Not much to go with today so I thought I'd make up for a light links section from the newsletter with some national anthem (National Anthem?) related materials.
But first, let's dig into one of life's great mysteries... what is TOA's favorite rendition of the anthem?
In general, I prefer the instrumental to the vocal, so a good candidate would seem to be Jimi Hendrix getting the guitar out for a few minutes back in 1969 at Woodstock.
However... I also prefer something a little more, er, straightforward, so I'll have to rule this contender out.
I'm sure there are some memorable instrumental versions out there that meet my 'straightforward' criteria. I think these examples from recent sporting events fit the bill - this one is a pure saxophone powerhouse while the trumpet-only attempt here sounds pretty good to my ear.
However... I must acknowledge that one of the great powers of the national anthem is how it encourages us all to sing along with it. Unfortunately, I don't think these versions quite bring that element of the anthem to life so these, too, I will pass on.
Now, as it regards the sing-along aspect, nothing is more important to me than others singing along. This is due to the reality of my singing voice - unlike TOA, it's probably better off as part of a chorus. Such criteria would suggest that perhaps this memorable rendition (go to the three minute mark) would be the big winner (and that's not counting the Boston points). If I wanted to go for more of a 'grassroots' version, we could even nominate this version that could've happened at any baseball field in our
However... it's not possible for me to think about everyone singing at the same time and not remember that this is one of Canada's finest exports. There are so many examples to choose from that I can hardly say this is the best example but the audio came through pretty clean here so let's roll with it. And if you protest, reader, that this is the wrong anthem, well, let me point you to this rebuttal... when Canada has us beat, I say let's tip our cap, let them enjoy their rare victory, and go for something else.
OK, so maybe this is just a case where I get out the best possible version, right? This is America, after all, and if we aren't the best, we insist on it, or maybe we just say a solo effort beats a collective, so why not just go with the best solo version? After three minutes of furious research, I think Whitney Houston giving it a go at Super Bowl XXV seems like the consensus top choice out there on The Good Ol' Interwebs.
However... this is almost too much, I think. It's so good, it fails every criteria from above - the instrumentals aren't instrumental enough, there is a little too much flare and drama, and the sing along aspect... well, I mean, when Whitney Houston sings, my policy is to shut up and listen, you know? It would be embarrassing to be singing along, feeling all American and all, only to have my ears suddenly note the massive talent discrepancy in my voice and hers. So although this might be the best version out there, I can't crown it. Sorry...
No, loyal reader, I think the winner must be - and some would suggest, always was going to be - Marvin Gaye rolling back the clock at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game to give us this classic performance. It has everything I'm looking for - a significant but straightforward instrumental presence, a vocal performance that invites singing along, and a great moment of unity when the crowd begins to clap through the final words of the song.
Perhaps most importantly, it has what I promised at the top - links. If today gets slow for you, reader, take a break from your hot dog and have a look below.
Happy Fourth!
Tim
Footnotes / links, links... / endnote
0. The links we were all promised...
The Undefeated
Grantland
NPR
Rolling Stone
0a. You know it's gone too far...
The overdone performances - particularly those done prior to sporting events - were taken down a peg in this SNL sketch from 2006. It's one of those ideas that sounds better on paper than on screen, I think - sure, it would be funny to hear Maya Rudolph do a mockery of all those over the top renditions, but in reality is it all that funny to sit there for three minutes and actually listen to it? Sometimes, I think comedians like an idea so much that they can't let go of it even if the idea doesn't translate into a performance.
