Carson City Vs. The Biggest Little Ghetto In The World, Willoughberry Vs. The Biggest Little Disappointment In The World, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon, Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy, Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic, Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal, You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB)
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for 'Battle Of The Bands' ('BOTB').
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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| Eugene Martone vs. Jack Butler |
As y'all know, I recently moved to a new town (Willoughberry) 30 miles South of where I'd been living for the previous 4 years (Reno). And what I expected to be an easy move turned pretty brutal due to abnormally snowy weather.
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| "Yeah? Well, let's see YOU climb up the balcony!" |
As a matter of fact, it was snowing here again last night! (I'm writing this on March 13th.) This Winter just won't quit and leave us alone!
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It was a bummer to want to get on my bicycle and go exploring my new town, but constant snow, rain, and wind wouldn't permit it. Finally, I took matters into my own hands and invented a method for controlling the weather. I ingeniously call it 'Weather Control', and here's how it works:
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| WEATHER CONTROL: 94-proof Rum, The Beach Boys, and a street sign borrowed from sunny Santa Monica, California. |
You don't have to use 'Endless Summer'. I found that it works with other Beach Boys albums, too. In fact, it was while I was playing 'The Beach Boys' Greatest Hits, Volume 2' that I struck upon the idea of using the song COTTON FIELDS in this installment of BOTB.
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| Goodniks vs. No-Goodniks |
'Cotton Fields' was written by the famous Blues singer Huddie Ledbetter (better known as 'Lead Belly') and he recorded it in 1940. The original recording is not part of this Battle, but if you're interested in hearing it, click HERE.
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| Godziller vs. King Kong |
Our contestants are two California groups, The Beach Boys and Creedence Clearwater Revival. So, it's the "Deep South" as interpreted by Southern and Northern California in 1969.
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The Beach Boys recorded the song twice, and this later version was released in February of '69:
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COTTON FIELDS - The Beach Boys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9CQPQOhWy4
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| Riddler vs. Batman |
CCR released their version of the song in November of 1969.
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COTTON FIELDS - Creedence Clearwater Revival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4zPEmRufMU
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The Battle Within The Battle
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VERSUS
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Question: "Will The Beach Boys beat Creedence Clearwater Revival?"
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The Magic 8-Ball (14-9) sez: "Outlook Not So Good"
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The Amazing Sixwell (16-7) sez: "My Reply Is No."
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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other.
.After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. (If their ‘BOTB’ blog bits aren’t posted yet, pour yourself two shots of ‘Grand Marnier’ over ice – do it twice – and then return to their blogs to
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Voice Your Vote...
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CURIOUS AS A CATHY' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'AI LOVE MUSIC' by clicking HERE.
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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I never realized that this old chestnut of a song had been covered by these rock groups. I've heard it throughout the years as a mainstay of old musical variety shows. I never much cared for the song though these versions add a dimension that makes the song more palpable to me.
ReplyDeleteOn hearing the Beach Boys I figured they'd cinch this contest. CCR seemed like a weird choice of a group to perform the song. But then I listened to them Northern Californians and they sounded so authentic performing the song. I guess Texarkana is down there closer to Swamp Country so CCR should be more authentic using that criterion.
Give my vote to CCR.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteI think CCR's rendition of this song may have been the first I ever heard.
>>... I listened to them Northern Californians and they sounded so authentic performing the song. I guess Texarkana is down there closer to Swamp Country so CCR should be more authentic using that criterion.
Well, I just hope that CCR's version was the one you simply enjoyed listening to the most. Because "authenticity" isn't supposed to be a point of consideration in this Battle. I mean, it's probably safe to assume that no one in the Beach Boys or CCR ever spent a day picking cotton, and if "authenticity" is the deciding factor, then we have no need to look further than the Lead Belly original.
No doubt that "Down South Swamp" sound of CCR makes them the more obviously natural choice to do a cotton-picking song, but is that the recording you enjoyed the most, simulated-"authenticity" aside?
