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Author Topic: Amusement Parks USA  (Read 7486 times)
Ram4
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« Reply #25 on: June 22, 2013, 10:59:14 PM »

I like this song too.  The somewhat demented carnival feel is great, especially the organ.  They mention the parachute ride at Riverview Park here in Chicago which my parents used to go on.  That park is long gone. 
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Summertime Blooz
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« Reply #26 on: June 22, 2013, 11:21:14 PM »

Good memories. I spent many the Summer day on Jersey's Steel Pier, and they indeed did have a roomful of "crazy mirrors". I don't recall them ever having any bumper cars though, at least not from the mid-60s on till it's demise when gambling more or less forced it out of business. There was so much to do for one low admission price that you could spend your entire day there.
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« Reply #27 on: June 23, 2013, 01:25:08 AM »

So it's agreed: we all like Amusement Parks USA. Yay!!!
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SonicVolcano
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« Reply #28 on: June 23, 2013, 02:38:35 AM »

Great song. The new stereo mix is ace.
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« Reply #29 on: June 23, 2013, 02:49:07 AM »

Brian's crazy laugh sometime after the first verse is wild!
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« Reply #30 on: June 23, 2013, 06:46:22 AM »

Great music, weak lyrics. I'd love to hear it as just a backing track.
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« Reply #31 on: June 23, 2013, 06:47:46 AM »

Brian's crazy laugh sometime after the first verse is wild!

Izzat really Brian?
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« Reply #32 on: June 23, 2013, 07:30:22 AM »

I can't remember if it was here or at Hoffman, but there was a lot of negativity about the song when discussing Brian's "Filler" material.
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« Reply #33 on: June 23, 2013, 07:37:10 AM »

I can't remember if it was here or at Hoffman, but there was a lot of negativity about the song when discussing Brian's "Filler" material.

If it's the latter, I'm not surprised. Let them eat their Pet Sounds vinyl while furiously masturbating into the night.
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« Reply #34 on: June 23, 2013, 07:37:42 AM »

Everything is great and unique about this song. The in-your-face sound of the vocals (in fact the whole track sticks out when compared with the sound of the rest of the album); the classic Mike Love lead-- one of his best from the pre-Pet Sounds era I think; the wild voices; Brian's crazy laughter; the weird organ-loaded track that also includes fuzz guitars; the inventive drumming; the opening overloaded harmonies; and there's this weird "dizzy" effect they do with then backing voices during the third line of the verses.

It is an absolute gem of a song/recording that lyrically goes where it has to.
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« Reply #35 on: June 23, 2013, 08:20:20 AM »

Brian's crazy laugh sometime after the first verse is wild!

Izzat really Brian?

Definitely sounds like it to me!
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« Reply #36 on: June 23, 2013, 08:25:13 AM »

I can't remember if it was here or at Hoffman, but there was a lot of negativity about the song when discussing Brian's "Filler" material.

If it's the latter, I'm not surprised. Let them eat their Pet Sounds vinyl while furiously masturbating into the night.

But only if it's the green UK Carl And The Passions release
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« Reply #37 on: June 23, 2013, 10:07:26 AM »

Thought I'd throw an unpopular opinion in here... Tongue  I've already posted that I love "Amusement Parks U.S.A." (and just listened to it about 25 times on repeat), but I never really liked that crazy laugh by Brian. It kind of distracts, it's (to me) annoying, and lends toward making the song too much of a novelty song. Just sayin'...
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« Reply #38 on: June 23, 2013, 11:58:43 AM »

Thought I'd throw an unpopular opinion in here... Tongue  I've already posted that I love "Amusement Parks U.S.A." (and just listened to it about 25 times on repeat), but I never really liked that crazy laugh by Brian. It kind of distracts, it's (to me) annoying, and lends toward making the song too much of a novelty song. Just sayin'...

I get what you're saying, and can certainly understand how someone could find that the case (as indeed you do), however personally I find the crazed laugh just adds to frenzied, slightly deranged atmosphere.

