Saturday, August 15, 2015

'STARS' a BATTLE OF THE BANDS Post






Alright, I know I’m really late in getting my BATTLE OF THE BANDS posted, but hey it’s still the 15th, so don’t go a countin’ me out yet.

I hate making excuses and I don’t want to bore you with the foibles of my life, but I will say that normally the hardest I work is sitting in front of a computer screen whereby, I become more and more of a recluse and less and less sociable. I decided to correct that by going back out into the workforce on a part-time basis. I casually inquired about a job in one of the high end retail shops located in a local casino, and lo and behold, they hired me. I worked my first shift today and am exhausted. I also did not plan ahead and write by BOTB post beforehand. Not surprised, are you?

So…let’s get right to it, shall we? I’ve always like this song by the guy who wrote and originally performed it. Too bad we lost him so soon.

First up, let’s here from Mr. Dan Fogelberg with ‘Stars’:


Next, I have selected a cover that I only heard recently. Here is Miss Allison Krause and Union Station doing the same song.


Now you know what to do and how to do it. Leave me a comment with your vote and the reason you chose as you did. Then head on over to STMCC Presents Battle of the Bands the hone of TSMOTP where Stephen has posted a great BATTLE for you (I know cause I already peeked.) Vote there and then check out the links for the other participants. Please try to visit all the other BOTBers. I know that everyone puts a lot of time and thought into their BATTLES.

If you have a chance and you’re the prayin sort, you might want to include Dixie of DC Relief fame, in your prayers. She hasn’t been feeling well enough to blog and participate in BOTB. We miss you Dixie and wish you well.

I’ll be back on the 21st with my vote and the final tally. Until that time…Happy Trails!


40 comments:

  1. First of all beautiful song. I liked Dan's version but I have to go with Alison I love her voice

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  2. Both great versions but #1 edges it out for me. Congrats on the job at your sea

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  3. Congratulations on the job!
    Both versions are nice but I did like Allison's voice better.

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    1. Dull, huh? OK, whatever you say. And, another vote for Allison.

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  5. I posted a comment here last night. Wha' hoppened? You delete it 'cause it was "too not-nice"? Ha! :-)

    ~ D-FensDogG
    'Warning: Dog Bites!'

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    1. I'm-a try this again...

      I wasn't at all familiar with this song and I only know a few of Fogelberg's best known tunes.

      I didn't care for 'STARS' the first time I played it, but already, with just my second listen, it's growing on me. To me, it sounds something like a cross between Bread and America. Pretty nice, actually.

      The Allison Krause cover is OK, but there's a melancholy element in Dan's original that she doesn't quite capture.

      So, I vote for Dan Foghorn-- er... Fogelberg. (I was just teaching Girl Wonder about that "loud-mouthed shnook", so I've got Leghorn on the brain.)

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    2. Never saw your first comment. You know better than that. I never delete a comment. If I don't like something I just go ahead and delete the whole blog post. Ha!

      Which 'loud-mouthed shnook' do you mean. Nowadays, there seem to be a lot of 'em.

      Counted you up for the melancholy element in Dan's voice as well as his lyrics.

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  6. Fae, I live a kinda recluse life, too. But...I really don't want to go out to tackle the big wide world. I'm happy living in my little cave. I mean home. :D I'm not familiar with this song, but I really like it. Dan and Allison did great jobs. Normally, I go for a male voice, but not so today. I kinda liked the sound of a woman doing this song. Allison gets my vote! Enjoy the new job!! No excuses are needed. We all get tied up with one thing or another. It's just good to have you here! ;)

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    1. Thanks Cathy.n It seems more and more lately life is overwhelming me. I'm already questioning the wisdom in taking on this job. The place is so disorganized and I'm somewhat OCD. Not a good combination. I guess, we shall see.

      Got you counted as a vote in Allison's corner.

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  7. Like both of them. But I have to go for Allison Krause, but by just one vote in my head.

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    1. So, you're saying that Allison just barely edged Dan out by a tiny little voice in your head. Ha!

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  8. Though I love Alison Krause, I have to go with Dan Fogelberg. The depth of emotion that comes through with his performance knocks it out of the ballpark.

    Good luck with the new job!

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    1. Cherdo, thanks, thanks and thanks again. I would like to count you as three votes for Dan, but unfortunately that would be too much like a Chicago election and I've sworn off those forever. But, it's nice to see him coming back even if it might be too little, too late.

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  9. Though I love Alison Krause, I have to go with Dan Fogelberg. The depth of emotion that comes through with his performance knocks it out of the ballpark.

    Good luck with the new job!

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  10. Though I love Alison Krause, I have to go with Dan Fogelberg. The depth of emotion that comes through with his performance knocks it out of the ballpark.

    Good luck with the new job!

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  11. I am huge fan of Alison!! I love her angelic voice and she's so talented with the violin or mandolin ( or both whichever she plays(. My vote goes to her.

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    1. After your first sentence I knew exactly where your vote was a gonna fall.

