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Imagination
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Rate Imagination
5
9 (8%)
4
46 (41.1%)
3
33 (29.5%)
2
19 (17%)
1
4 (3.6%)
0
1 (0.9%)
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Topic: Imagination (Read 76069 times)
lance
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #50 on:
November 11, 2008, 10:34:33 AM »
So easy to listen to that it is hard to listen to.
Still, it doesnt suck utterly, it just really sticks out like a sore thumb in all his stuff...It is almost crass the way it goes for that adult contemporary sound. Still there are some good songs on it. Ill give it a 2.5 which rounds grudginglz up to a three.
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lance
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #51 on:
November 11, 2008, 10:41:18 AM »
Reading over the tracks, it seems that some people like the Keep an Eye On Summer remake. I will admit, it is very nice, but I wonder if it isn't just the context that makes it sound so good?
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The Heartical Don
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #52 on:
November 19, 2008, 10:42:58 AM »
I gave it 3 but wanted to give 4. Yes, it is smooth. Not too complicated. But it's great listening straight through. I laughed when I saw the cover art, I mean, not the starry sky, but the 'photo' of dear old Brian. When I told friends that that was the son of Brian Wilson, they immediately believed me. Must've been early versions of Photoshop.
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BJL
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #53 on:
February 28, 2010, 11:55:00 PM »
I sort of dig the sound and production of this one (and I certainly havn't always...), but here's why:
1. I can imagine Brian really digging it, its so smooth and relaxing, and I think it must have appealed to someone who had gone through so much to make an album that was just, nice, not weird or genius, but pleasant through and through.
2. No matter how smooth and gentle and consistent and AC it all is, Brian is still a genius, and so from time to time (lay down burden, cry, a number of other examples) it just sort of transcends itself, and suddenly out of all this smooth ac bull emerges a sort of bonechilling beauty.
just my two cents.
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Mr. Cohen
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #54 on:
March 03, 2010, 09:06:04 AM »
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!
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Last Edit: March 03, 2010, 09:10:58 AM by Dada
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JaredLekites
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #55 on:
April 01, 2010, 02:04:10 PM »
I loved Imagination when I first heard it. I still love the way the vocals on it sound. Brian must have really worked his butt off doing all those layers of harmonies and it shows.
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the captain
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #56 on:
April 01, 2010, 08:19:41 PM »
Quote from: JaredLekites on April 01, 2010, 02:04:10 PM
Brian must have really worked his butt off doing all those layers of harmonies and it shows.
Ha. If he worked his butt off, I'll eat my hat. Well, I'm not wearing a hat. But point being, it's shiny cheese.
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JaredLekites
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #57 on:
April 30, 2010, 11:05:16 PM »
Quote from: Luther on April 01, 2010, 08:19:41 PM
Quote from: JaredLekites on April 01, 2010, 02:04:10 PM
Brian must have really worked his butt off doing all those layers of harmonies and it shows.
Ha. If he worked his butt off, I'll eat my hat. Well, I'm not wearing a hat. But point being, it's shiny cheese.
True. Brian can pull off harmonies in his sleep but when you consider he's singing every vocal part on all 11 of these songs, it's nothing short of astounding (especially considering that Brian triple-tracked each of them which is where my 'worked his butt off' comment would come in).
Yeah, they were rather polished with some handy dandy software but the vocal harmonies really brought it home for me.
"Your Imagination" is a great track from start to finish.
So what if the instrumental tracks sound like the greatest album Julio Iglesias never made?! I can live with that.
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Ganz Allein
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #58 on:
May 01, 2010, 03:18:14 PM »
Quote from: JaredLekites on April 30, 2010, 11:05:16 PM
Quote from: Luther on April 01, 2010, 08:19:41 PM
Quote from: JaredLekites on April 01, 2010, 02:04:10 PM
Brian must have really worked his butt off doing all those layers of harmonies and it shows.
Ha. If he worked his butt off, I'll eat my hat. Well, I'm not wearing a hat. But point being, it's shiny cheese.
True. Brian can pull off harmonies in his sleep but when you consider he's singing every vocal part on all 11 of these songs, it's nothing short of astounding (especially considering that Brian triple-tracked each of them which is where my 'worked his butt off' comment would come in).
Yeah, they were rather polished with some handy dandy software but the vocal harmonies really brought it home for me.
"Your Imagination" is a great track from start to finish.
So what if the instrumental tracks sound like the greatest album Julio Iglesias never made?! I can live with that.
The reality of it probably isn't very astounding; a lot of those vocal tracks were likely generated by copying a few Brian vocals and stacking them multiple times. I'm sure Brian sang harmonies, but I bet some of those copied vocals were also transposed (pitch shifted) to create additional harmonies. Of course, everything was then finely Auto-Tuned. If Brian lost his initial enthusiasm and started showing up less and less for sessions as the stories say, this is probably how everything went down vocal-wise.
