All the Diamonds in the World (#BOTB)

     Perception is a matter of  either what we see or what we think we see.  Then there is the perception of others who convince us to believe what is true and those who convince us to believe the lies they wish to foist upon us...

Let Us Pray (and drive)

       My travels for this summer have nearly come to an end.  On the Sunday this post is appearing I am somewhere in Texas heading westerly toward Los Angeles.  It's been a wonderful trip--a truly blessed trip.  My wife has stayed behind in Houston as she awaits the arrival of our seventh grandchild--a boy whom the parents have decided to call Alex (sorry, Alex J. Cavanaugh, but they weren't thinking of you, but it's a good name).  I am driving back alone which is okay with me.  I don't mind solitary driving sometimes.

       Driving alone for long distances makes for a time of contemplation as well as prayer.  Being a Sunday, once again my second Battle post for July considers the topic of spirituality.  Hope you will enjoy this song...

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 blogs there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle on the 1st of the month.   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.



All the Diamonds in the World

        The song in this Battle match-up was written and recorded by Bruce Cockburn in his earlier years as a primarily Christian artist.  Later he became more political in his song subject matter.  He is still a favorite songwriter of mine though I definitely prefer his spiritually inclined songs.   I've chosen two very nice covers by female artists.  Please give a listen and let us know which version you enjoy the most.


Claire Lynch  "All the Diamonds in the World"   (2016)

       A highly acclaimed award-winning bluegrass artist,  Claire Lynch has been active in the music scene since 1977.  I'd never heard of heard of her before compiling this Battle, but I do like her sound a lot.





 
Ali Matthews   "All the Diamonds in the World"  (2010)

    This is a return appearance for the Canadian Christian artist Ali Matthews.  In a previous Battle Ali won by a narrow margin of one vote with her rendition of another Bruce Cockburn song "Lord of the Starfields."   Can she win this Battle as well?  We'll let you voters decide.








Time to Vote!

        Is this song a jewel or junk to your ears?   What's your favorite between these two choices? Which song version do you like best? 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.


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

Angel's Bark  

Debbie Doglady's Den

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Cherdo on the Flipside 


Winner of this Battle Announced Monday July 23rd

       I should be settled back into my regular life this week so I should have no problem getting the results post up.  It may take a day or two to get around to other Battles so bear with me.  Hopefully I'll have an okay turn-out for this Battle, but I have been kind of scarce on my blog visiting of late due to travels and lack of time and access on the internet.  Things will be returning to normalcy in the week to come.   Well, depending on whatever "normalcy" means.

Battle of the Bands Result (Must Have Been Written in the Starfields)

No Vacation for Battle of the Bands!

        Even though I'm on vacation for the next several weeks the Battle of the Bands posts will continue.  And I've got some good ones coming up.  In fact July will be epic.  There will be a two parter that is proof of the lasting power of American pop music.  One song spanning over 150 years sounding just as up to date in modern incarnations as anything else available.   Stick with me for the upcoming BOTB episodes!


Winner of Last Battle

       Had another close race for my previous battle.   Click the link if you missed it and want to check out the rivalling artists.   The song was Bruce Cockburn's "Lord of the Starfields" as performed by Ali Matthews and the duo of Nico and Ari Neufeld.

       And I mean this was a close one which is a good thing from the way I see it.   It was a tough choice for me and I could have gone either way.   I was trying to find a version by Pam Mark Hall but to no avail.  I was glad to find the Matthews version since it was very close to the one by Hall as I recall hearing it on the radio some 25 years ago or so.   Then I found the version by the duo and that changed the game for me.

       My vote went to the more uptempo version by Nico and Ari.   That brought their vote count to nine with Ali Matthews receiving the winning count of 10.   Not a bad contest by any means.

Final count:
Nico and Ari Neufeld   9 votes
Ali Matthews               10 votes

        I'll be back next Wednesday with a short and stupid post.   You won't want to miss it!  ---Though after you read it, you may wish you had missed it.

          Were you surprised to see such a close vote between the two versions of "Lord of the Starfields"?     Are you ready for the summer?   What kind of music gives you a summertime feeling?

Related articles

• 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS #21' (Or, 'BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN VS. MANFRED MANN')
• Lyric For The Day from Lord Of The Starfields by Bruce Cockburn
• Botb: Yesterday
• Battle of the Bands: Lord of the Starfields

Battle of the Bands: Lord of the Starfields

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Time for Another BOTB!

        It's the 15th of the month and that means another Battle of the Bands is here.  This is the twice monthly event that is brought to you by the fine bloggers at A Far Away Series and Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends.  Be sure to visit both of their sites and vote on their battles.   Other possible participants are listed at the bottom of this post.  If you'd like to do a Battle of your own let us know in the comments so we can come to vote on yours.

Composer Bruce Cockburn

         Since it's Sunday I thought I'd go with a song with a spiritual theme.  Lord of the Starfields is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite singer/songwriters Bruce Cockburn.  For those unaware of Cockburn (pronounced koh-bərn), he's a Canadian artist who released his first album in 1970 and has recorded numerous albums since then.  His songs often deal with topics of a spiritual or political nature with his music influenced mostly by folk, rock, and jazz.  He is an excellent guitar player.  Though popular in Canada and having won numerous awards in his home country, he has been sadly neglected by American audiences, yet retains a loyal following in the U.S.  His music is worth pursuing for those who enjoy folk/rock with an intellectual flair.

        The song Lord of the Starfields comes from 1976 during the period when he was recording more songs reflective of  his Christian faith.  If you are interested in hearing Cockburn's own version of the song then you can click here.   This video has some pretty cool images of distant galaxies and below the video you can find the song lyrics.   To me this is among the most beautiful praise songs ever written.

          I'm not including Cockburn's version in the contest, but I hope you might listen to it and be interested in listening to more of his fine work.

Ali Matthews "Lord of the Starfields"  (2004)

          This young Canadian contemporary Christian artist has released six albums since 2000.  Her version of Lord of the Starfields remains fairly true to Cockburn's original version.






Nico & Ari Neufeld "Lord of the Starfields"  (2010)

        Here's a couple more Canadian artists who team up for a live performance of Cockburn's song kicking up the tempo a bit.   Nico Boesten who plays drums and provides vocals in this video currently resides in British Columbia.  Ari Neufeld, also from British Columbia, is a diversely talented individual who not only performs music, but also is a painter and creator of other visual arts.





Who Will Win?

         Who wins depends on your vote.  In the comments please vote on the version of Lord of the Starfields that you liked best and tell why you prefer the version you chose.


 Here are some other bloggers who may or may not be participating in the Battle of the Bands.  Please visit their sites to vote on their battles:

         Faraway Series
         Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
         Your Daily Dose         
         DiscConnected   

          Were you previously familiar with Bruce Cockburn?   Are there any particular Contemporary Christian music artists that you enjoy listening to?     Do you think there is a bias by the U.S. audiences or the entertainment industry toward a good many Canadian music artists?

Related articles

• Lyric For The Day from Lord Of The Starfields by Bruce Cockburn
• Bruce Cockburn and friends barrelhouse all night long
• Bruce Cockburn: Simple, Graceful, Legendary
• Commentary on Some of the Finest Christian Pop Songs #2