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THE REVIEW
L.A. is not the acronym for Los Angeles as one might easily think given it's the Beach Boys, it refers to "Light Album", album of light. But how much light is there in this LP from the Californian group released in 1979 at the close of the decade? Not much, to be honest, faint light barely perceptible, nothing to do with the warm sun of Santa Monica Bay or the colorful sunsets of Long Beach.
In fact, the group is held together by Carl Wilson, Brian's genius has long been lost in journeys of difficult return, and Dennis has increasingly more problems with drugs and alcohol. The previous work "M.I.U. Album" went essentially unnoticed, the trajectory has long since met its downward point, and with "L.A. (Light Album)" they are very close to writing the final word on the glorious history of this group. In the ten songs that form its backbone, Brian's contribution is practically nil, limited to some vocal tracks recorded some time before, a part for piano, an arrangement, and nothing more. He co-signs with his brother Carl one of the positive moments of the work, "Good Timin'", which opens the record in an almost detached way, a fine track, one of their last gems that perhaps is more beautiful in the version entrusted to Dennis's gruff voice rather than Carl's sunny tones. Dennis offers two tracks from his "Bamboo" sessions, "Baby Blue" and "Love Surrounds Me". Pleasant songs, well-arranged just like his voice in "Angel Come Home". Contributions from Al Jardine and Mike Love are limited; the former to the insubstantial "Lady Linda", interesting only for the harpsichord part, the latter writes "Sumahama", a composition with pleasing oriental flavors and a nice arrangement for the voices and synth parts. The ten disco minutes of "Here Comes The Night" are unlistenable and inconceivable, and the other tracks leave no mark.
In the end, "L.A. (Light Album)" is not overall a bad record; it's better than its predecessor but, as previously mentioned, it shows a group now at the end of their artistic journey, which however did not stop at '79 but continues embarrassingly up to today, surviving even the losses of Dennis and later Carl Wilson.
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Summary by Bot
The Beach Boys' L.A. (Light Album) released in 1979 shows a band in decline, struggling to maintain their classic sound. The album contains some pleasant moments like "Good Timin'" and "Sumahama," but overall lacks the vibrancy of their earlier work. Brian Wilson's involvement is minimal, and internal issues affect the group's cohesion. Despite these flaws, it fares better than their previous album but signals the end of an era for the legendary California band.Tracklist Lyrics
06 Sumahama (04:08)
Sumahama
There's a lover's leap in old Japan
Where the lovers walk along the sand
Hand in hand at Sumahama
Sumahama
Born a lovely oriental daughter
Never ever having met her father
Asks some questions of her mother
Tell me tell me mama
Will you ever go again to Sumahama
Perhaps you'll find love there
Somewhere between the Earth the sky and water
There at Sumahama
Sumahama
In the autumn as the leaves are falling
One can almost hear the lovers calling
From the sea at Sumahama
Sumahama
Years have past and tears have long since dried
But no amount of time could hope to hide
A love so strong from Sumahama
Tell me tell me mama
Will you go with me back to Sumahama
Perhaps you'll find him there
Somewhere between the Earth the sky and water
There at Sumahama
Sumahama
Soko auku esoru tota chika
Tenay taio toa de daorita
Kero nino shioui hama
Itso itso mama
Sumahama ni
Itso maka iku no
Sugi ta io
Sogashi ni u mi nuka naka Sumahama
Sumahama
There's a lover's leap in old Japan
Where the lovers walk along the sand
Hand and hand at Sumahama
Sumahama
Paki niki no maga kiroyoni
Sabi shiko kana shekoino da
Sumahama no mi tara
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock/pop group formed in Hawthorne, California, best known for their vocal harmonies and for Brian Wilson’s studio-driven ambition that reshaped 1960s pop, with landmark releases such as Pet Sounds and the long-mythologized Smile-era material.25 Reviews