It always makes me laugh when the girl goes 'let's go see her!' and the guy (Brian?) says 'nah it's too much'. (Is it really a girl or one of the Boys doing a voice?)
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« Reply #39 on: June 23, 2013, 12:04:04 PM »

Great backing track, terrible lyrics. Enjoy the middle eight. Better than some on Summer Days, but not most...
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« Reply #40 on: June 23, 2013, 01:20:24 PM »

Great backing track, terrible lyrics. Enjoy the middle eight. Better than some on Summer Days, but not most...
In hindsight the lyrics are about amusement parks of which many no longer exist. In that sense it is really nostalgic when I hear things like "the bumper cars at Steel Pier" or them sing about "crazy mirrors" in Funhouses. Even some of the rides mentioned no longer exist. I feel same way when I listen to Drive-In, another place that that rarely exists today.
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The Brianista Prayer

Oh Brian
Thou Art In Hawthorne,
Harmonied Be Thy name
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Steak Well Done,
On Stage As It Is In Studio,
Give Us This Day, Our Shortenin' Bread
And Forgive Us Our Bootlegs,
As We Also Have Forgiven Our Wife And Managers,
And Lead Us Not Into Kokomo,
But Deliver Us From Mike Love.
Amen.  ---hypehat
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« Reply #41 on: June 23, 2013, 03:47:04 PM »

I used to think the first 4 or 5 songs on SDSN were kind of cheesy. Like many have stated that they believe it is a step back from Today! However, I have come to really enjoy these songs. APUSA is a wild ride and I love it. Every bit of it, the lyrics, laughing, everything! I agree with its comparison to Mr Kite.

Girl From New York City rocks. I disagree about it being a great lead track, but a good song none the less. I think the best option for a lead track on this album would have been California Girls.

To me, SDSN has the musical quality of Pet Sounds/SMiLE, but with the lyrical style of 64. But none of it in bad taste IMO!
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Mike Love autobiography (pg 242-243)
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« Reply #42 on: June 23, 2013, 03:48:53 PM »

Thought I'd throw an unpopular opinion in here... Tongue  I've already posted that I love "Amusement Parks U.S.A." (and just listened to it about 25 times on repeat), but I never really liked that crazy laugh by Brian. It kind of distracts, it's (to me) annoying, and lends toward making the song too much of a novelty song. Just sayin'...

But that's what helps to give it the illusion of being at some crazy ass amusement park.. The song without the sound effects/crazy laughter would be pretty damn bland.
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« Reply #43 on: June 23, 2013, 04:23:53 PM »

There is a definite sound progression from County Fair to Amusement Parks USA to Heroes and Villains.
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« Reply #44 on: June 23, 2013, 04:27:37 PM »

I frankly have never understood the idea that Summer Days is a step back from Today. I certainly didn't think that back in 1965-6. To me, then, it was the best they had yet produced. Now I think of these as basically parts one and two of the same album. Add The Little Girl I Once Knew and you are looking at one of the towering achievements in popular music of the 1960s. Add Devoted To You to the comp and...wow!

And don't even get me started on what Today Side Two meant to us back in the day. You'd be at a party at someone's house, probably on the deck out back, Chinese lanterns strung about, records playing, maybe gabbing with the guys about that afternoon's game, and suddenly came the opening bars of PLMW, you'd catch her eye somewhere across the deck and melt into each other's arms for 15 minutes of bliss.

Slightly off topic, but The Girl From New York City seems to resemble a tune called "It's a Happening World," which opens Leslie Gore's long lost Magic Colors lp. I just heard that for the first time last year and man, is that a great work of Sunshine Pop! And with a light sprinkling of Psychedelic stardust. Who'd ever have thought?

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« Reply #45 on: June 23, 2013, 04:48:55 PM »

Thought I'd throw an unpopular opinion in here... Tongue  I've already posted that I love "Amusement Parks U.S.A." (and just listened to it about 25 times on repeat), but I never really liked that crazy laugh by Brian. It kind of distracts, it's (to me) annoying, and lends toward making the song too much of a novelty song. Just sayin'...

But that's what helps to give it the illusion of being at some crazy ass amusement park.. The song without the sound effects/crazy laughter would be pretty damn bland.

I never associated a crazy laugh like that with an amusement park, but that's just me I guess. I do like the other sound effects and the talking (including Hal Blaine) during the bridge, though. Anyway...

