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George Winston — Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Album: Linus & Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 576









Released: 1996
Length: 6:02
Plays (last 30 days): 0
(no lyrics available)
Comments (162)add comment
I must say, I love the album cover! {#Sunny}
 gatorade wrote:
George Winston is not my favorite, but I love this song. Why not just play Vince's tunes?
 
I agree... Every time I hear this song, it makes me want to hear "Linus and Lucy" right after it!

 triviagal wrote:
"Any way the wind blows" - the last line from Bohemian Rhapsody & now "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".  Pretty cool!
 
Ya, you have to appreciate RP's (I'm assuming Bill's) sense of timing, connection, and humour. Sometimes it's a game we play around the office to determine what the ties are.
 unclehud wrote:

Maybe George is plucking his guitar strings.  Don't know.  While I like Vince's trademark sound a LOT, this is best done by the James Gang.  Guess you had to be there.

 
I saw George live. He actually reaches inside the piano and plucks the strings. Wild.

 unclehud wrote:

Maybe George is plucking his guitar strings.  Don't know.  While I like Vince's trademark sound a LOT, this is best done by the James Gang.  Guess you had to be there.

 
That IS a great version.

a) Did not see this segue coming! (Bohemian Rhapsody to Cast your Fate)
b) Like Winston but prefer the original on this one.
"Any way the wind blows" - the last line from Bohemian Rhapsody & now "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".  Pretty cool!
George Winston is not my favorite, but I love this song. Why not just play Vince's tunes?
 idahoTux wrote:
At the end of this tune, where is that string sound coming from? Is Winston plucking the piano's strings by hand ? 
 
Maybe George is plucking his guitar strings.  Don't know.  While I like Vince's trademark sound a LOT, this is best done by the James Gang.  Guess you had to be there.

End already....gah!

Happy Holidays, everybody!


At the end of this tune, where is that string sound coming from? Is Winston plucking the piano's strings by hand ? 
 Papernapkin wrote:
Love Vince. Like George.
 

Love Vince, but I like this version better.  Vince Jazzes it up too much for me. 
 On_The_Beach wrote:
I dunno. I liked his December album all those years ago, but since then it's sounding more and more like generic lounge music (and if I wanna listen to Vince Guaraldi I'll listen to Vince Guaraldi, not a "new age" cover).
 
Seriously...this version is painfully stuffy and cramped sounding.
I dunno. I liked his December album all those years ago, but since then it's sounding more and more like generic lounge music (and if I wanna listen to Vince Guaraldi I'll listen to Vince Guaraldi, not a "new age" cover).

Bill:  James Gang version, please!  Joe Walsh could play ...  well, he could play a lot LOUDER than George Winston.  And passionately, back then, too.

 abulaabula wrote:
am lovin this one, makes me want to run through an open field with grass and flowers that come up to my waist. It is a sunny day, full of life. As a friendly fox goes frolicking by, I stop to gaze at the distance mountains, only to see a hovering rain cloud looming
 
Then I shoot the fox.
am lovin this one, makes me want to run through an open field with grass and flowers that come up to my waist. It is a sunny day, full of life. As a friendly fox goes frolicking by, I stop to gaze at the distance mountains, only to see a hovering rain cloud looming
Though I love a lot of George Winstons music I like Vince Guaraldi's 1962 original virgin of Cast Your Fart To The Wind better.




Playing lots of notes. . . but not necessarily in the right order. 

This might have been around a while but is it any good?

No.

2

Mute 
 snowcat wrote:
I used to stare out at a winter moon listening to 'December' when I was 18.  Don't have the CD anymore but it sure had an impact on me, even though I'm a heavy alternative music fan.
 

December is one of my all time favorite Holiday/Christmas CD's. It stays in heavy rotation at my house from Thanksgiving through the New Years. Wonderful, wonderful album...
 ThePoose wrote:


Not odd at all: The last line of Bohemian Rhapsody is ''Any way the wind blows'' and this song is entitled ''Cast your fate to the wind.''

Next up: (Everyone knows it's) Windy
 
How about "Break Like the Wind?"

