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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
A musical love letter from Southern California, That Lucky Old Sun continues the awe-inspiring concept album journey that Brian Wilson first began with The Beach Boys' 1966 classic, Pet Sounds & has continued to evolve during his solo career, highlighted by his 2004 critically-acclaimed Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE. The four transitional narratives, co-written with Van Dyke Parks and spoken by Wilson, offer cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles which propels the album's musical story. Limited Edition CD/DVD features exclusive "making of" with bonus video content. (DVD total run time: 26:00)

Bonus DVD includes:

Chapter 1: Making Of The Album 19:14

Includes interviews and behind the scenes footage

Chapter 2: Live Performances From Capitol Studio A

Good Kind Of Love 3:22

Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl 2:54

Album Description
A brand new studio album from legendary writer, producer, arranger and performer Brian Wilson. The DVD features live and documentary footage of Brian performing at the legendary Capitol Studio A in May 2008. A musical love letter from Southern California, That Lucky Old Sun shimmers with sun-dappled choruses and arrangements that swell and swirl as if carried by the Pacific tides. One of the songs, "Midnight's Another Day," has been described by MOJO magazine as "glorious." The album is narrated in transitional interludes spoken by Wilson as 'That Lucky Old Sun,' the storyteller. The narratives, cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles, propel the album's musical story. Last summer, Wilson found himself singing the 1949 classic song, "That Lucky Old Sun," which became the inspiration for a unique approach to what would become his next studio release. He bought Louis Armstrong's version of the track and was inspired to collaborate lyrically with his band mate Scott Bennett, and with Van Dyke Parks, his old 'sidekick,' to create vibrant spoken narratives. Wilson debuted 'That Lucky Old Sun' at London's Royal Festival Hall in September 2007 in a series of six sold-out and critically-acclaimed concert performances celebrating the theatre's restoration. Wilson describes That Lucky Old Sun as an "interwoven series of 'rounds' with interspersed spoken word," and as an autobiographical travelogue of sorts.

Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

A modern classic. September 3, 2008
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

After listening to the album That Lucky Old Sun by Brian Wilson I am reminded of a brighter time and an optimism that filled my world of the 60's and 70's. I am also more of the opinion that Brian Wilson was the heart and soul behind the Beach Boys as we came to know them; a point many believe but some argue with. The naysayer's need to hear this music! Listening to the songs on That Lucky Old Sun is like listening to the Beach Boys of years ago and yet there is something new here; something richer than before. Perhaps the music on this CD reflects a life full of creativity and full of pain. This music just makes you feel good.

One aspect of this CD that I truly like is the short narratives that run less than a minute each. They add an interlude in the flow of the music, though they are musical also.

The additional DVD provides information on the making of the album along with two live performances. A great one-two punch!

I'm hoping that some of these songs get picked up for "air play" on the radio though stylistically this CD is from another era. "Venice Beach", "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl," and "Mexican Girl" are my favorites. The short narrative "Cinco de Mayo" is wonderful with the Latin beat. Ah, forget it. The whole CD is a treat.

Recommended without reservation.

Peace forever.

4 out of 5 stars

4 1/2 stars-- the modern Brian Wilson album we've been waitiing for. September 3, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

Brian Wilson is a man with a large reputation to live up to-- to be fair, taking the next step for the guy who wrote, arranged and produced arguably the greatest album of his generation (the incomparable Pet Sounds) must have been exceedingly difficult, and with resistance from the band, it took 37 years for its followup, the magnificent SMiLE, to surface. But Wilson's career during that 37 year window was largely hit or miss-- while Beach Boys fans, myself included, will speak lovingly of many of the later Beach Boys records, many of them were true group efforts, and Brian's "comebacks", 15 Big Ones/Love You and his debut solo album Brian Wilson, while endearing and engaging, were uneven and at times felt propped up. In recent years, as his solo career took off, barring the completion of SMiLE, Brian's records have sounded like forced attempts at adult contemporary-- much as I enjoy Imagination and Gettin' in Over My Head, they've felt like someone else's idea of how Brian should grow old.

Enter "That Lucky Old Sun".

My expectations were a bit low, I figured on either a continuation of the adult contemporary sound or a thoroughly retro record. What I got instead is what I'd hope it'd be-- Brian Wilson getting older gracefully. Conceived as a thematic suite, "That Lucky Old Sun" is a meditation of sorts on the life of Brian Wilson in Los Angeles. Like his best records from the old days, it's full of swagger (the superb "Going Home") and melody ("Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl"), with subtle arrangements and fantastic vocal harmonies. Ably executed by an ensemble largely drawn from Brian's touring band, the album is quite engaging and entertaining and while it feels more mature than, say, "Surfin USA" or "Wouldn't It Be Nice", it doesn't feel forced.

So is this another Pet Sounds)? Not really. There's some many tracks that just didn't engage me at all ("Mexican Girl"). But is it really, really good? Definitely. And certainly, it's got some of the best songwriting that Wilson's done in a long time.

