Alright, let’s get on it...
Most of you BOTBers weren't participating in this blogfest two years ago today, when I published my "Post-Super Bowl Blowout Special Edition" of Battle Of The Bands. That was when the Seattle Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl 48, and for BOTB I used the song "Get Out Of Denver" by Bob Seger (against the Eddie & The Hot Rods cover version).
Here we are two years later to the very day, and this time the five and a half point underdog Denver Broncos have defeated the seemingly invincible and cocky-as-hell Carolina Panthers led by egomaniac jackass Cam "Superman" Newton. We're calling this one the "Post-Super Bowl Gloatfest Special Edition" (Or, "STMcC'S Excessive Celebrating").
I'll start by saying that Cam Newton's Papa and my Papa are One and the same. We were both created by the same Father in Heaven. Therefore, it is my sincere hope that someday Newton will find some humility. Instead of believing his own press clippings and being so full and overflowing of himself, he ought to take to heart the words of Jesus: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)
The problem with Cam "Superman" Newton (but didn't he LOVE that nickname though?) and the rest of his cocky, over-confident team was that they thought all they had to do was SHOW UP for Super Bowl 50 and it was all over. But Denver had other ideas.
I call him "Shaft Newton" because Cam just thinks he is So-ooooooo Coo-oooo-ool.
Shaft
Who's the black private dick
That's a sex machine to all the chicks?
(Shaft!)
You're damn right
Who is the man
That would risk his neck for his brother man?
(Shaft!)
Can ya dig it?
Who's the cat that won't cop-out
When there's danger all about?
(Shaft!)
Right on
You see this cat Shaft is a bad mother--
(Oops! The Broncos Shut yo' mouth!)
Some folks be tryin' to say that Whitey don't like Cam because he be Black. And college-educated Cam, he say: “I’ve said this since day one. I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to.”
In a way, he's right. I ain't never seen no quarterback-"cat" before who "copped-out" when there was "danger all about" and didn't try to recover his own fumble when his team was down by only 6 points with 4 minutes left to play in the biggest sporting event on the planet. Yep! Cam "Superman" Newton, he be one-of-a-kind!
As far as his being Black is concerned, I couldn't care less. When I was a kid, my favorite baseball player was this guy...
 |
| VON JOSHUA - DODGERS' OUTFIELDER |
And as an adult, my all-time favorite football player is this guy...
Race don't mean nuttin' to me! I don't care what a person's skin color is. If they have no sense of humility, if they rub their opponent's nose in it every time they defeat them and dance around like a clown (or "Dab" around like a jerkwad) to celebrate their superiority over their opponent, I don't like 'em - period.
I didn't like Muhammad Ali's antics (even though I never took them too seriously). And White athletes whom I've strongly disliked because of their "over-the-top" celebrations and/or over-inflated egos are Mark Gastineau, Brian Bosworth, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers.
All season long Cam smiled BIG for the camera, danced, "Dabbed", pretended to pull his jersey open to reveal a pretend Superman emblem on his chest. And he mocked his opponents by taking team pictures while the Panthers were still in the process of crushing their rivals.
Cam had said that if other teams didn't like his dancing and excessive celebrating, then they should just stop him from scoring. That's exactly what Denver did in Super Bowl 50 while sacking him six times and forcing him to fumble twice. Both of his fumbles resulted in touchdowns for Denver, accounting for the 14-point margin of victory for Denver. The Broncos did what Cam requested and then Cam didn't like it. He didn't like it so much that he fell to the turf in a tantrum...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deA5FOwG5po
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU0HDo_v9No
..."Superman" decided not to risk his body to recover his own fumble...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJhdVrnSGUE
...and after giving very curt answers in the post-game interview, he scowled and abruptly got up and left after only 2 or 3 minutes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld0zRn-sW0w
"Superman" my ass! Try "spoiled rotten, race card-hustling, 'African-American' brat who's had it way too good for his own good!" (This Whitey writing this blog bit wishes he had been blessed with all that Cam Newton got free-of-charge from God!)
There's nothing wrong with Cam that a healthy dose of reality won't cure. (Let's hope that his crushing Super Bowl defeat was enough. Although I doubt it will be. Overcoming 26 years of a sense of Corporate-Socialist Entitlement is not undone in one Super Bowl loss.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5YvzK3zW
The first 3 minutes of this video HERE should give you all the Cam Newton bullshit you can stomach.
After Super Bowl Sunday (which was played on neutral turf in San Francisco), the Social Media was awash in anti-Cam comments. Here are some I liked...
Sing it, Cam: "I left my cape in San Francisco..."
Superman turned into The Incredible Sulk.
