Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun

3.5/5
It's certainly hard to follow anything as epic as SMiLE, the amazing and visionary album from former Beach Boy Brian Wilson. He almost completed it in 1967, but became increasingly depressed and paranoid until the project was dropped. He finally rerecorded it and released SMiLE in 2004. In what was probably a smart move, Wilson released a decidedly less ambitious album in That Lucky Old Sun. The tracks describe the glorious side of L.A. as heard in tracks like "Morning Beat": "Another Dodger-blue sky is crowning L.A. / The City of Angels is rushed every day" or "Driving through the maze of the Hollywood Hills / Headed to the ocean for a view that would kill / Watching from the Wheel in Santa Monica Pier / A million diamonds floating on heavenly tiers." The lyrics can go too far at times, almost going out of their way to reference every notable thing about the Southland, but they can also paint a great portrait of my favorite city of all time. But if you don't share the same view of L.A., then this album's definitely not for you.

As expected from a Brian Wilson record, the melodies are natural and the harmonies are impeccable. It would be safe to say that Wilson is a musical genius. "Good Kind of Love" has a catchy melody and "Midnight's Another Day" is simply beautiful. And the a cappella harmonies at 1:05 in "Going Home" are what originally pressed me to buy the album; the lyric there is noteworthy as well, a reflection on Wilson's past depression: "At 25 I turned out the light / Cause I couldn't handle the glare in my tired eyes / But now I'm back drawing shades of kind blue sky." And the album's magnum opus, "Southern California", sounds like it could be on a 1965 Beach Boys record.

BUT, despite the amazing musical textures, the album can be unbearably cheesy. It wouldn't feel out of place in the Musical Soundtrack section of the record store: just take that assessment for what it's worth. For example, there are little 45 second narratives spaced through the album that could have certainly been omitted. It can be gag-inducing. And Wilson's obvious sense of nostalgia for the good old days can be a little much.

However, if you don't mind the cons, the pros can be incredible. I mean, this is Brian Wilson we're talking about. You're in good hands.