Friday, May 9, 2014

I Swear... It Happened Just Like This!

If you are new to this blog, you might not have noticed that I am off my Blogging Game. I was supposed to put up a HERE'S TO YOU post yesterday. I didn't have one. Say what? ::gasps are heard from the peanut gallery::

I know. This NEVER happens. Yet, it did. There were so many things that got put on the back-burner during April and the A to Z and they all attacked me at once.

 If you were thinking, "OH NO! She has quit the HERE'S TO YOU FEATURE.... Relax. It will be back next week (barring any hazards). And if you don't know what I am talking about... well, you are in for a treat.

Now, I SAID that I was going to post the Battle of the Bands results on the 7th. I totally forgot that was the IWSG post day. Really, just too much all at once. I did COUNT the votes, but I actually had "stuff" I wanted to say about this battle. First, there is no way of telling if you've done a good job in choosing the "combatants" until the votes start rolling in. I thought that more of you would like the Rihanna version, because it was the original, and would be the one you are accustomed to hearing. I didn't take into account how many of you don't listen to current music on the radio. Hahahaha. My mistake. And I might make it again, but isn't that part of the fun in life???

Second, Train whomped Rihanna in this battle. Their version of Umbrella got 26 votes without mine. Rihanna only got 3 votes. CW Martin said, "If it was done in my living room, maybe Rihanna." But he voted for Train. As for my vote?  Well I LOVE LOVE LOVE Train.  Some of you already knew that. How? Your first clue MIGHT have been the series I wrote on Train before attending their concert back in 2012. Then, before I went to the 21012 Train concert in Atlanta I am almost positive I posted this picture of myself in my Train concert T-shirt. I bought this shirt when I saw them the First Time back in 2004. Rarely do I go to a concert and buy the T-shirt, so it was a BIG thing.

Me in 2012 before Train Concert

Third, Briane P. didn't like either choice and voted instead for a cover by The Baseballs. I had never heard of The Baseballs or their cover, BUT it was FANTASTIC. And had I heard it earlier, I would have done this Battle completely differently. Ah... the things we learn AFTER THE FACT.

Fourth, Dawn Malone said that she would have liked Train's version better if it didn't have all the "ella ella ella" business in it. I agree. That is why I prefer their live, acoustic version. However, it wasn't the version they RECORDED and it didn't seem fair to use it. And the lead singer, Pat Monahan, has crazy hair in the acoustic video. I love Pat, but I swear it looks like he stuck a finger in a light socket.

Which brings me to my fifth point... To let you know I do listen to you, I will share The Baseballs version of this song (thank you Briane P.) and the acoustic version by Train (this is for you Dawn). You can vote again if you want on this new match-up (or not). It isn't an official battle. I just wanted you to hear the Battle That Could Have Been.

First up Train with their acoustic version:



And the new-to-me group, The Baseballs:



I apologize for not getting around to everyone's blog. It has not been Business As Usual here and I feel very behind. I hope to make the rounds before Monday.

So, now who do you like? Train Acoustic or The Baseballs? Remember the videos are entertaining to watch, but we judge strictly on the music. Yeah, it turns out I do want to know... I will be back on the 15th with a NEW AND DIFFERENT BOTB match-up!

24 comments:

  1. Still vote for Train. Just not into that fifties sound.
    At least you didn't forget IWSG day!

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  2. I gotta go with the Baseballs! So much energy. . . Train was much more emo-intense but I felt like energy today. My vote even though it's not a battle is for the Baseballs.

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  3. Of the two Train versions, I'd give the nod to the first one you posted... except that I really DISLIKED that "Ella, Ella..." echo bit. Other than that, I preferred the one you used in the official 'BOTB'.

    BUT... of the four versions you've now posted, the ONLY ONE that I can say I truly "liked" was by The Baseballs. I never heard of them before... I've thrown them and hit them, but never heard of them. But THAT was "music"! It was done so differently that it was almost like hearing a totally different song (more like my 'Mercury Blues' BOTB where Steve Miller and David Lindley didn't even seem to be playing the same song.)

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  4. Hey, Robin..

    How are things... COOL TRAIN shirt... you wear it well.

    Train it is....

    Have a great weekend!

