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TwoTube archives 2014
VOUT #1
Mike @ Bill
Quinn the Eskimo (Song Plucker: Bill)
VC1 – The Hype (Mike)
VC2 – Craigs Birthday (Bill)
vs
JUDGES' RULINGS...
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Name : Rock
Judge's Comments : You know, I never heard Dylan's original until this weekend and this TwoTube. And while Mr. Zimmerman's version definitely has its charms (not least of which is he still has a recognizable voice), I have always identified the song with Manfred Mann.
VC1:
You could tell the players were enjoying themselves--there was an energy and vibrancy that was infectious. They made me smile. There was a lightness and subtlety to their interplay, and the camera work highlighted this. I really felt like I was a part of their celebration. Though the video and audio cuts into the party were a little clunky, I liked the kid dancing. In my imagination, the band was busking in the park and were invited to the kid's birthday party. Of course, they marched through the streets. Musically, I really loved the accordion. There was something cute about them and their playing. The guy in the door at the end clapping was a nice touch.
The video makes me want to go to The Netherlands!
VC2:
Who the hell is Craig? If this is his birthday celebration, I can only imagine what his funeral would be like! This is supposed to be a fun song. This is definitely not a fun performance. The single, unmoving camera definitely doesn't help. Nor does the unmoving, unexciting and unexcited band. I suppose if you blow the harp you are supposed to wear a black jacket, but the harmonica just didn't work. Maybe Craig plays harmonica and wanted to sit in with the band?
And, despite the singer's request, no-one in the audience sings along. And I find the anonymous women dancing distracting.
One good thing--the vocalist does sound a little like Dylan, though his voice cracked whenever he said, "you've not seen nothing..."
In the end, though, it's all about the cape.
VC1 it is.
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 1 - Bill 0
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Name : EBOLA (Rich)
Judge's Comments : Ok, red pants girl is pretty much my Wikipedia submission for hot mess. In a good way. But this one isn't all that close. I was a bit suspicious about the video cut to the living room - but the edit was just smooth enough not to ruin things. I'll give this one to the college kids.
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 2 - Bill 0
From Open Window Commentary: "I'm not sure any camera person could have dodged the dancer bullet in video 2. The dancers seemed quite intent on being filmed for ... I guess the word here would be posterity."
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Name : TIM
Judge's Comments : I have to say this was a rough start to the season. I HAVE TO BELIEVE I could have found 25 versions I liked better than either one of these. By the time I was 1 minute into the Haarlem Music sessions video, I was ready to kill the videographer. I wish I could confront this person and just use two words... ZOOM OUT. One of my biggest pet peeves with sports camerapeople is when they ZOOM IN on things like spinning footballs in the air so much so that we can't see the receiver getting into position to make the catch. I wanted to see the whole band a few times! The style never varied once and that was fairly infuriating. Craigs Birthday immediately added something nice with the harmonica, but if I were to graph my liking of this performance, it would have peaked at :01. It got worse as it went - the too-close-for-comfort dancing view, the garbled lyrics, the moment when I started to beg for it to end... jeez... what to do. Well, I really did like the music in the first performance and would definitely like to hear more from HMS. I can't say the same at all about Craigs Birthday. One more point - my favorite second of VC1 was the very last one. The video person zoomed out just a little and we saw a guy enjoying what looked like a fun, spontaneous show from his window! He was there the whole time and we didn't even know it!I really did like HMS, the band. TIM votes for VC1 Haarlem Music Sessions.
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 3 - Bill 0
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VOUT #2
Rock @ Tim
A Day In The Life (Song Plucker: Rock)
VC1 - Easy Star All-Stars (Rock)
VC2 - Distractism (Tim)
vs
JUDGES’
RULINGS…
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Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : Excellent job by both Voutists! Two clips worthy of winning,
and both superior to last week's entries. It took a number of viewings to
separate these.
I think the overall tone of the original was pretty much lost on both bands, as
both made the song a more celebratory anthem than the somber and wistful feel
that I get from the Beatles, but that didn't really detract from my enjoyment
of both clips.
Although the shot in VC1 is mostly static, there's enough going on in the frame
to keep my attention. The haze of smoke is to be expected, but the energy on
stage, the light sabres, and some good audience interaction were all plusses. I
thought the vocals were very good, and the finish, the final chord, was
excellent. The only distinct negative was the sax - yick. This clip would have been
much better without it. Overall, I thought the reggae take on the song was
distinct enough to keep it interesting. A solid and fun entry.
VC2 was a more complex evaluation. First, I've seen so many split screen videos
in TwoTube, that my initial reaction is blah - it's not hard and it's not
creative. But this clip has some more thought to it. There's an interesting
variety of sizes to the windows, there's a couple of wipes, and then there's
the video pulsing to the beat of the bass drum. I also liked some of the small
details - like the set list written on the snare, and the "Wish You Were
Here" shirt. The clip was musically creative too. Not so much the vocals
(I preferred the Easy Star All-Stars singer), but this multi-instrumentalist
with the "TGA" hoodie is the real find of this viduel. The guitar
solo was excellent, and even more interesting was the keyboard part that
followed. Overall, I felt there was an admirable attempt by Distractism to put
their own stamp on the song, both aurally and visually.
It didn't all come together, however. I felt they lost the thread around the
2:00 minute mark. The hot tub?? But just when it looked like it was about to
unravel, the guitar solo brought things back into focus. I also think they kind
of punted on the ending - I preferred the Easy Star All-Stars finish.
So this was a difficult decision because I thought VC1 was more consistently
good, but VC2 had some great moments, and was overall a more creative effort,
especially the video edits. By giving a little extra credit to the more daring
attempt, I'm going to go with VC2.
Video Preference : VC2
Rock 0 – Tim 1
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Name : Bill
Judge's Comments : After my first viewing, I had a strong feeling about where
my vote would trend. Strong. But I watched each a few more times along with a
host of other versions out there before making this final call. When you are
dealing with such an iconic song, there is the temptation to want something
different out of it, some fresh take on an old standard. I enjoyed hearing the
version done by The Fall even though there does not seem to be an actual
video—live or otherwise—by this band. I wonder how close anyone was to choosing
the version by the Bee Gees from the otherwise terrible Sgt. Pepper movie. The
video alone is worth seeing. Painful, but kind of enjoyable. The lyrics are
amazing. John took several news stories and combined them into something
seamless and weird. The study of the Blackburn highway revealed that, indeed,
paving material equivalent to the interior volume of the Albert Hall would be
necessary to repair the roadway. Or so some stories go. The 4000 holes is a
reliable number apparently, and John got it from a newspaper in January,
1967.
http://www.beatlesbible.com/1967/01/17/john-lennon-begins-writing-a-day-in-the-life/
The bottom line for me is that in one video I am looking at a rich kid with
tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear who is tearing the heart out of a
great song. By that, I mean that he is adding contemporary touches—vocal
stylings and melodic touches—that make the song sound generic when the original
stands alone, unique. Did he really need, after showing us fifty thousand
dollars worth of microphones, to show us his hot tub, too? Was that display of
excessive wealth really necessary? And what about Paul's part? The
"dragged a comb" part? You know, the part of the song that makes the
title make sense? The reggae guys actually play the song. The crowd has fun,
the band has fun, and the song is honored. The video quality is not the
greatest, but I'd pay cash money to see The Easy Star All-Stars live.
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 1 – Tim 1
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Name : Rich
Judge's Comments : I just saw an article today about a fox that was frozen
solid while trying to swim across a stream in Sweden. Might have been a river.
Either way, there's this picture of a fox frozen just below the surface ice all
over the Internet.
Also, I read yesterday that the guy who lived down the block from me when I was
growing up was arrested for the 1978 Lufthansa heist. Big photo of the guy all
over the Internet.
I would sooner spend five minutes looking at either of those photos - paired
with the theme song to Hello, Larry - than watch either of these videos
again.
Unwatchable, meet unlistenable. Reggae gets the win for being live.
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 2 – Tim 1
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VOUT #3
Bill @
Rich
Girls On Film (Song Plucker: Rich)
VC1
- Joanne Joanne (Rich)
VC2
- Daan (Bill)
vs
JUDGES’ RULINGS…
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Name : Tim
Judge's Comments : This was pretty easy for me actually. The more I watched Joanne Joanne, the more I liked the video and the band. I am wondering if they are a Duran Duran cover band. If not, they get extra points for Duran Duranning their instrument sounds, if you will. The guitar, bass, and the drums sounded great. The Belinda Carlisle look-alike lead singer evoked the spirit of the Duran Duran era, too. I am not familiar with Daan. After what I have seen, I don't have much of an itch to change that. This should be a shutout win.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 0 – Rich 1
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Name : Rock
Judge's Comments : Though I'm not quite a Duran Duran fan, I think they are a good band, though it's hard to excuse Union Of The Snake.
