Sunday, December 1, 2013

BOTB: LUCKY GUY

The five bloggers below are co-sponsoring a blog event on the first and fifteenth of each month. 






Robin (Your Daily Dose) 


I have been participating until stalking their blog, at least until I run out of covers of Todd Rundgren songs.

Anyone reading who thought they were going to listen to some Rod Stewart, gotcha!

This post pits a song from Todd's classic Hermit of Mink Hollow album against a cover of the song by Kim Wilde.

So without further ado...



TODD RUNDGREN-LUCKY GUY




KIM WILDE-LUCKY GUY


16 comments:

  1. Oh crap! Will I be in trouble if I don't pick Rundgren? Had a soft spot for Kim Wilde since high school and Kids in America. She has a nice voice and did a great job here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No problem picking Ms. Wilde...this song was a surprise to see covered, as it was not exactly a hit for TR. Kim does a nice job with it.

      Delete
  2. I don't ever recall hearing this song before so Todd's version isn't stuck with me which I guess makes for a more fair contest. Can't say that this comes near to my favorite songs by Rundgren.

    All that being said I'm going with the Kim Wilde version of this song. I like the intro and the backing instruments and her vocal is very nicely done.

    Can you believe it? I've picked Kim over Todd.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. While the album (Hermit of Mink Hollow is one of his best, this song was an album track, so I am not surprised you are unfamiliar with it.

      But Lee....

      Don't ever take sides against the (Rundgren)family again!

      Delete
  3. Prepare to make a protective cross with your fingers, because neither version really grabbed me. That said, I didn't care for Kim's added woo-woos after the first chorus, so I'll go with Todd.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. CW-

      It's certainly not the best song on the album, and while I'd go with Todd, I can't say I hate Kim's arrangement.

      Delete
  4. Not my favorite song that you've posted. That said, I preferred Todd's version over Kim's. I was kinda hoping that she would change the ending of the song so that she didn't say "I wish I were that lucky guy." Something about that just turned me sideways. When you have the power to change the arrangement and do something clever with the words at the end to tie it all together... why don't you???

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    1. Maybe she is expressing her desire to have a gender-change operation....

      Delete
  5. I'm also not familiar with this song. I did like it, but those synthesized strings at the end of Todd's version - kind of like Petra's tune on Lee's blog - nails on a chalkboard. So, finally I'm voting against Todd. Count this one for Kim Wilde.

    It's a shame Todd never did a Christmas album.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. While I know Todd has a spiritual side, I do not believe it is grounded in Christianity.

      I respect athiest's right to their opinion, but always get amused when they celebrate Christmas (heck-the word "Christ" is in the name of the holiday).

      So if that were the reason Todd never produced a Christmas album, I would applaud his consistency.

      Delete
  6. Like Robin, this isn't a song I particularly like. With that said, and even with the 'woo woos', I'm going to vote for Kim. Just barely. Sorry Todd!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sexist bastige! You're just voting for Kim because she's cuter than Todd!

      Delete
  7. Sorry, I'm a little late in arriving.

    Like others here, I'll also say that the song doesn't really do anything for me. (Anything THAT slow needs to have a very, very pronounced and catchy melody to hook me.)

    Also, that line "...he will always get up again" seems to have an unnatural meter to it, like he's trying to cram too many syllables into too short a space. And I could do without Todd's falsetto on this song.

    All that notwithstanding, I'll vote for Todd's original because Kim really didn't do anything too different with it to try and make it her own. In other words, "Tie goes to the writer".

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. Since it was such a deep album cut, I was surprised when Kim redid it....and then when she didn't at least change the wording I thought that odd (kind of like when Ronstadt covered Costello's "Alison.").

      Delete
  8. Another tardy voter...

    Also not familiar with the song, and while I like a lot of Todd Rudgren's work (especially with Utopia), this one is not a real grabber. Kinda bland at first listen...

    Kim has a much better voice, but it's a pretty straight cover. And still a little bland...

    Neither one really sticks with me, but I'll go with Todd. As a whole, I'd stack his body of work up against Kim's, so I'm using that as the tie breaker.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You'd stack Todd's body against Kim's?

      Oh....body of WORK! Right...

      I like the way Stephen puts it....tie goes to the songwriter.

      Delete

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HOBBY OR ADDICTION?