Take Me Away

Loving the summer but not digging the mountains this year. I miss the ocean. Missing the body surfing, the breezes, the balmy nights, and most of all- I miss the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore. Take me away...

Cool New Ex-Imagineer Blog

Beyond the work on films like Transformers, ex-Imagineer Thom Schillinger has done some pretty incredible work that was never built for Disneyland Paris.

The legendary Tarzan Coaster? Check. Other coasters themed for the Paris park's Adventureland? Check. I won't post the concept art for you- since finding it is part of the great discovery on his blog. It's filled with art for video games, comics, films, theme parks etc. Go here for a great couple of hours of searching his blog for hidden and not so hidden gems!
(Art copyright Thom Schillinger.)

Richard Carpenter Solo: Time to Move On

The best track to be found is Who Do You Love?, an upbeat number with snappy production and a pretty solid lead vocal by the man himself. First recorded by Australian songwriter and artist Mark Holden who released it in August of 1983.

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ORIGINAL REVIEW

Sometimes life just hands you the hard cold facts. Karen was gone, and Richard Carpenter had to decide what he was going to do for a career. The Carpenters were one of the most successful musical acts to ever emerge from the United States. They were beloved all over the world as well as at home. Anyway it was measured, Richard and Karen Carpenter had accomplished what few artists would: a devoted following, massive sales, and an artistic legacy matched only by a select number.

After the moderate domestic success of Voice of the Heart album and completing the sessions for the release of An Old Fashioned Christmas in 1984, the creative genius behind the duo pondered his options. Rumors suggested he might retire, score a musical for Disney, or even partner with a new singer. One thing was certain. Regardless of direction, Richard had to establish himself as an artist without his sister even while he continued to oversee their legacy. After all, he was still a young man with a lot of life ahead of him. There was time.

True to form as the perfectionist he is, it took Richard a few years to complete his first solo disc. And this lengthy break worked against his album being a success. It finally arrived in 1987 but to little promotion and even less appreciation. Whether meant as an inside joke or truly just a title to reflect the instrumental song of the same name, Time was eventually released following the lead single, Something in Your Eyes with Dusty Springfield. The single was a moderate success on the easy listening charts. Tony Peluso's guitar solo had become a trademark of many Carpenters' songs and is used here to good effect. Dusty's vocals were solid and the song and production very engaging, but as with most all the selections, it was difficult to listen to without wondering what Karen would have done with it. The spectre of Karen would in fact be something Richard would deal with in every solo project.

I purchased the disc in the long form box, a cassette, and on vinyl. (Good thing, too, as it disappeared from shelves almost as quickly as it arrived.) Time wasn't a release I couldn't wait to hear but more of a curiosity I had to indulge.

The packaging was to my liking, and I felt it was true to the artist as well. Richard's well known love of the automobile was forefront. Even though Richard would never be seen as cool by the public at large, he could at least be viewed as contemporary. Looking good and fresh, without the geekiness in attire seen in most every other Carpenters photograph, it was a great shot. A&M's art/design department put some real thought into how to visually promote an artist known for not being the lead artist noticed by fans. The department even produced a nice looking logo. The video for the first single was similarly well done, tying it all together. But back to the music...

When the first cut came on, I was pretty surprised. Say Yeah! shocked me as it rocked me. The pulsating track was something more akin to the Alan Parsons Project, moody but aggressive. At times throughout the song, I could even hear a bit of influence from Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra.

A promotional Japan-only single.

The next track was a pleasant surprise, one of the few I could actually hear being played on Top 40 radio: Who Do You Love? Playful and confident, Richard's vocals and the song's lyrical content were fitting for a young man still in his thirties. In my mind, this would have been the song to reintroduce Richard as a solo artist, but instead A&M, and perhaps Richard himself, played it safe by releasing the duet with Dusty.Following said duet, the fourth track on the album, When Time Was All We Had, was a fitting tribute to Karen. Woefully placed at the front end instead of the second half, this song was the Piano Picker of the bunch, belonging later in the set. The net result left me looking backwards, wondering how these tracks would have sounded with Karen. Especially Something in Your Eyes, but I guess the comparisons would not be avoided. The title song, a beautiful elevator instrumental, follows. Yet, it too would have been better received later in the album. After three pretty strong songs followed by two that seemed out of place, it appeared to me that Richard couldn't decide exactly who he wanted to be as an artist. Was he a pop rocker? A sentimental crooner and orchestra leader? Or just a pianist, arranger, composer and conductor?