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Yes, the Beach Boys were good, but I prefer that CCR sound and in part that is because it sounds "real" instead of produced in a hootenanny sort of way.
DeleteI think "authenticity" is a factor in appreciating most music especially if that music is supposed to represent a lifestyle or strata of society. Music evokes feelings and much of the time those feelings are based on what the sound makes us think of. I hear CCR and I'm thinking good ol' country boys as opposed to neat and tidy SoCal boys.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Hello to the man on the move and moving when it is winter is horrible. I promise I will watch Tortilla Flat..I read your comment but fell on my face in responding when all the SH&%# was going down in my neck of the woods. I listened to both and I prefer CCR over the Beach boys who still sound a bit like surfer dudes to me:) CCR gets my vote
ReplyDeleteThanks for your bote, BIRGIT!
DeleteAnd please know that the 'Tortilla Flat' offer still stands. (Well, it stands as tall as anything "flat" can.)
>>... the Beach boys who still sound a bit like surfer dudes to me
Ha!-Ha!
Just say "No" to blondes?
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
You sure are having some terrible weather, Stephen. And here, all the snow is melting. Go figure! This one was pretty much "no contest" for me. Sorry, but I found The Beach Boys version irritating. CCR, on the other hand, had my toes a-tappin'. ☺ Here's hoping spring will show up for you, soon!
ReplyDeleteDEBBIE ~
DeleteI'm actually ecstatic to report that (*I know I shouldn't say this and jinx myself, but...*), it looks like Winter may have finally ended. Yesterday, in fact. There's nuttin' but sun in the forecasts at this point.
Yesterday, for the first time since moving to Willoughberry, I got on my bicycle, Trigger, and rode from one end of town to the other. It took 30 minutes (and that's with me being out of optimal bicycling shape due to the Winter kibosh).
I'd heard good things about a brewery on the North end of Willoughberry, so Trigger and I went up there to the watering-hole.
[Link> Trigger in the sun and a beer in me
I recommend their [Link> Ash Canyon Amber Ale.
A friend texted and asked if I were outside enjoying my beer. I texted back that I was inside because "it's too hot out there". (It was a whopping 43-degrees outdoors, which now seemed like a Summer heatwave.)
Check out Shoe Tree Brewing Company, and "tell 'em that you heard it here first on Roller Derby".
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Heya Stephen!
ReplyDeleteI'm like you - patiently waiting for the springtime weather to arrive and stay. I did my wintertime move last year, and I swear if I had to do it all over again - well,I'd rather not. But it sure beats being homeless, eh?
I knew going in to this battle who I would be voting for. But out of courtesy, I gave those little boys of the beach a listen.
I've always been a CCR girl. That's the influence of an older brother right there. It was my brother Dave that introduced me to their music when I was just a little girl. He listened to them quite a bit and shared his love of their music with his boys, too.
I thought the polite thing to do was to listen to the boys on the beach to give them a chance to prove themselves. Sadly, they just didn't impress me much.
A Solid vote for: CCR
~Mary
Jingle Jangle Jungle
Literary Gold
Howdy, MMQE! How does your garden grow?
Delete>>... I've always been a CCR girl. That's the influence of an older brother right there. It was my brother Dave that introduced me to their music when I was just a little girl.
I always dug CCR, too. But it was my Ma who turned me onto them. YIP! My dear Mother owned the 'Cosmo's Factory' album and played it in the family home. And THAT is how I first heard CCR when I was a youngster. Did I have a cool Mom, or what?!
Well, I appreciate your politeness and good manners as exhibited in your willingness to listen to Los Chicos de la Playa before casting yer bote.
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
"Look, there's a bird!"
ReplyDeleteAmongst my peeps, that phrase is our standard acknowledgement of the fact that we jump from topic to topic like a senior citizen's version of ADD on steroids. I've always talked too much, too loud, too often, about dang near everything. Which leads me to this thought that I have to set free...
