Saturday, March 15, 2014

‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #16’ (Or, ‘HEYWOOD AND WINTERHALTER VS. DANNY GATTON’)

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Republican Vs. Democrat, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon, Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy, Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic, Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal, You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANDS! (‘BOTB’)
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Shoop-Shooby –
Shooby-duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah –
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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EUGENE  MARTONE  VS.  JACK  BUTLER
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'ON THE ROAD' with JACK KEROUAC STMcC and his ‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS’.

Did you realize that we've been on a road trip? Like Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, we've been traveling aimlessly across the United States ever since BOTB #12 on January 15th.

We started in "The Golden State" ('CALIFORNIA DREAMING') and drove coast to coast. On February 1st we arrived in New York City ('HARLEM NOCTURNE'), which was "just like I pitchured it" (thanks, Stevie, “you ignorant slut!”)

On February 15th (BOTB #14) we headed back West, stopping in Colorado ('GET OUT OF DENVER'), and then on March 1st we turned around again and took a trip to the Midwest, stopping for the night in 'KANSAS CITY' where I fell in love with and made out with “Little Miss Dynamite”... in my dreams.

Here we were driving all over the U.S.A. like Dharma Bums and the entire time, you were fast asleep in the backseat and unaware of your 'Travels With McCarthy'.

Well, you've awakened just in time to catch the last leg of our journey (BOTB #16). This time, we are turning our car North and driving right out of the United States of Amerika; we're gonna cross the border into Canada, and that's where we'll sell what's left of our 1959 Cadillac (it's a tail fin thang!) and retire to sip ‘Crown Royal’ Canadian whisky while we watch the sun go down.

Wackypedia sez:

"CANADIAN SUNSET" is a popular song by jazz pianist Eddie Heywood ... An instrumental version by Heywood and Hugo Winterhalter reached #2 on the Billboard chart and #7 on the R&B chart in 1956.

This BOTB is going to challenge you a bit (I hope you’re up for the challenge!) The first version is the short but BIG ‘Billboard’ hit by Heywood & Winterhalter, and the second one is a very long, improvisational rendition by guitarist Danny Gatton (which gets particularly interesting very late in the recording). This may seem like two entirely different tunes at times, but please hang in there for the duration if you can. Thanks!! (And please don't be swayed by the beauty of the first video; remember, this is about the music ONLY.)

‘Canadian Sunset’ - Eddie Heywood & Hugo Winterhalter (1956)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJE6hwRpOc
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GODZILLA  VS.  KING  KONG
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‘Canadian Sunset’ – Danny Gatton


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgf12pJaQ9Y
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RIDDLER  VS.  BATMAN
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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome EVERYONE to vote for their favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other. (NOTE: Comment Moderation is activated. All submitted comments that do not transgress "Ye Olde Comment Policy" will be posted as soon as possible. Thanks for taking the time to comment.)
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After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to FAE’s ‘Far Away Series’, Arlee Bird’s ‘Tossing It Out’, Robin’s ‘Your Daily Dose’, LC’s ‘DiscConnected’, and Chris' 'The Creative Outlet Of StratPlayer' blogs 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 vice your voice ...vote your vice ...voice your vote.)
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Voice Your Vote @ ‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ by clicking HERE.
Voice Your Vote @ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
Voice Your Vote @ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ by clicking HERE.
Voice Your Vote @ ‘DISCCONNECTED’ by clicking HERE.
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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Links To Previous 'BOTB' Installments:
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #1’ (Or, ‘BEBEL VS. BEBEL’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #2’ (Or, ‘FLEETWOOD MAC VS. THE ROCKETS’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #3’ (Or, ‘THE BEATLES VS. BRIAN AUGER AND TRINITY’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #4’ (Or, ‘BROADWAY HAIR VS. HOLLYWOOD HAIR’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #5’ (Or, ‘NAT VS. VAN VS. D'MODE’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #6’ (Or, ‘ZEVON VERSUS RONSTADT’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #7’ (Or, ‘FATS VS. SATCH VS. BOCEPHUS’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #8’ (Or, ‘SATCHMO VERSUS DARIN’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #9’ (Or, ‘SINATRA VERSUS CARPENTER’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #10’ (Or, ‘DURANTE VERSUS CONNIFF’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #11’ (Or, ‘JULIE ANDREWS VS. DIANA ROSS’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #12’ (Or, ‘THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS VS. THE BEACH BOYS’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #13’ (Or, ‘ELLINGTON VS. VISCOUNTS VS. GATTON’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #14 – POST-SUPER BOWL BLOWOUT EDITION’ (Or, ‘BOB SEGER AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND VS. EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS’)
‘BATTLE OF THE BANDS #15’ (Or, ‘WILBERT HARRISON VERSUS BRENDA LEE’)
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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Posted by Stephen T. McCarthy at 6:55 AM

