My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2025 the theme is a random assemblage of things that are on my mind--or that just pop into my mind. Whatever! Let's just say I'll be "Tossing It Out" for your entertainment or however it is you perceive these things.
My horse needs some feed, my gun needs some bullets, and maybe I need a shot of whiskey or somethin' or other. Think I'll hole up in town for a while. This old world is looking crazy. Everyone looks like a bandit and stealin' seems to be the norm of late...
Battle of the Bands Results
My previous Battle was a western showdown between David Crosby and the group Mountain with their takes on the cowboy movie genre. This was a tight race until Mountain took the lead in the final stretch. Though I do like David Crosby's song a lot, especially the extended jam sessions, I've always thought the song was a bit weak from the standpoint of lyrics. But it's a good song. Still, my preference goes with Jack Bruce's "Theme from an Imaginary Western". Always loved the majestic sound of Mountain. Their music lives up the group's name.
Final Vote Tally
David Crosby 7 votes
Mountain 10 votes
What Next?
I'm likely going to be lying low in the next few weeks. Christmas season usually seems to be kind of slow in the blogging world anyway, though things have been slowing down as it is. Like some of you, I think I need a rest and recharge as far as blogging goes. Probably I will show up with an Insecure Writer's Support Group post in January, but I won't even guarantee that.
Of course, as always in my cantankerous blogging ways, I could pop in any time with some kind of rant or revelation or whatever might illuminate a light bulb in my brain. If that happens, then that's what happens.
I've been given the Music and Words Award by Michele from Angels Bark which is one of the great blogs that participate in the bimonthly Battle of the Bands event. The Music & Words Award was created by blogger, Miss Andi, to acknowledge and link people who love music so much that they blog about it. She gives out 5 awards each Friday. The purpose is to feature great music blogs from all over the world and artists from all genres.
Once the award is accepted, there are five steps:
1. Link back to the person who nominated you
2. Answer the questions with words AND music
3. Pass the award on to 5 bloggers who inspire you with their posts about music
4. Tag your post with #MWA, for Music & Words Award so that we can all find you down the line
5. Quote these 5 steps and the award icon in your post. You can display the icon on your sidebar as well.
Q1: What does music mean to you?
Aside from the aural and mental pleasure derived from listening to the sounds of music, for me music is about connections. Music connects me to the artists who perform it, the composers who create it, and all of the other listeners who listen and enjoy just as I do. Like a time machine, music can transport me to places in my own memories as well into the lives of others and history itself. I can go around the world listening to music or I go into my own mind. Music can connect me to emotional states, modes of thought, or physical action. The listeners and the players of the music are connected by the music as David Crosby and his musical friends state in this song:
Q2: What is your first music-related memory?
My earliest memories of music are most related to my parents performing their juggling act. My father was always looking for the best songs to use in performances. He would buy the musical scores for songs he wanted to use since in the 1950's there was usually a live band backing them and he wanted them to play what he wanted to hear behind the juggling act. He would also buy the records with the songs so he could practice to the music that he expected the live band to play. In case he didn't have the band, he'd have a recording with the songs to play during the show. Those juggling songs are ingrained in my memory.
Here is the song my father opened his act with:
Q3: What was the first album you’ve purchased yourself?
In early adolescence I was interested in monsters and beach music. The two genres coalesced in a series of albums recorded under the auspices of Frankie Stein and his Ghouls. They were cheap albums, therefore with my limited funds affordable for me. A few of these were probably my first album purchases if memory serves me correctly. I bought them for the covers and the musical concept since I had no idea what they actually sounded like. Filled with horror sound effects and acceptable musicianship, they got plenty of play on my turntable. Eventually I realized that a lot of the songs appeared more than once on the album series, but with different song titles. Oh well, it didn't matter all that much to me.
Here is one example of the cover art and one song example--listen if you dare:
Q4: What was the latest music you purchased? (No online streaming or free downloads, I’m talking about cash here!)
I haven't bought much music in the past many years--not because I didn't want to, but due to budgetary constrictions. Besides that I don't listen to as much music as I used to. However I couldn't resist a purchase last summer when my youngest daughter took me to a New Jersey record store that had a large selection of used vinyl. She had gotten into vintage vinyl which I thought was pretty cool. So I started perusing the bins as she did the same and I came upon a pristine copy of Good Rats...Live At Last, an album that I had once owned on a cassette that had long ago been eaten by a player in one of my past vans. I consider this to be among the finest live albums ever so I had to buy this vinyl copy. I'd actually been looking for it on CD for quite some time--not an easy thing to find. Now I have the album. And someday maybe I'll hook up my old turntable so I can listen to it. But at least I do have the album.
To my knowledge there are no direct cuts from this album available on YouTube, but here is a studio recording of the song that Good Rats uses to showcase the band members:
Q5: Which song did you listen to last? (No cheating, come out with the dirty pleasures!)
Lately most of the songs I listen to are due to Battle of the Bands posts on my blog or the blogs of other participants. Prior to composing this current post or outside of any of my own BOTB posts, I think the most recent song I listened to was Jackie Gleason and his Orchestra playing "Melancholy Serenade" which was the theme song from Jackie Gleason's television variety show. I was listening to this after voting on the most recent BOTB post by John Holton.
Here is "Melancholy Serenade":
Those are my answers and now for the part that might get me in trouble. At the moment I can't think of five bloggers to pass this on to who haven't received it already. Of course, if you haven't received this yet then feel free to use it and if you want you can credit my blog. Sorry if I sound lazy, but that's why I usually don't do these award things anymore. This was about music though and how can I resist music?
Have you done this music exercise yet on your own blog? How often do you listen to music for the specific purpose of listening to music? Do you still buy music?
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