When Brian Wilson stopped touring to focus on production, he realized the studio could be used as an instrument itself. Facing the technical limits of four- and eight-track recording, Wilson began separating the recording process from the composition process, breaking songs into short modular fragments that could be assembled later.

This episode follows Brian Wilson’s journey from the sprawling sessions of Pet Sounds to the groundbreaking production of "Good Vibrations." We explore how his revolutionary modular tape-splicing techniques changed the limitations of linear recording, how the Wrecking Crew brought his complex arrangements to life, and the heavy toll this boundary-pushing workflow took on Wilson during the recording of the aborted SMiLE project.

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Sources and Further ReadingFeatured Articles & Interviews

- "Inside the Studio: How The Beach Boys Crafted ‘Good Vibrations’ and Revolutionized Pop Music." Solipsism Studios.

- "The Day the Beach Boys Started Recording 'Good Vibrations'." Ultimate Classic Rock.

- "Feb 17, 1966: 'Good Vibrations' Recording Sessions Start." Best Classic Bands.

- "The Making Of… The Beach Boys’ ‘Good Vibrations’." Uncut. 

- "The Resurrection Of Brian Wilson's SMiLE." Sound on Sound.

- "The Unseen Influence of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys on Studio Production." forty4 Audio.

- "How The Beach Boys and the Beatles Pushed Each Other to Greatness." History.