My sincere thanks to everyone who came by to listen and votein myBOTB's Battle Of The Boozecontest which took place HERE. It was between Simon & Garfunkel's 'Hazy Shade Of Winter' & Frank Sinatra's 'It Was A Very Good Year'. It was a very good Battle and I had fun foolin' around in the comment section.
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The contest went back & forth, and with 6 votes in it was tied up at 3 to 3.
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As much as I dig Simon & Garfunkel in general, and 'Hazy Shade...' specifically, that Sinatra recording contains oodles & oodles of saudade (or what I refer to as goldenshadow - a term I invented for that feeling). So, my own "bote" went to Sinatra, leaving us with 2024's final Final Result looking like this:
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FINAL RESULT:
Simon & Garfunkel = 7 votes
Frank Sinatra = 5 votes
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Therefore, S&G will advance to the eventual Battle Of The Booze playoff rounds. For Sinatra, it was a very good year but... it's essentially over now.
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Mary (MMQE) of 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' will be rejoining us BOTBers on January 1st, 2025. And I will also be back with a boozy 'Margarita Day'battle on that same date. Please return here for that goot stuffs. Until then...
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I Wish You A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year (to coin an expression).
Welcome to my last BOTB's Battle Of The Booze installment of 2024. I'm thinking about Winter and TheEndOfAnotherYear.
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I've always been a big fan of Simon & Garfunkel's music in general. However, their song 'Hazy Shade Of Winter' will always be intertwined with my memories of the late >Linda Haley (a.k.a. Anniee). In 2011, I wrote this about her:
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I’m rather jaded ... so it really requires something quite out of the ordinary for me to sit up and take notice. And then just when you feel that no one can much impress you anymore, you meet someone who, by the force of their personality, almost demands that you get to know them better, that you make the necessary effort to develop and maintain a friendship with that person. In other words: One day you’re surfing your little strip of Blogosphere Beach when Anniee enters.
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And, lucky for us, 'Hazy Shade Of Winter' includes a reference to booze:
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Funny how my memory skips
Looking over manuscripts
Of unpublished rhyme
Drinking my vodka and lime
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My Pa liked Frank Sinatra's singing, but my Ma greatly loved it; while I was very slow in recognizing any distinctly notable talent in his vocals. For many years, he just sounded like most of the other crooners to me.
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However, even before I came to appreciate Sinatra's singing, I always did really embrace his recordings of 'Winchester Cathedral' and 'It Was A Very Good Year'.
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Luckily for us, that second song includes these lyrics:
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But now the days are short
I'm in the autumn of the year
And now I think of my life as vintage winefrom fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs
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So, it's "vodka and lime" versus "vintage wine". Please vote in the comment section for the song you prefer, and then please visit all of the other BOTBers and drop your two cents in their Battles. I'll return here on or about Dec. 22nd with my own vote and the final final tally.
. BOTB's Battle Of The Booze contest took place HERE, and it was between the songs 'Mistletoe & Wine' and 'I Like Life' from the 1970 musical 'Scrooge'. . I was determined to use 'I Like Life' because, secretly, I was thinking of this BOTB installment more as a promotional campaign for 'Scrooge' than an actual musical contest. However, I had a heck of a time trying to find a competing Christmas song that mentioned some form of booze. There were some silly novelty songs I came across that were essentially about getting laminated (a.k.a. intoxicated) during the Christmas season. I don't do that, and I didn't want to use a song like that. . Finally I came across the Cliff Richard song which I genuinely liked. What I appreciated about it was how it lyrically combined sentiments about Christ, the King of kings, with some of the more secular aspects of the Christmas season. In that sense, it kind of reminded me of the song 'HereComesSantaClaus' : . Here comes Santa Claus Right down Santa Claus Lane He doesn't care if you're rich or poor He loves you just the same Santa knows that we're all God's children And that makes everything right So fill your hearts with Christmas cheer 'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight . Nevertheless, I'm sure everyone realized that my own vote would be going to the song from 'Scrooge', which is hands down my favorite filmed version of 'AChristmasCarol' (it is so much fun!) . And Scrooge made one of the all-time great BOTB comebacks. At one point in the Battle, 'ILikeLife' was getting beaten 5-1 by 'MistletoeAndWine'. But the contest ended up looking like this:
. FINAL TALLY 'Mistletoe And Wine' = 6 votes 'I Like Life' = 7 votes . Hokey-Smoke & I'll be dogged! What I was thinking of as being mostly a movie recommendation turned into as good a BOTB installment as is possible! . My most sincere "THANKYOUVERYMUCH!" to everybody who took the time to visit 'n' vote.Y'all made this a terrific Battle Of The Booze contest! . Barring any unforeseen catastrophes, I intend to return here on December 15th with my final Battle of the year, and I hope YOU will return here, too. Until then... . God bless us, every one! . ~ Stephen The Christmas Canine
WELCOME to my Christmasedition of BattleOfTheBands' Battle Of The Booze! From my very earliest memories up to this present day, I have always loved everything about CHRISTMAS! In fact, I consider Christmas to be Winter's only redeeming quality. I adored Christmas even before I knew "the Reason for the season" .