"Superman" Cam jumped back from that fumbled football like it was kryptonite! I cam, I saw (stars), I didn't conquer. Q: Why is Cam Newton like a Fig Newton? A: They are both soft and crumble under pressure. The guy could cure cancer and he'd still be a dick.I woke up the morning after the Super Bowl with the following song in my mind. It had been on my "To Use In BOTB Someday" list since Day 1. I had no idea why I woke up with it on the brain that Monday morning, but when I played it, suddenly the "Bad Karma" lyrics answered the riddle.
Further on up the road
Someone's gonna hurt you like you hurt me ...
Further on up the road,
Baby, just you wait and see.
You gotta reap just what you sow;
That old saying is true ...
Just like you mistreat someone,
Someone's gonna mistreat you.
You been laughing, pretty baby,
Someday you're gonna be crying ...
Further on up the road
You'll find out I wasn't lying
Cam, all da crap you DO gonna come back to YOU!
Here are your contestants; choose the version of this Blues-Rock classic you prefer. But remember, it's about the music ONLY, and not the visuals.
First, the influential 'THE BAND' (one of my favorite Roots Rock groups ever). On Thanksgiving night in 1976, they played their final concert together (called "The Last Waltz") and guesting on songs with them was a slew of really famous friends - A-list Rock and Blues artists.
I really like how at the 49-second mark, when Clapton's guitar strap suddenly popped off, Robbie Robertson - like the pro he was - immediately stepped in with a blistering impromptu lead until Clapton was put back together and ready to resume the lead guitar spot. For anyone who's worked in theatre, you know it's like being ready to step in and save the day when a fellow actor has forgotten their line. You always gotta be able to ad lib if necessary:
'FURTHER ON UP THE ROAD' - Eric Clapton with The Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WDmMWF83x4
In my 37th BOTB contest one year and two weeks ago, Gary Moore went up against guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan and beat him 11-6. Can he pull off another upset underdog victory against the legendary Eric Clapton backed by the equally legendary "THE" Band? Can Moore play Broncos to Eric's Panthers? We'll see...
'FURTHER ON UP THE ROAD' - Gary Moore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzi7WCfD0nI
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
Voice Your Vote @ ‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 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.
@ 'DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JANIE JUNEBUG, RIGHTING & EDITING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'J.A. SCOTT' by clicking HERE.
@ 'NOVELBREWS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'QUIET LAUGHTER' by clicking HERE.
@ 'REINVINTAGED' by clicking HERE.
@ 'HOLLI'S HOOTS & HOLLERS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'EVIL POP TART' by clicking HERE.
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.
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
Moore's version is more clean, but with this bluesy tune the muddier Clapton gets my vote
ReplyDeleteThanks for your vote, MIKE.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
ATTENTION: BOTB Voters...
ReplyDeletePlease be aware that for the next three days (Mon., Feb. 15th thru Wed., Feb. 17th) I will be working 12.5 hour days (6:00AM to 6:30PM).
Therefore, I will not be able to respond much to comments posted here nor be able to cast my own votes on your BOTBs until Thursday. I promise I will make it to YOUR Battle before the February 21st deadline for voting.
After all, THIS is voting for things that really count. Unlike that phony U.S. Presidential election where we get "more o' da same" regardless of whom we vote for.
Don't give up on me, Peoples! I'll cast my vote on your Battles before the fat lady sings.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I don't care about Cam Newton, the Superbowl, or much else about sports so I haven't been following any of that too much. I don't like when sports figures (or others for that matter) seem to think we should worship them and they deserve more than they actually deserve. I got a kick out of Cassius Clay's antics and showmanship until he changed his name and became a jerk for a "cause"--I've got no respect for him now.
ReplyDeleteThe Band is one of my favorite groups and The Last Waltz is a great concert film. However I'm going to have to go with Gary Moore's version.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Whoah! Your vote totally caught me by surprise this time. I would have bet the farm you were gonna side with Clapton and The Band.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
I thought Tom Brady had an UNDER-inflated ego?
ReplyDelete“Straight Outta Mayberry” Newton is a gifted athlete. So is Tiger Woods, and Serena Williams for that matter. Seen the same bad behavior from them too when the cow chips were down. I don’t think they’ll ever really get it either. Can’t have everything, I guess.
Can I split my vote? If no, Gary Moore, just because the sound quality was better.
Sig/2
SIG DOS ~
Delete>>... I thought Tom Brady had an UNDER-inflated ego?
>>... “Straight Outta Mayberry” Newton
Ha!-Ha!
No. Brady's balls are UNDER-inflated, while his ego is OVER-inflated.
But "Straight Outta Mayberry" is an INSTANT CLASSIC!
Well, Serena and Woods... you know 'bout "Roid Rage", right? But with Cam, I think it's just Ego Rage.
Thanks for your vote, SigBro.
~ D-FensDogG
OMG-Apples and oranges! They are both excellent to me. Today, though I will go with Clapton because the ending on Moore's version grated just a bit but that is still minor. I never follow sports but I dislike sore losers or winners in any area. I know you are working up a storm but, when you get a chance, how is that movie thing I did (I was a part of) last year going? I know you have been very busy so just checking...I am curious how it turned out.