Cotton is amazing. My in-laws raised cotton on their farm, back in the day. I'm told my father-in-law nearly worked himself to death like the family mule. It's not an easy gig, for sure, and it inspired him to get the GI Bill benefit o' some college education that allowed him to say goodbye cotton, hello engineering.
Even so, every time we go to Mississippi, I love to stop and look at the cotton plants along the road. It's just amazing.
Now, that probably won't soften the blow when I say I'm voting for CCR, but I still love ya, brudder. And the Beach Boys can handle it. They're tough.
This song sound better with that CCR edge and the Beach Boys own the surf side, so it should work out...
>>... "Look, there's a bird!"
DeleteOr is it a plane?
No! It's... Super-Sister!
>>... Cotton is amazing. ... I love to stop and look at the cotton plants along the road. It's just amazing.
Well, orn my overalls an' fill my feed trough!! Ah'm agreein' with ya, Doc MacSis! Ya know, one of these times we're gonna need to plant our rocking chairs down on a good ol' wooden front porch somewhere, sip some Tennessee Lemonade, and discuss cotton until the hound dog falls asleep and the sun goes down. How 'bout it, y'all?!
>>... Now, that probably won't soften the blow when I say I'm voting for CCR
Ha!-Ha! No worries! Twarn't nuttin' to me, an' nary a blow did fall. Granted I'm a-waitin' fer some kind soul to come along and end this shutout. But beyond that, it don't make no never mind to me.
{*Boy howdy! Ah sho-nuff hope I can shake of this Southern thang before I move on to the next comment!*}
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
CCR gets my vote on this one, they were a bit more natural for the song.
ReplyDeleteMIKE ~
DeleteThanks fer checkin' in with yer bote, Brother!
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
For some reason I thought you'd stopped your drinkin' ways. I guess not. Maybe it was just a one week fast or something! Or mebie someone slipped me some apple jack in my cider jug.
ReplyDeleteI think of your readers as a bunch of "Beach Boys and Girls," but on this one everyone (so far) is voting CCR. That surprises me, but of course makes no difference in my own vote... just making note of it.
I'm voting CCR also.
I had no idea they weren't from the south, because their music always has screamed "SOUTH" to me and I never bothered to check where they were from. I figured they was born on the bayou. Cotton? South? = CCR. It just sounds more right to me than Beach Boys version.
I read what you said to Lee above about "authentic" not being the criteria. But when a song seems inauthentic to the point that I notice it, it detracts from the experience a bit. Hence the CCR vote.
Part 1 Of 2:
DeleteBROTHER SHEBOYGANBOY ~
>>... For some reason I thought you'd stopped your drinkin' ways. I guess not. Maybe it was just a one week fast or something!
You are correct, sir! Indeed, I did cease my drinkin' ways -- for one year and a few days. And that was the longest, most boring decade of my entire life!!
While on vacation with Nappy in November, we stopped into our ol' local Dogtown market (Bob's Market - formerly Royal Market - at 17th Street & Ocean Park Blvd.), and there I discovered some canned beer brewed right there in Dogtown. So I bought some, and that night at the Half Moon Motel in Culver City, I put an end to that silly, Bible-defying idea of being a philistine teetotaler!
I captured the moment with [Link> THIS PHOTO and [Link> THIS PHOTO.
No longer will I turn my back on what The Bible says and denigrate the first Miracle performed by our Savior Jesus Christ!
PSALM 104:
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. ...
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man
I decided it was time for me to be "glad" again, the way The Lord God intended me to be!
JOHN 2:
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
That was not Christ's second or third Miracle. Nor His umpteenth. That was Christ's FIRST Miracle! And for anyone who's interested in the math... that equates to as much as 908 bottles of "top-grade hooch". Jesus knew how to throw a party! And I, for one, will not tarnish His memory by saying that I oughtn't to drink that which reminds us of His first Miracle and that which represents His Blood!
Please join us now in singing 'How Great Thou Art' while we pass the collection plate.
