Today is the 15th and time for Battle of the Bands! Can you believe that I have been at this for about a year now??? Battle of the Bands. Not blogging. That blows my mind.
Ironically, I don't have you guys and your voting tendencies any more figured out now than when I started. Hahahaha! In other words, you always surprise me!
I hesitated to post this particular battle because I thought it would lean heavily in one direction. And then I considered all of the battles of the past, and my ability to predict an outcome, and I decided to give it a whirl.
Miley Cyrus. There. I said it. That girl has been so outrageous (and let's face it, disgusting, and crude) that even folks who used to like her are holding down gagging noises, except for teenagers. They love that stuff. There are some celebrities (singers, actors, etc.) that annoy me so much that I refuse to buy their music or pay money to watch their movies. That is our right, you know? We don't have to financially support folks we don't like.
BUT, Battle of the Bands isn't about anyone making money. Your vote here doesn't equate to royalty checks. So, this is the time to set aside our feelings about the person and focus strictly on the music. And it may gall us to vote for someone we don't like, but if they did the better job...
Yeah, so you can see why I haven't put up this battle for a long time. It would be tempting to vote against Miley Cyrus on Principle. The thing is that we aren't comparing Principles here. It's just the music.
The song is Wrecking Ball. If this song is new to you, all the better. However, I STRONGLY CAUTION you to NEVER EVER EVER watch Miley's video of this song. I regret it. Sorely regret it. There are images in that video that I cannot erase from my brain. I don't want you to suffer that same fate. So DON'T DO IT. I am posting a Lyric Video. You can all relax. It's just words.
The cover of this song is by Boyce Avenue (featuring Diamond White). I don't know much about Boyce Avenue, except that they are a cover band. Their tendency is to strip them down a bit (bad visual coming after Miley... sorry). Acoustic. That is the word I was seeking.
Enough yakking. Let's just listen, shall we?
Miley Cyrus with Wrecking Ball...
Boyce Avenue (featuring Diamond White)...
For more Battle of the Bands fun, check out the other BOTB bloggers to vote on their battles:
- Far Away Series
- Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog
- Tossing it Out
- DiscConnected
- The Creative Outlet of Strat Player
- Mike's Ramblings
- Donna Hole
- Curious as a Cathy
- The Sound of One Hand Typing
- Alex J. Cavanaugh
Now, is the critical moment. It is time to vote for your favorite version of this song. I even encourage you to leave me long comment explaining all the ins and outs of why you voted as you did!
Definitely the second one. Like the soulful edge to it.
ReplyDeleteFirstly let me make the shocking revelation that I actually enjoy a lot of the music I've heard by Miley Cyrus. It's too bad that she strives for the shock value of an image that is not to be respected, but unfortunately this is what a lot of young folks seem to want. I'm disgusted and yet I acknowledge her talent.
ReplyDeleteI found the Boyce Avenue version to be rather lackluster with some annoying vocal hiccups. I was expecting someone to break into a yodel at any minute. They do a nice job--don't get me wrong about this--but I thought it was kind of a weak cover.
I give Miley my vote--more energy, better vocals, and just a bit more pleasing to my ears overall.
Lee
Tossing It Out
The 2nd one. The first one is too harsh and hurts my ears when it comes into the "wrecking ball" part. I have never heard of this song before, in fact, I don't think I ever heard her sing before..... Oh yes, on that Superbowl half time where she was sticking out her tongue and being illuminate and doing vulgar moves. Her father was a little more my style with his achey breaky heart and actually he had the cute tush moves. Ha
ReplyDeleteI don't like either one, to be truthful. I'll vote for the second, only marginally better since it's not Miley what's her name - not sure who that female voice is though on the second version. That contrived up and down cadence is distracting. If we can choose not to buy something on principle, we can also vote on principle. The person makes the song either come alive or die a slow death.
ReplyDeleteI completely get you when you say you have no idea how people will vote in BOTB posts. I'm frequently surprised, also. Case in point -- Arlee, whose opinion I often agree with, using the words "better vocals" in reference to Miley Cyrus just above. I completely get that taste is entirely subjective, and any critique in music or art ultimately boils down to, "this is what I happen to like," regardless of whatever rationale or justification a person uses. So I can never say that someone's artistic opinions are "wrong", but they still do surprise me at times.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find Miley's singing weak and affected and produced. I think one of the main reasons she's trying so hard to be "controversial" is because she has gotten very little recognition on talent alone and has decided it's better to be spoken about for her appearance and behavior than to be ignored for her music.
