Battle of the Bands: Alabama Song

       

          It's time for another Battle of the Bands, the event where music loving bloggers offer up two different versions of one song for you to vote on your favorite one.   This popular event which is now in its second year was founded by Stephen T McCarthy and Faraway Eyes.   After you vote on my pairing, please visit their posts and vote on theirs.   More possible participants will be listed at the end of this post.

Alabama Song

        Some of my past Battle entries have been reviled and ridiculed.  Believe me, I've liked all of my choices and have felt there was merit in presenting each of them.  The songs I present are songs that I enjoy and I always hope that my visitors to Tossing It Out will enjoy them as well.  But, alas, this is not always the case.   This installment of BOTB is no exception.  "Alabama Song" is a wonderful song in my opinion.  You may not particularly like my choices for the Battle, but I do hope you'll listen with an open mind accepting the song for what it is and appreciating the performances in the context they have been presented.

        The first time I heard "Alabama Song" was on The Doors debut album.   This is one of my favorite songs from that album with its oompah beat, quirky calliope circus organ riffs, and carousing chorus.  About fifteen years later I discovered this was not a song that originated with The Doors, but was composed in the late 1920's by the German songwriting team of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, the same duo that gave us classics like "Mack the Knife".  

           This discovery came to light upon my purchase of a cassette of the Kurt Weill tribute album Lost in the Stars in 1985.   It was then that I discovered that the great song performed by The Doors was actually a feature tune in the political-satirical opera The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.   It was not long after that discovery when I caught a performance of the opera that appeared on the PBS station in Knoxville, Tennessee.  

          Almost a cabaret style musical, it's an interesting modern opera with some fine music and a peculiar story.  Actually I didn't follow the story so much as focus on the music and the spectacle of the presentation. Mahagonny is probably rarely seen on television, but if you ever run across it you might want to check it out.  There are a few YouTube clips of performances that you can find if you'd like to get an idea of what the opera is like.

           If you are interested in hearing and viewing a performance of  "Alabama Song" by an opera company you can check out this clip.  And if you are not familiar with the version by The Doors or just want to refresh your memory about what it sounds like you can find that here.    Please don't vote on these versions.   If The Doors were in the running this Battle would undoubtedly be a landslide in their favor.

          Here are your candidates up for the vote:    

Lotte Lenya  "Alabama Song"  (1930)

        Lotte Lenya was an Austrian performance artist who was married to the composer of the music for "Alabama Song" Kurt Weill.  She also appeared in several American films including the James Bond film From Russia With Love.   This version of "Alabama Song" holds up pretty well in my opinion despite having been recorded 80-some years ago.   Remember, this is opera so it's not quite the same sound of popular songs of that era.   Maybe we should call this style of music "popera"?  I hope you will enjoy this early version of the song.   It has a kind of eerie sound that might work well for Halloween.




Marilyn Manson "Alabama Song"  (2003)

            And speaking of Halloween...

            I'm not a Manson fan and can't say I know much about his music.   I couldn't resist using his version though.   He's kind of scary--or at least weird.  And I think his version is appropriately done.  Before you set off on a tirade of how out of tune and horrid he sounds, keep in mind what this song is about and who might be singing it.   "Alabama Song" is a boozy anthem of debauchery.   I would fully expect off-key wailing drunks staggering down the street singing this.   Don't you think that Manson kind of pulls this off?

Time to Vote!

           Which do you prefer?  Please vote on your favorite before heading out to search for the next whiskey bar.   Let us know in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the one 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.

‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ 

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

 ‘DISCCONNECTED’ 

 ‘CREATIVE OUTLET OF STRATPLAYER’ 

 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

 Alex J. Cavanaugh

           The results of my Battle will be announced on Wednesday October 22nd.  Other stuff might even be happening on this blog from time to time.  I know I've become somewhat unpredictable on Tossing It Out, but I assure you that it's not because I've been carousing in the city of Mahagonny. 

             Was this one of my most horrendous offerings or did you enjoy it?   Are you familiar with the "Mahagonny" opera?   Would you consider the Weill/Brecht work to be opera or something else?       

        

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• The Art of the Diseuse
• The 9 Most Partiest Songs About Whiskey
• REVIEW: 'A Kurt Weill Cabaret' by Theo Ubique Cabaret ★★★½

Battle of the Bands: September Song & #IWSG

Welcome to My Combined Post!

          This entry on Tossing It Out is a joint posting that will combine the Insecure Writer's Support Group with the Battle of the Bands.   I do this when the two events coincide or are so close together that I prefer to merge the two for the sake of expediency.

