BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, DEC. 15 (Or, SINATRA Versus SIMON & GARFUNKEL)

Santa Badenov sez, "Brrr! Shrinkage!"

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Welcome to my last BOTB's Battle Of The Booze installment of 2024. I'm thinking about Winter and The End Of Another Year. 

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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Of unpublished rhyme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 wine from 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. 

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HAZY SHADE OF WINTER 

by Simon & Garfunkel 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSd4QJBEMvk

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IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR 

by Frank Sinatra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBxCafXgPL8

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Bless & Be Blessed!!

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~ D-FensDogG 

The Christmas Canine

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, DEC. 1 (Or, CLIFF RICHARD Versus SCROOGE & A CHRISTMAS SPIRIT)

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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'.
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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.
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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 'Here Comes Santa Claus' :
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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
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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 'A Christmas Carol' (it is so much fun!) 
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And Scrooge made one of the all-time great BOTB comebacks. At one point in the Battle, 'I Like Life' was getting beaten 5-1 by 'Mistletoe And Wine'. But the contest ended up looking like this:

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FINAL TALLY
'Mistletoe And Wine' = 6 votes
'I Like Life' = 7 votes
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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!
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My most sincere "THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" to everybody who took the time to visit 'n' vote. Y'all made this a terrific Battle Of The Booze contest!
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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...
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God bless us, every one!
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~ Stephen
The Christmas Canine

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, DEC. 1 (Or, MISTLETOE & WINE Versus "THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS")

'Scrooge' quotes on the back of my bedroom door.

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WELCOME to my Christmas edition of Battle Of The Bands' 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 egg nog 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 and the dogs barking 'Jingle Bells'.

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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's A Wonderful Life' (the colorized version, "thank you very much!"). Both of them are amongst my all-time Top 10 Favorite Movies. 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 miracle water wine. 

Yeah, wine not? 

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MISTLETOE & WINE  

by Cliff Richard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrmeNIxpEPM

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My Italian "Major Award" Christmas sweater.

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I  LIKE  LIFE 

by Scrooge & The Ghost Of Christmas Present 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpTxBuo8zno

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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 two Tiny Tim Christmas traditions!!)

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: NOV. 15, 2024 (Or, JIM STAFFORD Versus TODD SNIDER X 2)

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My 11/15/2024 Battle Of The Bands contest took place HERE and it was between Jim Stafford's song 'Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne' and Todd Snider's 'Ballad Of The Devil's Backbone Tavern' (two versions - studio and live recording).
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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.
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FINAL TALLY:
Jim Stafford = 0 votes 
Todd Snider (studio version) = 4 votes 
Todd Snider (live version) = 5 votes 
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Well, I hope more voters will show up for my December 1st Battle. 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...
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Bless & Be Blessed!!
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~ STMcC

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, NOV. 15 (Or, FUNNY STUFFS BETWEEN JIM STAFFORD's CHAMPAGNE & TODD SNIDER's BEER)

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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 highly underrated 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

With Waylon and 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

Willie and 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's Backbone Tavern' AND his live version of the song against Stafford's champagne-drinking bulldog. 

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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 'The Story Of The 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!)

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YOUR BULLDOG DRINKS CHAMPAGNE 

by Jim Stafford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49czzPsFLow

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BALLAD OF THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE TAVERN

by Todd Snider

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9StmfRexJc

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(Live) THE STORY OF THE 

BALLAD OF THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE TAVERN

by Todd Snider 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpq_XHOcxKU

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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.

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~ STMcC 

(w/ a shout-out to L.C.) 

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, NOV. 1 (Or, STEELY DAN Versus STEELY DAN)

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My November 1st Battle 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's rum and Coke Coke 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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FINAL TALLY: 

Steely Dan = 9 votes 

Steely Dan = 3 votes 

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So, 'Bad Sneakers' 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.

