And Now the Moment You've All Been Waiting For... ( #BOTB Results)

    I still haven't found what I'm looking for, but I guess that goes for you too.  If you get my reference then maybe you thought that was a funny joke.  No charge. I'm giving this one to you pro bono...

Battle of the Bands Results

 Where's That Tune?

      I never did find the song I was looking for in my previous Battle, but I ended up using versions of "Misirlou" which is now most oft-remembered as the Dick Dale tune used in the film Pulp Fiction.   Since I was initially drawn in by the artist I remembered from childhood, Korla Pandit went into the contest as my favorite.  But then when I heard Olga's version I was blown away a bit.  When the flute kicked in I was thinking "shades of Jethro Tull" but, no, that's not Ian Anderson blowing that flute.  But I find everything about Olga's version to be very satisfactory.

     Still, I keep going back to that mysterious sounding version by Korla Pandit and he gets my vote.

Final Vote Tally

Korla Pandit         4 votes

Olga Avigail          5 votes

Next Battle on March 15th

      Sure why not.  

Out of My Head? ( #IWSG )

 

   I'm so busy being me that I don't know if I've got time to be in someone else's head. But if I could see the world from another perspective other than my own, where would I go and what could I learn?  Something to ponder in this post...

  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 March 5 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ Middle Passages.

March 5 question - If for one day you could be anyone or *thing* in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals, or values they/it inspire in you.

       Back when I was in high school after my family had moved to Maryville Tennessee, we bought a house in a tract that was almost rural looking in a way and yet still close to city things.  This was the first time I encountered dogs running stray and they were in small packs.  They were fearful of humans so it took me a while to gain their trust and that was never complete.  They'd take food I offered, but they didn't trust much other contact. 

      I began to notice that there was a "trail" through our lawn as well as adjoining neighbors' lawns where the dogs would follow on a daily routine.  At times I would watch the small pack loping along their trail and going to wherever their daily schedule took them.  And I definitely discerned a specific time schedule they would follow.  I often wondered, "Where do the dogs go?"

      That could be one answer to the theme of this post.  And so could lives of other animals--migrating birds, mountain lions, or the world from the perspective of an ant. So many choices!  The viewpoint from the eyes and mind of an animal might be interesting for an hour or two, but I think I need more of a human mind to reside in for a day.  Someone whose life and habits might help me improve my own.

      Put me in the head of someone who gets things done and done well and efficiently and maybe I could learn something.  But in the final analysis I just want to be me.  I don't need to be anyone or anything else.  I've got my hands full just as I am.  

      Who or what would you want to be for a day?

Misirlou ( #BOTB th

    You know how you'll be looking for something and then find something else that distracts you and you forget what you were originally looking for?  Did that ever happen to you?  Well, that's what happened 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 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.

Misirlou

      When I started to compile my Battle of the Bands post for the first of March I started thinking about some certain song for some reason that I don't remember.  This was rather unnecessary since I have tons of Battle potential songs lined up in my someday queue, but I just wasn't in the mood for any of them.  And my mind was in a wandering mood. 

      So echoing in the chambers of my mind was a melody that I couldn't remember what the name was. I was thinking of steel guitars or something wailing mournfully.  Maybe it was something by the Three Suns so I looked on YouTube with no satisfactory results regarding what was in my head.  But then another recommendation showed up that set me off in another direction.

     The hypnotic gaze of Korla Pandit reached out of the computer and drew me into the old film short of him playing "Misirlou" on the console organ and piano. I was taken back to my childhood in San Diego of the early sixties when sometimes I would tune into the Mexican TV station emanating from Tijuana and I would see them playing one of the old Korla Pandit music films and I would be totally fascinated by the sound and visual.

      Many years passed until I was reminded of this old childhood memory when I saw old Korla in the film ED WOOD with Johnny Depp in one of my favorite roles that he portrayed.  This film is such a great film and if you've never seen it you really ought to.  Especially if you enjoy films about filmmaking.  And to see the actual Korla Pandit appearing as himself.

     Anyway, that's why I picked my song for this Battle.  I'm pretty sure someone else has done this song before, but since it's a good one then might as well do it again.  And besides, it was on my mind...

