Welcome back, my friends, to the "Battle" that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
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This is 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') where you listen to different recordings and vote for the one you like best. A new Battle gets posted on the 1st of each month and on the 7th, I place my own vote, tally 'em all up and announce the winner.
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Friend? Foe? Stranger? No matter, ALL are welcome. So pull up a chair, pour yourself 24 oz. of DOG BITE High Gravity Lager (or the poison of your choice) and turn it up to Eleven!
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[NOTE: Links to the first year of 'BOTB' (#1 - #24) can be found at the very bottom of this page.]
. First and foremost, as always, I sincerely thank you -- each and every one of youse who took the time to visit and drop "twobits" into my September 1st BATTLE OF THE BANDS slot machine here. .
Martin & Lewis in 'Hollywood Or Bust'
. We were playing with a LadyLuck (or, "Blow On The Dice") theme featuring 'Luck Be A Lady' by Frank Sinatra and 'Lady Luck' by Kenny Loggins. The conversation in the comment section was fun -- kind of like how Las Vegas used to be. The only thing missing was three olives surrounded by a Martini. .
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. My Spidey sense Doggy sense told me in advance that Ol' Blue Eyes was destined to win this contest, but I felt it could be a pretty tight horse race. As the Battle went along, it felt like Frankie was clobbering Kenny. But to my surprise & delight, after adding in my own vote for Kenny, I discovered that the end result was indeed a tight horse race: . FINAL TALLY Frank Sinatra = 7 votes Kenny Loggins = 5 votes . In my opinion, Kenny Loggins' 1977 debut solo album 'Celebrate Me Home' was the best music he ever recorded! I did like a little of what he recorded with Jim Messina. Kenny's massive hit, 'Footloose', got played regularly in Los Angeles clubs in 1984 & '85. I always liked 'Footloose', primarily because it was the *only* song that I thought I could actually dance to fairly well. (When 'Footloose' played, I'd ask a gal to dance and I'd get on down with muh bad self!) . Sure, the title track, 'Celebrate Me Home', eventually became a Holiday staple. But otherwise, the album was completely ignored despite containing what I feel was Kenny's most impressive and expressive singing ever. It also included musical contributions by some exceptional players such as Bob James, Richard Tee, Lee Ritenour, Tommy Tedesco, Eric Gale, Robben Ford, Dean Parks, and Steve Gadd (one of my favorite drummers ever). . Hiram Bullock's playing at the end of [link>'LadyLuck' has always been on my short list of very favorite electric guitar solos! That guitar is so amped up that you can hear the crackling of electricity just before Hiram hits the first searing note of his searing solo!"Cranked up to twelve, Baby! TWELVE!!" (Play it LOUD or... eat your prunes, brush your teeth and go to bed!) . I consider this album to be one of the all-time most underrated by anyone! Kenny's singing -- his control and range (sweet & guttural) -- *still* knocks me out, and 'Celebrate Me Home' remains one of my most frequently played compact discs. If I were going to recommend just *one* song from the recording to highlight the greatness of it -- Kenny's vocals & the terrific musicianship -- I think I would point people to 'Daddy's Back'. . 'Daddy's Back' by Kenny Loggins
. Well, thanks again all y'all for giving me another successful BOTB installment. Daddy'll be back on October 1st for another round o' fun. Until then, may you all have TheBestOfLuck and continue to... .
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...Bless And Be Blessed!! . ~ Stephen (D-FensDogG & The Joker Of Clubs)
. Two or so weeks ago, my Brother and I were returning from a trip to a small casino in our area, when today's Battle Of The Bands theme occurred to me. I feel a strong affinity for Las Vegas themes - the flash, the glitz, Old School "Rat Pack"-like casinos & lounges - because, according to my dear departed Ma, I was actually conceived in this historic Vegas Hotel / Casino: .
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. As I recently mentioned to Lee here, "I used to like Las Vegas a great deal and went there often in the 1970s through the early '90s. But 'Classic Vegas' probably disappeared in the mid-'90s and I have no desire to ever visit there again. The last few times I was driving in the area, I went right through Vegas without ever even considering getting off the highway. No thanks. Like everything else, it ain't what it used to be." . Everything eventually deteriorates, but I sure do remember and miss Old School Las Vegas, doggone it! One of my favorite Vegas memories is of seeing my Pa cleaning up in a Blackjack tournament at downtown's Lady Luckcasino in 1988. Sadly, today, my Pa is gone, and so is the Lady Luck. .
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Also gone is [link>The Algiers, my all-time favorite Vegas establishment. What a trip back in time that place was! Even in 1990 the joint felt like 1956! .
