STMcC’s Vote On '2015, Oct. 15th: Battle Of The Bands'
(Or, 'Scott Rooney Vs. Abelkain')
And The Final Tally:
I just kind of fell into this particular Battle. This was NOT what I had originally planned, but a friend asked me to suggest a spooky song for a Halloweenie-themed BOTB, and I suggested this one. (It's the spookiest song I know.) In the end, she decided not to use it, so I grabbed it up quickly and used it myself.
I probably would have used this song two Halloweens ago, but I never dreamed anyone had ever covered it. When my friend asked for a song, I looked into Alice Cooper's 'STEVEN' from his hit album 'Welcome To My Nightmare' and was amazed how many covers there were. But, in my opinion, these two that I presented here were easily the best. They were like Great Dogs in an 'Ugly Cat Show'.
[Did Alice get some ideas from Tiny Tim's 'Welcome To My Dream'? And there are a few Tiny songs that seem to me as if they could have almost been precursors to Alice's 'Steven'. Was Alice a Tiny fan? Just a tawt I tawt.]
Scott Rooney's cover is very much like the Alice Cooper original. Abelkain deviated more from the overall sound. So, in a way, it was like I was sorta-kinda putting Alice Cooper up against Abelkain. (Except, had I used the real Alice Cooper original against Abelkain, this would have been a shutout. And had I used the real Alice Cooper original against Scott Rooney's cover, it would have been another shutout.)
But I thought Rooney and Abelkain made a pretty good match-up on a song that I never dreamed (or "nightmared") anyone would ever attempt to cover.
There's no question that Abelkain can seriously sling six-strings. I don't normally go in for Heavy Metal, but this dude even impressed a Light Wood guy like me!
However, because there were more sonic textures in the Scott Rooney version (as there are in the Alice Cooper original), he got my vote. Voting for Scott Rooney is like voting for Alice Cooper's kid brother.
At first, it appeared this was going to be a total blowout. After 10 votes, Rooney had 9 of them. But then Abelkain scored the next 5 in a row. Suddenly it was 9-6. But in the end, it looked like this:
Scott Rooney = 15 Votes
Abelkain = 8 Votes
OK, I promised y'all that I would present the ALICE COOPER original, including the 3-minute intro titled 'YEARS AGO'. And I said that I'd found perhaps the world's creepiest video to go along with it.
The video was put together by someone named LANCE SHAFFER. This is 8 minutes, 44 seconds of "Main Street, Creepville". The spookiest song I know combined with some really creepy imagery. No, no blood and guts and gruesome pictures. Just... weird... creepy... disturbing... nightmarish images. (Where in Hell did Lance Shaffer find all those pictures of dead dolls? Or did he create them all himself for THIS video? If so, that boy has a future in Hollyweird!)
If you're prone to nightmares, you might want to skip this Halloween spooktacular combo of sounds and sights.
'YEARS AGO / STEVEN'
Music by Alice Cooper, Video by Lance Shaffer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpZ6of85D4M
You can't say I didn't warn you.
Now then, who was the "real" Steven? Here's Alice Cooper with the surprising answer. (This video-answer was found by Dixie, my friend who eventually rejected this song - and, girl, is she sorry now! Are you, Pigtail Polka?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQpz2ifLLWk
You know, you kinda HAVE TO LIKE Alice Cooper, don'tcha? I mean, if that's not a likable guy... then neither am I! (OK, don't even go there!)
My thanks to all y'all who listened and voted. Or voted but didn't listen. Or listened but didn't voted. Or didn't listened and didn't voted.
I hope to see yaz all here again on November 1st when I will present a BOTB that is GUARANTEED TO... be here.
~ Stephen T. McSevenyearoldboyinsideyaz
He made a deal with the devil - what's not to like about Alice Cooper?
ReplyDeleteALEX ~
DeleteWhere did you get that information?
The last I heard, Alice Cooper was clean and sober and a Christian who does a lot of charity work for disadvantaged kids:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEpasImGZnw
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/alice.cooper.satan.is.real.and.the.world.should.beware/45276.htm
Now Carlos Santana, that boy really DID make a deal. I don't know if it was with satan or just one of his minions. But its name is Metatron, and Metatron was behind that new giant success that Santana had with his late-period album 'Supernatural'.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I decided to take your suggestion and not watch this video. I don't like the scary stuffs.
ReplyDeleteYour battle turned out pretty well. Congrats!
Probably a good idea, GIRL WONDER. The video is disturbing. There's much worse stuff in every Horror movie made these days. In fact, this is child's play compared to the average Horror movie, in terms of imagery.
DeleteBut this was a masterfully made marriage of sounds and images which proves one doesn't need to be over-the-top to create something memorably creepy.
But if you scare easily, this might just stick in your mind longer than you'd want.
