title: Bayreuth

text: As Bavaria was opened up by the railways, the main line from Nuremberg to Hof went past Bayreuth, running via Lichtenfels, Kulmbach and Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg to Hof. Bayreuth was first given a railway connexion in 1853, when the Bayreuth–Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg railway was built at the town's expense. It was followed in 1863 by the line to Weiden, in 1877 by the railway to Schnabelwaid, in 1896 by the branch line to Warmensteinach, in 1904 by the branch to Hollfeld and in 1909 by the branch via Thurnau to Kulmbach, known as the "Thurnauer Bockala" (which means something like "Thurnau Goat").


title: Bayreuth

text: On 17 April 1870 Richard Wagner visited Bayreuth, because he had read about the Margrave Opera House, whose great stage seemed fitting for his works. However, the orchestra pit could not accommodate the large number of musicians required, for example, for the Ring of the Nibelung and the ambience of the auditorium seemed inappropriate for his piece. So, he toyed with the idea of building his own festival hall (the "Festspielhaus") in Bayreuth. The town supported him in this project and made a piece of land available to him, an undeveloped area outside the town between the railway station and Hohe Warte, the "" ("Green Hill"). At the same time Wagner acquired a property at "Hofgarten" to build his own house, "Wahnfried". On 22 May 1872 the cornerstone for the Festival Hall was laid and, on 13 August 1876, it was officially opened (see Bayreuth Festival). Planning and construction were in the hands of the Leipzig architect, Otto Brückwald, who had already made a name for himself in the building of theatres in Leipzig and Altenburg.


title: Bayreuth

text: In 1886, the composer Franz Liszt died in Bayreuth while visiting his daughter Cosima Liszt, Wagner's widow. Both Liszt and Wagner are buried in Bayreuth; however, Wagner did not die there. Rather, he died in Venice in 1883, but his family had his body brought to Bayreuth for burial.


title: Bayreuth

text: The new century also brought several innovations of modern technology: in 1892, the first electric street lights; in 1908 a municipal electricity station, and, in the same year, the first cinema.


title: Bayreuth

text: In 1914–15, one section of the northern arm of the Red Main was straightened and widened after areas along the river had been flooded during a period of high water in 1909.


title: Bayreuth

text: After the First World War had ended in 1918, the Workers' and Soldiers' Council took power briefly in Bayreuth. On 17 February 1919, there was a three-day coup, the so-called "Speckputsch", a brief interlude of excitement in the otherwise rather staid town.


title: Bayreuth

text: In a series of "völkisch" and nationalist "Deutscher Tag" (German Days), the NSDAP organised the event in Bayreuth on 30 September 1923. More than 3,300 military and civilian people gathered (equivalent to 15% of the inhabitants), although Minister of Defence Otto Gessler had forbidden the participation of Reichswehr units. Among the guests were mayor Albert Preu as well as Siegfried and Winifred Wagner, who invited keynote speaker Adolf Hitler to Wahnfried house. There he met writer Houston Stewart Chamberlain, son-in-law of Richard Wagner and anti-semitic race theorist. Also on that day, Hans Schemm met Hitler for the first time.


title: Bayreuth

text: In 1932, the provinces of Upper and Middle Franconia were merged and Ansbach was chosen as the seat of government. As a small compensation, Bayreuth was given the merged state insurance agency for Upper and Middle Franconia. Unlike the provincial merger, the merger of those institutions was never reversed.


title: Bayreuth

text: A stronghold of right-wing parties since the 1920s, Bayreuth became a center of Nazi ideology. In 1933, it was made capital of the Nazi Gau Bavarian Eastern March ("Bayerische Ostmark", in 1942 "Gau Bayreuth"). Nazi leaders often visited the Wagner festival and tried to turn Bayreuth into a Nazi model town. It was one of several places in which town planning was administered directly from Berlin, due to Hitler's special interest in the town and in the festival. Hitler loved the music of Richard Wagner, and he became a close friend of Winifred Wagner after she took over the festival. Hitler frequently attended Wagner performances in the Bayreuth Festival Hall.


title: Bayreuth

text: Bayreuth was to have received a so-called "Gauforum", a combined government building and marching square built to symbolise the centre of power in the town. Bayreuth's first Gauleiter was Hans Schemm, who was also the head ("Reichswalter") of the National Socialist Teachers League, NSLB, which was located in Bayreuth. In 1937 the town was connected to the new "Reichsautobahn".


title: Bayreuth

text: Under Nazi dictatorship the synagogue of the Jewish Community in "Münzgasse" was desecrated and looted on Kristallnacht but, due to its proximity to the Opera House it was not razed. Inside the building, which is once again used by a Jewish community as a synagogue, a plaque next to the Torah Shrine recalls the persecution and murder of Jews in the Shoah, which took the lives of at least 145 Jews in Bayreuth.


title: Bayreuth

text: During the Second World War, a subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp was based in the town, in which prisoners had to participate in physical experiments for the V-2. Wieland Wagner, the grandson of the composer, Richard Wagner, was the deputy civilian director there in late 1944 and early April 1945. Shortly before the war's end branches of the People's Court ("Volksgerichtshof") were to have been set up in Bayreuth.


title: Bayreuth

text: On 5, 8 and 11 April 1945 about one third of the town, including many public buildings and industrial installations were destroyed by heavy air strikes, along with 4,500 houses. 741 people were also killed. On 14 April, the U.S. Army occupied the town.


title: Bayreuth

text: After the war Bayreuth tried to part with its ill-fated past. It became part of the American Zone. The American military government set up a DP camp to accommodate displaced persons (DP), many of whom were Ukrainian. The camp was supervised by the UNRRA.


title: Bayreuth

text: The housing situation was very difficult at first: there were about 53,300 inhabitants in the town, many more than before the war began. This increase was primarily due to the high number of refugees and expellees. Even in 1948 more than 11,000 refugees were counted. In addition, because many homes had been destroyed due to the war, thousands of people were living in temporary shelters, even the festival restaurant next to the Festival Hall housed some 500 people.


title: Bayreuth

text: In 1945, 1,400 men were conscripted by the town council for "essential work" (clean-up work on damaged buildings and the clearing of roads). A significant number of historic buildings were demolished post-war but cultural life was soon back on track: in 1947 Mozart festival weeks were held in the Opera House, from which the Franconian Festival Weeks developed. In 1949 the Festival Hall was used for the first time again and there was a gala concert with the Vienna Philharmonic led by Hans Knappertsbusch. In 1951, the first post-war Richard Wagner Festival took place under the leadership of Wieland and Wolfgang Wagner. Wieland Wagner's fresh and non-traditional stagings "restored credibility to a theater that had been totally ruined by Nazi ideology."


title: Bayreuth

text: In 1971, the Bavarian State Parliament decided to establish the University of Bayreuth and, on 3 November 1975, it opened for lectures and research. There are now about 10,000 students in the town.


title: Bayreuth

text: In May 1972, a serious accident occurred at the folk festival in the town, when an overcrowded carriage derailed and several people were thrown out. Four died and five were injured, some seriously. At that time, it was the worst disaster on a roller coaster since the Second World War.


title: Bayreuth

text: In 1979, US Army serviceman Roy Chung disappeared from the area and allegedly defected to North Korea via East Germany.


title: Bayreuth

text: In 2006, Bayreuth chose its first CSU member and mayor, the lawyer, Michael Hohl, and, in 2007, a Youth Parliament, consisting of 12 young people, aged 14–17 years, was elected for the first time. The end of October saw the opening of the long-planned bus station and its associated office building on the newly created "Hohenzollernplatz".


title: Bayreuth

text: The town is best known for its association with the composer Richard Wagner, who lived in Bayreuth from 1872 until his death in 1883. Wagner's villa, "Wahnfried", was constructed in Bayreuth under the sponsorship of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and was converted after World War II into a Wagner Museum. In the northern part of Bayreuth is the Festival Hall, an opera house specially constructed for and exclusively devoted to the performance of Wagner's operas. The premieres of the final two works of Wagner's "Ring Cycle" ("Siegfried" and "Götterdämmerung"); the cycle as a whole; and of "Parsifal" took place here.


title: Bayreuth

text: Every summer, Wagner's operas are performed at the Festspielhaus during the month-long Richard Wagner Festival, commonly known as the Bayreuth Festival. The Festival draws thousands each year and has persistently been sold out since its inauguration in 1876. Currently, waiting lists for tickets can stretch for 10 years or more.


title: Bayreuth

text: Owing to Wagner's relationship with the then unknown philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, the first Bayreuth festival is cited as a key turning point in Nietzsche's philosophical development. Though at first an enthusiastic champion of Wagner's music, Nietzsche ultimately became hostile, viewing the festival and its revellers as symptom of cultural decay and bourgeois decadence – an event which led him to turn his eye upon the moral values esteemed by society as a whole – "Nietzsche clearly preferred to see Bayreuth fail than succeed by mirroring a society gone wrong."


title: Bayreuth

text: Bayreuth lies on the Red Main river, the southern of the two headstreams of the river Main, between the Fichtelgebirge Mountains and Franconian Switzerland. The town is also part of the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region.


title: Bayreuth

text: Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfb" (Humid continental climate) using the 0 °C isotherm and "" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate) using the −3 °C isotherm.


title: Bayreuth

text: The current Member of the German Bundestag for Bayreuth is Silke Launert from the Christian Social Union in Bavaria.


title: Bayreuth

text: The results of the 2020 local elections in Bavaria were as follows (in brackets the change from the 2014 elections):


title: Bayreuth

text: In 1955 Bayreuth took on sponsorship for displaced Sudeten Germans from the town of Franzensbad in Okres Cheb.


title: Bayreuth

text: Margrave Albert Achilles, who was also Elector of Brandenburg, presented the town of Bayreuth in December 1457 with the coat of arms that it still bears today. Two fields show the black and white coat of arms of the Hohenzollerns. The black lion on gold with a red and white border was the municipal coat of arms of the burgraves of Nuremberg. Along the two diagonals are two "Reuten", small triangular shovels with a slightly bent shaft. They represent the ending "-reuth" in the town's name."


