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Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

WEEK 28

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 0
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 4
1960s: 6
1970s: 6
1980s: 8
1990s: 4
2000s: 4

Also of note:
Two brackets from the Mozart bloc
Two brackets from the Mahler bloc
Two songs by Blondie


Here are this week's brackets. Remember, you can also view the brackets on this site. Voting is now open, and you have until 11:59 PM Pacific time on this upcoming Saturday to vote. Vote either in this thread or e-mail me.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
#241: "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
#272: "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
#753: "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
#784: "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
#387: "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]
#638: "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
#899: "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
#206: "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
#307: "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
#718: "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
#819: "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
#74: "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
#439: "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
#586: "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]
#951: "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
#313: "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
#712: "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
#825: "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
#195: "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
#318: "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
#707: "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
#792: "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
#136: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
#377: "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
#648: "Connection" - Elastica [1995]
#889: "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
#154: "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
#359: "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]
#666: "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
#871: "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

Wow. I just noticed that there haven't been ANY posts here yet. Have we hit a wall as we approach the end of Round I?

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
2. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
3. "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]
4. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]

My favorite Little Richard and my favorite Verve song still can't touch Jackie's soul masterpiece. Janis is way back in the dust...never got into her at all.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
2. "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
3. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]
4. "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]

Yuck, what a mediocre bracket. Sweet Gene wins by default, the other 3 are all OK but would be nowhere near my, say, Top 4000 songs.


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
2. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
3. "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
4. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]

This, on the other hand, is pretty song, aside from the dated overemoting from Cocker. Tough call between Blondie and the only great thing that Don Henley ever did (and that counts Eagles), but it never really was in doubt for Ms. Harry. Shame about Robert Wyatt.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
2. "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
3. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
4. "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]

GREAT bracket, I really like all of these, though "Good Times" is far and away the best.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
2. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
3. "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
4. "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]

Go Roots! One of the most unappreciated bands around, probably in my Top 10 of the last 2 decades. Never got "Jamrock" -- I hear little to differentiate it from many other reggae songs.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
2. "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
3. "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
4. "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]

Easy win for Kraftwerk, though all the songs here are really good. Donna has about a dozen better though.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
2. "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]
3. "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
4. "Connection" - Elastica [1995]

The Godfather with the easy win! (As if there was any doubt.) It pains me to have the Monkees at No. 3 (SO unappreciated), but alas.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]
2. "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]
3. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
4. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]

Meh to this bracket, went with nostalgia in the end. Wish there were different Suede songs to choose from. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" is so important, but I never ever want to listen to it. And "Free Fallin'" is one of the more baffling songs to get so much acclaim -- so many better Petty songs, and he was never all that great anyway.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1: "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
2: "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
3: "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]
4: "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1: "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
2: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
3: "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]
4: "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1: "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
2: "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
3: "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]
4: "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1: "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]
2: "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
3: "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
4: "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
2: "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
3: "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
4: "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1: "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
2: "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
3: "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
4: "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1: "Connection" - Elastica [1995]
2: "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967
3: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
4: "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1: "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
2: "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
3: "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]
4: "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS 2
1. LONG TALL SALLY. The 50s just do not get enough love in bracketology. This one is both a better song and a better performance than ”Tutti Frutti”…it’s certainly the best song I can think of allegedly about a transvestite prostitute.
2. HIGHER AND HIGHER. Has any other artist ever hit a late-inning home run like this? Jackie had had a nice little career up to ’67, but nothing that would put him in the top echelon of R&B artists. This put him over the top.
3. THE DRUGS DON’T WORK. So nice to hear a Verve song other than That One. A tough bracket, though.
4. PIECE OF MY HEART. I try to give Texas artists a little bump, usually. Janis, not so much.

MOZART 4
1. BE-BOP-A-LULA. I don’t know the lineup, but every single musician playing on this record sounds like they had picked up their instruments for the first time about seven minutes before tape rolled. Wonderful stuff.
2. HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO. My guess is that the Hives will come to be seen as an anomalous period piece: a goofball outfit which basically just retooled Iggy’s Raw Power with a few more bells and whistles and better production values. But they deserve some credit for making my ears perk up and getting me interested in music again in ’02 or so, and I’d still go out of my way to hear this one.
3. FASCIST GROOVE THANG. Although this is a nice bit of nostalgia for me, I was very surprised to see Heaven 17—hardly a classic band—in the top 1000. Sometimes it’s interesting to click through to the critics’ lists…not a single American list includes this one (it’s five Brits and one each from France, Germany, Italy and Norway).
4. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? No. Go away.