I absolutely love Girls on Film.
So it was with some anticipation that I listened to this week's TwoTubes.
VC1:
There's nothing not to like about this video and Joanne Joanne:
Makeup like the original. Great musicianship. Understated enthusiasm. Lead singer looks like a cross between Simon LeBon and Belinda Carlisle, though her phrasing is all Simon. The absolutely compelling insouciance of the bass player who knows everything revolves around her. (Yes, a requirement of the job, but I have never used the word "insouciance" before ...).
I would definitely pay to see this band. It would bring back a lot of Columbia memories--parties in the Fairholm, lounge basketball in 1808 East Campus, a Battling Tops tournament with the Gillard Boys until 6:00am in the morning. The West End. Van.
But you can't go back, and the same reasons that make Joanne Joanne a good tribute band, are what ultimately make them, and this performance, nothing special.
Not Duran Duran, but a so-so simulation.
VC2:
It's obvious that Daan is HUGE SOMEWHERE, and that this was an encore.
When he first started singing, I thought it was kind of a joke, and that he would ultimately pause, a full band would join him, and he'd do a straightforward version of the song. Expecting that to happen, and having it not happen, created a tension in my first viewing of the video that was compelling.
I never realized I wanted Ian Curtis to do a cover of Girls On Film, but now I know what it would sound like. There's also a hint of Mystery Train in there, too. I loved the falsetto on "two minutes later" and "have your picture."
The tight shot was perfect--it emphasized the hypnotic power of his eyes. To me, the other shots (luckily, there weren't many of them) detracted.
I thought he was gonna step out of the video and kill me.
Daan is COOL.
Francine thinks I am in love with him.
I might be.
I want all his records.
VC2 it is.
Video Preference : VC2
Bill 1 – Rich 1
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Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : While always appreciating the effort of the Voutists, I didn't feel that this week's Viduel matched the quality of last week's tussle. Joanne Joanne turns in a very credible effort, and I was glad to see multiple camera angles and what looked like a fun club atmosphere. The highlight for me was the final "shooting star" part that's absent from the original Duran Duran video edit. I thought they did a nice job wrapping things up. However, none of this was particularly memorable, and I don't see myself seeking out future Joanne Joanne clips.
It's more likely that I will seek out other performances by Daan. I give him full credit for attempting his own take on the song, for playing a little bass line on his guitar, and for seemingly keeping a huge outdoor crowd engaged with a small sound. But for all it's originality and daring, it just wasn't very enjoyable. It lacked the necessary exuberance which is a key ingredient if Duran Duran music is to be palatable, and there just wasn't enough of the song there. When you remove the entrance and exit, it's a pretty short performance. I suppose that's a plus for any judge that doesn't care for the song, but this is an early D.D. track I don't mind. Thank God no one plucked The Reflex.
A narrow victory for Joanne Joanne in an adequate but soon to be forgotten Viduel.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 1 – Rich 2
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VOUT #4
Tim @ Mike
Little Boxes (Song Plucker: Mike )
VC1 - Tommy Sands and His Irish Band (Mike)
VC2 - Walk Off The Earth (Tim)
vs
JUDGES' RULINGS...
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Name : Rock
Judge's Comments : I must start off by saying that, though these videos were not by Daan (and by definition inferior), they were both very good in their non-Daan-like way, and it was very hard to choose between them.
I had never heard this song before, but it's definitely pretty catchy, and a great tribute to Pete Seeger, who, though he didn't write it, is associated with it. When I first listened to it for this TwoTube, I could not really make out the lyrics; I thought the little boxes in the title referred to wooden caskets. When I researched the real lyrics, I found out that I wasn't too far off the mark.
VC1:
A straightforward performance. As a man whose father came from County Limerick, I have always had a weak spot for the Irish style of music.
The arrangement was full without being overwhelming. And the way they say "boxes" is very delicate. I just love Tommy Sands' voice (it reminds me of Tommy Makem)!
And the Arlo Guthrie intro was a nice touch.
I had mixed feelings, though, about the woman who started Irish step dancing toward the end of the song. I grew up with it, and I remember it quite fondly, but with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, it seems like cliche, and, in any case, I don't think it fit in, and while she danced it became a generic but still pretty Irish reel.
VC2:
Awesomely inventive. It really draws you in, as you want to see how they explore the metaphor of Little Boxes; every new second is a delight. I think the performance is a good one. However, the voices of the first two male singers have a gravel that sounds affected.
I like the sound of the clock which starts and ends the song (again, my original thought about the song wasn't so far off). But I think the instruments were too percussive.
When I first saw the videos, there was really no choice to be made: VC2 far and away. But the more I thought of it and the more I watched, I started to resent a little bit the cuteness, slight manipulation, and condescension of Walk Off the Earth, and appreciated more and more the straight-out musicianship and pleasantness of Tommy Sands and His Irish Band.
And it's only 37 days until St. Patrick's Day.
VC1 it is.
Video Preference : VC1
Tim 0 – Mike 1
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Name : Rich
Judge's Comments : Ah, to think that it was in our own lifetimes that a song like this could make its way on to a pop music chart. And pass for social commentary.
This isn't a song that really rewards outstanding musicianship. As such, shorter is better (apparently the most successful version of this clocked in at barely more than one minute - no surprise there.)
So, live or traditional music video? I give Walk off the Earth credit for some creativity here. And their is the shorter of the two. That's enough for my vote in this Viduel.
Love the pillar graphic with the Awesomesaurus Rexatron reference, by the way.
Video Preference : VC2
Tim 1 – Mike 1
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Name : Bill
Judge's Comments : I listened to Malvina Reynolds's original version after watching the plucks a few times. She had a weird career! She had an English degree and was a mom until she was about our age—mid-40's—and she went back to school to study music. She started writing, met Pete Seeger, and had a few hits recorded by others, including this gem by The Seekers:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YP7GCXqdqU
"Little Boxes" is so very much an American song—a California song, to be exact—that the mildly Irish take by Tommy Sands on it doesn’t feel right. The dancing at the end of such a miserably bitter song doesn't feel right, either. This is not a song that one might be inclined to dance to given other options. I don’t know. Sure, the atmosphere and production are fine, the camera angles and sound of high quality. I just don’t know if the pieces add up to anything great. It is an angry, bitter song. It's a "It's them there what's the problem" kind of song. Okay, on to the next pluck. I am hoping for an angry punk version of this. The song needs it! Well, I just watched Walk Off the Earth's version. At least they made the song a sad one. Not quite as energetic as the song requires, I think, but the mood at least does not clash with the song's tone. And the video is very cool. Did you watch the "making of" video? That shows some behind the scenes cardboard design and stuff that makes this video unique. And after another listen, the hypnotic pace of the WOTE version makes me feel as if I am being put into some kind of inescapable box, too. Not a bad feeling.
It is appropriate to honor Pete Seeger in 2Tube. This song gets us a little close to that, so thanks to whoever chose it. I think that neither of these versions brings a huge amount to the song, but the hypnotic pace and great video make WOTE my choice.
What's the shortest song to hit the Billboard charts?
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1WMn-AZ0cE
The shortest #1 song ever? //www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Z_hskvz1M
TPC
Video Preference : VC2
Tim 2 – Mike 1
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Name : Rock
Judge's Comments : I must start off by saying that, though these videos were not by Daan (and by definition inferior), they were both very good in their non-Daan-like way, and it was very hard to choose between them.
I had never heard this song before, but it's definitely pretty catchy, and a great tribute to Pete Seeger, who, though he didn't write it, is associated with it. When I first listened to it for this TwoTube, I could not really make out the lyrics; I thought the little boxes in the title referred to wooden caskets. When I researched the real lyrics, I found out that I wasn't too far off the mark.
VC1:
A straightforward performance. As a man whose father came from County Limerick, I have always had a weak spot for the Irish style of music.
The arrangement was full without being overwhelming. And the way they say "boxes" is very delicate. I just love Tommy Sands' voice (it reminds me of Tommy Makem)!
And the Arlo Guthrie intro was a nice touch.
I had mixed feelings, though, about the woman who started Irish step dancing toward the end of the song. I grew up with it, and I remember it quite fondly, but with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, it seems like cliche, and, in any case, I don't think it fit in, and while she danced it became a generic but still pretty Irish reel.
