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That Lucky Old Sun is the coolest album I have heard in a long time, super and wonderful.Having read so many reviews here alluding to Brian's genius, I will acknowledge that state of mind for him, and it is as appropriate now as it ever was--this amazing man and artist has lost nothing whatsoever to time, hard knocks, or personal difficulties. It's gratifying and upbeat, melodically beautiful, with a rhythm as infectious as the Morning Beat he sings about on the album.Speaking of "sings".I've read a number of comments about Brian's singing on this album, even going so far as to suggest that he should not sing on record (or CD) anymore. If anything, it has all increased his insight, his ability, and the emotional depth of his work, without ever taking him away from an appreciation and celebration of good times in a place that seems made for the good times, Southern California (specifically LA). Or maybe it's his inner strength that has kept him from surrendering to the tragedies of life, acting instead to strengthen and deepen his artistry.That's what That Lucky Old Sun is all about--musically brilliant, beautifully produced & executed, with understanding and compassion and insights about his own life as well as life in general. Nothing, but nothing, could be further from the truth. His voice is as good as it ever was, and his performance even better than in the halcyon Beach Boys days, and anyone listening to That Lucky Old Sun will very quickly hear this.Get this great piece of popular artistry if you want to spend some time with a very cool, upbeat kind of guy who's surrounded himself with some great musicians and singers for this "love letter to LA" CD--and who also happens to be a genius.Brian, based on this album (and Smile), has matured as an artist but never lost the exuberance and joy of life, and he celebrates it all in That Lucky Old Sun's seventeen tracks, which in listening flow seamlessly from one to another, as I'm sure he meant them to.Brian--you rock.
The instrumentals in the second chorus are amazing. I don't know if he wrote the song, but he is amazing at singing it. The lyrics are fun.it is all around a great song. 'Room with a View' and 'Venice Beach' are my favorite narratives from the album; full of wonderful imagery describing the Southern California life. It is an upbeat song about a morning in LA.
I found them to be a little odd at first, but they really set the scene (which is, of course, LA). The lyrics are amazing and the harmonies are in classic Brian Wilson form.In the end, I loved this CD. I listened to the song samples and wasn't too impressed, but I bought it anyways hoping that listening to the album in its entirety would change my mind.I put the album on my surround sound and just listened.The first song, 'That Lucky Old Sun', reminded me of 'Prayer/Gee' from BW's 'SMiLE' album.a very subtle but powerful harmony kicks off the CD.'Morning Beat' is the first real song on the CD. This song shows the genius of BW involving instrumentals and harmonies.
'Midnight's Another Day' is my favorite song on the album. It is a subtly beautiful ballad that really sounds like a Beach Boys song. 'Good Kind Of Love' is my favorite upbeat song on the whole CD. The lyrics are great.it is a very moving love song.'Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl' is a song reminiscent of 'surfer girl'. The instrumentals and harmonies are top notch.
I bought this CD with very little hope it would be a knockout. The chorus' are amazing. The lyrics are some of the most touching I have heard from BW. 'Southern California' closes out the album. It reminds me of the song 'South American' from BW's 'Imagination' album. Even on the cloudiest/rainiest day this CD will make you think of the sunny and warm California beaches. It isn't the best song on the album, but it adds to the fun of the entire CD.The narratives that are placed throughout the album are great.
With imagery laden narratives, touching ballads, and fun/upbeat songs, this album should be in every BW/Beach Boys fan collection. It is not as fun or touching as 'surfer girl' but in its own merit really adds a Beach Boys sound to the album.'Mexican Girl' is another of my favorites. Again, the instrumentals are great. As with most Brian Wilson solo albums, the audio quality is excellent. 5/5
Midnight's Another Day, Going Home and Southern California are some of the standouts for me, but really each track flows into the next so it almost seems wrong to take any one track out of the context. The vocal and instrumental arrangements in this work of art are heavenly. Brian is working with an amazing group of talented musicians and they are producing incredible work together, including this CD. I also recommend the companion DVD, with the live performance of That Lucky Old Sun at Capitol Studios. It's great to see him being creative again and having fun making beautiful music. This CD contains some of my absolute Brian Wilson favorites, even considering his catalog of work with the Beach Boys and the 2004 SMiLE album. It's fun to watch Brian and his band work together. They seem to be enjoying the ride and it comes through in the music.
I cannot say enough about this, and kick myself for not falling in love with it sooner. I LOVE this, but it was not always so.the day this came out I listened to it a few times on my online music service and thought."okay, but not worth buying" and am not sure if I listened to it again the following 11 months. Then with my online movie service I received the dvd version of this including the "making of" documentary, and that made me go back and listen to the cd.not just as music with words, but as the songs.carefully and as I took in the whole piece I could not help but be captivated at it's materful artistry. I was very critical of "Brian Wilson's 'Smile'" (and I still believe that is nothing more than him taking back and making money off of the bootleg versions floating out there as opposed to the "definative vision" which even he said does not exists), but "That Lucky Old Sun" is his first, in years, attempt at making a cd, and not only nice songs but Pet Sounds-like stringing them together to make a complete work. I highly recommend this.
The GoodThe legendary Beach Boys songwriter is back after the success of his comeback (and long-lost) album Smile. "Midnight's Another Day" is a piano heavy ballad in which Wilson pours out his heart and soul. 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. "Morning Beat" is an upbeat track that praises life in Los Angeles and how lucky it is to be in the middle of it. Even the narratives that connect one story to the next are interesting. "Good Kind of Love" evokes a lot of the peace, love, and harmony that late 60s and early 70s music put forth. Wilson continues his flair for conceptual albums with his 2008 release That Lucky Old Sun. "Going Home" has a great rock edge to it.The BadNothing notableThe VerdictI thought Smile was a one-shot deal for Wilson, but he's surprised me that he still has more music in him.
"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. Wilson delivers ten short tales of his life on the West Coast set to some of the catchiest, emotional, and fun musical backgrounds. 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.
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