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteTime constraints have put a crimp in the TOP 25 MOVIES project, but it's NOT DEAD! We WILL complete it. I intend to call my partner about it this week and see where we are.
It's taking way, Way longer than expected, but I promise it will eventually get posted, and I'll make sure you're aware of it, my friend.
~ D-FensDogG
I am so tired of everything being about race. It's not that Newton showboats a little too much (like his celebration when scoring that last touchdown against Arizona when the outcome of the game was settled half the game before)-it's that I am afraid of a black quarterback.
ReplyDeleteI don't care how big he is, Cam is acting like a punk. And I will think of him as a punk until he grows up.
On to the music-love both versions, and both being live versions keeps me honest (would usually defer to the studio).
This one is REAL tough.
I like the pacing a little better on the band version, but man those keys on the Moore version (and the whole dueling licks thing going on there).
I think I am going to go with Gary. Probably because he's Irish and I am racist.
RACIST LC ~
DeleteThanks for your vote.
Yeah, the "Race Card" has been so overused that the least racist person I can think of (me) is starting to change his mind little by little. That certain percentage is starting to push me beyond what I think I can reasonably resist.
Of course, I know it's the Marxists (and there are many of them now) who are doing the race hustling. But the fact that so many brain-dead millenials are buying into it is affecting my attitudes toward them.
Yeah, I knew you would vote for Gary. Not because his version is better but because you're a racist. It's good to know that some things DON'T change.
[:o)
~ D-FensDogG
This was close-I realized I am due to rewatch The Last Waltz.
DeleteIn the end, I voted for the Irish guy-because I am half Irish and that's racist!
Well, it's AT LEAST "half racist" anyway.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
I'm right there with ya regarding Cam Newton. I absolutely cannot stomach that guy! He's so cocky and so arrogant. And if I didn't already dislike him before the Superbowl, he grew to make me sick the way he acted at the Press Conference after the game. What a sore loser!! He showed his true colors there, that's for sure. Can't stand him!!! I'm sooooo happy that he lost!
ReplyDeleteAs for your battle: well, this is a tough one for sure but I just can't vote against Eric Clapton. Gary Moore really rocks it though, doesn't he?! I like Clapton's voice better though. Even though this was a tough choice, please give my vote to Clapton. I bet this one will be close though. Will be interesting to see how it turns out. Both are winners in my book...
Hey, don't work too hard! Take care of yourself...
Michele at Angels Bark
MICHELE ~
DeleteYeah, Cam gave me a reason to care about the Super Bowl.
I was rooting hard for Denver, but internally only - NOT externally.
Because, you see, I watched the game at a local bar. For the entire first half, it was just me and the old Black bartender who seemed like a really nice guy. (Out of his own pocket, he'd purchased snacks for the viewers and made Bar-B-Que'd wings.)
He happened to mention that he'd bet $40. on the Panthers, so I would have felt bad for him if I had vociferously rooted for the Broncos. Believe me, I was cheering loudly, but internally ONLY, so as not to make the old Black man behind the bar feel worse.
And that goes to show you just how very racist I am.
~ D-FensDogG
The Band!!! I have The Last Waltz and never tire of watching it (or Robbie Robertson). Have always loved the Band whether with Dylan or on their own. AND I can't believe anyone beat out SRVaughn, I have a huge poster of that guy I bought in Florida and shipped home. . .
ReplyDeleteD.G. ~
DeleteThanks for coming by and voting again.
I own 'THE LAST WALTZ' on both CD and DVD, and I watch the entire concert at least once a year. In between viewings, I listen to the CD.
One of the greatest Rock concerts ever, for sure.
~ D-FensDogG
First it was Diana Krall, now it's Aaron Rogers? Is it not safe to visit this site any more? Who's next?
ReplyDeleteOh, but anyway. On to the vote. I think both versions are great. I could listen to either. For this battle, since I have to choose, I'm going to go with the band that I pick. You know who I mean right? You know which is the band I'm going to pick right? Yes, exactly, that's The Band I'm talking about. Give them my vote. :D
Oh behave Jeffrey, behave.
Well, JEFFY, we may not hear ear-to-ear when it comes to Diana Krall. And we may not be cheer-to-cheer when it comes to Aaron Rogers. But... we'll always have Paris. Or is it "We'll always have the diner"?
DeleteOne question though...
Which band are you voting for? Is it Gary Moore or The Band?
Well, I'll just put you down for "Diana Rogers".
~ D-FensDogG
HA HA HA!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a GREAT tie in to the Super Bowl and Cam Neuteron. Seeing him fail this year was ALMOST as wonderful as seeing my Seahawks clobber Denver two years ago!
And Denver's clobbering taught them that they needed defense like the Hawks... so they spent two years working to get it and it paid off.