Continued Below...
Part 2 Of 2:
Delete>>... I think of your readers as a bunch of "Beach Boys and Girls," but on this one everyone (so far) is voting CCR. That surprises me
It doesn't surprise me at all, as I've known since January, 2014, that my readers are not a bunch of "Beach Boys and Girls". If they were, The Beach Boys wouldn't have lost my 12th BOTB contest to The Mamas & The Papas.
This dialogue about what sounds authentic or inauthentic has given me an idea for my next BOTB installment (which I've actually had jotted down as a potential Battle since the very inception of BOTB). I could have some fun watching people twist, turn, wrestle, and hoist themselves with their own petards on this one. Hmmm.... Will give it some thought.
But the bottom line for me is: This is just a song. It's just a song that should be enjoyable to listen to. And my hat is off to any musical artist - whether it be CCR, The Beach Boys, or anyone else - who can take [Link> THIS AUTHENTIC MESS and make it enjoyable to listen to.
I mean, here is what CCR and The Beach Boys essentially had to work with:
When I was a little baby, my mother rocked me in the cradle,
In them ol' cotton fields back home
Oh, when them cotton bolls get rotten, you can't pick very much cotton,
In them ol' cotton fields back home
It was down in Louisiana, just a mile from Texarkana,
In them ol' cotton fields back home
It may sound a little funny, but you didn't make very much money,
In them ol' cotton fields back home
I was home in Arkansas, people ask me what you come here for?
In them ol' cotton fields back home
After removing all of the repetition from Lead Belly's original, THAT is what CCR and The Beach Boys had to work with. And from THAT, they created what they did. It wasn't a miracle on a par with changing water into wine, but in my view, it almost borders on the miraculous.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
I'm glad you have finally changed your evil ways and started drinking again.
Delete>>"my readers are not a bunch of "Beach Boys and Girls". If they were, The Beach Boys wouldn't have lost my 12th BOTB contest to The Mamas & The Papas."<<
I just figured that on that day and in THAT contest, they were more Moms and Pops than Boys and Girls. But, as in most cases these days, I musta been wrong again.
>>"I could have some fun watching people twist, turn, wrestle, and hoist themselves with their own petards on this one. Hmmm.... Will give it some thought."<<
You do know that you have a cruel streak, right? We shall see what ye shall dish out, but sometimes something INauthentic does sound good, and sometimes like crap because it sounds like they goofed it up. It just depends!
Finally, Lead Belly's version is enjoyable to me. It doesn't strike me as a mess. The lyrics are not Keats or Shelley... but, with LB's sound it paints a picture.
>>... I'm glad you have finally changed your evil ways and started drinking again.
DeleteThank you, Brother. My "olives shall drop off" (to continue quoting The Bible) before I make *that* mistake again.
>>... You do know that you have a cruel streak, right?
But, of course! I wouldn't have been so damned effective in political debates without it.
>>... Lead Belly's version is enjoyable to me.
Well, of course it is! The Great Musical Divide. How could you NOT like it?
I'd like it better if Lead Belly had at least a modicum of meter, and wasn't all over the place. Let me stress the word "better". I don't mean to imply that I would like it just because the man suddenly discovered some sense of inner tempo.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
POSTSCRIPT: I've decided not to run with the aforementioned BOTB idea on April 1st. I have something else on my list that would work better for April Fools' Day. But I may use it on 4/15.
I vote for CCR. The song doesn't work with the Beach Boys. CCR sounds rougher and appropriately Louisianan. Mr. McCarthy, you really are so very attractive. Is there any way you can become a little more moderate where your politics are concerned? It would go well with your good looks.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
HiYa JANIE ~
DeleteThanks for checking in with a bote in this round of BOTB. (Too bad you missed my last one. It was amongst my personal favorites... for a lot of personal reasons.)
>>... Is there any way you can become a little more moderate where your politics are concerned? It would go well with your good looks.