VC2:
Awesomely inventive. It really draws you in, as you want to see how they explore the metaphor of Little Boxes; every new second is a delight. I think the performance is a good one. However, the voices of the first two male singers have a gravel that sounds affected.
I like the sound of the clock which starts and ends the song (again, my original thought about the song wasn't so far off). But I think the instruments were too percussive.
When I first saw the videos, there was really no choice to be made: VC2 far and away. But the more I thought of it and the more I watched, I started to resent a little bit the cuteness, slight manipulation, and condescension of Walk Off the Earth, and appreciated more and more the straight-out musicianship and pleasantness of Tommy Sands and His Irish Band.
And it's only 37 days until St. Patrick's Day.
VC1 it is.
Video Preference : VC1
Tim 0 – Mike 1
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Name : Rich
Judge's Comments : Ah, to think that it was in our own lifetimes that a song like this could make its way on to a pop music chart. And pass for social commentary.
This isn't a song that really rewards outstanding musicianship. As such, shorter is better (apparently the most successful version of this clocked in at barely more than one minute - no surprise there.)
So, live or traditional music video? I give Walk off the Earth credit for some creativity here. And their is the shorter of the two. That's enough for my vote in this Viduel.
Love the pillar graphic with the Awesomesaurus Rexatron reference, by the way.
Video Preference : VC2
Tim 1 – Mike 1
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Name : Bill
Judge's Comments : I listened to Malvina Reynolds's original version after watching the plucks a few times. She had a weird career! She had an English degree and was a mom until she was about our age—mid-40's—and she went back to school to study music. She started writing, met Pete Seeger, and had a few hits recorded by others, including this gem by The Seekers:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YP7GCXqdqU
"Little Boxes" is so very much an American song—a California song, to be exact—that the mildly Irish take by Tommy Sands on it doesn’t feel right. The dancing at the end of such a miserably bitter song doesn't feel right, either. This is not a song that one might be inclined to dance to given other options. I don’t know. Sure, the atmosphere and production are fine, the camera angles and sound of high quality. I just don’t know if the pieces add up to anything great. It is an angry, bitter song. It's a "It's them there what's the problem" kind of song. Okay, on to the next pluck. I am hoping for an angry punk version of this. The song needs it! Well, I just watched Walk Off the Earth's version. At least they made the song a sad one. Not quite as energetic as the song requires, I think, but the mood at least does not clash with the song's tone. And the video is very cool. Did you watch the "making of" video? That shows some behind the scenes cardboard design and stuff that makes this video unique. And after another listen, the hypnotic pace of the WOTE version makes me feel as if I am being put into some kind of inescapable box, too. Not a bad feeling.
It is appropriate to honor Pete Seeger in 2Tube. This song gets us a little close to that, so thanks to whoever chose it. I think that neither of these versions brings a huge amount to the song, but the hypnotic pace and great video make WOTE my choice.
What's the shortest song to hit the Billboard charts?
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1WMn-AZ0cE
The shortest #1 song ever? //www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Z_hskvz1M
TPC
Video Preference : VC2
Tim 2 – Mike 1
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VOUT #5
Rich @ Rock
Rock
You Like A Hurricane (Song Plucker: Rock)
VC1 – Ladies Band (Rich)
VC2 – Acoustica (Rock)
vs
Name : Tim
Judge's Comments : I will go with the live version with the words. Percussionist is the difference for me. I also did not realize how much I missed the words until I saw the second version. What a great song. The shiny girls in the desert was a strong entry, but that live version was extra special. I love how the drummer used his own head at times.
Video Preference : VC2
Rich 0 – Rock 1
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Name : TPC
Judge's Comments : I almost never just jump right into a Vout without doing research first, but I k now this song so well—and love it, by the way—that I felt okay about taking the Ladies band for a spin into the Scorps to see what I could find. Musicianship? Check. Exotic locations? Check. Gold body paint? Check. What we end up with is a fairly straightforward cover of a well-known song. And the music faded into the background for me as the absurdity of the video took hold of me. I kept asking myself, why? Why is it necessary that’s eh plays the accordion at the summit of a mountain wearing a wedding dress and smiling coyly? Why writhe in the sand while shredding? Why seek out the fortress of solitude of your violin solo? All so incongruous. No, Belay that. Dissonant! It made my brain hurt to watch this! Actual pain! I have never seen anything like this. Not really, anyway. Such shameless objectification of the female body mixed with ostentatious talent and skill! I don’t know what to do with this video at all. I have no idea how to categorize it. I don’t think I there is enough Advil in the world to allow me to watch it again, though. So I'll try the other. That cello solo! Perfect! I loved the band who did this. Very professional. I made up my mind early on that this video had a chance to the extent that the singer sang "come on come on come on come on" after the second round of "here I am." Had he hit those, this video might have nudged those exotic Ukrainian women from their lofty, gold-hued perch. But the singer of Acoustica never even attempted it! I mean, the cello player did a better job on the solo than Mattias Jabs's original! So why, oh why, did Acoustica not attempt the best part of the song, the moment when Klaus Meine goes nuts during the chorus late in the song? I just don't get it. Maybe the German/English does not translate well to Czech in cold weather. Something. Okay. I am going the Daan route here. One of these videos is going to stick with me (like a scar? profound regret?) for a long time, so The Ladies Band gets my vote, as appalling as that sounds. Okay. Time to take a shower.
Video Preference : VC1
Rich 1 – Rock 1
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Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : I'm glad I didn't have to wade through umpteen videos of this song - two clips is quite enough. The best thing about Scorpions is Klaus Meine's vocals, and that's of course lost in any cover. The Ladies Band leaves out the vocals, which might be a good idea, because Meine's voice is hard to match and the lyrics are pointless anyway. Acoustica attempts vocals, and not all that well, but at least the lyrics were not easily discernible.
OK, Ladies Band has some plusses. The violins are cool, and the cheesy "four elements" approach to the video is wholly appropriate for this song. But I wished I could see all of the performers, including the rhythm section. It was just hard to believe that this is a real band based on this very artificial video. It sounds OK, and the video at least holds one's interest, but I was not wowed.
The Acoustica video is, by nature, pretty dull, but you have to give some credit to a band playing in the cold with a heat lamp on stage. As I mentioned, I didn't care much for the vocals, but the cellist's playing of the guitar solo was very impressive, and the clear highlight of the performance. The percussionist's enthusiasm also helped to carry me through to the end of the clip.
There's some creativity to both clips, and I think the Voutists did a good job holding my attention with a song I can live without.
I'm going to give this one to Acoustica, based on the cello playing, and the feeling that I had been transported to Brnenske Vanoce to enjoy this performance.
As an aside, the Scorpions album Comeblack has some very interesting covers that one sometimes encounters when playing TwoTube, and I leave this Viduel with the strong conviction that I will almost always prefer a Scorpions cover to a cover of Scorpions.
Video Preference : VC2
Rich 1 – Rock 2
Judge's Comments : I will go with the live version with the words. Percussionist is the difference for me. I also did not realize how much I missed the words until I saw the second version. What a great song. The shiny girls in the desert was a strong entry, but that live version was extra special. I love how the drummer used his own head at times.
Video Preference : VC2
Rich 0 – Rock 1
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Name : TPC
Judge's Comments : I almost never just jump right into a Vout without doing research first, but I k now this song so well—and love it, by the way—that I felt okay about taking the Ladies band for a spin into the Scorps to see what I could find. Musicianship? Check. Exotic locations? Check. Gold body paint? Check. What we end up with is a fairly straightforward cover of a well-known song. And the music faded into the background for me as the absurdity of the video took hold of me. I kept asking myself, why? Why is it necessary that’s eh plays the accordion at the summit of a mountain wearing a wedding dress and smiling coyly? Why writhe in the sand while shredding? Why seek out the fortress of solitude of your violin solo? All so incongruous. No, Belay that. Dissonant! It made my brain hurt to watch this! Actual pain! I have never seen anything like this. Not really, anyway. Such shameless objectification of the female body mixed with ostentatious talent and skill! I don’t know what to do with this video at all. I have no idea how to categorize it. I don’t think I there is enough Advil in the world to allow me to watch it again, though. So I'll try the other. That cello solo! Perfect! I loved the band who did this. Very professional. I made up my mind early on that this video had a chance to the extent that the singer sang "come on come on come on come on" after the second round of "here I am." Had he hit those, this video might have nudged those exotic Ukrainian women from their lofty, gold-hued perch. But the singer of Acoustica never even attempted it! I mean, the cello player did a better job on the solo than Mattias Jabs's original! So why, oh why, did Acoustica not attempt the best part of the song, the moment when Klaus Meine goes nuts during the chorus late in the song? I just don't get it. Maybe the German/English does not translate well to Czech in cold weather. Something. Okay. I am going the Daan route here. One of these videos is going to stick with me (like a scar? profound regret?) for a long time, so The Ladies Band gets my vote, as appalling as that sounds. Okay. Time to take a shower.
