sir George Martin travelled to California to visit Brian at his home studio. Sir George sat at the mixing console with a look of awe, and played the master tape of God Only Knows. Bit like Van Gogh coming to see your painting.
You should check out the version done to launch BBC Music. Many artists performed on it including Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Brian May (Queen), Chrissie Hynde, and so many more. It was done to commiserate the debut of BBC Music and then released as a charity single.
Great great great song. Competing with the Beatles they both took conventional verse chorus verse chorus formats, kicked its arse and out came this magic. 'Good vibrations' soon followed.
Brian Wilson from the beach Bays and Paul McCartney from the Beatles had a friendly rivalry going on at the time. Each was trying to push each others writing abilities to the next level. This hit its peak when The Beatles put out Revolver and the Beach Boys Put out Pet Sounds
Personal opinion, Pet Sounds is one of those albums that is done a disservice if not listened to in it's entirety the first time around. Like the reaction though, 'tis a classic.
Beautiful song. I think I could listen to that ending with the harmonies and voices intertwining for hours. It just makes me happy. There are a few other songs that I feel that way about when I hear them. The ending chorus on Hey Jude. Al Green Let's Stay Together, Joe Walsh Life's Been Good. John Denver Annie's Song, the lyrics are such a vivid expression of the feelings welling up in love. I have many others in my list of favorite songs, but these are just those that I think I could listen to a certain part or on the last 3, the whole song I think, over and over. Always feel a little sad when they end. There are others, but these just came to me. Be interested in hearing others opinions.
This is considered by many to be one of their best songs written by Brian Wilson. It was recorded in 1966 on their masterpiece album Pet Sounds. Some say this is Paul McCartney's favorite song. I think they used something like 20 musicians to play all kinds of instruments to give it such a beautiful full sound.
I've always heard that but IMO there are Beach Boys' songs that are way better. In fact, this is one of my least favorites. My choices are "Darlin", "Wild Honey", "Sail on Sailor", "Sloop John B"...for starters. "Here Today" which is the flip side of Darlin' is also a really good song.
The first album I ever bought aged 12 in the UK it cost me 1 shilling and sixpence I’m 69 now. Brian Wilson musical genius set the tone for my musical journey thru life.
Brian Wilson heard this all in his head then found the best session players and built the song. Consider the lack of technology, the musicians actually made this gorgeous song
Part of the reason the song was not as popular was because it was the flip side of their bigger hit Wouldn't It Be Nice-so God Only Knows didn't get as much airplay.
It is definitely a great song and beautifully performed. That being said, I give very little credence to any Rolling Stone greatest, best, whatever list they put out. Oh yeah, the musicians I believe are all members of the Wrecking Crew...Brian was so meticulous about the recording process, probably none of the regular band members would have been able to play to Brian's standards, especially for Pet Sounds
"We'll see what all the hype is about?" There's no hype, it's all there on the recordings to prove it. Hype? Not with Brian Wilson, he's the real deal, and he's not doing well, with Alzheimer's, and he'll be gone sooner than we think. He defeated addiction and obesity, very few ever do. There's incredibly more to the victory of Brian Wilson's life then just his music...he is a walking miracle of survival. Never use the word Hype to describe people like Brian Wilson and his music...he set the bar very high... You completely reversed yourself with words to describe this like "Masterful." So why use a word like "Hype" before you even hear the recordings? The word hype infers something phony going on, or a publicity stunt for something that has no real substance or value...like politicians lol
Stop!! The songs of the album "Pet Sounds", for example Good only knows, can not be judged after one listen. Not until you have listen some 10 times you will understand. If you listen to the whole album for 10 times and really listen you will be captivated for the rest of your life. It is the best album of all times and that kind of music is not for reaction videos. You have to grow in to it. The best music is often the pieces that you don´t find so thrilling the first time around. Brians music i complex but made to sound easy, so every time you listen another layer will be discovered. This is not music for the charts. I listen to all kinds of music, call myself a heavy metal fan, but Brian is the best. He is my house god.
Great song. Eleventh best song of all time? Good grief. Get real. I can name eleven songs by The Beatles alone that are better. Or eleven Pink Floyd songs. Queen? Zeppelin? Etc etc etc. Rolling Stone is SO lame. Kinda like the RRHOF. .
Well hello, fancy seeing you here. The people who do the Rolling Stone list make it clear they allow only one song per group/artist, to avoid having, say, ten Beatles songs at the top. They also redo the list about every twenty years, and swap the songs around... for example, on the 2004 list, the Beach Boys were recognized for Good Vibrations, at #6. The Beatles are always on there (2004 Hey Jude #8, 2021 Strawberry Fields Forever #7). Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana... They say that they factor in the ideas of impact and relevance also. And, they understand it is impossible to make a definitive list of the "best songs ever"; it's a discussion jumping-off point, and really, it's a marketing ploy to sell magazines. Separate from all that, though, many of us (3K reactions in 18 hours, and read the comments) many of us DO think this is one of the greatest songs of all time. I personally definitely prefer this song to any single Queen or Zepp song, though I like those groups a great deal. It's subjective, a matter of taste.
