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Welcome back, my friends, to the "Battle" that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
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This is 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') where you listen to different recordings and vote for the one you like best. A new Battle gets posted on the 1st of each month and on the 7th, I place my own vote, tally 'em all up and announce the winner.
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Friend? Foe? Stranger? No matter, ALL are welcome. So pull up a chair, pour yourself 24 oz. of DOG BITE High Gravity Lager (or the poison of your choice) and turn it up to Eleven!
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[NOTE: Links to the first year of 'BOTB' (#1 - #24) can be found at the very bottom of this page.]

Friday, September 4, 2015

ALL THE SCRUPLES THAT GO DOWN IN GIN AND VERMOUTH

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DogGs & DogGettes ~

If you haven't yet voted on my current 'Battle Of The Bands' post, do that first by clicking HERE.

The dreaming has begun again. The last two nights I had some wild ones. 

I told my friend Gem Julie about the one the night before in her most recent blog bit's comment section ('Empty Nest Insider'). I was a librarian / security guard, and I was in trouble because I couldn't put the books away, etc. (I think it may have been the pickles, buttermilk, and candy "orange slices" I consumed just before bedtime.)

Last night, I was in a cool bar with my Pa. He was intoxicated and in jeopardy of being permanently banned from the bar, and I was trying to reason with him. After that, the dream started to get weird.


At some point much later, Keith, this guy I just recently met, entered the dream, and then so did my dear ol' saddle pal, Kathleen. She accidentally spilled some of my Gin & Tonic. She sipped some spillage from off the table top and said, "Ohhh...."

Well, according to Keith and Kathleen, I'm in jeopardy of dying soon. So, if you never hear from me again, you can assume that I or my computer (which has been acting up badly recently) died.

I woke up this morning with one of my all-time favorite Van Morrison songs playing in my mind.

Some bloggers will do almost anything, ANYTHING - jump through any hoop - to gain a new blog 'Follower', or to keep from losing a current 'Follower'. That's not me though. I prefer a 'Following' that is smaller, smarter, with strong scruples.

That's why I'm saying... if you don't like this song,
DON'T COME BACK!

[He's just joking.
 No, he's not!
 Yes, he is.
 No, he's not!
 Is.
 Isn't.
 Is!
 ISN'T!!]

'IF YOU ONLY KNEW' - Van Morrison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR191xUO4vk



If you haven't yet voted on my current 'Battle Of The Bands' post, do that last by clicking HERE.

~ Stephen T. McCarthy

47 comments:

  1. ~ D-FensDogG...
    I'd be concerned, but I've read some other blog bits from you. Your 'stuffs' IS different than the average bear, and yet you survive. Most of us would be intoxicated from the sweet & sour combo. Is it possible you're craving Chinese take out? (smile).

    Yeah, yeah, YEAH, you might be pregnant - (Gem Julie's cool, huh?). This is an opportunity of lifetime - I say keep it, raise it, pet it, and call it George!

    Gee, I was listening to some Van two days ago. You know, I participate, (mostly) in a battle that involves music. Hey, I'll bet while listening to Van, I suddenly remembered I needed to wash my vehicle. Well, gosh, that's practically like osmosis - thanks for the help! Whoa - confused? Me too.

    Whatever or whenever you go, turn briefly, smile, and wave goodbye. All I can do is watch from within the 'glittered wall.'

    Oh yeah - I like the song... if though I'm clueless about men.(smile)
    ~dp

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. dp ~
      Yeah, I know some Chinese I would like to "take out".

      Is that "George" as in George Ivan Morrison, or "George" as in George the greatest dog that ever lived?

      Gem Julie is way cool. Like a "Way Cool Mickey Sundae". (You won't get that. That's OK. Kathleen would get it, but she won't be here.)

      I'm pretty sure it's my computer that's about to go belly-up, and when that happens, I won't be able to buy a new one for a long time. So... it would probably be the last of me in BOTB... for a long time.