VIVALDI 6
1. HEART OF GLASS. You know, considering how much good louche and decadent pop music there had been in the 70s (glam-era Bowie, Dolls, Roxy Music, etc.), it’s amazing that it took until 1978 for something this jaded and cynical—not just lyrically, but musically—to reach the top of the charts. Great song.
2. THE BOYS OF SUMMER. Not many may agree with this, but I think Don’s songwriting and performance on this one even surpass “Hotel California.” So good that it’s impossible to dislike, much as I may want to.
3. SHIPBUILDING. Both the man and his music seem totally uncategorizable to me. I like this well enough, but don’t really know what to do with it.
4. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS. Slowed down to a dirge tempo and sung by a guy who always sounds (and twitches) like he’s passing a large kidney stone, this was an alleged highlight of Woodstock and a #1 single in the UK. Since it’s a cover, the acclaim is obviously based on the interpretation and the performance, so I can only ask: were all of y’all on hard drugs at the time? (oh, wait…)

HANDEL 8. A strong bracket from top to bottom.
1. WEST END GIRLS. This was a hit: 1) in both the UK and US; 2) even though it was a mid-tempo dance song; 3) about class distinctions; 4) with the line “there’s a gun in your hand, it’s pointing at your head.” You had to assume at that point that the PSBs were geniuses—an assumption that was borne out pretty well.
2. GOOD TIMES. As I said a couple of weeks back, I prefer “Le Freak,” Perhaps this one’s just been sampled too much…it’s still outstanding. Clams and rollerskates, indeed.
3. GALANG. Too bad “Paper Planes,” which could have won a whole lot of groups, is too recent to make the field.
4. UNDER PRESSURE. This bizarre marriage of the seventies’ most noteworthy critical darling with one of the decade’s true AOR mainstays was the last good record made by either David Bowie or Freddie Mercury while they were still culturally relevant.

MAHLER 6. All of the songs in the previous bracket beat all of the songs in this one. A serious contender for the weakest group of the tournament.
1. THE SEED (2.0)
2. YOU SEND ME
3. NO SCRUBS
4. WELCOME TO JAMROCK

MOZART 6
1. PAINT IT, BLACK. Like “Norwegian Wood,” one of the only songs to convincingly adapt the sitar to a relatively conventional pop structure. The difference is that where Lennon was arch and cryptic, Jagger is emotive and (surprisingly) despairing. Siouxsie and Peter Murphy wish they could be this artfully gloomy.
2. LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY
3. TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS. I flipped the order of #2 and #3 at the last minute. They’re an interesting contrast: one song by an American who lived for many years in Germany, the other by the world’s most famous German band, even though they’re much more highly regarded outside Germany. Both songs are also a kind of “program music,” that is, they both simulate non-musical sounds. However, one simulates sex, the other simulates trains. Easy choice.
4. WAR. One of your more overrated sixties protest tracks does at least feature a fantastic, completely in-your-face horn section (to go with the in-your-face and totally artless lyrics).

MAHLER 3. It’s a really good bracket, but with the exception of “Sex Machine,” all the songs are more or less derivative.
1. SEX MACHINE. I notice I’m picking a whole lot of top seeds this week, but really, there’s nothing in this bracket anywhere near James’ late masterpiece. If you have not heard the live version of this…you have not heard this song properly.
2. CONNECTION. It’s become a standard comment in bracketology to declare that a particular song “isn’t even the best thing on [album title here],” but, as much as I like “Connection,” I have to admit that it sounds like a fairly contrived attempt to revive 1978 compared to things like “Waking Up” and “Stutter.” In its way, this song is as synthetic as:
3. I’M A BELIEVER. Neither awful nor crucial, the Monkees churned out clever chart fodder, like this piece written by Neil Diamond, in which Mickey Dolenz declares, in his terribly thin voice, the faux-gospel message that now he really IS a believer. He’s utterly unconvincing, but that’s a quibble.
4. RAPTURE. If we count this as a rap song, it was the first one to reach #1 (by, what, a decade?). Debbie at least avoids the mistake of trying to sound like anything other than a thirtysomething white girl. However, every time I hear “Rapture,” I’m irresistibly drawn to compare it to the Clash’s “Magnificent Seven,” next to which it sounds very pallid indeed.

