Music / Imagination

Imagination is an album by American songwriter Brian Wilson. Released in 1998, it is the first Brian Wilson album to feature his co-producer Joe Thomas.

Production of the album was troubled by Joe himself. In comparison to Brian's former producing partner Andy Paley (whose songwriting/producing was convenient for a Beach Boy who liked going back to his roots), Joe Thomas was much more versed into Adult Contemporary music. His involvement on the album is present to the point that Brian recalled the album as "more of a Brian Wilson/Joe Thomas album" than a Brian Wilson album. Sean O'Hagan of The High Llamas was supposed to appear on the album, but he reclined due to not liking Thomas' "middle of the road" production style.

Two then-unreleased Beach Boys songs appear on this album. "She Says She Needs Me" was originally conceived back in the mid-sixties as "Sandy" before going through numerous rewritings and rerecordings across the decades. "Happy Days" is based on the song "My Solution" which was originally written and recorded for 1970's Sunflower. Outtakes from Imagination were brought up again when The Beach Boys reunited and recorded That's Why God Made the Radio.

Imagination had an average reception upon release, with fans complaining about the album not sounding like something coming out of Brian. The song "Your Imagination" however did well on Adult Contemporary radios. Afterwards, Brian ceased any collaboration with Joe Thomas until 2012 for That's Why God Made the Radio and 2015's No Pier Pressure.

---

Tracklist

1. "Your Imagination"
2. "She Says She Needs Me"
3. "South American"
4. "Where Has Love Been?"
5. "Keep An Eye Summer"
6. "Dream Angel"
7. "Cry"
8. "Lay Down Burden"
9. "Let Him Run Wild"
10. "Sunshine"
11. "Happy Days"

Your tropes are runnning wild (running, running, runniiiiiiiiing) :

• Album Title Drop
  Your imagination's running wild
• Auto-Tune: Particularily evident on "She Says She Needs Me", "South American" and "Sunshine".
• Break Up Song: "She Says She Needs Me".
  Sorry baby, I just can't stand it
  It didn't work out the way planned it
  I don't know whether we're going to be together
  And sorry baby, it's time we said good-bye
• Cover Version: "Keep An Eye On Summer" and "Let Him Run Wild".
• Despair Event Horizon: "Happy Days".
  Dark days were plenty
  Never ending sorrow
  Only the past with
  Uncertain tomorrow
• Grief Song: "Lay Down Burden" is in memory of Brian's brother Carl Wilson who passed away early in the year of the album's release.
  How many things I wanted to do
  How many times spent thinkin' this through
  So many nights spent here by the phone
  Wond'rin' if you felt just as alone
  While some things have all been
  Crazy from the start
  It's tearin' me apart
• Mythology Gag: "South American" has the "Shortenin' Bread" riff during one bridge.
• One-Word Title: "Cry" and "Sunshine"
• Song Style Shift: "Happy Days" starts off bleak and gets way more optimistic on its second half.
• Special Guest: Fellow Beach Boy Bruce Johnston provides backing vocals on the album as well as Beach Boys touring member Richie Cannata playing the saxophone.
  • Jimmy Buffet co-wrote "South American".
• Reggae: "Sunshine".
• Spicy Latina: "South American"
  It rolls off my tongue like a magical phrase
  A simple translation this message conveys
  Gimme that, gimme that South American girl
• Stopped Caring: "South American"
  Let the paparazzi flash, let the tabloid scream
  I've been around too long to care what anyone says
• Truck Driver's Gear Change: "Your Imagination".