31 comments:

  1. Arlee BirdMarch 15, 2014 at 7:25 AM

    I've always liked this song. And say what you will, but one of my favorite versions has always been the one by Andy Williams. There was also a rockin' sax laden version that I used to have on 45 but now don't recall who did it--I used to listen to that one a lot.

    I like the leisurely Santos and Johnny style that Gatton starts out with. When he gets into that extended up-tempo noodling in the second half I started getting bored. It's one of those "look at me improvise!" insufferably long things that guitarists often do. I wonder if he was making weird faces while he played, but that's probably more of a rock guitarists shtick.

    Danny Gatton is good--I got a good start on folding my underwear just out of the dryer--but I like the straight-forward short orchestrated version by Winterhalter. I just think that's the better presentation for this type of song.

    Winterhalter for me--I'll probably be in the minority on this pick.

    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 15, 2014 at 7:47 PM

      BOIDMAN ~
      Say what I will about Andy Williams? OK, I will. Believe it or not, I LIKE Andy Williams. Perhaps not on EVERY tune, but by and large - and although I don't own any of his albums - I never crack jokes about Williams because I've enjoyed too many of his recordings to do that.

      While I would hardly think of ANYTHING Danny Gatton ever performed as "music to fold underwear by", I take it you're just not a Jazz improvisational sort of guy. I guess you prefer more planned-out Jazz numbers with musical charts written out so each player knows his role and doesn't "overstep" it.

      Actually, I like that sort of Jazz too, quite a bit; my taste in Jazz is quite expansive, so I like a great wide variety of styles and approaches to an instrumental piece.

      Thanks for your vote.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
    2. Arlee BirdMarch 15, 2014 at 8:48 PM

      Actually I do enjoy extended improv solos, but it can take awhile for one to grow on me I guess. I'd say I'd prefer jazz solos to the rock solos (the ones where the guitarist makes all kinds of weird faces).

      Over all though I do like arranged music and maybe prefer it to improv. Kind of in the way I prefer something like intricate prog rock to boogie blues improv rock.

      Don't hate the improv but it can take a while for some of it to grow on me

      Like you've described, I think I have a very expansive and eclectic taste in jazz of all sorts. I don't like getting stuck in any one groove. Of any kind of music, not just jazz.

      Lee
      An A to Z Co-Host
      Tossing It Out

      Delete
  2. farawayeyesMarch 15, 2014 at 11:42 AM

    Normally on these BOTB installments I don’t read the other comments before I make mine. That way I’m not influenced by anything somebody else has said, and if I’ve thought of some particularly clever thing to comment on, I’m not intimidated into NOT using it, because someone else ‘beat me to the punch’. Because you had only one comment when I got here (which I’m sure is due to your ‘comment moderation’) I just couldn’t help myself. I have always liked this song, BUT never thought of it as music to fold underwear to.

    This is another one of those staples that was on that old juke box, in that knotty pine lodge, up on the shores of the north woods lake, my family visited every summer for the first fourteen years of my life (except for one year when we took our Route 66 vacation). Anyway…it brings back memories of warm summer days and balmy nights when the sun didn’t begin to set until 9 PM, and it was twilight until at least 10:30 or 11. You could lay out on the wooden dock and still feel the warmth of the sun that had been absorbed in those old water worn planks, while you thoughts drifted off to songs like this, ‘Moonlight Serenade’, ‘Stranger on the Shore’, and ‘Harbor Lights’. I can almost hear the soft waves lapping up against the beams and feel the gentle sway of that rickety dock as the stars just begin to peek out of a violet sky. Anyway…enough of THAT!

