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).
I wonder if every BW album going forward will conclude with some sort of "career coda" type song. While I love Southern California and Summer's Gone, I think that The Last Song seemed a bit forced.