Imagination

[jeffcannell]

I have a fantasy about Brian, Darian, Scott and Mark (or any combination) taking the multis and remixing this album from the ground up. More bass, less processing on the vocals, some of the worst acoustic guitar bits mixed out -- it could sound great.

I think about this often .The AOR sounding guitar opening Lay Down Burden is unlistenable. However that dong live is one of my favorites….
1-get masters or copies of such
3-strip down fx
4-remove some of Brian’s multitrack vocals snd replace with touring band vocals.
5-a little “wall of sound” mixing of drums, base, guitar,
6-and any studio pre or post song banter that is in keeping with the record.

-whaddaya all think?

[Toxic34]

I think this is definitely counting as Brian's followup to the self-titled album. What I've heard from Sweet Insanity never really sounded up to scratch, especially not in the version from the bootlegs, and after the torturous work that went into S/T because of Landy's meddling, you can tell that Brian felt truly liberated doing this album. After all, "music should come from a place of joy."

[Lonely Summer]

I think this is definitely counting as Brian's followup to the self-titled album. What I've heard from Sweet Insanity never really sounded up to scratch, especially not in the version from the bootlegs, and after the torturous work that went into S/T because of Landy's meddling, you can tell that Brian felt truly liberated doing this album. After all, "music should come from a place of joy."

Hmm...okay. I thought IJWMFTT was the followup. Or maybe I've got my timeline mixed up. IJWMFTT and OCA were 1995? Imagination was 1998?

[Toxic34]

I think this is definitely counting as Brian's followup to the self-titled album. What I've heard from Sweet Insanity never really sounded up to scratch, especially not in the version from the bootlegs, and after the torturous work that went into S/T because of Landy's meddling, you can tell that Brian felt truly liberated doing this album. After all, "music should come from a place of joy."

Hmm...okay. I thought IJWMFTT was the followup. Or maybe I've got my timeline mixed up. IJWMFTT and OCA were 1995? Imagination was 1998?

Technically, yes, those two albums in 1995 came first before Imagination, but they were relatively tentative steps back for Brian. They're good albums, but you can sense Brian is effectively dipping his toe into the water. Imagination is the full-throated return.

[Julia]

I really hate this album and everything it represents. Honestly, it's almost as bad as Looking Back With Love or even SIP to me, just a slog to get through with no redeeming tracks. I hate that arguably the last truly great dynamic Brian project w/ the Paley Sessions was killed off for this. It doesn't sound like Brian and it doesn't sound inspired in the least. A Joe Thomas album featuring Brian Wilson.

Actually, there was an article written back in '98-'99 by Paul Lester (thank you rocksbackpages.com!) that claims that Brian wasn't crazy about Imagination even then. In the article, unnamed sources close to Brian's situation reveal that as the sessions for the album went on, Brian started showing up less and less, missing several days at a time, as his enthusiasm for the project waned. Thomas went on recording the album without Brian, explaining why it doesn't sound very Brian. These sources also claim that it was completely Melinda's idea for Joe Thomas to be the producer and that she had helped push Andy Paley out of picture. One source kept complaining that Melinda wanted Brian to sound like Garth Brooks. The Paley situation is odd, as in that same article, I believe (it might have been a different article, I don't know, I've read too much on that site), there is an interview with Brian where he is very enthusiastic about the Paley songs, playing several of them for a reporter. Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas, who met with Brian, seems to come to the conclusion that Brian will go along with whatever his management and wife wants as long as he gets to eat ice cream. So, when you heard him praising Imagination at the time, it was probably to make Melinda happy.  Sean has a couple of weird personal anecdotes about Brian and the Beach Boys, in fact, that are almost impossible to believe.

Whatever you do, don't PM me asking me for a copy of this interview, BECAUSE I WILL NOT DO IT EVEN IF YOU SAY PLEASE. Again, DON'T EVEN TRY TO PM ME!

Yeah, reading the wikipedia page for the Paley sessions is very eye opening. I think there's some skeletons in the closet of the 95-25 years that may never come out, but it makes you wonder how much Brian was really in control of his music at that time and how much of it was acquiescing to Melinda the same way he did for the Boys and then Landy before her. Poor guy almost never got the chance to express himself authentically without a bunch of hangers-on and handlers wanting to put their "spin" on his output. He's like the musical Orson Welles.

[Lonely Summer]

I don't get the hatred for this album.  I really don't. Maybe Melinda was the catalyst for the teaming with Joe Thomas; so what? Melinda was the hero that rescued Brian from the clutches of the evil Dr. Landy. I think it's a great album. There aren't any tracks I have to skip over. A worthy followup to Orange Crate Art.

[Julia]

Melinda was the hero that rescued Brian from the clutches of the evil Dr. Landy.

Thats absolutely true and Im eternally grateful to her for that.