Brian Wilson Album: “That Lucky Old Sun [DVD]”

Brian Wilson shows us once again why he is regarded as one of the best writers and performers by musicians and fans alike. This highly anticipated DVD was well worth the wait. The DVD itself is high quality, with superior picture and sound. Each track from the Lucky Old Sun CD is played in order. I purchased the CD when it was originally released several months ago, and have listened to it many times. Watching Brian and his spectacular Band, which Brian has molded together over the past 15 years, play each track to perfection, is a experience we rarely get to enjoy in todays musical climate. As a bonus, one of the extras on this DVD is another high quality recording of Brian and his band performing several live tracks including a few Beach Boys numbers. This DVD also includes a track by track commentary by Brian and Scott Bennett, giving us insight into the inspiration behind the music on Lucky Old Sun. A great DVD.

AFTER SEVERAL PLAYS DAYS APART, I FIND THE BEAUTY OF THIS CD/DVD. THIS IS GOOD STUFF AND NOT TO BE MISSED BY ANYONE. THIS IS NEW STUFF AND NEW DIRECTION. BRIAN CONTINUES TO MOVE HIS LEGACY FORWARD AND WE ALL SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR HIS CONTINUING MUSIC MAKING SKILLS!

As a huge fan of the Beach Boys, Brian and the TLOS album, I was destined to like this dvd. For me personally, the bonus features are the best part of the dvd, though - particularly the Yahoo set and the Black Cab Session.

I was very disappointed in the way the producers decided to present the actual TLOS "concert". First off, the performance was in front of a very small audience at Capitol Records. Although the crowd was enthusiastic, the actual concert I saw in November at the Ryman in Nashville was much more energetic and I'm not sure this dvd fully captures that energy. Secondly, the vocals on the dvd are, to my ear, over-produced. There is far more effect on Brian's vocals on the dvd than on the studio album and it contributes to making the dvd sound more like a studio recording than a live concert. Additionally, Brian's vocals are so heavily overdubbed that at times it looks like he's lip-synching to a record. Overdubbing the occasional bad note is one thing. Completely re-recording and replacing the vocal performance that accompanied the video, on the other hand is something altogether different. My personal preference is for music dvd's to contain the actual performance that was heard by the audience - mistakes and all. The occasional off-pitch notes are like flaws in fine leather in that they verify the authenticity of the product. Brian was in such fine voice on the TLOS tour that the overdubbing was, in my opinion, unnecessary and more of a distraction than an improvement.

Don't take my observations as suggestions that the dvd is not worthwhile, though, because TLOS is a moving, finely crafted work and the dvd is a treasure for fans of Brian Wilson. I thoroughly enjoyed the dvd and highly recommend it to others as well.

Brian and his band are as good as ever. I saw this concert live in New York while he was on tour. This DVD captures the essence of the live performance. What a memory for the concert. A Modern day mini opus to Los Angeles!

Although Brian Wilson's previous live DVDs of "Pet Sounds" and "Smile" in their entireties are marvelous, in some ways "That Lucky Old Sun" is the most remarkable of all. It's one thing -- and quite a good thing at that -- for him to re-create some of his greatest music some 35-40 years after it was written with the invaluable assistance of one of the finest backup bands in the history of popular music. But it's quite another for him to produce brand-new music of such unexpectedly superb quality. Not only are the melodies and arrangements first-rate, but toward the end it becomes some of the most emotionally naked music he's ever recorded. The one flaw in "That Lucky Old Sun" is that, after a strong start, it drags a bit toward the middle, with "Mexican Girl" in particular not living up to the rest of the suite. But that's a minor quibble, especially since the best material of all is in the final third. If you're a Brian Wilson and/or Beach Boys fan, this is essential viewing. And even if you're not, you just might find it a real eye-opener. If you'll excuse the pun, I consider myself one "lucky old son" to own this DVD!