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Discuss & Review Brian's That Lucky Old Sun released in Sept. 2008

A generous 3.5 from me, rounded to a 4.

It's not cringe-inducing (though 'Mexican Girl' comes mighty close).  In fact,  it's surprisingly good.  A little too peppy in places, but hey, the guy's on antidepressants - I guess they work.   However, full enjoyment does require some knowledge of the BB/BW saga, and thus its appeal will ultimately be limited.

I'll take it and be pleased but don't expect me to put it on for friends.

Swap Forever She'll Be.. and Mexican Girl for Message Man and Just Like Me & You and this would be an easy 4, right up there with BW88. As it is I give it a 3. Still it's reassuring to know BW can still write tunes as good as those he was knocking out in the 80s. I really hope he has enough material to generate another album soon.

My true vote would be in the high 3s, so I'm rounding up to a 4. In some ways this is my favorite Brian Wilson solo album, with Smile having so much story, so much legend, so much baggage ... and superior existing versions of at least half the songs. This one, a few bits here and there aside, is new. And the songs are accessible and pleasant, sometimes touching. It's a good album. I would like it more if it were just songs, not a suite. The use of the title song melody throughout isn't a problem for me, but the narratives are. The bonus material is cool, too, whether it fits the theme or not. "I'm Into Something Good," "Just Like Me and You" and "Message Man" could easily have been added to the album (I'm not such a fan of "Oh Mi Amor.") Overall, very good. I think it's the best blending of Brian's and his band's vocals, and the best overall production of one of his solo albums.

5

Evey track does it for me.

Can't Wait too Long to Southern California is musical perfection in my book, one of the best closings to an album i've ever heard.

A wonderfull album.

To set in context, what's changed since BW '88 is that Brian's become the elder uncle and his influence on a new generation is far more readily acknowledged than it was 20 years ago, following continued reevaluation of the Beach Boys. Taking time into account, any new recordings have to be welcomed  - like it's the law or something. Regardless of how pleased we are to see him, and his vibes are undoubtably intact (and I am so glad)  - the album is a curate's egg - never exactly bad, and peppered with a few moments of greatness.

If there were no MAD, no Southern California, no Live Let Live, we'd be left with something very watery, and the album is held up by the last third in the same way as Surf's Up. As it is, on CD it's a solid album and it deserves a 4. The issue with the different bonus tracks confuses things somewhat. This is the best record that Brian has released for at least 20 years and the overall sound leans towards the 70s.  It's enough for me.

It's funny you say this because people's opinions on the tunes range so widely. I'd say Live Let Live is one of the couple most disliked songs on the album based on people posting on this site (even though I quite like it). Conversely, I really dislike the expanded Southern California. Even the short version was too cheesy for me, and now I think it's far too long for just a couple musical ideas and trite lyrics. I don't think it's a top-heavy album, content-wise. I think even the songs I find weakest, such as Southern California and Mexican Girl, are nice enough tunes. There is no A Friend Like You, no Sunshine, no Nighttime. (Now I'm waiting for the people who think those are the best songs on their respective albums. I know that's just how life works. No big deal.)

Yes I always find it fascinating that everybody here loves Brian Wilson, yet opinions on which of his songs are good varies so considerably. God Only Knows is possibly the only BW composition that is unanimously loved on this board (but I wouldn't surprised if somebody piped up to the contrary).

Anyway I absolutely love side 2 of TLOS - Oxygen through to Southern California all work for me in the same way that the best BW tunes do. I think MAD is a classic and I love SC in all it's syrupy glory. The problem tracks for me are Good Kind of Love through to California Role. Those tracks just lack the lush chord changes that I enjoy in his compositions - I find them a bit bland I guess. Maybe if they weren't all bunched together it wouldn't be such a problem. Actually Good Kind of Love and Live Let Live are growing but I kind of feel that I am trying to like them, which is never a good sign. Mexican Girl I skip every time. Morning Beat is good and Going Home I think is fantastic.