BOTB'S BOTB: NOV. 1, 2024 (Or, STEELY DAN'S PINA COLADA Versus STEELY DAN'S COKE & RUM)

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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 very different 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

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BAD SNEAKERS 

by Steely Dan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r5PsCkBrDg

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Daddy don't drive in that El Dorado no more

He don't travel on down to the neighborhood liquor store

Lucy still loves her Coke and Rum

But she sits alone 'cause her Daddy can't come

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DADDY DON'T LIVE IN THAT NEW YORK CITY NO MORE 

by Steely Dan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjf9QQKjRzc

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Be well & stay safe, all y'all!

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~ Stephen T McKatydid McCarthy

ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 (Or, BIG FULL MOON LIKE A GIANT OYSTER SHELL IN THE DARK BLUE NIGHT!)

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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 'Their Greatest Hits: 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 had to 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't Fear) The Reaper'. 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.

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MOON CRAZY  (1979) 

by Blue Oyster Cult 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FTkTnUiK4A

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I LOVE THE NIGHT  (1977) 

by Blue Oyster Cult 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q94EdbBAJEE

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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. 

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~ STMcC 

DogGtor of Alcohology & 

King of Inebriation Nation

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POSTSCRIPT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVazdDvSGo

ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 (Or, HEAVY TRAFFIC; NO LANE CHANGES POSSIBLE)

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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 Traffic in 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 'Low Spark' 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 'Low Spark' album was 'ROCK 'N' ROLL STEW'. Here it is:

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Rock 'N' Roll Stew 

by Traffic 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ubpNmSTAU

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Remember that (song); you'll need it later!

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~ STMcC 

DogGtor of Alcohology & 

King of Inebriation Nation

ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 (Or, BUMPIN' ON SUNSET - BRIAN AUGER)

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What you have before you is my second entry in  [link> MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest' carnival. Mary is exclusively using Rock from the 1980s, but since that is where Rock music lost me, I will be postin' & explainin' my thoughts on underrated Rock from other years.

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When I was a kid, there was Jazz in the house. My Ma loved Count Basie's 'April In Paris' & she owned the Cannonball Adderley LP 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at The Club'. My Pa was a big fan of Louis Prima & had some of his albums, which got played often. As a teenager in the 1970s, I was all about Rock music. But then something happened...

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Early one morning in late 1977 or early '78, I was driving through the heart of Hollywood on my way to a job at either Universal Studios or Warner Brothers Studio (I don't recall which). Back then there was a wild radio station on the AM dial that was the most eclectic station I have ever heard. I can’t remember the call letters, but it was way, way over to the right side — like, maybe 1640 or somewhere in there.

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I happened to tune in that morning at the middle of some song and had no idea who the artist was, but the monstrous electric organ sound was mind-melting! I kept saying aloud – hoping the DJ would hear me – “WHAT is this?! WHO is this?! Please tell me, Mister DJ!” Half the time they didn’t even bother to mention what they had been playing. And I had never before heard anything quite like that song (I was only 18).

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Just as I was about parallel with the Hollywood Bowl (coincidentally having just crossed Sunset Boulevard about a minute earlier), the DJ said that the song had been ‘Bumpin’ On Sunset’ from Brian Auger’s ‘Live Oblivion’ album. SOLD!! Within a day or two, I had the LP, and that was the first step on my way to becoming a Jazz addict.

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'Bumpin' On Sunset' was composed & originally recorded by the great Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. The cover by Brian Auger & The Oblivion Express was a Jazz-Fusion version which is, essentially, a fancy way of saying Jazz-Rock. 

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The first rendition of the song that I encountered (and still my favorite) had been recorded live in 1974 at the Whisky A Go-Go, only a few minutes away from where I was driving at the time I heard it. Some lyrics had been added to Montgomery's original instrumental, and the live recording - which was played at a slightly faster tempo than the studio take - included Steve Ferrone on drums, who became the drummer for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in 1994. 