HAYDN 15
1. SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL. This week opens and closes with two of the most lascivious records of the 1950s. Big Joe Turner is irresistible—a bellowing giant whose…observations about a woman who “ain’t no child no more” aren’t so much seductive as they are staking a claim. And yet it stays just this side of menace.
2. IT TAKES TWO. Over and over and over and over and over, the joy of repetition really is in you.
3. ANIMAL NITRATE. In the last bracket, we had Justine Frischmann; in this one, we’ve got her second-most-famous boyfriend, Brett Anderson. Nifty guitar part, and Suede surely deserves some recognition for combining drug references with homoeroticism and still reaching the UK top ten.
4. FREE FALLIN’. Nice enough generic countrified rock. Actually sounded terribly out of place when it came out, and 1989 might have been the last year a song like this could become a huge hit.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
#272: "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
Great soul.
#753: "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
Janis Joplin is great at delivering emotional energy, and Piece of My Heart is the best example of this.
#784: "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]
Not a bad song, but not among the few best songs on the album. I'm surprised to see it in the top thousand.
#241: "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
Meh. Little Richard's not much for variety. The only thing that sets him apart from contemporaries is flair.




MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
#899: "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]
Being the only musically interesting song in the bracket, it wins. Lyrics are a bit stupid. Lately I've started to see that any criticism thrown at either party can be equally applied to both. The two major American political parties differ much more in style than in substance, so when a song favors either in the name of personal liberties, I roll my eyes.
#387: "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]
The Hives could be a better game if there was more going on with the guitar than four power chords repeating over and over. Jack White could make Hives songs sound awesome.
#638: "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
Too pandery. It least it has decent guitar.
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
Very, very cheesy. Both in lyrics and the echo.




VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
#718: "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
The piano here is absolutely perfect for the mood.
#307: "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
I'd heard this song before but only on the radio when I didn't know who it was. It's an example of what new wave can do when it's not cheesy and annoying. One of the catchiest chourses around.
#206: "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
Blondie's vocals are perfect for the music, and Heart of Glass is one of those well crafted pop songs by a talented band. 3rd place in this bracket, in the above one it would have been 1st.
#819: "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]
My strongest association with this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHaA4RePosY

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
#586: "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]
A little overhyped but not by much. M.I.A. brought hip-hop out of a strictly western perspective, which got her hyped up immediately, which got her blacklash immediately. All the critical debate distracts people from the point, that her music would still be awesome even if it didn't talk about the third world and terrorism.
#439: "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
Another one of the 'Damn it, now I need to buy something from this group' songs.
#74: "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
One of the best of the genre.
#951: "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
A decent song but flirts a bit too much with 'Quirky for the sake of quirky'.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
Good song, but doesn't stand out as much as some of his other stuff.
#825: "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]
Good but not that original.
#712: "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
Good musically, but really silly lyrics that are at times unnecessarily anatomical.
#313: "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
Ugh. Ugh. Why is it whenever critics start talking about singles they're so overly charitable to mainstream hits? The song is like an 'urban pop song' cliche checklist.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
#195: "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
I'm lucky I managed to hear this when I was still a depressed teenager. I wasn't into the Stones yet, but The Tea Party did an industrial cover of it that led me to the original. Now I like the dark mood of the song and the guitar, but find the lyrics a little silly.
#318: "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
I've heard just the chorus of this song in commercials, movies, etc for so long I had no idea it was actually a good song. The chorus without context just makes it sound cheesy.
#792: "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]
Not bad, but too repetitious.
#707: "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
I don't know why Trans Europe Express is Kraftwerk's most acclaimed album. Not only do they get credit for being first when they weren't, TEE just sounds robotic and awkward to me. Autobahn is so much better.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
#136: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
Man I wish I could have come early enough to see this guy live. It's obvious his songs are designed with a live audience in mind, and nobody has more energy.
#648: "Connection" - Elastica [1995]
Why do the best girl-rock bands always seem to end their career prematurely? Elastica, Sleater-Kinney.
#889: "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]
This and 'Heart of Glass' prove Blondie could sound good with or without catchy hooks. Rapture features the 'Rock guitar + talk-singing' style of songwriting that exploded in the 80s.
#377: "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
This version of the song is pretty good. But the version I'm forced to listen to at work is the Smash Mouth version. Why do retailers insist on playing horrible covers of classics instead of the classics? Torture. The Monkees may be a manufactured band, but they're a manufactured band that knew how to be fun.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
#871: "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]
The good guitar puts this at first in this bracket by process of elimination. The vocals are a bit offputting.
#359: "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]
Not bad but the samples sound too stitched together.
#666: "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
Really good melody, but too middlish and dull.
#154: "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
Overly formulaic 50's pop.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

Yes, I'm back, and I hope for long. Main reason is that, as schleuse put it, "the 50s do not get enough support in bracketology".
So I'm coming to fix that. Every time a 50s song will come up, there are chances it will top my brackets.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
2. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
3. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
4; "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]

"Long Tall Sally", my favorite song from one of my favorite years of all time (1956), and one of my very favorite songs of all time, wins hand down, but the other 3 are good too. How can any one "meh" such a surge of sheer energy, I can't understand.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
2. "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]
3. "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
4. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]

1956 again... weak bracket

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
2. "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
3. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]
4. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]

Everything is good here, but the Wyatt/Costello antiwar song beats them all.



HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
2. "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
3. "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]
4. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]

What a weak bracket ! nothing before 1978 !!

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
2."No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
3. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
4. "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]

The Sam Cooke song is good enough, far from being his best. What are the other songs ? Do they exist ?

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
2. "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
3. "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
4. "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]

Paint It Black is one of the best songs of the 60s IMO.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
2. "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
3. "Connection" - Elastica [1995]
4. "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]

Funny but today I tend to follow the Am order. Get Up IS the funk. Makes me think of an old French TV show in the early 80s called "Sex Machine" featuring a lot of nude women.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
2. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
3. "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]
4. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]

Is it me or did the general level really dropped ? Big Joe Turner's song is fresher in my memory thanks to the 50s poll (in whwich I urge every one of you to join), but the Tom petty song could have made it too.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]: Richard’s best work, of which this is a prime example, still sounds remarkably wild-bordering-on-unhinged today; God knows what it must have sounded like in 1956.
2. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]: One of Janis’s most iconic performances, of course, but it’s the slash-and-burn guitars that really keep you coming back.
3. "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]: A gorgeous song, one of several tracks on URBAN HYMNS that I actually prefer to You Know What, but relegated to #3 in a very good bracket.
4. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]: SH2B4. I like it much more than I remembered I did. The man could belt with the best of them.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]: The question always comes down to, “which of these four songs do I most want to listen to right now?” And in this bracket, the Swedish garage madmen take the prize.
2. "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]: John Sebastian and company had an astonishing string of hits, but they achieved perfection with the very first one, one of the best songs ever about the transformative power of music.
3. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]: The wildest and dirtiest of the rockabilly cats, at his best.
4. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]: A strikingly subversive political dance record, with amazing bass work. Brings up the rear largely because I’m less familiar with it.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]: Possibly my favorite single of the Eighties. Yes, Henley’s a douche, but this is a perfect record, probably due in large part to the contributions of the invaluable Mike Campbell (Tom Petty’s right hand).
2. "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]: Yet another example of a classic hit (and an unlikely one, given their previous history) that’s only the 5th or 6th-best song on its own album. But that album is PARALLEL LINES, and this is a great track (with special kudos to the great Clem Burke).
3. "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]: Wyatt is an enigmatic and fascinating figure, capable of music that’s fiendishly complex, heartbreakingly direct, fiercely polemical – or, in the case of this song, all of those things at once. (Even if Costello’s version is better.)
4. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]: SH2B4. I can see how his grandiose bellowing can drive some up the wall, but it holds up just fine for me.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]: I’ve loved this song since it was first released. It didn’t sound like anything else that was popular at the time, with its dazzling synth hooks and half-spoken vocals, and it still doesn’t.
2. "Good Times" - Chic [1979]: Takes everything that was good about “Le Freak” and makes it even tighter and groovier.
3. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]: A collaboration that shouldn’t work but does; it doesn’t really pick up steam until the finger-snapping bridge, but everything after that is brilliant.
4. "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]: I like M.I.A. a lot, but her two albums contain so many consistently good tracks that there isn’t one (no, not even “Paper Planes”) that really jumps out as bracket-worthy.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]: The standout more or less by default in a pretty weak bracket. I need to delve into these guys more.
2. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]: Cooke’s first post-gospel #1 hit, a deeply innocuous pop record (could those backing vocals be any more dated?) redeemed completely by Cooke’s smooth-as-butter voice.
3. "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]: Catchy as hell, but it’s no “Waterfalls.”
4. "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]: A worthy successor to both the old man’s pop sense and his anger, but I wouldn’t want to listen to it on a regular basis.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]: This isn’t a top-notch bracket either, but at least it’s got three songs I really enjoy. This gets the slight edge for the way it uses the sitar as just another instrument rather than calling attention to it (cough*Beatles*cough), for Charlie (always Charlie), and for just being a kick-ass single.
2. "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]: A powerful sentiment deserves a powerful performance, and Starr (a fairly minor Motown artist) gives it 150%. Good God, y’all!
3. "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]: One of the Seventies’ most important bands at their very best, both musically and conceptually.
4. "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]: It is what it is and does what it sets out to do, but she did so much better.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]: Greatest parenthetical title ever (with most of the competition coming from the Godfather himself), for one of the greatest singles ever. Now, where’s that confounded bridge?
2. "Connection" - Elastica [1995]: So shamelessly and baldly ripped off from Wire that they actually had to pay, but so brilliantly catchy that it doesn’t matter (even if, once again, it’s not even close to being the best track on the debut).
3. "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]: Written by Neil Diamond, and very much of a piece with his own early records. But Micky Dolenz gives it a lightness that its writer never had. It was #1 for seven weeks for a reason.
4. "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]: As someone else has written here, at least Debbie doesn’t TRY to sound like the rapper she obviously isn’t. But even Blondie’s eclecticism had its limit, and this was it (even if it was a #1 hit).

