The Battle of the Bands Chronicles: Volume Three the start of year two

My 25th Battle (labeled 24) celebrate one year of Battle of the Bands. In reality it was kicking in my second season. It featured The Band's classic "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." I pitted Charlie Daniels against Johnny Cash. It was 9 to 8 for Mr. Cash. 17 votes is great for my blog.

Battle 26th went Jerry Garcia bluegrass. I used the classic tune "Shady Grove" and brought out the bluegrass giant Doc Watson. I matched up against the eclectic Taj Mahal. Taj won 6 to 5 in a very streaky Battle.

Battle 27th didn't stray far from my last one. "Panama Red" featuring The New Riders of the Purple Sage against Old and in  the Way. The New Riders won!

Battle 28: It was September 2015 and I left the banjos behind (for a little bit). The song was "Gloria." The Doors versus The Shadows of Knight. The Doors won but it was closer than you might think.

Battle 29: Keep on Loving You. Lisa Loeb and Dweezil that is a weird combination. ZMight be as strange as Keith Urban covering this song. Keith won 12 to 1.

Battle 30: Gimme Shelter!  Merry Clayton versus Grand Funk Railroad. The latter won 9 to 5.

Battle 31: Shoot to Thrill! Halestorm versus Theory of a Deadman. Theory of a Deadman won this won solidly.

Battle 32: I Was only 19. This battle was one of my most successful ones and it was a total surprise! The Lancer Band versus The Herd. The Lancer Band won.

Battle 33: Fortune Teller. Robert Plant and Alison against The Rolling Stones. Robert and Alison won this by a mile.

Battle 34: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. Jim Carey versus Straight No Chaser. The comedian lost badly.

Battle 35: Christmas Cookies! Loose Cattle and Scott McCreery. Loose Cattle won in a stampede.

Battle 36: Sympathy for the Devil! Guns and Roses versus Motorhead. Rocking into 2016. The Gunners won!

Battle 37: Louie, Louie! The Sonics against The Kinks. The Sonics win!

Battle 38: Three Desperados. Miranda, Linda R., and Karen Carpenter. Karen ran away with a victory.

Battle 39: New Orleans Ladies. Wayne Toups against Tab Benoit. Wayne won!

Battle 40: Midnight Hour. The Mirrettes versus The Young Rascals. The Rascals won.

My Battle of the Bands Chronicle: Volume Two closing out a full year.

I started 2015 doing some California Dreaming for my 12th Battle of the Bands. The battle based on The Mamas and the Pappas classic featured the Beach Boys and Bobby Womack. The Beach Boys cruised to a 7-0 shut out victory.

My 13th featured Winterlong by Neil Young. The competition was Whitehorse and The Pixies. Some how the covers lost to Neil Young 3 votes for Mr. Young and 2 a piece for the challengers.

My 14th Battle dove into jazz with My Funny Valentine. I pitted two legends against each other Frank versus Ella. The voting was strong and Frank won 7 to 3.

Battle 15 featured Love Hurts. Joan Jett against The Everly Brothers provided strange competition. Joan Jett rallied to a 6-5 victory on this one.

My 16th Battle featured You're 16! Ringo versus Bill Forbes were the choices. No shut out but Ringo won easily.

I turned to JJ Cale and Travelin' Light for Battle 17. Widespread Panic returned to face Eric Clapton. Clapton made sure WSP was my first two time loser.

Battle 18 fell on April Fool's Day and during the A to Z Challenge. The song was "Everybody Plays the Fool" and featured The Main Ingredient and Aaron Neville. Aaron won 8 to 2.

Battle 19 fell in the A to Z Challenge. "Wild World" by some Cat. The contestants Mr. Big against Maxi Priest. Mt Big squeezed out the victory.

Battle 20 featured "Time is on my Side." The great Irma Thomas versus The Rolling Stones. The original by Kai Winding won. Interesting notes I couldn't keep track of the numbers back then as in the title I called it my 18th Battle. It also marked when I started doing results in a separate post.

Battle 21 was in honor of BB King and featured "Hummingbird." The contestants were Jimmy Page and Leon Russell. Jimmy Page won this Battle.

Battle 22 was New Orleans funk. A song by The Meters, Big Sam and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The latter won in a big shut out, However Big Sam is a lot of fun!

My 23rd Battle featured the Deep Purple classic "Highway Star." The competition featured Type O Negative against an All Star Band featuring Deep Purple alumni Glenn Hughes. Glenn and company won.

My 24th should have marked one year of this madness. It featured "Summertime." Ella and Mr Armstrong versus Billie Holiday. The team of two legends won.

My Battle of the Bands Chronicle: Volume One 2014

I've been doing the Battle of the Bands for some time. Before it became too much of a challenge I wanted to go back and archive the battles I have had. I thought it might be fun to see the artist I picked and see where it has gone.