This edition comes with a bonus DVD featuring a brief (20 minute) documentary about the making of the album, filmed during the recording sessions, is enlightening and feels quite personal. In addition, we get treated to a couple in the studio performances from the record.

Bottom line is-- "That Lucky Old Sun" is a fun record. It's not the best of the best of Wilson's catalog, but it's a fine followup to SMiLE, about as high praise as I can offer.

4 out of 5 stars

A "song cycle" with narrative looks back on a "Beach Boys" life September 6, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Okay, let's admit it: No one has listened to a Brian Wilson record (even with the Beach Boys) - since at least the 70s - for his voice. It certainly was distinctive, but like Tom Waits and Rod Stewart, it lost it's lost its melodic quality years ago.

We anticipate Wilson's recordings for the "soundscapes" he creates. Every once in a while there's a "hit single" which you can repeatedly play and even sing all the way through on your own. The Smile album was his triumph. It had the soundscape as well as those songs like "Good Vibrations" that are imbedded in our brains. How was Wilson gonna top this?

Well, he hasn't quite "topped" Smile. But he's created a new genre for Wilson music: the Wilson bio-cantata. First and foremost this is Wilson's giving us his life story from his earliest days of singing, though his drug and depression years to finding himself through his new wife and family, all the time being based in Southern California. Then it's the cantata with four spoken narratives (which rarely rhyme), connecting the songs. When you listen you will note that there is practically no space between the tracks. This is one fluid 38-minute piece. This is not unexpected, because the album was not the initial concept for this music. As you will learn on the 18 minute "Making of..." short on the accompanying DVD to this edition, the piece was commissioned by London's Royal Festival Hall to commemorate it's re-opening. The album was recorded AFTER the premiere. (Why is it Wilson's recent work - such as the complete Smile - debuts on the OTHER side of the Atlantic, far from California?).

As expected, Wilson's vocals are getting rougher on each release, but you know it's Brian, and his back up band recreates much of the Beach Boys sound.

The songs were mostly written with Wilson's keyboard player, Scott Bennett, and the narratives are co-written with Wilson's Smile collaborator, Van Dyke Parks. The only song that stood out for me as "single", which would become as popular as his BB hits is "Good Kind of Love", which a "Good Vibrations"-style chorus. Creatively, I like "Goin' Home" which has this absolutely beautiful Four Freshman (a large influence on Wilson's early work) break in the middle of a basically "rock and roll" song.

I've given this disc a few plays already and enjoy it but, as you'll find, the Narratives - though less than a minute in length, keep breaking the mood. (The reason for four instead of five stars.) Still, this is a must for Wilson fans (of which I'm one!) and it may even convince folks to check out Frankie Laine's original of the title track from the 1950s. (On the DVD Wilson refers to Louis Armstrong's version, but Laine had the major hit.)

So now what can the Brits come up with to commission another piece from the number one Beach Boy? His creative juices are still flowing and there's got to be more wonders to come.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

5 out of 5 stars

Brian's solo masterpiece September 6, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I've been waiting for an album like this one for years. It was something that I dreamed the Beach Boys would attempt, a concept album about California and their rise to fame. They came close on the great album "Holland" but not close enough for me. Carl, Al and Dennis, I know would have been game for it and they could of recruited Brian easily. Then Dennis and Carl died. The band under the commercial control of Mike Love turned into an oldies machine and even Al left disgusted. Like a Phoenix risen from the ashes Brian not only resurrected and completed Smile but he has followed it up with "That Lucky Old Sun", my old dream realized at last. I field tested this disc on my walkman this past week during a walk along the Atlantic ocean. Talk about background atmosphere! Later that evening I listened to it again with my wife and parts of it brought tears to my eyes, it's one of those albums that get better with every listen. I won't do a track by track critique, the other reviewers here have already done that, but as a lifelong Brian Wilson Beach Boys fan I'll just call it a masterpiece!

5 out of 5 stars

Brian still has IT September 9, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I have now listened to this cd 3 times after having just seen Brian and his Ever Talented Band perfom it in concert last night. It knocked me out the first listen and only gets better each time plus-seeing/hearing the whole cd live adds an extra dimension to it. That Lucky Old Sun is a 'story' of California through Brian's eyes and life experiences.

Brian can be fun/nostalgic/wistful, sad, and very honest. The man has been to Hell & Back and seems to found Peace. There is lots of joy in this cd to me.
While I like every cut I have to single out Midnight's Another Day's haunting feel which goes right into the upbeat Going Home which shows this Band at their best. Southern California ends up the 'tale' with that wistful yet postive feeling.

Yet while Brian is in his element here Extra Kudos has to go to Scott Bennett for his co piloting of this project. How he got into Brian's head lyric wise is amazing.

The short dvd not only shows the "how it was made' but clearly shows the Respect his band members have of Brian and his Work.
"The Magic" one calls it and he is right.

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