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Although I always loved the atmosphere of Vegas, I've never really been a big gambler. The ONLY thing I know about poker is this:
. Don't you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy. She'll beat you if she's able. You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet. . Well, speaking of my conception, Classic Vegas, The Algiers, and the Rat Pack, let's have some fun with a LADYLUCK (or "Blow On The Dice") music theme. Below are two songs for your voting consideration. Please vote for whichever of the songs you dig the most. And then please make sure you visit all of the other BOTBers (see participation list in the right column--->) and drop your two bits into their slot machines also. . Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing! . LUCK BE A LADY -- Frank Sinatra (1963) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfiKk4wxiVM
My thanks to EVERYONE who participated in my latestBattle Of The Bands$ilver Dollar $aloon $ongChallenge which took place HERE. . After wiping out the competition in four previous rounds of this challenge, Dr. John (song: 'Right Place, Wrong Time') finally lost to a 15-year-old Kid (song: 'Lie To Me'). "Inconceivable!" However, in a way, this seems like kind of a fitting tribute to Stephanie, the former owner of the Silver Dollar Saloon who turned me on to Jonny Lang back in 2019 and unfortunately passed away earlier this year. Maybe this underdog victory was in the stars, or in the cards (i.e., predestined to occur somehow). . I expected Jonny Lang to do pretty well, but figured Dr. John would be the one moving forward to the final round of the $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge in November. Reason being is because I, myself, actually like Lang's song [link>'Rack 'Em Up' better'n I do 'Lie To Me', and 'Rack 'Em Up' lost to Dr. John's song by a fairly large margin back in January. . My own Battle bote went to 'Right Place, Wrong Time', but the Good Doctor needed a whole lot more help than I could provide him with: . FINALTALLY Jonny Lang = 9 votes Dr. John = 4 votes . Oh, well, so the Battle rolls. There was some surprising BOTB "boting" going on in this round, and it has given birth to a new term: The Purple Waylon Effect (thanks, Debbie! 😎) . The Super Bowl of the $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge is scheduled to occur on November 1st. Jonny Lang will be the defending champion going up against a song that actually has notable history connected with Lee, Sixgun McItchyfinger and myself. I'm real curious to see how that ultimate Championship Battle is going to turn out! . Meanwhile, I plan to be back here again for a different sort of Battle on September 1st, and I hope all y'all will return here for that one, also. Until then... . Bless And Be Blessed!! . ~ Stephen T. ("D-FensDogG") McCarthy
. Wow! Time flies when you're listening to Rock, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Country, Gospel & Show Tunes! . I'm also pleased to announce that 'Battle Of The Bands' has a new participant. Kindly welcome Christine @ STINE WRITING. And please be sure you visit her debut BOTB installment, cast a vote, and add her to your linked list of BOTB Participants. Christine is one of us now. [Link>HA!-HA!-HA!-HA! . After a two-month break, we are revisiting the ongoing $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge. This is the penultimate match-up in this series. You'll recall three things: . 1) In order for a song to be eligible in this challenge, I *must* have heard it played at one time or another in Virginia City's Silver Dollar Saloon (where dogs are welcome and people are tolerated). .
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. 2)Doctor John's 'Right Place, Wrong Time' has been running the table in this contest, having already clobbered these artists: The Average White Band Johnny Lang Greg & Steve Waylon Jennings . 3) Although he lost the Battle back in January, so many voters were impressed by that kid, Jonny Lang, that I promised him a rematch against The Doctor. . I recently learned that Stephanie, the owner of the Silver Dollar Saloon, passed away some months back. It was Stephanie who, on December 8, 2019, made me aware of Jonny Lang by playing two of his songs for me in her saloon. Therefore, this installment in the $ilver Dollar $aloon $ong Challenge is *DEDICATEDTOSTEPHANIE*. May she Rest In Peace. .
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing! . We'll start with Jonny Lang. Although he is 42 today, he was only 16 years old when he released 'Lie To Me'. Sheesh! Shaking-My-Head!! I was still reading Encyclopedia Brown & The Hardy Boys when I was 16!