~ D-FensDogG
The right guy won this. I'm glad so many agreed with me. I guess the rest of the voters who chose the other guy were just being rebellious or cantankerous.
ReplyDeleteMickey must be proud of his heavy metal boy.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Did you just call Sheboyganboy Six rebellious or cantankerous? :o) Because it's he who usually agrees with you, not me. Ha!-Ha!
Delete~ D-FensDogG
HA HA! I AM rebellious and cantankerous! Sort the opposite of the "peacemaker!" I think Lee was Ralph Bunche in a former life, although calling out non-compliant voters is a bit acrimonious.
DeleteBut if you check, I have disagreed a lot lately with Lee's BOTB votes. You two voted the same on this one and on his, opposite from me. None of us really are in sync with each other on much of anything.
Ha!-Ha! How ironic! Maybe my next BOTB should be 'SBB-6 Vs. SAMUEL COLT'. :o)
DeleteRalph Bunche!!!
Name me one other BOTB blog bit where the name Ralph Bunche might come up (and where at least two persons would know who he was) Ha! Feather in muh blog's cap.
Irony #2: That Ralph Bunche should be mentioned in connection with music (Alice Cooper, no less!) on the blog of one of the world's most fervent (and knowledgeable) Senator Joe McCarthy defenders.
Oh, it's TOO delicious!
I hope our "dis-sync" voting doesn't mean we're holding back Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ.
~ D-FensDogG
This was a very interesting Battle, even though I didn't like the song much at all. I listened to Alice Cooper's original, and though I thought it had many nuances that the BOTB versions did not... I STILL would have voted Abelkain. Cooper's explanation that Dixie found was also interesting. I was never a fan of Alice and hence know almost nothing about him, but the "Ask Alice" segment revealed an intellectual aspect to him that I did not know was there.
ReplyDeleteSo, thanks for exposing me to new knowledge, "Steven."
SBB-6 ~
DeleteYou'd have voted for Abelkain's cover over Cooper's original? Wow! That chasm is worse than I thought. Because I thought Rooney and Abelkain were both good and made a nice match-up, but either one of them against Cooper's original is not even remotely close to my ears.
There is just so much more texture, and variance and drama in the Cooper original which is what really made it so memorable to me. For instance, that weird part where you hear someone speaking gibberish, like some Middle Eastern language mumbling. (And through headphones one picks up even more subtle shadings.)
Well... We'll always have Petty and Jazz.
Thanks for voting and for visiting the Results blog bit, Brother! Always appreciate your support. And my Nov. 1st Battle will definitely be more to your liking, I promise.
~ D-FensDogG
I listened to the 'Go Ask Alice' segment before I watched/listened to the actual video. I only got about five minutes in and decided to simply listen and NOT watch. I AM prone to nightmares, especially lately and those carnival images (I have always thought carnivals and carnies are spooky-known my share of carnies and they are in fact a creepy lot.) Then when the images of the 'dead dolls' started, I was outta there. It reminded me of the pictures of the dead that were popular in the nineteenth century (are you kidding me?). Anyway...the song, video (all of them) is a real creep show. After hearing Alice's explanation it all makes a whole lot more sense and I admit to being surprised that he had put this much thought into the whole thing. Ya learn something everyday (if you try).
ReplyDeleteIt proved to be an interesting BATTLE. One of the better Halloween ones out there.
Thanks, FAE.
DeleteYeah, there's something inherently spooky about carnivals, even carnivals that are operating - never mind those that are abandoned and run-down. Sheesh!
When I was a teenager in the Police Explorer program, I spent some nights guarding the Pacific Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica/Venice, while it was being prepared for demolition. That was pretty eerie.
Then a few years late, I was working one night on some movie or TV show (can't remember what it was) and we were shooting at night on the Long Beach Pike with all the carnival rides shut down. That was just flat-out creepy, and I still have this single freeze-frame image in my mind from that night which disturbs me.
Cooper was good at creating this kind of weirdness, and he should find that Lance Shaffer guy and hire him, because he's good, too. And I believe he may have created all those "dead dolls" just for this video. There's one doll at the end which has that trademark eye makeup design that Alice Cooper used. So these photos must have been created for use in this video, and that's A LOT OF WORK for a video that a fan is making for free viewing at YouTube.
~ D-FensDogG
~ Stephen T. McSevenyearoldboyinsideyaz
ReplyDelete> >...(This video-answer was found by Dixie, my friend who eventually rejected this song - and, girl, is she sorry now! Are you, Pigtail Polka?) Ha!
I'm not sorry. I knew you'd bring the song to light in grand fashion. At the time you hadn't planned to use it, but hey after all, it was calling your name, right? Who else could give the right spook-filled touch, if not you? (I'm done sucking up.) Thanks or the video find credit. I had lots of fun with Asking Alice stuff.
