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60
31Knots Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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That Lucky Old Sun
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The ex-Beach Boys singer releases his latest solo album, which he produced himself.
| LABEL: | Capitol |
| RELEASE DATE: | 02 September 2008 |
| DISCS: | 1 disc |
| GENRE(S): | Rock, Pop |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 30 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Kent G. gave it a10:
Easy to listen to........updated, reflective semi beach boy sound...........real nice to hear new stuff from Brian Wilsin.
John L. gave it a10:
This may actually deserve a "9", but I'm upping it to a "10". "SMiLE" was all it was cracked up to be, and as great as the work those original Beach Boys did on it in the 60's (I've heard loads of bootlegs), but...it was a work, even though completed & gorgeously executed recently, that is truly from the 60's. "Brian Wilson", his solo effort from 1988, is his last great work of original material, & it suffered from productions issues. The two albums since then have suffered from production issues but been pretty lousy. "Imagination" is better than "Getting In Over My Head", but they both are well below par. "That Lucky Old Sun" carries with it the fine production feeling that was present on "SMiLE". It has 10 bon fide new original songs on it, and 7 are incredible, with the remaining three very good; so good that they would have been absolute highlights on either of his two sub par albums. The narratives are well written, and brief with fine musical backing, & the musical links that are less than complete songs, are even better than the narratives. I love the concept, and the carry out of the project even more. "Surprise" by Paul Simon remains my favorite album of the decade (& "SMiLE" would be up there too, even though it's truly an old album), and Paul McCartney's later career renaissance has spawned two great albums this decade (Chaos & Creation In The Backyard, & Memory Almost Full). This new Brian Wilson is his greatest new original work in 20 years, and it compares pretty favorably to those Macca efforts (though maybe not quite that great). Baring a barrage of great releases in the next two years, it will most probably be one of my ten favorite albums of this decade, and maybe one of my top five. A beautiful album indeed!! Blessings Of Love & Light!!
Sandra K. gave it a10:
full of the Brian Wilson melodies and harmonies that we all love. Wonderfully fresh and appealing.
Bill T. gave it a10:
Sure, it's pop. But it is beautifully produced, pushes all the right emotional buttons and just plain old makes me feel happy listening to it. Especially driving along the PCH with the windows open.
Murray P. gave it a3:
Am I the only one here who thinks this album is a lame duck? It sounds like Beach Boys "B" sides! I mean, I'm the first guy to agree with Brian Wilson's genius, but this ain't it folks. Just the spoken word parts alone are so cheesy and infantile it's hard to believe that Van Dyke Parks penned them. It sounds like Mr. Wilson is trying to re-capture some former glory, but instead, captures (an akward) nostalgia that really shows us that there is nothing left of the creative man who gave us Pet Sounds. There's no challenge here, no inspiration, just a driver who set the controls to auto pilot.
Brendan D. gave it a1:
Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful. Brian has, unfortunately, lost his ability to produce. Since his third comeback began around 1996 with the awful Don Was documentary "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times," Wilson's sound has become sanitized and boring, as if his orchestral overtones are being channeled through Oxycontin rather than LSD. The lyrics are, to be nice, tepid. The spoken-word interludes are embarrassing. The music has been done better by Brian, let alone about eighty other bands currently out there trudging along every day. It is a shame that Brian and WilsonCo. continue putting out record after record of schlocky, over-produced, nostalgia-laden manure like this. I'm thrilled that Brian has been able to overcome such adversity and mental illness; he's a great guy and one of the true heroes for any modern musician. But this record is crap.
Jeff G. gave it a10:
Brian Wilson has demonstrated his ability to create another masterpiece at age 65. The support and collaboration of his younger disciples like Scott Bennett and Darien Sahanaja has enabled him to approach the quality of Pet Sounds and Smile in the new millennium. Doubters just need to watch the DVD studio performance of "Good Kind of Love" to be blown away by twenty musicians performing a "pocket symphony"!
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