    I’ve enjoyed your little tour of the great states and now this trail up north into Canada is a nice little diversion.

    As far as that first version goes, I sure hope that Cadillac is a convertible, because I can feel the wind in my hair as I close my eyes and lean back against the seat. It’s a comfortable ride to a familiar place, and I likes it.

    I was surprised by Mr. Gatton’s version. It has a country/western feel and I can see myself on the back of old Dandy (my favorite bay horse) just walking along at the edge of the trees. It’s a nice little mosey with absolutely no stress involved. The reins are loose in my hands cause at the beginning of this one it feels like the horse knows the way. Just a little ways in, it picks up to a nice gentle lope, and I’m still enjoying the ride, not a lot of bounce, but that smooth gait of a well-bred quarter horse.

    When we get to that ‘doodling’ part instead of getting bored (as Mr. Bird commented), I’m thinking that we stopped off at the ‘Road House’ where the clank of long necks can be heard in the background. Since I’m not a beer drinker, and this isn’t a wine kind of establishment, I’m enjoying a nice cool G & T. At just about the point where I’m sucking the ice at the bottom of my glass, Mr. Gatton signals that nice slow mosey out the door and around back, where Dandy is tied up, munching some grass alongside of the building, just awaitin’ to head on home, as the sun dips behind the tree lined hills.

    OK, maybe I need more sleep, or maybe I’m still dreaming. Either way, this is a tough decision. Each version paints a picture for me that I would like to linger in for a just a little bit longer. I think I’m gonna go with Danny Gatton. I miss my horses and I miss the familiarity of those old road house kinda places. I do think that the lake and north woods are better left to Glenn and the dreamy sounds of his Serenade in the Moonlight. This song feels more like a ‘daydream’ to me and Danny Gatton makes that a little more real, in my mind.

    Wow, sometimes I sure do go on. I’m left wondering if I DO need more sleep, or if I do better ‘runnin’ on empty’.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 15, 2014 at 7:56 PM

      FAE ~
      Right now, I have to shower and get my arse to work, and if I attempted to reply to your comment at this time, I would feel too rushed and would shortchange you on what deserves an A-list reply from me.

      So I will return later, as soon as I can, and give you a "proper reply".

      For now though, I'll just say... Hokey-Smoke and Hoo-Wee, that is probably the best comment I've ever received on a BOTB blog bit! Thanks! That was spectacular.

      I'll return with more commentary. Plus, I still haven't had a chance to visit your own BOTB blog bit yet either. (Slept all day and now work calls.)

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
    2. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 16, 2014 at 7:33 AM

      FAE ~

      >>... As far as that first version goes, I sure hope that Cadillac is a convertible, because I can feel the wind in my hair as I close my eyes and lean back against the seat.

      Oh, heck yeah, it's a convertible. That is, we turned it into one.

      In my time with 'The League Of Soul Crusaders', we had two Cadillacs - Cranium's black, 1959 hardtop (with no functioning reverse gear), and Torch's white, 1964 hardtop which he took a blowtorch to, converting it into a PERMANENT "convertible".

      But in this BOTB road trip, I've imagined us cruising in Cranium's Caddy, which we have since also transformed into a permanent convertible via blowtorch.

      >>... I was surprised by Mr. Gatton’s version. It has a country/western feel and I can see myself on the back of old Dandy (my favorite bay horse) just walking along at the edge of the trees. ... The reins are loose in my hands cause at the beginning of this one it feels like the horse knows the way.

      Funny you say that because, to me, BOTH versions have a kinda Country-Western flavor to them. There's a kind of "Clip-Clop, Clippity-Clop" rhythm to the song that makes me think of "B" Westerns and maybe a Spaghetti Western or two, too.

