Cowboy Dreams (#BOTB)

        John Wayne would probably not make it in today's entertainment world.  Like so many other screen legends, Wayne has become a relic of the past.  Too bad.  We could use more heroic heroes.  

This was part of my late step-father's John Wayne memorabilia collection.
 Maybe I should have kept that collection, but selling it all on eBay
wasn't a terrible idea either.

Childhood Fantasies

         We'd play lots of made up fantasy games when I was a kid.  Cowboys and Indians was a favorite.  I don't know that many kids pretend to be cowboys and Indians these days.  It might be considered culturally insensitive, too violent,  or something like that.  If kids do play fantasy role games now, maybe they pretend to be activists or lawyers.   Hopefully kids still have fun and stretch their imaginations, but I'm happy that I grew up in the time I did.  You could literally be anyone you wanted to be in your dreams and not be shamed for doing so.  But it was also a time of better morality in many ways.

         For me, the concept of cowboys takes me back to those childhood fantasies.   Today's Battle of the Bands song uses cowboy imagery in a metaphorical way:  A man in love seeing himself as a sort of romantic cowboy hero.   America and the world still has a certain fanciful image of cowboy life so I think that makes the romantic cowboy metaphor work.  See what you think...

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.


Cowboy Dreams

         This song was written by Prefab Sprout's Paddy  McAloon for the 1994 BBC television series Crocodile Shoes.    Prefab Sprout has been one of my favorite pop/rock groups since I first discovered them back in the eighties.  In my opinion Paddy McAloon is one of the best of modern era songwriters.   Please don't vote on the original, but if you want to hear how Prefab Sprout does the song then you can click this link.  They released their version in 2001.  This is a lovely version with a nice video--please don't vote for it as much as you might be tempted to do.

       The current Battle looks at two other version of the song.   See which you enjoy the most...

Jimmy Nail   "Cowboy Dreams"  (1994)

          Jimmy Nail was the star of the BBC series Crocodile Shoes.  Here is his version from that show. 
       




Nigel Livingstone  "Cowboy Dreams"  (2016)

       In my brief search I didn't find much about this artist.   He appears to be from Ireland and mostly plays in pubs and such, though he does have several YouTube videos.  Nigel kicks up the tempo on his version..





Time to Vote!

        Okay pardner, time to saddle up and vote for your favorite version of the two that I've presented here.  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 on Friday June 22nd

        I'll be visiting family in Florida about this time so I hope I can get these results up in a timely manner.  Then I'll be in Jersey for several days so I'll likely have limited internet time during my trip.  Please bear with me.  I'll try to make some blog rounds, but I can't guarantee much.

         Hope you have a great summer!

          Did you play cowboys and Indians when you were a kid?     Do kids today still play cowboys and Indians?  Do you think playing this fantasy game is culturally insensitive or politically incorrect or something like that?

A Very Unexpected Outcome (BOTB Results)

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        For my A to Z Theme Reveal post please click here.   I do hope you will also check out the current post found below.

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Unexpected Battle of the Bands Results

       My most recent Battle of the Bands post featured two different songs by two different artists and also served as my introduction to my Blogging from A to Z April Challenge theme for 2016.  Each song presented different points of view of visitors from other countries who come to Manhattan for the first time.  A number of voters expressed some degree of displeasure with the songs though I liked them quite well.  This is not a new occurrence for me so I've gotten used to people who disagree with music that I think is enjoyable.  As usual it all comes down to taste and probably to a great extent, giving something new a chance to settle into the pleasure center of the mind.   C'est la vie.

       Before going into this Battle I anticipated that there might be a lopsided victory in the contest results, but it did not go in the direction I had expected.    I fully expected Prefab Sprout to be the big winner in this match since the Bollywood tune was more techno sounding.   I was somewhat surprised to see the votes coming in the opposite way.   I would have never predicted the trouncing that occurred in this round.  The tune "Manhattan" from the film English Vinglish ended up with a decisive win.  Though Prefab Sprout pulled into a decent second toward the end of the voting.

