Started on the Far Away Series, and refined by the bloggers noted below, I've been somewhat of a renegade player in the Battle Of The Bands blogfest, which happens on the first and fifteenth of each month. These guys are the brains in this outfit:
Far Away Series
Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
Tossing It Out
Your Daily Dose
The way it works is, I put up two versions of a song and you tell me which one you like better.
Simple right? If you look at past comments, some people agonize over this decision, but I'll let you in on a little clue.....there's no wrong answer! Whatever you like IS the right answer!
Where I fail to follow rules is, there's supposed to be a post in five days or so where I tally up the votes and disclose my preference.
Usually I disclose my preference in the comments, I assume anyone who can get to this site can also count, and I'm generally not motivated enough to do that second post.
Plus, I stink at following rules!
"Yesterday" was originally recorded by The Beatles for the Help! album, and is a melancholy acoustic guitar breakup ballad.
The song has gone on to be (allegedly) the most covered song in the history of recorded music (with more than 2,200 cover versions).
Some of you who were following my Todd Rundgren posts may have some concerns here, but rest assured that I will not post all 2,200 versions.
Let's start off with the Beatles version...
And second, Philly's own Boyz II Men with their version from their second album, titled, oddly enough, II:
A different take, to be sure....if neither one is to your liking, I can post a few hundred more...
>>... I'll let you in on a little clue.....there's no wrong answer! Whatever you like IS the right answer!
ReplyDeleteWRONG!
In this case, there is DEFINITELY a "wrong answer".
As you know, LC, I am no longer a big Beatles fan. I like some of their stuffs (love Side 2 of 'The White Album') but I grew tired of them over the years.
'Yesterday' is OK. I liked it well enough at one time, but after the fourth millionth time I heard it, I'd had enough of it.
Nevertheless, I will vote for The Beatles here.
Boyz II Men... they get my vote for absolutely the worst stage outfits I have EVER seen! Who dresses them? Find that person and fire him/her!
I kept expecting them to suddenly do something unique or special with the song, but no... they just droned on and on and on. Frankly, I didn't believe that THEY believed one single word that they were singing.
Although the good news iz... I think you've just offered me the cure to my insomnia problems.
If this 'Battle Of The Bands' installment is not a complete shut-out in favor of The Beatles, I will eat my Stetson! (Not counting YOUR vote, LC, because I know you would vote for B-II-M just to watch me eat my cowboy hat.)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
You are correct about one thing....your answer is WRONG!
DeleteI didn't expect to care much for the Boyz2Men version and they delivered as to be expected. Not to say they aren't good, just that I don't care for the style. The version was a bit too long and treacly.
ReplyDeleteDidn't really like this live version of the Beatles either, but still it's the style I'd prefer. Even in this version the Beatles win the showdown for me.
Once in a Mexican restaurant I heard a mariachi band do a version of "Yesterday" that wasn't half bad. Not as good as the Beatles, but they would have still beat Boyz2Men for my taste.
Lee
Thought I had left a reply here...even with a couple of thousand cover versions out there, we've all heard the Beatles version a bazillion times...so it's hard to imagine a cover winning over the original.
DeleteRe: the live version....this is what may drive me to stop participating in BOTB if I cannot figure out how to get my own files to play on the blog...I'm at the mercy of what's on You Tube.
I actually end up being frustrated with the event after I have to abandon my first several ideas because I can't find the songs.
This is not supposed to feel like work....
I am going to abstain from voting, as I have not the aural courage to play a BIIM song.
ReplyDeleteSince you mention them in your answer, I'll count this as a vote for them...thereby forcing McCarthy to eat his Stetson.
DeleteDo not force me to make it worse for BIIM. An abstention is an abstention. STMC will have to eat crow the honest way!
Delete(in my best Al Pacino typing)
DeleteYou broke my heart, CW...you broke my heart!
Two videos are enough!
ReplyDeleteNot a big rap fan, so have to go with the Beatles' original.
Don't know that I'd label Boyz II Men rap, but I didn't expect them to get many votes.
DeleteEven the Philly ties are not enough to sway my vote.
The original is simply too distinctive-why so many people have covered it, I'll never know. It's a no-win scenario (or as you'd probably call it, a Kobayashi Maru)
Let me preface this by saying I am not trying to sound like an expert (or tell you what to do... because I am NOT on either count), but I am so leery of Live Recordings unless that is the recording on the record (and the only recording). I hate the crowd noise and the artists can get "off the track" when they sing live. It is that philosophy when you sing live to expect stuff to happen... because it very well could and does.
ReplyDeleteI like Yesterday by The Beatles. I like the studio recording better than this live one. I like Boys 2 Men but I have not heard this song before. I like Boys 2 Men because I enjoy a band that harmonizes... BUT, I don't like this song by them. They have taken harmonizing to that strange level that can happen in performance when suddenly sliding all around for the note is good music. I am of the strong mind that it is not. It sounds like you can't find the note. I couldn't even make it all the way through the Boys 2 Men performance because of the vibratto (which has no place in a choir or harmonizing group) and cut it off at the 2:18 mark.
