Who Ran The Iron Horse?
I was in San Jose yesterday, driving down Steven's Creek Blvd. If you're from around here, you know that there's a stretch of it that looks like it never left the 50s (which we may use as backdrop for a Beach Boys-esqe music video someday) and right next to that is a block of ultramodern California upscale consumerist paradise. I think they should take this to the logical "Carousel Of Progress" extreme. How about a shopping district in which one end of the street is designed to look like the ancient agoras of Greece and Rome, then the next block is a medieval market, and I don't know enough history to fill in the middle part, but eventually it progresses to a 19th century costermongers... turn of the century general store, blacksmith & saloon...30s segregated drug stores & art deco dance halls...50s drive thrus & car dealers...70s car washes and roller rinks...80s malls... then onto big box stores and coffee chains and then maybe a block where everything is closed down and out of business...leading to a nice walkable downtown area with farmers' markets & locally owned small businesses that looks a lot like the ancient agora. (See what I did there? It's called a "turn-me-around". You thought I was just making up stupid stuff but I actually had a point.)
In preparation for our trip to LA this coming weekend, Karla and I have been immersing ourselves in Beach Boys and California mythology. Over the past 2 weeks we have watched The Beach Boys: An American Band, Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of 'Smile', Brian Wilson: A Beach Boy's Tale and Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun, all of which were fascinating, not to mention the Full House episode where the Tanners meet The Beach Boys. We also watched Beach Party (not bad) and Bikini Beach (horrible). Last night we tried to learn Pet Sounds and Smile songs on the piano (hard, but doable) and work out some of the vocal parts (impossible). And, not that I ever get tired of listening to the Beach Boys, but in case I do, I made a playlist of my favorite songs that sound like the Beach Boys but are not the Beach Boys. Weird Al's "Pancreas" is supposed to be on the playlist too, I don't know why it doesn't show up on iLike. I think we're ready. California (southern), here we come.
In preparation for our trip to LA this coming weekend, Karla and I have been immersing ourselves in Beach Boys and California mythology. Over the past 2 weeks we have watched The Beach Boys: An American Band, Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of 'Smile', Brian Wilson: A Beach Boy's Tale and Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun, all of which were fascinating, not to mention the Full House episode where the Tanners meet The Beach Boys. We also watched Beach Party (not bad) and Bikini Beach (horrible). Last night we tried to learn Pet Sounds and Smile songs on the piano (hard, but doable) and work out some of the vocal parts (impossible). And, not that I ever get tired of listening to the Beach Boys, but in case I do, I made a playlist of my favorite songs that sound like the Beach Boys but are not the Beach Boys. Weird Al's "Pancreas" is supposed to be on the playlist too, I don't know why it doesn't show up on iLike. I think we're ready. California (southern), here we come.