Your written evisceration of Cam is one the best things I've read in a while! Excellent, and as fine as anything I've read on the professional websites. Plus, being a non-PC blogger, you can properly attack his whole "if you criticize me it is because you are racist" bullshit. That ploy is only his attempt to keep people from correctly labeling him a spoiled baby who can dish it out but cannot take it.
As to the music, there is not wrong answer here. As is pretty standard with your BOTB contests, both are great versions. I vote for Clapton and The Band. I like Moore's, but he loses me a little bit in the middle with all that noodling around and trading back and forth with the organ.
This was a good one, McBrother!!!!
When it comes to football or any other sport, I feel that the team that's hungriest wins the day. I made the decision four years ago to forego the hype and sensationalism that seems common to it all. Though the Panthers are stationed in my hometown, they lost me, when they lost the first Super Bowl chance. Aw - too bad.
ReplyDeleteTough battle. Gary Moore rocks it but today (I may think differently tomorrow) but the Band gets my vote. I wanted this song a little bit quieter. Ha!
Enjoy work...see you when you get time.
DIXIE POLKA ~
DeleteI just got an Email from Cam Newton and he told me to tell you that the only reason he stunk it up in the Super Bowl, causing Carolina to lose, is because he couldn't hear any cheering for him coming from you.
You see? Cam has found a new scapegoat and it's... YOU. Bad Dixie! Bad Dixie!
OK, your vote for the "ballad" version has been duly recorded.
~ D-FensDogG
Great blog bit, great battle, great songs. And hey, what you said about Cam is spot on. Maybe one day the kid will get his act together at which point I won't hold anything against him. After all, them being our "opponents" aside, there's a huge difference between being confident and being a gloating jackass, and as ol' Andy said, there's always a way to lose gracefully. That's the only reason I don't like Cam at present time, and was so happy to see him go down like that, but naturally I'm not a Carolina Panthers hater. I've really got nothing against them otherwise. As lifelong Broncos fans, we save our disdain for the Raiders and the Patriots... where it belongs.
ReplyDeleteAs for the battle, we first heard the Clapton version and thought, "Wow, that's gonna be hard to top." But then Gary came on and man, he rocked the hell out of that song. It's close, very close, and both were really enjoyable, but that extra tiny bit of juice that Gary Moore put into his earned both of our votes.
~6B
6-B ~
DeleteThanks for the kind words.
But I gotta say, the votes are getting predictable.
My next BOTB is going to be Paul Simon versus Lady GagGag, and I expect you to vote for GagGag (that's NO "lady"!) or else I'll want you to send me all that beer back.
Seriously, Clapton and The Band went "up to eleven". But who knew there was a "twelve"?!
~ D-FensDogG
Excellent battle! And a tough competition here. Gary Moore did sound a bit cleaner, but I prefer Clapton and The Band's version. Blues should be played gritty and dirty, and that's how Clapton and The Band sounded to me. Therefore, my vote goes to Clapton and The Band.
ReplyDelete~Mary Burris
Jingle Jangle Jungle
Thanks, MARY. I hear ya. The Blues should be a little muddy... and I guess that's why Muddy (Waters) was one of the greatest.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThis is the CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER. It is my responsibility to enforce all the laws that haven't been passed yet. It is also my responsibility to alert each and every one of you to the potential consequences of various ordinary everyday activities you might be performing which could eventually lead the THE DEATH PENALTY, or impact your parents credit rating. Our institutions are full of little creeps like you who do wrong things. Many of them were driven to these crimes by a horrible force called MUSIC!
Our studies have shown that this horrible force is so dangerous to society at large that laws are being drawn up at this very moment to stop it forever! Cruel and inhuman punishments are being carefully described in tiny paragraphs so they won't conflict with the Constitution (which itself is being modified in order to accommodate THE FUTURE).
-Frank Zappa from Joe's Garage
BR'ER MARC ~
DeleteOK, I've recorded your vote for Zappa. It's probably the ONLY vote he's going to get in this Battle, but at least he didn't get shutout.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen, I prefer humility in athletes, too. I like seeing athletes performing in the spirit of good conduct. There is a whole of silliness going on the field, as well as unnecessary roughness and in-your-face ugliness. These athletes are an embarrassment to their team, their fans, and humanity. In my opinion, they need to be taken to the wood shed. Now onward to the battle. I'm not sure why it is, but Gary Moore gets my vote. I think I liked the music arrangement and his vocals a bit better over all. Good battle, my friend.
ReplyDeleteCATHY ~
DeleteI'm with you. My all-time favorite athlete - me - was always very humble. (Of course I also had good reason to be.)
For your vote, Gary thanks you, his mother thanks you, his guitar thanks you, his groupies thank you, and his roadies thank you. So... thank you.
~ D-FensDogG
Clapton and The Band get my vote on this one. While both were bluesy, I preferred Clapton's version better. A slightly slower roll, but not too much so. The pace was just right!