I think the second version has much better singing, and the sparser production works much better for the song. Not that the song is anything amazing to begin with, but again -- that's just my opinion, and your mileage may vary.
So with the "controversial" images removed, I believe that many people would completely ignore this song, and that Boyce Avenue actually do the song better thatn Miley herself,
I liked the second one better with duet style vocals.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna get all hipster here and say that awful music video aside, I just can't stand Miley's music in any way shape or form, and like D.G. I just didn't like either of these.
ReplyDeleteNow granted, she's better than someone like Justin Bieber, but I just can't bear to listen to any of this kind of flavorless pop music.
So the second one wins, barely.
/grumpy old hipster
Well, I'm pretty sure this is the very first time I ever heard Miley Cyrus "sing".
ReplyDeleteIt took me 13 seconds to KNOW that Miley Cyrus can't sing.
Actually, it took me only 12 seconds, because it took a second to move my cursor up to the video to see how much time had elapsed at the point that I KNEW she's just a shrieker and that I HATE her so-called "singing". So, yeah, GIRL WONDER, seriously - 12 seconds is the precise time.
The second version was much, Much, MUCH better. The song's not bad. I would never go out and buy it or anything, but the vocals were far superior, and the lead male vocalist has a fairly good quality in his voice that I think would make him more popular as a singer of Country tunes.
I found myself smiling and nodding while
reading the Chris Fries comment:
>>... "I'm frequently surprised, also. Case in point -- Arlee ... using the words "better vocals" in reference to Miley Cyrus just above."
Like I said, Miley doesn't sing, she shrieks. And I wish she would just load her tongue in a horse trailer and move to Montana... way, way out in Montana, away from all cameras and microphones.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Well, not to sound all mom like but, meh, on the Miley song. Sadly, I know it but don't know why. It's not like I listen to it. It must be osmosis from my daughter who claims she doesn't like Miley but yet, I'm pretty sure she's played her song over and over again. How else would I know it?
ReplyDeleteOops, I forgot to add my vote - the remake is waaayyy better.
DeleteI like the second one much better. Thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteI'd say I don't like either (and I don't), but the remake is marginally better than the original.
ReplyDeleteJohn Holton
The Sound Of One Hand Typing
The second one by far. That little girl Miley who know thinks wearing pasties is fashion, does not feel the words. She misses the point of the song and shrieks the refrain. She wants to make it a power song and it is not. I prefer the 2nd version. Miley needs a spanking and sent to her room without any supper
ReplyDeleteI like Miley all right - she's young and has had a childhood probably not much like any of our own. And I don't think she quite understands the consequences of her acting out. But I'm not a fan of this song. Hearing the lyrics from dual viewpoints helps me make more sense of them. I've never liked the up/down seesaw music. So possibly I like the second version better.
ReplyDeleteOn the way down, I saw STMCs comment.
ReplyDeleteThat about covers it.
I like the harmony in the Boyce Avenue, and I like that it's softer...but it sounds like an 'anyone could have remade it' remake to me.
ReplyDeleteMiley's version sounds more individualized/unique I'm picking her version as my fave.
Guess I am out of touch....when I saw the post title, I assumed we were talking the title track of the last Springsteen album.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually tough for me-I like the arrangement a little better on Miley's version, but the vocals are light years better on the second, yet the second version is kind of a snoozer....might just be my mood right now.
The song sounded like it had come from the pen of Diane Warren, but I was surprised that I was wrong there (it reminded me of the song she wrote for Meat Load "I'd Lie For You And That's The Truth," and she does have a distinctive style).
But I guess I'm stalling.
I can't vote for Springsteen, can I? How About the Weird Al polka version? Can you believe that this song has been covered six times in a year?
Oh heck, I'm gonna vote Miley just to piss of McCarthy.
Larry
I definitely vote for Boyce Avenue. Love the harmonies & the stripped down beauty. And Miley totally creeps me out. But assuming she actually wrote the song, kudos to her for writing what is essentially a really great song.