      >>... When we get to that ‘doodling’ part instead of getting bored (as Mr. Bird commented), I’m thinking that we stopped off at the ‘Road House’ where the clank of long necks can be heard in the background. Since I’m not a beer drinker, and this isn’t a wine kind of establishment, I’m enjoying a nice cool G & T.

      Nuttin' wrong with a G&T. But, while you enjoy your Bombay, I think I'm going to pass on the beer also and order either George Dickel #12 Tennessee Whisky and 7, or an Irish Coffee - heavy on the "Irish" and the whipped cream.

      This was a GREAT comment. Wonderbar! Fabulous! I'm glad I decided to run with this conclusion to my 'Road Trip BOTB' concept instead of cutting the trip short and going through some other Door. Your comment alone made it worthwhile.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      "Bartender, set me up again, please."

      Delete
    3. farawayeyesMarch 16, 2014 at 12:14 PM

      So glad to hear you decided on the ’59 Caddy and made it a ‘permanent convertible’. I like innovation and I’m not afraid of a little weather, besides should it start to rain or worse, I’m sure there would be someplace to pull over and ride out the storm. I definitely have the feel of a leisurely drive here with no ETA breathing down my neck. I also dig the idea of no reverse gear – no turning back or heading in the wrong direction, just forward; constantly checking out something new. This is certainly is my kinda road trip.

      Of course, that ride on horseback with the road house interlude is what really hits the spot.

      Glad you enjoyed the picture these two versions of the same great song painted for me. I too am glad you decided to take this route. I would say to you and anyone else, never worry about the length of the song, especially when it’s such a great song, cause sometimes it takes that long for the images to develop. All things pleasurable should never be hurried.

      Great BATTLE OF THE BANDS here. One of my favorites.


      Delete
    4. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 16, 2014 at 5:39 PM

      Thanks a lot, FAE!

      Of course, we can always hitch a horse trailer to the back of that Caddy, so anytime you feel like it, we can pull over and you can go for a ride on horseback.

      Funny you made the connection of having no working reverse gear necessitating the need to always move forward. I had thought about that same symbol myself, long ago.

      In real life, when we were in Cranium's '59 Caddy, the only time we ever needed to go in reverse was when we had to back out of a parking space. That's when several of us would get out and push the car backwards out of the space and into the lot. That was one heavy car, so it always took a few of us.

      With Torch's Caddy, "Tiburon", the white, '64 permanent "convertible" (which is a misnomer since it couldn't really be "converted" into anything, as it was now permanently "top down"), we did occasionally find ourselves driving in the rain. One particularly memorable time, we were driving along the Pacific Coast Highway at night in a rainstorm. Didn't bother us at all though, because we were comfortably warm, what with the drinkin' an' all.

      On this BOTB road trip, however, since there isn't so much drinkin' goin' on anymore, I've just been driving the Caddy in a zigzag fashion, weaving in and out between the falling raindrops. Yeah, you could say I'm a pretty skillful driver.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
    5. farawayeyesMarch 17, 2014 at 12:09 AM

      I'm lovin' the image of a horse trailer behind that '59 Caddy.

      I'm sure you are a pretty skillful driver and you'll have to be, if you intend to navigate that Caddy while haulin'.

      Delete
    6. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 17, 2014 at 8:04 AM

      Yeah, I was pretty sure you would like that Caddy/Horse Trailer image.

      When you're born and raised in Los Angeles, driving is really a part of your culture. You know... "Nobody Walks In L.A.". So, yeah, I really am a pretty good driver. Or maybe that's only when one compares me to these imbeciles in Airheadzona.

      Truthfully? I'm a good driver - better than average, for sure - although I'm only average with a manual transmission, which is what I normally drive.

      Torch, the owner of "Tiburon" (1964 permanently top-down Caddy), is the best driver I've ever ridden with. He was essentially the Siegfried and Roy of automobile drivers.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  3. DiscConnectedMarch 15, 2014 at 1:54 PM

    The Winterhaslter version sounds familiar to me, but I could not tell you why.