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  5. Uh-oh... I have to say, number one, next to rap I hate Train. I was actually proud of myself I made it to the 52-second mark of the acoustic version. Maybe I would have gotten farther on a better day.... But I LOVE the Baseballs' version! Love love love! Everything that STM said above goes double for me.

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  6. Hi Robin,

    Definitely the Train version. The Baseballs need a seventh inning stretch and try again.

    Enjoy your weekend, Robin.

    Gary :)

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  7. First, my faith in humanity is somewhat restored to see Rihanna trounced so badly in this BOTB.

    Second, I started listening to the acoustic Train version and thought, holy carp! maybe I just don't like this song AT ALL. I would definitely go with the first Train version, but it would still be a reluctant vote.

    Finally, I almost didn't go on to listen to The Baseballs and that would have been a mistake. WOW! I really did like that version, so apparently it's not the song, but the artists and arrangements. The Baseballs really did it for me.

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  8. I had no idea Train had done this song! Learn something new every day... And nice shirt! =)

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  9. Oh, gosh. I listened Train, convinced I'd like it best, but then I listened to the Baseballs. What fun!!! I really like them both, but give the edge to the more upbeat tempo that had me wanting to dance around the room.

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  10. The Baseballs? Ronnie James Dio and the Elves? The Pixies? Buffalo Tom and Morphine? I've heard of more bands this week that I never knew existed than any other week before.

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  11. The Baseballs do an interesting take on the song...not sure I'd vote for it over Train, but it's got more spunk that the R&B version...

    LC

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  12. YAY I SAW MY NAME!

    I'm still partial to the Baseballs, but the acoustic version is at least an improvement on the original version of the cover... did that make sense? So Baseballs it is.

    (When I commented on your last BOTB, Sweetie and Middle Daughter had to listen to the Baseballs' version and their vote was "I like Rihanna," with a second, and I thought completely unnecessary vote of "Plus your musical tastes are awful," directed at me. As I said, completely unnecessary.) (And untrue. My musical tastes are incredibly refined.)

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  13. The Baseballs are fun, but I still like Train best. Thanks for introducing me to a new group. Now I'm curious, as to what else they've recorded. Cute t-shirt photo, Robin!

    Julie

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  14. Cool shirt. :)

    I like the Train acoustic version better than Rihanna's (and I was one of the votes for her in the other post). They did a great job. I like Train. I like some of Rihanna's music too. We won tickets to her show once, but I thought it was too risque for my daughter (she was 13) and gave them to a friend, who gave them to her son and his girl. ;)

    Train has a tour stop in our state in July. I wouldn't mind seeing them.

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  15. I like that Train shirt as well!!!

    I wouldn't worry too much about not blogging... you really worked so hard on the A-To-Z series of posts.

    :o)

    ~shoes~

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  16. I love all of your comments. I am still having a difficult time organizing my Life, Blogging, Writing/Reading, etc. Hang with me. I hope that next week goes better....

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  17. I go with Train. Just when I think I won't like something, I do.

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  18. No apologies necessary - I can totally relate. Running behind and all over the place with my blog and other projects. :) Have a great week!

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  19. I like both. But The Baseballs are more gimicky. So I'll go with Train. I like Train because the band members are around my age. Rare to have 40-somethings hitting the airwaves these days.

    I do have a write in for this song remake, however. I know this will sound really funny, but I once caught Mandy Moore's take on the song when she performed it on Yahoo Music years ago. It's pretty damn good.

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  20. Hang in there girl. I have all faith that you'll be as together as usual next time. :) Yeah, I noticed that you didn't post results for the BOTB this time and I don't even usually look for that, so I did miss ya!
    Oh Lord, what is that Baseballs thing?! Ugh, it's truly horrible. Sorry folks. I had to say it. I haven't heard something that annoying in a very long time. It was probably worse because I saw how many of the commentors liked it and I expected to also!

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  21. The Baseballs version is good as a novelty but it wore out pretty quickly for me. I wouldn't want to listen to it often. The Train acoustic version is outstanding--maybe the best of all. I just looked up the song on Wikipedia and there it says that the song was originally written for Britney Spears. It would have been interesting to see what could have happened with that.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog

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