God Only Knows

The recording of this piece, which took place between March and April 1966, was a true experiment. Producer Brian Wilson gathered about 20 session musicians to create a very particular sonic tapestry. Imagine the scene: drums, sleigh bells, plastic orange juice glasses, clarinets, flutes, string instruments, French horn, accordion, guitars, a double bass, a harpsichord, and even a piano with strings played with nails. It was in this environment that Carl Wilson, Brian's brother, recorded the lead vocals, a performance considered one of the best of his career, with Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston providing the harmonies. The song closes with a series of vocal repetitions, a device that was quite unusual for popular music of that era. *God Only Knows* was written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, who collaborated on several pieces for the album Pet Sounds. Asher recalled that the instrumental part took more time to adjust than the lyrics, and that the influence of jazz standards like "Stella by Starlight" may have inspired Wilson. At the time, Wilson sought to match the quality of the Beatles' album Rubber Soul, and it is said that the melody emerged while he was under the influence of marijuana. Although released as the B-side of the single "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in July 1966, its impact was enormous, reaching the top 10 in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada. Songwriters like Paul McCartney have cited it as their favorite, and its importance was marked by its inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" list in 2004.