I used to stare out at a winter moon listening to 'December' when I was 18.  Don't have the CD anymore but it sure had an impact on me, even though I'm a heavy alternative music fan.

from: "anywhere the wind blows" to "cast your fate to the wind". better stop thinking about recording technology and piano sounds and listen to the message behind...


 dmax wrote:

Sounds like it was step-entered in MIDI

 
The point is well-taken.  If you've played the piano a long time, you can hear differences between a Steinway, a Baldwin, etc., and this has that Yamaha grand sound that, in the day, we described as canned and lifeless (Yamaha has improved greatly since then).  But I'm guessing that production values, rather than the piano itself, explains what some of us are complaining about.

Through headphones he seems to be playing with hammers.  It kinda hurts.
this sounds like The Sims music. but that's not really a bad thing {#Cheesygrin}
 Droidac wrote:
Mmmmm, I could go for a big merlot right now. Song = kinda bland, but merlot = yummy!
 
Agreed, I'm sipping a good shiraz right now. A big merlot is yummy, but any big wine is good. I wouldn't compare this version of the tune to a big wine, I'd compare it to a so-so wine. Anyway, enough of my whining, cheers {#Cheers} 

 inindian wrote:


Like a big merlot....bland
 
Mmmmm, I could go for a big merlot right now. Song = kinda bland, but merlot = yummy!

If you've ever listened to a good musician playing around with interpretation there is the line between it and irrelevance. Er, um. Someone should have told him.
Wow. For about the first ten seconds of this song, I was 8 years old again. They used the beginning for the intro to some TV show when I was a kid in the 60s-70s. Million Dollar Movie or something. I haven't heard it in 30 years. Gave me major goosebumps! Bill, you keep freaking me out with the stuff you dredge up from my childhood!
good, but there is much better stuff from George Winston...may I suggest nearly anything off the December album?
 slowhand wrote:
Like a big chardonnay....nice
 

Like a big merlot....bland
Time to play some Dollar Brand
from 9 to 10
Like a big chardonnay....nice
I was listening to this, and the next thing I knew I was passed out on my key board! Wayyy toooo mellowww! {#Sleep}
He manages to suck the life out of this wonderful piece.
Love Vince. Like George.
 hobiejoe wrote:
I'll be sticking with Vince, I think.
 
Yep. Although this is nice, Vince totally owns it. Covers aren't necessary.

Criticism is not my usual post, but I've always found George Winston (along with many of the Windham Hill signings) bland... a bit lame really. It's nice, but nice is... well... only nice!