Having digested this album quite a lot now i'd say without a doubt its Brians strongest album and the one I'm most likely to spin again and again (Apart from OCA which I like very much).
To be honest I find the whole California narrative stuff a bit hokey and unnecessary - I just don't care about it at all, it seems like something to contrive a connection between a load of songs for a suite.
On the good side however these are some of Brians best songs and arrangements in a long time - Oxygen to the Brian, Forever she'll be my surfer girl, Live Let Live, Good kind of love are classic Brian pop tunes for me and I also quite like the much derided Mexican girl, I think it's got a good beat.
Midnights another day is a nice ballad but it doesn't move me as much it's supposed to for whatever reason.
The songs I dislike the most are California Role, Morning Beat and Going home, the latter two are okay but a bit lumpen for my tastes both having similar tempos and grooves.
For me the bonus track 'Message Man' is a real treat and should have been on the album and also 'Just like me and you' is kind of cool too, i'd prefer those on the album over 'Morning Beat' or 'Going home' though I appreciate the context in which those songs are used.

3. Brian can still deliver but it's not up to previous standards. Lags in the middle but the beginning and ending are fantastic.

Sorry Luther, but I have a confession to make in regards to Nighttime, one of the guiltier pleasures on BW'88 (which I like more and more as time goes on). Incidentally I saw a live performance on You Tube and it was even more interesting, with crickets, or something.

OK, some people say it's Brian's best work since the early 70s. So how about a "head-to-head" of Lucky Old Sun and Brian Wilson 88 ?

1. That Lucky Old Sun / Morning Beat 4   Love and Mercy 5

Morning Beat gets the album off to a good start, but head-to-head with one of Brian's most heartfelt songs, isn't really in the same division.


2. Good Kind of Love 3  Walkin' the Line 3

Good Kind of Love a romantic kind of song. Walkin' the Line is a little bit wacky. There is a lot of method to this madness in the breaks and different hooks used in both, in many ways comparable mid-tempo numbers.


3. Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl 2  Melt Away 5

FSBMSG is too bland and thin for my liking despite some interesting instrumentation and backing vocals. Melt Away is one of the best songs Brian's ever written.


4. Live Let Live 5  Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long 3

Live Let Live benefits from a great outro on this version - overall I love the feel of this song. It's very even-tempered and relaxed. Baby... carries some trademark Wilson characteristics but wears them a bit too openly and its a bit strained.


5. Mexican Girl 2  Little Children 4

Mexican Girl may have gone wrong somewhere conceptually, but the intrumentation is much more interesting. Little Children is a great "little" number in its own way, easily overlooked but a very strong melody.


6. California Role 2  One For The Boys 3

California Role, like some of the others on TLOS, seems a little bit washed out as a song - like there's not really much there once you try to remember it. One For the Boys doesn't have much substance either, but it knows it, and still manages to transport you to somewhere else. An impressive feat.


7. Oxygen to the Brain 4  There's So Many 4

Oxygen is a fine track with a droning chorus which is pretty humorous. There's So Many may feel a bit contrived but it's ambitious and effective.


8. Been Too Long 5  Night Time 4

Putting Been Too Long on the album was a masterstroke as it serves as a good intro to MAD - and it's a smooth listen amongst some of the jumpier tracks. Night Time has many detractors but it seems to put me in a good mood without realising it.

9. Midnight's Another Day 5  Let It Shine 2

Midnight is the standout track on Lucky and hits the spot. Some people like it, but for me Let It Shine is just a bit cheesy, an attempt to do an easy song for daytime radio which is pleasant but forgettable.


10. Goin' Home 2  Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight 5

I find Goin' Home a bit dull and plodding and the more I hear it the more dull it gets. MMIMDT is perhaps one of the successful productions on BW 88 - its straightforward - like Marcella in some ways.


11. Southern California 5  Rio Grande 4

Really like Southern California, at its best TLOS has a contemplative vibe. This is a nice one. Rio Grande has some excellent parts, it's good fun overall, despite being a little bit pseudo and Billy Joel in places.


end result: TLOS 39 BW 42

A good side-by-side analysis - I agree on most points.  However, 'Rio Grande' wipes itself with all of TLOS, 'MAD' excluded. 

I disagree with so much of the past two posts, it's amazing, starting from L&M being a 5 (the recording of which on the solo album I'd give about a 3) to Rio Grande being better than all but MAD (I think it ranks among BW's most overrated-by-fans songs there is). And to me, anything good on that first album has to overcome production, which is rarely good throughout for my taste. (Obviously that tints my opinions.) In fact--and I hadn't thought of this before--Rio Grande musically strikes me in much the same way TLOS as a whole does: not cool little related parts of a whole (like Smile, for example), but cool little things jammed together. There you have it. $.02.