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Christmas -- I love the music, the lights, the candy & cards, the trees & decorations, the eggnog ekker nog, hot buttered rum, excited kids & harried adults. Believe it or not, I even love the "commercialism" and the stockings hung behind the bar with care. I'm crazy about the old school Xmas movies and the animated children's TV specials. Helck, I even love fruitcake andthedogsbarking 'JingleBells'.
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I have a soft spot in my heart for Santa Claus riding a No(r)elco razor through the fake snow; and this is still the greatest version of 'Carol Of The Bells' that I've ever seen:
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In 1987, I worked for U.C.L.A.'s Parking Service Department. One night in December, I walked into base and found two of my best friends, [link>Lonnie & Kathleen (later known as "The Countess"), loudly singing some song...
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"Thank you very much!
Thank you very much!
That's the nicest thing that anyone's
ever done for me!"
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The Fabulous Countess & The Famous Cartoonist (Lonnie)
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I waited until they were finished singing and then I asked, "What's that from?"Their mouths hung open a minute or two, while they looked at me as if I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. And then, simultaneously, they both shouted, "SCROOGE!!" I had seen versions of 'A Christmas Carol', but I had never seen 'Scrooge' (1970) starring Albert Finney. It was a musical and, at that time, I was unknowingly burdened by the astoundingly incorrect belief that I disliked musicals.
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Well, Kathleen (The Countess) made certain that I saw 'Scrooge' that month and I was bowled over by how much I enjoyed it! (Some great acting; fantastic sets; terrific music; Holiday humor, and probably the most joyful ending of any film I've ever seen!)
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Every December I watch 'Scrooge' and 'It'sAWonderfulLife' (the colorized version, "thank you very much!"). Both of them are amongst my all-time Top10FavoriteMovies. Which one do I love the most? The one I happen to be watching when the question is asked is the one I love the most!
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It's now officially the Christmas season - a time that relates to Love & Miracles - so let's listen to a couple of songs that mention miraclewaterwine.
Please vote for which song you preferred (regardless of the videos), and then please visit all of the other BOTBers and cast your two cents in their Battles.
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I intend to return here with the Final Tally on or about December 8th. (When I will also reveal my twoTinyTimChristmas traditions!!)
. My 11/15/2024Battle Of The Bands contest took place HERE and it was between Jim Stafford's song 'YourBulldogDrinksChampagne' and Todd Snider's 'BalladOfTheDevil'sBackboneTavern' (two versions - studio and live recording). . It was a disappointingly poor turnout, but most of those folks who DID show up to vote (and I very sincerely thank those of you who did) said that they enjoyed all 3 recordings. Yip! Same here. If the BOTB contest had simply been Stafford's song versus Snider's studio recording, I'd have voted for the staggering bulldog. But I find the live version of Snider's song so laugh-out-loud funny that my vote went to it. . FINAL TALLY: Jim Stafford = 0 votes Todd Snider (studio version) = 4 votes Todd Snider (live version) = 5 votes . Well, I hope more voters will show up for my December 1stBattle. I don't normally announce in advance what my next planned BOTB installment will be, but this time I WILL reveal it beforehand: Dec. 1st will find Frank Sinatra in the ring with Simon & Garfunkel. Until then, may you all... . Bless & Be Blessed!! . ~ STMcC
Friends & Neighbors, this installment of BOTB's Battle Of The Booze is going to be a horse of a different color (don't worry, ladies, I'm not gay 😏), so hang on & pay attention. I'm adding a new wrinkle to my BOTB format here.
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If you don't like spiders & snakes, and if you've ever smoked a wildwood weed, then Jim Stafford needs no introduction. Stafford is a highlyunderrated guitarist (you can see that HERE).
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However, Todd Snider probably DOES need an introduction. I consider Snider to be one of the all-time great lyricists; he'd very likely be on my Top 5 list.
