Imagination

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Fixed your quote brackets for ya 

Anyway, we happen to like GIOMH. Of course, though, there's kind of another reason behind that other than the music. See, 2 years ago, when she was pregnant, we were on our way to the doctor to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. We listened to BWPS on the way there. On our way back home after finding out  that we were having a girl, we put in GIOMH. We already liked the album (rough vocals and all, although I cannot listen to Fairy Tale IMHO), but it was special. Sadly, we lost Drew 4 days later. So the album kinda holds a special place in my heart.

BTW...check your pm box. I wanted to ask you something.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

My wife & I been listening to all of the BB related releases *in order* for the past month or so. She recently confessed to me that she has always hated the album, esp. the mix. Her worst songs? "SSTSNM", "South American", the horrible instrumental break in "Your Imagination" and esp. "Keep an Eye on Summer", which she said "sounds like graduation music for a school for the severely mentally/emotionally handicapped".

Our consensus is that it is the worst BB solo album. Period. Although, we have yet to hear Bruce's "Going Pubic" and considering how much she dislikes Bruce, that's for the best...

Obviously, I meant "Going Public".

Freudian slip, or too much Heiniken? You decide.

[Chris Brown]

Looking past the cheesy production, I actually really like this album.  Your Imagination and Dream Angel are very simple, light and hummable, even if they both kinda sound the same.  She Says That She Needs Me is quite good, although I admit I prefer "Sherry" just a little more.  South American is really cheesy but somehow still catchy.  The remakes of Keep An Eye On Summer and Let Him Run Wild are decent enough (not as good as the originals but not bad by any means).  Cry and Lay Down Burden are fantastic, those two are among my favorites.  I don't really care for Sunshine, and did care for Happy Days for a long time until I finally heard My Solution.  Now I listen to it mostly because I really like My Solution.  Overall I give this one somewhere between 3.5-4 out of 5.

[the captain]

It's yucky.

[Aegir]

Very poppy, and South American has some silly lyrics that I half-expected to be written by Landy, but overall I really like this album. An easy 4/5.

[Lonely Summer]

It would be a 5 for me except for "Sunshine" (the fake reggae vibe doesn't move me) and "Happy Days" (sounds like an attempt at some Smile-era wierdness, just doesn't work in this context). "Let Him Run Wild" would have fit in on IJWMFTT. Nice enough, although no comparison to the original, but it's nice to have a version I can sing along to without hurting myself! "Keep an Eye on Summer", in my opinion, improves on the original. I know, call me tone deaf. I can take it. I like Buffett, not a major fan, but I've got a cd comp of his I put on quite often, so I enjoy hearing him back up Brian on "South American". "She Says That She Needs Me" comes closest of the songs here to Brian's "Beach Boys Today"/"Pet Sounds" style (the clarinet is a nice touch). "Where Has Love Been" is very tender, the lyrics are simple (as they usually are in Brian Wilson songs), but resonate with me. "Lay Down Burden" is my fav, though. Don't know if he really wrote it about Carl, it doesn't matter. It makes the emotional connection. Who would have ever guessed Brian would outlive both of his brothers? This song reminds me of loved ones who are gone. I guess I don't approach the music as analytically as some, either it moves me or it doesn't, and with Brian, it almost always touches me on some little. His co-producers/collaborators sometimes want to push him in their own direction, but in most cases it seems like his own musical heart manages to come through, I'm thankful he is still around to give us musical valentines like this. Music today could use a lot more of the kind of love that Brian puts into his music.

[Mahalo]

I, like others, listen to this album maybe 3 times a year. I love Lay Down Burden, but it is not a song I can listen to often. Other than that I like the album cover and the colors. They are cool colors.    2.5-3 out of 5.

[Alex]

Our consensus is that it is the worst BB solo album. Period.

You've not heard GIOMH yet, then ? Prepare to revise your judgement. 

I thought "Looking Back With Love" was supposed to be the worst BB solo album.

[Aegir]

I believe Andrew actually likes that album, for some reason.

[MBE]

I don't like this one. Brian's voice is nice (maybe digitally corrected??) but other then the title track and Lay Down Burdon it does nothing for me. The remakes are terrible, I hate the new lyrics of Sherry She Needs Me, and gosh it sounds like a close cousin to SIP. Not impressed but again the title track is really cool. I bought the 45 of it and expected the album to match it. Was I let down!