    I enjoyed the Gatton version, and like a lot of what he does with his stylings, but I agree with Lee-I like the shorter version, so I'm going with Winterhalter.

    LC

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    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 15, 2014 at 7:50 PM

      Got it, LC.

      For the record, I think BOTH versions here of 'Canadian Sunset' are wonderful in their own way, so I can easily imagine the votes going either way. (So far though, there haven't been many votes. I hope that changes.)

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  4. RobinMarch 16, 2014 at 2:19 AM

    This is NOT going to be one of my best comments. I woke up at 2am (after not falling asleep until 11pm) and couldn't go back to sleep. Got up at 4am and it is now 5am. Not firing all of the cylinders... I suspect.

    As for the lack of comments... I am just going to throw an idea out... that could be ALL WRONG. I think folks are a bit intimidated by songs that are over 10 minutes. Actually, I think 6 minutes and they start to wonder if they have time to listen... but that could be wrong.

    I listened to both versions all the way through. Hey, what else do I have going at this time of the morning????

    I liked them both. The first one was a bit easier to listen to because it (more or less) stuck to that 10 note progression that was at the heart of the song. I can see why they titled it Canadian sunset. It felt like a song you'd listen to sitting in the rocking chair on your porch just watching the sun go down. Nice and easy and smooth. And there was enough variation that I got to enjoy the colors as the sun made its descent out of the sky. And just when it dropped, I got the finale. I liked it.

    I liked the Gatton version, even though he strayed rather a lot from that 10 chord progression. He stuck to it more in the beginning. I think I could have done without the middle section on a song that long... or a shorter segue into the rocking section where he really digs into the song. Granted, shortening that up would still have made the song easily 8 minutes, but still... Now, all of that said, I think I would have enjoyed the Gatton version more driving in my car flying down the interstate. It was just a bit long for sitting in my desk chair. And I didn't feel a sunset with his version. It was quite good, but that wasn't the feeling it evoked for me.

    Ultimately, I enjoyed the first one more. Now, if I'd heard both of these pieces in the car it might have all turned out different!

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    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 16, 2014 at 6:56 AM

      ROBIN ~
      I agree about the length of the song, and that's why this is the first time in 16 BOTBs that I've used a piece of music like this, which does demand a little more time-wise from would-be voters.

      I had even briefly considered not using this song due to the length of the Gatton version, but ultimately I wanted to wrap up my 'ON THE ROAD' BOTB theme by going North to Canada. Plus, as I said in the blog bit just before this one, I tend to do what I WANT with my blogging, and the reader can go along for the ride or decline it. Regardless, I nearly always remain true to myself, even if that makes me unpopular (and it does).

      And incidentally, I know that feeling of waking up way too soon and not being able to get back to sleep. I keep these prescription sleeping pills on hand for just such occasions.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  5. dolorahMarch 16, 2014 at 1:19 PM

    Two things that float my boat: piano music and big bands. That first one, and then adding in the slide show, man I almost didn't even listen to the second version. I could see this on my computer as a screen saver thing.

    Gatton's version is easy to listen to though. May sound weird, but it sounds like rain to me - a very pleasing sound. And I don't mind how long the song is, I can listen and do other things like blogging. I gotta figure out how to put this on my computer.

    Well, I'd love both versions for different moods. This is a really tough choice Stephen.

    I'll have to go with the guitar version for my vote though.

    I posted for BotB also.

    ......dhole

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    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 16, 2014 at 5:25 PM

      DONNA ~
      Ha! You fooled me. After your build-up of the Heywood / Winterhalter version, I was certain they had your vote in the bag, and then you go and vote for Gatton instead.

      I really dig BOTH of these versions a lot for the very different things they "bring to the table".

      Associating the sound of rain with Gatton's guitar is certainly a novel thought. Without listening to it again, I think I may already have an inkling of how you get that. But the next time I listen to it, I will think "rain" while it plays and see how much that really clicks for me.

      Thanks a lot, Donna, for your vote and analysis.

