ANOTHER YEAR GONE BY

Well you didn't think I'd let the year go out with a whimper did you?....here's one last post!

Happy New Year everybody!

DAN FOGELBERG-SAME AULD LANG SYNE

A-CAROLING WE GO (9)

Merry Christmas To All!

From the sacred to the profane...

BUSTER POINDEXTER-ZAT YOU SANTA CLAUS?

YOU'RE A MEAN ONE, MR. GRINCH

GARY HOEY-AWAY IN A MANGER

(although not necessarily in that order)

A-CAROLING WE GO (8)

This has always been a song I need to hear on Christmas Eve...




ANNIE LENNOX-SILENT NIGHT

A-CAROLING WE GO (7)

TWO FROM RICHARD MARX

CHRISTMAS MORNINGS

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

A-CAROLING WE GO (6)

QUEEN-THANK GOD IT'S CHRISTMAS

A-CAROLING WE GO (5)

This one never gets old...



BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

A-CAROLING WE GO (4)

I've been a fan of TSO since their beginning, and have been amazed at how popular they have become. 

If you like them, and do not have it, they have a DVD from the early days that is well worth picking up. 

Their non-holiday discs are quite good, too, especially Beethoven's Last Night.

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL-OH HOLY NIGHT

A-CAROLING WE GO (3)

John Eddie was popular in Philly back in the early eighties, and was one of the major-label signings made in the wake of Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA mega-stardom.

He's stayed active, releasing discs on his own, and while they lean country, I still enjoy his songwriting.

JOHN EDDIE-ANOTHER LONELY CHRISTMAS

A-CAROLING WE GO (2)

This one is a little cheesy...but I like Styx, so you're kind of stuck with it...

STYX ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

There was a live version out there, so I thought I'd include it...

A-CAROLING WE GO (1)

Since I already had my Todd schtik going and could not do Christmas tunes in the Battle Of The Bands posts...

...and since I'm too lazy to actually come up with new material...

I thought I'd spend the days leading up to Christmas sharing some Christmas tunes with you, albeit done in a less traditional style than you may be accustomed to.


GARY HOEY-THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

(and a live version from his new DVD)

BOTB: IT WOULDN'T HAVE MADE ANY DIFFERENCE

The five bloggers below are co-sponsoring a blog event on the first and fifteenth of each month. 

Far Away Eyes

Stephen T. McCarthy

Arlee Bird

Alex J. Cavanaugh 

Robin (Your Daily Dose) 


I have been a stowaway on their journey, at least until I run out of covers of Todd Rundgren songs.

For today's post, I am back to what should be more familiar territory, with another tune from what is often considered Todd's opus, Something/Anything?.

"It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" was the second track on the Something/Anything? album, although it was not released as a single. It was a catchy ballad that has remained a concert staple over the years, and was even covered by Rundgren himself on his bossa-nova album With A Twist.

 The song is another nod to 1960's pop songs. The song would later be covered by Alison Kraus on her album Forget About It.

 

TODD RUNDGREN-
IT WOULDN'T HAVE MADE ANY DIFFERENCE

ALISON KRAUSS-
IT WOULDN'T HAVE MADE ANY DIFFERENCE

So which version do you like better?

ROASTED BIRD

Today is the day Arlee Bird gets roasted as this year's Cheersfest victim...er...honoree.

On his main blog, “Tossing It Out,” Lee describes himself, in part, “as a writer, speaker, entertainer, music lover, collector, husband, father, grandfather, friend, traveler, seeker of truth and wisdom.”

It is a little known fact that the first prescription issued on Venice Beach for medicinal marijuana was given to Arlee Bird.

He majored in alternative uses for pipes...um..herbal studies...er, that is,  English while at the University of Tennessee.

Arlee has blogged since 2008, and currently has six blogs that delve into his diabolical...er...um...diverse mind.

Come on-you've read his blog about dreams-this guy is further out there than Cheech and Chong!

Why do you think he lives in California and goes to a pharmacy on Venice Beach?

I kid Lee, of course. Lee has the unfortunante (for him) distinction of being the only person in the blog world I've met face-to-face (besides Stephen T. McCarthy, and that doesn't really count since I'd known him for a decade prior to blogging).

So enough with my introduction. There were some assignments for this post, so let's get to them.

Why did Lee come up with the A-Z Challenge?

Were you not paying attention earlier when I made my Cheech and Chong joke?