title: Bayreuth

text: The Margravial Opera House was opened in 1748 and is one of the finest Baroque theatres in Europe. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is both a museum and the oldest working "tableau" in Bayreuth.


title: Bayreuth

text: The Festival Hall dates to the 19th century and is now used solely for the Bayreuth Festival. Only works by Richard Wagner are put on.


title: Bayreuth

text: The former "Stadthalle" (lit.: city hall) did not have its own ensemble but was regularly used by the "Theater Hof" as well as various travelling theatres. It has been under reconstruction since 2017 and is supposed to be re-opened under the new name "Friedrichsforum" in 2023.


title: Bayreuth

text: The only two theatres with their own ensemble are the "Studiobühne Bayreuth" and amateur dramatic society, "Brandenburg Kulturstadt". The venues of the "Studiobühne" are the domicile of the theatre in the "Röntgenstraße", the artificial ruins of the Hermitage and the courtyard of piano manufacturer Steingraeber & Söhne.


title: Bayreuth

text: In the town centre is the Court Garden () of the New Palace. Near the Festival Hall is the Festival Park. On the southern edge of the town lie the Ecological-Botanical Garden of the University of Bayreuth. On the , east of the town centre, is the relatively small Miedel Garden.


title: Bayreuth

text: The best known park in Bayreuth is that of the "Eremitage" (Hermitage) in the district of St. Johannis. With a total area of almost 50 hectares it is the largest park in Bayreuth.


title: Bayreuth

text: Bayreuth has been chosen to host the Bavarian Country Garden Show in 2016. For this reason another park called was built on the Main water meadows between the Volksfestplatz and the A9 motorway.


title: Bayreuth

text: The oldest surviving cemetery is the Town Cemetery () with a large number of gravestones of famous people. On the southern edge of the town is the Southern Cemetery () and crematorium. The districts of St. Johannis and St. Georgen have their own cemeteries. On , in the east of the town, is a Jewish cemetery.


title: Bayreuth

text: Over 60 clubs offer just under one hundred sports. The most successful club in the town presently is the Bayreuth Air Sports Community with its gliding team: in 2002 and 2015 the pilots won the Federal Gliding League, and they also won the IGC-World League in 2015. The street hockey team of the Hurricans Bayreuth have been German runners-up three times (1998/2004/2006) and champions five times (1996/1997/2001/2005/2007). The basketball team of BBC Bayreuth plays in the Basketball Bundesliga (division 1), the HaSpo Bayreuth handball team, the footballers of SpVgg Bayreuth and the volleyball players of BSV Bayreuth each play in their respective Bavarian League. The ice hockey team, EHC Bayreuth, plays in the DEL2, the second highest ice hockey league in Germany.


title: Bayreuth

text: Bayreuth had its sporting heyday in the late 1980s and early 90s. The basketball team, Steiner Bayreuth, were twice German Cup winners (1987/1988 and 1988/1989) and in the 1988/1989 season they also won the German championship. The hockey team of Bayreuth's swimming club (SCC) was twice champions of Second Division South and also played for a year in the Hockey League. At the time that the table tennis team of Steiner Bayreuth was also first class (since 1983 2nd Division, in 1984/85, 1986/87 and 1987/88 1st Division, 1988 relegated and the team has played for many years in the 2nd Football Division. The table tennis players of the 1. Bayreuth FC played in the 1st Division from 1994 to 1997.


title: Bayreuth

text: From Bayreuth Central Station ("Hauptbahnhof") railway lines run north to Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg, and from there to Bamberg and over the Schiefe Ebene to Hof, east to Weidenberg, southeast to Weiden and south to Schnabelwaid with connections to Nuremberg on the Pegnitz Valley Railway. The lines around Bayreuth are all single-tracked and non-electrified.


title: Bayreuth

text: Since 23 May 1992 tilting Class 610 diesel multiple units have worked the Pegnitz Valley route. These were bought by the former Deutsche Bundesbahn specifically for the winding track.


title: Bayreuth

text: Since a 2006/2007 timetable change, Bayreuth has no longer been connected to the DB's long-distance network. However, the Franken-Sachsen-Express still provides a direct connection to Dresden (since December 2007, every two hours). This service is worked by Class 612 diesel multiple units. There are also Regional-Express links via Lichtenfels to Bamberg and Würzburg, and via Lichtenfels and Kronach to Saalfeld.


title: Bayreuth

text: The town bus routes are operated by Bayreuth Transport and Public Baths (BVB) (). Sometimes private bus operators run services on behalf of the transport companies. The 15 routes (lines 301–315) operate from Monday to Friday at 20 or 30-minute intervals; on Saturday and Sunday the interval is extended to 30 minutes. Late evening services (from about 20 to 12 pm during the week and to 1 am at weekends), on Sunday mornings a simplified network of six lines (lines 321–326) runs buses at 30-minute intervals. Some lines then operate like an on-call taxi service. The network is star-shaped. Originally, the central station was at the market square in . Since 27 October 2007 the Central Bus Station (ZOH) has been at at the junction of on the . At this stop there are also bus stops for local buses to facilitate transfers.


title: Bayreuth

text: Regional rail is operated by the Omnibusverkehr Franken. From 1 January 2010 public transport from the town and district of Bayreuth was integrated into the Nuremberg Regional Transport Network ().


title: Bayreuth

text: In most places there is a signed cycle path network. In the centre of Bayreuth itself, cycling is fairly straightforward due to the relatively flat topography, something which encourages the use bicycles as an everyday means of transport. Because of the proximity of the 600 kilometre long Main Cycleway, Bayreuth is also a destination for many tourist cycle routes.


title: Bayreuth

text: Because of the long service intervals of the Bayreuth town bus system and its long overnight pause, students use bicycles as their everyday mode of transport.


title: Bayreuth

text: The local airport supports Bayreuth's commercial aviation traffic, individual business travel, general aviation and air sports. There is no commercial service any more: In 2001, the service which used to operate three times a day from Frankfurt via Bayreuth to Hof, stopped service.


title: Bayreuth

text: The airfield at Bindlacher Berg is also one of the most important bases for gliding in Germany. For example, the World Championships took place here in 1999. For the air sports community in Bayreuth, the airport is a departure point for glider flights taking part in the national Bundesliga competition league. The local gliding club also provides instruction in flying gliders and light aircraft.


title: Bayreuth

text: For centuries Bayreuth was also a garrison town for the Prussian Army, Royal Bavarian Army, "Reichswehr", "Wehrmacht", US Army, German Army ("Bundeswehr") and the German Border Police ("Bundesgrenzschutz"). In the early 1990s, following the end of the Cold War the garrison tradition of the town came to an end when the "Bundeswehr's" Margrave Barracks ("Markgrafenkaserne") and the Röhrensee Barracks ("Röhrenseekaserne"), used by the US Army and the BGS ("Grenzschutzabteilung Süd 3"), were closed.


title: Bayreuth

text: Since 1990, there is also a cultural partnership with the state of Burgenland, Austria, and a university partnership between the University of Bayreuth and the Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: The Black Stallion is a 1979 American adventure film based on the 1941 classic children's novel of the same name by Walter Farley. The film starts in 1946, five years after the book was published. It tells the story of Alec Ramsey, a boy who is shipwrecked on a deserted island with a wild Arabian stallion that he befriends. After being rescued, they are set on entering a race challenging two champion horses.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: The film is adapted by Melissa Mathison, Jeanne Rosenberg, and William D. Wittliff. It was directed by Carroll Ballard and stars Kelly Reno, Teri Garr, Hoyt Axton, Mickey Rooney, and the Arabian horse Cass Ole. The film features music by Carmine Coppola, the father of Hollywood producer Francis Ford Coppola, who is credited as executive producer.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: In 2002, "The Black Stallion" was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: In the summer of 1946, Alec Ramsey is travelling by steamer off the coast of North Africa, where he sees a wild black stallion being forced into a makeshift stable and heavily restrained by ropes leading to his halter. Captivated by the horse, Alec later sneaks to the horse to feed him some sugar cubes, but he is caught by the horse's supposed owner, who tells him in Arabic to stay away from "Shetan". After shoving the boy away, he gluttonously helps himself to the sugar.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: Later in his bunk, Alec's father shows Alec his winnings from a card game and gives him a pocket knife and a small statue of Bucephalus, and tells the story of how Alexander the Great became Bucephalus' master. Later that night, Alec is thrown out of his bunk during a storm. Alec, being carried by Mr. Ramsey, and the other passengers make their way to the deck. The ship is engulfed in flames and is sinking. Mr. Ramsey tells Alec to stay put next to the stallion’s stable as he rushes to help the lifeboat crew. In the chaos, Alec grabs his knife and makes his way to the black stallion and manages to free him. The stallions owner then finds Alec and attempts to steal his life jacket, only to be tackled by Mr. Ramsey. The stallion then jumps into the sea. Alec himself is thrown overboard by the waves. He narrowly misses being pulled into the propeller which is still turning. In the water, he swims toward the stallion and manages to grab hold of the ropes of the stallion's restraints just as the ship explodes, rendering him unconscious.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: Alec wakes on the shore of a deserted island and starts to explore. He finds the stallion caught in his restraints with the ropes stuck between the rocks. With his knife, Alec manages to free the stallion once again and the stallion runs away. For a time, the two keep their distance. Alec discovers means to survive by catching fish and seaweed. As Alec suddenly faces a cobra eye to eye, the Black comes to the rescue and kills the snake, only to run off again.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: By now, Alec decides to try to get closer to the horse and offer him some seaweed. The hungry stallion finds himself unable to resist, but visibly struggles with his distrust for humans. Eventually, the hunger wins and he takes Alec's offer; their bond has been sealed and the two are now inseparable. After many times falling off the horse, Alec manages to ride the stallion, and they both travel the beaches, united as one. One day, a fishing ship arrives, rescuing both Alec and the stallion.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: Back home in America, Alec is given a hero's welcome. The Black has a temporary home in Alec's back yard, but a garbage man not knowing that there is a wild horse in the back yard is chased by the Black, who races off down the street after being spooked by a passing car. Alec chases after him through every part of town, but loses track of him. The next day, Alec meets Snoe (and Napoleon) who tell him where the Black is. Alec finds the stallion in the barn of Henry Dailey, a retired racehorse jockey, who claims to have spent all night catching the Black. Alec arranges for the Black to stay at the barn.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: When Alec wonders how fast the Black is, Alec and Henry decide to train the Black for the racetrack, while Henry teaches Alec how to be a jockey. The Black surprises Henry with his speed. Henry immediately starts planning to get the Black into the match race between the country's current two champions. To do that, he sets up a secret demonstration at night where the press can witness his speed, keeping the identity of Alec and the Black secret. The news spreads about the "mystery horse" and the Black is entered into the race. However, Alec's mother disapproves of this, fearing that her son would be taking a huge risk as a jockey, before she relents and allows him to ride the horse in the upcoming race.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: The race is the most anticipated horseracing event of the year. Before the two champions and the Black enter the starting gate, the Black gets into a fight with one of his opponents, wounding his leg. Alec does not see the wound until he is in the gate. As he dismounts, the bell rings and the horses take off. Alec desperately tries to stay on his horse and trying to stop him. He falls behind, but the Black will not stop. When Alec regains his balance, the Black is well on his way to catch up with his opponents. Alec now encourages the Black to run as fast as he can, remembering the wild rides on the island, as they catch up. The Black eventually wins by two lengths.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: Cass Ole, a champion Arabian stallion, was featured in most of the movie's scenes, with Fae Jur, another black Arabian stallion, being his main double. Fae Jur's main scene is the one where Alec is trying to gain the trust of the Black on the beach. Two other stunt doubles were used for running, fighting, and swimming scenes.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: El Mokhtar, an Egyptian Arabian racehorse, was the producers' first choice to portray the Black, but they were unable to secure his services for the film from his owners, who declined any offers. He does appear in "The Black Stallion Returns", alongside Cass Ole, by which time the studio bought out the syndicate of owners to secure El Mokhtar's services.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: Napoleon was portrayed by Junior, that previously appeared in "National Lampoon's Animal House" as Trooper, Niedermeyer's horse.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: The film was positively received by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 90% approval rating based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: Carmine Coppola was nominated for Best Original Score at the Golden Globe Awards. He later won the award in this category for his score of "Apocalypse Now."