ReplyDeleteThanks, KIM. I've got you down for the "slower roll".
Delete~ D-FensDogG
The first was everything you would expect from Clapton and The Band. Gary Moore started out great, but I founde myself liking it less and less the longer it went. I'm going with Slowhand here...
ReplyDeleteOK, JOHN, "Slowhand" with an assist from Robbie.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
As we just learned from our email exchange, the very early comment that I tried to post was eaten by Blogger.com
ReplyDeleteI may come back later and re-create it, but probably not.
Suffice it to say: it was clever, brilliant, and full of football and music references. I heaped praise on your blog bit as one of the BEST things written about Newton that I've read, and I've read a lot.
And for tons of (now secret) nuanced reasons, I vote Clapton.
SHEBOYGANBOY SIX ~
DeleteAgain, I'm so sorry your original, A-list comment got eaten by the Blogger Demon. But this one was still pretty nice.
Your compliment is greatly appreciated.
In the Super Bowl, Cam was a Newt... but maybe he'll "get better".
~ D-FensDogG
Al Bondigas here. Woow, this one was close. So close you couldn't put a thread through it. It's really fun to watch Clapton play, he handles that guitar so effortlessly. This could really go either way, but I'm (for today anyway) rulin' for Gary Moore. I really enjoyed all of the musical accompaniments in the Moore version. I enjoyed them in Clapton's version with 'The Band' also, but just a slight edge for Moore's, at least for today. Did Pooh clock in and get it wrong yet? It's funny, every single year a quarterback comes out on the losing end in the Super bowl, but I dont ever recall a bigger cry baby pouter after all of those Super Bowls. Anyway, I'm goin with Moore. That's it. That's my rulin'. I think.
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL ~
DeleteOh, yeah, Gal Newton is truly one-of-a-kind. sHe probably would have accepted the loss better if it hadn't been "that time of the month".
You know, when everything comes too easily to you in life, it warps the mind. (At least that's what I've heard. But since not much has come easily to me in life, I can't speak to that from experience. If only I'd been born big, Black, and athletic...)
Pooh voted YOUR way this time. Apparently he's gone back to the bottle :o)
~ D-FensDogG
Mr. McCarthy, Another close call and challenging BOTB. I like the version put forth by Eric Clapton and the Band and liked your observation about Robbie Robertson. But I just felt more energized by Gary Moore's version and it's not just because he was in Thin Lizzy. Now there, you have it, that's my vote. Liked your observations about the Superbowl and missed the annual call to remind me about the slap heard around the world and the busted lip.
ReplyDeleteJW,
Pooh
GENERAL POOHREGARD ~
DeleteI kinda thought Gary might getcher vote on this one. The Thin Lizzy connection; the Irish connection; the high-powered, cranked "up to eleven" connection.
"THE SLAP HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD"...
Ha!-Ha! Oh, man, I didn't even think of it. I guess just too many years have flowed under the bridge now. But that's HILARIOUS!
Had I remembered, I WOULD have called ya. But (correct me if I'm wrong) I believe that "traditionally" that call is supposed to be made by Nappy or Walsh.
Thanks for your vote, Brother. Now go eat sumpin' GREEN! (Come on, Eileen! Er... I mean, Pooh.)
~ D-FensDogG
Yup, it was Nappy's or Walsh's accountability and tradition. Check out my Epic European Extravaganza website www.mikeylynch.com (you need not publish that)
DeleteStephen - Loved the special Forrest Gump effects of inserting Newton's head onto little Opie's body! You can never have too much Mayberry wisdom about sore losers!
ReplyDeleteGary Moore's version had a little more oomph, so he gets my vote.
Julie
GEM JULIE ~
Delete>>... You can never have too much Mayberry wisdom about sore losers!
Dang! That's what I always say, too! I've been saying that for 30 years! Until now, I just didn't know you felt the same way. (Ha!)
That video (the second one where Opie/Cam is all slumped over on the couch) went viral in, like, two days after the Super Bowl.
I actually had an online discussion with the young man, Gilly Kidd, who created it. He told me that the morning after the Super Bowl, his local TV station just happened to show that particular episode of 'The Andy Griffith Show' (which he watches every single morning) and hearing the exchange between Andy and Opie it got him thinking about Cam Newton. And the rest is history.
Thanks for your vote, dear friend!
~ D-FensDogG
I've had a terrible migraine the last couple days. Since you gave me forwarning that this was gonna be a rock 'n roll guitar fest, I saved your battle for today. The day I woke up not thinking about axing off my own head.
ReplyDeleteTurns out this song was pretty darn good. I also enjoyed the blog bit. I might be the least interested in sports person you'll ever meet. I didn't know until after the game who was playing in it. Ah well. However, even I've seen clips of Cam Newton acting like a crybaby. I'm hoping he learned something here. There is this line between confidence (super sexy and healthy) and over-inflated ego (distasteful all the way around and unhealthy). Maybe this experience will help him find the other side of that line.
