Splitsville

PET SOUL (EP)

TRACK LISTING
Overture | Caroline Knows | Sunshiny Daydream | The Love Songs Of B. Douglas Wilson

OVERTURE

Paul: The only parts played specifically for this were Brandt's tambourine (played backward) and Matt's two-chord Mellotron part. The rest of the track consists entirely of snippets of various vocal and instrumental parts lifted from the EP's other three songs. We just sampled bits we liked and dropped them in, almost at random. Some were sped up, others slowed down, and still others were played backward. The footsteps are Matt running back after recording his "whistling down the hall" ending for Sunshiny Daydream.

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CAROLINE KNOWS

Matt: This one just came together. The recording of Pet Soul was fun and easy, and very rewarding. Most of the vocal harmonies on this EP were done with all three of us sharing the mic. Very old school pop.
Paul: One of the most graceful and beautiful songs Matt, or anyone else for that matter, has ever written. Enough said.
Brandt: God, is my timing awful. Sorry everybody....

Love doesn't age
Or so I've been told
But sometimes I think
That it's getting old
So when does it end?
And how did it start?
I'm never sure . . . .

I've said some things
That sound rather bold
For someone so scared
Of being alone
But though I believe
We are falling apart
You can be sure
Caroline knows
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SUNSHINY DAYDREAM

Paul: To my ear, it's The Association, Herman's Hermits, "Good Day Sunshine" and "I Want to Tell You" all thrown into a blender. My favorite things about this song: 1) The goofy, lush harmonies on the last line of each verse. 2) Matt's "Yellow Submarine" megaphone vocals 3) Inspired by great results on our Bacharach cover, I got to dust off my clarinet again.
Matt: If you're going to be derivitive, you might as well do it right.
Brandt: You have no idea how hard it is to sing the "sunshine sunshine" lyrics at the end. It's a tongue twister.

When I awoke to such a bright day
I almost forgot that you'd gone away
So now I'm gonna have to pretend I still have you
And I'm not alone under skies of blue

Couples in love are out in the streets
To gaze at the sun and smile in the breeze
So tell me Honey what am I to do
But spend my day dreaming I'm with you?
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THE LOVE SONGS OF B. DOUGLAS WILSON

Brandt: I'm especially proud of the songwriting. Musically, it was (is) the most ambitious thing I had done: the song has 5 sections that fit together. Lyrically I think it captures the innocence of the Beach Boy lyrics while touching on the darkness of Brian Wilson's personal life. My favorite part is the finger snaps into the hand claps at the end.
Matt: In my opinion a perfect song. We were having problem with the "breakdown," which was originally a vocal part. I suggested a theremin. Dave Nachodsky and Paul made it happen.
Paul: Brandt laid down the lead vocal late at night in the far corner of a nearly pitch black studio - just a couple of little red and blue spots shining down on him. Dave Nachodsky and I just watched and listened with our mouths agape, goosebumps rising on our arms and tears welling up in our eyes. No kidding, a truly transcendent moment.

Catch a wave
It makes you feel like flying
And you're never coming down
Making records
And the kids are buying
California summer sound

Teenage sockhops
Lovers on the dancefloor
Will you be true to your school?
Cars and girls
Are what the fellas live for
And the music's always cool

Never learned to say "no" . . . .

When I hear that song
I feel like crying
Well it's always in my head
If I wake up
And don't feel like trying
Should I spend my life in bed?

Never learned to say "no" . . . .

Surf's up again . . . .
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