«
Last Edit: May 01, 2010, 03:20:05 PM by Ganz Allein
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Wirestone
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Re: Imagination
«
Reply #59 on:
May 01, 2010, 04:31:59 PM »
He said at the time that he triple or quadruple tracked the harmonies, which are usually four (ish) part. That means 16 parts a song or so. That's not an unimaginable number. One or two of tracks per part could have been ghosted in, I suppose. But I sort of doubt that a lot of "pitch-shifted" harmonies were created. It's simpler to assume that Brian would sing the basic harmony stack, then double or triple those parts if needed (and if he was interested).
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Ganz Allein
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #60 on:
May 02, 2010, 08:53:44 AM »
Quote from: claymcc on May 01, 2010, 04:31:59 PM
He said at the time that he triple or quadruple tracked the harmonies, which are usually four (ish) part. That means 16 parts a song or so. That's not an unimaginable number. One or two of tracks per part could have been ghosted in, I suppose. But I sort of doubt that a lot of "pitch-shifted" harmonies were created. It's simpler to assume that Brian would sing the basic harmony stack, then double or triple those parts if needed (and if he was interested).
Thanks for the correction. I knew the vocals had been Auto-Tuned (Brian never sounded that good singing these songs live), so when I read that he lost enthusiasm and started showing up less and less for sessions, I just assumed they did the old copy & paste in Pro Tools with the vocals he had recorded.
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JaredLekites
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #61 on:
May 02, 2010, 01:03:40 PM »
A listen to the a capela mix of "Your Imagination" gives us an idea of what kind of production work was done. There's pitch correction in various spots and maybe a plug in added to give even more "layered" effect (layers of layers, that is). However, there definitely seems to be a lot of actual Brian vocals present in the mix. Even some clever bits that are buried in the final mix.
I wouldn't mind having access to the multi tracks for this one. It'd be a lot of fun to mess around with.
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Wirestone
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #62 on:
July 14, 2010, 04:27:00 PM »
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.
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Andrew G. Doe
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #63 on:
July 16, 2010, 02:30:12 AM »
Jimmy Buffett is clearly audible in the bvs for "South American".
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hypehat
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #64 on:
September 12, 2010, 01:42:08 PM »
For some reason, I keep having an inexplicable urge to put this album on. It's really crap. I know it's really crap. Your Imagination is the only good song, and even then it's derivative as hell. And yet here I am, listening to the damn thing. It's so shockingly awful, trite, cliched, and just plain SHITE. WHY AM I LISTENING TO THIS? Lay Down Burden might be the worst song he's ever written. It's BORING.
[/painkiller induced rant]
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Last Edit: September 12, 2010, 01:49:55 PM by hypehat
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punkinhead
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #65 on:
March 08, 2011, 08:27:18 AM »
Not bad, prolly something I'd be half impressed with, then would drop that after a couple of weeks.
Song selection seems a bit odd and some older choices seem questionable, especially Let Him Run Wild; ugh, that track is sooooooo bad. Sounds like a karaoke version of the original. Sunshine has always been a favorite, most of it. Parts of Happy Days is good, some bland. Your Imagination is great. She Says that She Needs Me should be a known "BW Classic."
But I could see most of this material being forgotten.
There is stuff I do like that some really dislike. Why is the only Paley tune not even picked out from the stuff we already knew? The Keep an Eye on Summer remake is really good...The Beach Boys shoulda done this back for the S&S album...it's about the one productive track I'd take home. Cry is good for a couple listens.
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Last Edit: March 08, 2011, 09:56:08 AM by punkinhead
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Weezer12
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #66 on:
March 25, 2011, 01:09:23 AM »
Does anyone know what, if any, tracks were recorded but left off the album when the tracklist was finalized? I've been getting into BW's solo albums lately and I've been making custom tracklists so I was curious.
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punkinhead
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #67 on:
March 25, 2011, 02:25:43 PM »
Quote from: Weezer12 on March 25, 2011, 01:09:23 AM
Does anyone know what, if any, tracks were recorded but left off the album when the tracklist was finalized? I've been getting into BW's solo albums lately and I've been making custom tracklists so I was curious.
I wanna say Dancin' the Night Away was produced around this time...I could be wrong...I could look up on AGD's site, but then again, anybody could.
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To view my video documentation of my Beach Boys collection go to
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"Someone needs to tell Adrian Baker that imitation isn't innovation." -The Real Beach Boy
~post of the century~
"Well, you reached out to me too, David, and I'd be more than happy to fill Bgas's shoes. You don't need him anyway - some of us have the same items in our collections as he does and we're also much better writers. Spoiled brat....."
