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I apologize that I have been AWOL all week. I’ve been reading
all of your blogs, but not leaving a comment. I know that stinks. I’ve been
really busy and on the road a lot. Right now I’m trying to type this with a big
old bandage on my right index finger (another miserable excuse for not leaving
comments). Earlier in the week I had this same bandage and another one on my right
thumb also, If you think my posts were rife with typos before…sheesh!
A few years ago I wrote a piece of ‘flash fiction’ for a contest
that was inspired by today’s song. I had the best of intentions of printing
that little piece here with my BATTLE, but as of tonight, that ain’t gonna
happen. Maybe, I can dig it up and thrill you with it when I post the results.
Typing is so difficult, I’m not gonna give you any background
here either. Since it’s taken me about twenty minutes to get this far, let’s
get on with it, shall we?
First up, Mr. Meatloaf himself, with ‘Two out of three Ain’t Bad’
Next, let’s hear a slightly different take on this little tune
from Miss. Bonnie Tyler
Now, you all should know what, where, and how to do your part.
Once you’ve finished up here, head on over to the home of ‘TSMOTP’, Stephen T.
McCarthy. Find him by clicking HERE. He has a splendid BATTLE planned for you
this time, and I can count on him to provide you with links to all the other
participants. Please try to visit everyone and cast a vote.
I’ll be back on the 21st of November with my vote and
the final tally. Hopefully, at that time my typing fingers will be restored to
their normal dexterity and accuracy and I can give you a little more
background.
I like Tyler's more upbeat version. So she gets my vote
ReplyDeleteHoly Moly Pat, I was worried a little bit about this being a one sided race, and right out of the box you vote for the 'dark horse' IMO.
DeleteThanks for stopping by and your continued support of BOTB.
I applaud Bonnie Tyler for going in a different direction from the original. If the cover is the same as the original, why bother???
ReplyDeleteThat said, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad is one of my favorite songs. I love Meatloaf. In college, I went to a Meatloaf concert (that in hindsight would have been better if I hadn't drunk that bottle of Boone's Farm---aaacchhh--before the show). However, it was still great.
The dealio is that this song is supposed to be melancholy. So, Bonnie's interpretation just doesn't work for me. I think I might like a cover that stripped it down more rather than amping it up. Although, I can't say for sure. I love love love the Meatloaf original.
So, Meatloaf for me.
On a personal note, I hope you feel better.
On another personal note, I've meant to send you an email in the last few days and forgot. I've got Beer Boy Bryan CPing my novel, and he has made some really excellent suggestions (that I think you will really like), so if you haven't started to read the draft I sent you, don't. Just wait until I finish with these revisions. I don't want you to have to read this over and over again. I really appreciate the insight you've given me, and I want your opinion on it after I am done making the changes Bryan suggests. Then, you can hit me with your ideas. (Is it just me or does this feel never-ending????)
I can't imagine anything being 'great' after drinking a bottle of Boone's Farm. YIKES!
Deleteso it's Meatloaf for you, warmed over, over done, or whatever, I'm getting that your a fan.
Got you down as the first vote for the big man.
I'll send you an email on the other stuff.
I was up later than normal last night because I woke up at 11;30 and couldn't go back to sleep. Then I saw your BOTB post appear on my sidebar. I was so thrilled thinking I'd get a head start on things, but then I went and the post wasn't really there. I guess with you bandaged up finger maybe you hit the wrong key or something though I see that this post is still time stamped at 9:42 Friday night. Oh well, hope you're getting better.
ReplyDeleteBonnie Tyler gave an interesting stab at this song. It was disco deja vu all over again with Bonnie doing her best Donna Summer. There was some interesting instrumental stuff going on toward the end, but over all this version was at least 3 to 4 minutes longer than it needed to be. But I'll admit that I was tempted to get up and start dancing.
I'm gonna go with Meatloaf as his delivery of the song just sounds more appropriate.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Sorry about that! The boo-boo finger was giving me fits trying to type and keep to striking only one key at a time.
DeleteMaybe the song needed those extra 3 or 4 minutes to encourage you out onto the dance floor, doing your best John Travolta. Ha!
A vote for Meatloaf being more appropriate. Huh? Somehow it's hard to think of a guy named Meatloaf as appropriate.
Bonnie Tyler gets my vote, with the power in her singing. Not a fan of Meatloaf. . . it's all preference. A woman with a strong voice will always be my preference for listening pleasure.
ReplyDeleteBonnie does have a strong voice. I think she uses it to better purpose and is more forceful on numbers like 'Holding Out for a Hero' though.
DeleteBonnie gets her second vote and is holding her own against the big man.
Really need to get to bed and get to sleep, but I wanted to check in on your "Battle" before I check out.
ReplyDeleteThe Meatloaf is overdone.
But Bonnie Tyler's making me dizzy! There's all those white dots flashing and spinning quickly around the room from the spotlight reflecting off that mirrored ball hanging over this dance floor. And that synthesizer is assaulting my ears and... oh, what's the point? I'm never gonna meet the girl o' me dreams in this place. Look around. Everyone's so superficial. There's a gorilla over there hitting on the gorilla-his-dreams. And over by the bar there's some blonde having a wardrobe malfunction and pretending that it was an accident. That one chick I was talking to seemed nice and seemed bright and seemed... as out-of-place in this place as I am. But then she upchucked 'Boone's Farm' Strawberry Hill wine and ran for the ladies' room. I'd like to dance with the girl who invited me to this disco club except... I can't dance. Plus, she was surrounded by guys with feathered haircuts until she too went to the ladies' room to change the bandages on her fingers, so...
