Sunday, November 15, 2015

BotB: DRINKING WOMAN


Now, I'm not a beer drinking woman - don't like beer at all. Hmm, well, had few sips of a Bud Light Strawberita a couple times, and that wasn't too bad. It didn't have much of the usual beer aftertaste, but I wouldn't drink it just cuz there was nothing else alcoholic around. I'll pass. Wine is my adult beverage of choice, but I rarely say no to Captain Morgan.

I do love those drinking songs though. Red Solo Cup is likely my favorite, but Drunk On A Plane comes close enough to call it a tie.

BEER DRINKING WOMAN embodies that fantasy of sitting at the bar, having a guy hit on you, buy drinks in hopes of going home (or somewhere) with you, then the gal gets to walk away and leave him with the tab.Not that this has ever happened to me . .  the last time I was out and got too drunk to drive I was alone, with a slot machine, and an attentive waitress.

HooYeah I got lucky - which is why I kept saying yes to the cocktail waitress well past reaching my two drink and drive limit. Too bad I spent all the winnings on the motel room. I don't remember much; except the music was good, the machine kept vibrating and screaming, and Willie stared down and encouraged me again and again to make all my dreams come true.

Ah well, on with the battle.

The original:



The cover contender


Which story did you like better: Memphis Slim or the Roy Buchanan remake? And if you care to visit other BATTLE OF THE BANDS competitions, visit the link at my awesome sexting - er, texting pal  STMcC Presents, and my wino pal Far Away Eyes. FAE has been feeling poorly of late, so be sure to stop by and leave her some blogger smiles.

30 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Not a big blues fan but I really don't like country music, so Memphis Slim gets it easy.

DEZMOND said...

there's a strawberry beer?

Blogoratti said...

The original it is, greetings!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Donna - loved the story line ... I prefer Memphis Slim ... cheers Hilary

Arlee Bird said...

I could go either way with this one, but at the moment I'm down with Memphis Slim's more retro sound.

If I were sitting in a bar drinking beer I'd probably rather hear Roy, but on an early Sunday morning I'm enjoying Slim a bit more.

My vote is Memphis Slim.

Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out

Pat Hatt said...

Memphis Slim gets the win for me, like the style better.

Janie Junebug said...

I vote for the very bluesy Memphis Slim. His sound fits the song. I can't understand a word of what the other guy is singing.

Love,
Janie

Anonymous said...

I definitely have to go with the original in this battle. I love those old time blues! Memphis Slim gets my vote. Good battle!

Michele at Angels Bark

Guilie Castillo said...

Tough choices you have here, Dolorah (or Donna... How did I miss that your name is Donna? I'm so sorry about that!). I listened to them both, couldn't choose, called in my honey to help me decide, and guess what? He's stumped, too.

We especially love Slim's bluesy sound. And Buchanan's guitars... Those guys can play. We're not huge fans of country, but quite honestly Buchanan keeps the bluesy feel, so that wasn't a problem. Buchanan's sounds more modern, of course (what is this, a 50-year difference in recordings?), but Slim's, because of the scratchiness, gains an authenticity that can't be beat.

In the end, we're going with Slim, based on the fact that it's the original. Sorry I can't do better on justifying choices... This one was really, really hard, and we loved them both. GREAT battle!
Guilie @ Quiet Laughter

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Donna,

This was fun! I have to go with Slim. I think if I spent that much money and that much time with a beer drinking woman, I'd sing the Blues too.

Roy's guitar was nice, but Slim took my vote. Fun battle.

A Beer for the Shower said...

I love a good beer drinking woman. That's why I married one. No, not the kind that will bum a drink off of you, just one that drinks beer. My wife has a friend that does that, though. She even does it while she's out with her boyfriend. Imagine that - a girl sitting at a bar alone waiting for a guy to hit on her and buy her a drink... and then after he does, she thanks him and goes to sit next to her boyfriend. Ouch.

Memphis Slim wins this one for me easily. What a great, classic sound.

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, dear Donna/Delorah! It makes me sad to learn that FAE is "poorly," as they say on Downton Abbey. If you would be so kind, please let her know that I sincerely wish her a speedy recovery. Thank you!

I love the old blues men like Memphis Slim, the originators of a style that inspired countless artists, musicians and bands over the years. At one time I had a vinyl collection that included quite a few early blues recordings, rural and urban. "Beer Drinking Woman" reminds me a little of Ray Charles' recording "Greenbacks." As far as your battle goes, I enjoyed Roy Buchanan's version but needed to knock off points because it was performed at the familiar faster tempo that bar bands typically use to attract people to the dance floor. I don't like it when old blues standards are "discofied" in that manner. I'm a purist and the slower paced original by Memphis Slim gets my vote.

Thank you very much, dear friend Donna!

dolorah said...

Thanks Alex

Dezzy: yeah, I was shocked too.

Hi Blogo

Hilary: the classic for a classy lady :)

Lee: you know, I totally agree

Hey Pat

Janie: perhaps its a drunken slur?

Michele: All it needs is a harmonica

Guilie: I'm incognito at my blog, lol. The dolorah heading is a combination of my name. Nothing wrong with liking the original just because. Thank you both for stopping by today :)

Dixie: oh I hear ya.

Beers: uck, that sad to bum a drink and then go sit next to the boyfriend. He needs to stop her!! Nice that ya'll share your beers with your wives :)

Shady: listening to good music has a way of turning "poorly" into a smile, and thanks for your best wishes to FAE. I know she appreciates the sentiments. I have not listened to Greenbacks, I'll find it though; sounds like my kind of song. I agree this song isn't something I'd want to dance to.