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NECESSARY BACKGROUND INFO:
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[link>'Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)' was a MASSIVE (#1) Country music hit in 1977. The song was a duet featuring Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson. (Remember this, you'll need it later!)
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Waylon sang the chorus like this:
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Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas
WithWaylonand Willie and the boys
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And when Willie took the lead vocal, he sang the chorus like this:
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Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas
Willieand Waylon and the boys
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(Ya gotta love their playful WayWil & WilWay senses of humor!)
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OK, now you know what you need to know in order to fully grasp the history behind Todd Snider's song 'Ballad Of The Devil's Backbone Tavern'. Two very different versions of that song will be battling against Jim Stafford's song 'Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne'.
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Here's the deal: Because they are so radically different from each other, I am using Snider's studio recording of '...Devil'sBackboneTavern' AND his live version of the song against Stafford's champagne-drinkingbulldog.
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'Ballad Of The Devil's Backbone Tavern' studio version: It begins with Snider stating the song is "The story about a failed trip to Luckenbach". It's 3:11 long and has full instrumentation in a Dixieland-like style.
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The live version, titled 'TheStoryOfThe Ballad Of The Devil's Backbone Tavern', is 10:42 long and it is just Todd Snider and his acoustic guitar. A lot of it is Snider talking to his audience and explaining the details of how he came to write the song about that "failed trip to Luckenbach". I'll tell you this: If Todd Snider ever gives up music, he could make a living as a standup comedian. Yes, THAT'S how funny his monologue is. I think he's hilarious, and no matter how many times I listen to it, I still wind up literally laughing out loud!
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So, the choice is yours: You can listen to Todd Snider's studio version of the song AND/OR his live version of the song (which does include a few f-bombs). If you have the time 'n' patience, I urge you to listen to BOTH and you'll get extra credit in the comment section. Either way, if you do vote for one of these Snider recordings over the Jim Stafford song, please let me know which version you are selecting, "studio" or "live". (And, remember, you can only vote one time for one recording only, no matter how long you've been dead in Chicago!)
After you've done your doo-ty here (*clean up after your bulldog!*), please visit the other BOTBers & do your duty there. I'll be back on or about Nov. 22nd to reveal my vote & announce the winner.
My November 1stBattle Of The Bands'Battle Of The Booze went down HERE, and it was a contest between Steely Dan's pina colada (or 'Bad Sneakers') and Steely Dan'srum and CokeCoke and rum (or 'Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More'). I expected this to be a nip & tuck race all the way to the finish line, and it certainly did start out that way. With six votes in, it was tied up 3 to 3. But then 'Bad Sneakers' captured the next 6 votes ("including yours and mine, and one more chimp who isn't here").
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Despite the lopsided outcome, I agree with the several folks who said this was not an easy decision. I really like BOTH songs. Daddy's got that Double-F going for it (Funk Factor), but there's just something about 'Bad Sneakers' that really appeals to me. I think it's that slightly odd, extended cadence in lines like this: "Bad sneakers and a piña colada, my friend, stompin' on the avenue by Radio City with a transistor and a large sum of money to spend". It seems like a long, strange trip over many hills and through many valleys to a cozy campsite where the s'mores are waiting. (Helck, I dunno. I just make this stuffs up as I go along.)
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Anyway, my great gratitude to everyone who took the time to visit 'n' vote!
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FINALTALLY:
Steely Dan = 9 votes
Steely Dan = 3 votes
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So, 'BadSneakers' advances to the eventual post-season Playoff rounds, while 'Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More' goes back to New York City, where he came from. ("Get a rope!")
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Please be sure to visit me here on November 15th, because I've got a BOTB's BOTB installment planned that is going to be a ton o' fun and unlike any other Battle I've concocted over these last 11+ years. "See ya soon".
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~ STMcC
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POSTSCRIPT: If you were wondering where the "dog" was in this post, I decided not to include a dog. This is the first time ever that I posted a blog bit sans a dog.
I didn't really become aware of Steely Dan until their biggest hit, 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number', reached #4 on the Billboard charts in 1974. '74 was totally bitchin' and that song will always Waybac Machine me to the Summer of '74 within a matter of seconds. (Thank you, Mister Peabody, you brainy dog!)
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The music of Steely Dan was always slick, sophisticated and somewhat strange -- yes, a wee bit bizarre. But strange / bizarre in a goot way. To me, Donald Fagen & Walter Becker are like the Rocky & Bullwinkle of Rock music.
