Songs from Lee's Basement ( #BOTB )

 

      When I contemplate past days, my thoughts frequently go to my parents' basement--or as my friends might have called "Lee's Basement".  It was the end of the sixties and a dawning of a new decade.  The seventies started my foray into adult life.  What times we had!

       With some inspiration from Stephen T McCarthy's Silver Dollar Saloon Song Challenge, I decided to do something similar but using songs frequently heard when the basement at my parents' house was a party place to be in Maryville Tennessee.  That basement was a comfortable and safe place for my friends to gather in my young adult days.  I lived at home during my college years until I moved out at the end of 1974.  My parents allowed me pretty free reign of their basement at that time.  We were generally well behaved and didn't stir up much of a ruckus. My stereo was usually spinning sound and I was the house DJ.

       Record collecting had been my passion since 1964 when I was in 8th grade.  The collection grew slowly in those days, but after high school and I began working then some of my money would go into regular vinyl purchases.  When I started hosting parties my record collection had grown to a modest size, but was nevertheless pretty eclectic.  I tried to pursue records that not everyone else might already have and still be appealing to many ears.  There was always plenty to choose from.

        When thinking back on those days and nights listening to music in that basement, my memories take me to The Beatles, Cream, Iron Butterfly, and so many other groups that emerged in the late sixties with sounds that were often radical and musically exciting.  A typical evening in Lee's Basement might include some classical and jazz as well as mainstays such as Jethro Tull, Neil Young, or Jefferson Starship.  We all loved music and maybe my picks for the turntable weren't everyone else's first choices, I was the master of the music of my domain and rarely did I hear any complaints about my music choices.

        So now, with a trip down memory lane, we embark on another..,      

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 from Lee's Basement

       In this Battle I will offer up two bands that got frequent play in the early seventies on my basement turntable.  Both artists are some early examples of the Americana rock genre, but the greater commonality that they share is that they were both back-up bands for some notable artists who are known for being singer songwriters and later both bands recorded and toured as their own bands.

      Here they are---take a listen and decide which recording you enjoy the most...

          

The Band   "When I Paint My Masterpiece"  (1971)

        Before going out on their own, this band--The Band--was the back-up group for Bob Dylan.  They recorded a few Dylan songs as well as many written by their members, primarily Robbie Robertson, who recently passed away at age 80.  In this Battle we have The Band performing their rendition of Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece"...

Crazy Horse   "Dance, Dance, Dance"   (1971)

        In 1968 L.A. group the Rockets released an interesting album that never really made much of a splash on the music scene and they reorganized into Neil Young's back-up band Crazy Horse.  Over the ensuing decades they went through a number of incarnations as Young's backing group as well as a band recording and touring on their own.   In their debut album, 1971's self-titled release Crazy Horse, they included the Neil Young song "Dance, Dance, Dance".  The band's line-up at this time also included Nils Lofgren before he moved on to his own solo work and eventually as part of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.   How does the Crazy Horse song stack up against The Band's song?  You decide...

Time to Vote!

           You might remember these songs--or not.  Either way you might or might not like them.  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

Stine Writing

Next Battle on Friday September 1st

   

           There should be some results of the current Battle coming in a week or so, but the next Battle will come as long as life continues as expected.   I'm going to continue with the Songs from Lee's Basement theme.  I got some doozies ahead.  And songs that mean a lot to me.   See ya!

Young Lynyrd Skynyrd ( #BOTB )

        

       After I had finally decided to get out of bed to start another day, I thought to myself, "I was just here yesterday--and the day before that and the day before that."   Was my life becoming a stagnant humdrum pattern of repetition?  

         Each day seems very much like the last one.  Typically that's my life these days.  It's a matter of routine for the most part.  We all have one.  A daily schedule is a vital human need in some ways.  Sure, a variety in life spices things up, but a certain sameness allows us to get through each day without trying to figure out where we are going or why.  

