Challenge: Combine MIU and LA into a single cohesive classic LP

[thr33]

What's the best you guys can come up with here? 

Between the two IMO there's enough to get a balance of material from everybody and avoid weak/out of place tracks.

(Apologies if there is already a thread for this or if this is the wrong sub-board.)

[lance]

I would rather combine MIU with  the Mike songs from Almost Summer, throwing in a couple of Dennis songs.

And then do the same thing with LA and Celebration.

[rab2591]

I always forget what slim pickings are on Light Album - with all the talent these guys had, all the unreleased songs they had in their pockets, they came up with this. And the icing on the cake is that horrendous disco track. I actually think MIU is a really solid album - full of harmonies and great chords..it has a lot of life. But sadly you can tell the band wasn't "tight" in their recordings, and that mostly yellow album artwork is pretty depressing.

This is the tracklist I came up with. I tried to get equal amounts from both albums, but man it was hard to find much of anything on LA. Good Timin is a classic and I felt it has to start the album. Side one ends on a somber note with My Diane, followed by side two opening with the rocking She's Got Rhythm. Side two, being a bit more lackluster than the first side, but still an impressive group of songs.

1. Good Timin
2. Come Go With Me
3. Sumahama
4. Kona Coast
5. My Diane

6. She's Got Rhythm
7. Sweet Sunday Kinda Love
8. Peggy Sue
9. Baby Blue
10. Pitter Patter
11. Winds of Change

Great thread topic!

[Tord]

1. She's Got Rhythm
2. Good Timin'
3. Hey Little Tomboy
4. Belles of Paris
5. My Diane

6. Kona Coast
7. Sumahama
8. Won'tcha Come Out Tonight
9. Sweet Sunday Kinda Love
10.Baby Blue

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

 
Side one:

Good Timin'
Sweet Sunday Love
Baby Blue
Angel Come Home
Pitter Patter
Goin South

Side 2:
She's Got Rhythm

Kona Coast

My Diane
Matchpoint of Our Love
Full Sail
Woncha Come Out Tonight
Winds Of Change

[Wrightfan]

I'll do two. One included the released tracks and one with unreleased tracks:

(Released version)

Disc 1:
1. Good Timin'
2. Full Sail
3. Woncha Come Out Tonight
4. Sumahama
5. Matchpoint of our Love

Disc 2:
1. Lady Lynda
2. She's got Rhythm
3. Angel Come Home
4. Love Surrounds Me
5.  Baby Blue

With "unreleased" or "unusued" tracks
Disc 1:
1. California Feeling
2. Why
3. She's Got Rhythm
4. Full Sail
5. Matchpoint of Our Love
6. Baby Blue

Disc 2:
1.  Good Timin'
"The Seasons"
2.  Full Sail (Spring)
3. Lookin' Down the Coast (Summer)
4. Santa Anna Winds (Fall)
5. Winter Symphony (Winter)
6. All Alone

[Jukka]

I know I'm pretty much alone with this, but MIU is one of my faves by The Boys. It's fun, nothing too deep, but it doesn't feel forced, you know? Must be all those Brian Wilson compositions, I guess.

LA? Make the disco track shorter, Shortnin' Bread longer (in style of long Can't Wait Too Long, with different variations coming up) and throw in a few Dennis tracks he was working on at the time. And voila, you'll have a classic odd AOR album there.

[urbanite]

I think the inclusion of a polished version of California Feeling would have substantially improved either MIU or L.A. Light.  She's Got Rhythm, Wontcha Come Out Tonight, Hey Little Tomboy and especially Shortenin Bread should have never made it onto a regular album, but maybe a rarities collection.  No one in their right mind would name an album MIU. 

[NateRuvin]

1. Good Timin
2. Pitter Patter
3. Come And Go With Me
4. Lady Lynda
5. Angel Come Home
6. Sweet Sunday Kinda Love
7. Love Surrounds Me
8. My Diane
9. Full Sail
10. Peggy Sue
11. Match Point of Our Love
12. Baby Blue

Tried my best to have a good balance of the good sunny carefree material and the ambitious artistic stuff. Everyone shines on this version of the album.

[quichenight]

side one
1. Shortnin Bread
side two
2. Keep On Shortnin Bread

[Eric Aniversario]

1. Good Timin
2. Lady Lynda
3. Full Sail
4. Angel Come Home
5. Love Surrounds Me
6. Sumahama
7. Match Point Of Our Love
8. Goin' South
9. Baby Blue
10. Winds of Change

[Ninten]

I know I'm pretty much alone with this, but MIU is one of my faves by The Boys. It's fun, nothing too deep, but it doesn't feel forced, you know? Must be all those Brian Wilson compositions, I guess.

LA? Make the disco track shorter, Shortnin' Bread longer (in style of long Can't Wait Too Long, with different variations coming up) and throw in a few Dennis tracks he was working on at the time. And voila, you'll have a classic odd AOR album there.

Completely in agreement with this. The only thing I don't care for on MIU is the Peggy Sue cover. Drop that and add "Why" from MIC and it's good to go. LA on the other hand... I'm not sure how to fix that one, but at least it's listenable outside of HCTN.

[Shane]

I think I mentioned this in a post a few years ago.  Keep in mind what the music scene looked like in 1978.  This was the era of yacht rock- Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Gerry Rafferty, etc etc etc.  It's easy to bash on MIU a little with 40+ years of hindsight.  But really, this was a neat little album that was completely in step with the times when it came out.  I call MIU the "Beach Boys yacht rock album".  It should have been a much bigger hit than it was.   

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Good Timin
Bells of Paris
Full Sail
My Diane
Sweet Sunday Love
Sumahama
Winds of Change

Lady Lynda
Hey Little Tomboy
Angel Come Home
Match Point
Love Surrounds Me
Baby Blue
Shortnen Bread
 

[thr33]

Thanks for the responses guys - going to try some of these playlists out.

I saw a couple people used other unused tracks (i.e. Adult Child tracks, California Feelin, stuff from that second Christmas Album, Dennis Bambu recordings or otherwise), feel free if you feel it fleshes them out.

I think both albums have grown on me (honestly except the disco track; I like the sound, so maybe I'll replace it with the single version of that mix) over time tbh.

[Summer_Days]

I put together an album made up of the better songs from three albums, MIU, LA and KTSA. I posted the front and back covers I did for it a couple of years ago. It’s called Good Timin’ (sorry for the large size of images):

[chewy]

love it!

[coco1997]

Love that artwork! 

[Rocker]

Ok, I will compile an album of songs that come from this time frame, including unreleased stuff and also solo songs. Though not a concept album, I want this album mirror the feel of what I imagine would be late 70s California, not in a strict nostalgic way but from that of grown up persons in their 30s.
Some of the songs could need some work on the lyrics or maybe completely new ones. We'll just imagine the guys would do that.
Also this probably would be a little long for a LP, I don't know.

The album will be called "California feeling" (I know, not very creative and already used a lot, but I think it fits).
The track order needs to be done correctly, this is just the songs in nor particular order.

California feeling (the Boys' version added with just that one single "Can't you feel it?" by Brian from his demo at the right point - shangaijoeBB posted something similar on his Caribou album)
Everybody wants to live
It's trying to say
Good timin'
He's a bum (from Bambu)
My Diane
Shortnin' bread
Baby blue
Love surrounds me
I don't wanna know (from Celebration, maybe Mike could do the lead)
Lookin' down the coast/Monterey/Santa Ana winds (early version of the latter one)
Full sail
Angel come home
Almost summer (demo version)