The Great HTF Music Challenge (1 Viewer)

[BobO'Link]

Here are a few choice bluegrass tunes...

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs - "Salty Dog Blues":



Doc & Merle Watson - "Nine Pound Hammer":



Elvis Presley - "Blue Moon of Kentucky":



Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch - "I'll Fly Away":

 

[BobO'Link]

Here's a track from Stevie Ray Vaughan that I absolutely love...

"Riviera Paradise":

 

[JohnRice]

Here's a track from Stevie Ray Vaughan that I absolutely love...

"Riviera Paradise":

I don't even have to wait to listen to this one. A great, bluesy, instrumental.

 

[Malcolm R]

Time for some festive, seasonal selections.

 

[John Dirk]

Dick Hyman & Ralph Sutton - All Of Me
Mixed feelings here. On the one hand this is a fun little number that I can really enjoy if I concentrate. On the other hand it seems to want to be more but just stays in that sort of sedate, accompaniment style. I would have preferred a little more pizzaz.

Disturbed - Shout 2000 (Tears for Fears cover)
Yea, this is one of those songs that simply should never be touched in my opinion. I know covers are actually tributes and I respect this one on that level but musically I see no need for it.

 

[John Dirk]

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs - "Salty Dog Blues":
Cool tune. I like the banjo, harmonica and the vocal harmonizing.

Doc & Merle Watson - "Nine Pound Hammer":
Not as fun as the one before it but still enjoyable for what it is. This one seems more like scatting than actual lyrical construction.

Elvis Presley - "Blue Moon of Kentucky":
I didn't expect to see Mr. Presley featured here as he is an icon we all know and already likely have decided feelings about one way or the other. Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and perhaps Bono would be other examples. In any case, I wasn't particularly fond of this track but I do enjoy a lot of Mr. Presley's catalogue and absolutely LOVE those films.

Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch - "I'll Fly Away":
I've never heard this version but we sang this song frequently as part of a missionary group I participated in up until COVID. Great simple yet soothing song.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Riviera Paradise":
Said it before and I'll say it again. Stevie Ray Vaughan can do no wrong. This is amazing just as one would expect from a master of his craft. Gone too soon.

 

[John Dirk]

Time for some festive, seasonal selections.

Appropriate for the season indeed and BBVD is one of my all-time favorite bands. In this particular performance I was surprised they were so subdued with the material. This song begs for more aggressive treatment similar to how they handled Minnie The Moocher, which I've included below for comparison.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Minnie The Moocher​

 

[BobO'Link]

Elvis Presley - "Blue Moon of Kentucky":
I didn't expect to see Mr. Presley featured here as he is an icon we all know and already likely have decided feelings about one way or the other. Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and perhaps Bono would be other examples. In any case, I wasn't particularly fond of this track but I do enjoy a lot of Mr. Presley's catalogue and absolutely LOVE those films.

I'd forgotten Presley started with country and bluegrass material and kind of stumbled on this one while looking for a good rendition of the song. His version was included *because* it's Elvis singing something in a style for which he's normally not known.

Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch - "I'll Fly Away":
I've never heard this version but we sang this song frequently as part of a missionary group I participated in up until COVID. Great simple yet soothing song.

This was also a "stumble upon" version and I'd not heard it before posting it here. I was a bit doubtful upon my first listening but discovered she "does it right" and it was quite enjoyable.

 

[BobO'Link]

Time for some festive, seasonal selections.

I absolutely do not like the cartoon from which this originates (never have liked it) but like the song well enough. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy do it OK but it just feels lacking... kind of sedate. I want it to go just a bit faster.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, "Minnie The Moocher" - Much better. While I like Cab Calloway's original better, this is a good cover.

 

[John Dirk]

I absolutely do not like the cartoon from which this originates (never have liked it) but like the song well enough. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy do it OK but it just feels lacking... kind of sedate. I want it to go just a bit faster.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, "Minnie The Moocher" - Much better. While I like Cab Calloway's original better, this is a good cover.

I have to confess, I love that cartoon and many others from that era. When time permits, I like to watch them annually. It's the contemporary Holiday stuff that is mostly lost on me.

 

[BobO'Link]

Here are a few of my favorite non-traditional Christmas songs:

Greg Lake - "I Believe in Father Christmas" (this is the original 1975 recording - 2 years later it was covered by Emerson, Lake & Palmer):



Jethro Tull - "A Christmas Song" (the reworked version from their Christmas Album):



The Kinks - "Father Christmas":



Steve Vai - "Christmastime Is Here" (possibly my favorite version of this one):



Jill Sobule - "Jesus Was a Dreidel Spinner":

 

[BobO'Link]

I have to confess, I love that cartoon and many others from that era. When time permits, I like to watch them annually. It's the contemporary Holiday stuff that is mostly lost on me.

I'm more a Charlie Brown kid... those later stop motion things never resonated with me. My kids like them and my grandkids like *some* of them so I keep copies around in case they want to watch them.

 

[Bryan^H]

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York

 

[BobO'Link]

The Pogues, "Fairytale of New York" - I do not like the lead singer. His voice doesn't work with this material at all. Otherwise, I like the song after it gets past the somewhat dirge of an open and picks up a bit. It's possible I'd even like that part with a different vocalist.

 

[Mike2001]

I love “Fairy Tale of New York”. The compassion in the final verse gets me every time. I agree that Shane MacGowan’s voice is an acquired taste. I can remember my first reaction on hearing his voice (similar to Howie’s) but I’ve been listening to that song for decades now and it works for me.

Here is another one from Shane where the contrast with a pure female vocal makes it interesting.
Shane MacGowan and Sinead O’Conner - Haunted

ps. If someone could pm me with the method to embed a video directly in a post, I’d appreciate it.

 

[Malcolm R]

I found this version a few years back. The arrangement isn't that different.



Speaking of New York, there are a number of NY-related Christmas songs I enjoy every year.



.
Pointer Sisters - Christmas in New York


.
Lea Michele - Christmas in New York (different song from above)

 

[jcroy]

"Do They Know It's Christmas"

 

[BobO'Link]

ps. If someone could pm me with the method to embed a video directly in a post, I’d appreciate it.

Just right click the video as it's playing on youtube and select "Copy video URL" from the menu:

And then simply paste that URL in your post. The software automatically embeds the video.

If it has a long intro you'd like to have skipped, pause it at the appropriate moment and select "Copy video URL at current time" instead.

 

[BobO'Link]

I recently purchased the new BR of The Andy Griffith Show on BR and while watching an episode this one came up... I have no idea where I first heard it, just that I've known it almost my whole life and it's a favorite.

Here's a faithful recording of the song from The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra; Rick Benjamin, director, of George M. Cohan's - "Mary's A Grand Old Name":

 

[JohnRice]

ps. If someone could pm me with the method to embed a video directly in a post, I’d appreciate it.

There's also a "share" button under the video when it's not playing full screen. Click that and the link pops up. Copy that and paste it as Howie indicated.