I was watching a crime drama the other day off the DVR and this black teen tries to use the black card on his foster mother (also black) and she stopped him cold by saying, "Don't even think of trying to pull that card on me." of course, she could say that because she's black, but I think it speaks to the fact that the card is being overused to the point that it's farce. Reminds me of the boy who cried wolf. Each time someone throws it out there as their "get out of jail free card" just because they got nothing else... it makes genuine issues less credible.
Besides that, most white folks I know are turning themselves into pretzels NOT to offend anyone. You can only twist yourself up so far before there's nowhere left to twist. I think that's why Icky Donald Trump has gained so much traction. He just says whatever UnPC thing he wants (which a whole bunch of people want to do). The problem (for me) is that he's... Donald Trump.
Well, I guess my work here is done.
No, wait, I need to vote on the song. I really like that bit with Eric Clapton and his strap. RR jumped right in there and "saved the day." And the guitar solos were good. Really an enjoyable performance. But you know me... I must factor in the lyrics (the singing!). I thought Gary Moore sang the heck out of this song. Much cleaner than Clapton. And the guitar work was excellent. Yes, I can appreciate it (even if it isn't my favorite). So, give my vote to Gary Moore.
Top-notch, A-list, Best O' Blog comment there, GIRL WONDER!
DeleteAnd Hokey-Smoke! You really surprised me here. Coming into this Battle, the two things I was absolutely sure of was that you and Lee would vote for Clapton & The Band.
Wrong! and Wrong!
Yeah, the whole race card thing is beyond what most of us reasonable people can even tolerate now. And it's mostly these millenials who have been conditioned, brainwashed, dumbed-down, and propagandized by the race-hustling Marxists like Jesse Jackson and his ilk.
As you know, I grew up in very racially diverse Los Angeles in the 1970s and we had very few real racial problems. I mean, sure, there will always be some scattered racists of all colors here and there. But overall, we had few problems. In my neighborhoods, we all got along very well.
I knew lots of Black guys due to all the athletics my Brother and I were involved in. I'd walk into "Stop & Stab" (not its real name), a liquor store in a worse part of town, and I'd see Black guys I knew. We'd exchange some greetings before leaving.
In a very Black part of town, my White family would go to the annual 'Soul Food Night' feast and fit right in. There would be Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, and you wouldn't hear a single racist word spoken. No arguments, no fights. Just fun and good food!
But the further we get from Slavery and the Civil War, and after decades of Affirmative Action, we hear more and more about racism. What's wrong with this picture? Obviously, this is manufactured bullshit. And certain Black, White, and Mexican Marxists are behind it.
I'm glad you waited to vote on this Battle until your head didn't feel like a pain in the ass. And I'm pleased as Picon Punch that you found the recordings enjoyable, rather than the torture I anticipated.
AND... someone trip that fat lady! This Battle may not be over yet. Gary Moore has just scored the last 4 votes in a row.
Gary don't know this is just a damn show. He thinks it's a damn fight!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Still can't decide. I fear Clapton and The Band may have gotten an unfair advantage last night. I'll be back tomorrow with my vote. Gonna let this simmer for one more day. It's your fault for making it so hard!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was afraid that might happen. And that's why I was very pleased when you said you were going to post your vote BEFORE 6:00 PM and TRT time.
DeleteBut then I got the text saying you couldn't get online and I knew that was going to give Eric & The Band the advantage.
~ D-FensDogG
OK, I’m ready to make my vote, just coming in under the wire. Sorry, LF’s I’m still very much alive.
ReplyDeleteThis is the hardest BATTLE I’ve had to vote on yet, so IMO it’s the best one to come along. I really like all of the artists involved.
Gary Moore is really something. I’m not going to even try to give an intellectual critique of his guitar playing, but suffice it to say that IMO he is definitely one of the ‘guitar gods’. I like Eric Clapton also, and think that when it comes to guitar he is very good and I enjoy almost all of his work. Having said that; it’s my opinion that of the two, Moore is definitely the better player. When it comes to the vocals involved in this song, I think they are about equal. I admit that Eric kind of mumbles through the words, as he usually does. Gary is much more clear and way easier to understand, but I personally like the deeper tone of Eric’s voice.
OK, I’m kind of stalling here and trying to leave a somewhat thoughtful comment.
In my final analysis on talent alone Gary would beat Eric in a ‘normal’ one on one. BUT, the final factor here is that Eric is playing with THE BAND. Not only is this a performance with the iconic class act, THE BAND, but it is at a time when they, above all else decided to ‘go out in style’. Don’t get me wrong I’m not silly enough to believe that THE BAND did not have similar problems to other rock bands, but they held it together long enough and had the class and style to finish up profoundly AND Eric Clapton, playing this song, was a part of THAT.
Sorry Gary, at any other gig you would get my vote, BUT not today, or should I say tonight. I have no other choice but to cast my vote for Eric Clapton and THE BAND, not to mention, The Last Waltz.
