There's also the "Beatle Man" song that he talked about in interviews a couple of weeks ago.

He said he wrote 18 songs in the summer of 06. With 9 of the them (the 10th is Goin' Home from the Paley sessions) in TLOS, that leaves another 9.

Seems like TLOS could have a follow-up album already written.

So, as far as I know, this hasn't been answered yet. Is "Goin' Home" in TLOS the Paley sessions tune?

Smokey Robinson already got it. Last year, as a matter of fact.

It gets better the further afield it goes from the original arrangements, I think. Wonderful voice.

A really interesting release -- I was listening to it in the car this morning.

I like that it kind of gives Brian's take on the band's output, as informed by his early years of solo touring (99-01). That means Marcella and SOS are there.

And the inclusion of "We're Together Again" -- which was a bonus track in the early 90s reissues -- is mighty cool.

"California Feelin'" coulda shoulda been better. But it's nice to have an official version in the can after all these years -- and the early 00s were not exactly flooded with BW studio work.

Short answer, it's the closest thing we have to a knighthood. Although somehow Elton John managed to finagle one a couple of years ago. Not sure how he managed that.

Brian Wilson Inc.:

"There's no tune we won't reuse."

Seriously, though, that's awesome.

Nope, I read at the time that he picked it out. Probably People's article on the wedding -- Marilyn attended it too, I believe.

Ah the tangled web those Wilsons weave.

Also, Brian chose to have his and Melinda's wedding on Marilyn's birthday.

Talk about passive-aggressive ... :-)

Ron: I'm totally with you on the vocal quality. The best part of this song. I honestly know what people expect Brian to sound like -- he's had his current pipes since the mid-80s, more or less. And he seems to have learned in these demos not to be as shouty as he sometimes is. A plus.

It's good, not great. Sounds undeveloped, a bit. Hopefully it will work in a larger context. Brian has definitely written a subgroup of songs about his songs and the music scene in general -- several of them not officially released. Elbow 63, for instance.

Jay: I think a more important question is this. Why is it important?

If he can, does it make things better? Most feel even his best albums since the 60s have been helped along by others; even on "Love You," Carl tied together the loose ends. So if he still has the ability, he hasn't often used it.

If he doesn't, then he's just been doing the best he can, but we have to accept that he isn't what he once was.

Either case doesn't give you an answer that I expect you want. He's either 1.) been lazy and not bothering to do his best or 2.) just not capable of it.

I think a lot of BW fans espouse #1 but fear #2.

Myself, it's not so important. I will enjoy what I get and let history sort out and fight out the rest. I care about BW as a person, of course, but I feel reasonably confident that he's being looked after -- certainly not drugged to the gills and videotaped like he was in the Landy years. And beyond that, I don't know what else I should want or expect.

Yeah, but the credit on the CD is that the song is by Mike Love. Just as PT Cruiser is Al's and Spirit is Brian's.

The thing is, Spirit of Rock and Roll was at one point a BBs song (kinda). They perform (ok, lip sync it) on the 25th anniversary special. I'm sure BW felt it was more appropriate to resurrect the track for BB compilation. And I find the drum shuffle and odd backing vocals endearing -- they actually make Spirit sound like a BW song. Its earlier versions always seemed too MOR for me.

I know it sounds silly. But I always have suspicions when the words and lyrics mesh espcially well in a chorus of a BW song. And he can write lyrics -- he just doesn't always try very hard. As I said much earlier on this thread, the simple line: "All these people make me feel so alone" seems perfectly Wilson-esque. I also wouldn't be surprised if the title and key line -- Midnight's Another Day -- comes from Brian. After all, he's written several night-themed songs in his solo career -- Night Bloomin Jasmine, The First Time, Nighttime.

Oh hell. If you look at other threads here, there are people doubting that Brian wrote Live Let Live too. They say it sounds more like Van Dyke Parks (the acknowledged lyricist).

This exhausts me. Brian was clearly interested in the song. He contributed some steller vocals. Whoever wrote what, it seems like it engaged him. As far as I'm concerned, Brian wrote some of the lyrics. Some of the words from the chorus seem too perfect to be from any other hand.

Deleted because I was an idiot and didn't read Matt's post closely enough.

Well he is the positivity. The fun. That part was him. :-/

I don't think there's any deal for an album yet.

I think BW and his folks are waiting to see how LOS goes over.

Apparently Brian is also recording more pop songs for a separate project.

Luther: I'm absolutely with you. I didn't mean to be brusque before. Part of the fun is the speculation.

That being said, I would be disappointed if there are too many familiar (to fans) songs in "Lucky Old Sun." Part of the magic of MAD is that it's a melody I genuinely haven't heard before.

Incorrect assumption. According to the press release:

"Brian Wilson teamed with Van Dyke Parks, his old ‘sidekick’ and lyricist behind Smile, over the past year on the narratives for a new album. The piece features ten songs and five narratives which will be interrupted by That Lucky Old Sun, the narrator telling the story. The five narratives are cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles."

So, in other words, Luck Old Sun, could be a 15-track album. 10 songs, 5 spoken word segments. That sounds like an album-length project. I would very much doubt "Live Let Live" is part of it, given that LLL is specifically about global warming, for a film addressing the topic.

"Goin Home" is a Paley sessions era song. Likewise, "Wonderin' What You're Up To Now" has been floating around awhile.

Well sure, the band won't wreck it. But who knows how interested and engaged Brian will stay with the project? I mean, one of his best unreleased vocals is on the original version of "Gettin' in Over My Head" (the song). It's marvelous. The released version does not sport one of his best vocals. It's not awful, indeed it's pretty good, but there's a certain something missing.

I think that's the fear some are expressing. I don't know if I share in that fear, but I understand it. Brian and consistency are mortal enemies. But that's part of what makes him so interesting.

All things being equal, that vocal is still cleaner than anything he did on IJWMFTT, Orange Crate Art or GIOMH. And I like those albums!

And how is that any different from having a recording contract in the 1960s?

He has to come up with something. So he comes up with something unusual. I doubt the commission was for a piece specifically called "The Lucky Old Sun." I expect they let him do whatever he wanted.

Matt -- I think you just answered your own question. The song is hard to get hold of, so people simply haven't heard it. I think there's a lot going on with it, myself, but it isn't quite at the level of MAD.