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: Caleb Deschanel was nominated for Best Cinematography by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: The film received two awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for Best Cinematography (Caleb Deschanel) and Best Music (Carmine Coppola).


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: In 2002, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: On August 17, 2009, Intrada Records released a three-disc special edition of the soundtrack containing the entire score from the film plus bonus material, including unused cues and alternate takes of some tracks as well as a restored re-issue of the original 1979 soundtrack album. This release was limited to 1,500 units.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: The film was released on RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc (CED) in 1981. The film was released on Laserdisc and VHS by Magnetic Video in 1985. It was re-issued on VHS as part of the MGM/UA Family Entertainment Collection in 1994 and the MGM Family Entertainment Collection in 1997. The film was released on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment in 2004 and re-issued in 2013. A restored print of the film was released on Blu-ray by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in 2013. The Criterion Collection released a special edition of the film on DVD and Blu-ray in 2015. This release features a new 4K transfer supervised by Caleb Deschanel, five short films directed by Carroll Ballard, new interviews with Deschanel, Ballard, film critic Scott Foundas and photographer Mary Ellen Mark as well as an essay written by film critic Michael Sragow.


title: The Black Stallion (film)

text: The film was followed in 1983 by a sequel, "The Black Stallion Returns", which also starred Reno. There was also a television series called "The Adventures of the Black Stallion" which aired from 1990 to 1993 and starred Mickey Rooney and Richard Ian Cox. In 2003, a 50-minute prequel called "The Young Black Stallion", was shot and released for IMAX theaters.


title: Mugdha Chaphekar

text: Mugdha Chaphekar is an Indian television and film actress who predominantly works in Hindi-language television shows along with some Marathi-language TV shows and films. Chaphekar made her television debut as an adult artist with "Kya Mujhse Dosti Karoge" in 2006 but gained attention as Princess Sanyogita in the Star Plus serial "Dharti Ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan". Since then she has acted in numerous Hindi television shows. Some of her notable works include- comedy drama "Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo" , Marathi film "The Silence" and most successful "Kumkum Bhagya.


title: Mugdha Chaphekar

text: Mugdha Chaphekar first appeared as a child artist in the Bollywood movie "Aazmayish" when she was aged eight. Later in 2001, she appeared in the television series "Junior G" as Shelly. Chaphekar made her television debut as an adult artist with the show "Kya Mujhse Dosti Karoge" in 2006.


title: Mugdha Chaphekar

text: Chaphekar had her first lead in Star Plus's epic historical series "Dharti Ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan" where she played Princess Sanyogita. This was followed by roles in "Dharam Veer" and "Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari".


title: Mugdha Chaphekar

text: In mid 2014, she joined Zee TV's daily soap opera "Satrangi Sasural" as Aarushi opposite Ravish Desai. Her role ended in September 2015. She won the Maharashtra State Film Awards for the Best Debut Lead in the Marathi film "The Silence". She also appeared in the short film "Sumati" in 2019.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: The Olympic Stadium of Athens "Spyros Louis" (, "Olympiakó Stádio Athinon "Spyros Louis"") is a sports stadium in Athens, Greece. It is a part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex and is named after the first modern Olympic marathon gold medalist in 1896, Spyros Louis. The stadium used to host some of the biggest sport clubs in Greece like Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and AEK Athens. The stadium served as the main stadium during the 2004 Summer Olympics.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: Located in the area of Marousi in Athens, the stadium was originally designed in 1980 and built in 1980–1982. It was completed in time to host the 1982 European Championships in Athletics. It was inaugurated by the President of Greece at the time, Konstantinos Karamanlis, on 8 September 1982. One year later, in 1983, OAKA Stadium hosted the 1983 European Cup Final between Hamburger SV and Juventus (1-0). In 1987, the stadium hosted the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup final between Ajax and Lokomotiv Leipzig (1-0). Olympic stadium is an UEFA category four stadium and is the largest stadium in Greece. In 1994, OAKA Stadium hosted their second 1994 UEFA Champions League Final, this time contested between AC Milan and Barcelona (4-0). It also hosted several events of the 1991 Mediterranean Games and the 1997 World Championships in Athletics, sought in order to prove that it was capable of hosting major sporting events after the failure of Athens to win the 1996 Summer Olympics but successfully hosting the 2004 Summer Olympics.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: It was extensively renovated in time for the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Paralympics, including a roof designed by Santiago Calatrava, and innovatively positioned with Enerpac hydraulics. The roof was added atop the sidelines and completed just in time for the opening of the Games. The stadium was then officially re-opened on 30 July 2004. It hosted the athletics events and the football finals at the Olympics and the athletics at the Paralympics. It also hosted the opening ceremony on 13 August 2004, and the closing ceremony on 29 August 2004 along the paralympics ceremonies on 17 and 28 September. In 2007, OAKA Stadium hosted the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final between AC Milan and Liverpool (2-1). The stadium's attendance was reduced to 72,000 for the Olympics, the initial capacity was some 75,000, though only 69,618 seats were made publicly available for the track and field events and slightly more for the football final. The turf system consists of natural grass in modular containers which incorporate irrigation and drainage systems.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: The foundation stone for the Olympic Stadium was laid on 7 January 1980. Its construction was revolutionary and involved the use of a prefabrication method for the 34 sets of pillars supporting the stands (each weighed 600 tons). About 26,000 seats of the lower tier were covered, while the stadium's most striking feature were the four leaning pillars that held its floodlights, each being 62 metres tall. The Athens Olympic Stadium was finally inaugurated in September 1982.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: The stadium was renovated from 2002 until 2004 adding the famous roof for the 2004 Summer Olympics. The central lawn of O.A.K.A consists of approximately 6.000 plastic capsules inside which thermophile lawn is grown. The capsules are adjoining, their size is 1.2*1.2m and are situated on a flat cement surface of two acres, flanked by two lateral drainage channels. The irrigation of the lawn is achieved by 35 automatically elevated water launchers with the use of programmed irrigation. This system allows the movement of the lawn to an area outside the stadium in order for the surface to be used for different events. Thirty-four entrance gates provide access to the stands. Odd gate numbers (1 to 35) lead to the lower and even numbers (2 to 34) to the upper tier. There are no gates numbered 18 and 36, since the two video-scoreboards are located in their place. Additionally, the stadium features 17 VIP boxes and 3 parking lots. Due to its design, the stadium's tribunes have the ability to empty within 7 minutes.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: Designed by the world-known Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the roof cost €130 million. The two giant arcs have a total span of 304m and a maximum height of 72m. The roof has a total weight of 18,700 tons coverering by 5,000 polycarbonate panels which covers an area of 25,000 square metres. The west arc was assembled 72m from its final position and the east 65m - both later slid into place. The roof is designed to withstand winds up to 120 km/h and earthquakes up to magnitude 8.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: Car - Exit the city centre to the north via Kifissias Avenue and just follow the road signs to "OAKA". If you come from the Attiki Odos ring road, use exit 11 ("Kifissias - Ol. Stadium").


