Holiday Road = Nothing But The Hook

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by kenzo

Great article, thanks for posting it. When I hear songs like Holiday Road, I always wonder if there's really a deeper meaning or whether the artist is Just. Having. Fun.

In this case, the deeper meaning is in the recording itself. The ultimate playfulness, the lightness of being. Very bearable by the way.

[michelej1]

But I wonder about the video and if Lindsey had anything to do with its content. Because the video is actually in keeping with Lindsey's themes in other songs.

It emphasizes being an individual rather than a cog, a piece in the Big Machine, breaking out, breaking free, maintaining your originality no matter what the expectations.

For me, the video did give the song deeper meaning. It made escapism more a necessity for survival rather than just a fun lark. I mean I would think of the song itself, in that movie as just a "vacation" romp. But then the video makes the need to escape a statement, instead. But I'm not sure how much the video had to do with the songwriter.

Michele

[MoonSister75]

Originally Posted by michelej1

But I wonder about the video and if Lindsey had anything to do with its content. Because the video is actually in keeping with Lindsey's themes in other songs.

It emphasizes being an individual rather than a cog, a piece in the Big Machine, breaking out, breaking free, maintaining your originality no matter what the expectations.

For me, the video did give the song deeper meaning. It made escapism more a necessity for survival rather than just a fun lark. I mean I would think of the song itself, in that movie as just a "vacation" romp. But then the video makes the need to escape a statement, instead. But I'm not sure how much the video had to do with the songwriter.

Michele

I think the video is great and definitely gives the song a deeper meaning. It reminds me of a sales job I did that I ended up hating. When you feel trapped and all you are waiting for is the next holiday - urrggg... I love the fact that the darkness of the video really contrasts with the catchy upbeat song - brilliant!

I also wonder how much input Lindsey had into the theme of the video, and whether he intended the song to have a deeper meaning?

I really like the first article posted in this thread. But I'm not sure stupid is the best description, there is definitely a silliness to it, but its not stupid. I love it, it reminds of my 80's childhood and watching the films

Originally Posted by elle

http://splicetoday.com/music/lindsey...lb-ufg.twitter

Lindsey Buckingham’s “Holiday Road” is such a strange song: it’s goofy and prefab, with the tinny, hollow qualities of most primitive drum machine and keyboard presets, something you’d hear whispering from an unseen speaker hidden deep in mall hell. It has the aggressively fake plastic jauntiness of a keyboard or drum machine preset, and the genuine emotion of a Chuck E. Cheese animatronic ensemble. Lindsey sings in a throaty but deflated voice that makes him sound like a synth patch. Obviously, this is a song written specifically for a soundtrack, for the theme song of National Lampoon’s Vacation. “Holiday Road” is nothing but the hook—everything is an excuse to reach the next round of “Holiday RoooAAAAooooOOOOOwwwAAAoooD”’s, reset, repeat. The bouncy plasticity of the production and the sheer repetition of the hook becomes a song that knows how stupid it is and revels in it, basically winning.

The song and the accompanying video also show Buckingham at his nervous wreck best, staring straight into the camera and pouting like Flock of Seagulls or The Human League.

Buckingham could never make the same impact as The Clash, Television, or Suicide, because he was on the front lines on the opposite side of the culture wars. Tusk is the most brilliant demonstration of the tension between a band of basically comfortable popsters content with playing it safe being led into the dark by a desperate, paranoid auteur intent on defining himself as distinct and just as visceral as The Sex Pistols. Buckingham’s ears were pinched after Tusk didn’t sell 40 million copies, and his 80s output is less bold and histrionic, but still strange and misanthropic. “Holiday Road” is the cynical pop concession by an artist that wants to make it clear the song he’s singing is stupid, and he knows it, and let’s just enjoy it.

[michelej1]

Huffington Post, May 16, 2014

25 Best Movie Songs Ever (23 Of Which Aren't 'Happy' Or 'Let It Go')

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05...n_5195882.html

Movies have produced some of the most popular songs ever. Just consider "Happy" from "Despicable Me 2" and "Let It Go" from "Frozen," both of which remain in the Billboard top ten months after their movies came out. In fact, the "Frozen" soundtrack, released six months ago, only this week got knocked off its number one perch where the album had spent 13 weeks and "Happy" just barely got bumped down to number two after 10 full weeks at the top.

The best movie songs can stand on their own outside the theatre, or even outshine the film itself, though most are inextricably linked due the emotional power of a perfectly paired soundtrack song and movie scene.

Here are the 25 best movies songs we came up with, but there are so many great ones we would love to hear your favourites.

#10, Lindsey Buckingham, Holiday Road

Holiday Road” is the bouncy little Lindsay Buckingham ditty that opens the Chevy Chase comedic classic "Vacation." It also makes feature appearances in "European Vacation and "Vegas Vacation." It is by far one of the most feel good movie songs of all time. Just try not to sing along on your way to Wally World.

[michelej1]

Readers' picks: Best travel songs of all time

By Chuck Thompson, CNN Fri June 20, 2014

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/20/travel...-travel-songs/

11. "Holiday Road" (Lindsay Buckingham, 1983)

Widespread support for the theme from National Lampoon's "Vacation" movies took us by surprise.

