An album that is pretty much exactly what its title states. It is the
Beach Boys (minus
Brian Wilson who didn't tour at this point), performing
live in
London, (along with backing musicians
Daryl Dragon,
Ed Carter and
Mike Kowalski and a local horn section). The US title is somewhat less accurate, calling it Beach Boys '
69, when in fact the album was recorded in
1968.
A hidden gem amongst the Beach Boys catalogue, Live In London is a recording which shows the band at a transitional period, when they were at a commercial peak in the UK while almost unrecognised in their home country, adding more interesting and obscure material to the hits. The album doesn't contain a single song also performed on their first live album from less than four years previously!Rather depressingly it also contains a lot more obscure material than is heard at gigs by the current incarnation of Mike Love'stouring 'Beach Boys'
The album is the complete concert, apart from encore track All I Want To Do (later released on the Rarities compilation).
Tracklisting:
- Darlin'
- Wouldn't It Be Nice
- Sloop John B
- California Girls
- Do It Again
- Wake The World
- Aren't You Glad
- Bluebirds Over The Mountain
- Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
- Good Vibrations
- God Only Knows
- Barbara Ann
The album is currently available on a Capitol records twofer with Beach Boys Concert
The line-up for this album was Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston (plus the backing band mentioned above)
Previous album - 20/20
Next album - Sunflower