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: Bus - Use X14 from Syntagma Square in central Athens. It will take you directly to the Olympic Stadium in at least 30 minutes.


title: Olympic Stadium (Athens)

text: Metro - It is a 25-minute ride from the city centre. Use Line 1 and get off at "Irini" or "Neratziotissa". From there, it is a 10-minute walk from the Olympic Complex to the stadium.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: "Breakaway" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song, written by Matthew Gerrard, Bridget Benenate and Avril Lavigne, was originally intended for Lavigne's debut studio album, "Let Go" (2002). After being deemed unsuitable for the album, it was passed to Clarkson to be recorded as a soundtrack for the film "". Clarkson, who was finishing her second studio album at that time, recorded "Breakaway" to tide her fans over until the first single from her new album was released. However, the song's success prompted its inclusion on Clarkson's second album where the record label decided to name the album after the song. "Breakaway" was first released by Walt Disney Records as the first single from on July 19, 2004. In May 2006, "Breakaway" was reissued as the fifth and final single from the album of the same name.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: "Breakaway" received positive reviews from music critics, who could relate to the song's message and simple lyrics. It incorporates acoustic guitars and airy drums which are interspersed with Clarkson's controlled voice. The lyrics narrate Clarkson's journey as a girl growing up in a small town who follows her dream for self-improvement. "Breakaway" was a commercial success outside of the United States, where it peaked within the top 20 of multiple European countries, and in the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Hungary and the Netherlands. In the US, the song peaked at number six on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and became her third top ten song in the chart. It also topped the US Adult Contemporary for twenty-one non-consecutive weeks, a record for female artists that is now shared between herself, Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" and Adele's "Hello".


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: Directed by Dave Meyers, the accompanying music video for "Breakaway" portrays Clarkson as a young girl from a small town who follows her dream and becomes an international star. It also contained scenes interspersed from "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement". Clarkson acted out most of the lyrics in the music video because she felt that the song was autobiographical. Critics responded positively to the music video for being faithful to the central theme shared by the song, the film, and Clarkson's personal biography. Clarkson performed the song in a series of live appearances such as television shows "Saturday Night Live", "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". She has performed the song in her concert tours, including the Stronger Tour. "Breakaway" has also been covered by many contestants from reality television singing competitions, notably Katie Stevens, a contestant in the ninth season of "American Idol", as well as an English pop quartet, Belle Amie who finished eleventh in the seventh season of "The X Factor". It was also used in Brazilian soap operas "Malhação" and "Amigas & Rivais".


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: "Breakaway" was originally written by Avril Lavigne, Bridget Benenate and Matthew Gerrard. According to Benenate, the song was written in 2001 when she was working with Gerrard for Lavigne's first album, "Let Go". Benenate explained that Lavigne came to her to write the song, saying


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: Avril talked about her life and what things were important to her – she was the inspiration for the song. Matthew began creating the melody and track, and I started working on the lyrics. I remember staying in bed for three days, writing 25 versions of the lyric. I love being in bed and writing lyrics, and having my dog Jet and my kitty Dash on the bed. Anyway, we finally finished the lyric, then we completed the demo.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: After the production of the song was deemed unsuitable for Lavigne's album, the song was passed to several artists including Samantha Moore before finally being recorded by Kelly Clarkson. Benenate also added that it was Mitchell Leib, the President of Music and Soundtracks for Walt Disney Pictures and Television/Buena Vista Music Group, who secured "Breakaway" as one of the soundtracks of "". In an interview with MTV, Clarkson said that she recorded "Breakaway" to tide fans over until September that year before she released the first single from her second album. Nevertheless, the song's huge success prompted its inclusion on the album, which Clarkson decided to name "Breakaway". Clarkson expressed that "Breakaway" was different from everything she has done, saying that it "is a simple song, and I think that its simplicity is what's beautiful about it. Whenever writers or producers come to work with me, they take advantage of the fact that I can really belt it out. What's cool about 'Breakaway' is that it doesn't take advantage of that. The song just uses the simplicity of my voice." The song was officially released to radio stations on July 20, 2004 as the first single of . Lavigne's original demo of the song leaked onto the internet nearly a decade later in April 2014. A brand new recording was officially released as part of the 20th anniversary re-release of her debut album on June 3, 2022.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: "Breakaway" is a folk-pop song with a length of three minutes and 57 seconds. It is composed in the key of C major, with a tempo of 160 beats per minute. T.U. Dawood of "Dawn" lauded the song for being the best track on the album, writing ""Breakaway" is an enchanting single that will have you humming along to its infectious, gentle chorus and the inspiring lyrics." It has a chord progression of C–G–Am7-F(9) and Clarkson's vocal range in the song spans two octaves from the low note of G to the note of D. Sam Lansky of PopCrush.com thought that Clarkson's vocal floated over strummed guitars and airy drums, a combination which elevated the inspirational message of the song. Dave Donelly of Sputnikmusic noted that "Breakaway" successfully contrasted typical acoustic verse with a soaring pop chorus which was interspersed by Clarkson's controlled but powerful voice.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: Lyrically, the song is about growing up and moving on in life. Natalie Nichols of "The Baltimore Sun" considered "Breakaway" as Clarkson's anthem which is about a small-town girl going for her dreams. Clarkson admitted that she could relate to the song, saying:


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: It describes how I got into the business, verbatim. I did grow up in a small town, I wanted to get out, I felt like there was something... not better for me, but something different for me. I didn't feel like I fit in at school. Whether you are a DJ, or if you work with computers, or if you're a teacher, everyone has that point where they feel, 'I'm bored and this isn't what I wanted to do with my life.'


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: While reviewing the album, Shirley Shipin of "Rolling Stone" opined that "Breakaway" was the highlight of the album where Clarkson sounded "more Avril than Ashlee". Rhonda Lynn of Florida Entertainment Scene praised the acoustic guitar in the song which is instrumental in holding the whole structure together. Tammy La Gorce of Amazon.com thought that the song would not wear out due to its "rock-friendly thumps, dips, and rolls." In a different perspective, Joan Anderman of "Boston.com" remarked that "Breakaway" is not new or exciting-sounding but he admitted that the "hit single accomplishes the rare feat of being thoroughly middle-of-the-road without sacrificing grace or intelligence". Chuck Taylor of "Billboard" felt that the song was a weak choice as a single compared to Clarkson's previous hits, writing Breakaway' sounds more like an Irish folk song propped up with pop production than the anthemic material with which Clarkson has won over legions of fans." Kathi Kamen Goldmark of Disney Family.com felt that the song was tedious, simultaneously dull and so emotionally overwrought that it almost sounds like a parody of itself. Michael Wood of "The Village Voice" described the song as "a swoony acoustic folk-pop that Goo Goo Doll Johnny Rzeznik would trade his hair gel for". Jill Salama of Oprah.com listed "Breakaway" as one of her nine favourite "Idol" singles of all time, writing "There is nothing that gets us more than a song about a girl going out on her own. Making a wish, making a change and, of course, breaking away. But seriously, this song is more than just a high school graduation anthem."


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: Bill Lamb of About.com ranked "Breakaway" at number four in his list of Top 10 Kelly Clarkson songs. The song received a nomination in the category of Song of the Year: Adult Hit Radio at the 2005 Radio Music Awards but lost to Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". It was one of the recipients of BDSCertified Spin Awards in November 2004 with 100,000 spins accumulated throughout the year. On March 5, 2013, "Billboard" ranked the song at number five in its list of Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time. Additionally, it also appeared at number four of Clarkson's Top 15 Biggest "Billboard" Hot 100 hits through the week ending April 29, 2017.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: On the week ending August 28, 2004, "Breakaway" debuted at number 60 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. On its tenth week, the song jumped from number 12 to number 10 to become Clarkson's third Top 10 song in the chart, following "A Moment Like This" and "Miss Independent". It peaked at number six on the week ending November 20, 2004. The song spent 46 weeks in "Billboard" Hot 100, a feat that was later achieved by its immediate successor, "Since U Been Gone". It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 5, 2005. "Breakaway" also debuted at number 37 on the US Pop Songs on the week dated August 21, 2004. Three months later, it peaked at number two on the week ending November 13, 2004, and was held off the top spot by Nelly featuring Tim McGraw's "Over and Over". The song entered "Billboard" Adult Pop Songs at number 36 on the week dated August 21, 2004, before peaking at number two on the week ending February 12, 2005.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: "Breakaway" also made an appearance on the US Adult Contemporary at number 30 on the week ending September 18, 2004. The song fell out of the chart after its debut, before re-entering the chart at the same position of number 30 in its second week. Six months later, "Breakaway" topped "Billboard" Adult Contemporary, dethroning Los Lonely Boys' "Heaven" on the week ending March 12, 2005. The song spent 20 consecutive weeks at number one on the chart before being dethroned by Michael Bublé's "Home". However, the song returned to top the "Billboard" Adult Contemporary for the 21st week on the week ending August 6, 2005. With this achievement, "Breakaway" tied the record with Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" as the longest-running Adult Contemporary chart-topper by a female artist. "Breakaway" is also the longest-running chart-topper to come from a film in "Billboard" Adult Contemporary history, surpassing the nineteen-week record held jointly by Phil Collins's "You'll Be in My Heart" from "Tarzan" and Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" from "Up Close & Personal". It remains as Clarkson's longest-running number one in her career. As of September 2017, "Breakaway" has sold 2,128,000 paid digital downloads.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: Internationally, "Breakaway" was a commercial success. In Australia, "Breakaway" debuted at number 14 on the week ending September 26, 2004 before peaking at number 10, three weeks later. It was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of over 35,000 units. In New Zealand, "Breakaway" entered the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 19 on the week ending October 18, 2004. Six weeks later, the song ascended to a new peak of number 12. On July 8, 2006, the song debuted and peaked at number 22 in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, it debuted and peaked at number 12 on the week ending June 29, 2006. Elsewhere in Europe, "Breakaway" peaked at number six in Belgium, number eight in Austria, as well as number nine in the Netherlands.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: The accompanying music video for "Breakaway" was directed by Dave Meyers, which was shot in two days from July 10 to 11, 2004. In the video, the younger version of Clarkson was played by Lindsey Krueger. According to Meyers, working with Clarkson was a pleasant experience because he felt she was good and honest, although he had initial doubts in the beginning. He explained, "I was a little worried, her coming off 'American Idol,' it inherently feels manufactured and I didn't know how much of it was true artistry. But when I met her, she really does have a good, solid vibe. It was an honor to bring some of that out of her." Since the song is autobiographical, Clarkson decided to act out most of the lyrics in the video. Meyers also realized that the song was featured in "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" and he struggled to find a way to address the film-footage in the music video, saying "Since it's a movie tie-in, the idea stems from trying to figure out a new way of addressing the film-footage requirement they put on you, so we came up with the idea of her attending the premiere, which is very much something she will do in real life."