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]: One of the best hip-hop records of all time (one of the best records, period), with fantastic beats and those extraordinary, iconic samples. A very easy #1 here.
2. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]: Overplayed, but not overrated.
3. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]: Great, unbelievably salacious (“a one-eyed cat peepin’ in a seafood store,” indeed!) Fifties R&B.
4. "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]: A memorable track from one of the great outsize frontman/guitarist combos, but it brings up the rear here. No pun intended.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

I'm very saddened by the poor placement of "Rapture", a truly awesome song. Just go ahead and try to classify it. Is it rap? Hip hop? Funk? Rock? Punk? All I know is that it is 10 shades of awesome, and if I get around to making a list for listyguy of my opinion of the best songs ever, it would place quite highly.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
2. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
3. "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]
4. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
2. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
3. "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]
4. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
2. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
3. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]
4. "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
2. "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
3. "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
4. "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]

Never got the appeal of Galang.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
2. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
3. "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
4. "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
2. "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
3. "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]
4. "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
2. "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
3. "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]
4. "Connection" - Elastica [1995]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]
2. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
3. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
4. "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]

Seems like every bracket this week had 3 songs I like and 1 song I've never heard of.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956] - A true classic. One of the songs it's easy to forget deserves a high spot in "the canon."
2. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967] - Pretty catchy.
3. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968] - I've always felt Janis fell in the "Overrated because they died young" category.
4. "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997] - Completely unmemorable.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000] - Four chords are all these guys need to turn out some ass-kicking rock.
2. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956] - If I vote in the 1956-58 poll (I want to, at least for songs) this will make the list for '56.
3. "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965] - One of those songs everyone knows thanks to AM radio. Kinda meh though.
4. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981] - Stupid.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978] - An irresistible slice of white-girl disco.
2. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984] - Not great but catchy at least.
3. "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982] - Pleasant but forgettable.
4. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969] - The Beatles' version is better. Despite ho infinitely coverable their songs are they can't be outdone.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986] - Songs like this aren't supposed to be this cool (or good, for that matter) but this one is, and mind-blowingly so.
2. "Good Times" - Chic [1979] - I sometimes think that this song is acclaimed only because of "Rapper's Delight", but it's got a pretty good rhythm in its own right.
3. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982] - Not the best work by either artist, but a solid song.
4. "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005] - I like M.I.A., just not this song.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958] - Sam Cooke is probably the best singer of his day, and this song is just gorgeous.
2. "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005] - He ain't his father, but this is decent reggae anyhow.
3. "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999] - I'll pass. There is a chance if it was on the radio that I would blast it ironically for a few seconds before changing the station.
4. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002] - The guitar riff annoys me to no end and the bodily metaphors are slightly disturbing, considering The Roots generally have good lyrics.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966] - One of the Stones' best songs and probably their scariest save "Gimme Shelter".
2. "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977] - Seemingly robotic and antiquated, it's addicting like you wouldn't believe and holds up well.
3. "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979] - I'd heard it before but forgot how good it was until now.
4. "War" - Edwin Starr [1970] - Never cared for it.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Rapture" - Blondie [1980] - One of the great "What the hell are they talking about?" songs ever. There's a nice disco-pop song going on, and before you know it Debbie Harry is telling you about aliens and Subarus. And it's awesome.
2. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970] - One of the best songs by an artist I don't care for.
3. "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967] - A very manufactured hit, but it holds up OK.
4. "Connection" - Elastica [1995] - Meh.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988] - Sometimes called the greatest rap song ever, I wouldn't go that far but it's pretty legit.
2. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954] - Didn't realize the original was actually pretty good.
3. "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993] - Gonna have to check these guys out...
4. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989] - Pretty standard Tom Petty song, which means it's a step up from classic rock playlist filler but is by no means spectacular.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
#784: "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]
#241: "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
#272: "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
#753: "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
#638: "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
#387: "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]
#899: "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
#307: "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
#718: "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
#206: "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
#819: "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
#951: "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
#439: "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
#586: "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]
#74: "Good Times" - Chic [1979]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
#313: "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
#712: "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
#825: "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
#195: "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
#707: "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
#792: "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]
#318: "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
#136: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
#377: "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
#889: "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]
#648: "Connection" - Elastica [1995]


