Does anyone know why Brian put the barking dogs & train at end of "Caroline, No?

[Cabinessenceking]

I think of it as a rather disppointing end to Pet Sounds. By this I mean that the lovely instrumental outro of the great song which is Caroline, No is forgotten when you hear the horrendous clamour of the railroad bells, the incessant barking of dogs and then the tjoo tjoo train comes along. Why? Why is it that once the track is over one recalls these noises over the lovely fade of aforementioned song? I really question Brians judgement here and wonder if he did it just to push more unorthodox sounds into the album? He was certainly trying to be unorthodox about this album but I think he impacted the aftertaste of the album to a negative extent due to the (imo) uneccessary overdubs. Can someone please tell me if there is some symbolism or whatnot which I might have missed?

[Aegir]

I think it sounds cool.

[hypehat]

It sounds amazing. What's a more lonesome sound than a speeding train and barking dogs?

[Dunderhead]

Am I the only one who grew up in suburbia? It's just sort of the lonely sound that you'd hear growing up as you fell asleep.

[hypehat]

Am I the only one who grew up in suburbia? It's just sort of the lonely sound that you'd hear growing up as you fell asleep.

Yeah, this is exactly right.

To whit,

[SMiLE Brian]

Am I the only one who grew up in suburbia? It's just sort of the lonely sound that you'd hear growing up as you fell asleep.

I heard trains near my neighborhood growing up as well.

[The Heartical Don]

It sounds amazing. What's a more lonesome sound than a speeding train and barking dogs?

+ 10

For me it has always been an integral and unmissable part of the song. Never ever doubted its expressive value.

[SMiLE Brian]

It sounds amazing. What's a more lonesome sound than a speeding train and barking dogs?

+ 10

For me it has always been an integral and unmissable part of the song. Never ever doubted its expressive value.

Agreed its a wonderful coda to the song.

[The Shift]

I think of it as a rather disppointing end to Pet Sounds. By this I mean that the lovely instrumental outro of the great song which is Caroline, No is forgotten when you hear the horrendous clamour of the railroad bells, the incessant barking of dogs and then the tjoo tjoo train comes along. Why? Why is it that once the track is over one recalls these noises over the lovely fade of aforementioned song? I really question Brians judgement here and wonder if he did it just to push more unorthodox sounds into the album? He was certainly trying to be unorthodox about this album but I think he impacted the aftertaste of the album to a negative extent due to the (imo) uneccessary overdubs. Can someone please tell me if there is some symbolism or whatnot which I might have missed?

I think you ought to raise it with Brian… he might be willing to go back and change it.

Love it myself.

[BB Universe]

I'm in agreement with everyone's comments that can be a lonesome sound in the nightime and is an expressive and meaningful ending to the song and LP. It makes me reflect on what I just heard/experienced whenever I play the LP. And, as Brian was into different sounds etc., well these are sounds. Plus, might there be a connection to the sound of a barking dog and the LP name (probably not but nice coincidence).

Sidenote: when the dog barks at the end, my dog lifts its head and looks around like "where's that barking coming from". 

[acedecade75]

I'm in agreement with everyone's comments that can be a lonesome sound in the nightime and is an expressive and meaningful ending to the song and LP. It makes me reflect on what I just heard/experienced whenever I play the LP. And, as Brian was into different sounds etc., well these are sounds. Plus, might there be a connection to the sound of a barking dog and the LP name (probably not but nice coincidence).

Sidenote: when the dog barks at the end, my dog lifts its head and looks around like "where's that barking coming from". 

  I remember listening to the album one time with our dog in the room. He joined in barking when he heard the dogs at the end.  Pretty cool really.

[joshferrell]

Brian placed it on there to make it sound like the dogs ran on the track just as the train comes by only to get run over by the train...

[Cam Mott]

It sounds amazing. What's a more lonesome sound than a speeding train and barking dogs?

The flag snap hooks clanging against the flag pole on an empty school playground.

[Wah Wah Wah Ooooo]

My initial response to the title question was "drugs."

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Am I the only one who grew up in suburbia? It's just sort of the lonely sound that you'd hear growing up as you fell asleep.

Same here, I hear trains every once and a while. Very romantic imo.

[Wild-Honey]

I wouldn't want it without them, it's such a nostalgic sound, the end of something or more like a departing, people moving on.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Cabinessenceking, the thought has crossed my mind. I did think maybe the fade to "Caroline, No" could last a split second longer and the train could be more distant and not so in your face. Ultimately, though, I guess it is cool, it's now legendary, and I would leave it in. 

It's interesting that the train and dogs were left off the single version. Did Brian and/or the record company not think it had the same effect alone, without the rest of the album building up to it?

[bossaroo]

i definitely hear it as the end of the album, not just the song. and it ended up signaling the end of an era.

there is always the version without the sound effects if you prefer. i like it original speed as well.

It sounds amazing. What's a more lonesome sound than a speeding train and barking dogs?

The flag snap hooks clanging against the flag pole on an empty school playground.

good one. 

[runnersdialzero]

he was just bein soooo randum

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Am I the only one who grew up in suburbia? It's just sort of the lonely sound that you'd hear growing up as you fell asleep.

Oh, absolutely, Fishmonk!

Hearing those sounds at the end of Pet Sounds always makes me instantly nostalgic in a bittersweet way thinking about the mundane and routine sounds, sights etc of being a kid and in a way it makes me miss all those things, but now I'm a grown up, no longer innocent and I can't go back.....

I think this is something along the lines of what Brian intended.

[Sheriff John Stone]

It's funny but sometimes we read too much into Brian's thought processes or intentions. We're coming up with these cool - and probably accurate - theories . But I can picture somebody asking Brian about the use of the dogs and train, and Brian saying something like, " I just wanted to get my dogs' voices on a record and Chuck came up with the train idea. We thought it sounded good so we kept it in."

[Mikie]

I know where Brian recorded the sound of the train on 'Caroline No'.  Anybody else know?

[Youre Under Arrest]

I like to think the train and the dogs symbolise the passing on of another, insignificant life. The feelings the protagonist experiences is nothing compared to the grand scheme of things and thus the train means that life carries on as normal despite his journey.

[Alan Smith]

I know where Brian recorded the sound of the train on 'Caroline No'.  Anybody else know?

Isle of Sodor?



Where was it? I am really interested - In the little green book (The Making of Pet Sounds) in the PS box, Brian says - And we went down and we looked through some sound effects tapes and we found a train - so I'd assumed it was a tape library thing...

Re the OP, intentional or no, this evocative and arresting bite could easily be a metaphor for the intensity of young "Love" and in line with the general subject matter of the album - slow intense build-up, inevitable and gruelling fulfilment, then a rapid peak followed by a rattling fade.  And dogs.

[halblaineisgood]

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