BOTB RESULTS -- 2017, NOV. 15: Or, RANDY NEWMAN VERSUS WAYLON JENNINGS

.
First things first... I sincerely thank each one of you who took the time to listen, think, and write in your vote votes on my latest installment of BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB). It was a nice 20-voter turnout! And I again wish to thank Sixgun McItchyfinger whose suggestion that I return to the "Battle For Los Angeles" concept was the inspiration for this fun contest!
.
It was Randy Newman's 'I LOVE L.A.' versus Waylon Jennings' 'HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH TO LIVE IN L.A.?' The yin vs. the yang. Both songs and accompanying videos were competing against each other. Although I personally like BOTH Songs and BOTH Videos, I figured in the latter category, Randy had a huge advantage since his video was professionally produced and got heavy airplay in the years of "Music Television" (MTV). Is there anybody who hadn't seen it before? Doubtful.

One thing I find curious about Randy Newman's video for I LOVE L.A. is the fact that he included a shot of the "Jesus Saves" sign on a rooftop downtown (now long gone) but did NOT include a shot of the world famous "Hollywood" sign. I mean, the "Hollywood" sign is perhaps the third most iconic American landmark -- after the Statue Of Liberty and Mount Rushmore -- and yet Randy ignored it in favor of a Religious / Spiritual sign that only Angelenos knew existed. Interesting!
.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN T. McCARTHY

.
As funny as I think the Waylon Jennings video was (created by a Waymore fan), like so many others, I also voted for the Randy Newman video. It includes so many shots of places I knew very well, and it takes me back to a time when The Boys and I -- The League Of Soul Crusaders -- were drunk, disorderly, and laughing like it was going out of style. ("John Wayne! John Wayne!") We were the wildest things we'd ever seen.

I think that I LOVE L.A. music video might be the best one I ever saw. IMO, it is nearly perfect. Not quite perfect, but nearly so. I love the way the images flash in-sync with the beat of the song, and the way Randy Newman really IS driving on the streets he names.
.

.
Yes, that's really the Western-most point of Santa Monica Boulevard! On the horizon, behind their cool car, is the Pacific Ocean.

Off the top of my mind this morning, the only music video I can think of that I might like better'n I LOVE L.A. is John Fogerty's 'THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD'.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbSGMRZsN4Q

.
One of the images I especially like is of the happy "bum" on his knees at Venice Beach:
.

.
Some may not know this, but supposedly the Classic Rock group, THE DOORS, was conceived one day when Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek were hanging out at Venice Beach together. Jim read Ray some of his poetry and Ray said: Let's start a Rock band!
.

THE DOORS AT VENICE BEACH

.

THE DOORS STILL AT VENICE BEACH

.
And below is a shot of THE DOORS at the canals, back around the [link:> "Dogtown" era, when Venice Beach was known as "The ghetto by the sea". Or, "Where the trash meets the surf". Today, you need millions of dollars to buy a house along the Venice canals:
.

THE DOORS AT THE VENICE CANALS

.
Another image from Randy's I LOVE L.A. video that puts a smile on my face is "Randy's Donuts"...
.

.
That donut shop was (still is?) situated right at a freeway offramp where I used to exit on the way to my "Sign Designing" job in '84.

Well, not too surprisingly, Randy Newman easily won the Video Battle:

Randy Newman = 16 votes
Waylon Jennings = 4 votes
.
The Song Battle was a different story!

Although Randy Newman jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, Waylon Jennings eventually came roaring back. Arlee Bird voted for Randy's video and Waylon's song. Sixgun McItchyfinger did the same. And so did I. Clearly, the Biblical Apocalypse begins today at Noon!!!
.
Although I enjoy the song I LOVE L.A., I think that divorced from its wonderful video with all the colorful, humorous images, it ain't all that. And this might explain why the video was an MTV staple but the song itself never even cracked the Billboard Top 100. I mean, consider these lyrics:

Look at that mountain
Look at those trees
Look at that bum over there, man, he's down on his knees
.
There's nothing special about those lyrics. Not until you add the images that accompany them in the video:

Disneyland's Matterhorn Mountain roller coaster ride
Goofy-looking, good-for-nuttin' Palm Trees
A happy bum in the sun, at the feet of a pretty girl on the beach boardwalk
.
OK, now you've got something!
.
Musically and vocally, I think Waylon's HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH TO LIVE IN L.A. is considerably superior to Newman's I LOVE L.A. You've got that electric guitar and fiddle high-energy buzzsaw sound combined with Waylon's manly baritone vocals and lyrics that can stand on their own:

People dodging bullets crawling down the Interstate
...
They keep waiting for "the Big One", one tremor at a time
There ain't nobody living there...
...It's all a state of mind
.
Waylon's words alone create the images in my mind and make me laugh.
.
The vote tally for the Song Battle wound up like this...

Randy Newman = 10 votes
Waylon Jennings = 10 votes
.
And the MAGIC 8-BALL got BOTH of its predictions wrong. All is right with the world. ...Except for that Apocalypse beginning at Noon.
.
Again, I genuinely thank you all for participating. And I hope you will return here again on December 15th for my Christmas themed Battle Of The Bands installment. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!
.

THE  END!  THE END!!

.
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
.