Post your pointless That Lucky Old Sun ponderings here!!

[LostArt]

Well, it’s been pretty slow on this and other Brian Wilson / Beach Boys message boards lately.  In just a few days, though, Brian Wilson will unveil a new work.  I know that some folks here are excited, as am I.  Over the last few months Brian has said that the song cycle was:

A series of rounds, interspersed with spoken word.
Ten new songs interrupted by narration.
Loosely based on the children’s book, “The Little Prince”.

Brian has said that Van Dyke Parks wrote the narrative, and that he (Brian) had no idea what the narrative was about, but he has also said that the narrative was about life around Los Angeles.

Here is the latest word from Brian on the piece: "Something just got into me. I wrote 18 songs last summer. When it rains it pours and I put my buckets out and caught everything I could. You want song titles? Well, one's called 'Mexican Girl' and one's called 'Oxygen to the Brain'. One's called 'California Roll' and another one's called 'The Good Kind of Love'. It's crazy lyrics and crazy narration, just little stories about my day. You remember Smile? When you hear the new song cycle it's a teeny bit like that."

Crazy lyrics.  Well, “Midnight’s Another Day” sure doesn’t have crazy lyrics.  Or is Brian speaking hip, using the word ‘crazy’ as a beatnik would?

Crazy narration.  I have never read “The Little Prince”, but I understand that the central theme of the story is this (copied from Wikipedia):
“Ostensibly a children's book, it makes several profound and idealistic points about life and human nature. It really shows how different adults are from children. In it, Saint-Exupéry tells of his being stranded in the Sahara Desert, thousands of kilometers away from inhabited places, where he meets a young extra-terrestrial (though entirely human-appearing) prince. In their conversations, the author reveals his own views about the follies of mankind and the simple truths that people seem to forget as they grow older. The essence of the book is contained in the famous line uttered by the fox to the Little Prince: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux" (It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye). There are also two other main points in the book, both spoken by the fox. They are: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and "It is the time you have spent for your rose that makes your rose so important"”.

Sounds a little bit like the cycle of life movement from BWPS.  This could be real good, considering who has written the narration.

I know this premier isn’t in the same league as the premier of Smile back in ’04, but I am intrigued.  In six days, we’ll know what this thing is all about.  I was wondering if any (other) folks are going to be huddled around their computers waiting for the first words from the UK about That Lucky Old Sun (a narrative).        

[wiggbuggie]

well when ever this album will hit stores ill pick it up looks interesting and i love midnights another day. wonder if the beach boys will get together for a reunion after brian is finished with his new album. It be great to see mike, brian, bruce, al to record a new album using the beach boys name

[Chris Brown]

My only "pondering" right now is that I am excited for the work to debut...as a Brian Wilson fan you hate to get your hopes up so much, but I really believe that he is going to pull off something special with this one (if Midnight's Another Day is any indication, anyway). 

[buddhahat]

"You remember Smile? When you hear the new song cycle it's a teeny bit like that."

How come people aren't wetting themselves over this statement from Brian?! I suspect there is a general fear that the claim is just too good to be true, but surely this is what most BW fans have been witing for, isn't it? I'm definitely very excited about it.

Brian seems to frequently refer to a creative boom in his writing at the moment which, I may be wrong, is not something he usually boasts about. On that basis, and on the quality of Midnight's Another Day, I will definitely be huddled around my computer for the firsts reviews of the show!

[NightHider]

I'm looking forward most to the 'never before performed classics'.  I wonder if they are songs from his solo career or some of the great 70's Beach Boys output or something off of Orange Crate Art.  Or maybe a combo platter...

[Andrew G. Doe]

I am cautiously optimistic that something rather splendid is about to unfold. 

[onkster]

The only non-VDP lyric on the album apparently goes like this:

"The east coast has sashimi, and that salmon gets so red
And in the north I think I'll have a sake drink, well it goes right to my head
The midwest catfish fry-ups really fill you up all right
And the south is ragin' with its spicy cajun; and they cook their shrimp all night
I wish they all could be California rolls...

I guess he had to throw Mike a bone so he wouldn't sue again this year...

[Sorry!]

[LostArt]

I am cautiously optimistic that something rather splendid is about to unfold. 

I'll never forget your first response to Gettin' In Over My Head, Andrew. 
I hope I don't see you posting "Oh, my" (or was it "Oh, Dear"...I guess I've forgotten after all) after seeing the show.

[matt-zeus]

I am cautiously optimistic that something rather splendid is about to unfold. 

And you're the biggest cynic here! Now i'm getting excited too, only have to wait til next Saturday!

[voxnut]

Onkster- that was funny!

I don't know that I have the baited breath that I did with Smile in 04, but I will be interested to read the reports and hear the tunes.

Regarding a BBs "reunion" I guess for me the horse left the barn years and years ago so I hope that they don't do it. 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I'm very excited myself. I think the man's done it this time.  I'm expecting something magical. I can feel it.

[eden]

I'm feeling less nervous than the smile debut but still quite excited.
With SMiLE there were a lot of long-held personal expectations but with TLOS our only excitement really so far has been from MAD which, I personally think, is a wonderful song.
There's just not the weight of expectations on TLOS so on Monday there's either the possibility that it will a) fail in meeting my personal expectations (not massively high but optimistic), b) it'll meet those quite realistic expectations or c) I'll be absolutely blown away by it. I'd be happy with b) but I've got a  slight feeling that it might just be a c).
It just feels like the pieces might be in place for Brian to have created something awesome.
I'm optimistic but only as optimistic as being a Brian fan allows.

[Ron]

I don't see how I could possibly be dissapointed.  You're telling me that Brian Wilson has 10 new songs, basically, and a bunch of other stuff composing a story, that are all going to be unveiled in like 3 days.  There is no way that could be bad.  He could come out on stage and play 'proud mary' in 10 different keys and I'd think it'd be pretty cool... so I think we're about to get another 'interesting' at least piece of music from Brian.  I applaud his ambition. 

[pixletwin]

To quote Mel Brooks: I am hoping for the best, but expecting the worse. I think I liked MAD so much because I follow this philosophy... Of course its also why I like Titanic, ABBA, Love You, etc....