Wednesday, October 1, 2014

'THE BOYS ARE BACK' BATTLE OF THE BANDS XXX and THE INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT GROUP 'Creativity vs. Anxiety'




For those of you who have been coming around here regularly, you know I confuse easily. I think I’ve been going back and forth in my BLOG titles regarding what number Battle of the Bands it is. Today, I went back and checked and counted ‘em all up. This is definitely number thirty (30) (XXX) for me.

Now that we’ve got that straightened out, let’s begin shall we?
By my title I’ll bet you’re all thinking I’m using THIS for my BOTB entry, but not so.

The ‘boys’ I’m referring to include those ‘toxic twins’. They got a lot of ‘hate’ the last time I pitted them against a country artist in a BOTB. Yes, I bet some of you guessed who I’m talkin’ bout. It would be Arrowsmith.

Anyway…the song I’ve cnoosen is ‘Sweet Emotion.
Here’s what Wacky watchee has to say about Arrowsmith and ‘Sweet Emotion’: 

"Sweet Emotion" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith, released by Columbia Records in April 1975 on the album Toys in the Attic[3] and was released as a single a month later on May 19 (see 1975 in music).[1] The song began a string of pop hits and large-scale mainstream success for the band that would continue for the remainder of the 1970s. The song was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and bassist Tom Hamilton.

Many Aerosmith fans believe that Steven Tyler wrote all of the lyrics to the song about the tension and hatred between the band members and Joe Perry's wife. Tyler himself has said that only some of the lyrics were inspired by Perry's wife. It was stated in Aerosmith's tell-all autobiography Walk This Way and in an episode of Behind the Music that growing feuds between the band members' wives (including an incident involving "spilt milk") may have helped lead to the band's original lineup dissolving in the early 1980s.

The beginning of the song is a repeating electric bass riff tracked alongside the bass marimba, played by Jay Messina. The introduction builds with the use of a talk box by Perry, which has become one of the most famous uses of the guitar talk box in popular music (Perry's guitar "sings" the line "sweet emotion" over Hamilton's bass riff). Eventually Tyler joins in, singing in unison with Perry's talk box. The actual talk box device used was called The Bag and was made by Kustom Electronics. The now discontinued device had been used earlier by guitarists including Jeff Beck and Mike Pinera.
The song kicks into a more rocking rhythm with dueling guitars, and rapid-fire angry-sounding lyrics sung by Tyler. The chorus of the song consists of a repeating guitar riff followed by a mirror of the "sweet emotion" intro.

The song also features several bizarre instruments including two shotguns, a broomstick and a sugar bag.

I decided to beat some of you ‘music gurus’ to the punch, and give you that little bit of background. (I’m looking at your Mr. Strat Player – Chris Fries – HA!)

Tried as I might, I just could not hear one shotgun let alone two, a broomstick, or a sugar bag, in this version, and it says it’s the original from 1975. But, then you know you can’t really trust Wacky Watchee or Youtube for that matter.

So enough of this talk. Let’s hear ‘Sweet Emotion from Arrowsmith.



I’ve been spending a lot of time driving from Lake Tahoe and Reno and back again. I usually listen to a rather eclectic radio station. It’s K something something X, or ‘The X’. Sorry, ‘The X’, I can’t remember the call letters and give you a plug, but I can tell you it’s found at 100.1 on your FM dial. If you’re ever in the Reno//Sparks/Tahoe area please check them out. Anyway, I did say they were eclectic didn’t I? The play everything except ‘new country’ and ‘opera’, they’re also light on the commercials and talk.

So, I’m driving home one day and this song that sounds kinda familiar comes out of the box. It is ‘”Oh Well’ (a song Mr. McCarthy aka ‘the sexiest man on the planet’, used in a Battle awhile back). I really like the version, so I went to Youtube and looked it up. It was by Leo Kottke and Bob Gordon. Under their Youtube listing I saw that they had also done a cover for ‘Sweet Emotion’.

Here’s Leo Kottke and Bob Gordon with their version of ‘Sweet Emotion’:



Now you guys know me, I’m not good at making all of those links AND BOTB is growing by leaps and bounds, but Mr. McCarthy aka ‘TSMOTP’ (that looks like something printed on the side of a car at NASCAR). Whom you can find HERE will give you the link for each and every participant. So the minute you’ve finished up here, click your way on over to his space STMcC Presents Battle of the Bands, and check out his current BATTLE. Once finished up there, please try to visit all of the participants.