           If you're new to either concept I'll briefly explain:   #IWSG is the event that occurs on the first Wednesday of each month where writers talk about the worries, concerns, and travails of the writing life.  To find out more and access the list of participants, visit the blog of the host Alex J. Cavanaugh.  Keep in mind that the official posting day is on Wednesday.

            BOTB takes place on the 1st and 15th of each month.   In this event different versions of one song are presented and you are invited to vote on the version that you prefer the most.   This event is hosted by Stephen T McCarthy and Far Away Eyes.   After you finish here, visit their blogs to vote on their battles.  Additional possible participants are listed at the end of this post.

September Song

         Initially I chose this wistful classic because I'm presenting it on the first day of September--how fitting.  Then the sad passing of our A to Z Challenge co-host Tina Downey as well as some health issues affecting some of my own family members turned my thoughts to the fragile temporal nature of our lives.

        I keep putting off so many things I want to do and I know that some of you do the same.  Time is a death sentence from which there is no reprieve.  Sometimes we are fortunate to have an extension, but rarely do we know exactly when our time is up.   Laziness and distractions are my enemies now.

       You who are young now I exhort you not to wait until you are older or better opportunities come your way to allow you to capture your dreams.   The time for action is now.  I'm talking to myself, but this is one of those times when I hope others who need the message are listening and taking heed.   My door to the future could close at any time.  It's a cause for some insecurity, but it's also a fact of life that I must accept.

        September Song treats the passing of a year as a lifetime.   The song is metaphorical and typically is most effectively sung by middle-aged or older performers.  Originally the song was written by composer Kurt Weill with lyrics by writer Maxwell Anderson for famed actor Walter Huston to sing in a short-lived 1938 musical Knickerbocker Holiday.   The show closed after a six month run and the song was mostly neglected for the next decade.   If you're curious to hear Huston's original version you can hear it by clicking here.

         In 1950 Huston's recording of the song was used in the soundtrack of the dramatic romance film September Affair.   The popularity of the film put Huston's recording at the top of the Hit Parade charts and the song became established as a classic with many recordings being made over the next six decades.   Walter Huston was an acclaimed actor of stage and screen from 1924 to 1950 and not known for his singing.   He is most known now as the grizzled prospector in the great Humphrey Bogart film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre which was directed by Walter's son John Huston.  Walter Huston died before he could enjoy his fame as a Hit Parade charting artist.

        Many artists have done their own versions of September Song with the recording by Willie Nelson being one of the most notable.   Frank Sinatra also covered the song rather nicely on more than one occasion.   My personal favorite is the rendition by Jimmy Durante.   With so many choices of great versions, it was tough to come up with a particularly unusual "boys against the girls" match-up (oh yeah, I've been carrying on with a male version against female version in my last few battles and I'm continuing in that vein for a while).    I hope you find my pairing interesting as well as entertaining.

Anjelica Huston "September Song" (2012)

         Since Angelica's grandfather Walter first introduced the song in 1938, I thought it might be somewhat poignant to have the girls side represented by her updated version.  Her arrangement is simple and traditional.  This was used in an NBC series called Smash--I'd never heard of this show, but it ran during the 2012-2013 seasons.   Give this one a listen--it's short.





Lou Reed "September Song"  (1985)

       In 1985 a unique tribute album honoring the music of Kurt Weill was compiled by music producer Hal Willner.   Lost in the Stars:  The Music of Kurt Weill is a collection of songs as interpreted by a number of different artists.   I'll probably get around to using a few other cuts from this album in future BOTB installments just because I like the album.

        Lou Reed takes a walk on the wild side with his interpretation of September Song.  It's a bit of a different turn than most artists take.  I hope you'll get a kick out of it.



Time to Vote!

           Which do you prefer?   Do you like the more traditional take by Angelica Huston better?   Or are you a bit more turned on by the more cutting edge version by Lou Reed?   Please take time to vote in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the one 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.


‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ 

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

 ‘DISCCONNECTED’ 

 'A WRITER'S LIFE IN PROGRESS' 

 ‘CREATIVE OUTLET OF STRATPLAYER’ 

 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

         The results of my Battle will be announced on Monday September 8 at which time I'll also be participating in the Sunflower Tribute for Tina Downey.   More about that tribute can be found here.

           What are your thoughts about getting everything done that you want to accomplish before you leave this Earth?    Have you seen the great John Huston film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre?   To what extent have you followed the career of Lou Reed?

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Related articles

• Song of the Day: September Song
• Anjelica Huston Serenades Us Into September On SMASH
• Kurt Weill: That's How You Tell an American
• 0128 September Song - Frank Sinatra (1946)