That's because it had the studio track playing in the background. It features both crickets AND frogs.

Ribbit.

[

1. That Lucky Old Sun / Morning Beat 3.5   Love and Mercy 5

2. Good Kind of Love 4  Walkin' the Line 3.5

3. Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl 3.5  Melt Away 4

4. Live Let Live 4.5  Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long 3

5. Mexican Girl 2.5  Little Children 2.5

6. California Role 3.5  One For The Boys 3

7. Oxygen to the Brain 3  There's So Many 3.5

8. Been Too Long 5  Night Time 3

9. Midnight's Another Day 5  Let It Shine 2

10. Goin' Home 4  Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight 4

11. Southern California 5  Rio Grande 4


end result: TLOS 43.5  BW88  37.5

I really, really like it. I think its better than BW88. I like it more than Love You. I'd put it on a par with Surf's Up, I guess.
At first, the nostalgia and the spoken word stuff sort of bugged me, but once I let whatever go that was bugging me the album really worked for me.
I'd give this about 4.5...so five.

Mexican Girl is not as terrible to me as it is to others, though it's my least favorite song, I guess. My one problem with Bennett as a lyricist is that he's relatively humorless compared to Brian Wilson or other former co-writers, but whaddaya gonna do?

I'll be honest, I wasn't intrested in this till I checked his myspace & heard a few of the new songs & was blown away.
I really enjoy listening to TLOS it's a great happy sounding album.

I even scored a copy of the 180g vinyl!

That TLOS vs. BW88 should be fun. Let's see...

1. That Lucky Old Sun / Morning Beat 4   Love and Mercy 5

2. Good Kind of Love 5  Walkin' the Line 4

3. Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl 3  Melt Away 5

4. Live Let Live 4  Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long 5

5. Mexican Girl 3  Little Children 4

6. California Role 3  One For The Boys 3

7. Oxygen to the Brain 3  There's So Many 3

8. Been Too Long 5  Night Time 2

9. Midnight's Another Day 5  Let It Shine 3

10. Goin' Home 4   Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight 3

11. Southern California 5   Rio Grande 5

4. Why? I found it very decent at first. Then I realized: hey, there are pretty many BB/BW records that grew on me, so what will this one do? Well, it grew and keeps on growing. Lovely meditations on every day life, interspersed with some comedy and some stuff about the dark times. Perhaps many don't realize that Friends, Wild Honey, Holland, Love You, and a lot of other stuff did not lift off immediately either.
It is not very pretentious in any 'artful' way, nor does it need to be. Give it time.
I won't compare it to Pet Sounds, no. But remember that PS was received in a pretty mediocre way too. You just have to have a little trust, a little faith. It is a far cry from dreck like Smart Girls, and does not sound so bound to its time as does the 88 solo effort.

Let's talk about it in 5 years time too. See what happens.

I simply love Brian's latest album!  It's got a different feel than SMiLE and it's certainly more contemporary music.  It's very catchy and upbeat.  I hear hints of Pet Sounds, SMiLE, Love You, and his first solo album (1988) sprinkled throughout TLOS.  My favorite track would be Southern California, and that coda at the end of the album is very reminiscent of SMiLE. 

Seems that Brian is going back to the basics- the Blues. Morning Beat, California Role, and Going Home. While they rock, (Morning Beat being my fav from the 3), they lack the compositional exploration I enjoy in my fav. Wilson recordings. Not that my fav Brian compositions are his most complex, but the Blues is the Blues...like Add Some Music. No matter how swell the harmonies and icing on the cake, the basic chordal structures are the same.

A nice sense of emotional closure pervades it.

you know my favorite part of this album just might be the hidden ditty at the end of Southern California..  "all day (rolllll around heaven) ba bow bow bow.."

Coming to this kinda late, but --

-- has anyone else noticed how much "Good Kind of Love" sounds like a Carole King song rather than a Brian song?
Not that there's anything wrong with that, as they say.  Also, very interesting that Carole herself sings with Brian on the bonus track version.

They wrote it together. I think Carole King sounds ridiculously young on that track.