Should you feel so inclined, please join us and post your own BATTLE. If you do, don’t forget to tell me in the comment box, so I, and everyone else, can stop by your place and vote there also. If you plan to be a regular participant, also notify Mr. McCarthy, so he can add you to the list. Please leave the light on for us, because this is starting to look like a Blog Hop and it takes a while to get around.

I’ll be back on the 7th with the final tally and my vote.

PLEASE NOTE – These BATTLES take place on the 1st and 15th of each month. I sure do hope you’ll have so much fun that you’ll keep coming back. 

INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT GROUP

This IS a Blog Hop hosted by Mr. Alex J Cavanaugh. Get all the details and find the Linky List for other participant HERE (When you get to this page, click on the tab that says Insecure Writers Support Group, of course.). I encourage you to also hop around and see what some of these good folks have to say. You never know, you might be inspired.


I ran across this quote and thought; how appropriate for an IWSG post.

As writers we often use our imaginations to create anxiety as opposed to fueling our creativity. I, for one, usually imagine the worst when I send my work off to someone else to read. I fret and worry, even when I’m not ‘standing naked in front of others’, by revealing my writing. Is my story strong enough? Will others relate to my characters? Like them? Really be able to see them? Are their big gaping plot holes? And the list goes on and on and on.

There are no easy answers. When you’re working with a CP or editor, you have to trust them to consider your feelings, but also to help you make your work the very best it can be, and often that’s… difficult at best.

I’m sitting down and going over my MS one more time. Trying to take the ‘whiny baby’ out of one of my characters, filling those plot holes, and writing ‘real’ action scenes, instead of the ‘grocery list’. It will never be good enough for me, but it’s time I let it out to the CP’s and ‘let them have at it and me’.

I’ll have to develop a new mantra 'imagination = creativity NOT anxiety'.


49 comments:

  1. Well, it's about time you got something out to your CPs! Congratulations. And you're right, the work is never really ever done to our own ideas of perfection, but we gotta put out there anyway.

    You bofb selection is really tough. I very fond of Arrowsmith. But I like the funky sound of Kottke and Gordon (though I thought the intro was a bit long.) So... Ultimately for me, I'm going with Kottke and Gordon because, for the first time, I could really understand the words. For years I've been singing... wheels in motion.

    The first time I remember hearing the voice box was on Peter Frampton's fabulous 1976 Frampton Comes Alive, album (a year after Sweet Emotion) still I think it's one of the most famous examples.

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    1. Thanks Bish, good to see you here.

      Appreciate your vote and getting Kottke and Gordon off to a good start. I fear they will have a hard time again Aerosmith and their iconic version of 'wheels in motion' (Ha, I love it!).

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  2. Everyone on planet earth knows Aerosmith, but Kottke & Gordon? This is my first time hearing them...or at least I think it is. K&G's cover was okay, but I still like the original best. So, give my vote to Aerosmith!

    I think I'm stuck in anxiety mode and my creativity is crushed. I'm being to think it's self-inflicted brought on by situations in my life or maybe lack of. I don't know. I have felt for a long time like life is passing me by with no real experiences I pull from to get my creative mojo from. Does this make sense? Am I depressed or is it just a bad mood swing due to menopause? Ugh!! Oh well...obvious I'm in the midst of some real talent and perhaps if I rub elbows with y'all long enough I will get inspired to step outside of my shadow to actually create. Best of luck to you in your endeavors!

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    1. OK, now Aerosmith and Kottke and Gordon are tied. Let's see how long that lasts.

      Anxiety is a crusher of all hopes and dreams. Hope you can break free of it's insidious grasp soon. Thanks for the well wishes.

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  3. LOL! Thanks for the shout-out, FAE! I'm not sure how much I could be considered a musical "guru". Sometimes I think I lean more towards the Cliff Clavin school of musical knowledge. ;)

    "Sweet Emotion" is a song I'm very familiar with -- I bought the album shortly after it came out. But truthfully, I don't hear anything that sounds like a shotgun unless maybe it's that repeating bit of backwards "Schwooop" in the instrumental fills between the verses (like starting at 1:16). Maybe that could be a blast replayed backwards? Anyway, I always really liked the intro and the instrumental parts of this song.


    Really like the version by Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon (Gordon's from the band Phish). Kottke is always an amazing guitarist, and this version is funky and has that Phishy trippiness added by Gordon. I like the dobro (or banjo?) bits and the droning guitars. and the spacy muted style of singing actually appeals me more than the Steven Tyler swagger and ego-driven power vocals. All in all, this is a really unique and fantastic cover!