I guess I'll just go ahead and eat this overdone Meatloaf in the corner and then call it a night before I drink too much whiskey and do stupid things that tomorrow, every thirty minutes, all day long, my mind will recall in LITTLE BITS AND PIECES.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Ha, ha, ha! That was some of your really 'good stuff'. did anybody ever tell you, you should be a writer. :)
DeleteYou know I've done that myself, been at a party and blurted out that someone had ugly curtains. BUT, at least I've never worn pantyhose on my head.
Oh, and I don't believe you about the dancing. Never have.
Feathered haircuts???
More Meatloaf served up however it's done.
>>... Oh, and I don't believe you about the dancing. Never have.
DeleteYeah, well, BELIEVE IT!
Link: T.W.M.O.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Somehow I can actually picture you doing that. :-)
DeleteI like Bonnie Tyler's voice, but I've always thought she had a horrible manager or producer or something -- I've just never really liked any of her songs. It's more the saccharine feel of the tunes than her singing -- she has a gravelly power and a compelling voice, and I know I would like it in the right context.
ReplyDeleteBut this song ain't it -- a disco synth pop rendition of a saccharine song only makes it worse.
Meatloaf's music has always struck me as theater-ish, if that makes sense, Maybe it's because I first saw Meatloaf in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and so I associate him with that cheesy over-the-top theater-production movie. Fun and campy, but hard to take seriously.
Wow -- reading what Ive written so far sure sounds negative. I apologize. I think the song is catchy but not really deep, and I just think neither artist really connects with it that well.
But between the two, I'll go with Meatloaf. At least his rendition sticks with the sentiment more than Bonnie's, "I'm never gonna love you, but now let's dance!" version.
Yeah Chris, don't hold nothing back there, just say how you feel about both artists. Ha,ha, ha! Even throwin' in a little David Bowie at the end there, eh?
DeleteOK, Meatloaf scores again, by default?
I agree with was StMcC said: the Meatloaf is indeed overdone. It was OK, but overrated, overplayed, over-everythinged.
ReplyDeleteBut Tyler's version is completely wrong for the song.
So, of these two, I'll reluctantly go with Loaf. Now, if only you had chosen THIS version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-EFEdUig4k
I could have voted for both you AND Discconnected at the same time!
I clicked on that link and was rolling on the floor. All I could picture was Rundgren in that white suit of Travolta's with his leg cocked and his hand up in the air, wailing away on this number. I may never get that picture out of my head.
DeleteSo...another vote for the un-wrong slab of beef.
Meatloaf! I love the whole album except for the title song. I like Bonnie Tyler actually but when I started hearing this version I started to giggle as it is so over the top disco I was expecting Drag queens to surround me with feather boas. Anyhoo Meatloaf it is:)
ReplyDelete'Giggle', I laughed right out loud at that image of drag queens surrounding you with the feather boas. At least it got the image from the last comment out of my head. Thanks.
DeleteMeatloaf hits the top of the menu again.
Meatloaf (and Jim Steinman and Todd Rundgren) gave the song a certain classic feel- like it was more than a song, more like raw feeling. A drum machine can't compete with that. Meatloaf wins for me.
ReplyDeleteHey Chris, glad I put up something that you could at least vote for this time. Thanks for stopping by and giving the edge to the guy with a more raw feeling. At least several others seem to think he's overdone.
DeleteI like Bonnie Tyler's disco-y version better. I was never a fan of Meat Loaf, anyway.
ReplyDeleteAh, another non-Meatloaf lover and Miss Tyler scores another vote.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of Meatloaf, but Bonnie Tyler's version sounds like something I might hear playing in a gay bar. It's a little too disco-y/synthy for my tastes, and I like dancy synth music sometimes. Just not like this.
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for the Loafman.
May I refer you to the giggling Brigit above. She seems to have had those seem feeling ala drag queens with feather boas.
DeleteThis BATTLE is creating a whole lot of strange images that are now floating around in my head.
Got you down for the Loafman (there's another image I'm gonna have to work on removing from my brain.)
Didn't even have to listen to this one...the Loaf gets my vote.
ReplyDeleteDidja know that's Todd Rundgren doing background vocals on the song (that album paid for his beachfront home in Hawaii...not bad for a kid from the Philly suburbs). Fact is, that album would not have gotten made without Todd's involvement. Every label passed on it before Todd agreed to produce.
Todd did his own cover of the song on a recent album, but believe it or not I would not recommend his version...
I find it funny that technically, you're doing a BOTB post featuring Todd Rundgren!
I did not know that. If you look at the comments above, you'll see that I have already received a link to Todd's version of this song and my reply (I did go and listen). YIKES!
DeleteBeachfront home in Hawaii, eh? I hope all the Meatloaf haters are listening to THAT.
Glad this BATTLE could give you a chuckle. Got you down as another vote for the big man.
I haven't heard this song in like...forever! What a treat to hear it again!! There was no great hair pulling over my decision and was came to a quick conclusion within a matter of seconds. Meatloaf gets my vote! Have fun on the road!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy, another vote for Meatloaf.
DeleteMeatloaf!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike.
Delete