      Your last sentence seems to indicate that you hadn't yet noticed that I have already posted a vote and comment on your BOTB. Maybe I better go back to check and make sure it hasn't disappeared from your Comment Section. That has been known to happen, but I thought Blogspot had fixed that particular bug quite a few months ago.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  6. A Beer for the ShowerMarch 16, 2014 at 10:22 PM

    Call me crazy (or call me Betty), but I like long songs. And frankly, I like the Gatton version better.

    I also like long comments, but I left you a long'un on your other blog bit, so forgive the brevity while I cast my vote here, will ya?

    ~6B

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    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 17, 2014 at 8:12 AM

      I'm surprised, 6-B. I would have guessed you were going to vote the OTHER way, since you've said you don't really care for Jazz.

      You do realize, I assume, that the Danny Gatton track is entirely Jazz. (Are you SURE you don't like Jazz?!)

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
    2. A Beer for the ShowerMarch 17, 2014 at 9:50 AM

      Hey now, I like some jazz. Like that Kenny G fella. Now THAT guy can play some mean saxomophone.

      Delete
    3. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 17, 2014 at 10:02 AM

      Ha!-Ha!

      You're as "full of it" as I was when I left that last comment on YOUR blog not more than five minutes ago!

      ~ D-FenDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
    4. Electric AddictMarch 17, 2014 at 3:33 PM

      Digging Hugo Winterhalter more because I'm not a fan of the country-jazzy sound.

      Delete
    5. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 17, 2014 at 4:29 PM

      E.A. ~
      Thanks for keeping it interesting.

      One vote AGAINST "Redneck Jazz". Got it!

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  7. D.G. HudsonMarch 17, 2014 at 7:52 PM

    Winterhalter gets my vote. The arrangements are classic. It's that comfortable version I remember. Hubs whistles it a lot, too.
    Sorry I didn't vote before now, I was having blogger problems. I enjoy these BOTBs posts.

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    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 17, 2014 at 9:38 PM

      Thanks, D.G.!

      I really didn't want you to miss this particular one, and you know why.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  8. Sheboyganboy SixMarch 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM

    I am on the road, just finally getting to some actual internet access after 12 days mostly without it.

    I have 10 minutes to clear out of this hotel room so this will be a short comment, but I want to vote now so it will be counted in case I cannot get back here before my time is up.

    Gatton's absolute virtuosity just bowls me over! Both versions are nice... but I simply cannot comprehend a vote for the original here. What a master Gatton is!

    Not an A-list comment, but I really enjoyed the BOTB here, and also enjoyed a quick read of the TATTOOS previous post. I'll do that one justice with a serious read over the next few days.

    Thanks, Brother!

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    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 18, 2014 at 11:00 AM

      SHEBOYGANBROTHER SIX ~
      Thanks for getting your vote in. It is truly appreciated, and I look forward to your comment on the 'Sex, Tattoos & Violence R Us' blog bit whenever you find you have the time for it.

      B C-ing U.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  9. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 21, 2014 at 7:36 AM

    STMcC’s Vote On ‘BOTB #16’
    And The Final Tally:

    I really like ‘Canadian Sunset’, it’s a fine piece of music. What especially appeals to me about the Heywood & Winterhalter version is the dynamic interplay between the strings and the horns – it’s a really bold and luscious sound.

    Then there’s the Danny Gatton version, recorded live, so it’s not filled with overdubs, it’s not various takes with the best parts spliced together. This extended, improvisational Jazzy guitar recording really displays the awesome talent that Gatton possessed. I like what Sheboyganboy Six said:

    “Gatton's absolute virtuosity just bowls me over! Both versions are nice... but I simply cannot comprehend a vote for the original here. What a master Gatton is!”

    Indeed! In the past, I have referred to Gatton as “the virtuoso of virtuosos”. There’s that ringing sound he begins with. ... At about the eight minute mark, he begins introducing many phenomenal musical ideas and weaves them together seamlessly. And then at about 9:30, he shifts into a totally different gear (or tone), and plays this rhythmically intricate Be-Bop-like piece that just leaves me in total awe. The entire piece is loaded with subtle textures and various shadings that just seem to flow like liquid notes layered over each other.