    This is a hard choice -- I really like both! Great BOTB!

    After two listenings to decide, I'm still torn, so I have to go with my "when in doubt, the original wins" rule and give the edge to Aerosmith. Barely. But dang -- I REALLY like that cover, too.

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    1. You're most welcome good sir. Cliff Clavin - I had to stop and think for a minute there and then I laughed out loud. Your current BOTB certainly puts you up there in the 'musical guru' status. Ha! I never would have know those facts you present in a million years.

      I've always enjoyed Kottke, but haven't heard anything from him in quite a while. When I first heard their version of 'Oh Well', I thought; Wow! I really like that sound. Felt the same way about 'Sweet Emotion'. I'm afraid they'll have a hard time against the original. But, it's only just getting started, we'll see what the week brings.

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  4. Kottke/Gordon started off in a promising way, but then their intro went on too long and the vocal part seemed kind of draggy and wimpy. It was nice, but not quite like the drive of the original.

    I'm going with the Aerosmith version.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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    1. Wimpy? Did you really say wimpy? OK, you're entitled to your opinion, but wimpy? Really?

      I'll give you that Aerosmith DOES have a lot of drive goin' on there, and now their pulling ahead.

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  5. Aerosmith wins out for me, other not bad, but never minded Aerosmith, so they win.

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    1. Thanks for your vote Pat, glad you made it back. Ha!

      Aerosmith taking the lead.

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  6. Chris Fries summed it up very nicely, and so my comment is pretty much "yea... what HE said!"

    "Like 'em both; Kottke's version funky; intro too long; go with the original." I also bought the Aerosmith album when it came out, so me likee long time.

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    1. I felt the same way about Chris' comment at another BATTLE today.

      So, you likee 'em both, but give your vote to those old guys with the white streaks in their hair.

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  7. Like Chris Fries, I had to listen to these twice. (Of course, I was trying to fix lunch at the same time and was a bit distracted the first time around.)

    Here is my dilemma with this song: I like the Gordon/Kottke version of this song once they start singing. Like Bish said, I can actually understand the lyrics when they sing it. BUT... it takes almost two minutes to get there. And that intro was not exciting enough to go on for two minutes. It is fully one third of the song. And the outro going out lasts forever, too. So, it really ends up being half the song devoted to a repetitious instrumental that I don't enjoy. But the middle was outstanding! I like the stripped down sound. If this arrangement were different, I think I would have voted for it. They didn't include all of the lyrics (unless my cold medicine is messing with me more than I think it is) and that would have been far preferable to the long intro and outro.

    Now, the original... I don't know what it is about Aerosmith but I like them. It isn't Stephen Tyler and his "good looks" because he and Mick Jagger both look like they've been rode hard and put up wet. I like the Talk Box and Tyler's delivery of the lyrics. Reading the back-story, it sounds like in-fighting was tearing this band apart, so he should sound pissed off (he does). And that whole scenario is pitched against "Sweet Emotion"... which wasn't all that sweet. The song jams beginning to end and never gets lost in the instrumentation or lyrics.

    So put me down for Stephen Tyler and the boys.

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    1. " Rode hard and put up wet." I really did 'laugh out loud'. Every time I see Tyler or Jagger perform, I think; OK, guys you may have the moves, but pleeease put your shirt back on. YIKES!

      Seems a lot of folks are objecting to that intro. I kind of like it, but then I also kind of like the intro on the Aerosmith version. I admit that this is a tough decision for me and each song has it's merits.

      Doing some research for this BATTLE, I learned for the first time that the song was partially about Perry's wife, who apparently was thought to be causing trouble between the boys. When you listen to the lyrics closely - Double YIKES!

      Got you down for 'the toxic twins' et al.

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  8. The Aerosmith original is pretty iconic...liked the cover, but going with the boyz from Boston...

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    1. Think that icon thing is definitely giving them the edge.

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  9. Good luck with the whiny character.
    Those versions were so different. Have to go with the original.

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    1. Thanks, it took me three times through edits until I figured out that was her problem and she was NOT a sympathetic character.

      Glad you liked the diversity. Got you down for Aerosmith.

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  10. Hokey-Smoke and Hoo-Wee, FAE!
    Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!

    This was one of your very best BOTB blog bits! You took a famous song and matched it up against a cover that was COMPLETELY DIFFERENT and yet very good in its own right. (That's how you cover a song! You take it, turn it inside out, and shake it all about. Let the funk times roll!)

