Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys just passed away this week so I thought it fitting to listen to The Beach Boys almost universally panned album L.A. (Light Album). This is a far jump from the sheer brilliance of Wilson’s 1966 magnum opus Pet Sounds, and for good reason. In the late 1970s The Beach Boys were in deep personal and professional turmoil, with drug abuse, divorces, and missed deadlines causing complete and utter chaos in the band. They were coming a turbulent 1978 tour marred by internal conflict, including a violent altercation involving Carl Wilson and Brian Wilson’s bodyguard after the latter punched Carl in the face after he bought Brian heroin. Brian later disappeared on a drug binge and was found destitute in San Diego before rejoining the band in Miami to meet with their label. CBS president Walter Yetnikoff sat down with the band and pressured them to record new material in Miami, setting the stage for the band to resume work on their long-overdue album.
And it was a commercial dud. Like, a total and complete dud. But this album is an all-timer for one specific reason– the affinity that the late Brian Wilson had for the traditional folk song “Shortnin’ Bread” and it’s inclusion as the final song on this album. Wilson was positively obsessed with this song over the course of his life, allegedly recording it over 12 times and producing a series of incredible anecdotes from folks in the music industry detailing his sheer fixation with the track:
RIP Brian you magnificent man you. Thank you for changing the face of pop music forever with all your manic brilliance.
Standout Songs: “Good Timin’”, “Lady Lynda”, “Shortenin’ Bread”