I don't think that's true. Brian wrote it himself, with Carole's songs in mind. That's why he then got her to sing on the record. From Carole's site:

AUGUST 22, 2008, Hollywood, CA - In 2006, Carole King was invited by legendary songwriter and producer Brian Wilson to his recording studio. These sessions turned out to be the early days of recording his new album, "That Old Lucky Sun," which eventually took him back into the Capitol Recording studios.

One of the songs they recorded that day is "I'm Into Something Good," the Goffin/King song originally made famous in 1965 by Herman's Hermits. "I make no bones about it, that song was influenced by Brian's music," Carole told the Weekend Australian Magazine in 2006. She described their updated version of the song as "Brianized."

The other song is a new Brian Wilson composition called "Good Kind of Love."

Although these songs do not appear on the final version of the album, they are being made available to the public for a limited time only via a CD exclusively available at Best Buy stores and at BestBuy.com. For more information or to pre-order the album, please click here.

"That Old Lucky Sun" arrived stores on September 2

Wow. TLOS has been officially released for exactly a year.

The world lets out a collective yawn. :)

Still a record I find myself listening to quite often. I tend to skip both "Forever..." and "California Role" (the lyrics of which seem particularly trite to me) from time to time, yet overall it holds up as one of my very favourite records of recent years.

The trite lyrics strike me as better than most of the purported weighty ones. Southern California in particular makes me ill. Too much sugar.

"Southern California" is kind of schmaltzy, yes. I do, however, have pretty much of a soft spot for that particular song as I just LOVE the bridge.

Love that bridge. Love it love it love it.

Have been listening to it again recently myself -- Brian sounds great, band turns on a dime. This is arguably the best that solo BW gets.

I tend to agree, but for some reason, I'm really expecting great things from Brian's next release(s), and TLOS may be a stepping stone rather than the pinnacle.

Who'd have ever thought we'd be talking like this 5 years ago? Yes, it has been that long since BWPS.

You would--if the next one doesn't top it--call TLOS the pinnacle? Do you prefer it to BWPS, or not count BWPS because it's old material?

The latter...just the fact that he came up with something that ranks up there Smile at his age is unbelievable. 

Smile was not where Brian was in 2004, for the most part. It's where Brian was in the 60s and where Darian was in 2004.

...which makes TLOS that much more impressive.

Even if Brian is more often a figurehead rather then a catalyst, that he can take part in making such solid new(ish) music is something I never would have thought possible until this came out. Sure the 1988 album had moments as did some of the nineties Paley stuff but I never would have thought he could do a new album in its entirety and have it be the highlight of a show. Some of Brian's solo stuff doesn't have much to it beyond curiocity value, this is one that rises above that. It's a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me.

5/5

'That Lucky Old Sun' is such a wonderful way to start an album....Even on the cloudiest, rainiest day you can close you eyes and imagine the sun rolling around above you while listening to it. 'Morning Beat' reminds me of the album 'Love You' - which is why I love the song - it is cheesy but one can totally relate to it...

'Good Kind of Love' is an upbeat love song - Cheesy? Yes. Vibrant and energizing? Yes. I love blasting this song through my headphones (or stereo - depending on how bad I want to upset the neighbors  ;D ).

'Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl' is a wonderful song full of nostalgia. It is not a favorite from the album, but I never skip it. 'Live Let Live' - brilliant song on so many elements....the lyrics are wonderful, and the instrumentals are fantastic (listen to that outro! Fantastic!). 'Mexican Girl' is one of my favorites from the album....it is not the most original song, but it is catchy as hell....and the song's outro is one of the best I've ever heard.

'California Role' is one of two on the album I rate below 5 stars. Nothing really stands out on the track to me, lyrically or instrumentally. 'Oxygen to the Brain' had to grow on me for a while....It is one I absolutely love to listen to now. 'Can't Wait Too Long' is fantastic....speechless when listening to it. 'MAD' is one of my absolute favorites by Brian - I think it is unanimously loved by everyone who hears it.

'Going Home' - Eh, nothing special about it. It seems as if Brian takes the "yell into the mic" approach on this one - it just doesn't appeal to me. 'Southern California' is a splendid way to finish an album. I read a post on this site that this song was a perfect close to Brian's songwriting career - If it were his last original, It is a grand way to go out, but I really hope it isn't his last!

The narratives placed throughout the album are fantastic - listen to the imagery in 'Between Pictures' or in 'Venice Beach' - these narratives really set the California scene - a wonderful add to the album....thank you VDPs!

