Live in London (The Beach Boys album)
| Live in London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by The Beach Boys | ||||
| Released | May 1970 | |||
| Recorded | December 8, 1968, Finsbury Park Astoria, London | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 34:03 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Brian Wilson | |||
| The Beach Boys UK chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
Live in London is a live album by American rock band the Beach Boys released by EMI in the UK in May 1970. When released in the US on November 15, 1976, the album was renamed Beach Boys '69 via Capitol Records.
Background
1968 was a very difficult year for The Beach Boys at home, where their reputation had soured considerably, yet their European success was still strong as evidenced by these confident performances recorded while the group were making their 20/20 album. After the surprise success of the Endless Summer and Spirit of America hits packages in 1974 and 1975, the Beach Boys enjoyed a resurgence of popularity at home, especially on the concert circuit. It was during this time that Capitol decided to strike while the iron was hot and issue a renamed edition of the album for the first time in the US. The reissue had art by rock artist Jim Evans, and a new title, Beach Boys '69. Besides the fact that the live performance was actually recorded in December 1968, the LP's appearance added confusion to the marketplace as the group had recently issued a new, live double album—The Beach Boys in Concert—on their own Brother Records label, as part of a distribution deal with their new label, Reprise. Despite this, the record became a small chart success in the US, following the Top 10 placing of 15 Big Ones, reaching #75 in the Fall of 1976 during a US chart stay of 10 weeks. The UK edition failed to chart.
It is believed that The Beach Boys owed Capitol one more album (this may have been it, instead of the Fading Rock Group Revival/Reverberation project), and so, this release ended their relationship with the record label, and with EMI in the UK. When their albums were remastered for CD in 1990 (and again in 2001), Live in London was paired with their 1964 live release Beach Boys Concert.
Track listing
All tracks written by Brian Wilson/Mike Love, unless otherwise noted.
- Side one
- "Darlin'" – 2:41
- "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher/Love) – 1:53
- "Sloop John B" (Trad./Arr. Brian Wilson) – 2:30
- "California Girls" – 2:19
- "Do It Again" – 2:47
- "Wake the World" (Brian Wilson/Al Jardine) – 2:26
- "Aren't You Glad" – 3:09
- Side two
- "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" (Ersel Hickey) – 2:53
- "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring" (Bobby Troup) – 2:49
- "Good Vibrations" – 4:36
- "God Only Knows" (Brian Wilson/Asher) – 3:27
- "Barbara Ann" (Fred Fassert) – 2:32
- Live in London is now paired on CD with Beach Boys Concert, with bonus tracks from both periods.
- A live version of Dennis Wilson's "All I Want to Do" was recorded at these concerts, but was not included on the album. It remained unreleased until 1983's Beach Boys Rarities compilation album.
- The live version of "Good Vibrations" featured here is in the game Rock Band 3.
Sources
- Surf's Up: The Beach Boys On Record Brad Elliott c. 1981
- Beach Boys Concert/Live in London CD booklet notes, David Leaf, c. 1990.
- Allmusic
References
- ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Review: Live in London". Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