How does a beautiful, haunting, masterpiece of a song like this get a 6.5? This is such a 10 in my book.
Charlie Brown meets Montovani. Or is it Satie? God, I'm confused.
George! Economy! Concsion! Conclusion! Bring it in!
I'll be sticking with Vince, I think.
Whoa — this is definitely not what Wayne and Garth had in mind as a followup.
Dude, my Gremlin just ran outa gas.{#Beat}
That plunking at the end is horrid and drops the overall quality of the song quite a bit.
The song is excellent, but I can't quite love this arrangement
Especially not after Bohemian Rhapsody!
BlueHeronDruid wrote:
Nope. I can't abide it. WTF?
Me either. The Dude does NOT abide.
BlueHeronDruid wrote:
Nope. I can't abide it. WTF?
World Trade Federation, indeed!
George Winston is great, but this tune is shades of Richard Clayderman! :-)
Beautiful cover....
Cast your fate to the wind... Charlie Brown!
thewiseking wrote:
a muzak bite on Vince Guaraldi and Dollar Brand.
QFT.
a muzak bite on Vince Guaraldi and Dollar Brand.
Wow. Queen to George Winston. You gotta use the clutch when you switch gears!
Nope. I can't abide it. WTF?
Ballzak wrote:
I'm down with the solo piano gig but come on, let's have some Vince G. or Monk or K. Jarrett... or hell, how 'bout Hayden, Bach or Rachmaninoff?? Of all the freaking awe-inspiring piano music out there why is this guy getting airplay??
I'm with you, especially in the cases of Jarret, Haydn & Rachmaninoff.
I'm down with the solo piano gig but come on, let's have some Vince G. or Monk or K. Jarrett... or hell, how 'bout Hayden, Bach or Rachmaninoff?? Of all the freaking awe-inspiring piano music out there why is this guy getting airplay??
Frater_Kork wrote:
That noodle could have fed an impoverished village for a month...
Brilliant.
hehe I wasnt paying attention to my screen when this came on and I glanced over and thought it was George Clinton!!! I was waiting for it to get funkadelic
I think playing this back to back with the Vince version would be a great way to demonstrate the concept of "feel" in modern music performance - ie, the incredible difference in emotional response between a player that has none (George) and one who had it in spades (Vince).
Boring follow-up to Bohemian Rhapsody. Again.
I love this song, but Winston seems to go a bit rough on it towards the end.
Interesting story about this song. Lee Menendez first heard this song on the radio while going over the Golden Gate Bridge. He was trying to find someone to write the music for The Peanuts' Christmas TV show. After hearing the song, Menendez reached out to Vince Guaraldi. Guaraldi turned out to be a fan of the Peanuts comic strip and thereafter wrote all of the background music for future Peanuts' TV shows.
Am I playing The Sims?
George, mix it up with the left hand a little bit!
fascinating combination of tunes. But I too definitely prefer the Vince Guraldi version to the liberties taken by Geo Winston ...
Ahnyer_Keester wrote:
Odd follow up to Bohemian Rhapsody but an excellent song!!
Not odd at all: The last line of Bohemian Rhapsody is ''Any way the wind blows'' and this song is entitled ''Cast your fate to the wind.'' Next up: (Everyone knows it's) Windy
Can we move on please?
IT'S THE CHARLIE BROWN SONG!...... oh, never mind.
Yeah, he somehow manages to take the "swing" out of Guaraldi's stuff on this disk. And Vince was all about the swing--that was the best part--even on emotional pieces like this.
Odd follow up to Bohemian Rhapsody but an excellent song!!
Much prefer Guaraldi's cadence with this. Or even Benoit's.
5 to 4 because Vince rules. And this drools.
Nice try, but his hands are not quite as fast as Vince's were.
smackiepipe wrote:
Charlie Brown Grows Up, Gets A Job, Walks To Lunch By Himself.
I saw him the other day, he looks like "Butterbean"...with tatt's...Snoopy's riding the Santa Fe railroad with a bum called Keith..and Woodstock runs a bar in Long Island.
Platypus wrote:
I'd pay to hear Squirming Coil - or really anything from the first three Phish albums, for that matter - instead of this lifeless fluff.
2nd that.
IMHO, "December" by Mr. Winston is inspired, incredibly powerful and one of the most beautiful albums ever created. Period. This does not register anywhere near the same category. It's merit shines only as it begins to sound like the original. Still tho... not kickin this out the door...
That noodle could have fed an impoverished village for a month...
Charlie Brown Grows Up, Gets A Job, Walks To Lunch By Himself.
Shimmer wrote:
George Winston has some great stuff (the entire Autumn album, for example), but this isn't in the same league.
I love Autumn - what do you think of Montana?
This is what it sounds like when the wind blows through a red and orange leafed maple tree and carries a few leaves along on the breeze.
CHARLIE BROWN!
Clever segue, coming out of the ending of Bohemian Rhapsody, where the singer literally casts his fate to the wind.
George Winston has some great stuff (the entire Autumn album, for example), but this isn't in the same league.
Toe-tapping music.
I myself am a pretty big GW fan, but because I really like this song, his version doesn't do much for me. If ya'll are looking for a bit more upbeat version, go check out David Beniot's contemporary jazz version - I like that piece much better!
6 to 5 because it's Monday.
I can't believe that I don't hate this, but I don't. It's sort of nice and I like the interpretation.
adib wrote:
Last time I heard something like this I was in a lift (US: elevator), or was it the local supermarket?
I just heard it yesterday in my dentist's office