ReplyDeleteYou evoked some interesting responses with your selection this week making things interestingly fun. This is the first time I was able to concentrate on the lyrics instead of the video. So...thanks for not posting Miley's raunchy music video. I haven't recovered from seeing it, either. Reading your intro I immediately assumed I would like Miley original over the cover artist, as this is the way I'm usually swayed. However, I was surprised to find Boyce vocal inflections, tender tone, and slower version conveyed the emotional sting in the song's words better than Miley. So, I give my vote to Boyce!
ReplyDeleteMy vote goes to Boyce Avenue! I like his voice sooo much better!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of either, but I'll give a slight edge to Boyce, because he's a better singer than Miley.
ReplyDeleteI'm late to this party and every other BOTB, for that matter. Mondays are real busy for me, all I had a chance to do yesterday was post my bit and run out the door. Anyway...I usually don't read the other comments before I make mine, but in this case I made an exception. I just had to see what others were saying. some very interesting and very polite attitudes. Larry's made me LOL, he voted just to piss STMc off. OK then.
ReplyDeleteI'm just gonna be honest (not surprised are you?) I don't like Miley Cyrus. I don't think she has any more talent than any of the other 'Disney Princesses' and unfortunately she has a whole lot less good judgement. It's really too bad somebody could not have reined her in, because in this day and age of no talent teeny bopper music videos, she probably had a pretty good career going. Currently, it seems, at least to me, she seems to have become 'too hot to handle' in a pedophilia kind of way (I know, I know, she's of age and all, but who can forget Hannah Montana).
That said, I really don't care for this song either. Like so many of your other voters I'm going with Boyce Avenue. They did a much better job in this BATTLE on what I consider less than a mediocre song.
Despite my achy breaky heart, I suffered through Miley Cyrus with an open mind. I discovered it was much better when I viewed the video a second time on mute. The Boyce Avenue version is better, in my opinion. However, given a chance, my neighbor's cat would take the honors.
ReplyDeleteI'm believe in Miley's talent too, just not her image. However this one, I'm given to Boyce Avenue as it seems to have more feeling.
ReplyDeleteIf I could break it down into categories, I'd vote for Boyce on talent. Though Miley is not the best singer, and has made some very poor choices, she gives the song more of an edgy feel. I'm choosing team Arlee on this one.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Miley's voice is like fingernails across a chalkboard for me. I think it's because it's such a horrible mix of being scratchy and so nasal at the same time. The sharpness of her voice is grating. Yuck. So yeah, Boyce.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how many songs were remakes! I never realized.
ReplyDeleteI'm with DG, I didn't care for either version much.
ReplyDeleteI will try to remember to post the results on Monday. My poor ole brain tries to keep up, but not always all that successfully.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone who voted:) And if it isn't Monday yet, you can still add your two cents!
I found myself humming to this tune being played overhead at Wal-Mart until the "I came in like a wrecking ball" grated over the speakers. I shivered. I had actually liked a Miley Cyrus tune ... that is until she yielded to the urge to scream nasally.
ReplyDeleteThe Boyce Avenue version is much better. As with her own life, Miley can't resist ruining something beautiful. The ancient Greek playwrights had it right: character is destiny. Thank you for the nice comment about me on D.G.'s blog. :-)
This is an interesting matchup. I don't like Cyrus (OR her dad), and hence never thought to look for a cover of it. I think her voice is totally weak, reedy, and overproduced. I do not agree with FAE that all the "Disney Princesses" have no talent. Many of them have loads of talent, but they are directed in their music direction by adults early on and then often end up mishandling success later. Cyrus is the LEAST talented of 'em all. Her best song by far is "We Can't Stop." That one is good and she does a good job on it. I'm with McCarthy on the tongue business. Rip it out and wipe her behind with it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like Boyce Avenue's voice.
However, all this being said, I vote for MC... and not JUST to piss off McCarthy. I think the song needs the anger and energy in the refrain, and Boyce Ave (and Diamond White) go way too soft on that critical part. If it annoys McCarthy, that is just a side benefit.
I really never though of this as a duet, yet it strangely makes a lot of sense
ReplyDeleteDid you slow it down a bit? seems more emotional than the original
you didn't quite get my vote because someone actually did manage a much better version for my taste but you definitely managed to do better than the original so kudos
I like the cover! Not a big Miley fan but my daughter listens to her. Def a country twang to the cover version.
ReplyDeleteNumber 2 please. The first one sounds like a wrecking ball to me ;)
ReplyDelete