Cherdo said...

Hmmmmm....decisions, decisions. I think Slim has stolen my vote for this round!

Stephen T. McCarthy said...

OH DONNA, the shutout is now officially OVER! You can thank me with a case a Budweiser. ...No! Check that! I think I'd rather have a case of beer.

Oh, I love the old Rural (or "Country") Blues. I have some in my CD collection. Used to have a ton of it when I had a vinyl LP collection. I still listen to it from time to time, and I even have a couple Blues songs lined up for future BOTB installments.

But I lean toward Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Johnson, etc. In the very early '80s, Johnson was my 3AM-And-Wasted music. But I actually prefer my Howlin' Wolf and Muddy. Love John Lee Hooker, Albert King. No one could outplay Danny Gatton (although Roy Buchanan was great and maybe Gatton's closest competitor).

With this song, ROY seems to be having more fun with it, and a spoonful of electric guitar helps the beer go down in the most delightful way. I vote ROY.

Following is, word-for-word and letter-for-letter, the funniest back-to-back texts I have EVER received. So funny I can't bear to delete 'em from my phone. Note the time differences:

11/06/2015, 5:46 PM
"Ha. My two drink and drive limit has been reached so its about time to cash out and head home. I'll worship Willie, pee, and say a sad goodbye to meeting a true boyfriend potential this day. Sighs with regrets. The music is awesome, so you're missing out on both an excellent date and good times."

11/06/2015, 9:15 PM
"Omg I got too drunk to drive and I vookefxa room and they won't even give me a blanket.a"


Ha! Reminds me of some good times I was told I had back in '82, '83... and so on.

That music they play at BOOMTOWN really is good though, ain't it? Traffic: 'The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys'; David Gilmour: 'There's No Way Out Of Here'... I've heard both of those on the BOOMTOWN sound system throughout the casino. What other commercial establishment plays stuffs like that?

Hey, I got a big bottle of Thunderbird and a Pic 'N' Save shopping cart filled with straw! Wanna spend the night with me? [:o)

~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'

Mike said...

Roy was a tremendous guitar player so it surprises me that my vote goes to Memphis Minnie..

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I was in a blues mood today, so Memphis gets my vote. Love the piano. Thanks for sharing your stories of drinking at the casino.

Robin said...

Two very different versions here. I know the voting has leaned largely one way, but this is still an excellent match-up. I can't help turn this tide as I prefer Memphis Slim, but it's still a great battle!

Robin said...

Two very different versions here. I know the voting has leaned largely one way, but this is still an excellent match-up. I can't help turn this tide as I prefer Memphis Slim, but it's still a great battle!

Jeffrey Scott said...

Drinking and Women, two of my favourite words.
But anyway, the song.
I'm going for Memphis Slim in this round. This song screams the blues and it would be a travesty to choose else-wise.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Tough question, Donna. I think Slim. Roy's kewl, though.

dolorah said...

Thanks Cherdo

Mac the Knife: Budwiser isn't beer? Don't tell my ex that, he'll have a meltdown. Will I EVER live down those texts, lol. My night of folly immortalized in print. Hell yeah I wanna spend the night with that shopping cart! Got any of those blues CDs I can sway my hips to as I weave up the aisles in a three-step with you? You can hang onto my memories, and I'll remind you or your good times. Thanks for supporting Roy.

Mike: thanks for listening to both

Phantom Reader: Love for you to share one of your party stories with me :)

Thanks Robin

Jeff: oh good answer to like beer AND Women :)

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I'll go with Memphis Slim. He gets bonus points for a cool name.

Denise Covey said...

I've not heard of either of these, but it's cute how beer-drinking songs have such a great beat. You can just hear all the drunk dudes crying into their beer especially to a Willie song. I do love the blues, though, so will go with Memphis Slim.

Strawberry beer? You gotta be kidding!

Anonymous said...

I'll pick blues over country any day. Giving my vote to Memphis Slim.

Cathy Kennedy said...

Donna, Interesting song pick. I don't drink period. Never developed a taste for the stuff and I'm really glad. That's one less thing I have to worry with, right? :) Well, I'm going against the grain and picking Roy Buchanan. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in tonight. Thanks for sharing a bit of blues with us.

John Holton said...

I liked both versions. Memphis Slim's was typical of the Chess Records sound of the 1950's, and the bass sounded like Willie Dixon. And Roy Buchanan... well, his vocal wasn't that good, but damn, that guitar! I'm going to give this one to Roy, bcause of the guitar. I think it would have been great if there was a version that combined Roy's guitar with Slim's piano and vocal.

farawayeyes said...

Alright this was fun, even if I don't drink or like beer. Make mine vino anyday. I had already seen your texts and gotten 'the rest of the story', but it's still pretty funny. One thing I have learned is to not operate any type of vehicle, including my cell phone, when drinking. YIKES!

Now the song; I like both versions. I was pretty sure I was voting for Memphis Slim, as I'm partial to the piano, until Roy started to really wail on that guitar, that's when it got very difficult. Gonna give it to Roy. As much as I like someone ticklin the ivories, that wailin guitar has a more 'drinkin' sound' to these ears (and BTW it's still early here, only had coffee so far).

klahanie said...

Hey Donna,

Just for the guitar riffs, I have to vote for Roy Buchanan.

Take it easy and boogie woogie....

Gary :)

VR Barkowski said...

Memphis Slim, no contest. I love the blues, particularly classic blues. And while I enjoyed Roy’s guitar, I have a universal dislike of songs that are spoken. If you can’t sing, own it—like Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash.

VR Barkowski