Video Preference : VC1
Rich 1 – Rock 1
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : I'm glad I didn't have to wade through umpteen videos of this song - two clips is quite enough. The best thing about Scorpions is Klaus Meine's vocals, and that's of course lost in any cover. The Ladies Band leaves out the vocals, which might be a good idea, because Meine's voice is hard to match and the lyrics are pointless anyway. Acoustica attempts vocals, and not all that well, but at least the lyrics were not easily discernible.
OK, Ladies Band has some plusses. The violins are cool, and the cheesy "four elements" approach to the video is wholly appropriate for this song. But I wished I could see all of the performers, including the rhythm section. It was just hard to believe that this is a real band based on this very artificial video. It sounds OK, and the video at least holds one's interest, but I was not wowed.
The Acoustica video is, by nature, pretty dull, but you have to give some credit to a band playing in the cold with a heat lamp on stage. As I mentioned, I didn't care much for the vocals, but the cellist's playing of the guitar solo was very impressive, and the clear highlight of the performance. The percussionist's enthusiasm also helped to carry me through to the end of the clip.
There's some creativity to both clips, and I think the Voutists did a good job holding my attention with a song I can live without.
I'm going to give this one to Acoustica, based on the cello playing, and the feeling that I had been transported to Brnenske Vanoce to enjoy this performance.
As an aside, the Scorpions album Comeblack has some very interesting covers that one sometimes encounters when playing TwoTube, and I leave this Viduel with the strong conviction that I will almost always prefer a Scorpions cover to a cover of Scorpions.
Video Preference : VC2
Rich 1 – Rock 2
VOUT #6
Bill @ Tim
Crimson and Clover (Song Plucker: Tim)
VC1 - Joan Jett (Bill)
VC2 - Broken Bells (Tim)
vs
JUDGES' RULINGS...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Rock
Judge's Comments : When faced with this task, I normally ask, how would Daan vote? But I no longer need to ask that question, as, for purposes of TwoTube, we are coterminous.
Like many people my age, I first heard this song when Joan Jett covered it, and only after became familiar with the Tommy James and the Shondells version.
VC1:
I like the very beginning of the video, which featured a really tight shot of two cigarette lighters. When I first saw it, I thought they were torches showing the way to a cool performance.
I like Joan's deep breath and raspy voice that starts the video. I also REALLY like the bleeding of the live echo into her mike; it gives a sense of the bigness and excitement of this performance. The crowd is totally into it, and it has the vibe of an encore.
Her voice does crack a bit, but that makes the performance that much more urgent and cool.
The tight shots on her sweaty mascaraed face convey the intensity of the song.
Joan's wink just after "I want to do everything" is priceless.
The band is good and tight, but kinda irrelevant in Joan Jett's sun.
One very very interesting thing that shows you how ballsy and cool Joan Jett is: she doesn't change the lyrics. She could have taken the usual route, and made the object of her affection a man. But no, she thinks: f***k 'em; I will rock, and that's all that matters!
And she does.
VC2:
The good: I prefer the Tommy James arrangement, and I think it's a good sign that these earnest hipsters chose it. The near-falsetto singing is perfect. I also love the reggae vibe they give the song, and the breakdown/ coda/ "fade," though there is some weird weird space-age noise at the end.
The not-so good: What's the stupid video going on in the background? Somewhat distracting.
The bad, stationary angle. I know it was probably taken on a phone by someone in the audience, but they REALLY should have done better.
The vocals were drowned out, and the audience sound is way too noisy.
Musically, VC2 is more interesting to me, but Joan has way more energy.
i woud rather buy a Broken Bells CD of the song, but I would rather see Joan perform it live.
VC1 it is.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 1 – Tim 0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : Great song, great Viduel.
There's little to say about Joan Jett's classic performance. This song fits her so well. Her epitaph should be "I'm not such a sweet thing". The way she puts a snarl and an attitude into the song is priceless, and the gum chewing is a great bonus. The Blackhearts back her capably with good energy. For an 80's live clip, the quality is better than expected. Thoroughly enjoyable! No chore to watch this one repeatedly.
I confess to being a fan of James Mercer, both the Shins stuff and Broken Bells. He's a great songwriter, an interesting lyricist, and most significantly here, he has a flat-out great voice. I can't think of a better singer in "alternative rock" So I was predisposed to like this clip, and it did not disappoint me, at least aurally. Mercer sounds great, and the band 's take on the song is just more interesting, especially with repeated listens. I like the bass, the guitar, the harmonizing, all good stuff. And the "I'm not such a sweet thing" line is so critical here, too. If Mercer gets any grief (from my coworkers at least), it's that his voice is too sweet for rock and roll. It is at times widely out of sync with his sometimes very dark lyrics, but that's a great part of the charm to me, especially in The Shins. So when Joan sings the line, we've already bought it; it's obvious she's no sweet thing. When James sings it, to me it sounds like a poignant protest, and for that reason it's a great song for the Bells to cover.
Unfortunately, this video just wasn't up to par. It was a nice, tight view of Mercer, but I was frustrated that I couldn't get a good view of the rest of the band, or of the video screen. Even if it was just a montage of shapes, I had the distinct feeling that I was completely losing the effect because of the viewing angle. And I wanted visuals, because Broken Bells makes interesting videos. I assumed the video screen was an integral part of the concert, and I felt like I was missing it. This clip was all about Mercer, which is more appropriate for The Shins, but not for the collaboration that is Broken Bells. I understand that's probably just a function of where our lucky videographer happened to be, but that person's peripheral vision extended well beyond the angle of the camera lens that we're stuck with.
From an audio perspective, these clips are both great and pretty equal, but I'd give a slight edge to the more inventive and interesting Bells clip. But the video is a slam dunk. The gum chewing seals the deal. I'll take Joan Jett in this one.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 2 – Tim 0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Rich
Judge's Comments : Not much to say here. Joan Jett is going to win on this song over and over.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 3 – Tim 0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Rock
Judge's Comments : When faced with this task, I normally ask, how would Daan vote? But I no longer need to ask that question, as, for purposes of TwoTube, we are coterminous.
Like many people my age, I first heard this song when Joan Jett covered it, and only after became familiar with the Tommy James and the Shondells version.
VC1:
I like the very beginning of the video, which featured a really tight shot of two cigarette lighters. When I first saw it, I thought they were torches showing the way to a cool performance.
I like Joan's deep breath and raspy voice that starts the video. I also REALLY like the bleeding of the live echo into her mike; it gives a sense of the bigness and excitement of this performance. The crowd is totally into it, and it has the vibe of an encore.
Her voice does crack a bit, but that makes the performance that much more urgent and cool.
The tight shots on her sweaty mascaraed face convey the intensity of the song.
Joan's wink just after "I want to do everything" is priceless.
The band is good and tight, but kinda irrelevant in Joan Jett's sun.
One very very interesting thing that shows you how ballsy and cool Joan Jett is: she doesn't change the lyrics. She could have taken the usual route, and made the object of her affection a man. But no, she thinks: f***k 'em; I will rock, and that's all that matters!
And she does.
VC2:
The good: I prefer the Tommy James arrangement, and I think it's a good sign that these earnest hipsters chose it. The near-falsetto singing is perfect. I also love the reggae vibe they give the song, and the breakdown/ coda/ "fade," though there is some weird weird space-age noise at the end.
The not-so good: What's the stupid video going on in the background? Somewhat distracting.
The bad, stationary angle. I know it was probably taken on a phone by someone in the audience, but they REALLY should have done better.
The vocals were drowned out, and the audience sound is way too noisy.
Musically, VC2 is more interesting to me, but Joan has way more energy.
i woud rather buy a Broken Bells CD of the song, but I would rather see Joan perform it live.
VC1 it is.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 1 – Tim 0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : Great song, great Viduel.
There's little to say about Joan Jett's classic performance. This song fits her so well. Her epitaph should be "I'm not such a sweet thing". The way she puts a snarl and an attitude into the song is priceless, and the gum chewing is a great bonus. The Blackhearts back her capably with good energy. For an 80's live clip, the quality is better than expected. Thoroughly enjoyable! No chore to watch this one repeatedly.