      ~ Mac

      Delete
    2. Where you goin'?

      There's no place better'n HERE.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    3. I'm concerned about my 'reasoning' abilities. (canned applause, thanks). I suspect that I would have a better experience if I wait, and comment, after reading whatever "DiscConnected" has to say. He's known you long enough to understand the gist of your blog bits.

      Me? I fumble with the gps, old speakers, double screen for reading lyrics, while the tune spins. That's okay, except I'm in a bar and I love gin... and I have followers because they think I have pig tails.

      You see, really? If you only knew (Ha!) I hope DiscConnected stays connected. I hate being lost.

      Delete
    4. You mean you DON'T have pigtails?

      I'm leaving now!

      Oh, wait! You said you "love gin"?

      I'm back now.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    5. Mac ~

      Pigtails - I don't want people to think I'm deceptive, but those 'pigtails' are about 10-11 inches, now. I like long hair and according to those who know me -it looks nice.

      OF course it's rare I wear the pigtails because they knock over drinks and stuff... kinda like whiplash (Ha!)

      I like gin. One of the best inventions, ever. Then again - my drinking days ceased, when I realized I could do better quality stupid stuff while sober.

      Maybe things would have been different if I'd have given up the straws. Yes, yes, I always used a straw - except with margaritas. I became addicted to straws. Attended SA meetings for a long ~ time... to no avail. Sad story... I'll let you read thee book... all two chapters. It includes a detailed bibliography.

      Mondays' the battle result day. I'll see you later.

      Delete
    6. Long hair is nice on women. On men, not so much... at all... unless his name is Jesus or Waylon.

      Gin is, of course, an absolutely essential drink, because without gin you have no Martini. Gin, Vermouth, and Green Olives - I never leave home without 'em.

      Lucky you're a woman because... "REAL MEN DON'T USE STRAWS".

      Yak Later, dp.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  2. Apparently, while you prefer a small following, you prefer that that following vote on your BOTB...

    LC

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely!

      You're still here so... I guess you liked the song, eh?
      [;-)}

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. One can never go wrong with Van The Man!

      Delete
  3. What I like about the song is the sax solo. That part's bloody brilliant. Van, well he's an Ulsterman from up North, I'm Sinn Fein, so we don't stand on the same side of the "get the British the fuck out of Northern Ireland" issue. But I can keep from smacking the life out of him long enough to like some of his tunes.

    I could clearly give a flying shit about the whole blogging/follower thing as I rarely post. I come here because I enjoy the discourse and even though we may not be in complete agreement on every song or every band the give and take is challenging.

    I hope the dream was nothing more than a weird and random firing of neurons and has no dire message.

    Be well Stephen.





    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ANNE O' ~

      >>... What I like about the song is the sax solo.

      Oh? Was there a sax solo in it? I hadn't noticed.

      Ha! It only blows the roof off the nightclub! (That would be the great Pee Wee Ellis on the saxophone. That guy could really play!)

      The whole thing grabs me right from the opening organ and sax notes. And I love the message, too.

      I'm not really up on the British issue in Ireland, but I generally don't like 'em anywhere. Ha! [:-)}
      In 1814 we took a little trip
      Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip
      We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
      And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans...

      Yeah, we don't always agree. But then "if we did, one of us would be unnecessary" - as my dear friend Linda Haley (aka Anniee451, aka Annie McPhee, aka LIndanniee) used to say before she died.

      But I think our BOTB votes are similar much more than dissimilar.

      I haven't had a drink in a week. I think THAT'S the cause of the nightmares. Damn! I need some gin and vermouth!

      Here my current BOTB winner hasn't even been decided yet and I'm already all fired up about my NEXT Battle on the 15th. I have already selected my song and my contenders, and I think yer gonna like this next one pretty well. A standard Jazz tune and two A-list recordings of it.