. Please vote for The Doctor or The Kid in the comment section. Then please be sure to visit the other BOTBers, and don't forget about our new member of the family, Christine @ STINE WRITING. I will return here on or about the 8th of August to cast my own vote and announce the winner. . ~ Stephen T. McCarthy (the D-FensDogG)
. I thank each and every one of you who participated in my July 1stBattle Of The Bands installment HERE. . I only escaped a shutout by the skin of my teeth, but I still really enjoyed the contest despite the massive blowout. I knew in advance that this would be an easy win for Glen Campbell, but I still wanted to share with y'all the uniquely different but lovely, lively version of 'Wichita Lineman' by the great Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66. . It's pretty ironic that the iconic Glen Campbell rendition of the song is so saturated in [link>saudade. That's what one would have expected from the Brasil '66 version instead. Saudade is the way of Brazilian music / Bossa-Nova. Perhaps Sergio Mendes recognized that Glen had so thoroughly owned the saudade element in this great song that he should take it in a very different direction. It's a terrific song, either way, and I don't think Sergio could have recorded something bad even if he tried to. . Oh, yeah, I broke one of the cardinal rules suggestions of BOTB by putting a relatively unknown cover up against a big hit by someone as exceedingly talented as Glen Campbell (member of the legendary "Wrecking Crew"). But I took a chance and managed to get away with it (thanks, John & Bryan), even though I was pretty much begging for a shutout. . My vote went to Glen. I sided with the majority of "boters" this time. My ears say that Glen's 'Wichita Lineman' is a perfect song. With Glen's vocal tinged by that melancholic underpinning, and the unusual, remarkable string arrangement -- no, not even Sergio Mendes could beat that!
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And as if that weren't enough, I even have a Spiritual connection to Campbell's version. On July 22, 2001, my Pa used the song to contact me from The Other Side (Pa passed away on April 10, 1996). At the time, I thought Pa was just acknowledging that he knew I would be going on "a small vacation" in a few weeks. It was in hindsight I realized that Pa was actually indicating that this upcoming "small vacation" was going to change the "Course" of my life through an encounter with Jesus Christ (in Reno of all places!) . FINAL TALLY: Glen Campbell = 10 votes Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 = 2 votes . That takes care of this Battle Of The Bands installment. Thanks again to everyone who made it a success, and I hope to see you here again for my August 1stBOTBcontest. . ==================
********************** ================== . VACATION NOTES FROM "THE LONELIEST ROAD IN AMERICA":
. My Brother, Judge Al Bondigas, and I had a very nice trip driving Highway 50 completely across the middle of Nevada to Utah and back. I had done this alone once before, in April 2019. But this time it was better without the snow / threatening weather; having someone to share the driving and experience with; and having proper road music. We started the drive with my compact disc [link>'ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Cruise Control'. You just can't go wrong by beginning the road trip soundtrack with the PatMethenyGroup ('AreYouGoingWithMe?')... .
. Some other musical selections that blended beautifully with the road for us were Percy Faith's 'Theme From ASummerPlace'; Oliver's 'Good Morning, Starshine'; 'Rainy Day People', 'Sundown', 'Beautiful', 'If You Could Read My Mind', and 'Carefree Highway' by Gordon Lightfoot. (The big disappointment for me when I did this drive in 2019 was that I didn't have any Pat Metheny Group music to play. I have always felt that the Pat Metheny Group's melodies are the world's greatest road music, and this time I had my self-compiled disc 'The Best Of The PMG' to keep us rollin' along in the wide open spaces.) . I saved my CD [link>'ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Pedal To The Metal' for the last leg of the journey, when we were pushing for home. (Again I wish to express my extreme gratitude to McBrother "Beer Boy" Bryan for recording my two 'OnTheRoad' playlists on CDs for me some years back. I find them to be truly essential for road trips!) .
. We saw lots of gorgeous scenery and several hauntingly enchanted 1800s old mining towns.
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Sadly, the tiny restaurant in tiny Austin that had the fantastic pizza has not survived the You-Know-What:
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But here are the two peculiar incidents that occurred on this "small vacation": .
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We stayed two nights at the Jackson House Hotel next to the Opera House in Eureka. One night I was suddenly, inexplicably *compelled* to look closely at the towel rack on the wall in the bathroom. Here's what I found: .
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. Yip! Made in Wichita! How odd considering that I had this 'Wichita Lineman'Battle running, and considering that the song is an otherworldly connection between my Pa and I, going back to July 22, 2001. Mere coincidence? Maybe. But why was I suddenly *compelled* to get an up-close and personal look at the towel rack? Trust me, I don't normally go around examining items in the rooms I rent; and especially not in BATHROOMS! .
