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| 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Of unpublished rhyme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
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IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
by Frank Sinatra
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Bless & Be Blessed!!
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~ D-FensDogG
The Christmas Canine
Both epic tunes, but I have to go with Frank. Although not at the top of my favourite crooners list (I prefer Dino, Michael and Andy), that song always gets to me (in a good way). Probably because I'm as vintage as the wine. 😆
ReplyDeleteDEBBIE ~
DeleteHA! I'd like to call myself "vintage wine" but, really, I'm just old Thunderbird.
My favorite crooners list would start with Mathis and Darin. Then... I don't know.
I do like Michael. Someone in BOTB turned me onto him. It was his version of 'Stuck In The Middle With You' that did it. I even bought that CD because of his version. It may have been *you* who used that rendition in BOTB. Or, maybe Michele? (God bless her, wherever she is.) She put together some very good Battles.
Thanks for bringing fine wine to this party!
~ D-FensDogG
From their early days I've been a Simon and Garfunkel fan and this "Winter" song is a good one that I've always enjoyed. However, also being a longtime Sinatra fan, I must concede that his song is the more iconic, more poignant, and more meaningful to me especially as I linger in my own latter years of reflection.
ReplyDeleteFor me the hands down choice is the Sinatra song.
Lee
R. LEE BOID ~
DeleteThe fact that I really liked Sinatra's recording of 'It Was A Very Good Year' long before I recognized Sinatra having any real talent says A LOT about that recording.
Lee, don't forget that age is only an idea in one's mind! (And if that's not the biggest bullshit line ever spoken, then it's "change is good".)
~ D-FensDogG
VOTE = SIMON & GARFUNKEL
ReplyDeleteMan. I love both of these songs and both of these artists, AND these songs are both iconic and classic. My vote this time around may just be driven by my current mood! 'Hazy Shade...' made me tap my feet and sing along. '...Good Year' kind of made me sad and melancholy and think too much about where I am in life at this moment. It's all good. I enjoy being vintage wine; I embrace it; and those lyrics are amazingly sweet and poetic.
But, yeah. S&G it is for me this time, Esty.
Dregs from the keg, indeed.
~Ed.
HERMANO EDUARDO ~
DeleteMang, I getcha 100% percent! There are some songs that are almost too painful to hear, particularly when one has been aged (like wine) and is in the Autumn (if not Winter) of their life.
For me, #1 on that un-compiled list of Sad Songs is 'Times Of Your Life' by Paul Anka. I kid you not, I can't listen to that song without openly weeping!
~ D-FensDogG
These are two great songs, and what makes this contest the most difficult is the disparity of styles. It is far easier to choose between two crooners or two folk artists. But you've pitted two top notch-ers of both song and artists of different styles so we have to deal with that, too.
ReplyDelete"Very Good Year" always made me sad, even when I listened when the song was first released when I was a kid. I had not experienced a lifetime yet, but could extrapolate that the song captured saudade (your goldenshadow) with both the words and melody.
S&G were excellent. Some of the best songwriting ever... they are part of the conversation as the usual suspects of rock (Dylan, Waits, Mitchell, et al.) Their version of their own song is great, but I like the version by The Bangles better. It is rockier. BTW, Suzanna Hoffs is the best looking 65 year old woman I can recall seeing, and she still sounds great!
I will vote for Sinatra. I would rather listen to S&G here, but VG Year pulls emotion out of me like crazy, so that must mean something.
Sixgun McItchyfinger
An excellent comment, SIR SIXY!
DeleteYeah, McBruhthuh, you really nailed it. Obviously, booze is the common theme to be found in my Battle Of The Booze BOTB series. But I usually have a secondary theme or style going on. Pairing Country-ish songs together, or Crooners, or Christmas, or Tequila / Margaritas, etc.
But in this contest, while the two songs did address aging (Winter / End O' Year), the styles and tempos were vastly, VASTLY different! In fact, it was even duo against solo. Therefore, I was really stretching the voters ("boters") a bit; asking them to go from the South Pole to the North Pole... or sumpin' like that.
Like you, this recording by Sinatra did an emotional number on me even back when I was in my late teens or early twenties. It was similar to the song 'Caroline No' by The Beach Boys. Back when I was still in high school, I would listen to that song in my bedroom, through headphones, and I would fall apart because - somehow - I felt like I was already much older and looking back on my personal history. It was as if I already knew how I would feel 48 years later.
Thanks, as always, for your participation, McBro!