       The Bollywood tune was very entertaining to me which is why I decided to use it.  And it helped create a nice blog theme when combined with Prefab Sprout's "Hey, Manhattan!".    I will admit that I went into this contest with extreme prejudice in favor of Prefab Sprout which is my pick in this match-up.  

       Prefab Sprout has been a favorite group of mine since 1987 when I read an interview with the members of U2.  A couple of them cited this group with the odd name as their favorite band so I decided to check them out.  With a sound that is in some ways comparable to Steely Dan, their first two albums blew me away with slick arrangements and a unique sound.  In my opinion they are one of the best bands of the 80's.  

        The band's front man Paddy McAloon is highly regarded as one of the great songwriters of the modern pop era.  Using Jimmy Webb and Brian Wilson as his greatest songwriting influences, I think that he has matched their efforts if not taken his craft to a higher level.  His melodies can be a fascinating mix of styles with slick stylish arrangements.  Often dealing with spiritual issues and life circumstance, his lyrics are intelligent yet easy to understand and spiked with wit and irony. 

        Many of the Battle voters commented on the schlocky TV show theme sound to "Hey, Manhattan!", but I do believe this was of purposeful intent regarding the subject matter.  Since the song initially starts out talking about the glitter and glitz of the city the "soundtrack" of this story deserves that theatrical sound often associated with New York.   As the song story begins to consider the JFK assassination and the homeless in Manhattan, the music plays in ironic contrast, yet leaves the listener with a sense of hopeful happiness as the song fades with shimmering strings and a pop-jazzy trumpet.  The reality of what is juxtaposed against the unreality of the music creates a kind of cool image in my mind.

         Sometimes it takes a bit of listening to songs before most of us can really get into what is being done.  Prefab Sprout hit me the right way when I first heard them.   On the other had there were some like myself who initially thought Bob Dylan or Tom Waits were bad singers singing weird songs.   Eventually I gave them a chance and got what they were about.   In these Battles we don't always get the full perspective of an artist and miss the coolness of what the blogger presenting the Battle heard in the artist.   Maybe that's what happened in this Battle of mine.  Then again, maybe my taste and that of all the other many Prefab Sprout fans throughout the world is just way different than most of you who voted.  

Final Vote Tally:

English Vinglish               17

Prefab Sprout                    10

More from the Sprout

For those who might be interested in a sampling of other Prefab Sprout tunes I offer three of them here.   I'll start with the biggest chart hit they had which, as is often the case, is also one of their most trite sounding songs.

Prefab Sprout  "The King of Rock n Roll"  (1988)



An Anecdote: 

From a party given by Paul McCartney comes the following story told by Sprout front man Paddy McAloon:

"At one point Paul introduced me to the drummer of the Crickets, and he told the guy, 'You may have heard this guy's song.' And Paul started singing the chorus. And I said, 'I'm not sure that record did us any good, because it's taken as a sort of kiddie record.' And McCartney said, 'Yeah, Paddy, I suppose that song's your "My Ding-a-ling."'"
From Rolling Stone Paddy McAloon: The Last Pop Genius


Prefab Sprout "When Love Breaks Down"  (1984)




Prefab Sprout "The Sound of Crying" (1992)




          My next Battle of the Bands post will coincide with the opening day of the 2016 Blogging from A to Z on Friday April 1st.    In April it will be all Manhattan all month including both BOTB posts.

          What are some artists that you didn't care for at first but began to like them as you listened more?   Do you tend to listen much to lyrics?    If you're doing the A to Z, are you ready for April?

#atozchallenge Theme Reveal: The Manhattan Project (#BOTB)

        The seventh annual Blogging from A to Z April Challenge will be here in a couple of weeks.  One of the popular traditions of the Challenge has been the A to Z Theme Reveal in which participants can tell what their theme for April will be.   A theme is not required, but many have decided that a theme makes their posts more cohesive for the month as well as easier to write. Once again I'll be using a theme for my Challenge posts.   I'm revealing my theme a bit early because the theme is tied in with Battle of the Bands as I am about to explain.  The official Theme Reveal will be on Monday March 21st.