In all, I find TLOS to be very underrated and under-exposed. There are some great tracks on here. Sure, many don't appeal to mainstream, but this is an album that I think most people would enjoy if they took an honest listen to it. Each of these songs are full of life. It is aggravating that TLOS isn't more popular, but then again, neither was Pet Sounds when it was released........

I think TLOS is a game of two halves. First half until the end of 'Live Let Live' is a vibrant jaunty kind of album.  Something like 'Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl' has taken ages to grow, but I like it now. The second part of TLOS is much more patchy and loses the flow from Mexican Girl onwards, in my opinion. Of the rest, I'd pick Oxygen, Can't Wait Too Long and MAD, but even then I'd still prefer the first part of the record. Still good though

So my tracklisting would be :

1. TLOS
2. Morning Beat
3. Room With a View (Narrative)
4. Good Kind of Love
5. Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl
6. Venice Beach (one of the links that really works IMO)
7. Live Let Live
8. Between Pictures
9. Oxygen To The Brain
10. Can't Wait Too Long
11. Midnight's Another Day
12. Message Man
13. Southern California (instrumental version)

has this been made available to the public (via bonus track on released CD or bootleg)?

I picked this up on vinyl, and the more sympathetic mastering (i'm never really that sensitive to overcompression, which means the CD must be effed up majorly) has really opened up my eyes to how.... nice this album is. I know nice isn't exactly lauding it with praise, but it sounds really like a summer spent writing songs in a relaxed, open and easy manner. The segues, Lucky Old Sun motif and blockbuster production on some numbers dispel this a little, but it's a subtle and easy going album at heart. And Brian busts into a decent falsetto at points, too!

Despite this, I still hate Mexican Girl.  :lol

The song is OK to me,  but I love the Pet Sounds (track) type ending to it, though.

I still think the bonus tracks are better than most of this album proper. "Message Man" and "Oh Mi Amour" are killer!

Message Man is pure Brian... so cool. Understandable though how it didn't 'fit' on TLOS.

Okay, one thing I do want to say is that I absolutely LOVE TLOS. Admittedly, I skip a track or two usually, but I love it. I've been saying for a while now that Brian should be doing one of two kinds of music: 1) suite-style stuff, and 2) croony type stuff...and with TLOS, you have both.

But of course, I gotta wonder how much of the material is actually NEW. Dig...

"That Lucky Old Sun" -- a cover

"Morning Beat" -- at the very least, the pseudo-Hawaiian-type lyrics date back to "Clang" from the '70s, and of course there's the "Shortnin' Bread" groove and the structure of the song sounds a lot like "Walkin'."

"Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl" -- I'm one of many who immediately thought "Don't Stop Believing."

The Venice Beach narrative -- a few folks have pointed out how the instrumental backing sounds a LOT like the middle 8 from Wondermints' "Another Way." (It does.)

"Live Let Live" -- of course, a different version of the song had already been released...even then, the song has kind of a "Sail On, Sailor" vibe to it. (Given who the songwriters are, that shouldn't be a surprise.)

"California Role" -- it's been posted on this board, I believe, that this song started out as another song in the '80s.

"Oxygen To The Brain" -- I dunno, this song sounds VERY '80s Brian...like something that would have been recorded during the Usher sessions....know what I mean? Especially given the lyrics and the seemingly odd changes.

"Can't Wait Too Long" -- of course we all know the deal there.

"Midnight's Another Day" -- I know this song started out as a more up-tempo tune, but when??

"Southern California" -- some have pointed out the similarities between this song's melody and that of "Christmassy," and I think "Save The Day" as well...and of course the "Whoa whoa whoa it's magical" just screams of the song by Pilot.

To be clear, these are just observations...I'm not meaning to rip on the album, as I absolutely love it, but....ya just gotta wonder!

Most of them are new songs. A few are clearly takeoffs of older songs or styles -- but that's not unusual for any veteran artist. Especially one doing a nostalgia-tinged album glancing back to past glories.

The only clear, 100 percent reuse of an earlier BW tune (aside from the chant and CWTL quote) is California Role, which has been confirmed as coming from an unbooted '80s song called "Wondering What You're Up To Now." Some cite "Walkin'" as a "Morning Beat" predecessor, and the songs share a generic blues progression and riff style, but they're otherwise reasonably different. No need to imagine that Brian even had the earlier one in mind.