      I was whistling the tune at work all day yesterday, and a couple hours into the shift, my coworker was whistling it too! He was glad to get away from me after 4 hours of working together.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. I don't know why you don't like the British so much. One day you'll have to explain that to me so I can understand it. And if it is because of the "British Invasion", you'll need to explain that one in a more thorough way without kidding around.

      A Jazz standard next time around? Sounds good to me. The great thing about those standards is that they can be played and felt in so many different ways. And the same musicians can play the same song differently on two different nights. If you're playing out regularly, it keeps you from getting bored. So depending on the bands, the next one could be a mind bender for me.

      It's a holiday weekend Stephen, pop open a cold one, throw some veggies on the grill, turn on some good music and you'll have better dreams tonight. Heck, you might even dream there's a world without British people in it :0)



      Delete
    3. >>... Heck, you might even dream there's a world without British people in it :0)

      Oh, I should be so lucky!
      Actually, in all seriousness, I really DON'T despise the British. Not even the "Englishers". I've met some I've liked a whole lot, and others not at all. Just like it is with me and Black people, Mexican people, and Polish people. ...Well, maybe not the Pollock Meatheads. Ha!

      I don't even dislike the British Invasion. Those aren't amongst my favorite bands, but I like some of their tunes, and they definitely enriched Pop/Rock music. No problems. I just joke around a lot and leave it to others to figure out when I'm being serious, and just HOW MUCH seriousness when I am being serious.

      >>... And the same musicians can play the same song differently on two different nights.

      Sure! Improvisation is one of the most notable aspects about Jazz. It keeps it fresh for the musicians and the audience.

      In fact, one of my two next contenders (a famous name in Jazz) had two very different versions of the same tune at YouTube. I liked one better'n the other, but the one I liked best was with a video that I didn't feel worked right for the song.

      But when I turned up the volume on the "other" video version - the one I liked less - I suddenly discovered that I liked it even MO'! With the sound down, there were things I was missing.

      So, now I get to post the better version with a video that works just right for it, too.

      Got the cold ones and a great movie selected for tonight. No grill and no veggies, but I've got 'Steve's' Small Batch Bourbon Vanilla ice cream to eat. Fantastic ice cream from Brooklyn, N.Y.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  4. I am keeping my fingers crossed 'cos my computer seems to be working again. Ahhh dreams-I have some , excuse the language, batshit crazy dreams (sorry). I have been dreaming lately that I am smacking the hell out of my hubby in bed only to "wake up" from my dream and tell my hubby and then we proceed to walk through women's clothing stores-the same stores I have dreamed about for decades. So I have had a dream within a dream. There were aliens involved, cops, and a smelly bum on the street but can't remember much more. Oh well...what would Freud say?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BIRGIT, Freud would say it's a clear case of you hating and wanting to torture your husband in every imaginable way.

      Dr. McCarthy agrees, but will add that usually Freud doesn't know what he's yakking about. He's a mentally deranged, dirty old man. In this case, however, he's having a rare lucid moment. Ha!

      I too have had dreams within dreams. Wrote about one here not too long ago - 3 months ago, approximately.

      And one time I had a dream, and the next night I had a second dream that interpreted the dream from the night before.

      Yep, me and my dreams are... peculiar.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  5. WHAT?? Someone else is claiming she has pigtails?! I thought I had a trademark...or something like that...on pigtails! :D Just kiddin'
    As far as dreams go, I've had some doozies lately, but I don't think I'd share any of them publicly. Not that they're "bad" or too weird, just would rather only tell a few close friends, ya know?? I sure hope your computer doesn't breakdown, but if it does...I'll take some e-mails! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HeyHo, BECKY-O! ~
      We can make some money here with this one. We'll call it 'XTREME PIGTAIL PUMMELING'. You and Dixie battle it out in a ring to determine who has the rights to wear pigtails. Me, I'll promote the event and sell tickets. And I'll split 30% of the profits with you and Dixie, 20% going to the winner. Deal? We can ALL make money, because, hell, it's 2015 and people will pay to see ANY form of violence. We're all demented and Spiritually sick, so there's money to be had.

