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LA LIGHT: WILSON BROS STAND THE TEST OF TIME! EMOTIONAL-SEXY AND REAL! TO CHRISTINE FROM DENNIS...
Review written by JAMIE FRESH, January 21st, 2008
Christine McVie's boyfriend and talented soul-mate Dennis Wilson's finest solo work is on the album, "LA LIGHT"
It marks the last album that Dennis Wilson, a true romantic with Christine, largely being the inspiration for his music (Dennis had an entire heart shaped flower-bed, planted below her bedroom window, before sunrise for Christine).
Also the album without a doubt, is Beach Boy Carl Wilson's best too. Brian who was only brought out for publicity had almost no involvement at all...the Disco and Japanese tracks "Into The Night" and "Sumahama" were a typical business descision, on Mr. Michael Edward Love's part, to pander to some theory of commercial breakthrough; on Disco, that was dead ...And a new 'Japanese market'...Love was "into" more than one Oriental at the time...However, gorgeous Sumako, Mike Love's girlfriend-was the inspiration for this song, which still makes anyone I play it for burst out laughing! Lyrics are even in Japanese...very 'commercial!' huh?
Take away those tracks and "Lady Linda"...Jardine's out of touch song...who really is the Bob (Fleewood Mac) of The Beach Boys...I'll always remember.... as the first rock star to yell (like parents) at the stoned crowd (Long Beach Arena, pre Buckingham-Nicks) to "Shut Up!"
LA LIGHT, without the Love, Jardine, and Disco track is simply the best Beach Boys' albums ever! Even 20 years later!
The cover is way ahead of its time! Sexually overt imagines of each song appear as postcards! Dennis' "Love Surrounds Me"..is like Patrick Swayze's, "She's Like The Wind"...You really don't need to record again...Its that good!
"LA LIGHT" is the BEST BEACH BOYS comtempoary work to date. The only thing better is a live version of Dennis singing-actually pouring out his soul-to Christine McVie in the tear jerker, "You Are So Beautiful" in his last performance as a Beach Boy in England...just two weeks earlier... I had brought Brian Wilson BACK from a 4 year non creative period...to the displeasure of care handlers who made thousands a day for his slump...It was this LA LIGHT period where Brian got it together with me and was recharged...
ALL the original Beach Boys were together for this 'historic' "LA LIGHT" concert- that was a new chapter for Brian and a closing chapter for Dennis..."LA LIGHT" was this period in time! ("Keeping The Summer Alive" wasn't released yet).
This was the "LA LIGHT" Beach Boys era...period. And it really revolved around Chris and Dennis...I witnessed both icons walk into Rumbo Recorders...to a studio filled with talent and very upbeat -you could feel the presence of two great bands in one union -when they arrived....The Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson and Fleewood Mac's Christine McVie!
Dennis along with Chris at his side holding on, told a rude interrogating Mike Love (and technically The Beach Boys) that he'd had enough politics, ending with Dennis saying,"F*** YOU!" to Mike Love.
I saw Dennis and Christine walk out of that studio and away from Mike Love forever. And unfortunately the band Dennis named too..."The Beach Boys."
It was the first album to be recorded in part and mixed at Rumbo...Laugh at the Captain and Tennile, but they laughed for two decades, all the way to the bank...and the industry clearly used The Beach Boys albums 'LA LIGHT' and 'KEEPIN THE SUMMER ALIVE' as references to the new technology, for other artists to follow...as they always have with The Beach Boys, and their pioneering spirit (first multi track recording using different studios -Brian's "Good Vibrations" to 'the first true mobile recording' of "HOLLAND"-where tons of recording equipment was shipped to a cow pasture in Holland)...Rumbo's -"Necam flying faders", were new to the ART OF RECORDING-this album proved to be the future of recording. It so enhanced mixing down 24-48 tracks, that now finally, you could have the perfect sound (mix). I was wondering why its not mentioned.
The follow up to 'Surfer Girl' is "BABY BLUE" and the soulful haunting "Goin' South" along with the Gina Martin Wilson and Jamie inspired "Good Timin'" ,along with the gutsy emotional "Angel Come Home" are still so timeless! Dennis' next solo album was going to contain "Angel" but he was squeezed out by Mike Love and gave it to The Beach Boys.
I totally lost my faith in Brother Records and Mike Love when none of the aforementioned hits were designated as singles to be marketed for release...politics and ego over hits...wow it really happened.
A few months later, I was fortunate to be the one, that brought legandary genius, Brian Wilson back....from a non-creative four year period ...Politics and ego again..
The "LA LIGHT ALBUM " is my favorite contemporary Beach Boys album.
The greatest Album by THE GREATEST AMERICAN BAND EVER-STILL!