Well done Mr. McCarthy. This has most definitely been your best BATTLE to date, IMO. I sincerely wish I could split my ticket.
In all my stress about the BOTB vote, I forgot to address the 'Cam the Sham' portion of this blog bit (which BTW, was the greater portion). I am sick and tired of sports figures. I'm sick and tired of the public who make them the gods they think they are. Heck, these guys and gals as it may be, get paid big bucks of 'playing games'. It's time we take a long hard look at the skewed value system in the country, not to mention the world, and force everybody to have a reality check about the whole sports industry.
ReplyDeleteYeah, like that's really gonna happen. Just one more part of the plan. Give the po' foks their gladiators, and elevate them gladiators to super stardom, and we all lose watching them make idiots of themselves.
Sports, the biggest 'Reality TV' farce of them all.
STMcC’s Vote On '2016, Feb. 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (Or, 'Eric Clapton & The Band Vs. Gary Moore') And The Final Tally:
ReplyDeleteAnother fun Battle for me, and I thank everyone who made it so with your votes and comments. Y'all done good!
I am a huge fan of The Band and particularly of 'The Last Waltz'. I feel that some of The Band's best versions of some of their songs were actually performed at that last concert, so I'm pleased as Picon Punch to have the concert on DVD and the soundtrack on CD.
My DVD and CD copies of 'The Last Waltz' get played pretty regularly at my house. In fact, I watch the entire concert at least once a year, and sometimes twice.
I remember when Gary Moore was a guitarist for Thin Lizzy way back "in the day". Then I kind of lost track of him after he quit the band and my musical tastes took me in other directions anyway.
Then one day in 1993, not long after moving to Prescott, Airheadzona, I walked into a little record shop downtown (it's no longer there). I was looking for some recording or another when I started to notice the ass-kickin' Blues-Rock they were playing. The guitarist was phenomenal - just blazing through these hard-rockin' electric Blues.
So, I walked up to the counter and asked, "Who is this you're playing right now?" The guy said, "Gary Moore" and handed me the 'BLUES ALIVE' CD jewel case to examine. I said, "The same Gary Moore who was in Thin Lizzy?" Yup, it was. I couldn't believe how his style had changed and... how much better he was now.
I HAD to have this, but they didn't possess any other copies of 'BLUES ALIVE' in the store. So the guy agreed to sell me the store's "used" copy.
Without a doubt, that was my most played compact disc throughout 1993. Every day after I got home from work, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays, I'd blast that album until I knew every single note. (My neighbors must have hated me!)
I played 'BLUES ALIVE' so often that it took a beating and I eventually had to replace it with a new copy.
Needless to say, I love BOTH of these versions of 'FURTHER ON UP THE ROAD'. But... since I can only vote for one, I'm going with GARY MOORE.
Let's face it, Gary can play circles around Clapton. In fact, although he was very good for his time, Clapton has always been a bit overrated. (Watch the video again and notice how at the 2:50 mark, Clapton has a rather embarrassed smile on his face as he watches Robbie Robertson outplaying him. Not nice of Robbie to show up his guest like that!)
I don't think Clapton OR Moore are "all that" as singers, but I prefer the fire and brimstone approach to both the vocals and guitar licks that Gary Moore gives his performance. After all, this is a song about a person who's been wronged and is warning the ne'er-do-well that he or she will "get theirs" eventually. It makes sense to deliver this message in a fiery manner.
I also love all that electric organ interplay with Gary's guitar.
As much as I love BOTH versions of this song, my vote for Gary wasn't difficult to cast. This wasn't a particularly hard Battle for me to decide on, although I'm glad it was for some of y'all. (And poor FAE! She was pulling her hair out and procrastinating on her vote for as long as possible.)
Well, both ERIC CLAPTON With THE BAND and GARY MOORE went "UP TO ELEVEN". No, I don't mean that their guitar amplifiers went "up to eleven" (although they surely did). What I mean is that their vote totals went "up to eleven"...
Eric Clapton & The Band = 11 votes
Gary Moore = 11 votes
Yep. This was my 8th BOTB Tie
I thank you all for playing along. I hope you had fun, and I hope to see you back here again for my March 1st 'Battle Of The Bands' contest.
Bless And Be Blessed!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
>>Let's face it, Gary can play circles around Clapton.<<
ReplyDeleteHUH? That's quite a strong statement. I think I voted Moore in the last battle against SRV (so I am not prejudiced against him), but NONE of these guys (except maybe Danny Gatton) can "play circles" around the others. At this level they all are spectacular, and how they sound is a matter of style and interpretation more than of ability.
