This low-budget, indie film is known primarily for many scenes shot guerilla-style within Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It tells the story of a hapless Disney employee, Peter (Daniel Cooksley), who his recently separated from his wife and is struggling to connect with his teenage daughter, Molly (Kathryn Jenkins), as she is growing up. While wandering the tunnels beneath the Magic Kingdom looking for a birthday gift for Molly, Peter discovers that the Disney company keeps the frozen head of Walt Disney (Roy Schneider) there, and thaw it out once a year for 72 hours to get Walt to approve new projects. Walt asks Peter to take him to actually see and experience the Magic Kingdom. Hijinks ensue.
The movie is equal parts a skewering of the Disney company and a loving tribute to Walt and the Disney Parks. I think the major problem with the film is that Cooksley doesn’t really have the comic timing to be the lead, but Schneider is excellent as Walt. It feels more like a sitcom than a movie, and I think both budgetary issues and the fact that they would never get permission from Disney to make this film hampered their ability to really run with a fun premise. So I’ll call it a failed but noble effort, but your mileage may vary probably in accordance with how much you like Disney Parks.
Last September, Rolling Stone magazine released their most recent list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, which includes a greater variety of artists and genres than previous lists. Looking through the list, there were many albums I’d never listened to before and a few I’d never even heard of. In fact, counting it up, I found that I’d only listened to 140 of the albums, although I’d heard songs from many more. So I’ve decided my project for 2021 is to listen to 10 albums each week and write up some thoughts about each one.
Artist: Rihanna Album: Anti Year: 2016 Label: Roc Nation Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes, although I didn’t know it Would I Listen to this Album Again?: No Favorite Tracks:
“Work”
“Desperado”
“Love on the Brain”
Thoughts: I always end up knowing more Rihanna than I realize as it turned out that several staples of online memes are actually songs from this album. This album is a nice blend of several styles. Surprisingly in the five years since this album came out Rihanna has not released another album.
Artist: Patsy Cline Album: The Ultimate Collection Year: 2000 Label: Universal Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes Favorite Tracks:
“Walkin’ After Midnight”
“I Fall to Pieces”
“Crazy”
“She’s Got You”
“When I Get Thru With You (You’ll Love Me Too)”
Thoughts: The RS 500 once again cops out with a greatest hits compilation but I’ll accept any excuse to listen to Cline croon her country pop tunes.
Artist: De La Soul Album: De La Soul is Dead Year: 1991 Label: Tommy Boy Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes Favorite Tracks:
“Oodles of O’s”
“A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays'”
“Bitties in the BK Lounge”
“Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa”
“Fanatic of the B Word”
Thoughts: This album takes me back to the first semester of my Freshman year at college when I had it on repeat. De La Soul seemed to initiate the 70s music revival of the 1990s be incorporating disco-funk sounds into their music. I’m also surprised that I never before notice how many samples from Three Feet High and Rising are repeated on De La Soul is Dead but gaining new meaning from their context.
Artist: Little Richard Album: Here’s Little Richard Year: 1957 Label: Specialty Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes Favorite Tracks:
“Tutti Frutti”
“Ready Teddy”
“Long Tall Sally”
“Jenny, Jenny”
Thoughts: Amazingly, this is NOT a greatest hits album, it just sounds like one because every song on it is great. I can’t even imagine how mind-blowing it was in 1957 for people hearing Little Richard’s screaming falsetto for the first time.
Artist: Derek & the Dominos Album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs Year: 1970 Label: Atco Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes Favorite Tracks:
“I Looked Away”
“Bell Bottom Blues”
“Key to the Highway”
“Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?”
“Little Wing”
“Layla”
Thoughts: Recent events have once again shown that Eric Clapton is an asshole. Perhaps in 1970 he wasn’t an asshole but it’s very likely that he was. In fact the whole impetus behind the songwriting on this album, Clapton wanting to steal away his best friend’s wife, is kind of an asshole thing to do. So it’s with regret that I still find myself love the blues rock on this album. But it’s not just Clapton, there’s a whole band of talented musicians here including Bobby Whitlock who shares songwriting and lead vocals duties as well as Duane Allman on guitars.