[C.Miller]

I'm only really familiar with  She Says She Needs Me, but I love the way it is arranged, excellent cellos and clarinets. Does the whole album use these kind of arrangements, or are they unique to this track?

[the captain]

Unique to that track.

[Manchini]

Finally gave this album a few listens.  I have to agree with what most have said about the bad production.  I'm surprised more people aren't completely put off by the lyrics.  The album would have to be a production masterpiece to make up for those lyrics.  I try to tell myself that it's no big deal, but I just can't accept that anybody would approve these words on a collection of songs.  It must have been sneaked past somebody.

Exaggerations aside, I think it's a mediocre solo attempt with some promising moments that are ultimately shot to hell by Joe Thomas' involvement.  And that's WITHOUT factoring in the lyrics.  Some of them are harmless, but some make me kind of do a mix of this:    ...Your Imagination, Lay Down Burden, and Sunshine come to mind as particularly bad.  Your Imagination and Lay Down Burden are good songs and their production would be forgiveable if the lyrics weren't so boring and unsophisticated.  Lay Down Burden is still great thanks to its hook, but you see my point.  South American is just not good all around.

I like his vocals on this album.  I dig Let Him Run Wild and She Says That She Needs Me and I think Happy Days is cool.   

[the captain]

I'm surprised more people aren't completely put off by the lyrics. 

Maybe most Beach Boys and Brian Wilson fans are used to shitty lyrics.

[Mahalo]

I, for one, love the Cameron Diaz reference in "South America"!!

[the captain]

I can't imagine loving a single thing that in any way includes Jimmy Buffett.

(Margaritas don't technically involve Jimmy Buffett, do they? If so, okay, one thing.)

[matt-zeus]

I first heard 'She says that she needs me' on the radio just before the album came out, it sounded pretty good to me so I was excited (i'd never heard Sherry at that point), then came that famous Uncut special on Brian detailing the making behind the album and I was a bit disappointed. That said I think half the album is good. Like someone else said I prefer the remake of 'Keep an eye on Summer' (I hadn't heard the original at that point), its less messy than the original.
Not keen on Lay Down burden, always thought it was a bit overrated, I prefer Where has love been and Cry.

[CosmicDancer]

then came that famous Uncut special on Brian detailing the making behind the album and I was a bit disappointed.

Is this article available online?  I would be very interested in reading it. 

[matt-zeus]

I found this cool site (though I haven't tried it out yet) which has old articles on it!

http://www.rocksbackpages.com/artist.html?ArtistID=wilson_brian

It's Uncut June 1998. At the same time there was a mojo too.

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

I highly recommend that site.  I subscribed to them some time ago so I could read the full articles.  Worth every penny.

[wgolly]

I'd give it a 5 for brian's vocals, but god, those joe thomas tracks sucked.  They were so generic, with cheesy guitar sounds and saxes, it doesn't sound like BW at all.

[Aegir]

It's sad that even on a message board of like-minded individuals, I'm in the musical minority. I absolutely love the production on this album.

[Lonely Summer]

You're not alone. I have no complaints about the production on this or IJWMFTT, but I've been told repeatedly that both are "too Adult Contemporary sounding, they don't sound like Brian Wilson". At the same time, I'm being told that the production on the 1988 solo album is "too synthy". Honestly, I don't know what people want.

[the captain]

I've been told repeatedly that both are "too Adult Contemporary sounding, they don't sound like Brian Wilson". At the same time, I'm being told that the production on the 1988 solo album is "too synthy". Honestly, I don't know what people want.

Well, different people want different things. But your note that people call Imagination and s/t too synthy, well, those are both valid. (OK, maybe not the "too" of each, as that's a matter of taste.) Imagination DOES sound very adult contemporary. And s/t is very synthy. So obviously, some people want a different sound than either of those. What would be hard to believe about that? Robert Fripp's early King Crimson work is too proggy for me; some of his instrumental soundscapes are too formless for me. It doesn't make me overly demanding--or demanding at all. It only means I don't like some of what he's done. It's the same with brian. We don't have to fawn over everything.

[John]

Right. I don't get how the two are apparently opposites of each other. People want something that sounds neither AC or synthy. Real instruments, and non-AC arrangements.