Pod Sounds

An emotionally fraught, out-of-place song to round out the record. But what did you expect. Big-band origins, classical touches, and a sweet voice delivering a not-so-sweet sentiment. Also, trains. Gil offers up an alternate sequencing for side 2, and Cecilia traces the through-line from this track to—where else?—the Beatles’ late period. When is somebody gonna say yes to Caroline??

Bond, bossa nova, and Barry (Manilow)—what don’t we cover in our discussion of the title track? We try to determine the purpose of this piece, to mixed results. Honorable mentions: the theatrics of Adele, effects that make instruments sound like other instruments, and the role of a producer in studio.

Some lyrics fall apart if you look at them too closely. You can probably guess where this is headed. What does it mean to be made for one’s times? Is the word “thing” interchangeable with the word “theremin”? Oh, and Cecilia presents her nominee for Beatles Song With Biggest Debt To PET SOUNDS. Honorable mentions: Ross and Phoebe’s musical innovations on FRIENDS, the purpose of science fiction, and Paul Anka yet again.

What do this track, the Roman poet Horace, and Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” have in common? We express all the thoughts. Will Cecilia ever shut up about tambourines? Unlikely. Also mentioned: DEAD POETS SOCIETY, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, and the pros—but mostly cons—of reading song lyrics on the page.

Hang on to your ego, because…that’s what this song should still be called. We explore two drafts of a lyric and everything it lost along the way. We talk about the incident that deafened Brian in his right ear. We wonder whether censorship can ever be done well. Plus: Ella Fitzgerald, Petula Clark, the chance invention of LSD, and why the state of Kansas is not to be trusted.

God only knows how we expected to cover this song in our usual timespan. We parse Brian’s marriage to Marilyn Rovell, the qualities of a Great American Songbook standard, and the mystical tonal shifts that make this baroque-pop B-side the jewel in the band’s crown. Is a realistic love song better than a fantastical one? Can Beach Boys lyrics be read in a queer or non-heteronormative context? What is the Brian Wilson Two-Note Fall, and why should you care about it?? Cameos from Tchaikovsky, Bach, Brahms, Herman’s Hermits, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and every other musician who ever lived. Sing it, Carl!!

(CW: mention of suicide ideation ~43:00)

Sequencing strategies, TikTok sea shanties, and temple blocks—welcome to the album’s only (and very intentional) cover tune. We get into the song’s folk roots and the blend of cultural traditions stamped on it, as well as music videos that have nothing to do with their lyrics and the expansive catalogue of hit-or-miss drug references. Honorable mentions: LOST IN SPACE, the phenomenon of “Boone-ing,” and artists who tell you to turn the record over.

Going electric is so 1965. Brian’s going SYMPHONIC. For the first instrumental track, we muse on target demographics, time signature shifts, and the role of an orchestra conductor. What must the folks at Capitol have thought the first time they heard it? Also discussed: the Four Seasons, Del Close & John Brent’s 1959 comedy album HOW TO SPEAK HIP, and non-vocal tracks on MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR and YELLOW SUBMARINE. Give it a listen and then we’ll have world peace!!

The return of Rhonda! Or is it? Today we tackle a song that in our opinion should have been a single. Gil wants to be a Capitol exec from the future, and Cecilia likes Brian’s newfound confidence. Also mentioned: when Wilson met Dylan, tritones in the timeline, the Monkees’ “Randy Scouse Git,” and two songs that made (and didn’t make) SGT. PEPPER.

Shut up and listen—to our heart beat. The singer could be dreaming, or just talking to himself, but we’re here to test all the theories. Forever’s gonna start tonight. Plus: Paul Anka, Hollywood’s transition from silent to talking pictures, and the 1984 fake-rock-movie STREETS OF FIRE.