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Here's a link to that 1974 recording: BUMPIN' ON SUNSET

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However, for those who would prefer to SEE it being performed live, below is a video from a July 2005 concert at The Baked Potato in North Hollywood. It features Brian's son, Karma, on drums; Brian's daughter, Savannah, singing; and Derek Frank on bass. This was filmed on Brian Auger's 66th birthday:

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BUMPIN' ON SUNSET 

by Brian Auger & Oblivion Express

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAvuFli5NS0

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I hope that got you bumpin' along.

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I'll return with a new old tune in a couple o' days.

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Bless & Be Blessed!! 

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~ Stephen 

DogGtor of Alcohology & 

King of Inebriation Nation

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, OCT. 15 & ROCKTOBERFEST: 2024

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My 10-15-2024 BATTLE OF THE BANDS' Battle Of The Booze  took place HERE, and it was between Bruce Stinkweed's Springsteen's 'Spirit In The Night' and The Eagles' 'On The Border' (or, Wine versus Wine). 

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This Battle weren't no dog! It was indeed a "battle". At one point The Eagles were leading 6 to 3, but when Stinkweed Springsteen scored the final 4 votes (including mine) it sealed the deal. 

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FINAL TALLY: 

Bruce Springsteen = 7 votes 

The Eagles = 6 votes 

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Although I certainly don't dig Springsteen's music like I did in the early '80s, I still own his first two albums, which I think are his best. And the song 'Spirit In The Night' is like an anthem to me, which is entirely entangled with my memories of The League Of Soul Crusaders. So much so that lyrics from the song appeared on the first page of my book manuscript about The League: 

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So, Bruce Stinkweed's song will advance to the eventual playoff rounds, and The Eagles' song will fly away, 'bye-'bye.

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I thank each and ever' one o' youz who participated in my BOTB contest, and I hope all y'all will return for my next one on November 1st. 

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ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 

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Between now and my next BOTB installment, I intend to post two or three entries in [link> MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest' carnival. Mary is exclusively using Rock from the 1980s, but since that is where Rock music lost me, I will be postin' & explainin' my thoughts on Rock from other years. 

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Considering how much I yak on this blog about booze, hooch & sampling the "evidence", it may come as a surprise that the first song I want to feature for 'Rocktoberfest' is a song I've always LOVED which is titled 'STONE COLD SOBER'. (Can you believe it-uh?!) 

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Here's the lowdown on this mostly unknown & therefore ridiculously underrated rocker:

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"Jesus is a Locomotive" ~John Eldredge

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The band FREE came & went before I had started buying albums. So, I never owned any of their LPs. But I always liked their big hit 'All Right Now' and knew that the lead guitarist was named Paul Kossoff. In '77, a 2-LP retrospective album was released titled 'KOSS'. I must have read about it in some music magazine & bought it. I played the "KOSS!" out of that album. Totally fell in love with his guitar tone and style! He just had such a deep 'n' dangerous sound. 

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Kossoff's and David Gilmour's playing have always reminded me a bit of each other. It's not fast & flashy, but has a very distinctive low, raw, guttural sound. To me, it sounds like a house being demolished from the foundation UP, rather than from the top down! 

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After Free broke up, Paul Rodgers formed Bad Company and Paul Kossoff formed Back Street Crawler. When Kossoff died, the band continued under the name Crawler, with a guy named Geoff Whitehorn taking over on lead guitar. It was never a big hit song anywhere, but in L.A. a song by Crawler titled 'Stone Cold Sober' got some airplay on our F.M. stations and I fell head-over-heels in love with that song! Whitehorn had the Kossoff sound nailed down, and then some! 

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I consider it amongst the most underrated Rock songs of all-freakin'-time. Or, well... at least since the mid-1950s, anyway. 😉

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STONE COLD SOBER (1977) 

by Crawler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcDyNyEijDc

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, OCT. 15 (Or, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Versus THE EAGLES)

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East Coast or West Coast? What's it gonna be? In this installment of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze, the spirit that's about to speak is WINE. You know, as in...

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"wine that makes glad the heart of man" 

~ Psalm 104:15

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Most folks know the first recorded miracle that Jesus performed was turning water into wine at a wedding celebration feast. One of the very best books I have read was written by John Eldredge and titled [link> 'BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW: Experiencing The Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality Of Jesus'.

