L.A. (Light Album)

L.A. (Light Album) is the last album by The Beach Boys in the 1970s, and their first as part of their contract with CBS Records (now Sony Music). Although Brother Records was still in operation, their manager at the time, former Chicago producer James William Guercio had his Caribou Records label distribute the album in conjunction with Brother.

Related Topics:
Album - The Beach Boys - Sony Music - Brother Records - Chicago - James William Guercio

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Also co-producing with Guercio and The Beach Boys was Bruce Johnston, who had left the band back in early 1972. Johnston was brought in when it became clear that the ailing Brian Wilson was in no fit state to produce the album. Johnston has been with the Beach Boys ever since.

Related Topics:
Bruce Johnston - 1972 - Brian Wilson

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As the first release on a new contract (signed in 1977 for $8 million), the band had to find a way to make L.A. (Light Album) contemporary. "Good Timin'" had been recorded in 1974, during sessions for an album that never appeared, and was rescued and worked on, ultimately giving The Beach Boys a rare hit. Dennis Wilson, who was at the time recording his never-released second album, Bamboo, ended up donating two of the intended songs for that project: "Baby Blue" (one of this album's highlights) and "Love Surrounds Me". Because of Dennis's increased agitation with certain members of the group, and his declining songwriting (resulting from his worsening substance abuse) these would be his last contributions to a Beach Boys studio album. Brian was barely evident on L.A. (Light Album) at all, co-writing "Good Timin'" (again, from 1974), and arranging "Shortnin' Bread", which his two brothers sing on, without him.

Related Topics:
1977 - 1974 - Dennis Wilson

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Perhaps the biggest surprise was Al Jardine's unexpected U.K. top-ten hit with the Bach-inspired "Lady Lynda", written for his wife (and later rerecorded as "Lady Liberty" after their divorce). Unfortunately, the single edit cut the distinctive harpsichord introduction. Mike Love's Japanese-flavoured "Sumahama" was also a U.K. single chart entry later in 1979.

Related Topics:
Al Jardine - Bach - Single - Mike Love

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Undeniably the most controversial moment on the album was the recasting of Wild Honeys "Here Comes the Night", a slick eleven-minute disco piece that caused considerable consternation with The Beach Boys' fans and critics, and even within the band itself (both Brian and Dennis disowned it). Although it made the charts as the lead single, it did much to hurt the reputation of the album – which was stylistically different to that track – before it had even come out. As a result, L.A. (Light Album) peaked at one hundred in the U.S. and at thirty-two in the U.K., far below expectations, and giving their new recording contract a shaky start.

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