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Over the decades I owned a fair number of Steely Dan albums. I know that 'Aja' was their biggest non-compilation seller; however, my favorite was always 'Katy Lied' (1975). The cover was as weird as the songs, and that LP spent a LOT of time on my turntable. It was one of 2 or maybe 3 albums I would put on when I didn't really know what I was in the mood to hear. Somehow 'Katy Lied' always hit the spot and those tracks took me to some verydifferent kind of place!
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"The Dan" mentions booze, hooch, evidence in a goot number of their songs (all of which I like). But, for this installment of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze, I decided to run with two relatively obscure Dan tunes from the 'Katy Lied' album. Please vote for your favorite between them, and then please also visit the other BOTBers and drop your two cents in their comment sections.
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I plan to return here on November 8th with my own vote and the final tally.
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Bad sneakers and a Piña Colada, my friend
Stompin' on the avenue by Radio City with a transistor and a large sum of money to spend
What you have before you is my fourth (a.k.a. 4th) entry in [link>MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest'carnival.
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As mentioned previously, my primary theme in this blogfest is "Underrated", as in songs I feel are underrated, primarily because they're also rather unknown by the masses in these (strange) times we're living fighting through.
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The songs I'm featuring in this installment are kinda-sorta Halloween themed. Think of Full Moons & Things That Go Bump In The Night.
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It's odd that, with my declining memory, I am still able to recall the tiny details I am about to yak out...
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It was 1977 and I drove to downtown Santa Monica to purchase from the Wherehouse Records store the LP 'TheirGreatestHits: 1971-1975' by The Eagles. It just so happened that the employee at the cash register was a guy I'd known from high school ("SAMOHI, dear old SAMOHI, queen of the setting sun..."). We started yakking music and he told me that I hadto get the new Blue Oyster Cult (BOC) album 'Spectres'.
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The only song by BOC that I was familiar with at that point was '(Don'tFear) TheReaper'. Of course, EVERY teenager knew that giant hit. And I had always liked that song, except for the fact that I felt it needed more cowbell. 😉 (Yip, I wrote that.)
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Well, I took that fellow SAMOHI student's word for it and shortly thereafter I bought the 'Spectres' album. Hokey-Smoke!! I fell in love with it and I nearly played the grooves off'n it. What I discovered later, after purchasing every BOC album ever released, was that BOC had really toned down their original heavy metal sound as the years went by; they added all kinds of harmony & melodic hooks, so the early Metal Heads felt that BOC had "sold out". But I LOVED the "sell-out" version of BOC (I saw them live in concert twice). The earlier rackety stuffs was not my mugga beer.
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I have often said that I think Buck Dharma was the most underrated guitarist of the classic Hard Rock era. Whereas so many of the Hard Rock guitarists were playing the same similar lead lines over and over and over and over, Buck Dharma had a unique ability to tailor or stylize his lead guitar licks in accordance with the mood being conveyed in different songs.
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Below are examples of what I mean by that description. These two tunes display the versatility of Buck Dharma's guitar playing and how he added so much atmosphere to the BOC tracks.
Those two songs came from the albums 'Spectres' (1977) and 'Mirrors' (1979), which were my very favorite BOC albums. I hope they didn't scare you too badly.
What you have before you is my third (a.k.a. 3rd) entry in [link>MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest'carnival.
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Me (chin in hand) in my Rock Poetry class - 1977.
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I was introduced to the band Trafficin the only high school class I ever enjoyed – Rock Poetry. (Well, honestly, I didn’t mind my Debate class in high school, either. But that’s only because I got to sit next to Jean Gonzalez. Ooh! Hot mama!!)
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Jean Gonzalez, bottom right... yeah, bottom...right!
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In Rock Poetry, our final exam consisted of introducing other students to a musical artist whose lyrics you found notably good. You had to bring in a song to be played and lyric sheets for everyone in the class. (It wasn't like chewing gum, where you could bring in just enough for your own self-centered self.)
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During his final exam, one student turned us all on to Traffic and their 1971 song [link>'The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys'. I instantly dug that song and went right out and bought the LP. I dug that LP so much that, shortly thereafter, I bought several more albums by Traffic.
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During the 'LowSpark' period, Traffic consisted of Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon, Ric Grech, and (one of the most memorable names I've encountered in my 65 years) Rebop Kwaku Baah.
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One of my favorite tracks on the 'LowSpark' album was 'ROCK 'N' ROLL STEW'. Here it is:
