Sound of Silence #BoTB showdown with Friday Fun
Hello Kittens & Dawgs! Before I hop into round two of BoTB, let me give you the 411 on which artist won in June 1st YOUR SONG #BoTB Showdown between Tina Arena and Julienne Taylor. In the beginning Tina came out strong, then Julienne picked up enough votes to tie things up. The count went back and forth until Julienne took the lead. Let me just say, it was by only point and I hadn’t decided yet which gal was getting my vote. After listening to both artists, it was Julienne’s warmer, softer vocals that reeled me in. The final count…. Tina – 6 and Julienne – 8. Thanks to everyone for making it an interesting battle!!
Now, it’s time to move on…I know what you’re thinking this gal has no rhyme or reason for her battles and you’re absolutely dead on the money. I usually find inspiration at YouTube while scoping out some tunes when BAM a song catches my attention and that’s all it takes, a tiny seed planted and a future showdown conceived. This isn’t the first time I used Simon & Garfunkel’s classic hit, Sound of Silence in a BoTB. Unfortunately the post I shared once upon a time did a glitchy thing and disappeared from my site forever. *sigh* I also know that some of my fellow BoTBers have featured the song in the past but I’m confident that neither of these cover artists has been featured in another battle. *cross fingers*
Let’s get going, shall we? My first contender probably needs no introduction but for those who do not know, the late Mary Travers is the ‘Mary’ from the 60s group, Peter, Paul, & Mary.
My second artist discovery is that of an American singer/songwriter best known for her YouTube presence. Listen to Holly Henry purely a capella cover of S&G’s oldie.
Both covers are moody and definitely convey the eeriness that the sound of silence instills in all of us but tell me which female artist in your opinion covered it better…
Mary or Holly?
How do I play BoTB? It’s really super simple!
- You VOTE. Leave your FAVORITE pick in comments. Everyone is welcome to vote. There is no wrong vote, except if you DON’T vote.
- Be interactive. Tell me why you like your favorite pick. (optional)
- Make me happy. Tell a friend, share the below tweet. (optional)
**Polls close noon June 21st**
You’ll find more awesome battles underway at some of these blog listed below (not everyone is doing the bi-monthly showdowns now) and if you’d like to be included in the fun, then contact Stephen requesting to be added to the list.
Angels Bark (Michele), Cherdo on the Flipside, Book Lover (Donna), The Doglady’s Den (Debbie), Your Daily Dose (Robin), Jingle Jangle Jungle (Mary), Mike’s Ramblings, Righting & Editing (Janie), STMcC Presents BoTB (Stephen, BoTB Manager), The Sound of One Hand Typing (John), & Tossing It Out (Lee).
DID YOU VOTE?
No! Okay but if you leave WITHOUT voting, I won’t be held responsible for what happens to your computer. Just saying is all. 😂
Summers are a good time to scale back to do other things while Blogosphere resembles a ghost town. With that being said, please, mark your calendar for the following two dates: Monday, June 25th for today’s results announcement and Monday, July 16th my newest BoTB showdown!
To understand the workings of my mind, a dangerous place to venture, I’m joining Four-Legged Furballs and 15andmeowing for this week’s Friendly Fill-ins.
3. Tolerance is my secret talent. I’m not sure that’s the right word for it but it takes real talent to keep my wits to keep from saying or doing the wrong thing like knock an idiot into tomorrow.
X💋X💋, Cathy
36 Comments
Mike Spain
Mary gets my vote, I liked her vocals better
Cathy Kennedy
Excellent, Mike!
Mary – 12
Holly – 5
Birgit
I love this song and would love to study all the meanings behind the verses. I cast my vote for Mary who has a strong but ethereal voice that i always liked. Holly, the sweet thing is so pretty and has a nice voice but she seemed so scared and/or nervous that her voice faded in and out. it didn’t have the strength due to her trepidation to whack it out of the ball park. I just wanted to hug her and say to give it her all. Now as for the parody…I Love it!!
Cathy Kennedy
Birgit,
I think the way Holly is singing it is meant to have that sort of impression on purpose to give it a creepier or darker essence to her cover. 🙂 Gotcha down for Mary. She did fab jo on it!
Mary – 11
Holly – 5
Doesnt Speak Klingon (@NotKlingonRed)
I love this song. I can’t imagine how any version could mess it up to the point I don’t like it, but Holly get’s my vote hands down. Mary seems to rush through what should be a deeper, thought-provoking song. Also, Debbie’s comment made me look up Disturbed’s version – WOW. That was awesome, too.
So, HOLLY for me. Love her voice. Now I’ll have to look up more of her stuff.
Cathy Kennedy
Red,
So, Debbie’s link worked for ya? Thanks for taking the time to listen and vote, so glad you were also introduced to Disturbed’s pAwesome cover!
Mary – 10
Holly – 5
Cathy Keisha
Love reading all the different spins on #4. All different but all the same. TW loves Mary Travers so I’ll have to go with her.
Cathy Keisha
By the way this is my absolute fave version of S of S, possible since we lived through 9/11. We almost lost Pop that day. https://youtu.be/3iy2L9VeUfc
Cathy Kennedy
Cathy,
Yes, Disturbia does a fabulous cover and it’s one of my favorites. They really do sing it with passion making the lyrics more heartfelt. WOW, so glad you didn’t loss Pop on 9/11. That was such a tragic day for all! It touched us all to various degrees that day. I lost my 3rd cousin who I never meet but knew of at the Pentagon. We’ll never be the same after that time and I hope we never forget. Thanks for sharing the video clip, reading my fill-in responses, and for voting in this battle!
Mary – 10
Holly – 4
Mary B
Simon & Garfunkel are an institution that I have loved since a little girl. I remember vividly meeting up with a friend of mine at the tender age of 7. We’d meet at the park (field of grass) that was less than a block from my house. We’d make dandelion bracelets and sing S&G songs. While it may be a bit disturbing that 7yr old girls would sing ‘Cecilia’ at the top of our lungs, it was a beautiful friendship.
I’ve also enjoyed the music of Peter, Paul, & Mary over the years (not nearly as much as S&G, but I did enjoy them).
That being said, Holly weirded me out with her voice. Mary gave a performance that I could easily get behind and support. Therefore, Mary gets my vote (and not just because she shares my name!)
~Mary
Jingle Jangle Jungle – This blog has gone to the dogs
Cathy Kennedy
Mary,
Ahhh, your friendship sounds very sweet and it reminds me very much of the one I had with my BFF. We did everything together!
Mary – 9
Holly – 4
Stephen T. McCarthy
HiYa, CATHY, it’s that me!
Circa 1968 or thereabouts, S&G’s ‘The Sounds Of Silence’ was my #1 all-time favorite song. That changed eventually, but I still love it, and so many other songs that S&G wrote. It goes without saying that NO cover could top the original recording, therefore I won’t even bother saying it.
My vote here goes to MARY TRAVERS, primarily because of the musical support.
But I gotta say that I was fairly mesmerized watching Holly sing the song. Whatever that device is that she’s using for her voice, I find it fascinating. The way it was doubling or echoing her voice, and the delay or sustain effect really made it sound like she was harmonizing with herself. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like that before. And there were a few times she hit certain notes, with that device echoing her voice, that I’d have sworn I was hearing a violin in the background. It sounded like Holly harmonizing with Holly and a violin.
If the Battle was about which version we find more interesting, my vote would definitely have gone to Holly. But since it’s really just about the overall musical presentation, then I have to side with Mary.
Have a bandtastic weekend, my friend!
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents ‘Battle Of The Bands’
POSTSCRIPT: I started to play the song parody, but as soon as I discovered what it was about, I made it stop. I’m up to my eyeballs with all the anti-Trump crapola and I don’t even want to hear any more of it, not even for the sake of laughter — and you know how much I love to laugh!
Cathy Kennedy
Stephen,
S&G “The Sounds of Silence” is among my favorite all-time songs for sure. Mary does a fabulous job no question about it with this song and folk style harmonizing with her background singers added just a touch of mysteriousness to the classic. Mary certainly is sweeping this battle away. You really picked up a lot of little nuances from Holly’s recording that I had to go back to listen to it again and my ears honed in on the elements you detected. I hadn’t even thought about it the way you analyzed her cover but you’re really spot on! No worries about not listening to the parody. I understand. The Trump bashing gets old but the only thing that matters is I see the good that he’s doing and honestly I believe there are more folks who do, too. They just don’t want to admit it. 🙂
Mary – 8
Holly – 4
messymimi's meanderings
It’s an odd and haunting song, but Holly’s version creeped me out a bit, i’m not sure why. Anyway, Mary has my vote.
Cathy Kennedy
Mimi,
Making this song darker is what makes these covers more interesting. 🙂 It looks like Mary has a strong lead now.
Mary – 7
Holly – 4
Debbie D.
Hi Cathy; Love this song! My favourite version is by the metal band, Disturbed. Unfortunately, there is no Mary Travers video available for viewing in Canada. My only recourse was Spotify. Here’s the link, in case any more Canadians drop by: https://open.spotify.com/track/34HU0i4jR3ibbWTNzjaUAR
Holly’s voice sets my teath on edge, so Mary gets my vote here. I remember her version from the TV series “Pretty Little Liars”. Hilarious song parody! Thanks for the laugh. 😀
Cathy Kennedy
Debbie,
I did it again, I didn’t check the video capability for my Canadian pals. *smack forehead* Thanks for the link, ole pal! We haven’t watched the “Pretty Little Liars” series yet but heard it was good. I’d love to see the new season of Twin Peaks but we don’t have Showtime. I hope one of our streaming services picks up the series. Thanks for voting!
Mary – 6
Holly -4
Doesnt Speak Klingon (@NotKlingonRed)
I’m glad to read Debbie’s comment. Maybe that version is only a US thing? I’ll have to look up Mary’s version before I vote. (I’m in Vietnam and can’t access it, either.
John Holton
Mary Travers has never been a fave of mine, and I love Holly Henry’s voice, so I’m casting a tying vote for Miss Holly.
Cathy Kennedy
John,
I like a lot of PP&M’s folk music and Mary does a nice job on this song but I haven’t decided which gal is getting my vote yet. 🙂
Mary -5
Holly – 4
-Eugenia
Mary has my vote. You and DH have a purrfect Father’s Day Weekend!
Cathy Kennedy
Eugenia,
Thanks for the Father’s Day wishes for DH. 🙂 I made his favorite dessert, Cherry Delight, using this recipe, except instead of making it with a graham cracker crust, I use Pecan Sandies (cookies). It’s really super good! The recipe is really simple and yummy! Thanks for voting.
Mary -5
Holly – 3
L.M.G. Miller
Oh, I have always enjoyed listening to “The Sound of Silence”. My favorite version has always been the cover by Disturbed. Let me go have a listen to Mary and Holly, though…My vote goes to Mary!
And thank you for joining in on the Friendly Fill-Ins. I’m like you and often enjoy rooting for the underdogs. Lumiere and Cogsworth were always two of my favorite characters in Beauty and the Beast. And Ariel’s buddy Sebastian is also a favorite underdog of mine. And I know what you mean when it comes to tolerance. Some days, I feel so proud of myself for having tolerance for certain people around me. Other times, well, I realize I still need to work on it a bit. Happy Friday!
Cathy Kennedy
LMG,
Disturbed did a great, dark cover. You can feel the moodiness in their rendition. Thanks for voting for Mary!
Mary – 4
Holly- 3
Comedy Plus
Mary Travers has my vote.
Have a fabulous day and weekend, Cathy. Big hugs. ♥
Cathy Kennedy
Sandee,
Good gravy, I did not see this battle going this way. WOW, at this pace I might have tie on my hands! 🙂
Mary – 3
Holly -3
Jacqui Murray
I’ll have to vote for Holly’s a Capella (sic) version of S&G. That is a haunting song.
Cathy Kennedy
Jacqui,
Oooo, I just love how this battle is flipping back and forth! 🙂
Mary – 2
Holly – 3
15andmeowing
This is one of my favorite songs, I preferred Mary’s version because Holly seems to mumble through parts of the song as so man y young singers today do. My all time favorite version of this is Disturbed’s version. Thank you for participating in the fill-ins, great answers. I like those 2 characters in Beauty and the Beast too. And how funny we chose the same age 🙂 Have a nice weekend! XO
Cathy Kennedy
Ellen,
Disturbed did a good cover of S&G classic hit. In fact, I think I used them in the showdown that went POOF! Thanks for stopping by!
Mary – 2
Holly – 2
Arlee Bird
I have a “Sounds” Battle in my line-up as well. Maybe I’ll wait several months before using it.
My little travel notebook computer probably did not do the nuanced performance by Holly justice so it did not come across as particularly appealing to me.
My vote goes to Mary.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Cathy Kennedy
Lee,
Well…shoot! I didn’t mean to knock yours out of the running. I’m sure it’ll be fine to let it fly in your original time slot. 🙂 Plus, it’ll keep us all on our toes. Thanks for breaking away from your travels to give Mary her first vote. Be safe and have fun!
Mary – 1
Holly – 2
greyzoned/angelsbark
LOLOLOL!!! The first thing I thought of when I saw your battle was “What a great way to start my Friday, with one of my very favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs!” And I was so digging both versions and was all totally in a Sounds of Silence mood…and then I listened to the parody your presented, “Confounds the Science”. hahahaha. I’m still giggling! THAT is sooooo good! I’m definitely going to share it. It’s fabulously funny…although in reality it’s actually quite distressing in its truth. But I’m going to stick with the giggles that it gave me because I spend entirely too much time being pissed off every single day watching what’s happening in our White House. So thank you my friend, for a wonderful laugh this morning!
Speaking of wonderful: your battle! My first inclination was to vote for Mary Travers. I always enjoyed Peter, Paul & Mary’s folksy sound. I love their “If I Had a Hammer” and who doesn’t love “Puff the Magic Dragon”?? I saw Peter Yarrow a few years back when he did a concert at my church and I so enjoyed his show. He shared lots of PP&M songs and stories and overall was a very likeable guy in his friendly approach with the audience. And so, liking Mary’s version of the Sounds of Silence, I was all set to vote for her.
But I was very compelled to listen to Holly Henry’s version more closely. At first I was like “eh, she’s okay…” but then that layering of her haunting background vocal captured me and kept me listening and I grew to really like her sound. Her vocal styling is actually perfect for this song and her delivery of it is spot-on. So I’m going to cast my vote for Miss Holly Henry. I’m actually intrigued to check into some more of her music. She’s an impressive young lady.
And now, I’m going to go get another dose of “Confounds the Science” –hehehe. Thanks for that!
Have a great weekend,
Michele at Angels Bark
Cathy Kennedy
Michele,
I almost didn’t share the parody because the lyrics do not represent my views but it’s funny. It truly is a good laugh. Politics is so serious. Both sides of the playfield bring out the worse in each other, often causing the little guy (you & me) to suffer because of their decisions. Anywho, moving along…how cool that you got to see Peter Yarrow. I always enjoyed PP&M’s folk-style mewsic. I even owned a copy of “Puff the Magic Dragon” when I was a kid. That was my favorite song! I’m delighted that Miss Holly is well received so far. Her rendition of SOS is impressive. It’ll be neat to see how this battle turns out.
Mary – 0
Holly – 2
Thomas Anderson
Hi, Cathy!
Thanks for posting the result of the previous BOTB. I noticed two weeks ago how Tina Arena jumped out to an early lead and I thought she would emerge the winner. The reason you and others gave for liking Julienne’s version is the reason why I voted against her and for Tina, because I prefer “Your Song” to be performed in a cleaner, more matter of fact manner, without so much warmth and emotion.
This week’s contest features one of the great ballads of the Baby Boom generation, “The Sounds Of Silence.” (“The Sounds” (plural) Of Silence” is the official title of the original S&G single.) Mrs. S and I went to see a Peter Paul & Mary live show here in the Tampa Bay area circa 1990 and enjoyed it. Mary has been gone almost 9 years now. It was nice to hear her familiar voice again singing a song I never heard her do. I was all set to bail out on Holly Henry’s version after only the first few seconds but I decided to give the girl a chance. The more I listened the more I liked it. By the end, Holly had won me over with her haunting rendition of the song, layered as it was with her own eerie vocal backing track. Last time I voted for Tina Arena because her arrangement, her treatment of the song, was better suited. I am voting for Holly Henry for the same reason. “The Sounds Of Silence” needs to be performed, I believe, in a sad, bleak, haunting manner and that’s how Holly did it. I could imagine her rendition being used in a movie soundtrack. Mary’s version sounded too much like another folk song. Therefore, I vote for Holly Henry!
I enjoyed your Friday Sillies and applaud you for posting the S&G cover parody “Confounds The Science.” I shared it with friends and family.
Have a happy Friday and a great weekend, dear friend Cathy. I wish DH a happy Father’s Day, too!
Cathy Kennedy
Tom,
In my previous battle, I liked both Tina and Julienne. It was a hard call for me to make but being the emotion creature, Julienne’s warmer vocals snared me. It’s going to be interesting to see how these ladies do in this round. I do not agree with the lyrics of the parody but it’s funny and cleverly written. The thing is when Obama was president there was a reference made to him about being the ‘Saviour of the world’. Politics on both sides of the aisle always find a way to paint the opposition to suit their agenda. No one on this planet is purrrfect, least of all politicians who are some of the most impurrrfect people in the universe. I just wish Washington wasn’t so power-thirsty. It’s the people of this country who suffer the most at the hands of others. Thanks for visiting and for casting the first vote in this round of BoTB. Have a good weekend, my friend!
Mary-0
Holly-1