Los Angeles Burning! ( #BOTB )

     The news from Los Angeles--the city in which I reside--is that right now as I write this it's a beautiful day with clear blue skies and good visibility of the mountains. From where I sit the world seems fine.

      Of course, across city it's a far different story.  Winds are picking up again which might spread the fire to potentially worse proportions.  We have to leave it up to the firefighters--and ultimately God. My household has been safe and will likely remain so as far as fires go. For now there's been a lull of new reporting, but perhaps the all station all hour blitz will go back to being the programming for all.

      Seems like the whole world is burning from the TV reporting.  And sadly for some it is.

Battle of the Bands

 

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.

Los Angeles Fires!

     As I was watching the continual fire reporting on the t-vision news, I was in the midst of thinking about my next Battle of the Bands.  My theme seemed pretty obvious.  One song had immediately jumped into my mind.  Then as I thought on I started coming up with more songs about fire and, more specifically, Los Angeles fires. There is a wealth of songs about this topic.  I narrowed it down to two by a couple of groups that I've liked for a very long time.   The videos are kind of like yule log vids for a post-Christmas apocalypse for the new year.  Have fun!

 

 Spirit    "The Great Canyon Fire in General"  (1968)

         As I was watching the fire coverage on TV (and every channel had amazing compelling coverage), the song that first started playing in my mind was this one by the versatile group Spirit. I was a big fan of this group's music in my youth and it still holds up well for me.  Take a listen.  The song not only seems like an accurate account of what we've been seeing, but an interesting optimistic contemplation about time and the future.  At least that's how I read it.  See what you think...

Blue Oyster Cult  "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"  (1972)

     I heard BOC's first album on WUOT, the University of Tennessee station in Knoxville probably late 1971 or early '72.    I don't know why I never had any of their albums in my own vinyl collection, but I was very familiar with their music. I still listen to it and enjoy it as much now as ever.  This song off their first album is not as graphic an account as the Spirit song, but it's a very cool metaphor for something and somehow the song works for the fires currently blazing.  What do you think about this one?

 

Time to Vote!

          You better get your vote in before everything goes up in flames!  Which of these songs do you prefer?  Battles are no fun without you the reader participating.    Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind.  You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Trivial Music Silliness

Results to come on Wednesday January 22

      God willing we're still here.  I'll just trust.  I'll also post some further comments about this Battle as well as anything else that seems worth saying.  

Superman? The Greatest Hero? ( #IWSG & #BOTB Results )

      Can't say that I've ever been much of a hero worshipper.  There are people whom I respect and like, but I don't go in much for elevating anyone to a heroic status.  We're all only human.  It's just that some people do it better than others and deserve some credit for that...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 
     The co-hosts for the January 8 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, Beth Camp, Liza @ Middle Passages, and Natalie @ Literary Rambles.

January 8 question - Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?

       I was a child of the fifties when television was brand new but already influencing our lives.  We didn't have many choices of programming back then, but there were a number heroes promoted to kids like me through that new medium.  They were mostly heroes that came from movies that were already popular, but now condensed to 30 minute or less episodes on a much smaller screen.  No matter what, they were still heroes to most of us kids back then.

         Like my father in his own childhood, many of my early heroes were cowboys or pioneers such as Hop-Along Cassidy, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone or Roy Rogers.  I watched their shows and begged my mother for toys or products licensed in those heroes names. In the mid-fifties I was proudly donning my coonskin cap and singing along with "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" which I had on a 78 RPM record.  But then an even greater hero caught my fancy.  A true hero of the modern age:  Superman!

        For me the real Superman is George Reeves from the original TV show.  Even though he later failed his admirers by committing suicide (or did he?), he is trapped in the world of video reruns for us to continue to enjoy.  Better Superman actors have certainly passed our way and I've enjoyed those movies.  I sometimes fantasize about having the super powers, but I know it's all just fantasy.  Clark Kent (Superman's alter ego) is more my speed since he was a reporter.

       Superman is now in my fun memory files along with Santa Claus, Davey Crockett and the Easter Bunny.  They can all make me smile and bring back fond memories.  But I don't think of any of them as heroes that affect me in any tangible way.  Still, it's fun to remember.  That works for me when it needs to.

Battle of the Bands Results

Waiting for Superman Results

    My most recent post was a Battle between Superman songs by artists Daughtry and The Flaming Lips.  As others agreed, we were rooting for Daughtry when he was on American Idol, but he didn't make the final two.  No worry though since he still did very well in the music business. I didn't much follow his career so I missed his Superman song when it came out.  So his song is not what inspired this Battle for me.

      I had bought the Flaming Lips CD album The Soft Bulletin somewhere around 2000 not too long after it came out.  I listened to it a few times and liked it quite well, but then continued on listening to my many other CDs and never returned to this album until this past December when I broke it out again and put it on nightly play.  I absolutely fell in love with the album.  Amazing songs!  My vote of course goes to The Flaming Lips.  And really the final outcome was better than I expected.  I figured Daughtry would totally run away with this match.  Not too bad of a result I think.

Final Vote Tally

Daughtry             8 votes

Flaming Lips       5  votes

Next Battle of the Bands on Wednesday January 15th

     Hope you'll join me then for yet another installment of my musical fun.  Or maybe you don't think it's fun.  Either way I guess I plan to do it.

Waiting for Superman ( #BOTB )

     This past year was not too bad for me personally, but generally speaking it was a bit of a mess for the world.  What is this world coming to?  Where will we go next?  Will we have a Superman to come and save us?  

Battle of the Bands

 

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.

Waiting for Superman

       Seems like a lot of people are waiting for a "superman" to come save their day so it makes sense that there would be several songs about this modern mythical hero.  Here are two variations on this theme as presented by two different modern rock artists.  I was familiar with one song while the other was new to me.  Can you guess which was which?  Did you know either of these songs?  

        Each song has a pretty good video that helps illuminate the lyrics so you might want to pay attention to each.  When voting for your favorite song then maybe you can also vote for your favorite video.  But please do let us know which song you like the best.

       

Daughtry   "Waiting for Superman"  (2013)

    If you were an American Idol fan in 2006 you might recall Chris Daughtry.  I was rooting for him that season, but he didn't make the top three.  However he went on to music stardom. His self-named band released this Superman song in 2013.     

The Flaming Lips  "Waitin' for a Superman"  (1999)

      This Superman song first appeared on The Flaming Lips' 9th studio album released in 1999. 

       

Time to Vote!

           Don't just sit there waiting for Superman.  Celebrate the New Year with us by voting on this Battle.  Which of these songs do you prefer?  Battles are no fun without you the reader participating.    Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind.  You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Trivial Music Silliness

Be sure to come back on January 8 for Results!

   

       I'll also have a post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group on that day so please join me again on that day.  Happy New Year!