Time Is Now ( #IWSG & #BOTB Results )

   Christmas is over and I'm still talking about presents.  However, I'm thinking about the most important present of all and that is now, today, the whole where we are in our lives at this moment.  Really though, I'm always thinking about past, present, and future.  Aren't we all?  For the most part.  Maybe...

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 7 posting of the IWSG are Shannon Lawrence, Olga Godim, Jean Davis, and Jacqui Murray.

January 7 question - Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn't get done in 2025?

    Couldn't get done?  I don't know.  I can always get something done if I really want to, but I'm a bit lazy I suppose.  And maybe conflicted too?  Sometimes I feel the importance of things that later I ponder as to why they are important anyway.  My writing is important to me I suppose, but how far beyond that does this "importance" go?  I guess the best way to find that out is to keep writing and so that is what I plan to do.

      In essence, my plans for this year are the same as most years that came before.  I want to keep writing songs, but also do something with them.  We'll see.  I still have a ton of songs started that I'd like to finish some day which means now is a good time to do that.  Same with my memoir writing.  I'm more focused on that than any fiction aspirations, but apparently I haven't been focused enough to actually produce any significant progress on that front. 

       Time is not going to stop for me to get on board.  I'm already there and whatever I do with my time is up to me.  I'd better get busy.  The station of my destination is getting closer.

Battle of the Bands Results

Holding Back the Years Battle

     My previous Battle was a showdown between two different artists performing the Simply Red hit "Holding Back the Years".  I must say that I really liked the Angie Stone version with the percussive backing and all.  Love that kind of sound.  And the organ!  But, like the rest of you I had to give my vote to Dan Mason.  Just enjoyed his sound better.  And he won.

Final Vote Tally

Daniel Mason Band       7 votes

Angie Stone                    0 votes             

Holding Back the Years (What, Again?) ( #BOTB )

     And just like that 2025 was over!  It was a pretty good year for me and my house.  We're still going,,  maybe not as strong as in past years, but pretty darn good I'd say.  And here on this blog the music is still not over.  Listen!  It's more music I hear...

Battle of the Bands

 

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and  StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   I do this event  each month on the 15th and 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.

Holding Back the Years

     Well, it looks like Déjà vu all over again. I've used this song a couple of other New Years Day Battles, but to me it's a good song and right for the occasion.  After all, this is often a time when many of us reflect on the past as well as a hopefully better future. I hope your past year was at least as good as my own and I hope the year to come is better for all of us.  

      So on with this Battle with two versions, both live performances.  Take a listen if you will and tell us which one you prefer...

Daniel Mason Band  "Holding Back the Years"  (2018)






Angie Stone  "Holding Back the Years"  (2000)

Time to Vote!

        Don't hold on too long!    Vote now please.   Which song interpretation 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

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Trivial Music Silliness

Mike's Ramblings

Results on Monday January 8th

       Happy New Year to all of you!  

Holding Back the Years (Still) (#BOTB)

Happy New Year!  And that's about all I have to say about that.  Besides, these years never seem to want to stay around as long as they used to.  Where does time go?...

      Tick, tick, tick, tick...



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.



Holding Back the Years

       I used this song to introduce my New Years Day Battle in 2017.  It's a good song with a lot of pretty good covers, so why not use it again.  Maybe I'll even use it again next year. But in the meantime here are a couple of nice covers of this great song.


The Isley Brothers   "Holding Back the Years"  (1996)







Jimmy Scott  "Holding Back the Years"  (1998)









Time to Vote!

         Which version of this song do you like best.?  Personally I think both versions are dynamite.  Can you get in the groove with the music?   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.



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

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Cherdo on the Flipside 

A I Love Music


Winner of this Battle Announced on Wednesday January 8th

      Since that's also the day of my Insecure Writer's Support Group post I'll slip the winner announcement into that post.  See you then.  Now to start into 2020!

Plowing Into Another Year (#BOTB results)

      We have nothing to fear but beer itself.   Of course when it's freezing outside I'd rather have brandy anyway.

Train in the Snow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

       As we plow into the first month of 2017 I guess it's appropriate that snowplows have been clearing roads back east.  What I now think of as being cold--uh, fifties and sixties here in Los Angeles--is nothing compared to what most of the country has been dealing with.  Global warming I guess.  Or actually I guess that's now climate change although it seems like the climate has gone through cycles of change throughout my lifetime.

       No doubt this previous statement rankles more than a few readers--if any of those readers are still reading.  I assure you that I'm in no way a climate change denier as I've seen evidence of climate change ever since I was a wee lad sixty years or so ago.

       I don't like to talk about that many years where my life is concerned, but as we know, we can't hold back time.  The years pass in an ever accelerating manner the older we get and that's that.  I guess my years are just going to go faster and faster like a big old snowball rolling down a steep hill.

Battle of the Bands Results

      As we all have seen in our own Battle of the Bands matches as well as those of the other participants, surprises are often in store.  My first Battle of 2017 was an overwhelming landslide victory for the version of "Holding Back the Years" that I chose as my favorite--the original recording as performed by Frantic Elevators.  

       I greatly enjoyed the laid back jazzy version by Gretchen Parlato, but it seemed a bit artificial to me.  It's canned music that one might hear played as background music in a restaurant--good, but manufactured.  On the other hand, not only did the version by Frantic Elevators have the great vocals of Simply Red vocalist Mick Hucknall, it also had a ragged garage band sound that added greater authenticity in my opinion.

       Actually there are several much better versions of "Holding Back the Years" to be found on YouTube, but I think they would have completely blown away either version that I used for this Battle and possibly even the hit version by Simply Red.  However, I really wanted to use the Frantic Elevator version so I tried to find a version that might be somewhat an equal.  I thought Parlato's version would be competitive--guess I was wrong.


Final Vote Tally

Frantic Elevators              25 votes

Gretchen Parlato                 3 votes

Next Battle on Sunday January 15th

        My next Battle upcoming this Sunday is beginning to stir me with excitement as I have already been playing my song versions repeatedly.  No eighties music this time, but an avowed classic with versions recorded over fifty years apart (I love those kinds of match-ups).  This Battle will be my tribute of sorts to the Presidential Inauguration on January 20th--can you believe it's already almost here!

         You Trump deniers don't have to fear as the song has nothing really to do with him, but I think it will be a fun association.  Hope you'll get on board with the fun on Sunday.   And even though the song is somewhat on track with Trump, I think this is a song that a good many of you will like no matter what.

         And regarding Trump, my President Trump Acclimation Series will continue starting on Wednesday and will continue through Friday.   That is if I stay motivated.  If I continue as planned, my upcoming posts are guaranteed to disturb some while garnering cheers of encouragement from others.  After all, I know I'm not the only one who believes the way I do.

         Do those who disagree with climate change as proposed by some scientists terrify you?  Are you more afraid of me or ISIS?   Care to hazard a guess what my next Battle song will be based on clues I provided above (yes, I did provide clues in this post)?  

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Holding Back the Years (BOTB)

         When time seems to pass slowly, later we often wonder how quick it was after that time has passed.  No matter how hard we might try, we cannot cling to the moments other than in memory, which often is unreliable.  Did things really happen the way we remember?  If indeed we remember at all...

Blue alarm clock (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You Can't Stop Time

         In some ways, looking back on it all, this year seems to have been an accumulation of many years.  The illusion of the expanse of time is a deception in so many ways.  When I look back at the plans I had I can only shake my head in a certain dismay for those things that didn't happen as I had hoped they would.  And yet the miles and the minutes and hours and days came and passed, slipping elusively from my grasp.

         Traveling will do that for me.  Though it may seem like I was just sitting the daylong watching the miles pass by from behind the wheel or dozing in the passenger seat while my wife drove, in reality there were the myriad of sights, mini-dramas in passing cars, music on the car stereo, or often the news.

         There was plenty of news in this past year.  Big changes in the world as well as within many of us.  Friendships were broken; perceptions were altered.  Like having watched an often baffling magic show, I ponder how did this all happen the way it did.

         Now I stand on a precipice of more change.  New dreams.  Unsure hopes.  Waiting and wishing that time could stand still for a year, a week, or even a day.  I can wait and wish as much as I like, but I cannot hold back time from its frantic procession toward tomorrow.
     
Holding Back the Years

         This iconic song from 1985 is probably familiar to most of you.   It's become a classic of 80's rock/pop music after reaching hit status for the band Simply Red.  This is a great song in my opinion--and I'm not alone in that reckoning--and it might even be a favorite of some of you reading this.  Below for the purpose of jarring memories for those who might not have heard it in a while or for those of you who might have never heard the song, here is the most known version of the song as performed by Mick Hucknall and Simply Red.    

DON'T VOTE ON THIS VERSION--FOR REFERENCE ONLY!!!



Here are your considerations for voting

Frantic Elevators "Holding Back the Years"  (1982)

       Before Mick Hucknall became Simpy Red's front man, he was the force behind the punk rock band Frantic Elevators.  "Holding Back the Years" was the last of four singles released by the band.  Hucknall initially began writing this song when he was 17 years old in response to a somewhat tumultuous and painful childhood.  Not exactly punk rock, but still that spare instrumental style can be heard in a mournful almost jazzy setting.





Gretchen Parlato "Holding Back the Years"  (2011)

       Singer/songwriter Gretchen Parlato descends from a family with a strong musical heritage.  Her grandfather and father alike played with some music legends of their times and Gretchen has continued to carry the torch as she wins awards and sings with today's jazz giants.  Here is her mellow take on the now classic "Holding Back the Years".





Time To Vote!

        The song versions in this Battle were recorded nearly 30 years apart providing different musical takes on the same song.  Which version do you like the best?   

        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

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Cherdo on the Flipside  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 
  
J. A. Scott  



Winner Announced on Monday January 9th

       I'm going to give you plenty of time to vote on this one since the current contest falls on a Sunday during holiday season.   I'll be offering my thoughts on the sexism charges regarding Donald Trump coming this Friday January 6th as I attempt to continue on with my (unpopular with some) President Trump Acclimation Series.  I've been postponing my posts on this series due to the holidays and having company, but now I have no excuses.  Hopefully, I won't come up with anymore excuses either unless it's something really really good.

        Did you meet all of your goals for this past year?   What had you hoped to accomplish that you still did not?    What are your goals in the upcoming year?