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| Artist: Brian Wilson
Label: Capitol Records
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $5.97
You Save: $13.01 (69%)
New (47) Used (19) Collectible (2) from $4.50
Rating:  81 reviews
Sales Rank: 1591
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.3
EAN: 5099923414723
ASIN: B001BN732I
Release Date: September 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 81
 Disappointing September 4, 2008
A reader (New York City)
13 out of 27 found this review helpful
I've been a loyal fan of the Beach Boys from their earliest days, and I place Brian Wilson high atop my list of all-time great musicians. In July 08 I paid big bucks and traveled many miles to see Brian perform live, and it was a tremendous thrill. I purchased THAT LUCKY OLD SUN with great expectations and am saddened to report that I'm very disappointed. The beautiful, surprising melodies and harmonies of the old days are gone. In their place are trite, predictable rock 'n roll songs with standard progressions spiffed up by occasional 4-part singing and corny orchestrations. This is a concept album about the many facets of life in southern California and L.A. in particular. The songs are linked and introduced by "narratives" by Van Dyke Parks, recited by Brian in a childlike, sing-song way. As far as California concept albums, Van Dyke and Brian did this already, very successfully, with ORANGE CRATE ART, a woefully underappreciated gem. The narratives in THAT LUCKY OLD SUN are not Parks' best work, and do nothing to improve the songs in between.
However, there are a couple of songs that stand out. One is "Live Let Live," about the destructive influence of human beings on the environment. As environmental anthems go, it's not as powerful as Dennis Wilson's "Pacific Ocean Blue," but the hook has great poignancy: Live, let live, not die.
The other song that deserves a mention is "Midnight's Another Day," a companion piece of sorts to Brian's "Til I Die" from SURF'S UP, in which he describes his daily struggle just to be: "all these voices/all these memories/make me feel like stone...all these people/make me feel so alone." Here there are glimmers of Brian's great gift as a composer to evoke strong, clear emotional states through music. It may not be worth the price of the whole CD, but it's well worth it to download "Midnight's Another Day" and hear it as a last, great example of the large legacy Brian Wilson has left us through his charmed, troubled, cursed and blessed life. The fact that LUCKY OLD SUN is not a masterpiece does nothing to diminish my respect for Brian. It simply reminds me that unlike the sun, even geniuses can burn out.
 Let's see what you're doing at 65- INCREDIBLE! September 1, 2008
Brent Funderburk (Starkville, Mississippi USA)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
Brian Wilson's sonic, melodic channeling of heaven is a hole I cannot close. He delivers harmony when we need it most. On the eve of Gustav in Mississippi I am crying tears of joy- "Midnight's Another Day" is as good as anything he's ever done. 'Southern California"- the ascenting voice spirals make me dizzy again- like his best. "Mexican Girl" is exhilarating. Thanking God. Don't listen long to the cynical folks who can no longer hear angels- they are still singing, in the still believing wake of Brian Wilson.
Well crafted, at times brilliant September 9, 2008
James N. Kraut (Coral Springs, FL United States)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
The range of reviews for this album are really staggering. Some think Brian's in great voice. Others suggest he should give up singing entirely, and on it goes, the disappointment and the worship. My initial response to That Lucky Old Sun was predominantly one of disappointment, although as I was experiencing that, my awareness of some really great moments coexisted with the feeling of Brian and band having come up somewhat short. Obviously this was meant to be a Big One, yet its best moments are those that are found furthest away from the "Wonder of L.A." theme, which seems a bit contrived and loosely conceived. Of particular disappointment is the set of monologues by Van Dyke Parks, who has written much better, spoken by Brian, who is hopelessly out of his element in this format.
All that aside, there is plenty to love about TLOS. The song that jumped out at me first and remains a major highlight is Live Let Live, which brings together Brian and Van Dyke, but in a style much more reminiscent of Sail On Sailor than the Smile material. You can really hear the meshing of writing styles here, the end result being a classic, which I'd not be surprised hearing along with its predecessor in concert.
My take on Brian's voice is somewhere in the middle. I think he's mostly in fine voice, using a lot of subtlety and emotional range but occasionally falls into lapses of roughness that reflect his age and the life he has lived. But overall, he still sings much more like Brian Wilson than he did on 15 Big Ones or Love You. Jeffrey Foskett has refined the art of seamlessly shadowing him on some of the upper parts.
Another thing I got a kick out of is yet another manifestation of Brian's tendency to work and rework a theme obsessively, a la Heroes and Villains (If you've heard some of the bootlegs of the H & V sessions - or even the Good Vibrations Box Set, you know what I'm talking about.) Some of the most enjoyable moments on this recording are his different restatements of the Lucky Old Sun theme.
Finally, it's nice to hear Brian's personal message coming across with more clarity, depth, straightforward honesty and optimism, all signs of a well-loved man - and for good reason. The "full circle" quality to this album - an ode to sunny California, complete with references to surfing, the year 1961 (The Beach Boys' recording career began that year) and his brothers, the late Dennis and Carl Wilson - causes one to suspect that this may be Brian's farewell. If so, he's ending on a high note. I would prefer to be wrong with my suspicion, however; it always does my heart good to hear more from this remarkable and resilient man.
 A Disney musical???? September 12, 2008
Jerkat1 (San Diego)
11 out of 23 found this review helpful
Brian Wilson is without question a pop musical genius. I throughly enjoyed '.Imagination' and 1988's 'Brian Wilson'and even found some redeeming qualities in 'Gettin' in Over My Head'. In my book, his genius can only be matched with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Lennon/McCartney.
However, this collection of songs comes across as the theme music to a Disney attraction and an annoying one at that. While listening to this CD at work I found myself turning down my computer hoping I wouldn't irritate my fellow co-workers and risk losing my standing among them as a music 'Guru'.
I could look past Brian's 'pitchy' vocals in the past but they've gotten worse over the last few years, usually the songwriting will allow the listener to sustain these tormented vocals. In all actuality, they're a bittersweet reminder of the pain and torment that Brian went through in his earlier years. This time however, not only are the vocals rough but the spoken word portions come across as bad acting from a afternoon soap opera.
Maybe it's time Brian went in the direction of Carlos Santana and bring outside vocalists to sing his songs.
Wonderful new work from a musical legend September 17, 2008
Scott Hedegard (Fayetteville, AR USA)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
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.
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