“That Lucky Old Sun” is the opener and title track of That Lucky Old Sun. This tune contains a short and pretty Beach Boys’ style vocal harmony which serves as an introduction to the following song. 6/10
“Morning Beat” continues the vocal harmony of the opening track, then kicks in with a funky drum beat. Brian Wilson is still very talented, even though his music style has not changed much. The song has an acoustic and vocal interlude before kicking in with the funky surf beat again to close out the tune. 8/10
“Narrative: Room With A View” is the first spoken word track on the record over piano and cymbals. I am not a big fan of spoken word tracks even if they are meant to tell a story; save them for the Broadway show. 5/10
“Good Kind Of Love” begins with some soft piano and vocals then turns into a cheery love song. It has the classic harmonies and a female backing vocal track. This tune sounds more like a Broadway show tune than a So-Cal pop rocker. 6.5/10
“Forever She’ll Be My Surfer Girl” has an intro similar to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.” I was expecting this song to have a fun surf rock beat, but it stays the show tune course of the album. 6.5/10
“Narrative: Venice Beach” is the second spoken word over the piano track of “Forever She’ll Be My Surfer Girl.” 4/10
“Live Let Live/That Lucky Old Sun (Reprise) Medley” is a short 50s style pop tune with a start-stop tempo. 6/10
“Mexican Girl” begins with a nice Caribbean beat with some good old mariachi guitar and horns. This is the only song since the second track to stand out. 7.5/10
“Narrative: Cinco De Mayo” is the spoken word for “Mexican Girl.” These are still boring and annoying.
3/10
“California Role/That Lucky Old Sun (Reprise) Medley” begins with a bluesy Hawaiian guitar or uke, with the vocals. This song has a fun beat and melody which makes it stand out on the record. This track even has some Beach Boys’ “whoo hoo’s.” 7/10
“Narrative: Between Pictures” Blah. 2/10
“Oxygen To The Brain” is a pretty cheesy tune; check out the lyrics. Next song. 5/10
“Can’t Wait Too Long” is a short “oooooooooh, aaaaaaaaaaaah” interlude. 4/10
“Midnight’s Another Day” opens with a classic Brian Wilson piano part. His voice during the verses sounds weaker compared to the other tracks of the record. 6/10
“That Lucky Old Sun (Reprise)” is a waste of 43 seconds. 1/10
“Going Home” is a fun So-Cal surf pop track from the first second, and it is about time. Basically, it is about going home after a while, and of course missing being home. This track has a nice harmonica (I think) part in the background and a great drum beat that makes me want to get up and dance. 7.5/10
“Southern California” is the piano closer to the semi-conceptual That Lucky Old Sun. It has the “oooooohs” in the vocal harmonies just like every other track. The older fans of Brian Wilson will not be disappointed with this record. The younger fans of Brian Wilson should turn to fresher acts like Ben Folds for talented piano playing and vocal melodies. 6/10
Average Track Rating 5.35/10
Very nice track by track review.