Wouldn't It Be Nice: from the opening notes to the closing verses this song incorporates dozens of non-stardard instruments that can be heard indivudially (trumpets, trombones, xylophone, triangle, etc.) The beginning starts off with the calm intro, is shocked by a drum beat, and jumps right into the lyrics, sung by Brian. After a few verses, the chorus comes up, backed by some inetersting instrument that I can't honestly say I know the name of. In the style of adding instruments and complexity as the song goes along, the next verse is backed by famous Beach Boys doo-wop/acapella vocals by the rest of the band. More and more instruments are added, and the lyrics grow in depth. The chorus is the backed by a half orchestra, which is to say not all instruments at Wilson's disposition were being used yet. After a brass instrument (trumpet, trombone, etc.) intro, the bridge is sung by Mike, and backed by the famous intro. The backing vocals start with "run, run river", while Mike sings about marriage and happiness, and then returns to the thought of "wouldn't it be nice. The idea of truning ideas like marriage, living together, waking beside each other into 'wouldn't it be nice' contrasts perfectly with songs overall intricate combination of tempos, instruments, chord patterns, et al. After the bridge, the song returns with a new tempo and new instrument (again, I don't know the name, but you can clearly hear it), while Brian points out that although "it seems the more we talk about it/it only makes it worse to live without it/but lets talk about it/wouldn't it be nice". Quite a step from "let's go surfing now/everybody's learning how/come on and safari with me". Then the drums come back in again, and the whole song blends together for the final 14 seconds, the backing vocals a combination of the "run, run river" from the bridge and those from during the verses, the intro playing quietly in the background, a complete band (orchestra without strings), and the lyrics wrapping the song up with "good night, baby/sleep tight, baby". The first step in the Pet Sounds story, a dream of being together forever (the impossible dream?). A very well placed song, strategically speaking, because it had enough commercial appeal to do well on the charts and sell the album for those who listen to the first couple of tracks in the record store. In this song, the use of different instruments to represent different emotions is particularily evident. The soft, light bells during the dreamy "maybe if we wish and hope and pary it might come true" part, the instrument during the "it seems the more we talk about it..." (remember, the one I didn't know the name of)that reminds of the romantic streets of Paris (I'm not trying to be corny, it actually sounds like the instrument used in old french movies), and the thumping drums that wake us from the reverie of these interludes back the main chorus and verses. The song follows asimilar form as the album itself, with the lightheartness of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "That's Not Me", to the deeper, more reflective "Don't Talk" and "I'm Wiating For The Day", parallelled in the song by the bridge. Both those songs and the brigde are about a search for meaningful relationships and both take a calmer, gentler approach to it. The musical interlude is similar to the placement of "Let's Go Away For Awhile" and "Sloop John B.", moth primarily instrumental songs. After, An even deeper search and more complex chord patterns and tempos: in the song, done by "that" instrument and its part, and in the album by "God Only Knows" and "I Know There's An Answer". Then, back to the the beginning with "Here Today and "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times".
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