I' m pretty familiar with BW's unreleased work, and I don't hear anything else that's re-used. The bonus tracks, incidentally, are all original as well. At a certain point, if Brian likes certain progressions and ways of writing songs, that's just what he likes. It's not that every song is an overt raid on the vaults.

Incidentally, the song that's probably the starting point for FSBMSG is a Four Seasons tune called Who Loves You Pretty Baby, not DSB. But that just goes to prove a point -- if you listen hard enough, a lot of pop music reflects back on itself.

There's also Morning Beat (around 1:36) using something very similar to Rio Grande (around 2:00).

Obviously Dom aint no fan of TLOS. On his FB page he has made a few statements about Brians solo career.

Also, Going Home is essentially a re-record of the song of the same name recorded during the mid-90s Wilson Paley sessions.

Love TLOS tho.

Upon hearing it for the 1st time That Lucky Old Sun was an instant BW solo classic to me, and it has easily become my most played BW solo LP.

In a general context I'd award it 4 points, but in the context of a 60-something-years-old rock&roll survivor still releasing new material (and in the context of Brian's solo career) I award it 5 points.

It's not. The two songs are vastly different in melody, lyrics, style and structure.

Love this album but the narratives kill the vibe for me.
By chance to the backing tracks exist somewhere sans narrative?
I'm trying to make my own version, without the narratives, (and including "What Love Can Do"), but it's difficult to cut out parts from a flowing suite.

It's the BW solo album I have listened to the most, by far, and to me the narratives are essential in creating a flow in the first place. But that's a question of taste and perception, of course.

Somewhere, sure..  ;) But they haven't been bootlegged, as far as I know. At least I haven't heard of it.

Listened to the album straight through once and thought it was great. Love the concept of it and how it flows together. I don't mind the narratives at all but it does kind of feel like Brian Wilson The Musical, which I find kind of cute. Who could imagine Brian suddenly breaking out in song!  :serenade

The closing sequence starting with "Oxygen To the Brain" is one of the best things Brian has ever done.  He and Scott Bennett hit a home run on that bit.  It's bittersweet, sad, hopeful...so many things.  It's fascinating to hear Brian ruminate on his troubled past.  I'll add that what really got be hooked on this closing suite was hearing Brian and the gang perform it live.  It sounded really good.  In general...Brian sounds good on this LP.  His singing is actually improving as time goes on.  The narratives are a little goofy...but Brian Wilson is more than just a little goofy...so they work in that context.  Some of the earlier songs aren't quite as sharp as the closing songs...but taken as a whole it's a good record...and isn't it just great that Brian Wilson is still composing music at all?  The fact that he's creating new, vital music that's actually good is somewhat of a miracle and we're blessed that he's still around to bless the world with those incredible sounds.

I wish Brian and Scott Bennett would collaborate more. I'm not an expert, but enjoy TLOS much more than Brian's other solo albums. The whole thing just works.

I agree. Scott is amazing and he brings something to the table which few people can in collaborating with Brian.

Exactly!  There's a spark.  I'm honestly in awe of Brian Wilson...yes...for what he achieved during his glory years...but maybe more so for what he is still accomplishing.  Brian Wilson has outlived his life expectency...but not only that...he appears to be thriving.  If you would have asked yourself in 1975...what would the Wilson Brothers be doing in 2012...chances are you'd not have very high hopes for Brian at all.  The fact that he's the remaining Wilson is amazing and while people will pick apart his current work...I'm THANKFUL that in 2012 we still have new Brian Wilson material to listen to.  That is a blessing. 

Totally agree.  I've been listening to it a lot lately and I consider it - along with BWPS, but that's a different animal - his best, most consistent album.  Even what I consider the weaker songs have grown very listenable to me.  I'm very happy to have TWGMTR, especially the closing suite and those magical harmonies, but going forward I would be more interested in another Brian Wilson-Bennett/Parks collaboration of TLOS quality than another TWGMTR with continued Mike Love nostalgia and Joe Thomas influence. 

It's totally his best solo album.... of original material.

Better than the already good BW 88, better than Imagination. Not better than BWPS, but that's like saying a scene-perfect remake of Close Encounters of the Third Kind would be better than, say, Saving Private Ryan.