{*blushing*}
I was all prepared to offer to tone down my politics if you would have been willing to change your vote in order to end this shutout.
...However, I see below that Judge Al Bondigas has already ended the shutout. Therefore, all I can say is...
Moderation is for sissies! And wouldn't you lose respect for me if I degenerated into a sissy?
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
No, I wouldn't lose respect for you. Perhaps you recall that I asked you to pray for my son quite some time ago. He's now on his third month in rehab. When he isn't in classes or working at the rehab, he's at AA meetings. He's making sober friends. He's doing all the things I wanted him to do, and I haven't said "I told you so" once. We're both much happier.
DeleteJANIE ~
DeleteThat's terrific news about your son!! Thanks for letting me know!
I certainly do remember you asking me to pray for him, and I did so, multiple times. For this positive outcome, I will be saying a prayer of Thanks today.
It's funny (funny like "odd" or "interesting") that you responded to my last comment here yesterday. Because yesterday, about 2 hours before you submitted this comment, I was walking somewhere near my home and I actually thought about you and our interaction here in this comment section on 3/15 & 3/16.
I have no idea why this exchange popped into my mind out of the blue like it did. But I reflected on how you wrote "Is there any way you can become a little more moderate where your politics are concerned?" and how I replied in a (typical for me) silly, facetious manner.
And I thought to myself that had I replied in a serious manner instead, I would have written something like this:
My political views are a reflection of my Spiritual life. I am a Christian who reads The Holy Bible from cover-to-cover every year. I've read the entire Word of God - from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22 - about 24 times. And my politics are merely a reflection of what The Holy Spirit has taught me about The Bible.
I could not be politically much different than I am right now and still believe that I was being true to what God has told us in His Book.
So, that's the *real* reason I am not more "moderate" in my politics. If I were, it would mean that I wasn't being true to my understanding of what God expects from me. I am passionate about The Holy Bible and my reAlationship with God, and therefore I am also passionate about my political outlook. Politics are very much an outgrowth of a person's Spiritual position.
Again, I have NO IDEA why all this popped into my mind yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere. But I find it exceedingly peculiar that just a couple hours later, you felt inspired to return to this comment section. Very strange!
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Al Bondigas here. I used to have a tape of CCR with this song on it way back in the day, and really loved it. I thought there was no chance in heck that The Beach Boys could top their version. I had to listen to both versions two times, and Holy mackerel, I think I gotta go with The Boys here. I may listen a third time, but for now, I'm makin a rulin' fer The Beach Boys. Man, this was tough. That's it!! That's muh rulin'!!
ReplyDeleteWHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!
DeleteI totally agree that both versions are primo! Sure, both groups give it their own special touch, but I thought TBB and CCR were going to make this a pretty tight Battle. Instead, it was over before the first day of voting was over.
Ahh, well, BOTB - it's never going to be completely figgered out. (But, I guess, if you're going to do a 'song of the South', you better not sound like a Yankee, even if'n ya are.)
But I'm pleased as spiked punch that you found this contest a challenge, that The Boys "holy mackerel'd" you, and that the shutout is over.
To quote you-know-who: "My next one will be better!" (Maybe.)
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
CCR has my vote. They have that down home sound, whereas the Beach Boys are out of their element. It still amazes me that CCR is a CA band.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by with a vote, LILI.
DeleteTotally agreed that CCR sounded like a band from the South, and nothing at all like what was coming out of the San Francisco Bay area at that time.
And in fact, I have always enjoyed their music more than that of their "psychedelic" contemporaries like Jefferson Airplane, Janis & Big Brother And The Holding Company, et al.
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Sorry Steophen, butr The Beach Boys didn't sound like they knew what they were doing on this one. Creedence does an
ReplyDeletebetter version than almost any other band, so I'm going with them.