I confess to being a fan of James Mercer, both the Shins stuff and Broken Bells. He's a great songwriter, an interesting lyricist, and most significantly here, he has a flat-out great voice. I can't think of a better singer in "alternative rock" So I was predisposed to like this clip, and it did not disappoint me, at least aurally. Mercer sounds great, and the band 's take on the song is just more interesting, especially with repeated listens. I like the bass, the guitar, the harmonizing, all good stuff. And the "I'm not such a sweet thing" line is so critical here, too. If Mercer gets any grief (from my coworkers at least), it's that his voice is too sweet for rock and roll. It is at times widely out of sync with his sometimes very dark lyrics, but that's a great part of the charm to me, especially in The Shins. So when Joan sings the line, we've already bought it; it's obvious she's no sweet thing. When James sings it, to me it sounds like a poignant protest, and for that reason it's a great song for the Bells to cover.
Unfortunately, this video just wasn't up to par. It was a nice, tight view of Mercer, but I was frustrated that I couldn't get a good view of the rest of the band, or of the video screen. Even if it was just a montage of shapes, I had the distinct feeling that I was completely losing the effect because of the viewing angle. And I wanted visuals, because Broken Bells makes interesting videos. I assumed the video screen was an integral part of the concert, and I felt like I was missing it. This clip was all about Mercer, which is more appropriate for The Shins, but not for the collaboration that is Broken Bells. I understand that's probably just a function of where our lucky videographer happened to be, but that person's peripheral vision extended well beyond the angle of the camera lens that we're stuck with.
From an audio perspective, these clips are both great and pretty equal, but I'd give a slight edge to the more inventive and interesting Bells clip. But the video is a slam dunk. The gum chewing seals the deal. I'll take Joan Jett in this one.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 2 – Tim 0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Rich
Judge's Comments : Not much to say here. Joan Jett is going to win on this song over and over.
Video Preference : VC1
Bill 3 – Tim 0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
VOUT #7
Rich @ Mike
Suzanne (Song Plucker: Mike)
VC1 - Francoise Hardy (Rich)
VC2 - Meshell Ndegeocello (Mike)
vs
JUDGES' RULINGS...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Tim
Judge's Comments : At the end of the day VC2, at its absolute best, is a an extremely competent cover. VC1 though, is special. VC1 for me.
Video Preference : VC1
Rich 1 – Mike 0
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : TPC
Judge's Comments : I didn’t remember the Leonard Cohen version so I listened to it first. I must have heard it before because parts of it—the chorus, such as it is it—seem familiar. This is not really a song in the strictest sense in that it doesn't come back around often enough to a refrain. I mean, even the songs of birds are recognizable because if their repetition. But then I wondered if I were headed in the wrong direction with this definition, so I consulted. Turns out that a song is something that is sung. You could open a phone book (do they still exist?) and sing the contents and that would meet the broadest definition of the word "song." But, for me, a song becomes a song when the combination of words and the music. Kind of like [ w(m) > wm ] You know the rooftop scene in Eddie and the Cruisers? Where Eddie is talking to Wordman about how it can never be one without the other? Never words without music? I looked for that clip online and could not find it, but it did lead me to some Beaver Brown stuff and then to this, something you need to watch:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRFPWWoxpro
And so "Suzanne," for me, is not really a song because the music does not add to the words much. the music is kind of negligible. The words are the thing, and Leonard Cohen reciting them might have worked better than trying to meander around within an octave for a few minutes. Certainly, it works better on the page as a poem than Cohen's original. The religious themes and word play ("For you've touched her perfect body with your mind" haha) do not speak to me. And so I am going to need to see something special here to break this song free from its overly long and dull original version. Francoise Hardy has the advantage of making her version much shorter than the Cohen original. I can only assume she skipped the Christian middle verse, and that is probably for the best. Focus on Suzanne and the song has more unity. But, strangely, removing the lyrics from the song (because it is in French, what is sung seems to become part of the music and does not act as words do in my brain) actually enhances the melody. I could have done without the backing vocals so high in the mix, but this the Hardy version is an improvement over the Cohen. This version has a shot at getting my vote! Okay. Onto the next one. Well, I didn't know Meshell Ndegeocello at all until this, and I am happy to have heard this version, especially because I felt prepared for it after seeing the others. This is a great arrangement of the song, like broken glass on summer pavement glints. I am trying to compare the versions just now, but Ndegeocello's version so eclipses the earlier French one that I barely remember the first one. I barely remember Leonard Cohen's version. I guess there's your answer. One will stick with me while the others fade quickly away. Make sure to listen to this one: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubjqbLoOzQY
(I just wikipediaed the song—it was first published as a poem in a book by Cohen.)
Video Preference : VC2
Rich 1 – Mike 1
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Rock
Judge's Comments : My Uncle for years has been telling me about Leonard Cohen, but I have never really been able to get into him. Not so much because I think he's good or bad, but because maybe I'm not quite ready. I recently started listening to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, so maybe it's time for Leonard Cohen as well.
VC1:
I really like the fact that the song was translated to another language. And French is indeed the language of love. There's something about the French language and the singer's phrasing that makes the song one of melancholy desire (and I don't even know all the words). And the singer is breathy and kind of looks like Nico.
I like the simple two-guitar arrangement, and the harmonies are a nice touch.
I especially like that the guitarists are wearing sunglasses, and there's something especially French-cafe-beatnik about the one in the turtleneck.
I understand that this is not a song you rock out to, but except for the couples dancing, the audience was super-lame.
VC2:
I think this singer has a better voice.
The sound of the performance overall is cleaner.
The keyboards in the background, offscreen, make the song a tiny bit spooky, and add the melancholy desire the song implies.
This arrangement seems a lot faster than VC1 or the Leonard Cohen original. Not so much the singing, but the guitar picking.
I have mixed feelings about the singer's spoken word asides; I can't tell if they are affected or they add to the emotion of the song.
Both, to me, are exceptional performances of a beautiful song, a song I had never heard until this TwoTube.
When I listened to the videos, I had a strong preference for VC2.
But there's something about the phrasing of the VC2 singer that makes me think she is distancing herself from the material a little bit. And, Yes, part of it is the asides. The singer in VC1 is haunting, and matches very closely the emotion of the Cohen original.
Very very tough choice.
VC1 it is.
Video Preference : VC1
Rich 2 – Mike 1
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VOUT #8
Rock@Billy
Royals (Song Plucker: Bill)
VC1 -
(Bill)
Bruce Springsteen
VC2 -
(Rock)
Sefa Emre Ilikli
vs
JUDGES' RULINGS...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : Well, I guess this was bound to happen eventually - one of the Voutists has chosen a song on my short list, of which I've watched many clips in recent weeks. And my favorite version, which I thought was so good as to make the song a bad gamble to pluck, has not been chosen in this viduel. So I'm very curious to see if something better has been uncovered.
I know Bruce has been playing covers of Aussie and Kiwi artists recently (his choice of Stayin' Alive was a Tribune headline just a week ago), but I'm glad to see that it's not just careless pandering to the crowd, because it really seems like he's put some thought and practice into the arrangement. I liked the use of the harmonica, and the guitar slapping, and the overall sound was pretty good, and not at all sloppy. The lyric changes were a mixed bag. Some made sense because of course Bruce is not a young girl, and King is more appropriate than Queen. But I don't know why he left out one of the best phrases: "no post code envy". Perhaps he even forgot it. But that's a minor quibble in what I think was a pretty good performance. The audience seemed to eat it up, and you could see that connection to the audience which Bruce has always had and which shouldn't be taken for granted.
With VC2, I'm again compelled to evaluate an instrumental performance (following Rock You Like A Hurricane), and consider whether the absence of vocals is a handicap or a help. Considering that the Ladies Band was a loser, this was a bold gamble by the Voutist, which is admirable. But in the case of Rock You, I missed Klaus Meine's vocals, but not the lyrics, and the lack of vocals alone did not KO the Ladies Band for me. But here, I miss both the lyrics AND the vocals in what I think is a really good song. Even more than that, Royals is truly a vocal song. Any instrumentation, even when done really well as it is here, is secondary. That's one reason why it's a good song to pluck - there are lots of purely vocal versions out there (choirs, a capella, Pentatonix - which I like, although it's not the best one). These two guys sound great, and also, importantly, the setting of the video is really interesting. I don't really have anything bad to say about it, other than I just don't enjoy Royals as much without vocals. It's too big a handicap to overcome. Maybe if Bruce had butchered the song (which I thought might be possible), I would choose these guys, but that wasn't the case. I'll go with VC1.
