Conversational Review: The Beach Boys - L.A. Light Album (1979)

Josh and I (inexplicably credited as 'Edgar') decided, one fine day, to listen to the Beach Boys' notorious L.A. (Light Album). I'd listened to the album before, but it was his first time. Here's our conversation as the album played:

[19:13:09] Edgar: I shall countdown

[19:13:11] Edgar: 3

[19:13:12] Edgar: 2

[19:13:12] Edgar: 1

[19:13:15] Edgar: PLAY

Good Timin' begins.

[19:13:23] Edgar: Is it working

[19:13:26] Josh: yep

[19:13:28] Edgar: sweet

Lady Lynda begins.

[19:15:25] Edgar: unlike MIU, I do not like this album

[19:15:40] Edgar: though this track is quite nice, if horribly cheesy

[19:19:30] Edgar: there

Full Sail begins.

[19:19:41] Josh: oh

[19:19:43] Edgar: ok, this song is boring as shit

[19:19:45] Josh: here we go

[19:22:22] Edgar: I do not like this song

Angel Come Home begins.

[19:22:33] Edgar: This one's

[19:22:36] Edgar: alright

[19:22:40] Josh: Yeah, that one was a tad slow and just

[19:22:41] Josh: like

[19:22:42] Josh: was boring

[19:22:48] Edgar: bleh

[19:23:09] Josh: He's really talking about sitting a lot

[19:23:11] Edgar: Unfortunately Dennis' contributions are some of his worst

[19:23:22] Edgar: Love Surrounds Me is just agh

[19:23:30] Edgar: I wish I liked it but I really don't

[19:23:39] Edgar: This one's ok, got a nice chorus

[19:23:58] Josh: yeah, the backing vocals are cool

[19:24:14] Josh: Kinda a call and response thing

[19:24:19] Edgar: yup

[19:24:39] Josh: So far

[19:24:46] Josh: I haven't really been able to get into any of these songs

[19:25:08] Edgar: That sucks

[19:25:10] Josh: They're like brick walls of

[19:25:13] Josh: average

[19:25:14] Edgar: because the first two are probably the best

[19:25:24] Josh: No, I liked those two

Love Surrounds Me begins.

[19:25:30] Josh: but since those

[19:25:32] Josh: nuthin

[19:26:22] Edgar: yeah, they're all just drab slow ballads

[19:26:52] Edgar: It's a real shame Dennis' tracks are so mediocre

[19:26:57] Josh: I really wanted to like Dennis' songs

[19:27:06] Edgar: You'd think he'd throw in something great with POB and all

[19:27:12] Josh: At least this one's kinda funky

[19:27:16] Edgar: I spose

[19:27:31] Edgar: Baby Blue gets a lot of acclaim but I don't think too much of it

[19:27:42] Josh: That is not something I have an opinion on yet

[19:28:11] Josh: I like these sections

[19:28:36] Josh: I like the groove

[19:28:43] Josh: they keep using those chimes in this album

[19:29:02] Edgar: true

[19:29:19] Edgar: Sumahama is maligned to death

[19:29:23] Edgar: I think it's a bit unfair

[19:29:33] Josh: we shall see

Sumahama begins.

[19:30:01] nice intro, at least

[19:30:18 | Edited 19:30:25] Josh: I hear the Asian influences

[19:30:25] Edgar: mhm

[19:30:28] Josh: in the intro

[19:30:39] Edgar: here we go

[19:30:59] Josh: Is this a Japanese version of "Belles of Paris"

[19:31:16] Edgar: yes, but at least the melody is better

[19:31:27] Edgar: in fact, I think it's quite good

[19:31:33] Edgar: Mike's nasal kills it a bit though

[19:31:47] Josh: Why did he do this twice in a row

[19:31:50] Edgar: and he starts talking in Japanese in a moment :P

[19:31:55] Edgar: oh, idk

[19:32:06] Edgar: You don't seem to be offended, at least

[19:32:25] Edgar: YET

[19:32:47] Josh: is this really necessary

[19:32:50] Edgar: no

[19:33:09] Josh: I think I started hating this song just now

[19:33:12] Edgar: I see

[19:33:19] Edgar: well

[19:33:22] Edgar: it almost did it for ya

[19:33:50] Edgar: all it needs is a different lead and no Japanese lyrics

[19:33:56] Edgar: everything else about it is fine, really

[19:33:59] Josh: what the f mike

[19:34:02] Edgar: k

[19:34:11] Josh: It was fine

[19:34:16] Edgar: I'm sure the backing track would be a nice listen

[19:34:17] Josh: but then it just became overbearing

[19:34:23] Edgar: fair nuffs

Here Comes The Night begins.