Oh, no reason to apologize for anything, JOHN. I'm always looking for completely honest votes and viewpoints.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
And Stephen,
ReplyDeleteWhat was the name of that place where And Stephen originated? I think it was in Vermont. Anyway...Good battle and a tough one. I think they both are pretty even, a bunch of white hippies singing about cotton fields in places they've probably never been. Now I'm not sayin' it was your people..but....Alright back to your scheduled broadcast....Now as a homage to Leadbelly that's good. Both versions are pretty stripped down to the bare bones and work in good harmonies. I think the Beach Boy harmonies are better...as they'd better be. But I think I like the slightly rockier edge of Credence. So just to be clear, I'm voting for CCR. Now watch out for that Old Man Down the Road.
JW,
Pooh
...AND, POOH, THAT'S NOT ALL!...
Delete>>... What was the name of that place where And Stephen originated? I think it was in Vermont.
And ah'm thinkin' maybe yer right.
For 500 points, I'll go with Rutland.
And for another 500 points, I'll say I was told to "Drink like a gentleman" in... Baaahh-ston.
>>... I think the Beach Boy harmonies are better...as they'd better be.
Yeah. Any time The Beach Boys don't have the better harmonies, you can be certain that you have entered... The Twilight Zone.
Gotcher bote recorded for CCR, Pooh. And it's beginning to look as if they may just win this thing.
I appreciate you coming by with two shiny cents for the kitty, my Brother. Have you a good, upright Sunday.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
So...you were in town in November 18 and nary a text or call? You self-centered SOB!
ReplyDeleteJW anyway,
Pooh
Confession:
DeleteYep. I was in town, but only for about 15 hours. And it was a Wednesday, so you were at work.
Nappy and I stayed a couple days down in The O.C. (my first vacation in 8 years!) and it was decided kind of last minute to shoot up to Dogtown on our way back to Phoenix. Nappy didn't even want to spend 15 hours in that war zone you call "home", but I convinced him, primarily because I wanted to get a few pictures of Lifeguard Station 26.
So, that's about all we did there. Got into town in time for a late lunch at The Sidewalk Cafe, took some photos of Station 26, drove by our old home and "the house at Pooh Corner", bought some cans of Santa Monica beer at Bob's Market. And we headed back to Phoenix early the next mornin'... in the rain.
If we were there any longer than that, there are some folks I surely would have wanted to see again, and you are one of those folks.
~ Stephen
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
DeleteSpecial Dispensation granted. Won't be no more if it happens again.
JW,
Pooh
Sadly, it's an issue that protly won't even come up again for another 8 or 9 years.
DeleteBut "Willoughberry" is here for you to experience. And it's only 30 minutes away from 'The Bucket Of Blood Saloon'.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteSnow isn't an issue for us but the cold lingers with short warming periods. Unfortunately when the temperatures rise it usually brings rain. I'm ready for both sunny blue skies and warm temps. :)
This is an easy pick for me. I appreciate the Beach Boys but never was a real big fan of their sound. I'm going with CCR. Thanks for joining me on Friday, my friend. Have a pAwesome week!
CATHY, we've finally gotten a few nice days in a row, and it was well past time we did.
ReplyDeleteAnd the BOTB beatdown continues. Thanks for stopping by to listen and vote.
- DFensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Howdy Stephen T!
ReplyDeleteBoth bands did much to perk up an unleaded song, staple that it was. CCR, I think, was just a bit peppier in this battle. CCR for me, please.
Not that you asked, but I always pegged them (CCR) as bayou boys that found themselves stuck in Lodi for an extended period of time ;-) Whereas, the Beach Boys were always exactly as the name implied.
Glad the sun is shining your way again! It's shining here as well, and I am loving it.
Howdy, dIEDRE!
ReplyDeleteThis comment is coming to you directly from The Bird Bar at the Fandango Casino. I've got my exotic on and a Black Russian in hand. (I think her name is Olga.) And speaking of the South, I think the last time I had a Black Russian was circa 1983 in Kentucky. (But I can't remember her name.)
I'm glad to hear your weather has improved, too. "It was a rotten Winter" (to quote Monte Walsh).
