Brian Wilson - Imagination

Amazon.com

This DVD features a special concert performance by Brian Wilson, including such guest stars as Christopher Cross, Jimmy Buffett, and Timothy B. Schmit. Though the concert segment of the DVD ranges through Wilson's career from his earliest Beach Boy days, its focus is his album Imagination, his first output in a decade. Each song is bracketed by interview segments: with Wilson, with his various collaborators, and with such admirers as Stevie Wonder and Barenaked Ladies. Still, while the concert performances are strong, they feature the same trick as his recent live concerts: sweeping washes of sound that mask just how thin and tentative Wilson's voice has become. As for insight into Wilson's tragically quirky life and pained genius, check out I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, Don Was's film about Wilson. --Marshall Fine

Description

Brian Wilson's imagination inspired some of the most influential and chart-topping music of this century. This program spans from the earliest archival footage to the landmark album "Pet Sounds," and on to behind-the-scenes in the studio with Brian recording his first solo disc in a decade. Interviews with fans like Eric Clapton, Sean Lennon, Elvis Costello, the Barenaked Ladies, Stevie Wonder and Jimmy Buffett make this program a celebration of the genius behind the Beach Boys, one of music's brightest, most mercurial, and most enduring legends. Centerstage is a concert special featuring guests Jimmy Buffett, Christopher Cross, Bruce Johnston and Timothy B. Schmit with a 20-piece orchestral back-up showcasing a mix of Brian Wilson classics, old and new. Songs: California Girls, In My Room, South American, She Says That She Needs Me, Your Imagination, Lay Down Burden, Don't Worry Baby.

Customer Reviews:

Great Performance with lackluster interviews.......2004-10-20

If you want an indepth understadning of Brian Wilson look elsewhere, the reason to buy this DVD is the concert, his first concert after a very long break was shot in front of a live audiance at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles, IL. The only issue I had with the DVD was that many of the songs her performed were not easy to access from the menu and you have to spend time fastforwarding to get to see the song you want. More songs perfomred would have been nice, uping the meager playtime of under an hour, but that said this is still a great addition to the DVD collection for any Brain Wilson fan.

Disappointing.......2001-05-09

First off, I want to say that I love Brian and his music. I think it's great that he's back doing what he does best, making music, doing it well, and seemingly having a great time. But this DVD really was a letdown. First, the whole thing just seems like a commercial for brian's ability. Everyone in the video is like "WOW HE'S A GENIOUS", "Brian is incredible" and the like. It goes on and on through the whole video, and its aggrevating. (Bruce Johnston in particular is the biggest butt-kisser on this video, but of course he would have been an unemployed nobody for the past 30 years without Brian's music.) Its like they're trying to brainwash you into believing Brian is some sort of deity or something. He could drop a tissue on the ground in this video and Sean Lennon would be there googling and going "wow, look how you dropped that tissue...man, you're incredible." He is indeed a genious, anyone buying this DVD knows that already. He certainly deserves praise, but we dont need it crammed down our throats for the entire hour. The live performaces were a mixed blessing. It's cool to see Brian perform live, provided he's actually singing. Almost all of the live performances are lip-synched to pre-recorded tape. Ive seen him live and the guy still can sing pretty darn good, why they felt the need to have him fake singing on this video I have no clue. If they would have included more video from the studio sessions (eg- seeing Brian lay down all the harmonies himself would have been awesome), more actual live performances, and stop saying "genious" and "amazing" every 3 seconds it would have been an awesome DVD. And for the last time, PLEASE keep Sean Lennon and Bruce Johnston away from Beach Boy/Brian Wilson documentaries!!!! They are on all of Brian's videos and have no right to be there, they contributed NOTHING to Brian's music (ESPECIALLY Sean Lennon...who does this kid think he is anyway?!?!)

(a lack of)imagination.......2000-12-15

Not really a good representitive of the body of his work. This film meanders aimlessly for what seems like hours without accomplishing anything.

While the concert footage is well shot, the rest of the production value is poor along with lousy pacing/editing.

Save your money from this abomination,,,,

Average customer rating:

Brian Wilson one of the gratest

Pleasant & Suitable for Surround

Welcome Back from Hell

Brian Wilson's Back in top form!

Brian Wilson is the best, no one could ever be him

Imagination
Brian Wilson
Manufacturer: Digital Sound
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: DVD Audio

General | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video
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The End of the Innocence

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ASIN: B00000DAUK
Release Date: 1998-08-26

Tracks:

Your Imagination
She Says That She Needs Me
South American
Where Has Love Been?
Keep An Eye On Summer
Dream Angel
Cry
Lay Down Burden
Let Him Run Wild
Sunshine
Happy Days

Product Description

Former Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson steps out on his own with this intriguing solo album. Collaborating with the likes of Jimmy Buffet, J.D. Souther and Carole Bayer Sager, Wilson redefines himself through several new compositions, this time expressed via a fascinating 5.1-channel surround presentation.

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

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Brian Wilson one of the gratest.......2002-02-13

I have this cd in my personal collection and listen to it almost every day. Brian is not only one of the Beach Boys but one of the best song writers of the times. The 5.1 DTS is so amazing, so clear,and the mix so perfect I would recomond this cd to anyone who likes Brian Wilson.

Pleasant & Suitable for Surround.......2001-04-23

These comments apply to the DTS surround sound version. Brian Wilson's layered arrangements and multiple vocal lines make this music especially appropriate for surround sound. For example, you might expect to find the backing vocals in the surround channels, and indeed you do. It's satisfying and enjoyable to be enveloped in one of pop's classic voices. In general, the music here is appealing and smoothly pleasant. But while it's a glorious, classic sound, by the end of this 39 min. CD a certain sameness has settled in. Wilson's approach has not really evolved much over the decades. What was once wonderful and leading-edge (like "Pet Sounds") now has a nostalgic feel. Still, this material in these sometimes well-done arrangements is a logical candidate for surround sound, and I think the producers did a good job. The recorded sound, despite a surface lushness, seems to lack a rich "fullness", a limitation seemingly inherent with DTS encoding. (With the arrival of DVD-Audio, the DTS approach will presumably fade away.)

Welcome Back from Hell.......2000-01-07

Brian Wilson still has it! His enthusiam bubbles over on tunes like South America (I'm hungry and I'm doin' lunch with Cameron Diaz), and the bridge in She Says That She Loves Me sends chills up my spine (listen as the layers of harmony behind "Baby if you don't stop cryin'" take turns ascending.) My only knock on the disc is that it sounds a bit overproduced - I'd rather hear analog instruments than all those digital synthesizers.

Welcome back from hell, Brian!

Brian Wilson's Back in top form!.......1998-11-25

Brian's production of this album strongly reminds me of the "Beach Boy Today" and "Summer Days..." era; which happened to produce incredible song like "Please Let me Wonder" and "She knows me too well". This is an *incredible* album with GREAT harmonies, all performed by the genius of Pop music, Brian Wilson!

Brian Wilson is the best, no one could ever be him.......1998-11-19

I been listening to the music of the Beach Boys for a long time. Now from the release of a solo album by Brian Wilson " It's Great" You still got the magic of making new songs. The whole album is great. Imagination is great. I like the re-make of let him run wild again. Every thing is perfet. I hope your'll going to make another album soon.

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