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 0 – Bill 1
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Tim
Judge's Comments : OK, so this one looks like Bill was the SongPlucker, and Rock came back at him with Springsteen.... but I can't really imagine Bill choosing the violin clip... maybe very slim pickins? I wouldn't think so, for such an immensely popular song...
Springsteen's performance is... surprising. I hadn't been aware that Bruce had covered Royals. I think a lot of the value of this clip is just that SPRINGSTEEN is covering an inescapably popular 2013 song. The video, itself, isn't great - (I've been burned recently choosing cell phone vid) but, it's Bruce. And the lyrics are, a little Brucey, don't you think?
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address,
In a torn-up town...
.. and "drivin' Cadillacs in our dreams" and all of that? Anyway, while the video isn't great, this is still a very strong entry. The song, despite its newness and extreme popularity, becomes a surprisingly easy fit for Bruce.
I liked it, but felt like my vote was still pretty much up for grabs as I clicked on VC2. While the violinists are extremely competent (OK, they were better than that) and the scenery is great, I was completely unmoved by VC2. Sure, they nail every note, but, for me, the only vote they earn with their performance is Best Dual-violin Cover. Will anyone prefer this to Bruce? I can't see this being a non-shutout.
Thanks - this was a fun one.
I'll take VC1.
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 0 – Bill 2
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Rich
Judge's Comments : First, I think this song is a pretty good one. But I think it probably has a pretty low coverability quotient. Neither of these really reveal anything interesting about the song and the violins don't really build up to anything in particular here.
Not a landmark achievement by Bruce but he does bring some fun to it and it's a pretty good video capture given what seem to be suboptimal conditions.
The nod goes to King Bee
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 0 – Bill 3
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Mike
Judge's Comments : Well, I guess this was bound to happen eventually - one of the Voutists has chosen a song on my short list, of which I've watched many clips in recent weeks. And my favorite version, which I thought was so good as to make the song a bad gamble to pluck, has not been chosen in this viduel. So I'm very curious to see if something better has been uncovered.
I know Bruce has been playing covers of Aussie and Kiwi artists recently (his choice of Stayin' Alive was a Tribune headline just a week ago), but I'm glad to see that it's not just careless pandering to the crowd, because it really seems like he's put some thought and practice into the arrangement. I liked the use of the harmonica, and the guitar slapping, and the overall sound was pretty good, and not at all sloppy. The lyric changes were a mixed bag. Some made sense because of course Bruce is not a young girl, and King is more appropriate than Queen. But I don't know why he left out one of the best phrases: "no post code envy". Perhaps he even forgot it. But that's a minor quibble in what I think was a pretty good performance. The audience seemed to eat it up, and you could see that connection to the audience which Bruce has always had and which shouldn't be taken for granted.
With VC2, I'm again compelled to evaluate an instrumental performance (following Rock You Like A Hurricane), and consider whether the absence of vocals is a handicap or a help. Considering that the Ladies Band was a loser, this was a bold gamble by the Voutist, which is admirable. But in the case of Rock You, I missed Klaus Meine's vocals, but not the lyrics, and the lack of vocals alone did not KO the Ladies Band for me. But here, I miss both the lyrics AND the vocals in what I think is a really good song. Even more than that, Royals is truly a vocal song. Any instrumentation, even when done really well as it is here, is secondary. That's one reason why it's a good song to pluck - there are lots of purely vocal versions out there (choirs, a capella, Pentatonix - which I like, although it's not the best one). These two guys sound great, and also, importantly, the setting of the video is really interesting. I don't really have anything bad to say about it, other than I just don't enjoy Royals as much without vocals. It's too big a handicap to overcome. Maybe if Bruce had butchered the song (which I thought might be possible), I would choose these guys, but that wasn't the case. I'll go with VC1.
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 0 – Bill 1
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Tim
Judge's Comments : OK, so this one looks like Bill was the SongPlucker, and Rock came back at him with Springsteen.... but I can't really imagine Bill choosing the violin clip... maybe very slim pickins? I wouldn't think so, for such an immensely popular song...
Springsteen's performance is... surprising. I hadn't been aware that Bruce had covered Royals. I think a lot of the value of this clip is just that SPRINGSTEEN is covering an inescapably popular 2013 song. The video, itself, isn't great - (I've been burned recently choosing cell phone vid) but, it's Bruce. And the lyrics are, a little Brucey, don't you think?
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address,
In a torn-up town...
.. and "drivin' Cadillacs in our dreams" and all of that? Anyway, while the video isn't great, this is still a very strong entry. The song, despite its newness and extreme popularity, becomes a surprisingly easy fit for Bruce.
I liked it, but felt like my vote was still pretty much up for grabs as I clicked on VC2. While the violinists are extremely competent (OK, they were better than that) and the scenery is great, I was completely unmoved by VC2. Sure, they nail every note, but, for me, the only vote they earn with their performance is Best Dual-violin Cover. Will anyone prefer this to Bruce? I can't see this being a non-shutout.
Thanks - this was a fun one.
I'll take VC1.
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 0 – Bill 2
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Rich
Judge's Comments : First, I think this song is a pretty good one. But I think it probably has a pretty low coverability quotient. Neither of these really reveal anything interesting about the song and the violins don't really build up to anything in particular here.
Not a landmark achievement by Bruce but he does bring some fun to it and it's a pretty good video capture given what seem to be suboptimal conditions.
The nod goes to King Bee
Video Preference : VC1
Rock 0 – Bill 3
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
VOUT #9
Tim @ Rich
Gangnam Style (Song Plucker: Rich)
VC1 - Shawn Lee (Tim)
VC2 - Sungha Jung (Rich)
vs
JUDGES' RULINGS...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Mike
Judge's Comments: Interesting pluck here, where the original video is a classic and every bit as important to the Gangnam phenomenon as the song. Perhaps it's best both voutists staked their claim with virtuoso performances rather than interesting videos, as competing with the original video is probably be a hopeless task.
I thought the beatbox guy was excellent. It's a good sign when you start doubting that it's a single track and all produced at once by one voice. And the video was at least clean and watchable. I liked how he turned toward the camera for "Gangnam style" - a nice touch.
The guitarist was also excellent, perhaps even more of a virtuoso performance. I wouldn't have even known there was a song under there until I heard this. I was very much into it, but sadly the video was a mess of a distraction. Yes, the crowd enthusiasm was nice, but the slipping focus and the changing colors were perpetually annoying. I might have been OK with just the tuning delay at the beginning, but when you tack on another song, that's a negative. One wonders whether there was a challenge to allowing it, but even if I just ignore the rest of the clip, the overall viewing experience was not up to par. Of course I'll make allowances for a live show, but the bottom line is that this video detracted from what might have been a captivating performance.
I'm going to go with Shawn Lee.
Video Preference : VC1
Tim 1 – Rich 0
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Name : Rock
Judge's Comments: I know Gangnam Style was popular. I remember.
But I have only ever seen or heard about 45 seconds of it.
Strike that. Maybe I saw the whole video once.
For the same reason I read the paper.
Because I feel it is my responsibility to know what's going on in the world I live in.
And, even though I appreciate a good hook, and sometimes because of a good hook find some enjoyment in songs I don't really think are any good (like some Britney Spears songs), I loathe EVERYTHING about Gangnam Style.
VC1:
There is some great talent involved in being an accurate, inventive, Human Beat Box, and there is some whimsy at the beginning of the video when the singer enters the frame and does a mic check and at the end when he leaves it, but, otherwise, it hurt my ears and made me feel very impatient and aggressive.
VC2:
I think it is totally weird (and kind of cool) that an audience would go WILD for an acoustic version of Gangnam Style.
I think Sungha Jung is an excellent guitarist, and I like his easy rapport with his audience.
His interpretation seemed like an actual song.
Plus, I really like All Of Me, the second song he played, and it made me forget about the accurate, inventive, Yes, talented, but anger-producing, Human Beat Box of VC1.
VC2 it is.
Video Preference : VC2
Tim 1 – Rich 1
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Name : Bill
Judge's Comments: If you graphed my enjoyment of the Shawn Lee video, it would start out at zero and rise steadily. This kid did a lot with his voice—some fairly incredible things such as hum along with the melody while also beat boxing. I like that he was somewhat out of breath at the end, too. Hard work! Now, if I had to guess, I’d say this was Tim’s video And the standings being what they are (I have already clinched a finish ahead of Tim, right?), I feel inclined to vote for this video to try to prevent Rich from finishing ahead of me. Maybe the next Gangham video will strike me as Tim-style, but I feel pretty confident. This one has Tim all over it. Now Sungha Jung seems like a nice guy and a good guitar player. His take on this song is surprising and interesting. But I wonder what is left of the song after he is finished with it. Taking out the vocals is one thing, but the change to solo guitar is jarring. I prefer the experience of listening to Sungha Jung to listening to Shawn Lee, but the better version of Gangham Style definitely belongs to Lee. This viduel leaves me somewhat unimpressed. Whoever picked this song, I hope he regrets it a little bit if this is all there was out there. Shawn Lee.