Thanks for coming by with your vote and your sunny disposition... even if it wasn't quite Beach Boys-sunny.
"Stuck in Lodi"... :-)
I see what you did there.
I don't think I've ever come across the name Lodi that I didn't think of CCR. (I've come across it most often on the labels of wine bottles. Ha!)
-- D-FensDogG
I'm here in Reno, St Mac, and it looks as though the Fat Lady still hasn't sang the last note on winter yet. Snow in the Sierra's the next couple days? Well, shhhhhsh . . . I should still be able to get home this weekend though. So, don't worry about me crashing at your place, lol. My whirlwind, speedy Gonzales trip up here is probably what is stirring up all the extreme weather!!
ReplyDeleteSo, the contest. Yeah, I listened to the Beach Boys first, cuz I KNOWS how much I love love love CCR. And, as expected, The Boys have NO country twang at all. Good thing they did not sing this for their first audition. (I'm watching American Idol, and some of these stories are seriously sad, disturbing; makes me cry. Now wonder I don't watch this.)
Of course, THIS song would sound so much better sung by Alabama, but I could not find a cover by them, and it nearly distracted me from American Idol.
Still, CCR gets my vote. Awesome
WILD THING! ~
Delete>>... I'm here in Reno, St Mac
Reno, aka "The Biggest Little Disappointment In The World", aka "The Biggest Little Ghetto In The World".
Where you at, Wild Thing? You stayin' at The Nugget?
If you had pushed on another 30 minutes, you coulda met me at the Bird Bar at the Fandango Casino and we could have drunk Black Russians together. I was just there about an hour and a half ago. But now I'm at home eating Ben & Jerry's 'Salted Caramel Core' ice cream (2 for $6. at Raley's).
>>... I'm watching American Idol, and some of these stories are seriously sad, disturbing; makes me cry.
Oh, please don't tell me you believe what you see on TV! ...Remember when you saw the Moon landings?... Wild Thing, we need to talk.
>>... The Boys have NO country twang at all.
Dang! You say that like it's a BAD thing!
Good luck with your travels, WT! Stay safe, and visit the Horseshoe Bar in my honor. Actually, the coolest bar at The Nugget is [Link> THE OYSTER BAR. Where you can drink like a fish and meet their expectations. Wish I could find a watering-hole that cool in C.C.
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Holy crap, that's what your front step looks like? I hope you don't turn into this guy shoveling all of that.
ReplyDeletehttps://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/2015-05-02-sliding-man-original.gif
So above, Birgit said that the Beach Boys sound like surfer dudes. I agree completely! ...but I thought that was a good thing. A selling point.
Maybe I'm biased. Maybe I'm just sick of this cold, and sick of tap dancing while snow shoveling, and I'm just craving some 70 degree water temperatures, but I give my bote to The Beach Boys.
Below is visual representation of me helping them out with my bote.
https://media1.giphy.com/media/2yyHFVJq7CG8zDtPs9/giphy.gif
J S-A --
ReplyDeleteThat gif had me howling! Hokey-smoke!! I haven't laughed that hard in awhile. God bless whoever it was that happened to have a camera trained on that guy at the right moment.
The first time I watched it, I thought the guy had to be faking. But then, I became convinced by the way he tossed the shovel away in anger at the end.
(*His anger was palpable; I felt it!! And I would have thrown that shovel, too. Ha-Ha-Halarious!*)
Speaking of "water temp", during that rotten February, when I wasn't listening to The Beach Boys, I was listening to 'Me, Lynth And The Beach Report'. Brother, those are the CDs what saved muh sanity!
I may have to stop using The Beach Boys in BOTB. These inland-ers just don't get it. We'd have kicked them out of the shadow of Lifeguard Station #26 while shouting, "Locals ONLY! Vals go home!!"
Dang landlubbers!