@@mrkelso hey Mark! 👋👋. I did not know about the one song per group rule. So you’re right; it’s more of a stepping off point for discussion and not an attempt to actually rank the 500 best songs, no matter how many are from One group. Thanks for that info. And yes, whether this song is better than Stairway or Rain Song, or Who Wants to Live Forever or Somebody to Love is utterly subjective. Frankly, that’s why I loath attempts to rank “top 10 best guitarists” etc etc But the human mind seems compelled to create hierarchies with everything.
Calm down...the Rolling Stones greatest lists are usually terrible. I don't pay attention to them anymore. Their Greatest Guitarists list is absolutely garbage. Now...music is not a competition and is subjective. You choose what you want to listen to and don't worry about what anyone else's other ranking are.
@@billbitterman9487 please read my response to another comment above. I wasnt aware of certain things about that list, which Mark was kind enough to explain. . I really don’t need to calm down, Bill. Don’t patronize. After all, it’s not like I WROTE EVERYTHING IN CAPS, now, is it.
Regardless of the response from Mark, Rolling Stones lists should be taken with a grain of salt. My response was to your statement about how many songs are better than God Only Knows. Music and the relative quality is truly subjective and based on the individual listener’s enjoyment. I recognize Brian Wilson’s genius while still preferring many bands and unknown #s of songs more than God Only Knows. Heck I like several other songs on Pet Sounds more than God Only Knows. All I was trying to say is lighten up and enjoy the music you love.
At the time, the members of THE BEATLES declared that "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" by the band THE BEACH BOYS were the two most beautiful songs to be composed and recorded in the history of pop rock.
i have to almost agree... but i have a personal few as im sure we all do. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by the Police for instance.
The Beach Boys are musically and harmonically iconic; Brian Wilson is a genius. So many great songs. To start off with, I recommend: Don't Worry Baby; I get around; In my Room; California Girls - and so many more. If you're an ABBA fan, you'll love The Beach Boys!
Carl Wilson what wonderful voice!
One of the greatest songs ever.
Gorgeous, one of my favorites
Those interwoven harmonies at the close of this song are one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. And the way those are surrounded with all those wind instruments and those bells and... of of that, it just comes together into one of the most heavenly sounding things I know. Astonishingly beautiful.
This is Paul McCartney's favorite Beach Boys song. It made him cry when hearing it at Brian Wilson's house, after listening to Paul's tape of REVOLVER. This song went on to help propel Sgt. Peppers Lonely hearts club band. As typical, the WRECKING CREW did the music. The unit coalesced in the early 1960s as the de facto house band for Phil Spector and helped realize his Wall of Sound production style. They subsequently became the most requested session musicians in Los Angeles, playing behind many popular recording artists including Jan and Dean, Sonny & Cher, the Mamas and the Papas, the 5th Dimension, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Sinatra. The musicians were sometimes used as "ghost players" on recordings credited to rock groups, such as the Byrds' debut rendition of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" (1965), the first two albums by the Monkees, and the Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds.
Absolutely brilliant song. Thanks for this reaction.
In concert, the Beach Boys used to do the ending a capella. Gorgeous
'Pet Sounds' has permanent residency at the front of my record collection.....What a Masterpiece.
"Caroline no" is my fav Beach boy song, it is just such a beautiful song..
Short but sweet. My favorite Beach Boys song.
One of the greatest songs EVER
Pet Sounds is a perfect album
In my books, there are three perfect pop songs: The Beatles' "Penny Lane", ELO's "Mr Blue Sky" and this one. Pop heaven!
The best album...EVER!
the Citizen Kane of albums 🗣️🔥 THE VERTIGO OF ALBUMS!! Simply Pet Sounds.
McCartney said this song, and Brian Wilson, are genius.
When hearing the Beach Boys for the first time, he rounded up all the lads and stated rather bluntly "What are we going to do about THIS?!"
(or very close to that) Thats how much respect Paul had for them
Nice review Salvo. My first ever live gig was the Beach Boys (1991) in Belfast, they were amazing. I love them singing Sloop John B.
The word genius is bandied around far too freely, but in the case of Brian Wilson, there's no other word to use. He heard it all in his head before laying the tracks down, like a 20th-century Johann Sebastian Bach. Beautiful song majestically arranged and brilliantly sung and played. Simply stunning.
One of the best 60's groups ever. Glad you are open to discovering all the great music you are reacting too. Hard to believe it's your first time hearing these classics but better late than never. Keep enjoying!
I wish I could hit the like button twice for this one!
This may be one of the most perfect songs ever recorded. Beautiful tune, the lyrics are superb, and the vocals are astounding. Has been in my top five songs for 50 years and still holds up.
Oh Salvo! What memories this song brings back. Blasting these guys on my 8 track player riding the strip at Myrtle Beach in my red ‘68 Mustang!!! No better times….
Beatles producer Sir George Martin travelled to California to visit Brian at his home studio. Sir George sat at the mixing console with a look of awe, and played the master tape of God Only Knows. Bit like Van Gogh coming to see your painting.
How could i forget about the BeachBoys
This whole album is fabulous.
There's a reason they remain the greatest American band of all-time. Pure genius.
The Beatles took so much of their sound. They even said so. Wilson is another one of a kind. Watch a documentary on them.
1 of the best albums ever and 1 of their best songs
my nanas favorite album! she had an original record that she got signed and now my dad has it!
The box set of The Pet Sounds Sessions from 1997 is magic, i love it ..
You should check out the version done to launch BBC Music. Many artists performed on it including Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Brian May (Queen), Chrissie Hynde, and so many more. It was done to commiserate the debut of BBC Music and then released as a charity single.
That’s a beautiful video
Brian Wilson a musical genius !
( Nuff said )
Great great great song. Competing with the Beatles they both took conventional verse chorus verse chorus formats, kicked its arse and out came this magic. 'Good vibrations' soon followed.
The last scene of Love Actually plays in the background, and perfectly puts the words to action.❤
Brian Wilson from the beach Bays and Paul McCartney from the Beatles had a friendly rivalry going on at the time. Each was trying to push each others writing abilities to the next level. This hit its peak when The Beatles put out Revolver and the Beach Boys Put out Pet Sounds
My favorite Beach Boys song ang possibly in my top 10 all-time
Personal opinion, Pet Sounds is one of those albums that is done a disservice if not listened to in it's entirety the first time around. Like the reaction though, 'tis a classic.
Wow, this is a quick one! lol Anyway, this is my favorite Beach Boys song!
Beautiful song. I think I could listen to that ending with the harmonies and voices intertwining for hours. It just makes me happy. There are a few other songs that I feel that way about when I hear them. The ending chorus on Hey Jude. Al Green Let's Stay Together, Joe Walsh Life's Been Good. John Denver Annie's Song, the lyrics are such a vivid expression of the feelings welling up in love. I have many others in my list of favorite songs, but these are just those that I think I could listen to a certain part or on the last 3, the whole song I think, over and over. Always feel a little sad when they end. There are others, but these just came to me. Be interested in hearing others opinions.
One of the few songs that has actually made me cry. The production and vocals perfectly frame the lyrics, so full of emotion and touching 💖
Good Vibrations a must to hear.
The cover by Manhattan Transfer is a must .
This is considered by many to be one of their best songs written by Brian Wilson. It was recorded in 1966 on their masterpiece album Pet Sounds. Some say this is Paul McCartney's favorite song. I think they used something like 20 musicians to play all kinds of instruments to give it such a beautiful full sound.
I've always heard that but IMO there are Beach Boys' songs that are way better. In fact, this is one of my least favorites. My choices are "Darlin", "Wild Honey", "Sail on Sailor", "Sloop John B"...for starters. "Here Today" which is the flip side of Darlin' is also a really good song.
Sheer beauty.
Pet Sounds is their best album, by far. This is my favorite Beach Boys song ♥️
This was featured in Love Actually and Pentatonix also covered it.
Featured in Love Actually.
And on The Wonder Years
And a barbershop quartet cover version in the video game Bioshock Infinie
The first album I ever bought aged 12 in the UK it cost me 1 shilling and sixpence
I’m 69 now.
Brian Wilson musical genius set the tone for my musical journey thru life.
Brian Wilson could always put one in touch with the TRANSCENDENT!
Good Vibrations 😎😎
Iconic
Shooting 50 songs into space, this makes the pod.
Brian Wilson heard this all in his head then found the best session players and built the song. Consider the lack of technology, the musicians actually made this gorgeous song
Pentatonix cover is absolutely fantastic!!!
There was some kerfuffle when this was released, as the mention of "God" was frowned upon as disrespectful.
Imagine the puritanical dissonance of that. Only in Murca.
this is a Christmas song for me, since it's in Love Actually!
Part of the reason the song was not as popular was because it was the flip side of their bigger hit Wouldn't It Be Nice-so God Only Knows didn't get as much airplay.
