Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun
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Free Music Notes for That Lucky Old Sun
Free Music Review: The Genius of Brian Wilson
Hit: 5 Stars
That Lucky Old Sun is a work of pure genius. This isn't Wilson's best solo work, the honor still goes to Smile, but it is close.
Conceptually (not sonically) it calls to mind Days of Future Passed and John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. The concept and the mixture of spoken words and music call to mind The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed.
On Lucky Old Sun, Brian Wilson speaks directly to the listener and shares what is going on in his life just as John Lennon did on songs like Mother. There is a tremendous honesty here. The message is that Brian is back, mentally as well as physically. When he first started touring again he didn't looked very rigid and it was clear he wasn't entirely comfortable. The video in the deluxe package shows Brian smiling, animated, and looking fully engaged. It is miraculous and joyful.
This is a very emotionally powerful work. I was touched by his memories of his brothers:
I had this dream
Singing with my brothers
In harmony, supporting each other
Tail winds, wheels spin, down the pacific coast
Surfin' on the A. M., heard those voice again
and by his description of his own struggles:
At 25 I turned out the light
Cause I couldn't handle the glare in my tired eyes
This is a beautiful release. Very highly recommended. It is worth purchasing the Best Buy version with three bonus tracks including a duet with Carole King on I'm Into Something Good. King co-wrote the Herman's Hermits hit with Gerry Goffin.
The deluxe version contains a DVD with a 19 minute making of feature (I think this is identical to the special broadcast on VH-1 Classic) and two live performances in the studio. The making of film and the live performances are interesting but probably essential for casual fans.
Free Music Review: Wonderful new work from a musical legend
Hit: 5 Stars
The fact that Brian Wilson is creating new music after his well-documented past, and that the work is almost as good as "Smile" is worthy of monster musical headlines.
"That Lucky Old Sun" has surprised me. Admittedly, I'm a biased fan of Brian's, so that this work has proven to be so good is truly astonishing. This 66-year old genius, who had avoided the spotlight for the better part of three decades, crippled by drugs, mental illness and insecurities about his talent, has performed the greatest comeback probably in musical history. After performing the legendary "Smile" live in London in 2004, Wilson discovered he and his work were loved, on the same level and dedication as we love the Beatles or Elvis. He was sufficiently revived to record "Smile" with his great band the "Wondermints", release a good solo album "Gettin' In Over My Head", and touring almost incessantly, something Wilson fans could never have expected.
"That Lucky Old Sun" adds another notch in his belt, and the world is a better place for it. The CD is a conceptual piece, much like "Smile" and all the material is new, unlike previous solo efforts that had some new music but older unreleased work as well, not that it made them any worse. What we get is cohesion, making it nearly impossible to break the new work down in separate pieces. There are standouts - "Forever My Surfer Girl", and my favorite, the bouncy yet autobiographically revealing "Oxygen To The Brain", and no cut comes across as filler.
Wilson is a superb producer - one of the best to ever make any album any time, and his work here is without peer. In a world getting seemingly darker all the time, "That Lucky Old Sun", a paeon to Brian's beloved Los Angeles and look at his own life, is a sorely needed ray of sunshine that belongs in every home.
Free Music Review: His Best Original Material In Years!
Hit: 5 Stars
Ok- so this is not better than SMiLE....but if Pet Sounds & SMiLE are his best, and are among the highest rated albums in music history, then how fair is it to compare That Lucky Old Sun to them? SMiLE was (mostly) written in 1967, and simply stitched together and re-recorded in 2004. That being said, That Lucky Old Sun really is his likely his best solo album of orginal material. I am a huge fan of Brian Wilson '88, and this is better both sonically, and lyrically. It has a very upbeat sound to it, but still maintains the style that made him famous. Imagination was a good album, and features great vocals, but lacked substance, and was musically not all that interesting. On this one, Brian's vocals are very strong, and his band sounds fantastic on the BG's as usual. Gettin' In Over My Head had bits that were good- but some of it sounded sloppy and forced. Some of the re-recordings of Sweet Insanity were not as good as the demos from '89. This new album really gets everything right..although I'm not a huge fan of the spoken narratives. I admit I am suprised, that he could follow-up a masterpeice like SMiLE with something this good...but this is Brian Wilson, a man who has never ceased to amaze his fans dating back to 1961..
Highlights for me include 'Morning Beat' and 'Going Home', both which fit in with any of his best work (including the Beach Boys). 'Southern California', 'Midnight's Another Day', 'Good Kind Of Love' are all great tracks as well. I even enjoyed 'Mexican Girl', although it reminds me of something Mike Love would have written like 'Kokomo', 'Kona Coast' or 'California's Calling'
If you are a BW or Beach Boy fan, you need to own this album.....
JC
Free Music Review: Another miracle!
Hit: 5 Stars
The unimaginable has happened, and Brian Wilson has created a new masterpiece, with his latest album (a heartfelt tribute to the mythic Los Angeles of his youth). "That Lucky Old Sun" is a worthy successor to both "Pet Sounds" and "Smile", and contains the familiar layered harmonies and glorious melodies of Brian's previous greatest works, plus some as the same quirkiness as "Smile". Those unfamiliar with Brian's more recent work, may need a couple of plays to adjust to his current sound, and the brief narrative sections that were written by "Smile" co-creator Van Dyke Parks. However, everything flows together well, and the album is Brian's most accessible and tuneful creation since the beginning of his solo career. The resulting effect is extremely uplifting. Much of the success of the album is due to Brian's supremely-talented backing band - most especially lyricist Scott Bennett (who also helped with the production). As far as the songs go, there is not one weak link, and a wide variety of musical styles are incorporated. Personal favourites include "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl" and "Good Kind of Love" on which blonde vocalist Taylor Mills particularly shines (in 2007 Taylor released a fine solo album of her own, titled "Lullagoodbye"). A real highpoint of "That Lucky Old Sun" is the stunning "Midnight's Another Day"- a powerful and moving ballad, which many consider to be Brian's greatest song since "Surf's Up". The album concludes with the sublime harmonies of another true gem in "Southern California". "That Lucky Old Sun" is an album to purchase and treasure, and one to listen to regularly in its entirety.Free Music Review: We are all lucky to be able experience new and fresh music from a musical legend.
Hit: 5 Stars
The Good
The legendary Beach Boys songwriter is back after the success of his comeback (and long-lost) album Smile. Wilson continues his flair for conceptual albums with his 2008 release That Lucky Old Sun. "Morning Beat" is an upbeat track that praises life in Los Angeles and how lucky it is to be in the middle of it. "Good Kind of Love" evokes a lot of the peace, love, and harmony that late 60s and early 70s music put forth. "Surfer Girl" seems a little out of place today, but captures the classic Beach Boys sound perfectly. "California Role" has a new wave feel as it tells the story of trying to find out your place in the vast fish bowl that is California. "Midnight's Another Day" is a piano heavy ballad in which Wilson pours out his heart and soul. "Going Home" has a great rock edge to it.
The Bad
Nothing notable
The Verdict
I thought Smile was a one-shot deal for Wilson, but he's surprised me that he still has more music in him. There's no doubt that the songs that make up That Lucky Old Sun were taken right out of the pages of Brian Wilson's life. Wilson delivers ten short tales of his life on the West Coast set to some of the catchiest, emotional, and fun musical backgrounds. Even the narratives that connect one story to the next are interesting. Wilson has another masterpiece on his hands with That Lucky Old Sun, and we are all lucky to be able experience new and fresh music from a musical legend.