      I'm so far behind on Emails right now that I think I'll never catch up.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. Oh no! Not my pigtails; we've been together a long time. There's the occasional bun for fun, but I'm not a head for charity.(Well, I could be.)

      I'm not tickled with that percentage deal, either. I can be fair, though. You can delete my email and write Becky instead. I understand - business is business (smile).

      ~ pigitails forever

      Delete
    3. Dear Pigtails Forever ~
      I'm already writing Becky, so no need for me to delete yer Emails.

      So, it's all about the money for you, eh? Here I am trying to give the people what they want - some violent entertainment - so they can temporarily forget about their drug and government-wrecked lives, and all you can think about is... the money.

      Have you no empathy for The People? Have you no understanding of the bigger picture? "Let us not assassinate my idea further, Dixie. You have done enough. Have you left no sense of decency, ma'am, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

      Now, get in that ring and start fighting, and I don't want to hear another word about it!
      [;-)}

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    4. Oh well, as long as it's not about money, and there's no skimpy attire, etc... I'll give it a shot. And I'd like to see some drinks with tiny umbrellas in them. I'm delicate, you know... Maybe you don't know.

      FYI~ IMHO~I'm the most empathetic person you'll never meet. Look - do your BOTB job, sir, and let's do pigtails at the county fair! I'll be the one kicking and screaming the whole way. Yeah, I'm enthusiastic too. Yee-hi!

      Delete
    5. PIGTAIL POLKA ~
      Nuttin' wrong with them kinda drinks, but you know I'd say: "Bring the drink, hold the umbrella."

      Glad to see you're finally getting with the program, even if you are kicking and screaming the whole way. [;-)}

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    6. This exchange of comments is making me laugh, Mr. Stephen T, but I bet you haven't even explained to Dixie why I claim the pigtails! No matter, 'cause I'm not gettin' into any ring and doin' any 'XTREME PIGTAIL PUMMELING'. I am definitely anti-violence and a peace-lovin' gal. Thought of you this weekend and hoped you had a day off!

      Delete
    7. BECKY-O! ~
      No, I haven't explained to her why you claim the pigtails. But neither have I explained why you claim those "other" hairs either. So, it all balances out, I think. Ha!

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    8. Yuk, yuk! Touche' and all that stuff ~

      Delete
    9. ~ D-FensDogG...
      Earlier, I got on the wrong comment thread! I stopped back by, and see I've lost the Pigtail claim, and the 'XTREME PIGTAIL PUMMELING' event has been canceled?

      My work here is done.

      Delete
    10. Too bad. I think it was gonna be a real money-maker.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    11. I've loved this little conversation! It made it worthwhile to get on Blogger the last few days! Great meeting you, btw, Dixie!

      Delete
    12. Sorry, ~D-FensDogG...you'll have to find me another pummeling partner. dp


      Thanks, Becky! If all of my mistakes turned into blessings for someone, I wouldn't be concerned with karma on the first half of my life (smile). Dixie

      Delete
    13. OK, I declare this contest a tie! And why not? I'm used to winding up with ties on my blog.

      You may each keep one pigtail.
      (In some circles, I believe that's called a ponytail.)

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  6. I didn't know this song (shame on me, being a true Van Fan), but unfortunately I do know all about scruples going down in gin and vermouth (make mine Bombay, please). That said (did I say it out loud) I love, Love, LOVE the song. That sax is exhilarating (it usually is). OK, enough with all the parenthetical quotes; glad to hear your dreaming again, may your dreams be more pleasant than mine are recently, way more pleasant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FAE ~
      I dream of Bombay Sapphire and any ol' Vermouth, with three bleu cheese-stuffed olives on a stick. That's pretty pleasant.

      Yeah, this is one of those great R&B-like barnburners that Van liked to record every so often. I'm a big fan of 'em.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  7. Yo, didn't I already tell you to stop yakkin' about your crazy ass dreams?