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: The video begins with the younger version of Clarkson sitting at the back seat of a station wagon. Singing the first verse, she witnesses a depressing scene of her brother quarreling with her sister who are scolded by their mother. She slowly clasps both her hands before the video shifts to the present day where Clarkson is seen arriving on the red carpet with her publicist for the world premiere of "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement". After posing for the photographers, she enters the cinema and watches the film. The next scene switches back to the younger Clarkson who is sitting and looking around her neighborhood at her house's rooftop as a plane is seen flying across the sky. The video switches back to the older Clarkson who is now watching the aforementioned film in her laptop inside the plane as it goes through a mild turbulence. Clarkson is also seen reminiscing about her past job as a worker in a movie theater, singing with her co-workers. The next scene shows Clarkson singing with her band in a backyard party which is shown alternately with scenes from the film, as well as a montage of her family and co-workers waving away from her. In the final scene, the younger Clarkson is shown praying by her bedside.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: The video was uploaded to MTV's website on August 9, 2004. The video reached number five on the AOL Music Top Video chart in September 2004, with 740,176 streams. Johnni Macke of E! deemed the early 2000s as Clarkson's "music video prime". She opined that the video was a great Cinderella story, writing ""Breakaway" shows the story of a young tomboy girl dealing with her insane family and what she grows up into...AKA a popstar named Kelly Clarkson." Kate Aurthur of "The New York Times" praised the music video for successfully illustrating the message of a girl following her own dream, which is a central theme shared by the song, the movie and Clarkson's biography. She also lauded the director of the video, Dave Meyers, for his ability to use Clarkson's evolution as an element to overshadow the distracting clips from "The Princess Diaries: Royal Engagement" despite noticing that the use of visual metaphors in the music video was overwrought.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: Clarkson first performed "Breakaway" on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in August 2004. In February 2005, she performed "Breakaway" as well as "Since U Been Gone" on "Saturday Night Live". On September 23, 2005, she appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and performed "Breakaway" as well as "Because of You". While touring at the Palace Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio during her Breakaway World Tour, Clarkson performed "Breakaway" while signing several autographs for her fans near the stage to purposely let the crowd belt out the chorus. "Breakaway" was also included in the setlist of Clarkson's 2009 All I Ever Wanted Tour where she performed the song in Hammerstein Ballroom without any dancers, acrobatics, moving set pieces and no special effects. Caryn Ganz noted that Clarkson belted the ballad song effortlessly by walking back and forth across the stage with her right hand on the mic and her left resting on her chest. Jim Cantiello of MTV opined that Clarkson's "low chest-voice cooed the verses of 'Breakaway and complimented the singer's vocal prowess throughout the concert. On April 3, 2012, Clarkson performed "Breakaway" as an encore to her Stronger Tour at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, where she told the audience that people started supporting her because of the song.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: In 2019, Avril Lavigne performed the song for the first time live at select venues during her Head Above Water Tour.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: "Breakaway" has also been covered by contestants from reality television singing competitions. Katie Stevens covered the song on the ninth season of "American Idol". Despite listening to the judges' comments to sing a contemporary song, her rendition was criticized by the judges; Randy Jackson thought the note was too big for Stevens while Ellen DeGeneres felt Stevens did not sell the lyrics. Kara DioGuardi said, "I don't think you know who you are yet as an artist", an opinion agreed by Simon Cowell. Jim Cantiello of MTV noted that Stevens' performance of the song was her weakest performance in the show, stating "Unfortunately, her uneven vocals on 'Breakaway' exposed her youthful inexperience." The same opinion was echoed by Eric Ditzian of MTV who opined that Stevens failed to resonate her youthful energy favouring the song choice.


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: "Breakaway" was performed by Julie Zorrilla in the semi-finals of "American Idol" season 10. Samantha Stephens of "The Republican" felt Zorrilla's performance was mediocre. Gil Kaufman of MTV remarked that Zorrilla's voice was shaky and it lacked personality. After landing in the bottom two, Belle Amie, an English pop quartet contestant on the seventh season of "The X Factor", decided to perform "Breakaway" as their survival song. Nevertheless, they were eliminated in the episode. The song was also performed by Megan Hilty on the episode titled "Understudy" of the American television series "Smash", which aired on April 7, 2012. Matt Tucker of KSiteTV.com thought the performance was "lovely", describing it as one of the things that stood out in the episode. The song was covered by Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale and Darren Criss, on the 97th episode, "Frenemies", of the musical series "Glee", which aired on February 25, 2014. For the thirteenth season of "American Idol", the song is used as the send off song when a contestant is voted off. The contestant who is voted off, their cover of the song is played during the goodbye montage video package. It was also used in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" trailer and in the thirtieth season of Brazilian soap opera "Malhação". The song was also featured on the 2020 episode "The Son" on the television show "Little America."


title: Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)

text: In 2022, singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, who originally co-wrote the song for her debut studio album "Let Go", released her version of the song for the expanded edition of the said album to commemorate the 20th anniversary since its release. The lyrics included the original word 'snow' which Kelly Clarkson changed it to 'rain' to fit in her perspective.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: The Beach Boys Today! is the eighth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 8, 1965 on Capitol Records. It signaled a departure from their previous records with its orchestral sound, intimate subject matter, and abandonment of car or surf songs. Side one features an uptempo sound, while side two consists mostly of introspective ballads. Supported by this thematic approach, the record became an early example of a rock concept album and established the group as album artists rather than just a singles band. It has since become regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: The album was produced, arranged, and largely written by Brian Wilson with additional lyrics by Mike Love. Most of it was recorded in January 1965 with the aid of over 25 studio musicians shortly after Wilson had suffered a nervous breakdown and stopped touring with his bandmates. Building on the advancements of "All Summer Long" (1964), "Today!" showcased more refined performances, denser and richer arrangements, slower tempos, longer structures, and influences drawn from Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Unlike their prior albums, none of the songs employ just traditional rock instrumentation as accompaniment. Instead, a more eclectic selection of instruments, including timpani, harpsichord, vibraphone, and French horn, feature throughout the album. Lyrically, Wilson developed a more personalized, semi-autobiographical approach, with his songs written from the perspective of vulnerable, neurotic, and insecure narrators. The LP includes "She Knows Me Too Well", about a man who acknowledges his cruel treatment of his girlfriend, "Don't Hurt My Little Sister", about a sibling who appears to conflate fraternal and romantic feelings for his younger sister, and "In the Back of My Mind", a ballad that ends with a breakdown of instruments playing out of sync from each other.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Today!" reached number four in the US during a 50-week chart stay and yielded three top 20 singles: "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (number 9), "Dance, Dance, Dance" (number 8), and "Do You Wanna Dance?" (number 12). A rerecorded version of "Help Me, Rhonda", issued in April, became the band's second number-one hit in the US. In the UK, the album was released in April 1966 and peaked at number 6. "Today!" continues to attract critical acclaim, with commentators usually focusing on the second side of the record, often describing it as a precursor to "Pet Sounds" (1966).