-Mikie
"in this online beach boy community, I've found that you're either correct or corrected. Which in my mind is all in good fun to show ones knowledge of their favorite band."- punkinhead
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #68 on:
March 25, 2011, 02:29:54 PM »
Quote from: punkinhead on March 25, 2011, 02:25:43 PM
Quote from: Weezer12 on March 25, 2011, 01:09:23 AM
Does anyone know what, if any, tracks were recorded but left off the album when the tracklist was finalized? I've been getting into BW's solo albums lately and I've been making custom tracklists so I was curious.
I wanna say Dancin' the Night Away was produced around this time...I could be wrong...I could look up on AGD's site, but then again, anybody could.
I don't know if you'd consider these songs being left off, but the Asher stuff & Paley material could be taken in consideration....I wouldn't hold my breath. I feel like there's some stuff that Brian and Joe Thomas did but they're not coming to my head at the moment...been on springbreak from work too long.
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To view my video documentation of my Beach Boys collection go to
www.youtube.com/justinplank
"Someone needs to tell Adrian Baker that imitation isn't innovation." -The Real Beach Boy
~post of the century~
"Well, you reached out to me too, David, and I'd be more than happy to fill Bgas's shoes. You don't need him anyway - some of us have the same items in our collections as he does and we're also much better writers. Spoiled brat....."
-Mikie
"in this online beach boy community, I've found that you're either correct or corrected. Which in my mind is all in good fun to show ones knowledge of their favorite band."- punkinhead
Wirestone
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #69 on:
March 25, 2011, 03:53:52 PM »
Brian and Joe wrote "How Could We Still Be Dancin'" for the followup to Imagination. That song seems to have roots in "Dancin' the Night Away," which is a Paley-era track.
Brian and Joe also re-recorded the Paley sessions track "Gettin' In Over My Head" -- for Imagination or its followup. Their basic track was then used for the GIOMH album some five years later, with some newly recorded parts. Why that album didn't use the earlier, tighter track from the Paley sessions is a mystery.
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punkinhead
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #70 on:
March 25, 2011, 04:15:36 PM »
Quote from: Wirestone on March 25, 2011, 03:53:52 PM
Brian and Joe wrote "How Could We Still Be Dancin'" for the followup to Imagination. That song seems to have roots in "Dancin' the Night Away," which is a Paley-era track.
Brian and Joe also re-recorded the Paley sessions track "Gettin' In Over My Head" -- for Imagination or its followup. Their basic track was then used for the GIOMH album some five years later, with some newly recorded parts. Why that album didn't use the earlier, tighter track from the Paley sessions is a mystery.
Ah, mysteries of the Beach Boys; I think two volumes could be written about this
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To view my video documentation of my Beach Boys collection go to
www.youtube.com/justinplank
"Someone needs to tell Adrian Baker that imitation isn't innovation." -The Real Beach Boy
~post of the century~
"Well, you reached out to me too, David, and I'd be more than happy to fill Bgas's shoes. You don't need him anyway - some of us have the same items in our collections as he does and we're also much better writers. Spoiled brat....."
-Mikie
"in this online beach boy community, I've found that you're either correct or corrected. Which in my mind is all in good fun to show ones knowledge of their favorite band."- punkinhead
FatherOfTheMan Sr101
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Re: Imagination
«
Reply #71 on:
September 20, 2011, 03:13:21 PM »
I just found a cheap "Press Release Copy" and I Love "Lay Down Burden" so....
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FatherOfTheMan Sr101
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #72 on:
September 24, 2011, 03:02:19 PM »
Just got it "SSTSNM" is Freaking incredible and the re-created "Let Him..." is also great!
This album is great!! What the hell are you guys listening too?!?!
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #73 on:
October 01, 2011, 08:59:37 PM »
i was hungry for new Brian Wilson material when this came out & enjoyed the album.
But as time has gone on I listen to it less and less, it has some pretty good songs but as others have commented the production is too shiny. It just doesn't sound very Brian Wilson to me and i suspect that Brian had little say in the final arrangements. BW88 has an odd production but I find fascinating to listen to, i much prefer GIOMH to this album. There are usually fascinating embellishments to listen to on Brian's albums but not with this one, it lacks character.
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hypehat
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Re: Imagination
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Reply #74 on:
October 23, 2011, 03:09:28 AM »
Quote from: FatherOfTheMan on September 24, 2011, 03:02:19 PM
Just got it "SSTSNM" is Freaking incredible and the re-created "Let Him..." is also great!
This album is great!! What the hell are you guys listening too?!?!
Could ask you the same question....
Just saw my rant upthread and by gum, did I hate this album. Still do. It's so dull.
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Quote from: ontor pertawst on October 06, 2012, 06:05:25 PM
All roads lead to Kokomo. Exhaustive research in time travel has conclusively proven that there is no alternate universe WITHOUT Kokomo. It would've happened regardless.
Quote from: Andrew G. Doe on May 15, 2012, 12:33:42 PM
What is this "life" thing you speak of ?
Quote from: Al Jardine
Syncopate it? In front of all these people?!
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