The radio single Calling Your Name Again opened the second half quite effectively, but then the immediate comparison to the next song, In Love Alone with Dionne Warwick revealed greatness in her work that Richard could not reach as a vocalist. Elegant, understated, and masterfully produced, Dionne had never sounded better. Richard does bounce back with Remind Me to Tell You, a rather telling autobiographical sounding song but one that continues to steep the album with a sadness that lasts all the way through to the end of the recording.

A very young Scott Grimes enters at this point with a joyful, upbeat, That's What I Believe, and it is one of the few songs that sound as if they were fun to record. Very perky and bright but so out of place in a very serious minded album. (Richard would go on to produce a full disc with Scott and turn out a great little album.) The last song on the disc seems so appropriate for a man greiving the loss of his sister and musical partner: I'm Still Not Over You. There only needs to be a couple of changes in the lyric line to see Richard's mind had to be focused on Karen. It's a beautiful recording. Perfect, actually. Richard shines in all his roles here, and the presence of another Tony Peluso guitar solo makes the proceedings seem all the more powerful. Of course, once I had heard the disc, I started it again. Then the cassette made it to my car. As is my pattern, I listened to it as I would any new Carpenters album, trying to memorize the lyrics, listening to all the flourishes I knew Richard would add to the basic tracks. I tried to like the album, and I really wanted to. Ultimately I settled on the reality that I honestly just appreciated the album. Richard had clearly labored over it all, that could not be denied. What I heard was a performer desperately trying to find his way, without telling anyone who wasn't familiar with his work who he was as an artist. You cannot be all things to all people in the course of ten songs. To this day, I would like to hear the tracks that didn't make the final cut as it might give me a better picture of what Richard was trying to accomplish.

Don't misunderstand. Time isn't a bad album, it just feels incomplete. It could be the obvious lack of Karen on the project or a product of anticipation not met by the length of time before its eventual release. The project feels to be a marker, a collection of unreleased songs thrown together until an artist's next real album comes along.

After the failure of Time to be on his side, Richard immersed himself in many other projects. Work on a new Carpenters collection was in the plans as well, and Lovelines would be one the strongest albums by the duo. But that is a story for another article, and there's much to say between now and then.

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2025 Note: This is part of a continuing series on the music and lives of Karen and Richard Carpenter. There are so many stand alone posts highlighting different aspects of their career, recordings, rare photographs, and life that I've lost count. 

Below is the list of my "Revisited /Fresh Look" reviews, the more extensive articles than my initial ones a decade earlier. Each have different photos and clippings and focus on various aspects of the individual disc's creation, promotion, and public reaction.

My Revisited / Fresh Look at the albums:

Offering / Ticket to Ride
Close to You
Carpenters 
A Song for You 

Now & Then

The Singles 1969 - 1973

Live in Japan

Horizon

A Kind of Hush

Live at the Palladium

Passage

The Singles 1974 - 1978

Christmas Portrait

Karen Carpenter (The Solo Album)

My Initial Reviews of the albums:

Offering/Ticket to Ride

Close to You

Carpenters

A Song for You

Now & Then

The Singles 1969-1973

Live In Japan

Horizon

A Kind of Hush

Live at the Palladium

Passage

The Singles 1974-1978

Christmas Portrait

Made in America

Voice of the Heart

An Old Fashioned Christmas

Time (Richard Solo)

Lovelines

Karen Carpenter (Solo)

As Time Goes By

Star Spangled Banner- The Last Stanza

The rarely sung last stanza from Scott Francis Key's classic song of America:

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace,may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Time For A Beer

Summertime and the living is easy...

At Disney California Adventure, a break for a quick drink of an adult nature can be found at the Karl Strauss beverage truck over at the Pacific Wharf. For now.

When the new Bayside Brews opens up today at Paradise Pier, the truck may be a thing of the past. If so, the new and very beautiful refreshment area will be the perfect place to stop, relax, eat and drink among the beautiful gardens filled with shade and color. The rethinking of this area includes stunning architecture as well, making the barenness of Paradise Pier 1.0 a thing of the past. I'll drink to that!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

They've Got the Moves Like Jagger

Another smash hit in a long list of hits, another guilty pleasure from Maroon5.

Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera come together for what could be the catchiest song since Katy Perry's California Gurls. Adam's sinewy voice slides up and down the scales backed by the most tasty ear candy whistling hook ever recorded. Just when you think you've got the bulk of the song and know where its headed, Christina jumps it and adds the grit. Wish there was an alternate version without the admittedly minor four letter word. I won't buy it because of this- until its edited, but I gotta say, the song's terrific.