The oddest thing to me was playing Alice Cooper's long version/intro and knowing all of the lyrics. So there - I definitely listened a bunch of times before my final reject. Lucky you ;)
Your battle was great. You probably knew I'd want to pitch that disco cover? MY musical experiences have taken me to strange places. Yes, carnivals too. Night time was weird around the train tracks of a place I worked at. (Long story - I was an elf.) See ya in November!
~ Stevie.Pigtails.Polka
PIGTAIL POLKA ~
DeleteI'm SINCERELY glad you aren't sorry you gave this one back to me.
And, yes, this one was definitely "calling MY name".
When I found the covers and sent them to you, I was already slapping my forehead for having never looked for covers of this before. I just ASS-umed there wouldn't be any. Had I known better, I'd have done this one myself a year or two ago.
But the first time you indicated you might be disinclined to use this song, I was secretly hoping you would turn "Thumbs Down", because I was really feeling like Tom Petty when he gave the song 'Insider' to Stevie Nicks, and then later took it back because it meant too much to him.
(Not to worry. He made it up to her by giving her the song 'Stop Dragging My Heart Around'. It only went to #3 on Billboard. 'Insider' was not a hit. You only know 'Insider' if you were a 'HARD PROMISES' insider.)
Where I work now, I'm around train tracks at night behind warehouses. It IS kinda creepy. ...Good thing I don't scare easily.
Thanks again for sayin' "No."
~ D-FensDogG
The creepy video kinda reminded me of American Horror Story - Freak Show. And right away I was creeped out by the clown. Clowns freak me out. I HATE clowns! All those dolls are creepy too. Come to think of it, dolls give me the creeps too. Yeah, you definitely found one very creepy and disturbing video! Good Halloween battle.
ReplyDeleteThat was a cool explanation by Alice Cooper of who Steven is. Thanks for delivering what you had promised us.
Michele at Angels Bark
Ha! MICHELE, unlike the guy I work for, I always keep my promises.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
Very cool and a good battle. I believe I picked the winner but I am going from my memory banks which is not the best:) I have to look back. I won't watch the video since I spook easily. I read this on Pat Hatt's blog about an island where all these creepy dolls that are decapitated or missing limbs are just literally hanging from the trees. Very weird.
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteNever heard of that bit about decapitated and limbless dolls hanging from trees somewhere. I will have to check that out. Maybe, in this video, Lance Shaffer combined some photos of those with photos he made on his own.
~ D-FensDogG
Yup, it's called Isla de las Munecas. Very creepy
DeleteThanks, my friend. I'll check into that.
DeleteAlso, I got your 25 FAVORITE MOVIES info. All I really needed was where you live (got it) and, of course, your "Next Fifteen".
But, when I finally publish all this stuffs in its final form, do you want me to include your last name, or just use "Birgit"?
~ D-FensDogG
Oh just use my first name:)
DeleteYou got it!
Delete~ D-FensDogG
Great battle, Stephen! ☺ I love Alice Cooper and picked Scott because of the vocals. Abelkain was great too, though and I've subscribed to his Youtube channel. Thanks for the introduction.
ReplyDeleteThat was a creepy video, but well done.
Thanks, DEBBIE! Glad you liked it.
DeleteWow! You subscribed to Abelkain's YouTube channel? You really did dig him, didn't you? (Even if Scott got yer vote.)
~ D-FensDogG
Call me rebellious, I voted for the other guy.
ReplyDeleteJEFFREY, you're not just "rebellious". You're "cantankerous" too. Ha!
DeleteDon't worry... I'm both of those things, also, even though I did vote for Scott Rooney. [:o)
~ D-FensDogG
I've got somewhat disturbing news for you; an additional piece of information: all dolls are dead. Now, I've heard of "living dolls" but usually that phrase was used to describe cute girls. I'm a bit disappointed to note that of all the dolls I ever had, none were living. It scarred me. I mean, I did my part and loved some of those dolls. I gave them a place of honor in my bedroom. They refused to come to life.
ReplyDeleteThe explanation of "Steven" is great; cool addition. Thanks, Stephen#2 and Dixie for that.
You were the only one who recognized the Halloween tie to Helter Skelter (perhaps everyone else just thought I was okay with Charlie). Score 1 for Stephen.
DOC CHERDO ~
DeleteI guess the "living doll" expression kind of threw me, and I thought there were two kinds - living and dead. (So... you're saying Pinocchio never really came to life?)
I learn several new things every day.
>>... "You were the only one who recognized the Halloween tie to Helter Skelter"
You got to get up pretty early in the morning to put a Charles Manson over on me!
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen, I agree that Alice is very likable, and he definitely shares that trait with you. My mom used to watch his reality show a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteJulie
GEM JULIE ~
DeleteHa! You are so sweet! Thank you, my friend.
And you know, yer downright likable, too!! [:o)}
~ D-FensDogG