Interesting that this song seems to get a lot more love on UA-cam, although I do prefer Wouldn't it be Nice.
It is definitely a great song and beautifully performed. That being said, I give very little credence to any Rolling Stone greatest, best, whatever list they put out. Oh yeah, the musicians I believe are all members of the Wrecking Crew...Brian was so meticulous about the recording process, probably none of the regular band members would have been able to play to Brian's standards, especially for Pet Sounds
Youve heard Brian before when we did Heros and Villains
He did Heroes and Villains? Did he listen to SmiLE?
@@mrkelso he did heros and villains live dont think hes listened to Smile the album
@@robertkern9911 Ack, can't find it online if it happened during a live... did he like it?
Have you heard pentatonix version of this song?
Personally I think they have better songs, but it’s a sweet one for sure. Legendary group.
Paul McCartney's favorite song . . . . .
"We'll see what all the hype is about?" There's no hype, it's all there on the recordings to prove it. Hype? Not with Brian Wilson, he's the real deal, and he's not doing well, with Alzheimer's, and he'll be gone sooner than we think. He defeated addiction and obesity, very few ever do. There's incredibly more to the victory of Brian Wilson's life then just his music...he is a walking miracle of survival. Never use the word Hype to describe people like Brian Wilson and his music...he set the bar very high... You completely reversed yourself with words to describe this like "Masterful." So why use a word like "Hype" before you even hear the recordings? The word hype infers something phony going on, or a publicity stunt for something that has no real substance or value...like politicians lol
ABBA
Absolutely gorgeous, but simp song.
Stop!! The songs of the album "Pet Sounds", for example Good only knows, can not be judged after one listen. Not until you have listen some 10 times you will understand. If you listen to the whole album for 10 times and really listen you will be captivated for the rest of your life. It is the best album of all times and that kind of music is not for reaction videos. You have to grow in to it. The best music is often the pieces that you don´t find so thrilling the first time around. Brians music i complex but made to sound easy, so every time you listen another layer will be discovered. This is not music for the charts.
I listen to all kinds of music, call myself a heavy metal fan, but Brian is the best. He is my house god.
I love The Beach Boys, but just about any of their other songs is better than this one.
Great song. Eleventh best song of all time? Good grief. Get real. I can name eleven songs by The Beatles alone that are better. Or eleven Pink Floyd songs. Queen? Zeppelin? Etc etc etc. Rolling Stone is SO lame. Kinda like the RRHOF. .
Well hello, fancy seeing you here. The people who do the Rolling Stone list make it clear they allow only one song per group/artist, to avoid having, say, ten Beatles songs at the top. They also redo the list about every twenty years, and swap the songs around... for example, on the 2004 list, the Beach Boys were recognized for Good Vibrations, at #6. The Beatles are always on there (2004 Hey Jude #8, 2021 Strawberry Fields Forever #7). Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana... They say that they factor in the ideas of impact and relevance also. And, they understand it is impossible to make a definitive list of the "best songs ever"; it's a discussion jumping-off point, and really, it's a marketing ploy to sell magazines. Separate from all that, though, many of us (3K reactions in 18 hours, and read the comments) many of us DO think this is one of the greatest songs of all time. I personally definitely prefer this song to any single Queen or Zepp song, though I like those groups a great deal. It's subjective, a matter of taste.
@@mrkelso hey Mark! 👋👋. I did not know about the one song per group rule. So you’re right; it’s more of a stepping off point for discussion and not an attempt to actually rank the 500 best songs, no matter how many are from
One group. Thanks for that info.
And yes, whether this song is better than Stairway or Rain Song, or Who Wants to Live Forever or Somebody to Love is utterly subjective. Frankly, that’s why I loath attempts to rank “top 10 best guitarists” etc etc But the human mind seems compelled to create hierarchies with everything.
Calm down...the Rolling Stones greatest lists are usually terrible. I don't pay attention to them anymore. Their Greatest Guitarists list is absolutely garbage. Now...music is not a competition and is subjective. You choose what you want to listen to and don't worry about what anyone else's other ranking are.
@@billbitterman9487 please read my response to another comment above. I wasnt aware of certain things about that list, which Mark was kind enough to explain. . I really don’t need to calm down, Bill. Don’t patronize. After all, it’s not like I WROTE EVERYTHING IN CAPS, now, is it.
Regardless of the response from Mark, Rolling Stones lists should be taken with a grain of salt. My response was to your statement about how many songs are better than God Only Knows. Music and the relative quality is truly subjective and based on the individual listener’s enjoyment. I recognize Brian Wilson’s genius while still preferring many bands and unknown #s of songs more than God Only Knows. Heck I like several other songs on Pet Sounds more than God Only Knows. All I was trying to say is lighten up and enjoy the music you love.