Lol what

can someone explain

Other urls found in this thread:

youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-oGEhDP0E
youtube.com/watch?v=S-rB0pHI9fU
m.youtube.com/watch?v=WWB01IuMvzA
twitter.com/NSFWRedditImage

Name another pop song that sounded like that in 1966

It was experimental for its time.

youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-oGEhDP0E
youtube.com/watch?v=S-rB0pHI9fU

Penny Lane came after God Only Knows and Paul was influenced by it.

literally every song on pet sounds
most of the songs from the previous beach boys album
>wow a ballad with an orchestra and funky chords, that had never been done before

You said:
>Name another pop song that sounded like that in 1966
I posted not one, but two. Fucking retard.

Penny Lane is from 67........

The first chord (D/A) is a non-diatonic chord, as if the singer is pulling the listener aside. Every time the tonic chord (E) occurs, it’s in its most “unstable” inversion, with the 5th in the bass. The entire verse progression sounds restless, insecure, and looking for a direction – the perfect model of a “fragile” progression. When you couple it with the lyric, you sense that the singer is not at ease at all with his relationship, and the chords emphasize this sense of insecurity. It’s such a great coupling, because the lyric on its own doesn’t necessarily convey that tentative quality. But the wandering nature of the progression adds an important subtext. You can almost picture the singer pacing back and forth nervously, but trying to sound confident and secure.

With the chorus (refrain), it’s as if the singer is telling us the one thing he knows for sure: God only knows what I'd be without you.

With that line the chord progression finally displays confidence, moving to a clear harmonic goal (A E/G# F#m7 E). It’s a fantastic example of how lyrical meaning can be supported and enhanced by a chord progression.

The bridge, particularly Part 1, returns to fragile progressions (A/E G/D A/E G/D) that gain direction once more in Part 2, but now using A as a new tonic. The bass line of Part 2 is constructed in such a way to move in and around the note E (dominant of A), and this focusing on the dominant builds harmonic energy.

The chorus fragment is then sung, but in A major instead of the original key of E. The descending bass line is still present, and that line allows for a smooth transition back to E major for the start of the final verse.

We’ve seen how the supporting harmonies of the verse create and enhance a subtext of unease in the lyric. The phrasing of the melody accomplishes the same thing. For a ballad, the melody is surprisingly fragmented, comprised of 4 short phrases, relatively similar in construction, separated by relatively lengthy rests.

The short phrases contribute to the anxious subtext of the verse lyric. You also get a sense of increasing melodic energy that comes by way of the gradually ascending line. That’s what verses do, because the chorus needs that build-up to properly emote. However, in this case, the chorus melody descends by more than an octave, allowing energy to dissipate. It has the effect of making the chorus sound almost like a sigh.

The one other aspect of “God Only Knows” to note is the sparse approach to instrumentation. The instrumental group was large by 60s pop performance standards, including standard guitar, bass and drums, but also including several orchestral instruments – orchestral strings, french horn, percussion, piano and harpsichord. The temptation, especially with this type of ballad, is to layer sounds deeply, and make maximum use of the orchestra. In fact, keeping the instrumentation and backing vocals restrained and on a more intimate level was a decision that Brian Wilson had to eventually choose.

This limited approach did wonders for the final result. With songs like “God Only Knows” that are warm and tender, the best technique is usually to stay out of the way and let the lyric do its job. Brian Wilson’s instruction to his brother Carl, who sang lead vocal, was: “Don’t do anything with it. Just sing it real straight. No effort. Take in a breath. Let it go real easy.”

...

>started recording six months after the release of God Only Knows
Wow, you sure showed him a citation for a song that sounds similar coming before it. Real bang-up job, mate.

>Name another pop song that sounded like that in 1966
You're actually fucking retarded.

am I supposed to be impressed by this garbage?

Except it wasn't in 1966, was it retard?

It's okay if you don't understand basic theory, no need to get upset.

Holy shit, you are.

I really wish there was a score or at least a piano reduction to Pet Sounds. I'm too lazy to transcribe it myself.

thanks for the avant/experimental pop recs

im pretty sure all of it has been formally analyzed

SAGE
m.youtube.com/watch?v=WWB01IuMvzA

yeah but I would rather do it myself

Genres are a meme

well yeah but if it's been analyzed then it must have been transcribed so you can look up analysis and just take the transcriptions