He’s 67 years old now. The still-full head of hair is graying. There are a few extra pounds around the midsection of the once lanky frame. His eyes reflect a sadness that most of us will never understand. Remarkably, especially given his tragic history, Brian Wilson is writing and producing some of the most vital music of his career these days. His most recent album, That Lucky Old Sun, is a nostalgic look back at the southern California of his childhood, a place defined by a mythos that no one was more responsible for creating than Wilson himself.

To call Brian Wilson a cult figure seems a little odd considering how many records he’s sold during his career, and yet to some extent, that’s what he is these days. Yes, there are Beach Boys fans, a surprising number of young people among them, who will come out to hear the hits, and Brian and his stellar band deliver those every night. These same people are likely to go to a show by the band, led by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, that tours as the Beach Boys these days. But there are hardcore Brian Wilson fans who want nothing to do with Mike Love. They are there to hear Brian’s newest music, and not just one song, but the entire album, start to finish. Over the last few years, Brian has rewarded those fans with full takes on his masterpieces, Pet Sounds and SMiLE, and now, a performance of his latest opus, That Lucky Old Sun.

Until recently, the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ, was a down-at-the-heels old movie theater surrounded by a community that was rapidly gentrifying. New ownership entered the picture, and they have done a miraculous job of restoring the old place, which re-opened in October. Not only is the theater looking and sounding great, but get this, the staff is actually polite and seems grateful for your business. Imagine that if you can. The Wellmont is a perfect example of the fact that we don’t need to cover every inch of ground space with new buildings when wonderful older buildings are awaiting restoration. (more…)

Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun
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“Genius is the ability to make something very complex seem very simple.”

There goes my lead. Brian Wilson speaks to The Guardian, and all of a sudden my starting point is gone. I was going to begin my review of That Lucky Old Sun by saying that it isn’t a work of genius, but rather a very accomplished songwriter, producer, and arranger. I based that statement on the fact that the album is a group of well-written pop songs, beautifully arranged and produced in a fairly straightforward manner.

The problem is, by Wilson’s definition, That Lucky Old Sun is genius. I am reminded once again that only the greats manage to make it look easy.

This album is easily Wilson’s best solo work apart from Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, and is certainly more accessible than that historic album. Most importantly, That Lucky Old Sun continues Brian’s unlikely but determined comeback as he continues to battle the lingering effects of drug abuse and mental illness. His singing, and speaking (more about that later), are more assured and self-confident than they have been since the glory days of the Beach Boys, and he has surrounded himself with a band that loves his music, and has the talent to prove it. I’ve seen numerous Brian Wilson shows over the last few years, and I have never failed to be impressed by the band’s ability to turn the respect that they have for the composer into musical bliss for the audience.

That Lucky Old Sun also marks Wilson’s return to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs, as well as some of his most profound tragedies, Capitol Records. It was recorded at Capitol’s Hollywood studios, where he first recorded in 1962.

The album itself is a series of songs, co-written with multi-instrumentalist and band member Scott Bennett, created in tribute to Wilson’s hometown of Los Angeles. The songs are linked together by four short narratives, written by longtime Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks and spoken by Wilson. According to Wilson, he found himself singing the 1949 classic song “That Lucky Old Sun” last summer. He went out and purchased the Louis Armstrong version, and that became the seed for the work that had its world premiere at Royal Festival Hall in London last September. (more…)

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (1977/2008)
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The normally overly kind All Music Guide refers to him as “the most obviously untalented Wilson brother at the beginning of the Beach boys,” and while that’s actually a pretty truthful assessment of Dennis Wilson’s early career, it’s also the sort of cheap shot he had to absorb far too often while he was alive, and it seems altogether unnecessary, given the body of solo work he left behind — work that this week, for the first time in far too long, is available for purchase.

Dennis Wilson’s 1977 debut, Pacific Ocean Blue, was the first solo recording by any of the Beach Boys, and even though it came out during a commercial low point for the band, it sold respectably — at least as well as, if not better than, the albums the band released during the mid- to late ’70s. And okay, so that bar wasn’t set particularly high, but still — in a marketplace where anyone can buy M.I.U. Album or L.A. (Light Album) at the touch of a button, it’s always seemed unfair (not to mention ridiculous) that Pacific Ocean Blue has remained out of print for so long.

Sony/BMG’s Legacy imprint — already having a banner year, especially when you stop to consider just how much stuff the label has already reissued — rectifies the situation this week, releasing a deluxe, double-disc, lovingly curated expanded edition of the album that Beach Boys fanatics have been trading underground (or purchasing used at astronomical prices) for decades. If you’re interested in owning it, in other words, you probably already do — so is it worth buying again? (more…)

Chicago - Stone of Sisyphus (Rhino)
Fifteen years after Warner Bros. rejected Stone of Sisyphus, leading to Chicago’s departure from the label and kicking off over a decade of crass, fan-bilking compilations, the band’s “legendary lost” album finally sees the light of day…on Warner-owned Rhino! Hey, why is the record industry in the tank again?

Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Capitol/EMI)
Speaking of “in the tank,” here comes EMI’s great white hope for the second quarter of 2008! Are garish artwork and echoes of U2 enough to keep the label’s top shareholders from having to sell off their third chateaus? Judging from the second single (and title track), the answer is an unqualified “yes.” Judging from most of the rest of the record, on the other hand…

Jason Falkner - Bedtime With The Beatles 2 (Adrenaline)
In which the terminally underrated power-pop superhero follows up his wonderful (and stupidly out of print) Bedtime With the Beatles, offering nine more lullaby renditions of classic tracks from the Fab Four, including “Norwegian Wood,” “Penny Lane,” and — oddly — “Here Comes the Sun.” My daughter can’t wait! (more…)