>>In fact, although he was very good for his time, Clapton has always been a bit overrated. (Watch the video again and notice how at the 2:50 mark, Clapton has a rather embarrassed smile on his face as he watches Robbie Robertson outplaying him. Not nice of Robbie to show up his guest like that!)<<
Didn't see it that way. He is embarrassed because he didn't hook his strap on the guitar well enough to hold... nothing more. Clapton has lost little or nothing over the years, so now is as much "his time" as yesteryear.
The interplay between the organ and guitar in Moore's is part of the reason it LOST my vote!
All in all a good battle, except the outcome!
SHEBOYGANBROTHER SIX ~
DeleteWhat, you and me disagreeing about music? Who could have imagined such a thing?!
[:o)
Yes, that was a strong statement, and I'm sticking by every syllable of it.
No, I'm pretty sure you voted AGAINST Gary Moore the last time too, when he went up against Stevie Ray Vaughan in BOTB and beat him.
I remember you saying that the quieter passages in Moore's soloing almost put you to sleep. (I was going to send Rocco to put you to sleep with the fishes but then changed my mind. It's only music, after all.)
>>... NONE of these guys (except maybe Danny Gatton) can "play circles" around the others. At this level they all are spectacular, and how they sound is a matter of style and interpretation more than of ability.
That's largely true, and I said the exact same thing years ago:
http://stephentmccarthysstuffs.blogspot.com/2011/05/guitar-gods-or-support-larry-rosens.html
However, there are exceptions to most rules, and IMO this is one of those exceptions.
I like Clapton - I think he was and is very good. I would say the height of his playing was probably captured on the 'LAYLA' album.
But all that "Clapton is god" stuffs in the '60s was way overdone, and as good as I think he is, I believe Clapton was NEVER near as good as his reputation.
When I listen to him, I hear mostly straight ahead Blues-Rock playing. I don't hear much in the way of harmonics or dynamic texture. It's very good for what it is, but it's not particularly imaginative.
Moore could play (and has played) anything Clapton could, but I'm not at all convinced the reverse is true. When I listen to Gary, his technique and his creative impulse to vary tones, volumes, and tempos jump out at me, and I find it very interesting and exciting.
With Clapton, he usually starts out with one tone and tempo and everything's just the same picking until the end. Two or three Clapton songs and you've heard his entire bag of tricks.
>>... He is embarrassed because he didn't hook his strap on the guitar well enough to hold... nothing more.
Please. At the point where we find Clapton standing there with that bemused or embarrassed smile on his face (which is actually far more telling with DVD quality), while Robbie Robertson is blazing away on his guitar, the song 'Further On Down The Road' is a full two minutes further on down the road from when Clapton's guitar strap popped off.
You think he was still embarrassed by that a full two minutes later? And it was just a coincidence that Robbie was outplaying him at the time?
Unless a person was sitting in the first 2 or 3 rows AT THE CONCERT, they probably wouldn't have even known the strap popped off. We know it today only because they happened to be filming the show and had a close-up on Clapton's guitar at the moment.
I feel pretty certain that he wasn't still thinking about that strap two minutes and three thousand notes after the fact.
Clapton once said the following about Stevie Ray Vaughan:
"We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! ... I had to leave just to preserve some kind of sanity or confidence in myself."
Well, if Clapton felt that way about Stevie Ray Vaughan... and Stevie Ray Vaughan got beat in BOTB by Gary Moore (song: 'The Sky Is Crying'), then, yep, I'm standing by my observation that Moore could play circles around Clapton.
That doesn't make Clapton a bad guitarist. It just makes Moore mo' better.
~ D-FensDogG
As you said: "What, you and me disagreeing about music? Who could have imagined such a thing?!"
ReplyDeleteAnd I STILL do not agree with you, Brother.
That's OK.
DeleteAt least we can agree on Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush in 2016!
What this country needs is to get back to tradition. And a Clinton in the White House is worth two if it's Bush.
~ D-FensDogG
They were both really good so a tie makes sense.
ReplyDeleteNow if you had put Clapton up against my own version then Clapton would have easily won. My guitar playing is so bad that I don't even have a version.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
But at least you wouldn't get shut-out. I'm pretty sure Sheboyganboy Six would vote for your version, seeing as how I wouldn't.
Delete(Ha!)
~ D-FensDogG
And here I thought the Band I picked was going to win. Turns out the Band I picked only tied. Well, that's better than losing. Right?
ReplyDeleteJEFFY ~
DeleteI can't figure out if a tie means everybody won or everybody lost. But me being mostly a "the glass is half empty" kind of guy...
~ D-FensDogG
A tie. Your 8th??? That means you've put on some excellent battles. I know I've left here many times feeling torn about my vote. (Other times, not so much...:) This was an excellent battle. Congrats!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, GIRL WONDER!
DeleteI've certainly had a number of blowouts, too, though. Thankfully no shutouts.
I may have a knack for correctly imagining which recording would make the best competition for another one. But then other times my BOTB expectations are so far afield of the actual outcome that I think it's just a total crapshoot and luck of the draw.
~ D-FensDogG