I'ts not that I totally dislike George Winston, but he really doesn't add anything to this song.
Vince is the MAN. George ... not so much...
doesnt that sound like the song by Howard Jones
That was a very peaceful journey.
Nobody would ever accuse Bill of playing the same-ole, same-ole......quite an interesting set. And I love George Winston.
Meh. Zzzzzzz.
Jimi_the_Saint wrote:
Oh, man. G. Winston is one of the most boring pianists I have ever heard. I don't get the popularity. There is no flair to anything. It's all played straight and safe and uninspired. I vote down everything of his that is uploaded to the LRC. This one pales in comparison to the original too.
Play nice - It's not like it's rap or something. My leather ears like this. And the original.
The hotel bar at the end of dullsville.
Oh, man. G. Winston is one of the most boring pianists I have ever heard. I don't get the popularity. There is no flair to anything. It's all played straight and safe and uninspired. I vote down everything of his that is uploaded to the LRC. This one pales in comparison to the original too.
Congratulations, you have received a very rare 1. And forced to me go and make a cup of coffee... I hope this Crud doesn't catch fire in the end... I'd hate to think it was really a 2 or 3.
beag wrote:
If you like this stuff, have a listen to some Keith Jarrett; George Winston sounds like a bar-room pianist in comparison.
They shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence.
This is simply horrible. Vince Guaraldi's original clocks in at 3:05 and Winston has somehow managed to double the length with some of the least inspired, or inspiring, playing imaginable. What a mess. Play the original. It's great!
I've seen the guy perform several times, but I was paid to be there. He's about the most uninspired solo pianist I've ever seen, and his technique sucks. He basically phoned it in every time, as if he barely ever practiced. These were pretty big shows, too. There's a point when 'mellow and laid back' becomes 'lazy', and that's where George is.
traveyes wrote:
I love George Winston. I have all his albums. I've seen him live twice. It's fantastic live. Both times he asked that everyone bring non-perishable food for the local hungry, and all proceeds from all sales at the concert went to local charities. He's great.... you shoule hear him play the harmonica....
Yes, this is what I'v always admired about George, his total giving nature, in all that he does, including getting the slack key guitar of Hawaii a lot more exposure by setting up Dancing Cat Records. I love this recording and I too have almost his whole collection in various formats collected holus bolus over many years being a fan.
Just saw George Winston last night!!! Great performance!!! Bill is tapped into the Radio Paradise ESP again. I was just wishing he would play some George......
IMHO, this is one of the most uplifting compositions of the 20th century. I love it!
Interesting interpretation, but falls short of VG's original.
When I was a kid two pianists always got my attention - Vince Guaraldi (sp?) and Floyd Cramer. I wasn't always crazy about Cramer's music but both these guys had inimitable styles. I like Vince's original compared to Winston's although George did a good job.
Saw him in concert this summer, great music, great artist. The concert consisted of Piano, guitar and Harmonica. The only thing that was unexpected was seeing the man come out in a modest sweater and in socks.
While promoting this album, I thought he performed a great concert at the Met in Spokane.....great pianist from Montana. Check out Plains. Holler if you've listened to the new one released this fall. Any reviews?
linus? lucy? is that you...?
jazzface78 wrote:
this guy is pure genius - this song reminds me of paige mcconnel - at the end of squirming coil
I'd pay to hear Squirming Coil - or really anything from the first three Phish albums, for that matter - instead of this lifeless fluff.
markbres wrote:
George Winston can't swing his way out of a paper bag. Why play this verison instead of the Vince Guaraldi original?
I bought Winston's "Winter" CD after hearing and liking one track - on a Wyndham Hill sampler I think it was. I was only later to find that much of his stuff is covers - and ones which are vastly inferior to the originals. I guess if you needed sleep really, really badly this might do it. No variation, no - spark. The difference between a competent musician and one who really fires. Like the man said - why can't we have Guaraldi? That guy kicks butt. Oh, and completely agree about Jarrett. Add "The melody at night, with you" to the list. And BILL EVANS Or Lyle Mays, if you're feeling a little bit more experimental.
beag wrote:
If you like this stuff, have a listen to some Keith Jarrett â€" George Winston sounds like a bar-room pianist in comparison.
Pretty much what I was thinking. The first side of the Koln concert LP is phenomenal. However, at least there is no nasal whinge in this number.
If you like this stuff, have a listen to some Keith Jarrett â€" George Winston sounds like a bar-room pianist in comparison.
Such a relief, each time the left hand makes some changes, instead of playing that same chord over and over again. Reminds me a bit of certain tv-tunes/leaders.
masterhead wrote:
I can't stand this song and the interpretation either.. do we have to listen to it??
I think Masterhead may have size issues. Maybe that's why he's so angry. Yeah, right - I meant with the fonts.
this guy is pure genius - this song reminds me of paige mcconnel - at the end of squirming coil