Video Preference : VC1
Tim 2 – Rich 1
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VOUT #10
Mike @ Rock
Summer Wind (Song Plucker: Rock)
VC1 - The Moon Loungers (Mike)
VC2 - Ale Trovo & Elegante Orchestra (Rock)
vs
JUDGES' RULINGS...
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Name : Tim
Judge's Comments: Hopefully, this vote counts as we bounce back from TrashTube (Thanks, Gmail!)
So, our first Sinatra song.... there have to be a lot of covers of this out there...?
I liked both of these, but loved neither. As I type here, after watching each 4 times, I haven't yet decided which way I'll vote. I watched, hoping to see something that would dislodge one from my preference jam...
There are things I like about each. I prefer the music of the Moon Loungers...but, I do like the style and effort of the Elegante Orchestra... even though it was pretty cliched (I don't know how to add the accent above the "e"...)
One thing that really bugged me in the Elegante Orchestra video though, was that the singer had on his white turtle-necky shirt the whole time. Was it supposed to be a daydream? Did it really happen? I don’t think so, but both before and after the performance, you can see his white shirt underneath his janitor outfit. That didn’t make any sense to me. But, still it was a better video than the two dudes in the sprawling fields… even with the wardrobe malfunction. But, the music matters, too.
OK, the difference for me, after another watching, is the last 40 seconds of the Loungers’ accompanying guitarist’s closing effort. That was very smooth and cool. I think they were also truer to the lament element of the song. And the turtle neck still bothers me.
I vote for the Moon Loungers!
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 1 – Rock 0
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Name : Bill
Judge's Comments: It is worth reading the lyrics to this one because they are really good:
The summer wind, came blowin' in from across the sea
It lingered there to touch your hair and walk with me
All summer long we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand
Two sweethearts and the summer wind
Like painted kites, those days and nights, they went flyin' by
The world was new beneath a blue umbrella sky
Then softer than a piper man one day it called to you
I lost you, I lost you to the summer wind
The autumn wind and the winter winds, they have come and gone
And still the days, those lonely days, they go on and on
And guess who sighs his lullabies through nights that never end
My fickle friend, the summer wind
The summer wind
Warm summer wind
Mmm, the summer wind
The Moon Lougers play competently and sing pretty well, but they can't help but miss the point of the song—a wistful lament for things lost. What are these guys, 25? What do they know of lost love? Of profound regret? I just prefer a more wizened voice singing this song. Let's see if we get it from the Elegante Orchestra… Ten seconds in and I am not optimistic. Again, competence. Is this what we are left with to close the regular season? Just competence? The Elegante Orchestra is too much, too far afield from the quiet lament this song needs to be to succeed.
The Moon Loungers win my vote by default.
This guy definitely would have gotten my vote: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ealk5YwKbPI
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 2 – Rock 0
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Name : Rich
Judge's Comments: Anyone who doubts that Frank Sinatra had a gift for making songs his own needs to see these videos.
Sinatra's phrasing in Summer Wind and My Way completely obscures that for very significant stretches, those two songs are barely distinguishable from each other.
Take the phrasing out - homogenize the presentation, and you get these.
Toss in even a vague hint of Elvis and the conversion is almost complete.
The acoustic version does bring a little something to the table - in contrast, the Elegantes are too Discotizer for my taste.
http://www.mixcloud.com/discotizer/discotizers-70s-disco-christmas-mix/
The nod to VC1.
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 3 – Rock 0
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Name : Tim
Judge's Comments: Hopefully, this vote counts as we bounce back from TrashTube (Thanks, Gmail!)
So, our first Sinatra song.... there have to be a lot of covers of this out there...?
I liked both of these, but loved neither. As I type here, after watching each 4 times, I haven't yet decided which way I'll vote. I watched, hoping to see something that would dislodge one from my preference jam...
There are things I like about each. I prefer the music of the Moon Loungers...but, I do like the style and effort of the Elegante Orchestra... even though it was pretty cliched (I don't know how to add the accent above the "e"...)
One thing that really bugged me in the Elegante Orchestra video though, was that the singer had on his white turtle-necky shirt the whole time. Was it supposed to be a daydream? Did it really happen? I don’t think so, but both before and after the performance, you can see his white shirt underneath his janitor outfit. That didn’t make any sense to me. But, still it was a better video than the two dudes in the sprawling fields… even with the wardrobe malfunction. But, the music matters, too.
OK, the difference for me, after another watching, is the last 40 seconds of the Loungers’ accompanying guitarist’s closing effort. That was very smooth and cool. I think they were also truer to the lament element of the song. And the turtle neck still bothers me.
I vote for the Moon Loungers!
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 1 – Rock 0
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Name : Bill
Judge's Comments: It is worth reading the lyrics to this one because they are really good:
The summer wind, came blowin' in from across the sea
It lingered there to touch your hair and walk with me
All summer long we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand
Two sweethearts and the summer wind
Like painted kites, those days and nights, they went flyin' by
The world was new beneath a blue umbrella sky
Then softer than a piper man one day it called to you
I lost you, I lost you to the summer wind
The autumn wind and the winter winds, they have come and gone
And still the days, those lonely days, they go on and on
And guess who sighs his lullabies through nights that never end
My fickle friend, the summer wind
The summer wind
Warm summer wind
Mmm, the summer wind
The Moon Lougers play competently and sing pretty well, but they can't help but miss the point of the song—a wistful lament for things lost. What are these guys, 25? What do they know of lost love? Of profound regret? I just prefer a more wizened voice singing this song. Let's see if we get it from the Elegante Orchestra… Ten seconds in and I am not optimistic. Again, competence. Is this what we are left with to close the regular season? Just competence? The Elegante Orchestra is too much, too far afield from the quiet lament this song needs to be to succeed.
The Moon Loungers win my vote by default.
This guy definitely would have gotten my vote: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ealk5YwKbPI
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 2 – Rock 0
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Name : Rich
Judge's Comments: Anyone who doubts that Frank Sinatra had a gift for making songs his own needs to see these videos.
Sinatra's phrasing in Summer Wind and My Way completely obscures that for very significant stretches, those two songs are barely distinguishable from each other.
Take the phrasing out - homogenize the presentation, and you get these.
Toss in even a vague hint of Elvis and the conversion is almost complete.
The acoustic version does bring a little something to the table - in contrast, the Elegantes are too Discotizer for my taste.
http://www.mixcloud.com/discotizer/discotizers-70s-disco-christmas-mix/
The nod to VC1.
Video Preference : VC1
Mike 3 – Rock 0
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PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1 - VOUT #1
ROUND 1 - VOUT #1
Rock (3) @ Bill (2)
Viduel #1
Safety Dance (Song Plucker: Bill)
Safety Dance (Song Plucker: Bill)
VC1 - The Asteroids Galaxy (Rock)
VC2 - The Weekend Jammers (Bill)
Name: The Judge (Rich)
Judge's Comments: Ok, tough call on this one for a whole host of reasons.
First, the small points. Asteroids get points for the horn section and an actual drummer with cowbell.
Weekend scores better on overall ability to hit notes.
The vocals are hard to compare - both renditions solve the riddle of how to end this song-without-an-end: the call-and-response approach in Weekend is truer to the original but the flourish at the end of Asteroids works too, I think.
The Weekend living room environmental shot was distracting for me but the shots of all the band members broke up what is a pretty monotonous video (from a video perspective).
Ultimately though, the vocals on Asteroids were pretty weak - flat bordering on atonal. Ears matter more than eyes on this one.
But for that I would have selected VC1. Can't do it though. VC2 it is.
Video Preference: VC2
Judge's Comments: Ok, tough call on this one for a whole host of reasons.
First, the small points. Asteroids get points for the horn section and an actual drummer with cowbell.
Weekend scores better on overall ability to hit notes.
The vocals are hard to compare - both renditions solve the riddle of how to end this song-without-an-end: the call-and-response approach in Weekend is truer to the original but the flourish at the end of Asteroids works too, I think.
The Weekend living room environmental shot was distracting for me but the shots of all the band members broke up what is a pretty monotonous video (from a video perspective).
