Dressing up the beer barrel – music and style

 

[beer barrel*]

Clothes make the man, the woman and apparently the song. It is truly amazing how a change of style creates a completely new vibe in a known tune, no matter how plain it is. As I enjoy listening to music (and strongly regret my lack of discipline in actually making it), I was flowing through YouTube  when I saw the Chico Marx version of the Beer Barrel Polka. This rediscovery led me to listen to several other versions, almost identical in melody but so different in style and feel.

The basic version available is that of Frank Yankovich. He plays, well, a polka. I suppose for Polka enthusiasts it represents the peak of polka-ness.  A few pints of beer might also increase appreciation. Alas, the number of such fans today is rather small, with most people under the age of 70 finding this “quaint”, if not absurd. For a standard standard, listen to this.

If you add some fancy finger work and jewelry, not to mention a musician with an imposing presence, this song takes on a completely different feel, sort of a poor-man’s Rachmaninoff concerto. It is a pleasure to watch the entertaining Liberace, one of the ultimate showmen, play this song and turn it into an almost elegant melody appreciable by the widest audience, probably mainly because of the pianist, not the song, but who cares. Enjoy:

However, there should be moderation in everything. I find bringing in a full orchestra in fancy dress a bit too rich for this plebian song but that is a matter of taste. This is what you get after André Rieu get his hands on this. You can judge for yourself:

Taking this song back to the people but adding an amazing trio, I enjoy the Andrew Sisters’ version as they have a Midas touch even with the plainest of songs. It does not really feel like the original but still is a pleasure in itself. Listen and appreciate the singers (even they are before your time):

I end the polka run with my favorite, the version that started by beer bar-hopping musical trip. Chico Marx brings out the fun and joy that this song elicited when it came out and makes it sound as relevant today as it was over 100 years ago. I just smile and laugh as he plays not only because of his hands and face but also the music is simply happy, even without being drunk.  Am I being nostalgic?

After listening to all these polkas, I feel a bit of an audio hangover. Still, the comparison brought out the human factor in the impact of a song. True, without an appropriate melody, no song can succeed. However, each performer can take it to a different place. The trappings do make the song. 

* Picture captions help the blind fully access the Internet.

Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/mih83-464187/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4238715">M. H.</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4238715">Pixabay</a>

Sibling performance – a trivia quiz or, to paraphrase Woody Guthrie, what were their names?

Relations between brothers and sisters range from non-existent or hostile at one extreme and best friends at the other.  Most siblings can spend an evening or even a weekend together and maintain comfortable civility. A few go way beyond that and build careers together, becoming collectively famous.  Of course, fame is short lived since new stars replace the aging ones. 

As a personal challenge, one that I failed, I tried to remember the names of the siblings in some famous groups of at least three brothers or sisters. For those who like quantitative measurements, you get two times the points if you recall the names of a group that is not from your era.

1930’s – 1950

The group that made the best transition from vaudeville to Hollywood, the Marx Brothers never stopped making me laugh, no matter how many times I saw their movies. I was able to remember three of the four, yes four, brothers. One point for each name.

There was nothing classier than the Andrew Sisters, elegance personified, even today.  Their renditions of the songs remain the benchmark. Given their time period, take two points each for each of three sisters.

1960’s -1970’s

The symbol of 1960’s pop music was the Jackson Five, who actually lived down the street from me when I was growing up, not that I actually ever saw them.  They have long since become adults and had successful solo careers, making remembering their names easier. I remembered three.  1 point of each.

Baseball had a unique trio of brothers that played at the major league level simultaneously and doing so quite respectively.  The Alou brothers even once played in the same outfield.  I remembered all three, giving me 6 points.

1980’s – 1990’s

The rebirth of disco was due to two performers, John Travolta and the Beegees. Since I was not a fan of this music, I failed to remember the names of any of the three Gibb brothers that played in that band.  Add 1.5 point for each brother to your score.

Alas, R&B is not my cup of tea either.  Still, I have heard of the Pointer Sisters, one the top groups of the 1980’s.  Again, I paid the price, not remembering the name of any of the three sisters and failing to get any of the six points available.

I am sure that many of my readers can do better than me, a measly 15 points.  I should mention there is a 5 points bonus to those who can identify the ship that is the subject of the Woody Guthrie song mentioned in the title. On the other hand, if you succeeded in getting all of the points, do you have any time to spend with your brothers and sisters? If anybody gets a high score, let me know so I can bow down in awe.

(Answers below for those too lazy to google them.)

Answers:

1.       Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo

2.      Laverne, Maxene and Patty

1.       Jackie, Tito, Germaine, Marlon, Michael

2.      Moses, Jesus and Matty

1.       Berry, Maurice and Robin

2.      Anita, June and Bonnie