Obviously because he’d smoked some ganja and looked at a calendar.

How else would you come to the conclusion that if you discounted Sundays, April would have the same number of days as letters of the alphabet?

If someone dreams about being a juggler, what does it mean?

With six blogs, I think we are seeing the living embodiment of what it means.

In fact, with six blogs, I think Mr. Bird may need to seek out a support group.

"Hello,my name is Arlee, and I am a blogaholic."

The first step is admitting you have a problem...

Is a post by Mr. Bird worth two in the bush?

That’s just silly-how would you get two posts in the bush in

the first place?

A better question to ask is, what was he smoking before that last post and where can I get some?

Who could play Lee in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

If I were casting the Lee in the juggling picture, I am thinking Rob Reiner back in the All In The Family days.

In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using

all these prompts:

The chainsaw juggler took off his brown jacket and readied

himself for his act.

A crowd had started to gather on the Venice Beach

promenade.

He grinned as he started up the power tools, enjoying the

challenge that this provided-anyone could juggle balls

safely, but one false move with a chainsaw and you’d be

called Lefty for the rest of your days.

Tossing the chainsaws in the air, he began to manipulate the heavy objects to keep all three in the air while the onlookers dropped change and small bills into the bucket he’d set out.

At one point, a seagull swooped down, one of the chainsaws narrowly missing the bird.

He smiled to himself-today was looking like a profitable day.

It came to 123-I was too lazy to edit it down

In +/- 40 words, can you come up with a caption for Lee’s Facebook picture?

Arch-why must you always call me Meathead?

  

Lee-here' to ya, my friend! Sorry about all the stoner jokes....but it is a roast!

IT'S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME

BOSTON-

LIFE LOVE & HOPE

On Boston's first album in 11 years, and the first since the tragic death of legendary vocalist Brad Delp in 2007, the band sticks with its tried-and-true sound, one that has come to nearly define the classic rock genre.

Or, said another way, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

From the first time the world heard "More Than a Feeling" in the 1970s, Boston burned its way into rock's DNA with an identifiable sound: layer upon layer of angry guitars, harmonic solos and angelic vocals backing Delp, who could hit notes only dogs could hear.

There are three tracks on the album that feature the late Delp’s vocals. The unreleased song, "Sail Away," is about the government's response to Hurricane Katrina (it HAS been a long time between albums, right?), while the two others ("Someone" and "Didn't Mean to Fall in Love") appeared on the band's Corporate America album, but Scholz was never really happy with them and has rebuilt them from top to bottom while keeping the original Delp vocals.

Or, said another way, Scholz was unable to come up with an album full of new material in more than a decade.

"Heaven on Earth," with David Victor singing lead could be a hit single, if all the Boston fans who were "Smokin'" in the '70s remain loyal to a group who helped define what rock 'n' roll sounded like for many years.

Sadly, that audience is probably in the early stages of dementia and may not remember the band.

Other songs don't fare as well, including "If You Were in Love" with Kimberley Dahme's vocals coming off as nothing-special, and Tom’s turn on lead vocals not even passing that bar. 

Vocals by Tommy DeCarlo, the Delp sound-alike found on You Tube, are not bad, but the songwriting does not approach that of the first three Boston albums.

When you consider that there are three re-records and one short instrumental, you’re left with seven new songs in eleven years. 

And only one is good enough to be lined up against that first album.

I would think with that much time on his hands, Scholz would have outdone the first album.

I like the album, don't get me wrong-the songs are ok, the performances good and the production slick (a little overdone, but that's Tom's production style). I'm just not sure that this is an album for everyone-it's a lot closer to the last two albums than the first three.

Overall, worth checking out for die-hard fans. Nostalgic fans looking to revisit the stellar debut may want to just break that one out of mothballs.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

IF YOU WERE IN LOVE

BOTB: LUCKY GUY

The five bloggers below are co-sponsoring a blog event on the first and fifteenth of each month. 

Far Away Eyes

Stephen T. McCarthy

Arlee Bird

Alex J. Cavanaugh 

Robin (Your Daily Dose) 


I have been participating until stalking their blog, at least until I run out of covers of Todd Rundgren songs.

Anyone reading who thought they were going to listen to some Rod Stewart, gotcha!

This post pits a song from Todd's classic Hermit of Mink Hollow album against a cover of the song by Kim Wilde.

So without further ado...

TODD RUNDGREN-LUCKY GUY

KIM WILDE-LUCKY GUY