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Following the success of their chart-topping "I Get Around" single, the Beach Boys' touring schedule became considerably more busy. From June to August, the group toured in support of their newest LP, "All Summer Long", which had marked the most complex arrangements on a Beach Boys record to date, as well as being the first that was not focused on themes of cars or surfing. They also readied a Christmas album for release in November. By the end of the year, they had released four albums in 12 months and additionally recorded the singles "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" and "Dance, Dance, Dance". In November, they toured the UK and mainland Europe for the first time, appearing on various television programs and playing shows.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: By this point, principal songwriter Brian Wilson had become overwhelmed by the increasing pressures of his career and personal life. He later explained, "I used to be Mr Everything ... I was run down mentally and emotionally because I was running around, jumping on jets from one city to another on one-night stands, also producing, writing, arranging, singing, planning, teaching – to the point where I had no peace of mind and no chance to actually sit down and think or even rest." Adding to his concerns was the group's "business operations" and the quality of their records, which he believed suffered from this arrangement. During the European tour, frontman and lyricist Mike Love told "Melody Maker" that he and the band wished to move on from surf music and avoid resting on the band's laurels.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Wilson was also wracked with anxiety over his relationship with 16-year-old singer Marilyn Rovell. During the group's tour of Europe, he began consuming alcohol more frequently than he ever had, and channeled his feelings into writing songs. On December 7, in an effort to bring himself more emotional stability, he impulsively married Rovell. Around this time, he was introduced to marijuana by a new acquaintance from the music industry, Loren Schwartz. Wilson's habitual use of the drug caused a rift between himself and Rovell.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: On December 23, Wilson was to accompany his bandmates on a two-week US tour, but while on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston, began sobbing uncontrollably over his marriage and suffered a nervous breakdown. Al Jardine, who had sat next to Wilson on the plane, later said, "None of us had ever witnessed something like that." Brian played the show in Houston later that day, but was substituted by session musician Glen Campbell for the rest of the tour dates. This was the first time Wilson had skipped concert dates with the Beach Boys since 1963.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Over the next month, the group returned to studio sessions and finished the tracks that formed "The Beach Boys Today!". Wilson ultimately declared to his bandmates that he would be withdrawing from future tours for an indefinite period of time. He said, "I told them I foresee a beautiful future for the Beach Boys group, but the only way we could achieve it was if they did their job and I did mine." According to Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Wilson had been considering retiring from the music industry, but changed his mind upon hearing their recent song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (produced and co-written by Phil Spector). Wilson later told a journalist that his decision to quit touring was a byproduct of his "fucked up" jealousy over Spector and the Beatles. Journalist Nick Kent wrote that Wilson had also been "listening intently" to the work of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "The Beach Boys Today!" marked a stylistic departure from previous Beach Boys LPs and was their most musically sophisticated to date, featuring more complex and innovative arrangements. Academic Jadey O'Regan identified the album as the start of a period in which the band focused predominately on "unexpected structures and chordal movements, dense vocal harmonies, and a wide variety of orchestral textures not often heard in popular music of the time." However, musicologist Phillip Lambert disagreed with the notion that "Brian wrote B-side songs before his December catharsis and A-side songs in the sunny glow of his subsequent freedom", believing that the compositions which preceded his plane episode still showed evidence of progressive ingenuity.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Today!" was arranged as a concept album, with the first side of the record consisting of uptempo songs and the other side consisting of ballads. As music historian James Perone writes, "it was organized in such a way as to explore moods that extended from song to song. In other words, more than anything else Wilson had produced before, it was a coherent work and not just a collection of stand-alone songs." However, the thematic consistency is undercut by the presence of a filler track, "Bull Session with the "Big Daddy"", placed at the very end of the album.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Many of Wilson's new songs were written under the influence of marijuana, as his 2016 memoir suggested, "smoking a little bit of pot ... changed the way I heard arrangements." Further on the subject, he commented in an interview, "It opened some doors for me, and I got a little more committed to music than I had done before, more committed to the making of music for people on a spiritual level." Journalist David Howard argued that Wilson's use of marijuana had an "immediate effect" on his writing and production style, influencing the slower tempos, "more expansive" arrangements, introspective lyrics, as well as his "thinking in regard to the recording process ... his productions became denser and richer."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Unlike their prior records, none of the songs feature just basic rock instrumentation as accompaniment (drums, bass, guitar, piano, organ, vocals). Seven of the eleven songs feature orchestral-style instrumentation, while the remaining four use basic rock set-ups as a foundation, being augmented with other instruments that the band members themselves could not play. Also featured are a range of percussion instruments, from sleigh bells and timbales to triangles.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Producer Phil Ramone stated that Wilson began employing "adjacent things—like a woodwind quartet with an accordion underneath. We hadn't heard that before—not in pop music. Claude Thornhill or Gil Evans might have used these voicings in their jazz arrangements, but from this point on Brian began introducing some incredible instrumental clusters to mainstream pop music."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Owing to the greater number of ballads, Wilson invokes his signature falsetto nine times on the record, the most he had on a Beach Boys album since 1963's "Surfer Girl". Unusually, Dennis Wilson sang lead on the first and last songs on the album ("Do You Wanna Dance?" and "In the Back of My Mind"). This was because Brian had felt that Dennis "never really had a chance to sing very much", and so he gave him more leads on the album.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Lyrically, Wilson developed a more personalized, semi-autobiographical approach, with his songs written from the perspective of vulnerable, neurotic, and insecure narrators. All of the songs are expressed from a first-person perspective, and none of them involve themes related to cars or surfing. Instead, they offer a matured take on romantic relationships, as well as being more introspective, relating to such themes as growing up. Music historian Charles Granata said that the songs "exhibit a unified lyrical theme: the wonder of adolescent love and the expression of tender, pleading affection", subject matter that was "far more" substantial than when the group "declare[d] their love for a girl, car, or the surf."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Virtually every song expresses anticipation or apprehensiveness about the future, and the album is consistent with the Beach Boys' past records by remaining largely concerned with teenage experiences. Journalist Alice Bolin wrote, "This makes some sense – Wilson was barely out of high school when the Beach Boys formed – but on "Today!", the childlike lyrics take a turn for the unsettling", particularly when scrutinized against Wilson's 22-year-old perspective, as Bolin felt, "Wilson's attraction to teenage girls and his prolonged interest in teenage life smacks of a kind of arrested development." In the book "Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop", Bob Stanley remarked of the lyrics, "Brian was aiming for Johnny Mercer but coming up proto-indie."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Today!" contained more songs with a verse-chorus structure than any prior Beach Boys album. Jazz chord types and relations appear in many songs, including "When I Grow Up", "Kiss Me, Baby", and "Please Let Me Wonder". O'Regan uses the aforementioned songs as examples of "a maturing view of life and relationships that were underpinned by and reflected in the expandable and flexible verse-chorus form." He wrote that "Today!" offered the "clearest example" of the group's pre-1967 "lyrical experimentation" due to the "longer and more flexible structures".


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Side two marks the introduction of major seventh and major ninth chords, which, O'Regan states, "soften the lively sound of the A side". Journalist Scott Interrante noted that "it would be a mistake to assume that the ballads are more sophisticated. ... Wilson proves that he can be just as harmonically and structurally inventive with catchy dance songs as he can with emotional ballads."<ref name="Scott/Intro"></ref> Likewise, "Even in the upbeat songs like 'Do You Wanna Dance?' and 'Dance, Dance, Dance', there is a sense of focus on the future, and a distinct, unsettling feeling that they’re trying to dance off." He further characterized A-side songs such as "Good to My Baby" and "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" with having a "deceptive simplicity" in their music and lyrics.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "The Beach Boys Today!" was largely recorded between January 7 and 19, 1965 at Western Studio in Hollywood. Other studios used were Gold Star ("Do You Wanna Dance?") and RCA Victor ("Dance, Dance, Dance"). Four songs were recorded in the previous year: "She Knows Me Too Well" and "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" (June), "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (August), "Dance, Dance, Dance" (October), and the backing track for "Kiss Me, Baby" (December 16).


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Wilson had been employing the services of Phil Spector's session musicians (later known as "the Wrecking Crew") since the "Surfer Girl" sessions. He used them to a greater degree on "Today!", with the number of studio musicians used for each track usually exceeding 11 players, while performance takes ran to the 30s. Dillon writes that the further takes "showed his studio skills were sharper than ever and [that he] was increasingly demanding of both the session musicians and the group." Wilson's 2016 memoir states that, following the airplane episode, he had endeavored to "take the things I learned from Phil Spector and use more instruments whenever I could. I doubled up on basses and tripled up on keyboards, which made everything sound bigger and deeper."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: The recording process typically involved recording an instrumental on two tracks of 3-track tape with one remaining track left for the first vocal overdub. This tape was then dubbed down to a second tape for an additional layer of vocal overdubs. "Today!" was ultimately mixed down to mono and was their first album not to be issued in stereo since "Surfin' U.S.A." (1963). Select tracks from the album were later remixed for stereo on Beach Boys compilation albums. A complete stereo mix of "Today!" was first released in 2012.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Do You Wanna Dance?" is a cover of the R&B song by Bobby Freeman, who had a top 10 hit with it in 1958. It is distinguished from the original through its lush orchestration, three-part vocal arrangement, and instrumental bridge key change.<ref name="Scott/DYWD"></ref> Dillon speculated that the rendition may have been inspired by the version by Del Shannon, who had recently recorded the song, although the Beach Boys' version bears a "closer resemblance" to an earlier version by Cliff Richard and the Shadows. It was the first song the group recorded at Gold Star, Spector's favorite studio, and their second song that employed a timpani.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Good to My Baby" is about a man responding to criticisms regarding the way he treats his girlfriend. Interrante opined that while it is not "musically exciting or complex", the defensive and anxious tone "running throughout the song adds a dark quality that’s not immediately on the surface, and ultimately makes 'Good to My Baby' all the more interesting."<ref name="Scott/GTMB"></ref> O'Regan highlights the use of a major supertonic function (II) with giving "the [chord] progression a surprising lift under the positivity of the lyrics – it reaffirms the confidence the singer feels about his relationship, despite what others may think."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" is about a sibling who appears to conflate fraternal and romantic feelings for his younger sister. The lyrical inspiration is often attributed to Wilson's conflicted infatuations toward Marilyn and her sisters Diane and Barbara. According to Wilson's 2016 memoir, it was written "about me and the Rovells. I wrote it from the perspective of one of them telling me not to treat another one of them badly." Carlin wrote that the subject matter "recounts Diane Rovell's pointed advice from the early (and surreptitious) days of Brian and Marilyn's affair, only with an uncomfortable fraternal ardor: "Why don’t you love her like her big brother?""


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Wilson wrote the song for the Ronettes, modelling the chords and melodies after Spector's songs, and submitted it to Spector.<ref name="Scott/DHMLS"></ref> He accepted the song, but rewrote the lyrics, renamed it "Things Are Changing (For the Better)", and recorded it with the Blossoms. Wilson was to play piano on the recording session before being dismissed by Spector due to a substandard performance. Wilson later recycled the chord progression of the song's refrain for the band's "California Girls" (1965).


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" is about a boy who is anxious of when he stops being a teenager. At the time, Brian told the "Birmingham Post", "When I was younger, I used to worry about turning into an old square over the years. I don't think I will now, and that is what inspired 'When I Grow Up'." In a 2011 interview, he commented that when he wrote the song, he had a dismal view of his future. In his 2016 memoir, Love wrote that the song was "probably influenced" by Murry Wilson, who constantly challenged Brian's manhood.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: In the lyrics, the narrator poses such question as "Will I love my wife for the rest of my life?" That line in particular marked the first instance of a Beach Boys song discussing falling out of love with someone, as opposed to just being in or out of a relationship. Critic Richard Meltzer later cited "When I Grow Up" as the moment when the Beach Boys "abruptly ceased to be boys". It is one of the first rock songs to discuss impending adulthood and is possibly the earliest US top 40 song to contain the expression "turn on" (from the lyric "will I still like the things that turned me on as a kid?").