So The Beatles win this handily. Maybe next time you can pit two of the other 2098 covers against each other and see what happens. :D
I got tired of looking for a studio cover...maybe I just stink at searches, but I got pages of junk to wade through when I was looking (I search from within Blogger-maybe that's a mistake-never thought of that before), and I simply got bored with the exercise and picked this.
DeleteLike I said to Lee, I have been trying to figure out how to play my own versions of songs on the blog-each time I do a BOTB post, what you see is usually my fourth of fifth attempt because I cannot find my first choices, and I find it frustrating.
I tried to put my own song clip on You Tube and they blocked it, yet the same song was available from someone else (it was a Bob Seger tune-forget which one now).
LC
Maybe if you opened an account on YouTube you could upload your favorites that way. If that works, let me know.
DeleteI do think that searching would be easier if you opened a new tab. I do that and don't have as many problems finding things. Of course, some things are just NOT available. I really wanted the Edwin McCain version of Romeo and Juliet for my BOTB this time, but the only one I could find was a live version. I just don't think it is fair to pit a live version against a studio version. Unless the live version is amazing... and this one wasn't.
I do have an account on You Tube, but I tried a test file (a Bob Seger song during that week of Seger posts) and You Tube immediately blocked it, even though the same song was available by a dozen other users.
DeleteWhy they are not consistent, I do not know...
I like them both, for different "mood setting" reasons. I'll stick with The Beatles version this time though.
ReplyDeleteHard to argue with the Beatles, huh?
DeleteI LOL'd at McCarthy's comment regarding Boyz II Men's clothes. Their awful matching outfit looks like something my dad would wear while fishing to try to be cool.
ReplyDeleteThat aside, I've never been able to stand them. Beatles wins easily, and I'm no Beatles fan by any stretch of the imagination.
Wow-while this song is not my favorite, I am surprised at the lack of love for Boyz II Men...
DeleteI thought they've released some good stuff over the years, as well as spawned a plethora of imitator bands (not that they invented the style, but they certainly revived it for the 90's).
Their chart achievements are pretty impressive, too-three record-breaking number one songs (longest weeks at number one), and the third still holds that record (at sixteen weeks) after almost twenty years.
They are fourth all-time with cumulative weeks at number one behind Elvis, The Beatles and Mariah Carey-not too shabby company to keep.
Not bad for a bunch of kids from Philly.
I have concluded that the above commenters are all racist bastiges!
But I agree with McCarthy's fashion statements.
And my vote goes the same way as everyone else's.
Man-O-Manischewitz!!!
ReplyDeleteWords cannot describe how much I hate the Boyzzzzzz to "Men" version of this! Truly awful. I listened for 30 seconds and then stopped before I was forced to one-up Vincent van Gogh and cut off BOTH EARS.
If this gets one vote, I volunteer to eat McCarthy's stetson AND my jaunty French beret.
Obviously the Beatles are historically important, and to me they are fine in small doses... but they were never at the top of my band favs. I'll agree with McCarthy about their best albums.
Check out my reply to CW-I'm counting that as a vote for B2M, so you and McCarthy can dine on Stetson with a side of beret tonight!
DeleteAs Stephen said: "WRONG!" You can count it til the cows come home, but that doesn't mean its a real vote! Unless you count votes the same way Obamster does... whatever way you want!
DeleteShut up and eat yer Stetson!
Delete31 seconds into Boyz II Men I vote for the Beatles.
ReplyDeleteJeez, Cowboy. You cover these up so fast, for someone typing with their pointer finger only, I can't keep up. Was going to comment on the Country post but didn't make it in time. Lucky you.
You can still comment on the country post...I usually go for every 2-3 days, but obviously wanted to get a post out for Kasem's passing.
DeleteThen I get bored with blogging and am dormant for a long period.
I actually type with four fingers...but was once timed at 70 words a minute...
This is a neat blog, although I do not understand why all these people, who obviously have no musical taste whatsoever, are giving you a hard time.
ReplyDeleteI liked the Boyz II Men version better.
Make that Dogg guy eat his hat, and the other guy's hat for dessert!
-Philly Stakes
Interesting name, PS-is your middle name "Cheese?"
DeleteYour vote, which is obviously one hundred percent legitimate and in no way could have been posted by me by logging in from another browser and leaving a comment anonymously, entitles McDogg and Six to a felt dinner!
GULP! Pass the A-1 sauce.
DeleteBoy, I sure wish that ONE guy hadn't VOTED for those Boyz-2-Men dudes! THAT would mean I would not HAVE to eat several hats. But I guess I DO. Darn.
Nothing odd about that vote, huh?
Delete--->‘WRONG!’<---
ReplyDelete~ D-FensDogg
‘Loyal American Underground’
Shut up and eat yer hat!
DeleteI must agree with the blog owner...it is time for you to chow down on your old, sweaty cowboy hat!
Delete-Philly Stakes