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Just for fun, before getting this musical Battle underway, let's take a quick look at what Eldredge had to say about that first recorded miracle performed by Christ: 

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To see bigger'n better, click on the images.

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So, this BOTB installment includes two songs which mention wine (rosé is a type of wine). Here are the relevant lyrics:

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Well, Billy slammed on his coaster brakes 

and said anybody wanna go on up to Greasy Lake?

It’s about a mile down on the dark side of route eighty-eight

I got a bottle of rose so let’s try it

~ Bruce Springsteen 

'Spirit In The Night' 

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Cruising down the center of a two way street

Wondering who is really in the driver's seat

Minding my business along comes Big Brother

Says, son, you better get on one side or the other

I'm out on the border, I'm walking the line

Don't you tell me about your law and order

I'm trying to change this water to wine

~ The Eagles 

'On The Border' 

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Alright, doggone it, let's get on it.

Let's get ON this thing!

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Please vote in the comment section for which song you like better and then, like good peoples, please visit all of the other BOTBers and contribute to their contests, also. 

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I intend to return here on or about Oct. 22nd to announce my own vote and the final tally. 

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SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT 

by Bruce Springsteen 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFEeqfqoTSY

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ON THE BORDER 

by The Eagles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeuaxvEI9Dw

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: OCT. 1, 2024 (Or, TOM WAITS Versus DAVID & DAVID)

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If that picture is a mystery to you, then I recommend you return to my Oct. 1st Battle Of The Bands post HERE and read the comment exchanges between Pooh Lynth and myself. That'll explain the history behind that photo. 

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We're all familiar with the saying "A 2 at Ten is a 10 at Two". Well, at 824 Bay Street in the very early '80s, the saying was: "A drunk at Ten wears a chair at Two".

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Anonymous partier at 824 Bay Street, after passing out and getting "the business", circa 1982.

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This installment of BOTB's Battle Of The Booze was between Tom Waits ("bourbon") and David & David ("Jack Daniel's"), and I very sincerely appreciate everyone who came by and participated in the voting. Just to illustrate how wrong I can be, I'll confess that, while constructing this last Battle, I was of the belief that Tom Waits would win it by a comfortable margin. Uhp! I'm an idiot!! 

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In my Battle post, I mentioned how 1986 was a tough year for me, due in large part to the suicide of my great friend Kelly. 

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Skydiving Kelly & his pal Mr. Coors.

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In 1986, David & David's only album, 'Boomtown', really spoke to me, conveying many of the thoughts and feelings I was experiencing at the time. Rarely, if ever, had I been as personally connected to a collection of songs.

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Although I have 'Boomtown' on CD today, and can't imagine not owning it, I rarely play it anymore. The songs are unique & quite good but, happily, those themes and emotions are in my distant past. Today, I have a great deal more inner peace.

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So, how did I vote in this BOTB installment? Like most teenagers at the time, when I was a teen I loved the sound of loud electric guitars. Scott Gorham, Michael Schenker, Buck Dharma - I thought those guys were the cat's meow and the dog's bark! 

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In the late '80s, after getting heavily into Jazz, the tenor saxophone became my favorite musical instrument. But then sometime in the early to mid-'90s I came to realize that no instrument rocks my world quite like the electric organ. Man, lay down some seriously charged organ on a track and I am guaranteed to dig it big time! 

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Well, the heavy bass & orgasmic organ on the Tom Waits song 'Little Boy Blue' is definitely my cup of tea mug of beer! I find that combo extremely exciting (plus, I dig the lyrics also). So, despite all of my personal history with the David & David songs, my vote for Tom Waits was never in question. Nevertheless, this contest was a blowout:

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FINAL TALLY: 

Tom Waits = 3 votes 

David & David = 8 votes 

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My thanks again to everyone who contributed, and I hope you'll return for my next installment of BOTB's BOTB on October 15th. 

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~ STMcC