. That's some beautiful scenery! But I suppose it would get old pretty quickly if you were stranded on 'The Loneliest Road In America' and walking through miles and miles and miles of that terrain in 89-degree heat. . Judge Al was driving, and having left Ely, Nevada, we were heading eastbound for Baker, which is 7 miles from the Utah border. Somewhere in the middle, we saw a man in his mid- to late 30s walking westbound toward Ely. What the--?! Then about 3-4 minutes later (we were going 75 miles-per-hour) we saw an abandoned car in the brush off the side of the road. Despite my poor math skills, even I could do this addition: 1 + 1 = Man Stranded On 'The Loneliest Road In America'. . The Judge and I were certain that someone would come along going westbound and give him a ride into Ely, the nearest & biggest town on 'The Loneliest Road'. Yeah, the traffic is sparse out there in the middle of Nowhere, U.S.A., but still cars *do* use Highway 50 in both directions. . We dinked around in Baker, then drove to Garrison, a wide spot in the road a stone's throw from Nevada, just across the Utah border. Then we turned around and began driving westbound, stopping to dink at two different Visitor's Centers at Great Basin National Park. Finally, we were going back toward Ely in earnest, and then on to our hotel in Eureka. . With me behind the wheel now, I remembered that guy and his car out in the middle of nowhere. The Judge and I discussed it and agreed that we would pick him up if we saw him anywhere on the way; although we were both about 99.9% certain that at this point someone would have already come along and helped him out. . After awhile, we drove past the man's abandoned vehicle. And then sometime later I pointed out to the Judge what looked like it could be a man walking along the highway up ahead. A few moments later I changed my mind, thinking it was just a fence post in the distance. But then suddenly the "fence post" *DID* turn into a walking man! My Brother and I were ASTOUNDED that this guy was still trudging along toward Ely and that NOONE had stopped to help him!! At this point he had been walking for 2 to 2.5 hours in approximately 89-degree heat (He later said the heat hadn't been "too bad".) . I put on my emergency flashing lights and pulled over ahead of the man. He came up to the window and asked if we would give him a ride to Ely. I made some room for him in the back seat and we headed west again. The man's name was Chris. We introduced ourselves and offered him some water, peanuts and pretzels -- all of which he declined. He said that he had recently rebuilt the engine in his car and had been out camping when the vehicle mysteriously died on him. . I asked him where he wanted us to take him in Ely and he said that any gas station would do. So, traveling at our customary 75 miles-per-hour, we saved Chris from having to walk an additional 16 miles, and I pulled into a very big Chevron station. While getting out of the car, he thanked us for the ride and then started limping toward the gas station convenience store. I called out to him, walked up and offered him a little money. He declined that as well. . Chris was rather uncommunicative during the drive (too exhausted maybe?) 2 to 2.5 hours walking in that heat, and he didn't even want some of the water we had with us? Nothing to eat? On our way back to Eureka, Judge Al and I agreed that there was something very *peculiar* about the man and the entire scenario. . Yeah, I know it's dicey in 2023, and Highway 50 isn't exactly crowded with traffic, but I still have trouble believing that NOONE offered this man a ride for at least 2 hours. Judge Al and I surmised that Chris was possibly a criminal or an angel. Maybe no one else on the road could see him? Perhaps only the Judge and I could see Chris because he was an angel in disguise, and the entire scenario was a test to see if my Brother and I would do the "Christian" thing. . Let brotherly love remain in you. And forget not hospitality toward strangers; for thereby some were worthy to entertain angels unawares. ~ Hebrews 13:1-2 . Judge Al and I had a very nice "small vacation", and we've even considered driving "The Loneliest Road In America" again sometime in the future. But for me, the most memorable part of this trip -- the one thing that will stand out most in my mind years from now -- is helping out Chris when he was stranded in the middle of pretty much Nowhere, U.S.A. Hopefully, if I ever find myself in a similarly bad situation, a "Chris" will come along and assist me. For as The Good Book says: . ...whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ~ Galatians 6:7 . Bless And Be Blessed!!
. "I know I need a small vacation..." ~ The Wichita Lineman . Dear Doggs & Doggettes ~ By the time you read this, I will already be on "The Loneliest Road In America":
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. My best friend (you know him as Judge Al Bondigas) and I decided we needed a small vacation (to quote the Wichita Lineman). So from July 1st to the 4th of July, we are driving through the middle of nowhere, [link>"merrily on our way to nowhere in particular". . In 1986, Life magazine described Nevada's Highway 50 as the "Loneliest Road In America", and stated that there were no attractions or points of interest along the route. It warned drivers not to risk traveling Highway 50 unless they had "survival skills". Well, I have no survival skills, but I DO have a 4 liter bottle of Burgundy. What could go wrong? . I made this trip across "The Loneliest Road In America" back in April of 2019. But I was alone on that drive, and it was kind of lonely. This time I'm going with Judge Al Bondigas, who has never made the trip before. Judge Al is a nice fella -- the sort of fella who would never USE A SHRUB unless the shrub granted him permission to do so: .