~ D-FensDogG
I like Frank Sinatra, especially for the holidays, but I'm with Ed; It Was a Very Good Year felt like a wistful, melancholy, nostalgic type of tune, which actually leaves me feeling more down than satisfied. Too much dwelling in the past for my likin's.
ReplyDeleteS&G, however, was upbeat, full of life, and looking to the future.
"Look around
The grass is high
The fields are ripe
It's the springtime of my life"
As the eternal optimist pumped full of youth-injecting lecithin, this is exactly what I'm feeling. Give me vodka and lime over vintage wine any day (both figuratively here, and literally).
~Chief Julio, he who looks forward
Of COURSE you would vote for Simon and Garfunkle! They wrote a whole song about you when you three was down by the schoolyard! If you voted for Frankie you'd be a "Backstabber," as the O'Jays would say!
DeleteSixgun
JULIO (Down By The Schoolyard) ~
DeleteAhh! You've hit upon a very interesting point. Although the S&G song is somewhat about Winter, it also happens to mention Springtime. Meanwhile, the Sinatra song mentions Autumn. A future Springtime versus looking back from Autumn.
It makes a good deal of sense that you would prefer the S&G song, especially considering that you are (by a good margin) the youngest of my regular BOTB "boters".
It was maybe two years ago when I wrote to you that I thought you would probably appreciate the movie 'Tom Sawyer' (1973) a good deal more when you reached my age. I think this Sinatra song may be a similar kinda thang.
But, then again... it's good to know that you're still following my nutritional advice. And since St. Lecithin is the genuine "Fountain Of Youth", you may *NEVER* age enough to appreciate Sinatra's song or 1973's 'Tom Sawyer'. Goot on ya, mang! [;^D}
~ D-FensDogG
SIR 6-A-LOT ~
DeleteRegarding your comment to that young punk who thinks he's a chief... GOL!
That reminded me of the following Fun Fact:
Yesterday, Judge Al Bondigas - a.k.a. Judge Meatball and Nappy - bought me an early $3.50 Christmas present at Gootwill (purdy much at my insistence). It's a 5-DVD set of Burt Sugarman's 'THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL', and 4 of the discs have never even been unsealed!
There's some really cool stuffs on these DVD's, such as... Aerosmith ('Train Kept A-Rollin''), Golden Earring ('Radar Love'), REO JOURNEY STYXWAGON ('Ridin' The Storm Out'), Chuck Mangione ('Feels So Good') and Manfred Mann ('Blinded By The Light'), etc.
BUT!... in a very morbid kinda way (because I've always been an E-Ticket "Disco Sucks!" Guy), I'm also eager to watch stuffs by Chic, Orleans, Ohio Players, The Trammps and, yes, The O'Jays!
I'm happy to report that the only Bee Gees song in the set is 'Nights On Broadway' (the one Bee Gees song I always dug). Sadly, however, Helen Reddy will be singing 'I Am Woman'. (When your gender is responsible for the entire downfall of Mankind, maybe you should just shut up and enjoy PETER Frampton sarcastically singing 'Show Me The Way'. GOL!!)
That comment may get me in trouble but... I'll not retract it, dad-gummit! ;^D
~ D-FensDogG
In Ye Olde Doghouse
That was TOTAL SCORE for $3.50! Congratulations!
DeleteThe Midnight Special was a must-watch show, and I still watch a M.S. clip on YT at least once every couple of days. For example, I have been watching a bunch of vids featuring Skunk Baxter, including some Steely Dan songs from M-Special. Great, great stuffs. As I have said before, I was struck by the fact that these are not handsome folk. Not a one. Excellent music though.
That Helen Reddy song is a strong contender for my least favorite song of all time. UGH. What is worse? If you have a suggestion, let me hear it! (the name only... NOT the song!) For irony's sake "I am Woman" should have been recorded on the Apple label.
Thanks to you and Julio/AKA Beer Brother Bryan for not correcting my joke about S AND G being down by the schoolyard. I forgot that only the S of S&G sang that one... so Garfunkle would have been stuck in class learning History and Biology and the French he took.
Six
SIR SIXGUN ~
DeleteOh, yes, The Midnight Special and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert were both part of my yout. Sometimes, when I knew in advance that a musical artist / group I particularly liked was going to be featured, I'd even stay home to watch, rather than engaging in underage drinking and cruising Westwood Village for chicks.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I didn't even remember that 'Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard' was Simon solo.
And here's a completely useless FUN FACT: I gave Bryan the nickname Julio one night while I was seated at [Link> THIS bar (The Gold Hill Hotel Saloon). In fact, I think I was even on that barstool in the foreground. I was texting Bryan (or trying to) when that Paul Simon song started playing in the saloon. From that moment on, he was Julio. My groovy brainpan, man, who can un'erstan' it?!