[19:34:27] Edgar: oh god, here we go

[19:34:35] Josh: Oh, is this

[19:34:37] Josh: ..

[19:34:44] Edgar: yeah

[19:34:44] Edgar: yeah

[19:34:55] Josh: Well, I guess we better settle in

[19:34:58] Edgar: hm

[19:35:02] Josh: because we got eleven minutes of this shit

[19:35:43] Edgar: It's not even good disco

[19:35:48] Edgar: production is too thin

[19:35:56] Edgar: I've read it did okay

[19:36:16] Josh: also, it's not even a good beat

[19:36:42] Edgar: worst of all, it's completely out of place

[19:36:48] Edgar: this album does not need a disco track

[19:37:05] Josh: well, maybe it saves us from boring ballads

[19:37:14] Edgar: it's not good enough a jam

[19:37:22] Edgar: I do like the single art though: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Beach_Boys_-_Here_Comes_The_Night.jpg

[19:37:44] Josh: Why did Carl agree to this

[19:37:46 | Edited 19:37:49] Josh: oh, Carl

[19:38:11] Edgar: Carl took part in a lot of misfires, bless him

[19:38:26] Edgar: He had a hand in SIP

[19:38:35] Josh: Yeah, the vocals

[19:39:12] Edgar: this is pretty boring

[19:39:16] Edgar: we're not even halfway through

[19:39:26] Josh: ooh

[19:39:28] Josh: never mind

[19:39:30] Edgar: ?

[19:39:30] Josh: we got a sax solo

[19:39:36] Edgar: blah

[19:39:40] Josh: I dig this now

[19:39:46] Edgar: rly

[19:39:50] Josh: no

[19:39:55] Edgar: ok

[19:41:01] Edgar: lol, monkey

[19:41:03 | Edited 19:41:10] Josh: are those fucking monkeys

[19:41:14] Edgar: well, it's a distinctive touch

[19:41:22] Josh: Why, Bruce, why

[19:41:32] Edgar: So you can see how this album is different from MIU and how the two wouldn't really go together

[19:41:53] Josh: I think you could make it work

[19:42:08] Josh: I think LSM could work in the proper context

[19:42:15] Edgar: maybe next to Diane

[19:42:21] Josh: yeah

[19:42:42] Edgar: ooh, I like this part

[19:42:59] Edgar: harmonies are alright on this track actually

[19:43:04] Josh: Yeah, that was cool

[19:43:28] Josh: I like this section

[19:43:36] Edgar: just ended

[19:43:37 | Edited 19:43:57] Josh: Perhaps better as an a cappella part

[19:43:40] Edgar: maybe

[19:43:52] Edgar: I believe there's an instrumental around

[19:43:59] Josh: There is

[19:43:59] Edgar: I wonder if syncing it up would work

[19:44:05] Josh: but I think it's the single version

[19:44:07] Edgar: oh

[19:44:47] Josh: http://www.willardswormholes.com/?p=12748

[19:45:10] Edgar: ah right

Baby Blue begins.

[19:45:20] Josh: phew

[19:45:20] Edgar: well, this is quite jarring

[19:45:23] Josh: It's over

[19:45:38] Josh: this is gonna suck

[19:46:16] Edgar: nyeh

[19:46:19] Edgar: can't say I love it

[19:46:34] Josh: This sounds like a song for a Disney film

[19:46:35] Edgar: this part's nice though

[19:46:38] Edgar: yeah, kinda

[19:47:10] Josh: it just sounds limp

[19:47:11] Josh: like

[19:47:19] Josh: it's boring

[19:47:25] Josh: and unoriginal

[19:48:00] Edgar: yeah, I can't really get into it

[19:48:19] Edgar: although Brian ripped this off for Pacific Coast Highway :P

[19:48:34] Josh: Seriously, nothing happened in that song

[19:48:37] Edgar: nope

Goin' South begins.

[19:49:01] Edgar: everyone says this one's even more boring than Full Sail

[19:49:03] Edgar: I disagree

[19:49:08] Edgar: I think the production's nice

[19:49:10] Josh: Why did Carl write the same song twice for the same album

[19:49:19] Edgar: oh idk

[19:49:26] Edgar: This would have fit on his solo album

[19:49:59] Edgar: yay sax solo

[19:50:00] Josh: yay

[19:50:05] Josh: I was just going to say that exact thing

[19:50:07] Edgar: I don't mind this one really

[19:50:20] Edgar: it's pretty boring but at least it's nice

[19:50:23] Edgar: this part's nice

[19:51:16] Edgar: It's going on a bit, though

[19:51:45] Edgar: Incidentally this one has the worst art on the cover: http://www.vinylclocks.com/wp-content/uploads/the-beach-boys-l.a.-light-album-vinyl-clock-sleeve1-70s.jpg

[19:51:48] Josh: e;lkfja;

[19:51:56] Edgar: this next one's fun

Shortenin' Bread begins.

[19:52:23 | Edited 19:52:31] Josh: Why is there like a vocoder effect on the bass

[19:52:37] Edgar: meh

[19:52:57] Josh: Is that Dennis

[19:53:15] Edgar: think so

[19:53:27] Josh: I really like the art for "Angel Come Home"

[19:53:30] Edgar: Brian is barely on this album

[19:53:44] Edgar: I think all the artwork is pretty poor

[19:53:53] Edgar: apart from maybe LSM

[19:53:57] Josh: There's something about it

[19:54:00] Edgar: hmmm

[19:54:10] Josh: You understand what the art for LSM is, right

[19:54:18] Edgar: of course

[19:54:25] Edgar: it wouldn't be my favourite otherwise

[19:54:33] Josh: and like

[19:54:40] Josh: what the hell is going on with "Good Timin'"

[19:54:47] Edgar: I just dk

Album ends.

[19:55:08] Edgar: so

[19:55:11] Josh: was I supposed to figure out that they're actually dogs in the song

[19:55:17] Edgar: yes

[19:55:19] Josh: All of it sucks

[19:55:28] Josh: I don't even like "Good Timin'" that much

[19:55:31] Edgar: aw

[19:55:43] Josh: Just has a sheen of sterility over it

[19:55:47] Edgar: It's worse than I remember, have to admit

[19:56:02] Edgar: I'm not sure how on earth I used to be unclear about whether or not this was worse than MIU

[19:56:19] Edgar: It's very boring

[19:56:22] Josh: MIU is fun

[19:56:26] Josh: and there are some good songs on it

[19:56:30] Josh: This is booooooooooring

[19:56:32] Edgar: I don't love any tracks here

[19:56:34] Josh: and there are no good songs on it

[19:56:44] Josh: BUT

[19:56:49] Josh: at least it's not KTSA

[19:56:53] Edgar: I like GT and Lady Lynda the most, even though it's cheesy

[19:56:55] Edgar: true dat

[19:57:05] Edgar: It at least sounds like they're sort of trying here

[19:57:10] Josh: Yeah, I think, of all the tracks, I liked Lady Lynda the most

[19:57:17] Edgar: yay

[19:57:46] Josh: It might just be because Al stole the music from a famous, classical composer

[19:57:59] Josh: so, at least that part of it is good

Final ratings:

Edgar: A generous ★★

Josh: ★★

[19:58:43] Josh: It looks like we're in agreement

[19:59:04] Edgar: yay

[19:59:07] Edgar: this album blows

[19:59:11] Josh: sure does

[19:59:28] Josh: they had Adult/Child

[19:59:35] Josh: and they were like "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

[19:59:44 | Edited 19:59:55] Josh: "let's release this pile of late-70's garbage"

[20:00:27] Edgar: bleh

[20:01:07] Josh: okay, I relistened to "Lady Lynda"

[20:01:11] Josh: and I don't like it that much

[20:01:21] Josh: just the harpsichord parts

[20:02:18] Josh: that album is seriously lacking Brian

[20:02:59] Edgar: oh.

[20:03:09] Edgar: It certainly is though

[20:03:15] Edgar: does he even appear outside of Good Timin'

[20:03:41] Josh: "Harmony and backing vocals on 'Angel Come Home', paino"

[20:03:56] Josh: I don't even think he's on "Good Timin'"

[20:04:01] Edgar: jeez

[20:04:06] Josh: he plays piano on it
[20:05:07] Josh: I think I would have liked "Shortenin' Bread" the most if they had kept it as the A/C version
[20:05:24] Josh: and why, of all tracks, did they salvage "Shortenin' Bread" from A/C
[20:05:35 | Edited 20:05:37] Josh: just bad decisions
[20:05:40] Josh: all around
[20:06:23] Edgar: I think SB is sorta fun
[20:06:37] Edgar: not that it helps raise the star rating or anything
[20:06:51] Josh: Sure, it's fun
[20:06:55] Josh: but they made it worse
[20:07:03] Edgar: meh