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
#666: "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
#154: "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
#871: "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]
#359: "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]

Sorry, no time for comments today.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
#753: "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
#638: "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
#307: "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
#951: "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
#195: "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
#377: "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
#666: "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

listyguy
SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
#753: "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
#638: "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
#307: "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
#951: "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
#195: "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
#377: "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
#666: "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]

I think I did that wrong. Sorry, this is my first bracketology, so I'm not really sure what to do.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 - "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
2 - "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
3 - "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
4 - "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1 - "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
2 - "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
3 - "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]
4 - "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
2 - "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
3 - "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
4 - "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1 - "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
2 - "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
3 - "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
4 - "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
2 - "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
3 - "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
4 - "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
2 - "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
3 - "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
4 - "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1 - "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
2 - "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
3 - "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]
4 - "Connection" - Elastica [1995]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1 - "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]
2 - "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
3 - "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
4 - "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

listyguy
I think I did that wrong. Sorry, this is my first bracketology, so I'm not really sure what to do.


No problem. Basically, you take the four songs for each bracket, and rank them 1-2-3-4. It's not just a matter of choosing your favorite of the four. Then add comments if you feel like it.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

Once again, I get to a couple of hours before the deadline, and I realize that I haven't included my own ballot... *facepalm*



SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve [1997]
Very difficult for me to put Jackie Wilson's greatest in the #2 spot, but the sheer beauty of this song is undeniable. Though it wasn't even close to being as big of a hit as "Bittersweet Symphony" (at least, anywhere other than New Zealand), it is every bit that song's equal.
2. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson [1967]
A truly great song, and if this one ends up taking the bracket, I certainly won't be crying.
3. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard [1956]
You've probably heard the story before: Little Richard was so upset that Pat Boone's version of "Tutti Frutti" did better than his on the charts, that he wrote a song that he considered "too fast" for Boone to sing. Thus was born this gem of early rock and roll. Unfortunately, Boone covered it anyway, and rode it to #8 on the charts. Proof once again that Pat Boone is the devil.
4. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company [1968]
A fine song, but a terrible case of SHTB4 if ever there was one.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 [1981]
Two weeks ago, everyone pretty much agreed that Beethoven 16 was the weakest bracket in the whole competition. To everyone who thought that, I humbly submit this bracket as a possible contender for that title. I can't say that I like any of the songs here, but this one stands out just a little bit.
2. "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives [2000]
SHTB2.
3. "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful [1965]
About as lightweight as anything by the Monkees (more on them later), which made it a perfect for McDonald's commercials. How is this at #638, and "Daydream" isn't even "Bubbling Under"?
4. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps [1956]
Ten or fifteen years ago, the local county fair used "Be-Bop-a-'Moo'la" as its theme (agriculture, cows...). And every time there would be an ad for the fair on TV, or on a billboard, my mom would get excited and start singing this song, replacing "Lula" with "Moo-la" every time. It drove me up the wall then, and this song drives me up the wall now.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley [1984]
Is it overly produced and slick? Perhaps. Do the opening synth lines instantly date this one as "'80s"? Definitely. Is it still one of the all-time great songs? Undoubtedly. It's an absolutely heartbreaking ode to the glory days of youth, but Henley's greatest masterstroke was knowing that those glory days are gone and aren't coming back. What still surprises me is that an old '70s rocker like Henley managed to come up with a truly arresting video for this one, and that it actually won "Video of the Year" at that year's VMAs, beating out two videos by flavor-of-the-moment David Lee Roth.
2. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker [1969]
Say what you will about Cocker. His best songs are just covers of other artists' songs. And his stage presence is not unlike an epileptic in the throes of a grand-mal seizure. But that voice! Wow, the man has some incredible pipes. And by slowing this Beatles standard down to an almost funeral dirge-like pace, he managed to make it his. Kudos to you, Mr. Cocker.
3. "Heart of Glass" - Blondie [1978]
Unlike the other Blondie song this week, I actually kind of like this one. I'm hardly a fan of Debbie Harry and co., but this is about the closest I'll come to liking one of their songs (aside from "One Way or Another," which is darn good).
4. "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt [1982]
Robert Wyatt is definitely an acquired taste, one that I have yet to acquire.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie [1982]
Whenever those first seven notes of the bass line comes on the radio, you know damn well that you're praying to God that the words "Yo VIP, let's kick it!" are not coming next. Vanilla Ice references aside, this is one of my favorite songs of the '80s. And I'm not ashamed to say that when Bowie starts singing "'Cause love's such an old-fashioned word," I am singing right along as loud as I can. By the time they get to "This is our last dance," I'm almost in tears. Yes, that's right. Go ahead and mock me. I don't care. I love this song.
2. "Galang" - M.I.A. [2005]
Took me a while to understand the acclaim for this song, but enough listens has put this one into the "I can stomach this" category for me. It's nowhere near "Paper Planes," but it does get my toe tapping.
3. "Good Times" - Chic [1979]
74 is way too high for this song. Unlike "Galang," I don't understand this song's acclaim. At best, this is a mediocre song.
4. "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys [1986]
I feel like Pet Shop Boys are a group that I really ought to get into, but every song of theirs that I hear is just completely uninteresting. Frankly, I'll take "Inner City Pressure" over this one. FotC, anyone? :)