Ultimately though, the vocals on Asteroids were pretty weak - flat bordering on atonal. Ears matter more than eyes on this one.
But for that I would have selected VC1. Can't do it though. VC2 it is.
Video Preference: VC2
Viduel #2
Carry On Wayward Son (Song Plucker: Bill)
Carry On Wayward Son (Song Plucker: Bill)
VC1 - Trilogy (Rock)
VC2 - Gwar (Bill)
Name: The Judge
Judge’s Comments: It happens every once in a while that TwoTube brings back a song that, all else equal, I would have been perfectly happy never to have heard again. For the record, I probably would have voted for a decent video version of a cover by Yngwie Malmsteen hands-down, no contest.
Why, you ask? You don't ask? Sucks for you - I'm the only judge.
The reason is that this song is pure sanctimony. It's Dust in the Wind with a heavy metal backdrop. Lose the metal and all that's left is the sanctimony.
So let's consider these two versions. One without any of the ridiculous, over-the-top quality of the guitars. The other without any real video to speak of. At least the second one made me laugh. Initially because of how bad the first solo was (ok, I laughed at the moment of chaos dedicated to flattus maximus the sixth or whoever that is. Apparently he died of some coronary issue.) But then the "one more time" sealed it. Yes, please. One more not quite competent guitar riff please.
Mockery gets the nod here.
Video Preference: VC2
Judge’s Comments: It happens every once in a while that TwoTube brings back a song that, all else equal, I would have been perfectly happy never to have heard again. For the record, I probably would have voted for a decent video version of a cover by Yngwie Malmsteen hands-down, no contest.
Why, you ask? You don't ask? Sucks for you - I'm the only judge.
The reason is that this song is pure sanctimony. It's Dust in the Wind with a heavy metal backdrop. Lose the metal and all that's left is the sanctimony.
So let's consider these two versions. One without any of the ridiculous, over-the-top quality of the guitars. The other without any real video to speak of. At least the second one made me laugh. Initially because of how bad the first solo was (ok, I laughed at the moment of chaos dedicated to flattus maximus the sixth or whoever that is. Apparently he died of some coronary issue.) But then the "one more time" sealed it. Yes, please. One more not quite competent guitar riff please.
Mockery gets the nod here.
Video Preference: VC2
Viduel #3
Mongoloid (Song Plucker: Rock)
Mongoloid (Song Plucker: Rock)
VC1 - Millionaire (Bill)
VC2 - AWNK (Rock)
Name: The Judge
Judge’s Comments: It happens every once in a while that TwoTube brings back a song that, all else equal, I would have been perfectly happy never to have heard again. For the record, I probably would have voted for a decent video version of a cover by Yngwie Malmsteen hands-down, no contest.
Why, you ask? You don't ask? Sucks for you - I'm the only judge.
The reason is that this song is pure sanctimony. It's Dust in the Wind with a heavy metal backdrop. Lose the metal and all that's left is the sanctimony.
So let's consider these two versions. One without any of the ridiculous, over-the-top quality of the guitars. The other without any real video to speak of. At least the second one made me laugh. Initially because of how bad the first solo was (ok, I laughed at the moment of chaos dedicated to flattus maximus the sixth or whoever that is. Apparently he died of some coronary issue.) But then the "one more time" sealed it. Yes, please. One more not quite competent guitar riff please.
Mockery gets the nod here.
Video Preference: VC2
Judge’s Comments: It happens every once in a while that TwoTube brings back a song that, all else equal, I would have been perfectly happy never to have heard again. For the record, I probably would have voted for a decent video version of a cover by Yngwie Malmsteen hands-down, no contest.
Why, you ask? You don't ask? Sucks for you - I'm the only judge.
The reason is that this song is pure sanctimony. It's Dust in the Wind with a heavy metal backdrop. Lose the metal and all that's left is the sanctimony.
So let's consider these two versions. One without any of the ridiculous, over-the-top quality of the guitars. The other without any real video to speak of. At least the second one made me laugh. Initially because of how bad the first solo was (ok, I laughed at the moment of chaos dedicated to flattus maximus the sixth or whoever that is. Apparently he died of some coronary issue.) But then the "one more time" sealed it. Yes, please. One more not quite competent guitar riff please.
Mockery gets the nod here.
Video Preference: VC2
PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1 - VOUT #2
ROUND 1 - VOUT #2
Tim (4) @ Mike (1)
Viduel #1
Candy (Song Plucker: Tim)
Candy (Song Plucker: Tim)
VC1 - Helio (Tim)
VC2 - Killer Barbies (Mike)
Name: The Judge
Judge’s Comments: These could hardly be more different. And yet they clock in at one second apart in runtime.
You know you're in trouble in the Hello version when even the band isn't paying attention to the start of the song. Good musicianship there though.
But Killer Barbies works the clichés to great effect here. Even when you want to penalize the gratuitous woman crawling image, they make it real with the iguana image - I'm not 100% sure what the subtext is here, but I'm quite certain it's operating on a deep metamessaging level.
Killer Barbies takes this one in a crawlover.
Video Preference: VC2
Judge’s Comments: These could hardly be more different. And yet they clock in at one second apart in runtime.
You know you're in trouble in the Hello version when even the band isn't paying attention to the start of the song. Good musicianship there though.
But Killer Barbies works the clichés to great effect here. Even when you want to penalize the gratuitous woman crawling image, they make it real with the iguana image - I'm not 100% sure what the subtext is here, but I'm quite certain it's operating on a deep metamessaging level.
Killer Barbies takes this one in a crawlover.
Video Preference: VC2
Viduel #2
Jenny 867-5309 (Song Plucker: Tim)
Jenny 867-5309 (Song Plucker: Tim)
VC1 - Marvin Berrys (Tim)
VC2 - Johnny Melodica (Mike)
Name: The Judge
Judge’s Comments: This was a fun contest. My compliment to the plucker on this one - it's a song that stands up to multiple listenings. (I'm still looking at you, Kansas-plucker).
Not much needs to be said on this one. "Melodica solo" is one of the better turns of phrase that the playoffs have seen. But those guys in VC1 are solid - and they're playing just enough to the camera to keep it all together.
VC1. Which, I'm guessing, was not the plucker's pick.
Video Preference: VC1
Judge’s Comments: This was a fun contest. My compliment to the plucker on this one - it's a song that stands up to multiple listenings. (I'm still looking at you, Kansas-plucker).
Not much needs to be said on this one. "Melodica solo" is one of the better turns of phrase that the playoffs have seen. But those guys in VC1 are solid - and they're playing just enough to the camera to keep it all together.
VC1. Which, I'm guessing, was not the plucker's pick.
Video Preference: VC1
Viduel #3
Total Eclipse of the Heart (Song Plucker:Mike)
Total Eclipse of the Heart (Song Plucker:Mike)
VC1 - Lea Salonga and Mitoy (Mike)
VC2 - Hurra Torpedo (Tim)
Name: The Judge
Judge’s Comments: Another strong head-to-head Viduel here. And by head, I mean hair. Because the hair was strong with these two.
With these videos, the two Voutists are going right at each others weaknesses. VC1 completely outvocals VC2. VC2 tears up the overwrought script on this song and throws it back in the face of VC1.
I forgive myself for not knowing about the Filipino phenomenon that gave rise to VC1. But my ignorance of Hurra Torpedo's version, this I do not forgive.
Video Preference: VC2
Judge’s Comments: Another strong head-to-head Viduel here. And by head, I mean hair. Because the hair was strong with these two.
With these videos, the two Voutists are going right at each others weaknesses. VC1 completely outvocals VC2. VC2 tears up the overwrought script on this song and throws it back in the face of VC1.
I forgive myself for not knowing about the Filipino phenomenon that gave rise to VC1. But my ignorance of Hurra Torpedo's version, this I do not forgive.
Video Preference: VC2
PLAYOFFS
ROUND 2
CHAMPIONSHIP VOUT
ROUND 2
CHAMPIONSHIP VOUT
Tim (4) @ Bill (2)
Viduel #1
TBD (Song Plucker: )
TBD (Song Plucker: )
VC1 - TBD ()
VC2 - TBD ()
Viduel #2
TBD (Song Plucker: )
TBD (Song Plucker: )
VC1 - TBD ()
VC2 - TBD ()
Viduel #3
TBD (Song Plucker: )
TBD (Song Plucker: )
VC1 - TBD ()
VC2 - TBD ()
Viduel #4
TBD (Song Plucker: )
TBD (Song Plucker: )
VC1 - TBD ()
VC2 - TBD ()
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