Monday, April 11, 2005

Pet Sounds





I was watching an episode of the Cartoon Network's new Krypto cartoon - which is pretty good, even for something obviously aimed at younger tots - and came across one of those weird confluences that happens every now again...
...when two nerd worlds collide!!!
During the credits for Krypto I just happened to see something rather strange. The "Superdog!" theme is credited to one Van Dyke Parks. Parks, for those who don't know, was famous / infamous as Brian Wilson's collaborator during the late 60s/early 70s period following the release of Pet Sounds that saw the non-release of Smile and the beginnings of Wilson's gradual dissolution. Parks has had a surprisingly varied career since the mid-60s, with numerous solo projects and credits (mostly as an arranger) for artists like U2, Fiona Apple, Ry Cooder and Frank Stallone (can't win 'em all, I guess).

Now, Van Dyke Parks is just not someone I would envision as a "go-to guy" for animated children's themes... my guess is that Paul Dini or one of his co-producers is a big Beach Boys fan. Hardcore Beach Boys fans are about as nerdy as you get in the rock world - something I learned from a long-ago discussion with Peter Bagge in the Journal messageboard. Odd how sometimes these things crossover, eh?

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