    Pretty tough call here. I was a big Aerosmith fan back in the day and owned all of their albums on "Licorice Pizza" through 'Draw The Line'. That's where I lost interest in them and drew the line.

    I still dig the spacey intro to 'Sweet Emotion'. It starts to get a little noisy for my ears these days but I still kind of like it. Incidentally, I can't hear the shotguns nor the broomstick but the sugar bag is really obvious. Except that it sounds more to me like it might have been a flour bag. I think Wackypedia may have gotten that small detail wrong.

    The Leo Kottke and Bob Gordon cover was excellent. And I disagree with many people here: I didn't think the Intro was too long at all. It really set the tone in a nice, relaxed, extended, non-rushed way. I loved it. I liked EVERYTHING about the K&G version, including those slow, easy, almost "lazy cool cat" vocals.

    This is really a tough call. On one hand, my familiarity with the Aerosmith original calls to me because I know it so well (and I love that sugar or flour bag effect). But on the other hand, I find the K&G version more interesting.

    I'll tell you what... if this was 1975, I'd vote for Aerosmith.
    But it's now 2014, I am 55 years old, and... K&G appeals more to me now.

    Chalk up another vote for the K&G cover. (I listened to it twice because I enjoyed it so much.)

    Yeah, I used 'OH WELL' in my 'BOTB' #2, and I was shocked that I was the only person who voted for The Rockets over Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac. I thought The Rockets were gonna kick The Mac to England and back in that match-up.

    Now I gotta go to YouTube and hear how K&G did their take on 'OH WELL'.

    Fantastic 'BOTB' installment, FAE. THIS is how it's done!

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. Well thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed this match-up. When I heard that Kottke/Gordon rendition of 'Oh Well', I was blown away. When I found this version of 'Sweet Emotion' at Youtube after looking up 'Oh Well', I thought WOW! Unlike you 'music gurus' (yeah, I count you in there also) I find it hard to come up with this much diversity on a consistent basis.

      It certainly takes a discerning ear to distinguish a flour bag from a sugar bag, my hats off to you on that one. Ha! did you see what Chris Fries said about the shotgun - he thought he heard it 'played backwards'. Holy carp! Like I said 'music gurus'.

      I hear what you're saying about 1975 vs. 2014. Apparently a lot of folks have got their ears stuck in '75, cause 'the toxic twins' are in the lead. guess I'll have to sit back and see what the week brings.

      Thanks for the compliment. Appreciate it greatly, especially because it came from both 'music gurus' today.

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    2. Yes, I read what CHRIS wrote about hearing the shotguns played backwards.

      I'll bet that when he listens to Led Zep's 'STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN' he hears the reference to satan said forward.

      Now THAT is a "music guru"!

      ~ D-FensDogg

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    3. :) Well, it's some kind of guru for sure.

      So, I'm wondering did you have time to check out the Kottke & Gordon version of 'Oh Well', and if so, what did you think?

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    4. OK -- it's only because I've messed around with recording music and flipping tapes over to make them backwards (now done digitally) that I know what that "Shwoop" sound is. But it could easily be just a cymbal crash played backwards.

      I have no idea what 'Stairway to Heaven' sounds like backwards -- my ears don't hear any references to Satan, just something that sounds like "Robert Plant is an egomaniac in too-tight pants..." But I could be wrong.

      Although... When I listen to a country song backwards, I get my truck back, my dog back, and my girlfriend comes home. ;)

      And not to be a pain in the ass, but it's MIKE Gordon. Not Bob. Maybe Bob was Flash's real name? ;)

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    5. Alright Mr. Music Guru now I'm rolling on the floor holding my sides laughing until I choke!

      And PLEASE never worry about being a pain in the ass, especially about something like this. Wow, what was I thinking? Of course I have been know to completely change someones name in mid conversation, dumb blonde here. Thanks for that correction and I apologize to Mr. Mike Gordon.

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  11. Aerosmith for sure.
    I never thought about how having an active imagination causes us to think of the worst case all the time.

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    1. The fact that you never thought of this would be a good sign.

      Got you down as another vote for Aerosmith.

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  12. Leo Kottke and Bob Gordon get my vote just because I like the instrumentals, not so much the vocals. Not a fan of screaming Aerosmith at all!

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    1. Yea, another vote for Kottke and Gordon, their having a hard time against the more familiar version by Aerosmith.