Battle One: 07/15/2014 Dead Flowers

The Rolling Stones "Dead Flowers" was my pick. My contenders were Townes Van Zandt and Samantha Fish. The Stones won two votes while the contenders each had one vote. You can see that battle here.

Battle Two: 08/01/2014 Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Beautiful tune and two guitar gods with Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. You can visit here. Slowhand wins 5 to 1.

Battle Three: 08/15/2014 Scarlet Begonias

A Grateful Dead song and two artists so different Jimmy Buffett and Warren Haynes. The madness can be reviewed here. Jimmy won 5 to 2.

Battle Four: 09/01/2014 Creep

A Radiohead song pitting Moby against Tori Amos. Moby won in a landslide. Archived here.

Battle Five: 09/15/2014 Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You

Looking back I probably went a tad overboard with five contenders. See what I was thinking here. The Plebs, The Association, Miley, Pink, Led Zeppelin. Zep won!

Battle Six: 10/01/2014 Train Kept A-Rollin' 

Yardbirds Vs Aerosmith! Aerosmith really won but I tied it up with a rare me vote as you can see.

Battle Seven: 10/15/2014 Hey Joe

Roy Buchanan against Seal and David Gilmour. Guitars are big in my battles as you can hear in this one. Seal wins this one.

Battle Eight: 11/01/2014 When The Saints Go Marching In

Dr John battles it out with Bruce Springsteen. Relive it here. It was close but Dr John wins!

Battle Nine: 11/15/2014 Hope in a Hopeless World

Eric Bibb versus Widespread Panic! My first shutout here.  7 to zip.

Battle Ten: 12/01/2014 Run Rudolph Run

Keith Richards against  Skynyrd. Where do I come up with these? Seeing is believing. Lynyrd Skynyrd wins.

Battle Eleven: 12/15/2014 Happy Xmas The War is Over

Fems for Christmas the Corrs versus Sheryl Crow, Really happened here. Sheryl won!

Battle of the Bands Winner: Kaori Muraji

Kaori Muraji won my Battle of the Bands battle 4 to 3. The votes were slightly down perhaps due to the Holiday. Changing to a classical guitar piece may have hurt. I don't know. I liked the piece it kind of grabbed me. It has been years since I watched The Deer Hunter.

Anyway Karori Muraji is a 40 year old guitarist from Japan. She is the first Japanese artist to sign with Decca Music Group. 


Here is a piece called "Flowers will Bloom"

Yes I'm jumping into the music to celebrate the winner. Here is medley from "New Cinema Paradise"

"The Girl's in Love with You"

I will be back with a new battle on December 1st. Thanks for voting and thanks for visiting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

There are lots of things to be thankful for and a lot of those things we probably overlook most of the time. One thing I am glad I'm not a turkey around this time of year. According to eatturkey.com about 46 million turkeys are consumed in the United States on Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful that I am blessed with healthy children. Raising children is not easy, but I can't fathom how difficult it would be if they were not healthy. However, some parents due raise children that have health issues. To those I am thankful for your children and I am thankful somehow you find a way.

I'm thankful for my blog. I'm thankful I can write about anything I want. Of course I am thankful for my readers, my audience. It is nice to see they have visited and it is fun to read their comments.

I'm thankful for my day job. It is much better than being unemployed. I have plenty of vacation and sick leave. I have so many benefits to be thankful for.

I'm thankful I have a roof over my head. I'm thankful I have internet and smartphones. I am thankful I am not hungry or thirsty. I am thankful Hurricane Michael moved a few miles further east. While I am thankful we dodged it I know many were struck with destruction. I am thankful for the volunteers who fed, housed, cleaned up and repair. I know there is still so much to do but I am glad there are more volunteers.

I'm thankful I have been able to help the homeless in three different states. I am thankful there are people willing to help and provide food and shelter.

Yes there is so much to do, but I am thankful for what is happening. I am thankful for my blessings and I hope you have some too!

R.I.P Roy Clark

Roy Clark guitarist, banjo player, comedian, actor passed away at the age of 85 yesterday (11-15-18). He was an inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Along the way he was named Entertainer of the Year by the CMA twice and once by the ACM. Three times he was named the Instrumentalist of the Year by the CMA. Just to highlight a few awards.

He won a Grammy for this song...

He achieved stardom on Hee-Haw. "Talk About A Party"

This song was a number 6 hit in 1970.."Thank God and Greyhound"

Remember "Yesterday, When I Was Young"

The world will miss his comic and musical talents. May he rest in peace!

                                                      

Battle of the Bands: Guitar War

It is time to throw out an odd twist for my last Battle of the Bands of November. Instead of rocking out, I am going to shift gears. How about stripped down, classical, acoustic guitar.  Maybe the kind you might hear in a movie? Let's do it!