    And to think that as a (stupid) teenager, I thought that guitar solo on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Free Bird’ was fantastic. Shit, those rookies couldn’t even TOUCH Danny Gatton!

    In my opinion, Gatton was the greatest guitar player who ever lived, and although I do like the original hit very much, my vote goes to the “Telemaster!”

    Vote Total:

    Heywood & Winterhalter = 5 Votes.
    Danny Gatton = 5 Votes.

    Yep, it was tie. I know that other BOTB-ers have ended up with ties before, but I think this might have been my first one.

    Thanks again to all who took the time to vote and comment. See ya again for ‘BOTB #17’ on April Fool’s Day.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    ‘Loyal American Underground’

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arlee BirdMarch 21, 2014 at 11:04 AM

      "Greatest guitar player that ever lived" is a pretty bold claim. Don't know if I'd agree with that, but I haven't listened to enough of his stuff to agree with this statement. Then there is the matter of style. He might be the greatest in his genre, but there are many different types of music guitarists play and he might not be able to match those in other genres.

      For a rock guitar solo, the one on "Freebird" was pretty cool and I won't knock it. I still enjoy hearing that solo, but I'll agree it's kind of lightweight from a technical aspect.

      That was a good contest though.

      Are our voters starting to dwindle in numbers?

      My next post on first day of A to Z will probably give me some increase in voters, but I don't think I'll win many who will return to follow future Battles.

      Lee
      An A to Z Co-Host
      Tossing It Out

      Delete
    2. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 21, 2014 at 1:39 PM

      LEE ~

      >>... "Greatest guitar player that ever lived" is a pretty bold claim.

      "In my opinion..."
      In my 54 years, I have never encountered any other guitarist whom I thought was better. Nor have I encountered any other guitarist whom I thought was as good. Hence, "in my opinion", Gatton was the greatest. (He was nicknamed "The Humbler" for his talent and skill which humbled many other fine guitarists.)

      >>... Then there is the matter of style.

      That's true. And Gatton could play ANY style, and did (except that I've never heard him do Flamenco). On the 2-disc compilation set titled 'Hot Rod Guitar', you'll hear Gatton playing everything: Blues, Jazz, Rockabilly, Rock, and a couple of things that are harder to label because they seem like hybrid styles.

      And this was part of Gatton's problem; part of the reason he always remained (according to Guitar Player magazine) "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist" is that he never settled on any one style, so he didn't find a niche. You could buy an album like, say, 'Cruisin' Deuces' and find Gatton stylistically all over the map (Rockabilly to even an old Gospel song). A person who appreciated only one kind of guitar music would be dissatisfied with many tracks on any one Gatton album.

      Like so many other teenagers at that time, I used to think that long guitar solo on 'Free Bird' was EPIC. Over the years, my ears woke up and one day I realized that it's just long and boring (three guitarists playing the same simple licks over and over and over), and that the best part of the song is actually the vocals at the beginning (and even that's a bit boring to me).

      Rock guitar solos (or leads)? I'll take 'Hotel California', 'Sultans Of Swing', or just about anything found on a Steely Dan record or on that first Van Halen album, or almost any solo by David Gilmour, and I'll even take Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'That Smell'. At least that stuffs really rocks and doesn't put me into "Zzzz Mode".

      My voting numbers are down from what they once were, but my numbers were never generally as high as yours or FAE's anyway. (People probably are afraid to come here to listen to my BOTBs because they fear I'll say something... political. Ha!)

      Speaking of Zzzz Mode, I gotta get back to sleep; that "graveyard" shi(f)t tonight isn't going to work itself.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  10. farawayeyesMarch 21, 2014 at 10:39 AM

    Still my favorite BOTB to date.

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    Replies
    1. Stephen T. McCarthyMarch 21, 2014 at 1:43 PM

      Thanks, FAE.

      Got the E, and will reply when I can.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete

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