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  13. That's an awesome quote! I am going to borrow it for my collection of great quotes. I think I have plenty of imagination because I both create and get anxious, and get anxious while creating and create because I'm too anxious. Just have to get rid of the anxiety thing.
    Vote for Kottke and Gordon!

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    1. Al, so good to see you here. Thanks for stopping by and voting. Please use that quote when and where ever you like. I lifted it off Pintrest myself.

      Sounds like you have the bases covered with your great imagination.

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    2. Oops, I also appreciate the BOTB vote.

      Another one for Leo and Bob.

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  14. For BotB; I love the jazzy-mello sound of Leo, and would likely listen to his version when writing, or just mellowing out. But Aerosmith gets my vote, and itis based mostly on that very first "sweeeeeet eeeemoootion". Unlike Mr Sexy above, I like the noise of the song. It really gets my heart pumping; yep, I could clean for several minutes to this :)

    Loved your inspirational quote. I'm sure all your anxieties will float away when you receive all your awesome feedback.

    Have a good week FAE.

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    1. I gotta admit Aerosmith works for me when cleaning the house. Not so good in the car, cause I already have kinda a lead foot.

      I love the quote also, and I only wish.

      I'll work on having a good week. Miss you at BOTB. Hope you'll be up to joining us again some time soon.

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  15. Fantastic quote! I'm guilty of using my imagination to create anxiety. Even when i know that's what I'm doing, my mind is sometimes masochistic I love your new mantra. I shall have to repeat it to myself in those moments.

    For the BotB, the original Aerosmith cannot be replaced.

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    1. Hey Christine, I appreciate your vote. Another one for Steven and the boys.

      A masochistic mind, sounds like there's a story in that somewhere.

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  16. Yeah. I've had some real headbanging moments. sometimes it's not just about disagreeing about something that needs to be fixed but trying to figure out how to do it.

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    1. Ah, there's the real problem. Knowing you have a problem, but not knowing the solution. Happens to me way too often.

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  17. I liked both versions. Leo Kottke and Bob Gordon's version was different and they made the song their own. However, it doesn't overtake the original. My vote for Aerosmith,

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    1. Hey Mike, glad to see you made it (I just came from checking one last time, to see if you posted a BOTB today, and saw that you did). Seems you share the sentiments of most of the folks here today on this BATTLE.

      I'm wiped out tonight so I'll be by your place tomorrow to listen up and cast my vote.

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  18. I'm not a big Aerosmith fan. With that said, Sweet Emotion is probably one of the few songs of theirs that I really like. The Kottke and Gordon version, meanwhile, just doesn't strike much of a chord with me. Not sure if it's the long intro, or the way they practically whisper the words, but Aerosmith takes this one pretty easily for me.

    Oh, and taking the 'grocery list' out of an action scene... I like that!

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    1. It seemed to me that you hated so much on Arrowsmith the last time I used therm, I thought sure you would vote for the other guys here. Just goes to show what I know, eh?

      Yeah, I can be famous for a scene when first this happens, and then that, next he goes here, and finally she said Whoa! You get the picture. It's all there but boring as hell. I just finished a crit for someone and saw all of MY mistakes. I hate editing my own stuff.

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  19. "Creativity, not anxiety." Now there's something worth remembering.

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  20. When you start feeling the anxiety, take a breather so the creativity trumps over anxiety. I listened to both and I know the first very well. I never heard the 2nd one before and I found the acoustics quite unique. I felt like I could listen to this while watching a black and white film about the tough times people are dealing with in various cities...and then they sang. Not a lover of their vocals to this piece. They seemed a bit dull to me and too laid back in their singing. So due to this, I go with Aerosmith and their classic rendition

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    1. Thanks Birgit. Taking a breather is never a bad idea. Although sometimes, that only allows my over active imagination to go places it shouldn't.

      Got you down as a vote for Arrowsmith. Thanks fro stopping by and casting a vote.

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  21. Definitely not a song that I thought anyone outside of a desperate-for-a-hit metal band would cover, so this was a surprise. Intro to version#2 was a little long ("Don't bore us, get to the chorus"- Tom Petty)... but musically interesting. Vocals, not so much for me. But as a change of pace, I'll go with #2.

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  22. Yeah, I thought that was a pretty interesting cover myself for an acoustic duo.

    Got another vote for Kottke and Gordon.

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  23. Kottke and Gordon just don't sound right singing this. If they had done a completely instrumental version of this, I might give them my vote, but I'll stick with Aerosmith here.

    John Holton
    The Sound Of One Hand Typing

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