Published on Aug 10, 2005
Right about during the middle of listening to Imagination, I
asked myself a question; is it fair for us to hold true artists to
an incredibly high standard? For example, many people judge the
Beatles’ solo works according to what they did as a group. Or what
about an author like J.R.R. Tolkien, should his later other works
be held against
Lord Of The Rings? I sat there pondering this, and decided
that while it certainly isn’t fair, that’s life.
Brian Wilson is responsible for two of the greatest albums in
rock history,
Pet Sounds and
SMiLE. His earlier work with the Beach Boys is by no means
shabby either. So before listening to
Imagination, I had this notion that the record would have to
be great. In retrospect, that wasn’t a wise choice on my part.
Imagination has some moments that recall Wilson’s heyday,
but they are few and far between.
The blame for this record lies at the feet of Joe Thomas, who
produced
Imagination. Wilson usually produces himself, but for this
record he decided to work with Thomas, a former wrestler who was
getting his feet wet in the music business. Big mistake, Mr.
Wilson.
On
Imagination, Thomas creates a different and unsuitable sound
for a Brain Wilson record. There are no songs that really capture
the complexity of, say, “Good Vibrations” or “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
Instead, the listener is presented with a very adult-contemporary,
acoustic-driven album that at times resembles some of the soulless
tripe of the ’80s, despite the fact
Imagination came out in 1998.
The only two tracks to come relatively close to the old Wilson
sound are the first two of the CD. “Your Imagination,” sports some
of Wilson’s best vocal work since the early ’70s and has a strong
refrain where Brian reminisces about the old days. “She Says That
She Needs Me,” which was written by Wilson back in the ’70s,
features some wonderful harmonies to be found, and some short
orchestral interjections that hearken back what made Wilson famous
in the first place.
Unfortunately, trite lyrics and uninspired songwriting quickly
derail any momentum that
Imagination had going. “South American” sounds more like a
Jimmy Buffett song than a Brian Wilson number (Buffett sings on
this track, which may have played a part). “Happy Days” is supposed
to be the artsy offering, but with this production there is nothing
avant-garde about it. Two Beach Boys songs get made over here,
“Keep An Eye On Summer,” and “Let Him Run Wild.” I have never heard
the originals, but I can only assume they were done much
better.
Finding the silver lining is easy; Brian Wilson sings his ass
off, doing both lead and harmony vocals. And not only does he sing
well, he sings with passion, something lacking in his more recent
work. Between the powerful desperation of “Cry,” and the soaring,
ethereal voices of ” Where Has Love Been,” it’s almost enough to
overturn the negatives that Imagination offers.
If Wilson took his vocals from
Imagination, and the music from
Getting In Over My Head, we would have another classic Brian
Wilson record. Unfortunately, until last year’s
SMiLE, his solo work has been spotty, punctuated by
tremendous highs while simultaneously hitting the lows. This
dichotomy is what has kept Wilson until very recently reclaiming
his legend and place in the music industry.