Recorded January–April 2008 Artist Brian Wilson Producer Brian Wilson | Length 38:09 Release date 2 September 2008 Label Capitol Records | |
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Released September 2, 2008 (2008-09-02) That Lucky Old Sun
(2008) Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
(2010) Genres Rock music, Pop music, Art Pop Similar Brian Wilson albums, Rock music albums | ||
Brian wilson that lucky old sun trailer
That Lucky Old Sun is the eighth studio album by Brian Wilson, released on September 2, 2008 by Capitol Records. It was written in collaboration with Wilson's bandmate Scott Bennett with spoken word poetry commissioned from Van Dyke Parks. As a concept album, the work largely derives from the 1949 song "That Lucky Old Sun", originally recorded by Frankie Laine.
Contents
Brian wilson good kind of love
Concept
Wilson describes the album as "consisting of five 'rounds', with interspersed spoken word". Its main theme is celebration of life in Southern California, harking back to the themes of Wilson's earlier work with The Beach Boys. "California Role" and numerous spoken interludes such as "Cinco de Mayo" and "Between Pictures" celebrate the unique culture of Venice Beach, the Los Angeles film industry and numerous Californian landmarks including the Capitol Tower and Hollywood Bowl. Rolling Stone called it a "musical love letter to his native Los Angeles".
A pervasive feeling of nostalgia and romance is visible in songs such as "Good Kind of Love", "Oxygen to the Brain" and "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl", which lyrically echoes the 1963 Beach Boys hit "Surfer Girl". The album also addresses Wilson's personal struggles in "Midnight's Another Day" and "Going Home". The 1940s' song "That Lucky Old Sun" originally made famous by Frankie Laine who had a number one hit with it in 1949, serves as the overture, and the Wild Honey-era outtake "Can't Wait Too Long" also briefly features.
Early demos of the tracks "Midnight's Another Day" and "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl" were released on Wilson's official website in August 2007. Live bootlegs and studio demos of the complete work also circulated on the Internet.
Live performances
Originally commissioned by the Southbank Centre for its 2007 opening season, the work was debuted in a series of concerts at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England during September 2007. In January 2008 it was also performed at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia for the Sydney Festival.
Reception
That Lucky Old Sun entered the UK Album Chart at #37 and the Billboard 200 at #21. The album has sold 65,000 copies in the US as of April 2015.
Personnel
From the album's liner notes.
Songs
1That Lucky Old Sun0:57
2Morning Beat2:55
3Narrative: Room With a View0:45