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Granata wrote that the song "best exemplifies the [band's] musical growth" through its "effective combination of odd sounds" and its "full and round" vocal harmonies. With the exception of the harmonica in the verses, all the instruments were played by the group members themselves. It took 37 takes to record. O'Regan afforded attention to the drum pattern for avoiding a traditional backbeat rhythm. Instead, it "effectively plays 'around' the vocals with interesting fills adding texture and drama to the passing of time in the lyrics. Each part of the drum kit works independently from each other, horizontally as four separate parts, rather than a whole set working together."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Help Me," is about someone whose fiance left him for another man and subsequently begs for a woman named Ronda to "help me get her out of my heart" with a one-night stand.<ref name="Scott/HMR"></ref> It was sung by Al Jardine, his second ever lead vocal for the group. Wilson and Love denied speculation that the "Ronda" mentioned in the lyric was based on a real-life person, although Love said that the opening lines drew from his high school experiences.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Wilson said that he came up with the song while "fooling around on the piano" playing Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife" with its "cool, shuffle beat". O'Regan felt that "the uneven rhythm" represented "both the limping pain from the previous relationship, and the heart-skipping feeling of new love." The song ends with a series of fake fade-outs, described by journalist Alexis Petridis as "undercutting the triumphant chorus with a weird sense of uncertainty."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Dance, Dance, Dance", written in a similar vein as "I Get Around", is about escaping emotional stress through music and dancing. It is their first song with a writing credit to Carl Wilson, who devised the guitar riff. Interrante praised the band's performance on the track: "Despite being joined by some studio players, it's Carl’s 12-string playing, especially his solo, and Dennis Wilson's ecstatic drumming that are the real driving forces behind the song."<ref name="Scott/DDD"></ref> An earlier version of the song, recorded in Nashville in September 1964, was included as a bonus track on the album's 1990 reissue.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Please Let Me Wonder" was the first song Wilson wrote under the influence of marijuana. It is about a man who is afraid that a woman will reveal that she does not love him, and so he instead prefers to fantasize that she does. Wilson said that he did the song "as a tribute to Phil Spector", although the arrangement, which highlights different, individual instruments throughout the song, was in direct contrast to the methods employed by Spector for his Wall of Sound.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: The instrumentation includes drums, timpani, tambourine, bass, two guitars, acoustic guitar, piano, tack piano, organ, horns, and vibraphone. In Howard's description, the song "specifically demonstrates" Wilson's "newfound insight" of "deconstruct[ing] songs into tiny increments and deal with each instrument individually, stacking sounds one at a time."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "I'm So Young" is a rendition of the 1958 doo-wop hit originally performed by the Students. Wilson chose to record the song because another version by the Ronettes' Veronica Bennett had recently been issued as a single. In contrast to the album's other cover song, "Do You Wanna Dance?", the Beach Boys' approach to "I'm So Young" deviated minimally from the original. Interrante pointed to the outro (a feature that Wilson invented for his version) as the arrangement's most "innovative" quality.<ref name="Scott/ISY"></ref> An earlier version of the band's recording, containing a flute and a more prominent bassline, was released on the album's 1990 reissue. Wilson soon revisited the song's "too young to get married" lyrical theme for the group's "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (1966).


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Kiss Me, Baby" is about a quarrel between the narrator and his lover, and his attempt to repair their relationship. Wilson was inspired to write "Kiss Me, Baby" while walking around a red light district in Copenhagen days after proposing to his soon-to-be wife. Love said that the "wistful bass line ... led to my lyrics about a guy who has a disagreement with his girlfriend, even though they can't even remember what they fought about, leaving them both brokenhearted." Dillon cited it as "a ballad that pleaded for the romantic reconciliation [Wilson] anticipated with Marilyn." Conversely, Interrante said that the track is different from the album's other songs in that it "doesn't seem to lyrically parallel Brian Wilson’s personal life at the time" and focuses "on coming to terms with the present" rather than anticipating the future.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: The arrangement features basses, guitars, saxophone, pianos, vibraphone, drums, and temple blocks—the sound of the latter percussion soon became a signature for Wilson– as well as English horn and French horn.<ref name="Scott/KMB"></ref> Doo-wop style background vocals sing "Kiss a little bit, fight a little bit" repetitively throughout the chorus and outro. Interrante described the song as among Wilson's "most interesting compositions" in addition to containing "some of the thickest and most beautiful harmonies the group had pulled off up to that point." Biographer Jon Stebbins praised "Kiss Me, Baby" as "the pinnacle of balladry", one of the group's "most romantic and emotional songs", and "a mammoth artistic achievement". A vocals-only mix was included on the 2003 compilation "Hawthorne, CA".


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "She Knows Me Too Well" showcases a narrator who is critical of how he treats his girlfriend and admits to having jealousy and double standards in the relationship. However, he convinces himself that his emotional abuse is fine, since it is mitigated by the fact that "she can tell I really love her". Wilson considered the song to be an homage to Burt Bacharach.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: It was the first track attempted for the album, although the original recorded version, made in June 1964, was scrapped in favor of a remake that was cut in August, during the same session for "When I Grow Up". The high-pitched percussion sound was made by hitting a screwdriver on a microphone boom pole.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "In the Back of My Mind" is about someone who describes themselves as "blessed with everything", yet has unfounded suspicions that his happy relationship will someday disintegrate. It features a dissonant orchestration and instruments such as saxophone, strings, and oboe. Dennis Wilson sang the lead without the accompaniment of any vocal harmonies. It is one of the group's songs that most heavily draw from the Tin Pan Alley style of songwriting, and in Lambert's assessment, the chord patterns "are virtually unprecedented in Brian's work." It ends with a breakdown of its instruments playing out of sync from each other.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: It is regarded among fans and critics as one of the band's "masterpieces".<ref name="Scott/INBOMM"></ref> Peter Doggett said of Dennis' performance, "he showed for the first time an awareness that his voice could be a blunt emotional instrument. ... his erratic croon cut straight to the heart, with an urgency that his more precise brothers could never have matched." Granata described the track as "disturbing" and "the antithesis of any prescribed commercial formula—a curious experiment marking an extreme deviation from the band." Howard similarly regarded its "stony lead vocal" and "warped string arrangement" as Wilson's "most ambitious arrangement to date." A 1975 recording of Brian performing the song on piano was released as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of his 2015 solo album "No Pier Pressure".


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Bull Session with the 'Big Daddy'" ends the album with a spoof interview of the band, conducted by journalist Earl Leaf, in which they discuss the group's recent tour of Europe. The track is a 2-minute edit of a recording that originally ran for over 20 minutes. At one point, Brian remarks, "Well, I haven't made a mistake yet in my whole career", to which Love adds, "Brian, we keep waiting for you to make a mistake."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "All Dressed Up for School" was a leftover track recorded by the band on September 14, 1964. The song was originally written by Wilson and Love for the singer Sharon Marie, as "What'll I Wear to School Today". Lambert described "All Dressed Up For School" as "packed with musical invention" and said that the lyrics are "interesting" despite being "unsuitable for release in 1964." In 1990, it was released as a bonus track on a reissue of "Little Deuce Coupe" and "All Summer Long".


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Guess I'm Dumb", written by Wilson and producer Russ Titelman, was tracked on October 14, 1964. Wilson's 2016 memoir states: "When I was finished, no one from the band wanted to sing it. The message was okay, but maybe it was just the idea of being dumb." In March 1965, Wilson gave the song to Glen Campbell as a show of thanks for his services with the touring group. It became Campbell's tenth single on Capitol, issued on June 7. Howard said it was Wilson's "most inspired" production to date, featuring a "surging, elegant Burt Bacharach-inspired string and horn arrangement and Campbell's forlorn Roy Orbison-like vocal."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Three tracks from the album were issued on two singles in the months prior the LP's release. "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (B-side "She Knows Me Too Well") was issued on August 24 and peaked at number 9 in the US and number 27 in the UK. On October 26, it was followed with "Dance, Dance, Dance", reaching number 8 in the US and number 24 in the UK. On November 28, the band were filmed for the concert film "T.A.M.I. Show", playing "Dance, Dance, Dance" and other hits.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: From January 27 to February 27, 1965, the band toured North America, with Campbell again substituting for Wilson. On February 15, "Do You Wanna Dance?" (B-side "Please Let Me Wonder"), was issued as the third single, peaking at number 12 in the US. On February 28, the band (with Brian) appeared on "Shindig!" performing "Do You Wanna Dance?" and a truncated version of "Please Let Me Wonder".


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Released on March 8, "The Beach Boys Today!" was a great commercial success, rising to number four in the "Billboard" charts on May 1. In April, a rerecorded version of "Help Me, Ronda" (retitled "Help Me, Rhonda") was issued as a single, becoming the group's second number-one hit in the US. This version of the song was included on the band's next LP, "Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)", released in July. On October 1, the RIAA awarded "Today!" gold certification, indicating over 500,000 units sold.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: In the UK, the album was released in April 1966 and peaked at number 6. Reviewing the album for "London Life", Barry Fantoni described the "marvellous" production and numerous "really beautiful tunes" as displaying the Beach Boys at their peak.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "The Beach Boys Today!" remains a "highly acclaimed" album, although most of the critical attention has been reserved for the second side of the record. Writing in the book "Icons of Rock", Scott Schinder highlighted the ballad side as "startling, both in their lyrical vulnerability and their distinctive arrangements." Petridis opined that the "overlooked first half is equally fascinating" for its emotional content, noting that "even the filler of Don't Hurt My Little Sister carries a slightly dark undercurrent." Journalist Paul Lester said that the album "set new standards for rock". Writing for "PopMatters", Bolin concluded that the LP's "intricate and sophisticated music ... brought the group, and pop music in general to a new place."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: On the band's subsequent releases, Wilson's writing and production style continued to grow in its sophistication, to the extent that writers often refer to the second side of the record as a precursor to the 1966 album "Pet Sounds". Bolin called "Today!" "an important artifact, with its sound forming a link between the Beach Boys' doo-wop-influenced beginnings and the lush and orchestral "Pet Sounds". Interrante wrote that it was "an exciting album" that showed early signs of Wilson "blur[ring] the lines between ballad and uptempo songs", and that in contrast to "Pet Sounds", ""Today!" is about the optimism, not the sadness, of leaving adolescence."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: Less favorably, biographer Steven Gaines criticized "Today!" as "not one of Brian's best works, consisting mostly of a melange of uninspired car tunes ..." Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Richie Unterberger declared that it was "strong almost from start to finish." Similarly, Schinder wrote that it "would have been the first Beach Boys LP to be sublime from beginning to end, were it not for the closing track". Interrante said of "Bull Session with the 'Big Daddy'", "one seriously questions why it was included at all. ... I think we can all agree that the album would be better off without it." Bolin decreed that "it can be hard to separate "Today!" from the masterpiece it led to – so much so that "Today!" can feel like a rehearsal for "Pet Sounds", with its themes and ideas repeated and perfected in the later album." However, she also states that "to hear it only in relation to "Pet Sounds" would be to undermine what a strange and original work "Today!" really is."