>>... For irony's sake "I am Woman" should have been recorded on the Apple label.
GOL!!
I hate to admit it but, after leaving that comment for you last night, I was literally chuckling about it as I got ready for bed.
Man, that has potential for a good, long-running game: 'Name Your Most Despised Songs'. I'd have to give that a lot of thought, because there are so many potential candidates. Yeah, 'I Am Woman' is in there. 'Feelings'... Eartha Kitt's 'Santa Baby'... almost anything by U2... probably a couple of "songs" by Johnny 'Can't Sing To Save My Life' Cash...
A much easier and shorter list for me to compile would be 'Disco Songs I Liked'. I always *loved* 'Turn The Beat Around' by Vicki Sue Robinson and the aforementioned 'Nights On Broadway'. 'Love's Theme' by Love Unlimited Orchestra, and 'A Fifth Of Beethoven' (faux Disco?) Maybe 'The Hustle' by Van McCoy - I'm not sure if I like that song or if I've just come to accept it because of its prominent inclusion in that great guilty pleasure movie 'The Spirit of 76'.
~ D-FensDogG
POSTSCRIPT:
DeleteSir Sixy ~
I woke up this morning with the following circling around in my brain like evil drones:
'MR. ROBOTO' by Poke In The Ear With Sharp Styx
'WE ARE THE WORLD'
'DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?'
I cannot abide being preached at by a bunch of wealthy, holier-than-thou, privileged celebrities!
(Technically, 'Give A Damn' should be included with those two just mentioned, except that I love Spanky & Our Gang, and the song, melodically & vocally, is fairly good. So I'm generously forgiving that one. After all, it's Christmastime.)
Unquestionably (and without question!) #1 at the top of my 'Despised' list is... {*drumroll here*}...
'IMAGINE' by Lenin
(You don't even want to get me started!
Helck, I don't even want to get me started!)
~ D-FensDogG
Those are all good suggestions for bad songs. Another song I loathe is "Killing Me Softly." I take that song literally.
Delete"I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. No, you aren't.
Anything by Yoko Ono, but thankfully, EVERYONE agrees about that so she is never played.
"Sometimes When We Touch" is gosh-awful.
Newer stuff: "Go Easy On Me" by Adele. YUK!
These could comprise a Battle of the Bands that could kill the entire concept. If you ever want to stop blogging, we've created the road map!
Six
HA!-HA! You're right about the "road map".
DeleteI don't know the Adele song, but I'm perfectly willing to take your word for it.
Yoko Ono? -- I don't even count that as "music". You can file it with "Rap".
I'd never even heard of that title by someone called Right Said Fred. So I went to YT and found it. I got - *LITERALLY* - 7-seconds into it before I shut it off. I don't even want that anywhere in my mind & personal history.
BUT!... just the title reminded me of another one that's definitely high up on my Low List, and that's 'DA YA THINK I'M SEXY?' by [Link> THIS weird guy.
Here comes my Christmas gift for you, Six. I hope you love it as much as I do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
~ D-FensDogG
That was audible coal in my stocking, Mr. McGrinch. Thanks for nuttin'!
DeleteSadly, I was well aware of that "song." It was quite popular about 10 years ago, so I went and looked it up. It actually got to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. We are nuts... NUTS, I tell you!
I will do you a favor and NOT give you a Christmas "gift" back... so I guess that is my real gift. Merry Christmas!
Mr. (I'm too) Sixy
SIR SIX-A-LOT ~
DeleteGuffaw-Out-Loud!
Yes, you are indeed "too Sixy". And, yes, indeed we are NUTS! At 65, I can scarcely believe this is the same country I occupied as a 10-year-old!
"Thank you very much!" for the non-gift! ;^D
~ D-FensDogG
Hey I made it on time-ish!
ReplyDeleteMy vote goes to Simon & Garfunkel. I just enjoyed it a little bit more 😁
Hope to see everyone in January. Don't forget my domain expired, but I can be found at the original blogspot link.
-MMQE
Jinglejanglejungle.blogspot.com
MMQE ~
DeleteHey, thank you so much for coming by and bringing some brandy for the ekker nog! You were way mo' better'n just "on time-ish". Anything before the 22nd is fully on time!
When I post my Battle on January 1st... (Psst! I'm thinking about doing a Margarita Day-themed Battle on 1/1/2025, but don't tell anybody because I want it to be a big surprise!) ...I will make it a point to point out that your URL address has changed.