That Lucky Old Sun consistently impresses me. Sure, 'Mexican Girl' ain't great, but it's not bad either, and what would a BW/BB album be without an odd tune or two (well, Pet Sounds, but that's beside the point)?

A solid, glorious, sun-drenched 5. Brian Wilson has come home.

Honestly, I'd have rather had another Brian Wilson solo album than TWGMTR. I mean, I love most of the songs on TWGMTR (it's a solid album), but EVERY song on TLOS is a masterpiece. There are so many layers of brilliance on this album - I can't believe it's not more popular.

Really nice. Don't know if I'll say classic, but some of the material here is as good as anything Brian's done solo. The monologues are a little cheesy, but it's a goofy album anyway and Brian sounds like he's having a lot of fun, so I don't mind at all.

Goddammit, the more I listen to this album the more I like it. I still think it's a little over-sweet (and the whole Lucky Old Sun motif itself still doesn't really work to me), but it's hella decent. Really underrated stuff.

Finally forcing myself to get into this... it's clearly a very good album and MAD is excellent.... I'll rate it when I've been able to give it a few more listens...

It's hard for me to listen to Brian Wilson solo records.... I resent that they're not Beach Boys records.... just being honest....

None of Brian's solo albums would look recognizable if they were Beach Boy records...except for probably Imagination.

At this point The Beach Boys are just a name. They're no longer a group willing to fully follow Brian's creative vision. They've turned into a marketing gimmick to easily let people relive the days of 60s surf & sun. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But when Brian is attached to that name (when making records) there are strings attached that can alter and tarnish any creative vision he has for an album. Frankly, I'm friggin ecstatic that his new solo album isn't a Beach Boys album - and I'm glad that Mike Love was no where near TLOS when it was being conceived and recorded.

That being said, glad you're enjoying TLOS - it took a few listens for me to really appreciate it, and it's become my favorite BW solo record.

While I agree in principle with all that you say, I still think it really could have used the Beach Boys vocal prowess to make it all that much better.

I thought it was good enough to hear Brian in such great shape vocally.

I rarely listen to it. Up until the Gershwin album, a whole album of Brian is a bit too much. Also, as much as I enjoy the band, they are not The Beach Boys. So, with some shared leads and background vocals, it would have made a great Beach Boys album. JMHO, of course.

This one went straight over the top of my head. I rarely play it.

I'm on a generous mood today. 5/5. This is the first BW solo album I ever listened to. I fell in love with it immediately. I like almost everything in it. The narratives are awesome but the cover art isn't that great though.

That Lucky Old Sun
Morning Beat - 4.5/5 - I consider these two as one part.

Good Kind of Love - 5/5 - Amazing song, one of the best songs Brian has ever written all by himself.
Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl - 4/5
Live Let Live / That Lucky Old Sun (reprise) - 3.5/5
Mexican Girl - 3/5 - Weakest track.
California Role / That Lucky Old Sun (reprise) - 3.5/5
Oxygen to the Brain - 4/5 - Funny lyrics! How can you not like this.
-
Can't Wait Too Long
Midnight’s Another Day
That Lucky Old Sun (Reprise)
Going Home
- 5/5
Just amazing suite-style thing going on in here! Wouldn't change a thing in this. Midninght's Another Day is just so sad and really emotional song for me, and then Going Home reminds me of Love You-album. Brian sings it with that great rough voice. Perfect.
 
Southern California - 5/5
This song is like end credits to a fantastic movie.

Very underrated album. I think it's a masterpiece.

Surprised more people don't go nuts for this album... I think it's some of his very best solo work and a consistently good album.

I was listening to this in the car with my pops, and when "California Role" came on, specifically the line "every girl's the next Marilyn", he took it to mean Marilyn Wilson/Rovell instead of Monroe. Surely, that wasn't Scott Bennett's intention, but it puts a whole 'nother spin on that line. Melinda would be pissssed :)

One of his 2 best solo albums...between this and BW88.

Hi all,

That Lucky Old Sun is amazing!!! 

I give this album a 3 out of 5. It's quite a good album, and if it was a Beach Boys album it'd be great.

But I can't seem to get into this as much as other people here. I dunno, I only recently got this album, perhaps I should let it grow on me.

I rated this a five as I think it's Brian Wilson's best, and most consistent, solo album.  The only thing I'd change are the spoken word interludes.  It helps the concept, but doesn't add much to the listening experience IMO. 