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke [1958]
Truly a great loss that Cooke died when he did; he had one of the all-time best voices. Not my favorite Cooke song by a long-shot, but it's still great enough to carry this otherwise lightweight bracket.
2. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) [2002]
A couple of years ago, the University of Idaho (which is only about seven miles away from WSU, the school I attended) brought the Roots into town for a free concert. It was, without a doubt, the greatest concert I have EVER seen. I even took my jazz-loving friend with me, and he was an instant convert to the Roots. This, their ode to hip-hop and rock n' roll, is easily one of their best songs.
3. "No Scrubs" - TLC [1999]
True story: back in the summer of '99, I worked at Burger King making burgers, and one of the guys I worked with absolutely LOVED this song. Whenever this would come on the radio, he would sing every word. Which, considering that the last half of this song is the chorus repeated over and over, is not really much of an accomplishment.
4. "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley [2005]
Pleasant enough, but I'll take anything by Damian's dad before I listen to this one again.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk [1977]
Genius. Absolute genius. This is the song that really turned me on to Kraftwerk. Yes, the train sound-effects are a nice touch, but what really sets this song apart for me is how the whole thing has a very unsettling, creepy feeling. Of course, Afrika Bambaataa realized this and sampled it to perfection on "Planet Rock," giving that song a touch of creepiness in the process.
2. "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones [1966]
Perhaps the most overrated song in the Stones' canon, but it's still a great song. I'm sure someone else has already mentioned it, but I might as well... "Full Metal Jacket."
3. "War" - Edwin Starr [1970]
Perhaps it was intended as the ultimate protest song back in '70, but even back then SOMEONE must have recognized just how pretentious and smug this song is. Now it's known more for the "What is it good for?" line, and unfortunately that has become a punch-line. Still, the song isn't much beyond that, so maybe it's good that it's still remembered, if only in the context of jokes.
4. "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer [1979]
Disco is hard enough for me to listen to, but if you stretch it out to almost seventeen minutes long, you're just testing me. And frankly, by minute 13 or so, Donna's orgasmic moans are more tiresome than erotic.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown [1970]
Part of the way through this song, James sings (yells?) the words "in a cold sweat," and you can just imagine Brown singing this song and dripping with sweat. But then, there's a reason why they called him "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business." I'm getting off-track here, but this song kicks all different kinds of ass.
2. "Connection" - Elastica [1995]
How many other people out there are like me, in that the opening guitar riff comes through, and immediately the smiling face of Dom Joly pops into your mind?
3. "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees [1967]
Fun as all get-out, but completely lacking any kind of soul or heart. All sheen and gloss without anything underneath. Which makes Smash Mouth's recent cover all the more fitting.
4. "Rapture" - Blondie [1980]
Truly awful song. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person on this forum who thinks that. Maybe it was groundbreaking in terms of how it helped in rap music's acceptance into the mainstream, but that doesn't make it a good song.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner [1954]
Going with the early blues shouter over one of the greatest dance songs ever. So much of rock and roll can be traced back to Mr. Turner, and for that I gotta give props.
2. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock [1988]
It pains me to put this one here, as it's one hell of a song and one hell of an unlikely hit. Maybe this speaks to just how white I am, but just hearing this song makes me want to get up and dance. And bonus points for its having (VERY) indirectly affected one of my favorite TV shows of all time: "Homicide: Life on the Street."
3. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [1989]
The favorite song of every stoner (outside of anything by Marley) and every girl I knew in high school, this is one of the most laid-back rockers outside of adult contemporary radio. Come to think of it, this one does get played a lot on adult contemporary radio...
4. "Animal Nitrate" - Suede [1993]
I've only listened to it a handful of times, and nothing about it catches my ear. SHTB4, but this is a pretty easy choice for that spot.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

nicolas
Yes, I'm back, and I hope for long.