Korla Pandit  "Misirlou"  (1951)

    This predecessor of Liberace had one of the early music TV shows.  Fifteen minutes of him looking into the camera with his hypnotic gaze and playing the trance-inducing music.  Women loved him back in the day.  for more info: 

His Wikipedia entry  or

Why was Korla Pandit the Greatest Imposter of the 50s?

 

Olga Avigail  "Misirlou"  (2021)

       Looking up this artist I see that she is pretty serious about Jewish music.  I'd say her version is more like the original authentic sound.  Certainly nothing like Pulp Fiction if you know what I'm saying.  

Time to Vote!

          This isn't any lesson of musicology!  It's a Battle of the Bands!  You're supposed to vote on one of these versions.  Which of these versions 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
 
'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 on Friday March 7

Don't Hold Your Breath ( #BOTB Results )

      I'm sure you've all been on the edge of your seats holding your breath to see the results of my most recent Battle of the Bands.  Exhale and wait no longer!

Battle of the Bands Results

        My most recent Battle of the Bands was a showdown between seventies band Captain Beyond and the nineties song crafter Duncan Sheik.  I'm a big fan of both of these songs.  I love the psychedelia of Captain Beyond.  There was mention about the droning repetition of the instrumental break, but I see it as a stoner effect that is almost an emulation of Irish fiddle music or a Scottish bagpipe tune.  I can almost hear bagpipes playing that break. "Sufficiently Breathless" has long been a favorite song of mine.

      On the other hand, I think "Barely Breathing" is a masterwork of modern songwriting.  I like everything about this song and appreciate the skill in writing such a pop friendly piece. My vote goes to Duncan Sheik.

Final Vote Tally

Captain Beyond     5 votes

Duncan Sheik         4 votes

And that's it!

Are You Out of Breath? ( #BOTB )

  There's so much happening that it's hard to keep up if you're not paying continuous attention.  Wars, fires, floods--and that was just the movie I watched the other night.  I should read a book maybe.  Nah, I'll just listen to some music...

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.

Songs That Took My Breath

      My previous Battle of the Bands featured two drifty dreamy songs that I enjoy a great deal.  This round I'm going with a similar theme. Both songs were songs that captivated me from the first time I heard them and I still enjoy hearing them. I hope you will be willing to give them a listen and then tell which one you like best...

Captain Beyond  "Sufficiently Breathless"  (1973)

       This song seemed to get a lot of radio airplay in Knoxville in 1974 or so.  I liked it so much that I bought the album on vinyl which meant the whole album got a lot of play for me.  There are some really fine musicians in this band which made for some excellent music.  This song especially carries me away to a dreamy place...

Duncan Sheik  "Barely Breathing"  (1997)

     I first heard this song playing on the radio in Los Angeles soon after it was released.  I heard it played a lot but that was fine with me.  I liked the song so much that I went and bought the album on CD.  Great song that still sounds good to me.  Do you like this one?

Time to Vote!

          Before you totally drift away into Dreamland, how about casting a vote?  Hey, take time to relax a bit and enjoy music.   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
 
'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 ?

         I guess I'll post them sometime.  I'm not going to commit for the time being.  

    

Somedays Sunday Is Monday ( #BOTB Results )

     Some days seem like Sunday while some Sundays seem like Monday.  Of course, what's one day to another when you're retired like me.  So I'm just gonna say it's Monday now and be done with it.

     Besides there's some kind of football game going on today and I'm feeling a bit under the weather so despite what I said in my earlier post I'm going to give you my Battle of the Band results today Sunday.  Everyone else is, so why not me?

Battle of the Bands Results

Drifting Dreamy Songs

     My most recent Battle featured two dreamy songs that I like quite a lot. "What to Do" is a lovely violin driven song by progressive rock group Wally. This song was a big part of my life in my mid-twenties when this song posed the question that I was asking myself at the time. The Flaming Lips song "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" is a song that I've recently embraced as it sounds good to my ears and it expresses some of what I've been feeling recently.

      Both songs are absolute winners in my mind, but I'm going to cast my vote for Flaming Lips.  What a great song!

     As you can see by the results, both songs were favored by voters. Nice outcome!

