I am really looking forward to Day 43. My favorite band’s best song (Rock the Casbah), Imagine, Lady Ella, a titanic showdown between Bon Jovi and the Band, and one of my favorite lines ever: “Counting the cars on the New Jersey turnpike, they’ve all come to look for America.”
Enjoy at Grooveshark here, except Imagine. Grooveshark was acting up, so disregard the last two songs on the play-list, they are the wrong versions of songs. Vote by commenting below or emailing LTDdotorg@gmail.com before 10pm MLK day. Here’s a tip for lurkers who haven’t voted yet because typing things out seems onerous: Copy and paste someone else’s vote, and switch the numbers.
Do You Love Me (Contours) vs. Rock the Cashbah (Clash)
Imagine (John Lennon) vs. Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald)
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) vs. Running on Empty (Jackson Browne). Did you know that Jackson Browne used to bang Nico when he was 19, and she made him famous?
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) vs. Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin)
Always (Bon Jovi) vs. The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band). I expect to see a decent amount of Bon Jovi hate, but in 1999 this song did win a 128-song tournament.
Living the Dream 
Do You Love Me (Contours) 6.5
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 3
Imagine (John Lennon) 10
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 6
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 4
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 4
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 8
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 4
Always (Bon Jovi) 8
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 3.5
Do You Love Me (Contours) 3
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 6.5
Imagine (John Lennon) 8
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 6.5
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 4
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 8
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 7
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 8.5
Always (Bon Jovi) 5
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 6
Do You Love Me (Contours) vs. Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 7 – 8.5
Imagine (John Lennon) vs. Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 3 – 6.5 Can’t help but wonder if Mack wins this if its Bobby Darrin singing – though I do love Ella, Bobby’s version is much better
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) vs. Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 4 – 6
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) vs. Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 10 – 7 Tough to knock out a Zeppelin song I love, but America is super tough to beat head to head
Always (Bon Jovi) vs. The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 7 – 9 I hate going against Bon Jovi, but anything off the Last Waltz is like audio gold
Do You Love Me (Contours) 7
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 9
Imagine (John Lennon) 7.5
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 7
Adrock, you are right that Bobby Darin’s version is better. I downloaded an awesome version of Ella doing it that I simply could not find on Grooveshark in the mounds of mislabeled Ella recordings. This was the best I could do. It’s a shame Beyond the Sea lost, because I would have liked to see Bobby last longer in the tournament.
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 7.5
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 8.5
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 10. It’s long overdue that I gave out my first 10 of the tournament. Magical song.
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 6
Always (Bon Jovi) 8
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 9
Do You Love Me (Contours) 6
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 6.5
Difficult one – completely different. Edge to The Clash for me
Imagine (John Lennon) 9.5
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 5
Not my favourite version of Mack the Knife so all power to the mighty JL – perhaps the defining example of how the simplest compositions can be the best
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 4
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 7
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 7
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 4.5
Always (Bon Jovi) 7
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 7
Deciding between these two is way too stressful for me.
Do You Love Me (Contours) 7.5
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 9
Damn Do You Love Me is fun. But Casbah is Casbah- I’m not sure it hasn’t ever missed the Final Four in any tourney I’ve done that it has been in. Best use of sound effects ever.
Imagine (John Lennon) 6.5
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 7.5
This trend is going to continue in terms of me not really backing the Beatles as often as everyone else. Hail Queen Ella.
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 5.5
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 8
Huge smile on my face listening to Running on Empty- I hope yours too.
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 3
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 7
Almost as huge a smile listening to Dyermaker. Not, not feeling Paul and Art.
Always (Bon Jovi) 8
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 6.5
Don’t discount the power ballads.
OK GMo, you got me on this one.
Do You Love Me (Contours) 5
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 9
Imagine (John Lennon) 6
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 7
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 7
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 6
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 8
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 7
Always (Bon Jovi) 6
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 7
Do You Love Me (Contours) 8.5
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 8
Imagine (John Lennon) 8
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 5
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 9.0
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 6.5 [great drums sound]
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 7.5 [“I’m lost I said, though I knew she was sleeping.”]
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 7
Always (Bon Jovi) 2 [this is the lowest score I’ve given all tournament, and I don’t even hate Bon Jovi.]
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 7.5
Do You Love Me (Contours) 8.5
This vote is dedicated to Patrick Swayze. RIP.
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 7.5
Imagine (John Lennon) 6.5
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 5
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 8
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 4
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 8.5
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 7
Always (Bon Jovi) 2.5
… … … yuck.
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 5
Do You Love Me (Contours) 7
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 6
Imagine (John Lennon) 8.5
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 6
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 8
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 6
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 9.5
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 8
Always (Bon Jovi) 8.5
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 7.5
Do You Love Me (Contours) 7.5
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 7
Imagine (John Lennon) 3
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 8
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 3
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 9
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 6
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 7
Always (Bon Jovi) 5
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 7
Do You Love Me (Contours) 7 vs. Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 7
Imagine (John Lennon) 6 vs. Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 8 This is hard: an over-rated anthem vs a classic jazz tune that isn’t a rock tune. I have no idea why the people at rolling stone feel like they’re entitled to appropriate classic jazz and blues tunes and cannonize them as rock classics. Influence is one thing, but if you’re going to include Ella then we may as well include Beethoven or at least Phillip Glass.
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 8 vs. Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 8
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 9 vs. Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 7
Always (Bon Jovi) 1 vs. The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 8
A classical music tournament? Could be the next big thing.
Do You Love Me (Contours) 7.5 vs. Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 9.5
Imagine (John Lennon) 9 vs. Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 8
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 2 vs. Running on Empty (Jackson Browne). 5
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 7 vs. Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 9
Always (Bon Jovi) 8.5 vs. The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band). 5.5
Do You Love Me (Contours) [7.5]
Rock the Cashbah (Clash) [8.5]
Imagine (John Lennon) [8.5]
Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) [6.5]
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) [5]
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) [7.5]
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) [8]
Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) [7]
Always (Bon Jovi) [7]
The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) [6.5]
Do You Love Me (Contours) 6 vs. Rock the Cashbah (Clash) 8.5
Imagine (John Lennon) 8 vs. Mack the Knife (Ella Fitzgerald) 6.5
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead) 7.5 vs. Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) 7
America (Kathy’s Song) (Simon and Garfunkel) 9 vs. Dyermaker (Led Zeppelin) 8
Always (Bon Jovi) 8.5 vs. The Night They Drove Ole’ Dixie Down (Band) 8
i know, narrow margins. don’t worry- this indecisiveness bleeds into all aspects of my life, not just music tournaments.
do you love me – 7
rock the casbah – 9
imagine – 9
mack the knife – 5
friend of the devil – 9.5
running on empty – 5
america – 9.5
dyermaker – 6
always – 3
the night they drove ol’ dixie down – 8