Happy to have you back, nicolas!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4

1. Heaven 17- "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang": I've just gotten into Heaven 17 recently. It's quirky, somewhat funky, and very memorable. Win!
2. The Hives- "Hate to Say I Told You So": Average indie is enough for 2nd here.
3. Gene Vincent- "Be-Bop-a-Lula": Not my thing.
4. The Lovin' Spoonful- "Do You Believe in Magic?": Maybe McDonalds spoiled it for me, but I just can't bear to listen to this.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. Blondie- "Heart of Glass": Far from my favorite on Parallel Lines, but still a deserving classic.
2. Don Henley- "The Boys of Summer": Nostalgic 80s tracks nearly always get me.
3. Robert Wyatt- "Shipbuilding": Decent enough, but not anywhere near the top 2 for me.
4. Joe Cocker- "With a Little Help from My Friends": Only useful as the Wonder Years intro.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8: Killer bracket!

1. Queen & David Bowie- "Under Pressure": One of the only songs with Queen that I truly love, if not the only one. Theatric, grandiose, and wonderful.
2. Chic- "Good Times": I prefer "Le Freak" and especially "I Want Your Love", but that bass is just sublime.
3. Pet Shop Boys- "West End Girls": This would win most brackets! Wonderful song from Pet Shop Boys and another deserving classic.
4. M.I.A.- "Galang": I quite like this, but it's up against some true titans.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3

1. Blondie- "Rapture": Frankly, I'm disappointed with the comments about this song. It is so groundbreaking, innovative and fresh, even today. I think it's the best song of the week, without question, and its genre-defying all-encompassing awesomeness is truly a wonder to behold.
2. Elastica- "Connection": I really should get this album. Great single.
3. James Brown- "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine": I surprisingly underrate James Brown in spite of his huge influence on Prince. I guess I prefer synths to horns.
4. The Monkees- "I'm a Believer": Nearly as obnoxious as the bad they were built to imitate.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

Voting for this week is over. I'll tally up the results in the morning.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

Took me long enough to do this... HERE ARE YOUR RESULTS!




SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard (34 points, 5 first-place votes)
2. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" - Jackie Wilson (31, 4)
3. "The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve (23, 2)
4. "Piece of My Heart" - Big Brother & the Holding Company (22, 0)

In the next round: the Clash's "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais"; Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning"; Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House"


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 4
1. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (34, 4)
2. "Do You Believe in Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful (31, 3)
3. "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives (31, 2)
4. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17 (24, 3)

In the next round: the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations"


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Heart of Glass" - Blondie (39, 6)
2. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley (36, 4)
3. "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt (28, 2)
4. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - Joe Cocker (17, 0)

In the next round: the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows"; Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes"; the Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys (33, 3)
2. "Good Times" - Chic (32, 2)
3. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie (32, 5)
4. "Galang" - M.I.A. (23, 2)

In the next round: Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog"; the Who's "Baba O'Riley"; John Lennon's "God"


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke (40, 7)
2. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots (Featuring Cody ChestnuTT) (31, 4)
3. "No Scrubs" - TLC (24, 0)
4. "Welcome to Jamrock" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley (15, 0)

In the next round: the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset"; Prince's "1999"; the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee"


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Paint It, Black" - The Rolling Stones (41, 9)
2. "Trans-Europa Express" - Kraftwerk (27, 2)
3. "War" - Edwin Starr (25, 0)
4. "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer (17, 0)

In the next round: Ben E. King's "Stand by Me"; the Band's "The Weight"


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown (42, 8)
2. "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees (28, 1)
3. "Connection" - Elastica (26, 1)
4. "Rapture" - Blondie (24, 2)

In the next round: Sly & the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music"; Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car"


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "It Takes Two" - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock (30, 4)
2. "Shake, Rattle & Roll" - Big Joe Turner (30, 3)
3. "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (27, 2)
4. "Animal Nitrate" - Suede (23, 2)

NOTE: After removing the uncommented ballots, "It Takes Two" edges out "Shake, Rattle & Roll" 22-20.

In the next round: Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run"; Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks"; the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979"

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 28

I don't think any of these songs have a chance in the next round except Paint It Black, but even that faces formidable competition.