         "Where" should be a breeze for the most part.  "Why" can be a bit more perplexing.  Some whys are obvious enough, but the bigger why is the stuff of philosophy.   Officially, I'm not a philosopher and I don't even play one on TV.  But like any typical human I philosophize even when I don't think of it as doing so.  The meaning of life is quite the philosophical undertaking while the meaning of "why did I sit down and eat breakfast?" is simpler.  The smart ass answer is "because it was easier to eat while sitting rather than standing", but the most obvious answer is "I ate breakfast because I was hungry and this is what I do just about every day at this same time.

         It's my routine--my schedule--my life as it is now.  

         So adhering to routine, here I am back on the blog with another Battle of the Bands...

      

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.

Did I Hear Correctly?

      Sometimes I think I have a mild case of  prosopagnosia, an inability to recognize faces.  It's not a severe case, but sometimes if I'm watching a movie with a lot of characters I have a difficult time keeping track of who is who.  My wife says the same so that's why I'd say I might have a mild case.  It could be that this is common for many of us.  Then, perhaps, I just don't pay attention to people's faces that much.  It's even worse when I have to remember a name to go with the face.  

       The situation is a bit better when it comes to my hearing.  I can easily recognize specific voices or sounds.  At times I feel like I can hear things others don't immediately hear,  When I call attention to the sound, after listening with more intent others might begin to hear it as well.  I think I have a fairly acute sense of hearing.

       As far as music is concerned, we all listen to these sounds in different ways.  Some of us might hone in on the vocals while others listen more intently to the instruments.  Some are more drawn to beats while others might be more attracted to the melodies and still others might focus more on harmonies or the intricacies of the musical arrangement. 

       With music I remember more details and tend to recognize differences as well as similarities.  Those similarities often are a matter of musical quoting (using part of one piece purposely integrated into another with the intent that listeners will recognize the quote), parody, mood setting, or theme and variations of old works blended into new works.  And then there is copying, whether unconsciously or purposely plagiarized. 

       This latter musical replication is what I'm considering in this post.  A number of lawsuits have passed through courts due to a belief that one artist stole the music of another.  Famously, one might think of the court case regarding the similarity between George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and the old hit by The Chiffons "He's So Fine".  Though the songs sound similar, I would say they are two distinct songs with one sounding in a similar vein as the other.  There's enough difference to my ears for me to distinguish the two, but the court decided that Harrison "subconsciously plagiarized" the older song.  Personally, I'd say he paid homage to "He's So Fine" with no malicious intent involved.

         Music is music and nearly all music flows from music that preceded it.  If it didn't we'd probably think it sounded weird and might not like it so much.   After all, music is repetition of certain notes, words, musical phrases, and beats that are used in many other songs.  There is a sameness within an artist's work as well as the genres in which they play.

  

         On Neil Young's 1974 live album Time Fades Away, an audience member shouts out, "The songs all sound the same!"  To which Young replied, "It's all one song!"  This might be the history of music in a nutshell.  One song continues to another until we have one giant symphony of a song that never ends.  It's the grand soundtrack of the history of music and the story of our lives.

        But enough philosophizing.  Let's go to the subject of songs that might sound similar.  And since I brought up Neil Young, let's look at two different songs that I think sound similar in melody, though quite different in rhythm.   This is my argument and I hope you will indulge me by listening and making some judgments of your own.   

         First we have a slow moody Neil Young song about place (North Ontario) followed by a raucous southern rock song about place (Alabama) that famously mentions Neil Young.  If you can, listen and try to substitute the lyrics of one into the other format.  Are they similar?  Or am I just hearing things?   If you have musical knowledge feel free to compare whatever can be compared to prove me right or wrong.

         Personally, I think Lynyrd Skynyrd created a sort of sped up parody of "Helpless" in order to jab Neil Young in a playful way.  I like both songs.  What do you think?   And most of all, which of these performances do you prefer?   Which song do you like best?

        

k d lang   "Helpless"  (2004)










Laura Cox   "Sweet Home Alabama"  (2013)








Time to Vote!
        
         Which of these songs do you prefer?   Are you a Southern Rocker or a Joe Rogan blocker?     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

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 



Winner of this Battle Announced on Wednesday June 22

         

           Hope you vote and then I hope you'll stop back to see who came out as a crowd favorite.  I think I know which one I'll pick, but I could change my mind when it's time for results.  Mostly though, I'm interested in what you readers have to think.   Tell us about it.