The Manhattan Project

       My theme of The Manhattan Project is not about the development of the atomic bomb during World War 2, though I will include something about the atomic bomb story at sometime during the month.  The theme title is in reference to the name "Manhattan" and what it might make us think of when we hear it.  I will be using ideas that readers suggested in my post What Does "Manhattan" Say to You? as well as some of my own observations.  

        This theme came about after I had noticed that a number of songs that I was considering for future Battle of the Bands match-ups had to do with Manhattan.  Suddenly it came to me that I could do a series of Battle posts with this theme and it might be interesting to center my entire A to Z theme on the topic of Manhattan and some of the things that come to mind when we think of the word.

        During April I'll be presenting posts related to travel, people, history, food, and more.  Then of course there will be two Battle of the Band posts with songs related to Manhattan.  This theme reveal post is coming earlier than the official Theme Reveal day because I'm tying it in with my March 15th Battle of the Bands post.  I hope you'll enjoy this post as a preview of some things to come--and I hope you'll be with me throughout the month of April for The Manhattan Project.

Battle of the Bands

       Battle of the Bands is the blogging event hosted by Far Away Series and  StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens twice each month on the 1st and 15th.   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.

Clinton Cerejo & Bianca Gomes  "Manhattan"  (2012)

      Many songs can be found that are called "Manhattan" or that have the word "Manhattan" somewhere in the title.  This one comes from the award-winning and highly popular Bollywood film English Vinglish.   At times sounding almost like a litany of product placement, the song depicts the exuberance and wonderment of Indian visitors to the world famous city--a place of such diversity that even those from faraway places can feel like they belong.  The video below provides a short version of the song with a clip from the film.   If you'd like, you can hear the complete longer version of the song by clicking here.  I think this upbeat techno song is a lot of fun and somewhat revealing in how visitors from other cultures see the city.






Prefab Sprout "Hey Manhattan!"  (1988)

        This song presents another view of a foreigner's first visit to the big city of Manhattan.  "Hey Manhattan!" is based on British songwriter Paddy McAloon's initial visit to the Big Apple.   Having received acclaim for his music and his band's recordings in Europe, McAloon came to Manhattan with big expectations of fame and fortune.  At first, filled with hope and dreams, he is dazzled by the myth of Manhattan--the famous people who have walked the streets and the stories he has heard about the city.   After a few days the glitter fades as he realizes the darker side of U.S. history and sees city streets where the rich, the poor, and everybody are all mingled in a complexity of dreams and reality.   The Who's guitarist Pete Townshend plays acoustic guitar on this cut.         





Time to Vote!

        The vote is in your hands for this Battle.  Let us know what you think about these versions. There must be one that you prefer over the other.  Come on and play along!   If you're visiting a Battle of the Bands post for the first time then let me briefly explain.  Give each song version a fair listen to decide which one you prefer over the other.  If you don't like either then at least tell us which recording was least innocuous to you. This comes down to your preference and it's as easy as that.

     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:

‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ 

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

DC Relief Battle of the Bands

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Cherdo on the Flipside  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Janie Junebug Righting & Editing.
  
J. A. Scott  

Quiet Laughter

Holli's Hoots and Hollers

NovelBrews

Be ReInVintaged

eViL pOp TaRt



Results on Monday March 21st
      
      Vote today and then come back on Monday March 21st to see if your favorite won.  Watch this blog between then and now to see if anything else is happening.   I have a lot to say, but I am undecided whether or not to say it here.  Many people get offended or upset if they hear something with which they disagree and I don't want to upset any snowflakes.

         Do you have your A to Z Theme ready?   Have you been to Manhattan?   If so what were your expectations and were those expectations fulfilled?