Beach Boys L.A. (Light Album) their last great album?

Folks,

So I've been listening a lot lately to the Beach Boys albums I own released after the rightly acclaimed 'Holland'.

It's popular consensus that apart from 1977's 'Love You', the Beach Boys albums released from 1976 onwards are mediocre or culturally irrelevant. Although that could be argued very well for album such as 'MIU' or 'Keeping the Summer Alive', I really don't think that applies to the 'Light Album'.

Yes, it's got that 10 minute disco reworking of 'Here Comes the Night', which no doubt had dragged the reputation of the album down massively. But there are several tracks that are very worthy additions to the Beach Boys catalogue. Especially the two Dennis Wilson contributions flown in from other sessions Dennis had been working on.

The album kick starts really well with Brian's 'Good Timin', followed by the equally commercial (and top 10 hit single in the UK) 'Lady Lynda'. Carl Wilson's contributions are also strong, with Dennis providing a gutsy vocal to 'Love Surrounds Me' and 'Angel Come Home', and providing two other fine songs with 'Goin South' and 'Full Sail'.

I even like Mike Love's 'Sumahama'.

I think this album is ready for a reevaluation. What say you?

 

LA Light is pretty underrated. The disco mix of HCTN, like it or hate it, has a weird placing on the album that kind of makes it the centerpiece of the album.

I feel it would have been better to release the disco mix as a bonus 12” with the rest of the album, similar to Mt Vernon with Holland. This way, both the album and the 10 minute single could be heard on their own merits. The digital/CD version could have added the song at the end as a bonus track.

 

It’s a good record but very much needing energy. It’s a shame that, with hindsight, all those Dennis songs could’ve been used. His two songs are highlights.

 

I really like some of the tracks on "Light Album" but as a whole I don't think it's great. Imo, their last true great album was "Love You".

 

That's Why God Made The Radio is as good. Neither are "great".

I'd say Surf's Up

 

I've always thought that LA is a good album and I rate it above anything the Beach Boys released after Holland. Perhaps the 11 minute HCTN could've been replaced by a 3 minute single version, and something like Our Team included to fill the gap?

 

Surprised this isn’t a @S. P. Honeybunch thread

I wouldn’t say it’s a great album but I’ve got a new appreciation for it, MIU and Keepin’ The Summer Alive.

 

Always good to look up something that may've been overlooked, so will go forth and investigate!

 

Top notch "all-golden" tracks IMHO......

Good Timin'
Baby Blue
Lady Lynda
Sumahama
Full Sail

 

I don't think it's a great album, but it has some good moments. In my own opinion, Here Comes The Night is no more embarrassing than Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?

 

I agree with the sentiment that it is underrated and unreasonable trashed. But, it is not great. It's an enjoyable listen and sounds like the late 70s. People dismiss it because they expect some sort of experimental Brian Wilson concoction. But it was '79 and they were at heart a pop band and it shows.

 

Here Comes the Night should have been one of the three abbreviated versions, and the long version reserved for a 12 " single release. Then they could have added another Dennis song and Al's early version of Santa Ana winds which is superior to the final track on Keepin the Summer Alive. I agree it's underrated but Carl's songs, with the exception of Angel Come Home, are pretty bland.

 

Luckily for them, their last album is their last great album.

 

Not a fan of the album at all (and I'm a massive Beach Boys fan). Good Timin' and Angel Come Home are the only keepers for me. Lady Lynda is nice enough but the Bach thing always seemed a bit cheesy to me. Even if you abbreviate Here Comes the Night, you still get an inferior remake of the WH version.

To my mind the much-maligned Keepin' the Summer Alive has more solid tracks on it, and the 1985 album is better than either (though still not really there).

 

I do like Carl's vocal on Here Comes the Night better than Brian's on Wild Honey.

 

It’s solid, and Baby Blue is one of their best songs. If I were to make a best of 1978-1980, I wouldn’t be taking too many tracks from MIU or KTSA, that’s for sure (1).

(1) My Diane, Goin’ On

 

Surely Baby Blue is a late career highlight, no?

 

I'm fairly close to you on your list except for the dreadful "Sumahama".

 

But don't you know, The Hook brings you back

 

Good Timin', Baby Blue, Love Surrounds Me, Angel Come Home, Full Sail and Goin' South are all solid, valid songs imo. Particularly the two latter showcase some of Carl Wilson's finest vocals. Had he wanted to (I know he made two solo records but nevertheless) he could have taken a successful solo AOR route akin to Ned Doheny, Bobby Caldwell etc. perhaps, in his own fashion of course.

Shortenin' Bread is goofy fun, and I always had a soft spot for Sumahama, both the lyrics as well as the backing track which is just gorgeous sounding. Lady Lynda is an OK single; never dug it too much. The disco mix of Here Comes the Night - this has been mentioned earlier - should have been a bonus 12". I always thought it created a rift in an otherwise well-gelling album. It's a Beautiful Day was a single in 1979. Why this wasn't a bigger hit I simply do not understand, it's an insanely catchy single and it has all the good qualities of the Beach Boys. Perhaps in an alternate universe this was the leading track off the album; as an album opener it could have been explosive.

I love both M.I.U. & L.A. almost on equal terms. L.A. (Light Album) deserves much more appreciation imo.

 

Yeah, throw that one in too if only for the great singing. You've got to be into those long and slow Dennis things though.

 

Decent album, but Sunflower was their last great album.

That's Why God Made the Radio is imo their best album since Sunflower. Though Dennis's Pacific Ocean Blue and Brian's 1988 and That Lucky Old Sun albums are all great and are better than Radio and any other Beach Boys album as released since Sunflower.

 

I think Keepin’ the Summer Alive gets a bum wrap. It contains some great songs. I thoroughly enjoy it.

 

I love the disco "Here Comes the Night" (arranged by Curt Boettcher of Sagittarius). I won't apologize. Dennis' three contributions as a songwriter are great, as well, especially "Baby Blue." That is half of a good LP right there. The rest... not so much. I still consider it the last good (or at least interesting) Beach Boys record, though. If the band (and/or Mike) had encouraged Dennis to include some of the songs from this solo record on this one instead, it could have been great.

It's telling that Dennis' three songs are contemporary-sounding (for 1979) and not rehashing past styles of the Beach Boys (like most of the rest).

 

The only thing that spoils BB85 for me are the two 'guest' tracks.