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Austin, Nevada -- population: 101. Austin is one of the few tiny towns on Highway 50. Four years ago when I did this drive, I stopped in at a tiny restaurant in Austin and ordered a pizza. I was ASTOUNDED! It was one of the very best pizzas I've ever had! I told this to the waitress and she said, "Yeah, we hear that all the time." Population: 101. .
. I really hope that tiny restaurant in that tiny town managed to survive the 2020 Plandemic, because I want Judge Al to taste their pizza. . Meanwhile, please vote for your favorite between these two renditions of 'Wichita Lineman' below. And then please vote on the other BOTBers' BOTBs. I'll reply to comments and be around to cast my own votes if I survive "The Loneliest Road In America" after I conquer "The Loneliest Road In America" .
. Howdy-Doody! My most recent Battle Of The Bands installment took place HERE and it was a goot juan! Many of the voters said they really enjoyed both versions of Choo Choo Ch'Boogie and that it wasn't easy choo-choo-choosing between them. This makes me happy because (other than those times when I used the B-52s, Joan Jett, and Pete Seeger), it is never my intention to make BOTB a chore for my listeners to participate in. . The Irish Andrews SingersSwingabella came out swinging and smacked the Alpha Rhythm Kings in the face with the first five votes. That's when the Alpha Rhythm Kings woke up and realized that this wasn't a damn show, that it was a damn fight, and they started swinging back. . When the bell ending the final round rang and the smoke cleared, the judge's scorecard looked like this: . FINAL TALLY: Alpha Rhythm Kings = 5 votes Swingabella = 7 votes . Like so many of the voters, I also really dig BOTH renditions of this song quite a bit. My own vote went to the ARK primarily because of the chugging sax solo (saxophone is my second favorite musical instrument) and because this version was just a wee li'l bit slower, which I felt better highlighted the clever lyrics. . Anyway, as always, my genuine thanks to every one of all y'all who took the time to stop by and participate in my Battle. I appreciate your contributions. And I intend to return here again on July 1st with yet another installment of BOTB. Until then, may you... . Bless & Be Blessed!!
(e.g., try not to punch anybody in the nose). . ~ D-FensDogG (a.k.a. STMcC)
. Frequently when I am doing something somewhere and I feel it's time to go somewhere else to do something different, I will say, "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie". Basically it means 'My work is done here. Moving on...' It's just part of my personal lingo. . Decades ago, I was turned onto a great deal of terrific music by my dear departed Ma. She turned me onto artists like Count Basie, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Ralph Marterie, Bill Doggett, Clyde McCoy, Cannonball Adderley, and Bill Black's Combo, to name a few. Ma also made me aware of 'Choo Choo Ch'Boogie', a Swing song made famous by Louis Jordan in the 1940s. . For your consideration, I present two excellent cover versions of Jordan's classic Swing hit by a couple of modern groups. I sense this will be a tough decision to make for a lot of voters. It may primarily come down to whether a person prefers good sax or good guitar; and whether the voter prefers solo vocals or more vocal harmonizing. Both of these videos are a helck of a lotta fun to watch, but try not to let the images influence your "bote". But if they do, I dersn't really mind. . Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!! . Choo Choo Ch'Boggie - Alpha Rhythm Kings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5dRQNmVnDM
. After voting for one of these songs here, please be sure to visit the other BOTBers and cast your votes there, also. (See links to their Battles in the right-hand column.) . I intend to return here on or about the 8th of June to cast my own vote and to announce the winner. . ~ Stephen T. McCarthy
. The Battle Of The Bands contest took place HERE, and in usual fashion, Doctor John administered another colonoscopy to another victim. In this case, the victim was Waylon Jennings. . It was a tough call for me because I really dig both songs, 'Right Place, Wrong Time' and 'I Ain't Living Long Like This'. I sided just slightly with my favorite Outlaw, Waylon. Why? Well, I love the frantic energy of the song, and that razor-sharp Honky-Tonk piano that just kicks the song through the wall. Plus, there's a lot of things I can relate to in the lyrics. (Some of you know what I mean.) . Anyway, the drubbing ended like this: . FINAL TALLY Dr. John = 8(4 wins, 0 losses) Waylon Jennings = 3 . My sincere thanks to every one of you who took the time to stop by and cast a vote. Your involvement is greatly appreciated. . I intend to return here again on JUNE 1st with a new BOTB installment, and I hope you will all return here as well. Until then, this is the D-FensDogG, Stephen T. McCarthy saying... . BlessAndBeBlessed!!
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