Track Talk: Lady Lynda/Liberty

[punkinhead]

What's everyone's thoughts on the records that do exist?
There's the early version for MIU, the normal album track, the single with the intro cut out (I believe), the Live in Knebworth version, and of course Lady Liberty.

Now I recall the song pops up in a movie, doesn't it? Was it Almost Summer? Is it the same LA recording?
I really love the album track but when it's performed live, I love it! The vocals are tremendous! I do agree with Mike that the last bit is really awesome, just wish he didn't sound like a tool when he request to do it again.

Lady Liberty on the other hand, it's ok. I don't really enjoy the "80s" overdubbing that went on. Did they redo the track or just overdub some parts? At the beginning, it sounds like it's gonna be kinda heavy on the drums, but then as the verse starts, it's not too great of a drum part, very basic. And what's with Al's speaking lines at the beginning? I swear, Al must have done that half of his tracks that are almost really good but kinda get ruined by his speech (i.e. Santa Ana Winds, California Energy Blues, and Tide Pool Interlude & yes, I know it's not Al on that one).

BTW, just looking at his WIKI entry, whoever put together the track lineups for Postcard, they must have had a different album because Al sing "California Calling" on track two and not California Feeling. 

I do enjoy the early recording of Lady Lynda as well. and speaking of the title, the 45 for Lady Liberty says that the song is derived from Lady LInda, thought the spelling was a little off but then again, that's all over the Beach Boys' career.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

First off, my UK 45 has the intro

Secondly, I absolutely love this track. It's probably my favourite on L.A., and I don't get why they didn't learn it for the 2 UK dates on the 50th Celebration tour considering it was a reasonable hit here!

[gfac22]

I always liked Lady Lynda.  The main part of the song is nice, nothing earth-shattering, but the "ooh lady..." vocal bit at the end knocks me out every time.

As for Lady Liberty, I understand Al's reasons for re-writing the lyrics, but man is it bad.  Maybe I wouldn't dislike it so much if I didn't know the original so well, but the new lyrics are so cheesy and don't really fit well with the melody.  Carl's vocals are nice, but they can't save it.  And don't even get me started on Al's spoken word part at the beginning. 

[AndrewHickey]

First off, my UK 45 has the intro

Secondly, I absolutely love this track. It's probably my favourite on L.A., and I don't get why they didn't learn it for the 2 UK dates on the 50th Celebration tour considering it was a reasonable hit here!

Al hasn't liked singing it since he and Lynda split up. When they performed it in the late 80s/early 90s he changed the lyrics to "Little Lady", but I can see why he might just not want to do it at all.

[Eric Aniversario]

Lady Lynda is a very underrated song among BB fans, and the general public too.  One of the reasons that LA is my 2nd favorite BB studio album, right behind Friends.  That being said, Lady Liberty is obviously a hasty and awkward rewrite.  Even if one didn't know about Lady Lynda, this remake would still sound very awkward.  Last year, I remember it being at the very bottom of the track rankings that someone here put together.  They surveyed anyone who wanted to participate, and they ranked 100s of songs, and it came out at the bottom of the barrel.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

First off, my UK 45 has the intro

Secondly, I absolutely love this track. It's probably my favourite on L.A., and I don't get why they didn't learn it for the 2 UK dates on the 50th Celebration tour considering it was a reasonable hit here!

Al hasn't liked singing it since he and Lynda split up. When they performed it in the late 80s/early 90s he changed the lyrics to "Little Lady", but I can see why he might just not want to do it at all.

Ah yes, forgot that little, and rather key, point. That's fair enoughski then.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I always liked the song, any version. I think it's Al's best song. "Lady Lynda" is one of the few "new" songs I saw the Beach Boys perform in the late 1970's that the audience really accepted and responded to with loud applause.

I'm a sequence freak, and with the lines, "you cannot deny there've been hard times" and "evolution is drawing us near" and "your love is like the coming spring" and "won't you marry me", I think "Lady Lynda" would fit nicely AFTER "Goin' South" and BEFORE "Shortenin' Bread". To me, it's more of an ending song.

[I. Spaceman]

Great tune. Totally lame in a late 70's yacht-rock way, but that's cool. You just can't hate Al, at least when he isn't mangling a classic 50's tune or singing "totally rad".

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Lady Liberty" sucks like a Dyson on steroids. They couldn't even be bothered to redo the vocals properly, as you can clearly hear the original bvs in places. I can only hear Alan & Carl on this. Horrible.

The Almost Summer version is the original 1977/78 recording.

US 45 had intro/outro excised: I think all other single releases had the full song.

[gfac22]

"Lady Liberty" sucks like a Dyson on steroids. They couldn't even be bothered to redo the vocals properly, as you can clearly hear the original bvs in places. I can only hear Alan & Carl on this. Horrible.

+100.  Lady Liberty was never released in any official capacity was it?

[gfac22]

Side note:  As much as I like Lady Lynda, I can't listen to it anymore without thinking "AL JAAAARRRRRR-DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNEEEEEE."  Thanks, Mike.

[AndrewHickey]

"Lady Liberty" sucks like a Dyson on steroids. They couldn't even be bothered to redo the vocals properly, as you can clearly hear the original bvs in places. I can only hear Alan & Carl on this. Horrible.

+100.  Lady Liberty was never released in any official capacity was it?

It was released as the B-side to California Dreamin', in 86. And yes, it's awful.

[Dave Modny]

Big Al fan...but can't stand either "Lynda" or "Liberty" (though I'm sure both are super nice in real life).

I feel like I'm gonna break out into "The Hustle" when I hear the former...lol.

[filledeplage]

What's everyone's thoughts on the records that do exist?
There's the early version for MIU, the normal album track, the single with the intro cut out (I believe), the Live in Knebworth version, and of course Lady Liberty.

Now I recall the song pops up in a movie, doesn't it? Was it Almost Summer? Is it the same LA recording?
I really love the album track but when it's performed live, I love it! The vocals are tremendous! I do agree with Mike that the last bit is really awesome, just wish he didn't sound like a tool when he request to do it again.

Lady Liberty on the other hand, it's ok. I don't really enjoy the "80s" overdubbing that went on. Did they redo the track or just overdub some parts? At the beginning, it sounds like it's gonna be kinda heavy on the drums, but then as the verse starts, it's not too great of a drum part, very basic. And what's with Al's speaking lines at the beginning? I swear, Al must have done that half of his tracks that are almost really good but kinda get ruined by his speech (i.e. Santa Ana Winds, California Energy Blues, and Tide Pool Interlude & yes, I know it's not Al on that one).

BTW, just looking at his WIKI entry, whoever put together the track lineups for Postcard, they must have had a different album because Al sing "California Calling" on track two and not California Feeling. 

I do enjoy the early recording of Lady Lynda as well. and speaking of the title, the 45 for Lady Liberty says that the song is derived from Lady LInda, thought the spelling was a little off but then again, that's all over the Beach Boys' career.

Glad you brought this one up! I've always loved it and the Bach influence from "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," as a classical music inspiration, almost a parallel to  Barry Manilow  using Chopin for "Could it Be Magic." The merger of classical with rock.  Beautiful.

[I. Spaceman]

Big Al fan...but can't stand either "Lynda" or "Liberty" (though I'm sure both are super nice in real life).

I feel like I'm gonna break out into "The Hustle" when I hear the former...lol.

Even more reason to love Lady Lynda. The Hustle is great too, made by a guy who worked with The Beach Boys previously.

[Dave Modny]

Big Al fan...but can't stand either "Lynda" or "Liberty" (though I'm sure both are super nice in real life).

I feel like I'm gonna break out into "The Hustle" when I hear the former...lol.

Even more reason to love Lady Lynda. The Hustle is great too, made by a guy who worked with The Beach Boys previously.

That's great. But, I still don't like it.

[Rocky Raccoon]

The Knebworth version of Lady Lynda is really pretty, especially when they do it a capella.  But I've never thought much of the song itself and I've never heard Lady Liberty.

[lance]

I like Lady Lynda because it (and MIU Album) evokes the late seventies in all it's cheesiness--wood paneling, shag carpets, white socks with stripes, dorky looking gym shorts, Star Wars styles, goofy looking lamp-shades and an overabundance of pubic hair--like no other music I've heard.

Lady Liberty I've heard maybe once. It's worse than bad--it's utterly pointless.

[Lowbacca]

I really dig the Knebworth recording, all the other (studio) versions never did it for me.

[ArtVandalay]

I really dig the Knebworth recording, all the other (studio) versions never did it for me.

My feelings exactly.

[Wild-Honey]

I think Lady Lynda is absolutely gorgeous,  and it is what got me started on my BB fandom.  I heard it on the radio, thought, that's beautiful, and when the DJ said it was the BB's I couldn't believe it.  That's when I started looking more into their post Pet Sounds music.  Lady Liberty?  No. I understand Al may not have wanted to sing it because of the split,  buy to change the lyrics?  Why bother.

[I. Spaceman]

an overabundance of pubic hair

That isn't possible.

[rogerlancelot]

I think Lady Lynda is absolutely gorgeous,  and it is what got me started on my BB fandom.  I heard it on the radio, thought, that's beautiful, and when the DJ said it was the BB's I couldn't believe it.  That's when I started looking more into their post Pet Sounds music.  Lady Liberty?  No. I understand Al may not have wanted to sing it because of the split,  buy to change the lyrics?  Why bother.

I think it takes a long time for Al to write a song. A lot of his songs he brings to the table are covers. There are a lot of songs that he has credit for that are re-writes of other people's music (this song is a re-write of "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring", "Lookin' At Tomorrow", "At My Window", etc.) and there are a group of BB songs that he has co-write credit for that were virtually already written by other members (anything from Friends, "Loop De Loop", etc.). It took him forever to come out with his first solo album and what do we get? A lot of rather nice remakes and songs that have been kicking around for a long time. Therefor it seems to me that writing songs for him does not come as easily as it does say to me (not famous) or others (Zappa, McCartney, etc.). He's still a fantastic vocalist however you look at it and seems like a genuinely nice guy.

[Smilin Ed H]

Al doesn't claim to have written the music for Lady Lynda - it was Ron Altbach. Google it or go on Youtube and find the interview with Altbach about the song's genesis.

[Lowbacca]

For your convenience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SVB-EvYtNw