This album is very autobiographical, and it's refreshing to hear Brian and Scott Bennett tackle some of these old issues in such songs as Going Home. 

Brian sings very well on this album as well.

Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl is a bona fide classic. 

Southern California might be the most beautiful song of Brian's solo career.  It's hard not to get emotional while listening to Brian's dream about singing with his brothers.  This is the first of a trio of BW heart wrenching album closers (Summer's Gone and The Last Song would follow). 

Truly a great album.  Sadly, as unfair as it may be, if this album were recorded with The Beach Boys banner, it would be regarded as a classic. 

I gave it a four. Easily my favourite Solo record by Brian Wilson and in frequent rotation
since the day it was released. Even the recitals fit in rather well and add imho to both, pacing
and atmosphere. "Good Kind of Love",  "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl", "Midnight’s Another Day" and
"Going Home" were instant classics, and remain essential BW listening.

This and BW 88 are the two best solo albums. I like the production on this a lot more, but I like the songwriting and melodies on 88 more than TLOS.

Yes.  Hopefully in parallel universe, the Love You-era Beach Boys get to perform this gem.

I still get chills at the final "Om papa-yama Glory Haleluja!"

Yeah!  There's stuff like that on there that is like sunshine!! 

Southern California gives me chills too. I've really come to love this album.

No! No! I don't want to hear a raspy-voiced Brian and Dennis, and a stoned Carl singing this material. Sounds won-won-wonderful the way it is.

I keep forgetting this album exists, which is weird because it isn't a forgettable album in the slightest.

I, too, find it weird how people don't seem to make too much of a fuss over it. It always seemed to me that, maybe 1 or 2 tracks aside, this is a masterpiece. It's all done in very good taste, in such a melodic and sweet way. I enjoy the lyrics a great deal, as they successfully avoid any cheesiness whilst touching on very deep stuff.

TLOS is the album I use to introduce Brian's solo career to anyone. It's pure quality.

This album has grown on me in the time since it's been out. I originally gave it a 3 on here, now I'd give it a 3.75 rounded to 4.

Personally, I think this is the only Brian solo album that I would use the word "great" to describe. 

I'd say it's very good to nearly great; the self-titled and the Gershwin record are where the real greatness is from where I sit.

To each their own. 

I think half to 2/3 of BW88 is great.  I think Gershwin might be Brian's best sounding solo album. 

I concur with the opinion of greatness. I didn't take to it on the first couple of listens but it's seriously become one of my favs. I also love all the spoken words stuff as well which sometimes gets a slating...

I didn't like the spoken word stuff at first, but in the context of the album, it works. 

That's what I find sad about these latter day Brian albums. They come out with some fanfare, and are quickly forgotten. TLOS deserved to be heard by a lot more people. IMHO, this was the strongest album he'd put out since OCA with Van Dyke. Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl, Mexican Girl, Midnight's Another Day, Southern California, those are all great songs. I hope people don't start dissing this album because of Brian's main collaborator (not referring to VD), glad I put it on tonight.

Released 10 years ago today!

Whole thing -  tracks, lead vocals, mastering all sound awful. I have even tried to remix/smooth it out myself to make it playable/listenable 'in company'.
Sounds like most of it was recorded in someone's bedroom........ er ehm...
I feel the signwriting was less a collaboration than on the Paley sessions.

I agree with the last part.
It's one of the better SOUNDING Brian albums, though.
As far as the material, my opinion of it has gone a bit lately. I probably overreacted to it at the time because I was so excited to get new music - ANY music - from Brian. I'd say half of the songs are pretty good. Others haven't aged well. Oxygen to the Brain is weak, especially compared to Can't Wait Too Long. Goin' Home just tries too hard. I'd probably rate the album a 3 now.

I still love TLOS. 5 out of 5.

I get this sense of tryig too hard from a couple of songs, especially "Midnight's Another Day". It seems like everyone wanted this to be another "'Til I Die" but I don't think it is. The more light-hearted material here is what I think has stood the test of time, like "Good Kind of Love" or even "Mexican Girl".

I thought maybe the lack of discussion about this album was because of the Scott Bennet stuff.

Southern California breaking into the "mama yama glory hallelujah" always gives me the goosebumps whenever I listen to this album.