Is the Steel Pier in Atlantic City still around? When I was a kid, our family used to vacation at the Jersey shore and we would visit the Steel Pier. Also, there was a TV show on one of the Philadelphia TV stations in the 1960's and 70's, Summertime On The Pier hosted by Ed Hurst. It was a lower budget Where The Action Is, but it did make you wish you were there!
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drbeachboy
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« Reply #46 on: June 23, 2013, 04:58:25 PM »

Thought I'd throw an unpopular opinion in here... Tongue  I've already posted that I love "Amusement Parks U.S.A." (and just listened to it about 25 times on repeat), but I never really liked that crazy laugh by Brian. It kind of distracts, it's (to me) annoying, and lends toward making the song too much of a novelty song. Just sayin'...

But that's what helps to give it the illusion of being at some crazy ass amusement park.. The song without the sound effects/crazy laughter would be pretty damn bland.

I never associated a crazy laugh like that with an amusement park, but that's just me I guess. I do like the other sound effects and the talking (including Hal Blaine) during the bridge, though. Anyway...

Is the Steel Pier in Atlantic City still around? When I was a kid, our family used to vacation at the Jersey shore and we would visit the Steel Pier. Also, there was a TV show on one of the Philadelphia TV stations in the 1960's and 70's, Summertime On The Pier hosted by Ed Hurst. It was a lower budget Where The Action Is, but it did make you wish you were there!
The pier is still there, but everything that was on it was demolished a long time ago. It was the place of my first Beach Boys show in July 1969.
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The Brianista Prayer

Oh Brian
Thou Art In Hawthorne,
Harmonied Be Thy name
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Steak Well Done,
On Stage As It Is In Studio,
Give Us This Day, Our Shortenin' Bread
And Forgive Us Our Bootlegs,
As We Also Have Forgiven Our Wife And Managers,
And Lead Us Not Into Kokomo,
But Deliver Us From Mike Love.
Amen.  ---hypehat
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« Reply #47 on: June 23, 2013, 05:09:34 PM »

Great backing track, terrible lyrics. Enjoy the middle eight. Better than some on Summer Days, but not most...
The backing track is difficult to write lyrics to, though Mike could have tried a little harder with them. Listening to the clunky lyrics on some summer days songs makes it clear why Brian wanted Tony Asher for Pet Sounds.
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And production aside, I’d so much rather hear a 14 year old David Marks shred some guitar on Chug-a-lug than hear a 51 year old Mike Love sing about bangin some chick in a swimming pool.-rab2591
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« Reply #48 on: June 24, 2013, 07:47:54 AM »

There is a definite sound progression from County Fair to Amusement Parks USA to Heroes and Villains.

I would add Loop De Loop to that list!
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"Over the years, I've been accused of not supporting our new music from this era (67-73) and just wanting to play our hits. That's complete b.s......I was also, as the front man, the one promoting these songs onstage and have the scars to show for it."
Mike Love autobiography (pg 242-243)
oldsurferdude
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« Reply #49 on: June 24, 2013, 07:52:50 AM »

Thought I'd throw an unpopular opinion in here... Tongue  I've already posted that I love "Amusement Parks U.S.A." (and just listened to it about 25 times on repeat), but I never really liked that crazy laugh by Brian. It kind of distracts, it's (to me) annoying, and lends toward making the song too much of a novelty song. Just sayin'...

But that's what helps to give it the illusion of being at some crazy ass amusement park.. The song without the sound effects/crazy laughter would be pretty damn bland.

I never associated a crazy laugh like that with an amusement park, but that's just me I guess. I do like the other sound effects and the talking (including Hal Blaine) during the bridge, though. Anyway...

Is the Steel Pier in Atlantic City still around? When I was a kid, our family used to vacation at the Jersey shore and we would visit the Steel Pier. Also, there was a TV show on one of the Philadelphia TV stations in the 1960's and 70's, Summertime On The Pier hosted by Ed Hurst. It was a lower budget Where The Action Is, but it did make you wish you were there!
The pier is still there, but everything that was on it was demolished a long time ago. It was the place of my first Beach Boys show in July 1969.
I was there as well-remember the opening fiasco of Breakaway?
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