We're big Lindsay Buckingham fans, but we'd deemed this one a little too lightweight for our original list.

Along with a number of others, reader Eric passionately disagreed: "'Holiday Road' by Lindsey Buckingham is #1."

But pspdude summed up the Buckingham Bridgade's beef best: "The road anthem of all time, 'Holiday Road' by Lindsay Buckingham. CNN, what were you thinking to leave (this) out?"

[michelej1]

[What's wrong with being the "soundtrack guy"? You can make good quality movie sound tracks, as well as kitschy ones]

The Boom Box By Corbin ReiffJuly 7, 2014 1:35 PM


http://theboombox.com/ghostbusters-t...g-anniversary/

Thirty years ago, when the producers of the now-classic supernatural comedy ‘Ghostbusters’ were in the need for a catchy theme song for their nascent film, there was only one man they thought to call; Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Luckily, when that fell through they reached out to Detroit’s own Ray Parker Jr., who went on to write one of the most recognized title themes in cinema history.

Parker spent his earliest years in the music business as a sideman and session musician for some of the biggest names in soul and funk including Barry White, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock. In 1977, he formed and fronted the group Raydio, which went on to become quite a successful outfit. Just one year after their formation, they scored a top-ten hit with the song ‘Jack and Jill.’

After spending four years in Raydio, Parker decided to break up the band and go it alone. In 1982 he hit it big again with his song, ‘The Other Woman’ from the album of the same name. The single raced up the charts topping out at number four and established the singer as a major player in the early ’80s music scene.

In 1984, the production team for the comedy ‘Ghostbusters’ were putting the final touches on their film and were casting about for someone to write the theme song. Their first thought, as alluded to above, was Lindsey Buckingham, who was friends with Harold Ramis, the co-writer of the movie as well as the actor portraying brainy Ghostbuster Egon Spengler in the film. However, Buckingham — who had already contributed the song ‘Holiday Road’ for the film ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ — was reluctant to get pegged as a soundtrack guy and turned them down.

Read More: 30 Years Ago: Ray Parker Jr. Releases ‘Ghostbusters’ | http://theboombox.com/ghostbusters-t...ckback=tsmclip

[michelej1]

[From a story about the movie "Vacation." Wonder if they will play Holiday Road at all during the movie]

Speakeasy, The Wall Street Journal, June 4, 2015 by Sarene Leeds



http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/...ation-trailer/

Come on, Rusty, you of all people should know that the “Walley World National Anthem” would’ve been a better sing-along choice than Seal‘s “Kiss From a Rose.”

(Me, I’m partial to Lindsey Buckingham‘s “Holiday Road,” but let’s not split hairs here.)

Warner Bros. has released a second trailer for its “Vacation” reboot, which has a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) packing up his brood into the 2015 version of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster and heading off once again for America’s Favorite Family Fun Park, Walley World.

[michelej1]

[Multiple Versions, huh.]

A new ‘Vacation’ aims to blaze a fresh path in today’s comedy film world

Excerpt from Article Published on NewsOK Modified: July 17, 2015

http://newsok.com/a-new-vacation-aim...le/feed/864243

Both, however, were intent on calling back to the original. The new “Vacation” features a beautiful woman in a convertible riding alongside the Griswolds and making eye contact with Dad, a reference to — if containing a somewhat different ending than — the recurring Christie Brinkley gag from the first film. The soundtrack features multiple versions of Lindsey Buckingham’s “Holiday Road,” the original’s musical leitmotif. There is a nod to the signature Truckster, which in this version becomes the tricked-out “Tartan Prancer,” a kind of James Bond car of misfortune.

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by michelej1

[What's wrong with being the "soundtrack guy"? You can make good quality movie sound tracks, as well as kitschy ones]


In 1984, the production team for the comedy ‘Ghostbusters’ were putting the final touches on their film and were casting about for someone to write the theme song. Their first thought, as alluded to above, was Lindsey Buckingham, who was friends with Harold Ramis, the co-writer of the movie as well as the actor portraying brainy Ghostbuster Egon Spengler in the film. However, Buckingham — who had already contributed the song ‘Holiday Road’ for the film ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ — was reluctant to get pegged as a soundtrack guy and turned them down.

guess that title passed to Kenny Loggins instead.

[michelej1]

[From a Fresno Bee review of the new movie] by Rick Bentley 7/27/2015



The only thing that keeps “Vacation” from being a total failure are a gutsy effort by Christina Applegate, as Rusty’s wife, and the use of the Lindsey Buckingham song, “Holiday Road,” from the first movie. When Applegate

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/entertainme...#storylink=cpy

[michelej1]

[I love the compliments that Holiday Road is getting as they trash the movie]

Breitbart News

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywo...-and-partisan/

“Vacation’s” smugness isn’t insulting (we’d have to care), it’s obnoxious — almost as obnoxious as how often the filmmakers are forced to lean on the original theme song (Lindsey Buckingham’s “Holiday Road”) because they got nothing else.

Arkansas Online
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2...tion-20150731/

Once Lindsey Buckingham's music stops playing in the background it's time to go home.