           What do you do if you feel stuck in a rut?    Do you have a difficult time keeping track of people?    Would you say that you have a decent sense of hearing? 

     

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Words, Words, Words ( #BOTB Results )

Did words evade me when it came to writing this post?  Was I just kind of lazy?  Or were the words too many with every expectation that the words would end up lost in the pages of this blog?   I wonder sometimes, but my wondering doesn't consume me.  The words are everywhere, but nowhere all at once...


Words in the Wind

          A lot of words have gone into the blog posts of Tossing It Out over the past decade plus.  I have played with words and dallied with ideas.  At times I have attempted to inspire, inform, and incite.  Perhaps there have been some successes while at other times I've considered just putting all the words aside and forgetting about this particular writing platform.  And yet I remain.

         In my third post back in September of 2009 ( a post upon which no one commented so I'm not sure it was ever actually read by anyone), I presented this mission statement for Tossing It Out:

The "Tossing It Out" blog is here to entertain, stimulate, and inform whenever possible. The author will make every attempt to be accurate and fair at all times and will be open to the input of any readership the blog may develop. There is no set course, no absolute purpose, and the content, though at times random, will strive for cohesion and clarity.

      While I do believe that I have mostly lived up to this statement in my acts of writing, my goal of  "tossing out" ideas, controversies, and other contemplations has fallen by the wayside to a great extent.  Though I have managed to keep a fairly consistent participatory readership returning to my music posts and my monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group posts, there is rarely the level of engagement in the comment section like I had once envisioned.  Now, to be sure, there are still some wonderful comments that continue to come my way, but something still seems to be lacking.

       What it comes down to is that there is so much more that I'd like to say at times and yet I hesitate to let the words flow.  Maybe it's a concern of losing readers because of controversial ideas that turn some of them off.  It has happened on my blog as well as others I've followed over the years--maybe even some of your blogs.  People get offended--they get mad.  They go away.

         "It's only words and words are all I have to take your heart away" says the Bee Gees song.  And when I've tried and failed and instead of taking hearts away, I've sometimes driven them away.  But that's life I guess when you have opinions. 

          So now I perfunctorily write words in regular monthly posts about music and writing.  Just to keep the blog alive in one respect, but also on a precipice of wanting to say something and yet stepping back when I'm too close to the edge of the cliffs of controversy. 

          Does anybody really want my words?  Do they need them?  Do they want or need your words?  We go on writing.  Or posting pictures maybe.  Or perhaps sharing videos.  We write words, speak words, read words, listen to words.  Does it matter? 

         Missing Persons said it pretty well in their song "Words":

Do you hear me
Do you care
My lips are moving and the sound's coming out
The words are audible but i have my doubts
That you realize what has been said
You look at me as if you're in a daze
It's like the feeling at the end of the page
When you realize you don't know what you just read
What are words for when no one listens anymore

     Those are my words on this Labor Day.  What are yours?  Maybe you can leave some thoughts in the comment section.


Battle of the Bands Results

         The Battle at hand was a three-way match between Bee Gees, Neil Young, and Missing Persons all performing different songs with the same title of "Words".   I know all three songs well and I like all three almost equally well.  However, in the interest of the Battle I must choose one as my own favorite.

         I began listening to Bee Gees early on in their career and their song "Words" was a standout favorite for me in their early years.  This is a classic hit that I still enjoy hearing.  I couldn't recall the Missing Persons song by title alone, but when I heard it I realized I'd heard it many many times and always liked it. It was an MTV and radio mainstay in the eighties and hearing their "Words" again reminded me how much fun eighties music was for many of us.  Most of my music buying was in the eighties, though never did I buy an album by Missing Persons.  But I think their song is excellent especially after focusing on the lyrics which have maybe more to say in our time than four decades ago.  "Words" by Missing Persons in my view is a great song and I almost gave my vote to that one.

       Which brings me to the song that really inspired this Battle.  Back when Neil Young's Harvest album came out, the song that most caught my attention was "Words" even though there were other songs that got more critical attention and airplay.  "Words" had that spacey dreamy sound that attracted me to Young's music so much.  At the time I commented to friends on a number of occasions that even though being the longest song on the album clocking in at over six minutes, I wished it were even longer. I wanted it to last the entire album side.  From the comments some readers left on my Battle, their is some disagreement about my thought to the point that some even think it's one of Young's worst songs.  It is one of my favorites. 

        After the Harvest album had been out for a while, my dream of the long version of "Words" came true when Young released the double album Journey Through the Past with a version of the song that lasts sixteen and a half minutes.  A nightmare for some of you I guess, but for me I was in "Words" heaven.

         And of course what this all means now is that my vote goes to Neil Young's "Words" even though I almost equally enjoy hearing any of these three songs.


Final Vote Tally

Bee Gees                  11 votes

Neil Young                 5 votes

Missing Persons         5 votes



      Next Battle of the Bands on Tuesday September 15th

       I've got plenty of words about plenty of subjects, but for now I'll keep them to myself.  When I vent these days it's usually on Facebook or Twitter.  Now those are places where words fly freely and I've only been placed in "Twitter jail" twice so far.  I'm trying to be careful.













  

Words ( #BOTB & #IWSG )

         Words are the reason I write.  They also provide an effective way of communicating verbally.  Life is pretty well encompassed by words.  And then there is The Word...


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 September 2 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner, Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

September 2 question - If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?

        This year with all that has been going on I've been thinking a lot about George Orwell. I've only read a couple of his books--Animal Farm and 1984.  There might have been another book that was not fiction, but now I can't recall what is was.

          In a sort of fixation to find pandemic related movies, I tracked down a passable copy of 1984 on YouTube for my wife and I to watch.  Orwell's thinking was rather prescient of our times though he had to have been influenced by the wave of fascism that swept Europe in mid-twentieth century. The guy had not only a good grasp on the English language and a clever approach to words, but he was a literary critic as well.  Seems like someone who could be helpful getting my writing in shape.

          Wikipedia says the following:

In his essay "Politics and the English Language" (1946), Orwell wrote about the importance of precise and clear language, arguing that vague writing can be used as a powerful tool of political manipulation because it shapes the way we think. In that essay, Orwell provides six rules for writers:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

        If nothing else, this set of guidelines might be nice to print out to have posted in ones writing space. 

         And while I'm on the subject of words, how about three very different songs that were big releases from three different decades by three different artists competing in another...


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.



Bee Gees  "Words" (1968)






Neil Young    "Words"  (1972)




Missing Persons  "Words"   (1982)






Time to Vote!
        
           Put your preference into words.  Which song do you prefer?   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

 ‘Storms and Stardust’ 

  '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 Monday      September 7
       
        Lately I don't get many comments on my results posts, but I see the page hits showing up in my analytics so I guess people come back to at least check.  I will post my results, but likely have an economy with words.  Well, that is, unless I really have something that I want to say.


          Would you want a literary critic as a beta partner?  During the pandemic have you been drawn to more dystopian type films and books?   What is your favorite resource for finding interesting words?  

The State of Edjucashun inn Amerika (w/ BOTB results)

Abandoned School (Photo credit: Atelier Teee)

        Recently I was on the internet making some motel reservations and while doing so I read through the reviews on the travel sites I visited.  I was amused by some of the grammar and spelling errors in these reviews.  After reading some of the funnier ones to my daughter, she wondered why some of these people didn't bother to read back over what they'd written to correct errors.  My suggestion was that it probably didn't matter because this was probably the way they wrote and they wouldn't even notice the writing errors they had made.

        I suppose that some of the poor writing could be attributed to people having written their reviews on their phones or whatever devices people use in lieu of actual typing on a keyboard.  I think that a lot of people actually have truly bad grammar and spelling skills and these reviews reflect that level of poor education.  Whatever the case, I wonder about the education of today's young people.  Do we fault the schools?  The parents?  The culture?  The kids?   And now Common Core is being instituted in schools throughout the United States.   I wonder if they'll include "Text speak" as part of the language program.

        At least teach kids how to spell...

Battle of the Bands Results:  The Banjo Song

        Speaking of spelling, there was some annoyance about the spelling out of the word "banjo" in the song used in my most recent Battle, "The Banjo Song".  The spelling out of words in songs is quite common so I was surprised that some of the voters did not like this song gimmick.  It's mostly a novelty idea from the standpoint of songwriting.   Spelling words in songs does not particularly annoy me though I'm not overly fond of ditties such as the folk song "Bingo" or the "Lollipop Song" that I used to hear my sister sing.  "Lollipop" was a reworking of the George M Cohan song "Harrigan".

          The bottom line is that not many of the voters in this contest even liked "The Banjo Song".  Not only did they not like the song, many did not like the artists whose versions were presented.  Tough contest.  Neil Young won by default I would say.  A few--myself included--are Neil Young fans.  I'm an avid Neil Young fan.  But I also enjoyed the version by The Big 3.  As many of you know, I like a wide spectrum of music and often go against the grain of the more common tastes of the majority of the population.  What can I say? There's no accounting for taste sometimes.

          My vote went to Neil Young.  Of course.  And even if I had voted otherwise, Neil Young would have won handily.

         The final tally:

    Neil Young and Crazy Horse 15 votes

     Big 3       4 votes

     My next Battle of the Bands pairing will take a real turn.  It's an incredibly beautiful tune first done by a jazz artist.   Be here on August 1st to vote on the next Battle.

      Do you think modern media has had an adverse effect on language?   Are many kids today coming out of the educational system knowing less than kids in the past?   Should we be concerned about Common Core?

Related articles

• How bad grammar may be damaging your brand
• Weird Al Yankovic "Blurred Lines" Parody "Word Crimes" Is Genius - WATCH HERE!
• Poor spelling and grammar on social websites harms job prospects
• Poor Grammar Is Bad Business

Battle of the Bands: The Banjo Song (Oh! Susannah)

Battle of the Bands!!!!

       I may be on summer vacation but the Battle of the Bands goes on.   This is the blogging event first kicked off by our blogging friends at Far Away Series and Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends.  You'll want to visit their Battles after you finish with mine and check out the links listed at the bottom of this page.  You can even mount your own Battle--if you do then let us know in the comments so we can vote on yours.

         Here's how the Battle works:   Listen to the song clips in the blog post and then in the comment section vote on the one you like the best.   When you vote please tell us why you voted the way you did.  Long explanations are always welcomed.   After a week or so I'll tally the votes and announce them in an upcoming blog post.   Please do vote though so your favorite choice can be counted.

The Banjo Song

        In my previous Battle I presented versions of the song "Oh! Susannah" by Stephen Foster, one of America's greatest songwriters.   "Oh! Susannah" is one of the most recorded songs in the United States and one that most everybody has heard in one form or another.  Singer/songwriter Tim Rose wrote "The Banjo Song" based on the lyrics of Foster's song but there's little in common beyond that.  The Battle presented here pits two very different takes on "The Banjo Song" against each other.


The Big Three "The Banjo Song"  (1963)

          Get ready for some crazy connections with this song.   First of all if the female singer looks a bit familiar it's because it's "Mama" Cass Elliot before she was a "Mama" in the Mamas and the Papas.  "The Banjo Song" is actually Tim Rose's composition using the lyrics of Foster's original "Oh! Susannah", but the two songs are very dissimilar.   However there is a "shocking" similarity between Rose's song and a much bigger hit that came along later.   Listening to "The Banjo Song" you will undoubtedly think of the song "Venus" first recorded by Shocking Blue and later in 1986 by Bananarama.   Dutch songwriter Robbie van Leeuwen was inspired by "The Banjo Song" but Tim Rose never pursued a plagiarism suit.   Maybe it was different enough for Rose or perhaps he was flattered by the imitation.   Listen to "The Banjo Song"--isn't "Venus" essentially the same song with new lyrics and a more rocking instrumental arrangement?  No matter what, they're both pretty decent songs.





Neil Young & Crazy Horse   "Oh Susannah" (2012)

        On the liner notes of Neil Young's Americana album this song is listed as "Oh Susanna" but really it's Tim Rose's "The Banjo Song".    Maybe they figured "Oh Susannah" was more marketable, it being one of the all-time American hit songs.   Young & his band really rock this one out giving a passing salute to Stephen Foster's classic.  By the way, the depression era footage depicted in the video is pretty strange if you want to check it out.  





