This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Time for #BOTB Results


        Life is like a battle between us and the clock.  Or in the bigger picture, a battle against the calendar.

       Once again I'm taking on the daunting Alphabet Challenge of April   I revealed my theme officially here, but some of you might have guessed my theme from my recent Battle of the Bands post.  Yes, it is about time.  Isn't everything?

Battle of the Bands Results


       This latest Battle was between Fleetwood Mac's "Sands of Time" and Alan Parson Project's "Time"--both excellent songs which I like very much.  Of the two, I see "Time" by APP as the more linear song.  It moves steadily, barely deviating, with a constant flowing theme that begins and ends without much in the way of surprises or invested thought for that matter.  This is such a relaxing tune that it lends itself well to meditation or even preparation for sleep.  It might even make for a lovely song to play at a funeral.

        On the other hand, Mac's "Sands of Time" wanders and meanders in a good way. There is a sense of hope expressed in the lyrics, but also an ambiguity that invites anticipation of things to come.  The thoughts expressed are not definitive, resigned to giving into death, but mystical and magical.  The instrumental portions add an edgy sense with drifting guitar riffs that seem to simulate imagination and dreams.  I love this song--which is not to say that I don't like the other song a great deal--but my preference definitely leans toward the Danny Kirwan penned "Sands of Time".   This song has been playing in my mind all week which is another strong indicator of where my vote gets cast in the end.

        Nevertheless, you the voters decided the outcome no matter what my favorite version is.  And the outcome in this case was very decisive:


Final Vote Tally

Fleetwood Mac                  11

Alan Parsons Project        22


Next Battle of the Bands Saturday April 1st

        My next Battle of the Bands post will coincide with the opening day of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  My A to Z theme of "time" will not only encompass my posts for the upcoming month, but this theme will continue in my next few posts leading up to April.  My Battle of the Bands posts during A to Z month will also be related to time.  In fact, the next BOTB match that I'll be presenting is a movie theme that was also a top pop hit in 1969.  The song is a great introductory tribute for those participating in the A to Z Challenge and one that will likely bring back a few memories for many of us.  Anyone want to guess what song I'll be presenting?

        Was my A to Z theme of "Time" any surprise?   Did you find any A to Z themes in the recent Reveal day that particularly interested you?   Are there any aspects of time that you'd like for me to cover during my A to Z Challenge?  








28 comments:

  1. Not a big surprise.
    1969 - pretty sure I didn't see that movie in the theaters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex, I thought Fleetwood Mac might have the bigger fan base. I went to see the film for extra credit in my HS senior English class. I don't see this film played on TV these days. It was a pretty big hit film in its day.

      Lee

      Delete
  2. Both were nice choices. I like Fleetwood Mac's.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pop Tart, Fleetwood Mac would have needed a lot more vote to have won. Their song is still running through my head.

      Lee

      Delete
  3. I thought the vote would be closer. Mostly because I love both so much. :-)

    Anna from elements of emaginette

    ReplyDelete
  4. Woohoo! I don't believe I've ever been on the winning side of anything before.

    Your blog made me feel like a winner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Harry, too bad there wasn't any prize involved. Money would have been nice.

      Lee

      Delete
  5. I think the element of familiarity is what won this battle - at least that was the case for me. While I am a fan of Fleetwood Mac, I just wasn't familiar with their tune. Still, a good battle with a good turnout of votes.

    ~Mary
    Jingle Jangle Jungle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary, I think you're probably right. The Mac tune (and the album it came from) is a pretty obscure one.

      Excellent turnout!

      Lee

      Delete
  6. Yay, I'm on the winning side this time! And speaking of time, I hope that at the end of your A to Z people aren't saying...

    http://i.imgur.com/CoWZ05t.gif

    (I'm sure they won't. You always keep things interesting.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beer, hope no one says it's time for me to stop. But if they do, I probably won't pay any attention to them.

      Lee

      Delete
  7. Doubled on up over Fleetwood indeed. 1969 huh? Is it the movie? It was an oklay movie from what I recall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat, no, not the movie sharing its title with the year. I should look that one up to see if it's anything like I remember things being back then.

      Lee

      Delete
  8. I'm surprised Fleetwood Mac didn't get more votes but kind of glad APP won. The 2 movies that came to my head was Midnight Cowboy..."Everybody Talking" I think and Butch Cassidy and The Sunshine Kid "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head". Actaully, I am now thinking of that song from True Grit...was it sung by Glen Campbell who starred in the film?? He has Alzheimers and now can no longer remember how to play guitar. Talk about time...Alzheimers steals it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birgit, yes any kind of thing that messes with memory and identity cannot be all that good.
      No, not either of those films, but great guesses.
      I would have expected more votes for Mac, but it was a version of Mac that a lot of people don't know.

      Lee

      Delete
  9. Great battle, Arlee! Surprising margin. I did have an idea that 'Time' would be a part of your theme - cool beans! I saw several interesting themes on Reveal day and I haven't finished looking ;-)
    Now I have to know more about Danny Kirwan and the commune that may have changed him. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diedre, reading the story of Kirwan made me want to know more. Like what he's doing now.
      I could blog about time forever--or at least as long as time existed.

      Lee

      Delete
  10. Glad Alan Parsons came in as the winner by a long shot!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm not surprised by the results. Lots of fans of APP when I commented. Looking forward to your A-Z. Good luck with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elsie, an early voting trend developed that could not be turned.

      Lee

      Delete
  12. Now, there's a name I haven't seen for a long time: Alan Parsons. :-)

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cuban, I guess it's been a good many years since the group's last release, but they put out some nice music.

      Lee

      Delete
  13. I still prefer Fleetwood Mac but it was a close choice for me.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yvonne, close for me too, but Fleetwood Mac was my preferred choice as well.

      Lee

      Delete
  14. Fleetwood Mac's vote total got cranked "up to eleven", but APP's total got cranked up eleven higher than that!

    Nice turnout for this one, Lee.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    Check out my new blog @
    (Link:] Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. STMcC, it was a good turn out which I partly attribute to A to Z coming up, but also all the blog visiting I've been doing lately.

      Lee

      Delete

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee