Zharth's Music Log (Revisited)
Week 79: Bending The Elements
(Originally finalized on June 12, 2024)
Preface: Of the many themes I'm working on, I'd been wondering which one I should pull out to kick-start the next quarter of Threedux. Well, I woke up this morning dreaming about this theme, so I think its time has come. And it's a fun one! Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American cartoon that has recently been adapted into a live action series for Netflix, this week we'll explore songs that recall the abilities of Avatar's characters to manipulate, or "bend", the fundamental forces of nature. Warning: may contain [mostly relatively minor] spoilers.
Monday: Lynyrd Skynyrd - Call Me The Breeze [Second Helping, 1974]
Comments: Starting with the Avatar himself, Aang - the last survivor of the air nomads, a monastic order that lived atop mountain temples and could control the wind. After being released from a hundred years of hibernation, I could easily picture Aang zooming around on his air scooter saying, "call me the breeze!"
Tuesday: Creedence Clearwater Revival - Who'll Stop The Rain [Cosmo's Factory, 1970]
Comments: From the Southern Water Tribe, Katara befriends Aang and joins his journey to liberate the world from the oppressive Fire Nation. An apprentice water bender herself, she trains and eventually masters the discipline, even being able to stop raindrops in mid-air.
Wednesday: Fleetwood Mac - Landslide [Fleetwood Mac, 1975]
Comments: Powerful earth benders fight by manipulating the very structure of the landscape itself. During their journey, our heroes meet such a warrior by the name of Toph. Although blind, she can sense vibrations through the ground, enabling her to anticipate her opponents' movements.
Thursday: Deep Purple - Fireball [Fireball, 1971]
Comments: Like most fire benders, hot-headed Prince Zuko makes copious use of fireballs in combat, as he and his uncle (himself once an esteemed general) endeavor to find and hunt down the Avatar, in service to the ruling Fire Nation.
Friday: AC/DC - Thunderstruck [The Razors Edge, 1990]
Comments: Some fire benders of particularly keen talent are capable of harnessing the power of lightning. Zuko's unhinged sister, Princess Azula, is one such person. Be mindful not to cross her, or you might just end up thunderstruck.
Saturday: Black Sabbath - Iron Man [Paranoid, 1970]
Comments: Although previously unheard of, Toph's singular talent in a moment of desperation causes her to discover the means by which to bend not just rock, but even metal. It is a rare, but extremely useful, ability.
Sunday: Ten Years After - Bad Blood [About Time, 1989]
Comments: Katara discovers, during the course of her studies, that some water benders are able to bend blood, effectively allowing them to control the movements of animals and even other people. Not surprisingly, this is considered a cursed skill, its use outlawed by civilized society.