Time to Vote!

         You probably have a strong preference between these two.    Even if you don't like the song at all, there must be one version you'd rather listen to over the other.  Which one is it?   Tell us now and tell us why.   Whatever you do, please vote on one of them.

After You Vote Here Check Out These Battles

 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   

        Do you think any of the songwriters mentioned in this post "stole" from the other or would you call it something else?   Do you think Tim Rose would have had a justifiable legal case concerning the song "Venus"?    

Related articles

• Neil Young Turns To Instagram For "Oh Susannah" Video
• Banjo Blues and the Invisible Republic
• Steve Martin: One wild and crazy guy - Costume SuperCenter
• 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS #19' (Or, 'STEVE MILLER VS. DAVID LINDLEY')

Who Killed Michael Jackson?

Statue of Michael Jackson in Eindhoven, the Netherlands (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It's better to burn out

Than to fade away

My my, hey hey.

~~Neil Young

      Do you think that Michael Jackson's doctor was responsible for the death of the King of Pop?  Was concert promoter AIG at fault?  Can we blame the fans and the press who pervaded every aspect of his life?  Or is Michael Jackson himself to blame?  Maybe he isn't dead at all and has faded away into seclusion.

       Michael Jackson was one of the greatest talents of the 20th century, but somehow something broke in his life.   If he had played his life shrewdly he could have had the public in his power instead of becoming an object of spectacle to all and ridicule to many.  Then again, maybe the man boy facade was his defense mechanism and he was just a puppet with strings pulled by others.

        If Michael had lived but disappeared from public scrutiny to live a normal quiet life, would he eventually had been forgotten?   After all, some celebrities have become bigger in death than they might have been if they had continued to live.  It's doubtful that Michael Jackson could ever have attained normalcy and seclusion, but one might ponder what could have happened if his life had turned out differently.

I want your love
But I don't want to borrow
To have it today to give it back tomorrow
~~Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn (from "Love Me or Leave Me)

          You probably remember what happened to Ruth Etting.   Oh-- "Who's she?" most of you are probably thinking.   She made the song "Love Me or Leave Me" a smash hit back in the late 1920's.  For a decade or so she was a huge star on Broadway, in the movies, on records, and on the radio.  Then there was some scandal and she basically disappeared and faded away to die in Colorado Springs in 1978 at age 81.  She was a darling to the public for a period and essentially a non-entity to most of us today.

          Could something similar have happened to Michael Jackson if he'd lived?

The king is dead, the king is dead

Long live the king.

~~Elton John (via Traditional proclamation of succession of monarchies)

          We've seen many idols fall over the years--James Dean, Elvis, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain.   Every generation has its own fallen idols.   Now many memories live on for the most part due to strong marketing and the legacy left behind on film and in recordings.  There is money to made even after a celebrity passes on.  Maybe more money than they would have made if they had lived.  We can only speculate about the potential power these fallen idols could have wielded if they'd played the power game of their puppet masters.  


There's more to the picture

Than meets the eye.

Hey hey, my my.

~~Neil Young

      I'll admit I'm being a bit tricky in this post.   The real point of all this is that it's part of the game I'm playing.  Sure, I'm asking some legitimate questions and raising serious points, but this post is also a ruse to offer some clues for my upcoming Battle of the Bands post.

        My next Battle of the Bands post will appear this Saturday March 1st.  That's a special posting day for this blog and I hope you'll all stop by to hear the song versions I'm competing.  It's more fun when I have more voters.  It's easy.  I give you two versions of one song and you vote for your favorite.

          Today's post is one giant clue to my song choice for the next Battle.   A more specific clue is that none of the artists that I've mentioned or quoted in this current post have song versions in the battle.  This is actually a very tough clue post that I would expect few to catch unless you're a fan of British music of the 60's and then you might just catch what I'm alluding to.   More clues to come in my next post.

         Who do you think is really most responsible for Michael Jackson's death?   Do you think he was a victim of his fame?   What entertainment celebrity who has died do you miss the most?    Are you a Ruth Etting fan?    Do you have any idea what song I've chosen for the next Battle?

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