Okay, music lovers and all others--time for that fan favorite--->>>>
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands. This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month. My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months. The premise is simple: Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it. Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.
Battle of the Booze
Thinking about joining in on this current alcohol themed band battle thing, a song long in my queue of someday songs immediately came to mind. I added "Rosewood Bitters" a couple years ago after hearing that its writer Michael Stanley Gee had died. The story I heard and song clip intrigued me because I really liked this song that I didn't recall ever having heard before from an artist I don't recollect. The only decent cover of the song was by Joe Walsh. For me that's a good enough Battle.
And I wanted to share the song if you'd never heard it before. So I hope you enjoy it. I did.
Now, which version do you like best?
Michael Stanley "Rosewood Bitters" (1972)
I won't be bitter if you don't vote, but I do wish you would. In other words, which song version do you like best? Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind. You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.
Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.
Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:
StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands
'Curious as a Cathy'
Sound of One Hand Typing
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
What a great song! Sure fits the bill for this kind of battle. "Good night, Irene" I have some really sweet memories attached to that song. I like both versions, but I think the Michael Stanley band sounds a little more folksy which suits the song better than the other version. It's a new song to me and I like it - thanks, Lee!
ReplyDeleteDiedre, I can't believe I don't remember this song and maybe never heard it before.
DeleteFirst vote is for Michael Stanley
Lee
Good song and new to me! I preferred the Michael Stanley band version, for both arrangement and vocals.
ReplyDeleteDebbie D, if I had known about this group in the seventies I'd have probably added the album to my collection.
DeleteAnother vote for Michael Stanley.
Lee
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of Rosewood Bitters before, so I looked into it. Apparently, it's nothing at all like Angostura or Peychaud Bitters as are used in certain cocktail recipes.
Rosewood Bitters refers to a Tea made from the seeds of the plant called Hawaiian Baby Wood Rose (Argyreia nervosa) The plant contains an alkaloid that can cause psychedelic effects. The alkaloid present is ergine (LSA) which is a precursor to LSD and is a Schedule III Illegal drug in the USA.
Woo-Hoo! Psychedelic, dude!
The song was fairly good, and would probably grow on me even more with additional listening. (I think I'll stay away from the drug, though.)
Considering that I'd never heard this song before, both renditions were on a level playing field and similar enough that I don't have a strong preference. I s'pose I'll vote for the JOE WALSH version. Primarily because the synthesizer riff was downplayed a bit. In the original, that riff was more pronounced and a bit higher-pitched, which I didn't dig quite as much. Otherwise, this would have been a toss-up for me. Both pert-goot (and I listened to both versions twice before voting).
~ D-FensDogG
[Link> BOTB's Battle Of The Booze
STMcC, I've found all sorts of inconsistencies on Google in researching this song and drink. I'll go into it more in my results post. The tea theory sounds most credible although there are still a number of references to Rosewood Bitters as an alcoholic drink that includes the "tea". I'm still not totally sure, but I'm on board for anything psychedelic.
DeleteWhy don't any of us know this song?
A needed vote for Joe Walsh.
Lee
It's a cold and snowy day in east Tennessee. Brr! I'm trying to get my rounds made today since Xfinity is knocking out our service in our area tomorrow. I don't have a BOTB. In this battle showdown, I preferred JOE WALSH. Thanks for the introduction.
ReplyDeleteCathy, I've been monitoring that snowy weather. I called a couple of my Maryville friends to get their report on the snow. Sounds kind of nice for staying indoors and looking out the window.
DeleteA vote for Joe Walsh.
Lee
Staying indoors is what we did. The snow was pretty to look at but it was so cold. I would've loved to have gone outside to take some pictures but I was so afraid that I might take a hard fall and we couldn't get out nor could an ambulance get to us. Here's something funny for you, one week after the city was shut down by the snow storm and no one being able to get out of their neighborhoods the city ran around laying salt on the roads. The temperature was almost 50º, too. The thing is Mother Nature had already begun clearing the side streets off without their help. I just rolled my eyes, thinking they did this so they can say they put salt down on all the roads. Let's hope we don't see anymore of the wintry precipitation the rest of the season. :)
DeleteIt's been warming up here too. I mentioned to my wife this morning that I think summer is almost here. I think we could use more rain--a lot more.
DeleteLee
I'm going to go with Michael Stanley's version on this. I like the more acoustic sound of it.
ReplyDeleteJohn H, I hear you!
DeleteMichael Stanley.
Lee
Walsh's voice is so distinct, but I think the first one had more energy.
ReplyDeleteAlex, hard to mistaken Walsh's vocals.
DeleteA vote for Michael Stanley.
Lee
I'm going to go with Joe Walsh on this one. Enjoyed them both, but am more drawn to the Walsh.
ReplyDeleteMary B, I've liked Joe Walsh since The James Gang back in the late sixties.
DeleteA vote for Joe Walsh.
Lee
I had no idea Michael Stanley Band had been around that long. I love the song In The Heartland. So yeah, they get my vote here.
ReplyDeleteL.Diane, well, I hadn't heard of them until MS died in 2021.
DeleteA vote for Michael Stanley.
Lee
Lee -
ReplyDeleteAs much as your previous battle did not ring my chimes, this one does in spades. I had not heard the song before but I really like it! It immediately struck me as something that Pete Townsend might have written in the "Lifehouse"-"Quadrophenia" era... but of course HIS lyrics would feature rage beneath the surface. Both songs are very good and I'm glad Walsh covered it. I like Walsh and the song deserves a lot of covers. But his version is not as fast. The staccato synth and faster pace move the song along better, and Stanley gets my vote.
Because I do research when I get interested in things, It seems to me that whoever posted the song on YT has the year 1972 wrong. Wiki says that the MSB was not even formed until 1974... and then they contradict themselves and show the song (in the chart in the body of the wiki) as 1973.
Great song and battle, Lee!
Sixgun McItchyfinger
6-Gun, there are so many inconsistencies that I've been finding in my computer searches. The All Music discography for the band shows 1972 as the release date for the album that has "Rosewood Bitters" on it. Then I found several references to the song as having been written by Joe Walsh. I think internet resource sites are pretty sloppy in their research and documentation, but I'd say you know that already.
DeleteA vote for Michael Stanley.
Lee
Yes, that is what I was finding. But I am certain that Walsh did NOT write it because I have watched a bunch of videos now of this song, including a couple where both Walsh and Stanley were playing together live. In one, Stanley himself thanks Walsh for playing the song and says his daughter also thanks him "because it put her through college." That means he got the royalties from the increased profile of Walsh.
DeleteI also read somewhere that Walsh had something to do with producing Rosewood Bitters and that it was the first song Stanley presented to Walsh, and the first one worked on together. I am not sure about that story. But in any case I've had the song in my head all week!
Six
Ditto here--the song is on a loop in my head, but that usually happens with songs I use in these battles. I read somewhere that Walsh plays guitar on the original Stanley version and I think that might be true.
DeleteLee