Final Vote Tally

Wally                   5 votes

Flaming Lips       7 votes

Next Battle on Saturday February 15th

      Happy Valentines Day to those who care.  Happy Days to everyone as well.  I may not be the Terminator, but I'll be back...

No Turning Back ( #IWSG )

One of my ultimate dreams would be to take a time machine back to the past.  Not to change anything, but just to look around and experience what was.  In fact, one better not change anything or it could be bad news for us all.  Besides you couldn't do it. Not any of it I guess...

 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 February 5 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson.

February 5 question - Is there a story or book you've written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

      I haven't published anything I've written so for now I can go back all I want to change things in those stories.  Doesn't really matter I don't think.  To me it matters once it is published.  Once it's out there (assuming there have been no errors in the published copy), then it's out there to stay as it is.

     But that's just me.  And it's not something I really think about.  Not yet at least.  That could always change. 

      Hey, how about stopping by to vote on my current Battle of the Bands?  Take a break with some relaxing dreamy music.

Relax and Dream Away Songs ( #BOTB )

   Now that I've got another birthday out of the way, it's time to just sit back and relax and dream away.  Guess it sounds like any other day.  Life is good...

 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.

Relax and Dream Songs

     When Neil Young's Harvest album came out in 1972, the highlight for me was the 7 minute song "Words (Between the Lines of Age).  I would listen to that song and wish it would last the entire side of the record.  A few months later the Young album Journey Through the Past came out with an extended 16 minute version of the song that covered a whole album side.  My wish for a longer version was granted and I was thrilled.

       I've long been a fan of long songs and especially long meandering pieces that elevate me to another plane of thought experience.  Those musical pieces, much like many classical works, give the music a chance to expand in my mind and stimulate my thinking--or just lull me into an ultra-relaxed state of peace and calm.  When something is good enough I sometimes don't want it to end.  At least not for a while.

       Here are two of my favorite long laid back tour de force pieces from two different decades.  I still love them both.  Take a listen and see how you respond to them and let us know which you like best...

Wally   "What To Do"  (1974)

      When I first heard the group Wally on the radio with their song "The Martyr," I knew I had to have their album.  After all, the instrumentation prominently featured a violin which is a favorite instrument of mine.  As soon as I could I made a trip over to Knoxville to get a copy of the album which was as good or even better than I had expected.  The song "What To Do" became a favorite.  I would listen to it repeatedly as I drifted and dreamed away.  At the time, I was 24 years old and wondering exactly what the song said in regard to my own life.  What was I going to do with my life?  Not long after that I got a pretty good idea where my life was going.  Kind of.  Here's the song...

Flaming Lips   "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate"  (1999)

      About 20 years ago I bought a CD copy of The Flaming Lips' album The Soft Bulletin. I enjoyed it okay, but never gave it a particularly intense listen. The CD languished on my shelves until just recently when I started playing it again. Playing it obsessively.  The dreamy extended song "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" is the stand out for me and this one got extra plays as I relaxed in the evening before going to bed.  I find something incredibly relaxing and reassuring in this song.  Is it just me?  Please take a listen to see if you like it...      

Time to Vote!

          Before you totally drift away into Dreamland, how about casting a vote?  Hey, take time to relax a bit and enjoy music.   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
 
'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 Monday February 10

   

         I'm giving you some extra time since the songs are so long.  Not really.  Monday just seems better than Friday or the weekend.  There's also another post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group.  Another reason why my results post will be on the date that I've chosen.  Not that it's any big deal or anything.  

News from L. A. ( #BOTB Results )

 

If no news is good news then I've got nothing to say.  Everything is as normal as can be where I live.  But not so much for other parts of town.  What next?

Battle of the Bands Results

L.A. Burning

     My recent Battle was fire versus fire in the guise of the bands Spirit and Blue Oyster Cult.  Blue Oyster is one of my most favorite of heavy rock bands. But I appreciate the versatility and musical skill of Spirit even more.  My vote went to Spirit.

Final Vote Tally

Spirit                          5 votes

Blue Oyster Cult        7 votes

I'll be back on February 1st with some kind of new Battle of the Bands.

See you then God willing...

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.