Cars 2: The Mater Movie

Some things are better left alone. The original Cars in 2006 was not one of Pixar's finest moments, but it was a movie with a good amount of heart. The standout piece of the film was actually the creation of Radiator Springs, the fictional town in which our heroes called home. I recall seeing that evening scene when all the neon was lit and exclaiming, "That would make a great new land for a Disney theme park!" Certainly, John Lassetter felt the same way. Cars Land and its premier attraction Radiator Springs Racers will make its debut at Disney California Adventure in 2012.

However, that is what is to be. Between now and then, we have to live with Cars 2. It's not a bad film. It's just an ordinary "B" grade movie, and that is the core problem. As a film that will mostly appeal to elementary school aged boys, the plot lines are a little too thick, with nuances too difficult to understand. Yet, let's be clear: this franchise will move a ton of merchandise. As an adult film, it is a fairly simplistic spy thriller lacking depth of emotion or intellect. Tons of visual appeal saves it from being a turkey.

This is Mater's movie. Whether you love it, like it, or laothe it, will depend on your view of him. Other characters, even Owen Wilson's Lightning McQueen seem to play second fiddle to this country bumpkin tow truck presumed to be American spy. (If you want to see Mr. Wilson in a very good role, have a look at Midnight in Paris- just terrificly cast there.) Michael Caine easily proves to be the best of the bunch as the brave and dashing Finn McMissile. The bad guys include the sadly wasted vocal talents of the always great Joe Mantegna from Criminal Minds.

Pixar is normally known for excellence, but here, Cars 2 falls flat and will go down as their first mediocre effort. Still, go see the film- for the wonderful Toy Story Hawaiian Vacation short played before it. Maybe all this will cause the folks to go back to the drawing board, working harder to earn our dollars again.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Notable and Quotable: Smith Wigglesworth

"The best thing you can ever have is a great trial. It is your robing time. It is your coming into inheritance...God brings us into the place where difficulties are, where the pressure is...where everything is so difficult that you know that there are no possibilities on the human side. God must do it....great faith is the product of great fights. Great triumphs come out of great trials. Every stumbling block must become a stepping stone, and every opposition must become an opportunity."

Smith Wigglesworth

Prison Break

Choosing forgiveness is one of the most difficult things anyone can do. Make no mistake, it is a constant choice. Maybe you are just like me. The slightest hardened thought toward those who have offended me, the least twinge when I remember the past without having hope for a new future, and I find myself thinking I am back at square one in being free. But the truth is, forgiveness is a work from God that takes time. A lot of time.

How can I be free? Certainly, if I only look at the end result, it may utterly and totally impossible to be released from the pain.

I've been thinking about Jesus and his life and earth, the sacrifice of it all, being God in the flesh, choosing to give up heaven in order to redeem man, and what it cost Him to do so: death on a cross. A death without dignity, instead one of shame. One that took the very power of God to accomplish.

His life was filled with seeming contradictions. Accessible to children but strong enough to confront those who offended the name of God by their lives and words and actions. Willing to let a friend die to the scorn and disappointment of the dead man's siblings but powerful enough to raise him from the dead. Bold and blunt as John the Baptist proclaiming repentance to the masses, not always patient with those who followed him. All done by the power of God.

Jesus was willing to change water to the finest of wines to aid in a wedding celebration. (Love that part of Him!) And willing to ask the Father to forgive those who cruficied Him on two wooden logs while these same executioners slandered the very One who laid down his life for them. Again, by the power of God. Interesting that forgiveness was the last thing He did on the cross, and it was probably the hardest.

There it is: it is by the very power of God Himself that we choose forgiveness and let God do his work in us to accomplish it. The process and end result is His work; the obedience to want to forgive, asking Him for strength to walk in it- and be sensitive and honest when we struggle to be free- belongs to us. His work, our obedience. Like all of life, we cannot do it without Him. It's prideful and foolish to think we can, and it's very unwise and ungodly to live in bitterness and hatred but so easy to do.

Help us, help me, Heavenly Father, to rest in your love and to trust in your work to help me to forgive. I want to, but I cannot do it on my own. Set me free from the prison others have created within me by their words and actions and my response to them.

A Disneyland Mountain for California Adventure?

In the long, long ago, there once was a mountain planned for Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom. A fanciful mountain, one that would be a predecessor to the might Matterhorn and its thrilling bobsled ride. An attraction also planned for Fantasyland. Though not as spectacular in size or scale, this particular attraction as depicted by Imagineer Clause Coats was designed to look as if it was made of candy.

