That Lucky Old Sun

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

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

[Compost]

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.

[buddhahat]

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.

[the captain]

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.

[Shady]

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.

[carl r]

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.

[the captain]

If there were no MAD, no Southern California, no Live Let Live, we'd be left with something very watery,

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.)

[buddhahat]

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.

[matt-zeus]

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.

[Jason]

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

[carl r]

If there were no MAD, no Southern California, no Live Let Live, we'd be left with something very watery,

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.)

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.

[carl r]

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

[Compost]

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

[the captain]

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.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Incidentally I saw a live performance on You Tube and it was even more interesting, with crickets, or something.

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

Ribbit.

[Swamp Pirate]

[

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

[lance]

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?

[DAMAGED]

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!

[phirnis]

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

[The Heartical Don]

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.

[Bedroom Tapes]

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. 

[Mahalo]

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.

[sofonanm]

A nice sense of emotional closure pervades it.

[variable2]

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.."

[Dr. Tim]

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.