What Time Is It? ( #BOTB Results )

     I feel like I have so many projects that I'd like to tackle that it gets difficult to focus on just one at a time.  Guess that's why I seem to get so little done.  And then there's all the daily chores that take up a lot of my time.  By the way, dinner will be around 4:30 PM.  Tonight, we're having pinto beans with Cajun sausage...

Battle of the Bands Results

Night and Day

     My most recent Battle saw the venerable Rod Stewart go up against the oft-despised Bono and his group U2. Stewart played it safe with his traditional take on the Cole Porter standard. I can't help but like the backing band and the arrangement of Stewart's version and I'm even okay with his gravelly vocals.  That's the Rod Stewart I "grew up" with.

     On the other hand, Bono takes a rather daring approach that appeals to me. I can hear the pretentiousness that some of you hear, but I just think that's part of the U2 style. I still remember. watching the TV concert at Red Rocks special they did in the eighties and I've liked them ever since. That's who I'm voting for.

      I figured this would be a tight Battle since I know so many of my readers have a distaste for U2 and would go for the more traditional sound of Rod Stewart.  Me?  I like them both, but in this case I just like that U2 sound better.

Final Vote Tally

Rod Stewart      5 votes

U2                    10 votes 

       Well, what about that?  I expected a closer race and wasn't sure about the outcome.  

        I plan to be back for an October 15th Battle and who knows what else.  See you when...

 

Night and Day ( #BOTB & #IWSG )

       October is the time when nights grow longer and the days shorter.  Either way is fine with me just so the days keep coming.  And the nights... Night and day. Sounds like a song to me...

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 of 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.

Night and Day

  

     This Cole Porter classic is a song I've heard so many times by so many artists ever since my earliest childhood.  It truly is a great song that's hard to botch by any passable artist.  Here's two artists performing this song.  What do you think?

Rod Stewart  "Night and Day"  (2004)

      Another venture by Stewart into the realms of great American standards.  My mother used to like these albums as did many other older women.  Well, I confess that I enjoy listening to them as well.




U2  "Night and Day"  (1990)

      This cover comes from the Red Hot + Blue project to raise money for the fight against AIDS.   When the TV special was on I watched and then went out and got the album. Great music!

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Time to Vote!

         Don't be scared. This is all just for fun.  Listen to the songs then tell us which song version you like best?   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

'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

Mike's Ramblings

Results on Monday October 7th

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 October 2 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre.

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October 2 question - Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

       It's been ages since I've read a horror story and I am not compelled to read this genre anymore.  I might, but I don't think of it much.  Real life can provide enough horror.  Honestly, I can't recollect any specific story.

       Ghosts and ghost stories?  I guess I probably have some in my own past and that's enough for me.

Cruel Is a Matter of Perspective ( #BOTB Results )

     Life can be such a weird mix of happy and sad, exciting and ordinary, and all the other elements of life that make the journey so interesting and fun as well as difficult.  Of all the good and bad things of my life, I don't know that I'd want to give any of them up because they brought me to where I am now. It's the story of life isn't it?

      It seems like every summer has been my best summer, but this past summer really was one of the best.  One of them--it's hard to decide, but this summer of 2024 was a good one for me.  There was so much during our June vacation that made this summer so good, but I won't go into that in this post.  Just one story if I may.

    Due to some unplanned changes in our schedule, we ended up leaving New Jersey after over two weeks at the beginning of June spent with my daughters and their families.  The unexpected schedule change caused us to decide to go to Chicago where I would drop my wife off to spend a week with her daughter's family while I drove back to California on my own. I was fine with that.

       Since I would be so close, I decided to visit a dear old friend from my show biz life who lived in Wisconsin not far from Chicago.  I hadn't seen him and his wife for about 40 years though I'd often spoken to him on the found during that time.  They were both very welcoming to me and I spent two days with them.  We reconnected with no problem. It was like we'd just left off from our last visit. 

       In short, we had a great time.  So many stories to tell!  The two day visit was jam-packed and I had a great time.   However, I had to get back to California so I'd be there when my wife arrived.  The trip home was wonderful.  I thought of my visit with my friends most of the way home and called while I was driving just to let them know how I was doing and thank them for their hospitality.  I let my friend know that I'd call him August 1st after he had returned from a trip to Quebec where he was going to visit his wife's family.

      The cruel part of the story is that a couple of days before I was planning to call my friend, his son called me to let me know that his dad had passed away in his sleep the previous night. Such irony that I had managed to visit at that time in order to see him again.  I hate losing friends.

      

Battle of the Bands Results

Cruel Summer Battle

      Two songs, same name.  My most recent Battle was between two different songs by Taylor Swift and Bananarama, both songs having the same name with similar concepts being conveyed.

       My vote is for Bananarama.  I'm not familiar with the music of Taylor Swift so this song was new to me.  I can't say that I hated it, but to me the song is what I would imagine an AI song to sound like.  Or maybe a song formulated by some sort of songwriting committee. It's kind of fun, but the older song is more fun and more authentic.

Final Vote Tally

Taylor Swift         0 votes

Bananarama      10 votes

 Guess we can see where all these voters are coming from generationally speaking.  But I don't know.  All I know is that Taylor didn't do so good here.

Next Battle Tuesday October 1

        What next?  Halloween themes?  Fall?  What?  I don't know, but I guess I'll start thinking about this.