Rock Candy Mountain would have made quite a sight for sore eyes as Casey Jr. Circus Train would have made its way around. But logistics and a change of direction meant the mountain was never come to be.

An interesting tidbit of information came to light a few years ago that perhaps the mountain would materize in model form at a new candy shop in the new Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure! It would be quite the cool thing to see. but every Disney park fan knows plans change on the go. Maybe, just maybe, the mountain will appear in 2012 when the new entrance land debuts at the park. That would be one sweet treat!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland's Secluded Hideaway

Call it the Golden Bear Lodge, the Hungry Bear Restaurant, or something entirely different if you want, but this backwoods dining hall out in Critter Country is one of Disneyland's most beautiful and secluded treats. This lovely piece of concept art covers it pretty well.

Even if I don't actually eat there, I always take a few moments out of my day to go to the farthest table and sit. Enjoying the Mark Twain rounding the bend, an occassional canoe gliding by, and the abundance of wildlife, its always a surprise that this tranquil spot is right in the middle of Orange County, California.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

All Work and No Play

As Jack Nicholson would say in the classic film The Shining, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!" Sorry for the lack of posts, but I am on my twelfth day straight of work. Getting overloaded, but it is very productive. Thankfully, my wife is busy, too, so we are hanging in there together. Please stay tuned...

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Frontierland Collection

Disneyland's Frontierland has seen so many changes, it is almost impossible to keep track!As one of the original lands in the original kingdom, Frontierland had so much of Walt in it. This was a good thing as Walt Disney was a man who loved the United States of America, appreciated its history, and had respect for the ideals on which it was founded. This deep sense of patriotism permeated the area.

The earliest incarnation may have been politically incorrect in its reference to America's native population, but the presentation of frontier life for both the natives and those who explored beyond the citified country was handled with sincerity, dignity, and honesty.Unlike Golden Dreams, the film presentation found in the all too trendy California Adventure park almost 50 years later, Walt saw no need for making a statement, instead he choose to simply honor those who had gone before him.

First and foremost, Walt was a showman, and he never forgot the main purpose of Disneyland was to entertain and delight his guests- and Frontierland was stuffed with attractions! From the mighty Mark Twain Riverboat to the smaller Mike Fink Keelboats, river travel was highly encouraged. After journeying through the stockade at the entrance, the beautiful Golden Horseshoe Revue reigned as the ultimate expression of frontier frolic. In short, there was something for everyone.

Stagecoach excursions led guests through a carefully planned American West. Frontierland was intentionally designed with both wide open spaces and carefully designed nooks and crannies to explore.

Once Tom Sawyer Island opened the following year, kids of all ages had a totally different way to play. Caves, grottoes, Fort Wilderness, and suspended and floating barrel bridges were among the offerings awaiting kids anxious to burn off some energy in a very unstructured way.

Love it or not, in 2007, pirates invaded the island full force, partially to capture the love of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series starring Johnny Depp. The island was due for some help with many of its elements being closed or having lack of maintenance- but fans did end up with this great poster.

Come a few years later, the area would receive its largest expansion at the debut of the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland. It was an instant fan favorite. Although the flora and fauna couldn't have been more different, and creatures on display from another continent, this attraction was the American Frontier version of Adventureland's Jungle River Cruise.

The rickety old train ventured through the barren deserts and its paint pots and spouting geysers. When in the lush valleys, the passengers were treated to bears and beavers and other wide life. The carefully planned excursion provided close up views of native animals in realistic and awkward, sometimes funny, situations. Much of the same humor of Imagineer Marc Davis is found here. It was a fine example of the genius of Walt Disney and his Imagineering crew to vary the experiences along the way. 

They did, however, save the best for last, as the ending was an absolutely spectacular journey through the mysterious Rainbow Caverns. Waterfalls of all colors spilled around stalactites and stalagmites- everything punctuated with sounds from an ethereal choir. Magical! (Note: Find the Disneyland 50th Anniversary CD collection for the full narration. Retro fun for everyone!)

Also found in the Wild West were the requisite Shootin' Gallery, the originally named Indian War Canoes, and since 1958, the Sailing Ship Columbia brought yet another way to cruise the Rivers of America. This river was full of activity- a wilderness world on the move!

As I mentioned earlier, Frontierland was always changing. Even the gorgeous Nature's Wonderland gave way to Tony Baxter's thrill ride disguised as a scenic tour, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. (The hard to find poster is above.)

Make no mistake, this attraction is a strikingly beautiful piece of work. It's full of the detail and fun found in groundbreaking attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. It's just unfortunate that there is now no way for guests to tour the beautiful landscapes without the coaster thrills.

More change was soon to come. On the farthest side of Frontierland at the distant bend in the river, the Indian Village celebrated Native American culture and life. Unfortunately, this was also on the cutting block, eventually giving way to the new Bear Country. The Country Bear Jamboree debuted in 1972. It was a fun musical show, but an important piece of Americana and the heart and soul of Disneyland was lost in the transition. As beloved as this show is (in Florida and Tokyo) /was (at Disneyland), the change signaled a move away from historic based attractions to ones which seemed to showcase the latest of technologies and characters just for the sake of being able to do so. Certainly, the Imagineers could have found a way to leave the teepees and tribal dance performances somewhere in a land which celebrates the American frontier!

Since the opening of Big Thunder Mountain, the changes have been few and small- aside from the Pirates Lair addition to Tom Sawyer Island. Overall, I found it to be quite well done and a strangely fitting combination of both Frontierland and New Orleans Square, on whose land the dock actually sits. On the entertainment front, Slue Foot Sue turned over the lease of the Golden Horseshoe to Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. They are good- but something about can can girls and the Old West seems more fitting.

In 1992, Disneyland premiered one it's most loved evening shows: Fantasmic! Since it takes place on the Rivers of America and uses parts of Tom Sawyer Island, it seemed most appropriate to display the attraction poster here.

Change could still be on the way. Walt Disney Pictures has announced their intent to create a film series on the Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp as Tonto. This could be an excellent opportunity to revamp and retune the unbuilt Walt Disney World attraction, Western River Expedition. It would be a terrific way to bridge the movie and interest a new generation about life in the Wild West. Frontierland could have new life and atmosphere, something it has lacked in its current incarnation. As beloved as Pirates of the Caribbean is for local audiences, I can only image they would wholeheartedly embrace another attraction of this caliber. But could the somewhat stingy accountants at the Walt Disney Company stomach the investment?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Dear Diary

I'm waiting. It's the big news I'm waiting for, and yet, it seems it is the day to day living that is where the battle is for my soul. 

My deepest desire, Lord Jesus, is to be yours- 100%, no holding back. But the little annoyances, the little frustrations of life are, well. frustrating. They do keep me focused on you for the most part. Maybe. Sometimes, they keep me focused on me. And that isn't a good thing.It is so easy to squander away my day. Get busy with things both of earthly and of eternal value. Before I know it, it ends, and I have forgotten to think the way You think, to see what You see, to do what You do. Help me, oh God, to be more like you. I want to love you more than anyone or anything. That is my prayer. It's also a work that you know I cannot do on my own. I need you to accomplish that for me. Your promises tell me you will, but my flesh tells me I am no better than I was years ago when I first decided to give my life to you.

While running a few days ago, my i-pod came upon a wonderful old song by Deniece Williams. It is called My Soul Desire, and it totally expresses my heart:

Lord, when you placed your hands upon me
I knew that I would never be the same
For in that moment I became your servant
And since that day, I only have one aim

Chorus:
My soul desire is to be used
And empty vessel longing to be filled by You
My soul desire is to serve You Lord
To do your perfect will
To work each day and build
You Kingdom, this is my soul desire.

Lord, I do not seek to claim the glory
I only wish to be under your control
For I know that you alone are worthy
And it's You who placed this longing in my soul.

This song has always pierced my heart, and I thank you, Deniece, for writing it with passion and purpose. It's one of many songs that express my heart better than I could.

Lord Jesus, this is my heart. Please do the work. You must as I cannot. But in all this, let me be yours without reservation. Forgive me where I fall short and sin. Amen.

Call to the Islands of Adventure

The weather outside is wonderful, signaling it is time for some thrilling theme park adventures! For any park lover, it is the time of year to celebrate a season of fun. Where to go? Where to go?

As much as I would love a quick trip to California to see the revamped Paradise Pier and Ariel's Undersea Adventure, the reality is it won't happen until the Fall at the earliest. There's not too much going on at Walt Disney World. Maybe for the 40th starting October 1, but until then, it is business as usual.

What about Universal Orlando? In some ways, it might just be my first choice this year. Harry Potter and his Forbidden Journey still seems like the E ticket to end all E tickets, and I have never been to the Studios. Could be a blast, but maybe it is just not enough to take my money in 2011. 

Perhaps I need to wait until the following year of two when Disney opens up some things worth seeing.


That said, if Figment made a big splash of a return with Dreamfinder, I'd just have to find the cash pronto!