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  12. FAE ~

    I was unfamiliar with this song, and the question really strikes me: why did you select it? Is the song special to you? If so, the Fogelberg version is what snagged you because the other is too new.

    D.F. is nice. I like his stuff, and in fact I MAY (I'm not sure as I've not played it for years) still have one of his old albums in my record case.

    BUT: Allison Krause is just really special. She is supremely talented in many ways, and her vocal control with this song won me over.

    Careful with the new job: soon they will notice that you are way more competent than all the other staff and they'll try to make you a full time manager with no time for blogging!

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    1. I have always like Fogelberg. I too have some of his work on vinyl, in a storage locker in Idaho. I'll try to talk a little bit about how I came up with this one in my results post, so you're just gonna have to come back for that information.

      Allison, it is for you.

      Trust me, there is no way I could take on a managerial position right now, but boy oh boy, could this place ever use it. They are terribly disorganized and with my OCD personality I'm not sure how well we are going to get on. This may be a very short lived career. Ha, ha, ha!

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  13. I prefer Alison's voice because it sounds like a dream which seems to go with the song and the way it is styled. Dan Fogelberg's rendition was a bit bland to me.

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    1. Bland, huh? OK, got you down as a vote for Allison.

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  14. You really hit my memory and emotion nerves with this song. I became first turned on to Fogelberg in 1976 by my first wife. His music immediately caught on with me as well. In fact, we named our son after Dan Fogelberg with his middle name Neil coming from Neil Young who was my favorite at the time.

    "Stars" is a beautiful song from one of Fogelberg's best albums. My ex-wife and I spent many an hour listening to that album.

    Krause is an artist whom I enjoy a great deal. She is so talented and has done some great covers. "Stars" is no exception. However she slows the song down too much for my taste and the overall presentation is just more pleasing to my ears. And then there's that memory thing now. Fogelberg's version carries me back to a time of the dreams of a new relationship and the hopes for the future of our family at that time. It's melancholy for me.

    My vote goes wholeheartedly to Dan Fogelberg.

    Great Battle!

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. With memories like that, you almost have no choice but to vote for Dan.

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  15. Excellent match up FAE. I really like Dan Fogelberg. I love Alison Krauss. So, I was predisposed to vote for her without even listening. (And I am voting for her. Chalk one for Alison Krauss.) That said, I really did enjoy the DF version, too. But Alison Krauss... I just love her voice. Brad Paisley once said that the angels in heaven must surely sound like Alison Krauss. I know just what he means, because I've often thought she has the most lovely ethereal voice. Just love it.

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    1. I was predisposed to cast YOUR vote for Allison, before I even posted this BATTLE, but thought that could be construed as rude and presumptous ( and I am never those, HA), but I know you are a huge fan of hers. So, at least I can say AH HA, I knew it!

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  16. This is a most difficult choice. I absolutely love DF and this song yet Allison's voice is so clear and haunting. But... she had to change the lyrics, just a tad, to make it work from the female point of view and that made it sound a bit awkward to me. I'm going with Dan.

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    1. If you're familiar with the song you would definitely catch that awkward shift in lyrics. Dan gets another vote.

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  17. Congratulations on your new job!
    This song was unfamiliar to me, so I had no preconceptions. There was something about Alsion Krauss' vocals that stirred my emotions a bit more, so please cast my vote for her.

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    1. Thanks Debbie. And yet another vote for emotions stirred, not shaken.

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  18. am so slow to get out and visit other BOTB'ers this round! (and slow to approve my own comments, but hey, makes for unbiased votes, right?)

    I do like Alison Krauss, but I am more drawn to Dan Fogelberg's version, so he gets my vote!

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    1. No worries Mary, I'm even slower than you.

      And, Dan gets another vote.

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  19. I've gone back and forth on this one. I like both renditions. I like Dan Fogelberg but I also like the newer singer. Since I'm so split on the song, I really have a hard time deciding which is better, so I'm going to error on the side of caution and vote for the original, Dan Fogelberg.

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    1. 'Erroring on the side of caution' is normally a pretty good thing to do, and in this case it just might be making this more of a horse race. Thanks for stopping by Jeffrey.

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  20. Hard to beat Dan... you're right, taken from us far too soon.

    Never really "got" AK. I go with DF on this. Also, prayers for both Dixie and your new entrance into the working world.

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    1. Thanks CW and I'm sure Dixie would thank you also.

      So, Dan is making somewhat of a comeback, but will it be enough. We shall see.

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  21. I always listen when you post this first, wait to see my cohort, and then listen again with him while he votes. By then my vote has usually not changed. But this was different. Similar to what McCarthy said, Fogelberg's version didn't really grab me the first time. It did seem kinda dull. But on second listen it's grown on me - a LOT - to the point that I vote for him. My cohort was even in the same boat, so I made him listen to the song again after we had some beers to celebrate the completion of our newest novel today (yay!).

    He agreed with me, and takes back what he said upon the first play.

    Two votes for Dan Fogeyberg. Uh, I mean Fogelberg. :)

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