    Also, that Von Morricone guy is okay, but he's no Justin Timberpond. That video contained no choreographed dancing whatsoever. 0 stars.

    ~6B

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 6-B ~
      Yes, you DID tell me to stop yakkin' about my crazy-assed dreams, but I have not begun following instructions yet. That's not scheduled to begin until Arbor Day.

      [That was an oft used expression by The League Of Soul Crusaders in the very early 1980s. It would go something along these lines:

      STMcC: "Man, we really gotta get that front lawn mowed!"
      NAPPY: "Twinkie, tell him!"
      TWINKIE: "Yeah, we'll do that on Arbor Day."

      Every unpleasant task always got put off until "Arbor Day". Why Arbor Day? Because... Does Anybody Really Know What Day That Is? Ha!]


      Sorry, but you're required to give Von Morricone at least 1 star. At Amazon.scum a reviewer cannot give less than 1 star, and I have patterned my blog after BigBitch.com because you know what a devoted fan I am of that company.

      So... it's either give Von 1 star, or give him nothing!
      "Whoops! That didn't come out right" (as Carol would say).

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  8. Always like Van Morrison, he's a classic. Went to the BOTBs and voted, albeit a little late to the party.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, D.G.
      And it's not "late" if it's in time to be counted in the final tally. And it was.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  9. Whenever I start off telling my wife, "I really had a weird dream this morning..." I always have to catch myself--have I ever had a dream that wasn't weird?

    I thought I'd heard just about everything done by Van Morrison, but maybe I'm missing some albums--well, I know I'm missing anything that may have come out by him in the last 10 years..

    I like that song, but I don't recall every hearing it. What album did it come from?

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LEE ~
      I've had some dreams that weren't "TOO" weird. But most of 'em definitely get pretty wild. The mind runs wild and therefore, so do the dreams.

      'IF YOU ONLY KNEW' comes from the 1985 album 'A SENSE OF WONDER'. There are some other great songs on that collection.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. I "discovered" Van Morrison in 1987 with Poetic Champions Compose and in that year bought most of his back catalog. I either missed Sense of Wonder or don't remember it. If I do have it I apparently never listened to it much. I'll have to see if I have it somewhere.

      Arlee Bird
      A to Z Challenge Co-host
      Tossing It Out

      Delete
    3. Hokey-Smoke! I can't believe you didn't get into Van until 1987! He was one of the most respected Rock songwriters and performers from the late 1960s and early '70s.

      'Poetic Champions Compose' is a great album. One of my very favorites by Morrison. 'Into The Music' is another must-have. And to this day, I've not found anyone who dislikes the song 'Cleaning Windows'.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  10. Dreams - better to have them than to not have them. I had to take some medicine for a year that made all dreaming cease. It was the weirdest thing and totally unpleasant. Thankfully, that is over!

    When I have dreams about family that had departed, it is kind of comforting.

    By the way, you're not going anywhere...doctor's orders.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DOC CHERDO ~
      Yeah, I've been "visited" in dreams, too. A few of them quite profound.

      Just when I thought I was "free-eeeee", the Doctor orders me to stay.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  11. After a couple gin and tonics, I doubt I'm the "smarter, with scruples" type, but if we're both a little tipsy, who will take notice.

    I haven't heard Van in a while. Thanks for the song. Lots of memories tonight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DONNA ~
      Scruples are probably a bit overrated anyway.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  12. I think we're all in jeopardy of dying. All the time. Maybe they're just trying to tell you to be a bit more aware of your surroundings. For the record, I'd miss you so I'd really appreciate it if you stayed alive. And that's my vote in this installment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GIRL WONDER ~
      So in this installment of 'Battle Of The Breathing', you vote for Life. Me, I'm voting for Mr. Brink (aka The Grim Reaper). So far, it's a tie.

      We need to get some other voters. I insist that Andrew LOLeon and Darkness Of Night get a chance to vote, too. There are a few others I can think of who might give Team Stephen a boost. Ha!

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete

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