Imagination

[Andrew]

Brian's 1988 solo album, comment and rate here

Album archive entry at
http://www.surfermoon.com/albums/imagination2.shtml

[Lee Marshall]

A 7.  I was excited to hear that Brian was releasing a new lp.  I like it alright...although I prefer the title track sans instruments.  The production is really weak.  The album lacks 'balls'.  Not Brian's fault I'm guessin'.

[Ed Hemingway]

Some good songs - Your Imagination, Cry, Lay Down Burden, She Says That She Needs Me and Happy Days; two unnecessary but decent full retreads, plus a handful of indifferent stuff. South American would've been a great Jimmy Buffet song...

Terrible, sterile production, but BW's singing is better than on GIOMH.

[Lonely Summer]

The production sounds fine to me. I don't rate it as high as BW88 or OCA, but it's a good listen, Brian's vocals seemed to get stronger with every album. Lay Down Burden always puts a lump in my throat (same with Carl's I Wish for You on Like a Brother).

[Susan]

I heard this one before it was released, and thought i was hotter 'n hot at the time.  I also liked the album a lot - it was way better than IJWMFTT, in that it had some life, and there are some really good and listenable songs - South American should have been the single!!  Still, it hasn't aged very well with me.  A 6.

[Laughing Gravy]

Big disappointment. 3 or 4 good tracks, so I gave it 3 or 4 stars.

[Soulful Old Man Sunshine]

I'll give it a 6. Almost 7, not quite.

I like this album. I don't love it, no way. But there are some very nice songs on here, and Brian's voice sounds better than it has since the '70s. Comparatively, on GIOMH from 6 years later, he sounds almost passive, and straining in parts (Not to mention that album is far more miss than hit, to be kind). This album has some pretty lame, MOR production values to it, though. But hey, I don't suppose that's really Brian's fault.

The good songs: 'Your Imagination' (great vocals!), 'She Says That She Needs Me' (my favorite track here), 'Where Has Love Been' (pretty melody), 'Cry' (again, great vocals), 'Lay Down Burden' (beautiful, but better played live, like on the Roxy set) and 'Happy Days', mostly (I like the happy parts). I guess 'Keep An Eye On Summer' and 'Let Him Run Wild' are good in principal, since they're classic BBs songs, redone. Still, it's a no duh that the originals from '64 and '65 are WAYYY better (especially with LHRW, which is my 2nd favorite BBs song ever). Don't get me started on that version of LHRW. I'll rant about it some other time, along with Brian's opinion of his original falsetto lead. Oh man, don't get me started...

The lesser songs: Everything else, obviously. 'South American' is my least favorite. Just doesn't fit Brian at all. 'Dream Angel' isn't all that interesting, and 'Sunshine'...well, I kinda like that one. Sometimes. Depends on my mood. On the face of it, though, it's a pretty silly little song.

Overall, I'd rate Imagination about on par with BW88. Both have some really nice songs, some lame production, and some songs that don't quite connect. Hmm, I think BW88 might be slightly better. I dunno.

[Aegir]

Brian's 1988 solo album

really?

[Silver Salmon]

I got a copy of this a few days ago (hey, the credit card points are actually good for something). My opinion will probably ultimately change, because that's just what it does. I like the 1988 solo album much better than this one. Every track there is likeable mostly because every song is unique. And doesn't sound like Muzak.

The two standouts are easily Cry and Happy Days.

I may be alone, but I dislike the amount of production with Lay Down Burden. The raw vocal and limited instrumentation from Live at the Roxy just seems so much more heartfelt. Double-tracked vocals on Imagination just don't sound right. For some reason, though, I liked this version of Let Him Run Wild.

Are the backing 'vocals' on the begining of Happy Days supposed to be anything or is it intentional gibberish?

[trfesok]

Favorite songs: "Your Imagination", "She Says That She Needs Me", "South American", "Sunshine", "Dream Angel".

Like everyone else here, I think the production is a bit too smooth, removing a lot of the idiosyncratic sound that we usually associate with Brian. On the other hand, the synths are more low key and there aren't any drum machines, so this has aged better than his first solo album.


On the other hand, for me, the problem of lyrics is still ongoing here. Despite the sincerity behind  songs like "Cry", "Lay Down Burden" and "Happy Days", the lyrics still sound awkward, clumy. I like the first three songs a lot better, but the outside lyricists add cleverness, wit and sophisitication that Brian himself can't seem to come up with.  "Dream Angel" has a nice folk rock feel that adds a bit of variety. "Sunshine" is clever and whimsical without being childish, and I really like the classical piano at the end (even though Thomas probably wrote that part) . The Beach Boys remakes are a bit annoying. I never thought "Keep an Eye on Summer" was a great song, and Brian is way tool old to be singing "Soon we'll be graduating." "Let Him Run Wild" was always a classic, but there's no way Brian could improve on the original -- I don't get why Brian doesn't like it. Anyway, the two old songs sound really out of place.

Still, none of the songs make me wince. A nice listen.

Bob

[Lonely Summer]

Listened to this again last night, and it struck me how sweet Brian's vocals are on this. Some folks have accused him of shouting his way through Orange Crate Art - I don't hear that, myself - but I do hear some of that on the 1988 album. His voice sounded slightly "whiny" on the 88 album (although loads better than in the late 70's/early 80's). It's just amazing to me how much his voice has improved here. I like the layers of harmony surrounding his leads, too. Same thing on OCA - love those stacked "oohs" leading into Summer in Monterey, Palm Tree & Moon, and My Hobo Heart.

[Vega-Table]

to quote Arnie Geller, "Good!"