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: "Today!" regularly appears on "top album lists" conducted by publications such as "Rolling Stone". In 2005, it was included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". In 2007, "The Guardian" included it among "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die". In 2012, it was ranked number 271 on "Rolling Stone"s list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", with the entry stating, "Brian Wilson was already a genius. He writes sweet California tunes here, and the haunting 'She Knows Me Too Well' hits "Pet Sounds"-deep." On the list's 2020 edition, the record's position descended to number 466. , it is listed as the 997th-highest rated album on Acclaimed Music.


title: The Beach Boys Today!

text: With "Today!", the Beach Boys established themselves as album artists rather than just a singles band. Schinder credited its "suite-like structure" with presenting "an early manifestation of the rock album format being used to make a cohesive artistic statement – an idea that Brian would soon explore more fully." Bolin similarly recognized it as the band's "first flirtation with the album-as-art form." In Perone's belief, "Today!" began the reciprocal chain of influence between the Beatles and the Beach Boys, inspiring "at least" part of the Beatles' "Rubber Soul" (1965), which in turn inspired "Pet Sounds".


title: Molcajete

text: A molcajete (; Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl "molcaxitl") and tejolote are stone tools, the traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle, similar to the South American batan, used for grinding various food products.


title: Molcajete

text: The "molcajete" was used by pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cultures, including the Aztec and Maya, stretching back several thousand years. Traditionally carved out of a single block of vesicular basalt, "molcajetes" are typically round in shape and supported by three short legs. They are frequently decorated with the carved head of an animal on the outside edge of the bowl, giving the "molcajete" the appearance of a short, stout, three-legged animal. The pig is the most common animal head used for decoration of this type.


title: Molcajete

text: In the pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican period, the "molcajete" had a lid and the set was believed to be used for burial of members in society of high status. Additionally, throughout the pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican period, they were decorated with various colors and designs, and orange wares were identified as the most common characteristic of the "molcajete". The matching hand-held grinding tool, known as a "tejolote" (Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl "texolotl"), is made of the same basalt material.


title: Molcajete

text: "Molcajetes" are used to crush and grind spices, and to prepare salsas and guacamole. The rough surface of the basalt stone creates a superb grinding surface that maintains itself over time as tiny bubbles in the basalt are ground down, replenishing the textured surface.


title: Molcajete

text: A new basalt "molcajete" needs to be "broken in" because small grains of basalt can be loosened from the surface when it is first used and this will give an unpleasant gritty texture to the first few items prepared in it. A simple way to do the initial "seasoning" is to grind uncooked white rice in the "molcajete", a handful at a time. When the white rice flour has no visible grains of basalt in it, the "molcajete" is ready to use. Some rice flour may remain ground into the surface of the "molcajete", but this causes no problems.


title: Molcajete

text: As the porous basalt is impossible to fully clean and sanitize, "molcajetes" are known to "season" (much like cast iron skillets), carrying over flavors from one preparation to another. Salsas and guacamole prepared in "molcajetes" are known to have a distinctive texture, and some also carry a subtle difference in flavor, from those prepared in blenders. "Molcajetes" can also be used as a cooking tool, where it is heated to a high temperature using an open fire or hot coals, and then used to heat its food contents. Although true "molcajetes" are made of basalt, imitations are sometimes made of a mixture of pressed concrete and volcanic rock particles.


title: Molcajete

text: "Molcajetes" are also used as dish service in restaurants and homes. While recipes are usually not stewed or otherwise cooked in them, the "molcajete" stays hot for a very long time due to its high thermal mass, and it is not unusual for a dish to still be bubbling half an hour after serving.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: Paradise Kiss, also abbreviated to ParaKiss, is a josei manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa. It appeared as a serial in the Japanese fashion magazine "Zipper". Shodensha collected the chapters into five volumes. The series has also been adapted into a 12-episode anime series, produced by Aniplex and Studio Madhouse, and aired in Japan on Fuji TV's "Noitamina" programming block and on the anime television network Animax, which broadcast the series worldwide, including in Japan, Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Asia.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: The comic and the anime have become popular both domestically and internationally. They have been translated and dubbed or subtitled in many languages, including Vietnamese, Chinese (Taiwan), Korean, Finnish, French, Italian, Polish, Thai, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese (Hong Kong) and English. The English version was published by Vertical, Inc.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: "Paradise Kiss" occurs in the same universe as Yazawa's previous work, "Neighborhood Story", which has not yet been published in English. However, "Paradise Kiss" is a stand-alone story, as only three supporting characters from "Neighborhood Story" have major roles.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: Written by Ai Yazawa, the chapters of "Paradise Kiss" appeared as a serial in the Japanese fashion magazine "Zipper" from 1999 to 2003.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: Tokyopop licensed "Paradise Kiss" for an English-language release in North America and serialized it in its manga magazine "Smile". After Tokyopop's dissolving in 2011, New York based publishers Vertical acquired the rights to the property with plans on releasing the series in a three-volume A5 sized set with new covers, color plates and newly commissioned translation from September 2012 to March 2013. They re-released the series in a single omnibus volume as the "20th Anniversary Edition" on December 3, 2019. Madman Entertainment distributes the series in Australia and New Zealand. The series is also licensed in France by Kana, in Poland by Waneko and in Russia by Comics Factory.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: Produced by Fuji TV, Aniplex, Dentsu, Shodensha and Madhouse, the "Paradise Kiss" anime series began airing on October 10, 2005. It was directed by Osamu Kobayashi, who also wrote the series scripts. Nobuteru Yūki served as character designer and chief animation director, while noted fashion creator Atsurō Tayama designed the outfits and THE BABYS and Narasaki (of "Coaltar of the Deepers") composed the music. The anime was licensed for release in North America by Geneon Entertainment. On July 3, 2008, Geneon and Funimation Entertainment announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon will still retain the license, Funimation Entertainment will assume exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of select titles. "Paradise Kiss" was one of several titles involved in the deal.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: The opening theme song is "Lonely in Gorgeous" by Tomoko Kawase (as alter ego Tommy february6). The ending theme features Franz Ferdinand's hit song "Do You Want To". Both songs appear on the "Paradise Kiss Original Soundtrack" released on December 21, 2005.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: In an interview in the January, 2007 issue of "Newtype USA", director Kobayashi revealed many of the personal decisions which went into restructuring the manga into a television series. Wanting to avoid straying too far from the source material without approval, Kobayashi worked closely with Ai Yazawa on the new interpretations of the characters. In many instances, Yazawa was concerned that taking the original material straight would distract casual viewers or worse drive them away. Chief among these concerns was the handling of George's bisexual nature and interest in sadomasochism. Yazawa agreed that the dialogue should reflect this, but that actual onscreen depictions (as can be found in the original manga) were to be avoided. However, Kobayashi felt this was not being entirely true to the character, so he included a few hints of this side of George in the final episode. In another instance of modification, this time brought by Kobayashi, the character design of Arashi was modified to suit a scruffier, less slick appearance. "I wanted to make him look like Lupin the 3rd... sort of slouching and walking around with his hands in his pockets," Kobayashi explained. In agreement with the director, Yazawa went for the change.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: One area Yazawa and Kobayashi did not agree on was the casting of Shunsuke Mizutani as Arashi. The fact that he was not a professional voice actor, but rather a musician, was the cause of this debate. Kobayashi had wanted a more natural performance that did not sound like the typical voice acting found in anime. "Yazawa and I even had a few rows because of that," Kobayashi explains. "But after she'd seen about three episodes, she finally admitted that Mizutani's voice is a great match, and I was able to relax."


title: Paradise Kiss

text: In relation to the clothing design, despite Tayama's involvement with all of George's outfits, most of the clothing was left largely as originally depicted in the manga. Director Kobayashi had specifically requested a real designer to work on the project, and Tayama's role on the production had originally been conceived as reworking the designs to fit better with the real world, but much to everyone's surprise, the original manga designs by Ai Yazawa were already quite good. So, Tayama mostly was involved in updating the clothes to suit the very latest hot trends, and touching up the designs to make them look and behave realistically when animated. He also provided cloth samples and photographs with all of his illustrations to aid the animators with getting the textures right. Besides George's outfits, the majority of clothing for the other characters was designed by art director and stylist Asami Kiyokawa. After the rough designs were completed, texture artist Yoshikazu Suehiro drew all of the textures and lace by hand, and then scanned them into the computer and digitally applied them as textures during the animation coloring process.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: Together with the Japanese production company IMJ, Fox International produced a live-action, Japanese-language film based on "Paradise Kiss"; The film has an estimated budget of US$3–4 million.


title: Paradise Kiss

text: The live-action film features Keiko Kitagawa as Yukari Hayasaka and Osamu Mukai as George. Other cast members are Natsuki Katō as Kaori Aso, Aya Ōmasa as Miwako Sakurada, Kento Kaku as Arashi Nagase, Shunji Igarashi as Isabella Yamamoto, and Yūsuke Yamamoto as Tokumori Hiroyuki.