Artist: Wilco Album: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Year: 2001 Label: Nonesuch Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Maybe? Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: No Favorite Tracks:
“I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”
Thoughts: Wilco is one of those bands I’ve not been able to wrap my mind around why they have such a devoted following. Something about their music just goes in one ear and out the other for me. This doesn’t mean that Wilco’s music is bad, it just doesn’t make any impression on me to the point where I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to this album before but don’t remember any of it. Oh well, I do love Wilco’s collaboration with Billy Bragg on the Mermaid Avenue album.
Artist: Dixie Chicks Album: Fly Year: 1999 Label: Monument Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: No Would I Listen to this Album Again?: No Favorite Tracks:
“Ready to Run”
“Sin Wagon”
Thoughts: The (Dixie) Chicks perform upbeat country pop that sounds appropriately 1990s. The things I like about this album are the harmonies and the instrumentation (fiddles and flutes) that suggest bluegrass and Celtic traditional music.
Artist: John Lennon Album: Imagine Year: 1971 Label: Apple Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes Favorite Tracks:
“Imagine”
“Crippled Inside”
“I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama”
“Gimme Some Truth”
“Oh Yoko!”
Thoughts: It’s popular to condemn the title track on this album for “mawkishness” but I think it’s utopian vision is more revolutionary than it is given credit for. The rest of the album is bog standard John Lennon, meaning it’s not bad but it’s also not among his best work.
I previously reviewedImagine in a Music Discovery of The Beatles solo albums.
Artist: Madonna Album: Ray of Light Year: 1998 Label: Maverick Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: No Favorite Tracks:
“Ray of Light”
“Skin”
“Sky Fits Heaven”
Thoughts: Madonna was a constant presence in my childhood and early adulthood, but Ray of Light was the last time she was on my radar. I was surprised to learn that she had some big hits after 1998. I always liked the title track where Madonna, the ultimate musical chameleon, adopts electronica for her tunes. This highly danceable yet lyrically reflective approach continues through the rest of the album.
Artist: Rage Against the Machine Album: Rage Against the Machine Year: 1992 Label: Epic Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes Favorite Tracks:
“Killing in the Name Of”
“Bullet In the Head”
“Wake Up”
Thoughts: The rap metal trend was one of the worst cultural artifacts of the 1990s, with one exception: Rage Against the Machine. Not only were RATM not self-aggrandizing dudebros, but their song lyrics carried a raw political message not hear in rock music since the punk era. And that was something sorely needed in the apathetic 90s.
Running List of Albums I’d Listen to Again
500. Arcade Fire, Funeral
498. Suicide, Suicide
497. Various Artists, The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
494. The Ronettes, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes
489. A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector from Phil Spector and Various Artists, Back to Mono (1958-1969)
487. Black Flag, Damaged
485. Richard and Linda Thompson, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
483. Muddy Waters, The Anthology
482. The Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
481. Belle and Sebastian, If You’re Feeling Sinister
478. The Kinks, Something Else by the Kinks
477. Howlin’ Wolf, Moanin’ in the Moonlight
469.Manu Chao, Clandestino
465. King Sunny Adé, The Best of the Classic Years
464. The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3
462. The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Gilded Palace of Sin
459. Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon: The End of the Day
457. Sinéad O’Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
456. Al Green, Greatest Hits
455. Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley
453. Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine
452. Diana Ross and the Supremes, Anthology
451. Roberta Flack, First Take
448. Otis Redding, Dictionary of Soul
446. Alice Coltrane, Journey in Satchidanada
444. Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine
443. David Bowie, Scary Monsters
440. Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner’s Daughter
439. James Brown, Sex Machine
438. Blur, Parklife
437. Primal Scream, Screamadelica
435. Pet Shop Boys, Actually
433. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
431. Los Lobos, How Will the Wolf Survive?
430. Elvis Costello, My Aim Is True
429. The Four Tops, Reach Out
428. Hüsker Dü, New Day Rising
427. Al Green, Call Me
426. Lucinda Williams, Lucinda Williams
425. Paul Simon, Paul Simon
424. Beck, Odelay
423. Yo La Tengo, I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
Panorama of the Mountains 