Brian Wilson

With Smile finally behind him, Brian Wilson was able to recreate the carefree Southern California vibe of his best Beach Boys tunes with last year's That Lucky Old Sun. The breakthrough is visible in this performance, filmed in the Capitol Records studio last May; Wilson appears relaxed and genuinely happy to be playing. He's backed by a platoon of musicians, including horn and string sections to help him perfectly recreate the entire album, including Van Dyke Parks' spoken word interludes, presented as animated shorts. Also included is a Black Cab session, a documentary on the making of That Lucky Old Sun and an additional live performance that mixes old Beach Boy hits with Wilson's solo work. But the most curious feature is a MySpace "Artist on Artist" interview between Wilson and She and Him's Zooey Deschanel. Though talented, Deschanel's one album pales in comparison to Wilson's 40-year body of work and the piece quickly disintegrates into a one-sided gush-fest.