Cavatina composed by Stanley Myers. Is the selection first up..

                                                  John Williams

                                                                 Kaori Muraji

                                           

You know the drill vote for John or Karori in the comments. Bonus points name a film this piece has been in. See you soon!

Battle of the Bands Results: So close we needed a recount

The voting was tight in this close election. One election official was ready to call it a draw. Then one last vote mysteriously showed up. It was a curious vote and kind of catty! (thanks Cathy!) The deadlock was broken. The conservative voice from the right side of my head was outraged. The voice from the liberal left side of my mind created mass confusion when someone said "snow flake!" The fun loving ski bum voice was suddenly excited! In the momentary lapse of reason  my head became so congested. I live in Florida and there is no snow.

Fiction you may ask? It all depends how many voices you think I have in my head. If I ever become famous wouldn't that be a great trivia question? The results were super close. Cathy's vote did determine the winner. I have been battling this congestion for way to long.

The winner was Eric McFadden who edged out Scott Weiland 5 to 4.   Below is a picture of the winner taken by me last month. If you steal it, it would be nice if you give me credit.

I had seen Eric before as a guitarist for Anders Osborne. He has also played with George Clinton, Eric Burdon, Les Claypool, Keb' Mo',  Galactic, Jackson Browne to name a few. In other words a working musician been in a few regional bands and worked with some highly regarded musicians. He was in a festival I usually see every October in Louisiana. What got me interested in seeing him was his latest single..

"Love Come Rescue Me"

The latest album is produced by one of my favorite guitarists Tab Benoit. It also features Doug Wimbish on bass who blew me away on Eric's solo set at the festival. Doug was in the rock band Living Colour. 

Here he is playing the Monday after the Fest with Jonathon Long and Charlie Wooten..

Another new song "Long Gone"

Hope you enjoyed! Go out and discover some new to you music!

R.I.P STAN LEE

Stan Lee passed away today at the age of 95. Stan Lee was the man behind some of the biggest comic book heroes of all time. Spider-Man, Captain America, The X-an to the Black Panther and many in between.

Here is an interview with Conan from 1995 where he talks of 50 years in comics...

News of his death from Fox News Channel....

Here is a cameo from Captain America: Civil War

I celebrate his birthday a couple of years ago. You can find a few more clips here. 

Stan was a creative genius. His legacy will live on in the characters he helped create. He will be missed by his fans and family.

Monday's Music Moves Me: Unconventional Duets

Welcome to another episode of Monday's Music Moves Me. This a bloghop. If you want to see who else is playing or sign up to join the fun you can visit this site. I hope your minds are open to let your feet dance in this genre bending and swapping event. Today's theme is unconventional duets. The theme was Stacy's idea.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Robert Plant will always be known as the singer from the legendary rock group Led Zeppelin. Alison Krauss is gifted with a beautiful voice whose music falls in somewhere in the contemporary bluegrass, country, category. The two musicians came together for a platinum selling, multi-Grammy Award winning album.

"GONE, GONE, GONE"

U2 AND BB KING

U2, the Irish Rock Band who fills stadiums with their tours, is quite different from blues legend BB King. However, they got together for a few songs and had some success.

"When Love Comes to Town"

Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

A Beatle and the King of Pop together.

"Say, Say, Say"

Is Paul McCartney and the surviving members of Nirvana more unconventional?

Paul and Nirvana

"Cut Me Some Slack"

Taylor Swift and Def Leppard

Taylor Swift went from a Country Artist to become a Pop Empire. Somewhere along the way she teamed up with these rockers...

"Pour Some Sugar on Me"

I could go on and on but I think I will leave you with these five.

Thoughts on the film "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Queen sold me on "Bohemian Rhapsody".  A film over two hours long featuring the music of Queen yes I'm buying the ticket to experience it in IMAX sound. Of course I might of bought the ticket just to listen to there music.

Spanning 15 years and concentrating on Freddie Mercury the film wasn't designed to be the deepest movie. Things may have been missed, depth may not have been shown on a subject. Your favorite Queen song might not make the soundtrack.

The rise of Queen, a doomed love story, innuendos, breakups, reunions, HIV, and music are the ingredients of the film. . Delivered in "Almost Famous" vibe, with a good dose of humor and plenty of music.  If you like Queen the movie is worth a look. In the end a tribute to Freddie.

Disclaimer: I paid my fare to watch the movie on the big screen. 

Battle of the Bands: David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes

Today's Battle of the Bands  features the song "Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie. You can watch/listen to his version below.

You don't vote for his version. You vote for one of the contenders below in the comments. I total them up a few days later and post who the winner is in a new post. 

First Contender: Scott Weiland

Second Contender: Eric McFadden

Hope you enjoyed the Battle and I look forward to seeing who you choose as the winner.