Hey, be watching for a Christmas E from me soon. It'll include the *wildest* version of 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' that you've ever heard. As Burgermeister Meisterburger wrote: "No kidding".
~ D-FensDogG
The Christmas Canine
Oh I get into Hazy Shades more so those 2 singing duos get my vote over Frankie. Merry Christmas to you!
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteI thanks ya for the good wish and for the S&G vote. This Battle has become veddy, veddy intedesting! The songs are about as different as could be, but the race is tighter than a... er-- well, let's just leave it at that.
(Truthfully, I didn't even have an idear where I was about to go with that, but... I knew it was going to end up vulgar. GOL!)
~ D-FensDogG
Two great songs. Frank Sinatra is a good singer but not one of my favorites but I've always liked Simon & Garfunkle, so that's who gets my vote. Plus, their song has a more upbeat tempo which I really liked better. Have a blessed Christmas season, my friend!
ReplyDeleteDear CAThy!
DeleteI thanks ya so much for the wonderful Christmas wish! I have been so blessed by God that (seriously!) sometimes I feel almost embarrassed & ashamed. I don't even know how many times I have prayed to Him and said, "Nobody gets it this good! Thank you, Father!!"
I'm feeling that way right now, as I type this comment and listen to 'Driving Home For Christmas' by Chris Rea. (Thanks, dIEDRE!)
I hope you and your family have a Divinely-embraced 2025!
~ D-FensDogG
I'm going to post this in case the last comment didn't make it. I like S&G more than Frank singing "It Was A Very Good year." My vote is for them.
ReplyDeleteThe Honorable J. Holton ~
DeleteI and the entire team here at BOTB's Battle Of The Booze thank you for submitting a "take two" because, as you suspected, "take one" never saw the light of day (nor even the dark of alley).
Thanks for ordering "a double" of whatever it is that you're drinking. (Sherry, is it?)
~ D-FensDogG
And Stephen...
ReplyDeleteGood battle agin! You know, while I know the song, I didn't know S&G sang Hazy Shade of Winter, thought it might have been the Momma's and the Poppa's. Long story short, my vote goes with Simon and Garfunkel less depressing and you know how much I like wine. Have yerself a very Merry Christmas and let the Judge know Goober Says Hey and Merry Christmas!
JW,
Pooohoho!
And, Pooh, That's Not All!...
Delete(Someday - but not today - I'm goin' to tell me readers the history behind why we always use those opening Ands. A little olde Road Trip Fun Fact.)
I do remember that you were more of a SoCo & Bacardi 151 fan than you were a Thunderbird or Night Train fan. Of course, it goes without saying that you had the class that some of us other League members lacked and could only dream about.
I thanks ya for stopping by with some booze for the Hooch Party!
"Goober says Hey"...
McBruhthuh, anyone who can so effortlessly quote from TAGS is my breed!
Melly Cleeshmus, you old building and loan!
~ D-FensDogG
(Messenger of Christmas Greetings)
Al Bondigas here. Well, this is certainly an interesting battle. As you know, I’ve always been a big Simon and Garfunkel fan, and like most everything they’ve done. I’ve also said many times how unbelievably overrated Frank Sinatra was. But, I’ve got to make a rulin’ fer him. Well, not so much for him, but for the song. Ain’t it interesting how people enjoy songs that make them sad? Friends and family will try to cheer you up when you’re sad. People spend good money on shrinks and books that help them get over it, yet, they with great pleasure will play a song they know will saturate their minds with melancholy. PEOPLE!! It would be a better world without em. Ohh, I almost forgot. Rulin fer the stick figure. That’s it!! That’s muh rulin.
ReplyDeleteRevelation 86:24
DeleteLo, when thou looketh out upon yonder distant place, and a judge shall rise out of the West and declare unto all the inhabitants that his rulin' shall abide with ye olde Stick Figure - likened to a Singing Sword in a Rabbit's dwelling - declare it unto all nations that the time of The End quickly draws nigh and thou doeth well to kisseth thy butt-cheeks adios!
(If you making a rulin' for Frank Sinatra over Simon & Garfinkle isn't a sign of the impending Apocalypse, I surely don't know what is!)
~ D-FensDogG
ATTENTION PEOPLES!
ReplyDeleteIf you are interested in seeing the final vote tally for this 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' installment and my closing thoughts on it, you can put the following URL into your browser:
http://stmccpresentsbattleofthebands.blogspot.com/2024/12/botb-results-2024-dec-15-or-simon.html
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'