-- D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Mcbrutherman,
ReplyDeleteWell, I've never been a fan of CCR and have always been a fan of the Beach Boys. If both groups are going to do poetic license with their pasts, I'll vote for the Beach Boys. And I like their song better - the rhythm section in particular is awesome.
Cheers,
McG DogG ~
DeleteGreat to hear from ya, Bruhthuh! I thank you for checking in with a vote. (And The Beach Boys triple-thank you, because they have been utterly humiliated in this Battle and every vote they get is HUGE now!)
How is yer life shakin' out these days, my friend? I've been thinking about you and wondering if you have officially retired yet and are looking for - or have found - the house you are gonna spend your Golden Years in. So... have you? Have you found what must be [Link> THE PLACE?
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Yo Bro,
DeleteThanks much for your good thoughts. (And cool song). I retired effective Monday. Selling the house entails
- Decluttering, which is great
- Getting rid of or hiding personal items (that I'll keep) so the house looks generic and potential buyers can picture themselves in
- clean, clean (like detailing a car)
- pro carpet cleaners
- pro picture taker
- posting pics on Zillow etc. (The real estate agent - who got my house is excellent as he works with people on the nearby air force base who often have to sell fast)
The ideal would be to have a mobile home to buy lined up when the house sells. Funny thing is most are n 55+ years parks. There is an 80/20 rule that they can have 20% of residents under 55... although it's up to the managers.
To make a long story short (too late), taking my time one step at a time.
BRUHTHUH McG DOGG ~
DeleteWell, consarn it all! I see that the reply I submitted to your comment about an hour and a half ago from my phone did not go through. Consarn these newfangled gadgets!
I'll try to recreate the comment from memory, but... those brain cells died 90 minutes ago in an alcoholic haze.
It sounds like things are going good. Busy, but good. And I wish you the Luck O' The Irish in this new endeavor!
There's a lot to be said for parks where all, or at least most, of the residents are old geezers who are too geriatric to cause any problems. (Kick the walker out from underneath a pasty-faced, grey-haired old coot who's playing his Snoop Dogg 8-track tape too loud and rest assured he will never do *THAT* again!)
But I still think you need to join me here in "Willoughberry":
Carson City is the place you wanna be.
So, pack up your bags and move to Carson C.!
City, that is. ...Gopher holes, Bingo games!
Seriously... earlier today - at 11:05 AM, to be precise - I went to the Willoughberry DMV. I needed to re-register my truck, and apply for a new driver's license that would include my new address and a new driver's license photograph.
I walk in shaking in my boots because 11:05 is only 55 minutes away from "Lunch Time", and I figured I'd probably be there until they were about to close up the joint at 5 PM.
Nope. Re-registered Chuck the Truck (brand new tags with no smog-test certificate required, like in Reno - savings: about $50.00), got the paperwork filled out and my picture taken, and my new driver's license is in the mail.
Got back to Chuck the Truck in the parking lot, and looked at my watch: 11:20. Elapsed time: 15 minutes.
If that had been a California DMV, I'd have been stuck there until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (i.e., 10 or 11 years)!!
Well, anyway, even if you're not going to do the Carson City Crawl (drinking circuit) with me in Willoughberry, I still hope you have the Luck O' The Irish, like S.T.McME.
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
McBroKingO'The Road,
DeleteWilloughberry sounds like a great place. If I stay in CA, full health care is 167 per
month and dental less than $5 per month.... I see what you mean now about moving being exhausting... And still getting over my "break-up" from an office I worked in for 18 years. Exhausting, hence the brevity of this post.
Cheers,
G DogG ~
DeleteYep, it sounds like California has you locked in for life. Well, the price is right, anyway! (I got out while I was still young enough to do so. Wild horses couldn't drag me back to... 'Paradise Lost'.)
18 years? Hokey-Smoke!
Had I known then what I know now, I probably would have stayed at UCLA until the end. But then again, I wouldn't likely have found my way to Willoughberry then.
Well, it all works out somehow or another.
Get rest, Brother. And stay "hydrated". I trust you know what I mean by that.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'