The Smiley Smile Message Board

Surely nobody can disagree with me that this is the highest point of Brian's solo career.

Seriously, what a brilliant ending to an album that seems to be getting better with time.

He ROCKS OUT on "Goin home", we need that Rock n Roll album.

Surely nobody can disagree with me that this is the highest point of Brian's solo career.

Seriously, what a brilliant ending to an album that seems to be getting better with time.

He ROCKS OUT on "Goin home", we need that Rock n Roll album.

TLOS is by far my favorite Brian Wilson solo record. It's the best thing he's done since The BB Love You. I don't know how much of the songwriting is actually his, but in any case, it's a great late-era record.

Debbie KL: best wishes to you and your husband.

Surely nobody can disagree with me that this is the highest point of Brian's solo career

Dangerous words. Disagree I must.

I cannot listen to anything he did with Joe Thomas, due to certain production decisions I won't mention.

Can I pick BWPS?

Failing that,  BW88, followed by the Christmas album, love that.

I think the whole thing is a modern BW masterpiece! Hard to believe the 10th anniversary of its debut as a performance piece is coming up!

TLOS wasnt a Joe Thomas collaboration.

I didn't say it was. I just prefer BW88 and the Christmas album. TLOS comes third though.

Hang on........

OK I feel really stupid now. Those songs are on TLOS.   :-[

I got them confused with the ones on TWGMTR. Shows how often I listen to the later stuff.

Edit--so sorry for the multiple quotes, don't know what happened there...

I don't have the time to research (husband in hospital) where Ray Lawlor posted what was essentially written by Brian and what was written by Scott - song by song, but it was pretty clear.  Brian was in an amazing creative spurt, much of it while on the road with Jerry Weiss as his PA (with Ray Lawlor joining when available).  Jerry wrote sketch lyrics (pretty good from what I understand) to keep Brian inspired.  Brian called it his "rock 'n roll" album at the time.  He had a contract with RFH and the lyrics were adapted to "That Lucky Ol' Sun" theme - so revised lyrics by Scott.  Ray was at those sessions in Scott's home.  Scott wrote the intro and outro to "Midnight..." and may have some other contributions, but the music was Brian's.  I wish these crappy illusions would disappear.  For those who don't know, Jerry and Ray are Brian's closest friends.  They know.

Pure nonsense. In 2006/2007 , I spent a good portion of my time , and American Airlines points , commuting between JFK and LAX. Literally every morning, at 0800 EST, my phone would ring.  At the other end of the line, was Brian Wilson, already up , working on songs, asking for input ; what I thought.  The next question was invariably " when can you come out ? " It was the summer of the Scott Bennett sessions. I would fly out and immediately go to the house......every week. The ritual was simple: get to the house, Brian always waiting in the driveway, go up to the music room where he would play the new song on his synthesizer, never on the grand piano. Then , go to the deli and eat , then go to the park and walk.  Then drive to Scott's place early so we could listen to "Pet Sounds" ....then stop at the same 7-11 and get a 6 pack of Corona Light for the session. Brian would lay down several piano tracks , Scott would add bass, drums and guitar; Brian would then lay down the lead vocal. The songs were written , lyrics and music , by Brian. Later on they were shortened ( most were over four minutes long) and lyrics were rewritten by Scott , tailoring it for "That Lucky Old Sun". The songs were: "Walking Down the Path of Life" , about 4:30 long, "Morning Beat", "Angel's in Love", "Good Kind of Love", about a minute longer than the released version, "Live Let Live" ,  about 45 seconds longer than the released version, "Mexican Girl" , "oh , Mi Amour", "Message Man" , "Wonderin What You're Up to Now" , which ultimately became "California Role", "Oxygen to the Brain", "Going Home" , about 4:30 minutes long, 'Isn't That Just Like Me and You", "Night Came Gently ", "Isn't That Just Like Me and You", "Forever She'll be My Surfer Girl", "I Wanna Be With You", "Do You Have a Story to Tell"..."Midnight's Another Day " was co written with Scott; "What Love Can Do " was co-written with Burt Bacharach . I have every generation of each one of these songs on CD here at home ; from Brian's piano demo's, to the Scott Bennett engineered sessions, to what came out. Any theory that Brian does not write his own stuff anymore is just pure unadulterated nonsense.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; the three major works of Brian Wilson's career are Pet Sounds, Smile, and That Lucky Old Sun. Those are the three masterpieces of his career. Southern California seems to sum up his entire life and career. I almost wish that That Lucky Old Sun had been his final album. Southern California is as perfect an ending to Brian's career as Summer's Gone is a perfect ending for The Beach Boys(especially with the rain at the end).

Man I wish I could hear the demos with the original lyrics!

Yeah! We're coming up on the 10-Year for this album. Would be nice to see a reissue with bonus tracks.

Will never happen, tragically.

Brian's fingerprints are all over this album, that shouldn't even be up for a debate.