Thank you, Brian Wilson

I wasn't ready to write this one. Yesterday, another great and gifted one passes into the next life. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys dies, and the world loses a genius that impacted many, many artists, including my beloved duo, Carpenters. Brother Richard Carpenter often noted the influence of the "3 Bs" on their music: Burt Bacharach, Beatles, and The Beach Boys. (Later, he'd reference four, adding BeeGees to the list.) His take on the classic Fun, Fun, Fun sits snuggly on the duo's 1973 Now & Then album. A few years later, sister Karen Carpenter had her own chance to sing lead vocal on a Beach Boys tune. Her duet with John Denver on Good Vibrations was arguably the highlight of the duo's first television special. Needless to say, folks will be talking about their admiration for the main architect of The Beach Boys sound for decades to come. Like many things, you don't know what you've got til it's gone. Made in U.S.A. indeed.
 

No Laughing Matter: Introducing Disney’s California Adventure!

Do you remember this television ad? "Come to California Adventure! We have a Ferris wheel, lots of flat rides and spinners, and an entry area that brings you back to the malls from the 1970s and 1980s. Ignore that old school park across the way- Disneyland is outdated while we are hip and edgy with B List celebrities and Beach Boys music. So, come to Disney’s California Adventure where you can have the best of what Knott's Berry Farm has to offer- All at Disney's inflated prices." No, I don't remember it either, but it could have happened.  

Disney California Adventure has quite the history. It was the laughing stock of the theme park industry when it opened in 2001, especially compared to the jaw dropping beauty of Tokyo Disneysea which opened a few months later. Yet, Anaheim's second park looked like an absolute Imagineering masterpiece when placed up against the Walt Disney Studios Paris park. 

I was there opening year, and the park was an unmitigated disaster. It was so bad and so against everything Walt Disney stood for, that I walked out just a couple of hours later and asked for a refund. Instead, I took the offer to get into Disneyland for the rest of the day. I was not alone. Word of mouth spread quickly. The park built on the cheap by then CEO Michael Eisner was a disaster. The press had a field day.

The very ugly concept art for a very ugly park.

The quickly announced budget version of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror open in 2004, but it wasn't enough to bring in the crowds or give it an authentic Disney park feel. 

On October 17, 2007 new CEO Robert Iger announced a total redesign of the park and to thunderous response. It was a "brand withdrawal" in his words- not up to par with what a Disney park should be. 

The project took many years. It brought the amazing Cars Land and Radiator Springs Racers, the brand new entry Buena Vista Street, an evening show on the lagoon World of Color, and a new dark ride based on The Little Mermaid. When the last stage opened in 2012, the crowds responded favorably and attendance went way, way up.

To be honest, I've had zero desire to visit California Adventure since I've seen Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.  Nothing they have added/subtracted at the park has been a draw. And frankly, more Marvel won't do it for me.

There's been many changes and additions since, some good, some bad, and some very bad.  A Bug's Land gave way to Avengers Campus, while Paradise Pier became Pixar Pier. the rustic and attraction free Pacific Wharf (bakery tour and sourdough bread exhibit aside) became Big Hero 6's San Fransokyo. You judge for yourself whether these were great moves or not.

The little park that was the step child in Anaheim has a fascinating story to tell- and when you look through the concept art, you can see it was all Bargain Basement Imagineering at its finest. (Worst?) 

Follow the full story by reading at the series below. Look at the tons of concept art and evaluate it all. You'll be shocked at the park's awful  design and beginning compared to what it is now. Will the D23 in August help the park go forward or backward? We shall see.

Bargain Basement Imagineering - 1.0

Bargain Basement Imagineering  - 1.5

Bargain Basement Imagineering (or Back to the Drawing Boards)

Imagineering A New Dream- DCA  2.0 - The 2017 Announcement & Reimagining

Various other articles on the park:

California Adventure's Cool Retro Attraction Posters

Our First Visit to California Adventure in 2001

20 Years of DCA: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Disney's Real California Adventure: The Challenge and the Reputation at Stake

Ten Years of Disney California Adventure

A California Adventure Christmas- and More Dirty Secrets of Disneyland 

Steps in Time: California Adventure's Grand Opening

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Come Sail Away

The warmth of the sun. The smell of the sea air, and the softness of the sand. Can there be anything better to daydream about on a cold and snowy winter day? No.

I saw this photo (photographer unknown) and thought of the classic song by Styx, Come Sail Away. Then, it was the Beach Boys and The Warmth of the Sun. Then, it was my favorite Carpenters song, Boat to Sail. (You've got to hear Karen Carpenter sing this and the great piano by brother Richard.)  And then it was...

The list goes on and on and on.

Yesterday: The Beatles Invasion- 50 Years

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles invasion, here are just a few of my favorite tunes by the group that changed musical history:

• "I Saw Here Standing There"- I grew up on Motown, so unbelievably, I did not know the Beatles music as theirs until after 1970. This song, among the first I'd heard with knowledge, stands out for its playful, youthful vibe- the power of boy sees girl. And isn't that the fun part of Rock and Roll?
• "Day Tripper" - The opening notes are instantly recognizable, the melody sinks into your brain and never leaves. 
• "The Long and Winding Road" - Sentimental and symphonic, the pure emotion of the piece overwhelms me at times. If there was any doubt Paul McCartney and John Lennon would be legends, this puts the argument to rest.
• "Back in the USSR" - I just love to listen to this as I run! With its lyrical tongue in cheek tribute to the Beach Boys, the song is just Fun, Fun, Fun.
• "Yesterday" - no explanation needed, is there?

Oldies but Goodies

Oldies for a not-so-snowy day in Denver...

1. Ordinary Fool- Carpenters 2. Nothing Bout Me- Sting 3. This Time I Know It's For Real- Donna Summer 4. House of Love- Amy Grant 5. I Only Have Eyes for You- Art Garfunkel 6. How Can I Fall? -Breathe 7. If We Were Lovers- Gloria Estefan 8. Have I Told You Lately- Rod Stewart 9. Someone Like You- Van Morrison 10. I Believe In You and Me- Whitney Houston 11. What's On Your Mind- Information Society 12. Freeway of Love- Aretha Franklin 13. Day Tripper- Beatles 14. Good Vibrations- Beach Boys 15. I'll Be There for You- Rembrandts 16. Friends- Michael W Smith 17. Deeper Than A River- Olivia Newton-John 18. Someday We'll Be Together- Supremes 19. We Must Be Loving Right- George Strait 20. When Love Finds You- Vince Gill 21. It's Impossible- Perry Como 22. Night and Day- Temptations 23. We Can Work it Out- Chaka Khan 24. If You Leave Me Now- Chicago 25. How Sweet It Is to be Loved By You- James Taylor 26- Rock with You- Michael Jackson 27. Home- Michael Buble 28. One Hundred Ways- James Ingram 29. Through the Years- Kenny Rogers 30. For All We Know- Barbra Streisand 31. Cry- Crystal Gayle 32. Sunday Kind of Love- Reba McEntire 33. What If I Loved You- Joey Gion 34. September- Earth Wind and Fire 35. Show Me the Way to Your Heart- Scott Grimes 36. Last One Singin the Blues- Karen Carpenter 37. The Very Thought of You- Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt 38. Beyond the Sea- George Benson 39. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning- Chris Botti 40. Fly Me to the Moon- Frank Sinatra 41. Unforgettable- Natalie and Nat King Cole 42. Honky Cat- Elton John 43. What A Wonderful World- Louis Armstrong 44. It Takes Two- Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell 45. You Cant Hurry Love- Phil Collins 46. Hello Again- Neil Diamond 47. Come in From the Rain- Captain and Tennille 48. Rise- Herb Alpert 49. Poor Side of Town- Johnny Rivers 50. Cant Help Falling in Love with You- Elvis Presley 51. Biggest Part of Me- Ambrosia