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Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

ROUND 2, WEEK 1

Just to let everyone know...

This week (and for the rest of Bracketology), there will only be four brackets. This means a total of sixteen songs. Seeing as there is only half as many songs as in round 1, and ostensibly everyone should be familiar with these songs, I don't think I will be out of line in saying...

FOR A BALLOT TO BE COUNTED, YOU MUST COMMENT ON EVERY SONG.

Once again,

FOR A BALLOT TO BE COUNTED, YOU MUST COMMENT ON EVERY SONG.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

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.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
#37: "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
#293: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2
#348: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith
#421: "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
#136: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown
#249: "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone
#392: "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#57: "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke
#328: "1999" - Prince
#584: "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
#30: "London Calling" - The Clash
#99: "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
#158: "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang
#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
#37: "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
Comment: An excellent song, but in my view too many folks put this at the top of Wonder's body of work without sufficient consideration of many worthy competitors including: As, Another Star, Golden Lady, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, and Superwoman. In my view, this could be because Superstition has a very catch driving rhythm, that the others don't match.

#293: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2
Comment: Not a particularly close call for me in this bloc. Pride is an excellent song and rates among my U2 favorites. My affection for U2 rose dramatically with the release of the Joshua Tree album, so I tend to place three tracks from Joshua Tree above Pride: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Where the Streets Have No Name, and With or Without You. I also prefer the live version of Sunday Bloody Sunday to Pride.

#421: "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement
Comment: Pavement challenges me with their looseness and the vocal pitchiness. Still this is a fun song that I enjoy. I had little trouble placing this third in this bloc.

#348: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith
Comment: The stark vocals at the beginning of the song and the interplay of the vocals with the guitar are well done. I also enjoy the speed up at about 1:45. But, I don't go out of my way to listen to this song.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
Comment: A great song. But, I just can't see it as the 8th best. Even among Gaye's best, I don't place Grapevine so very close to the top. I prefer Let's Get It On, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, What's Going On, Mercy Mercy Me, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing, How Sweet It Is, and Sexual Healing. Perhaps these preferences are in part based on how many times I've already heard Grapevine.

#392: "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman
Comment: Great story, simple, unpretentious. If I was in a less conventional mood, I could see placing this song at the top of this bloc.

#249: "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone
Not hard to place this behind the first two for me. This song is fun and has some additional cred because of the great Woodstock version. But, taking a more critical view of the song, it reminds of Gertrude Stein's take on Oakland (at least as I recall)- there's no there there.

#136: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown
In the past, I actually loathed James Brown. At least these days, I can honestly say that I enjoy this song and many others from Brown. But, I have no problem placing this memorable tune last in this bloc.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#328: "1999" - Prince
Comment: I still find the slowed intro a bit annoying. But, 1999 is a great party song. Prince is a master of catchy rhythms and 1999 is great fun.

#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke
Comment: Cooke's vocals are smooth, catchy and uplifting. The song is a bit simple, but still works for me.

#57: "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks
Comment: I am surprised at how highly rated this song is, but the lyrics are very good and the upbeat enthusiasm is very catchy. Ray Davies vocals are not my favorite, but he is more than adequate.

#584: "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke
Comment: In this bloc, Walk Away Renee ends up last, it's a shame, because I thoroughly enjoy this pop tune.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
#30: "London Calling" - The Clash
Comment: Awesome energy. An easy call as the top pick in this bracket. Almost certainly my top song in any of these brackets. Perhaps Superstition is a close second.

#99: "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
Comment: Excellent tune, great lyrics (as 60's protest songs go), and Stills at his best in my view (NB: Suite Judy Blue Eyes is more appealing musically).

#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles
Comment: A very nice Beatles song. Not too difficult for me to place it third in this bloc.

#158: "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang
Comment: This type of boogie rap is fun and has an excellent "groove" going on. But, I don't find the song particularly compelling, it is probably my least favorite in any of these blocs.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
#37: "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder (Extroidinary song, excellent blend of R&B and rock, curtosy of the killer bass lick providided by jeff beck)
#293: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2 (any U2 fan knows that this is probably thier most loved song)
#348: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith (highlight of the Horses album)
#421: "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement (I like the title more than the actual song)

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye (A Motown classic)
#392: "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman (Powerful lyrics)
#249: "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone (Classic funk.)
#136: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown (Very simmilar to Dance to the music. The reason I put this behind it is because of the intro)

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#57: "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks (Lovely intro, great lyrics, just a very medolic song)
#328: "1999" - Prince (Cool song. Nice riffs, good use of keyboards, but the intro and mommy why does everybody have a bomb parts freaked me out the first time I heard the sdong though.)
#584: "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke (Four tops version is great too.)
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke (Never liked it, Sam has better songs)

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
#30: "London Calling" - The Clash (Great punk/alternative song, decent lyrics)
#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles (one of the many masterpieces on "Help!")
#99: "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield (Amazing lyrics. Neil Young rocks)
#158: "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang (First rap song, I like it before the singing starts)

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

How many weeks in round 2?
Also, are the results from the last week of the first round up yet?

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19

1. "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder

Easy winner in this one, this is a fantastic amalgam of pop and funk. No wonder Jeff Beck was pissed when Stevie gave it, and then took it right back.

2. "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement

Barely beats "Gloria", this is both very catchy and very perceptive in a specifically '90s kinda way.

3. "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith

Probably only my 5th favorite on Horses, though that is still saying something.

4. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2

A good song, but a little dated and a lot histrionic.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17

Top to bottom this bracket was extremely close to call. All 4 of these would have been #2 in the bracket above.

1. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown

Another incredibly danceable funk classic -- am I sensing a trend?

2. "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone

It's become something of a routine conceit, but the shoutouts to each instrumentalist followed by a terse solo is still thrilling as hell.

3. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye

Obviously incredibly great, but I never choose to play it.

4. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman

Really sad that this is at 4, but the competition was brutal.


MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18

Speaking of brutal competition...the Top 3 here are all in my Top 700 ever. Yikes.

1. "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke

One of the very best chamber-pop songs of them all, and a sentimental favorite 'round my house.

2. "1999" - Prince

When I was first dipping my toe into Top 40 radio back in early 1983, this just about blew my mind. Still does.

3. "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks

Ridiculous that this at 3, but I have to stay true to myself. Obviously this is just incandescent.

#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke

Sam would only get better in the '60s.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20

A weaker bracket after 2 juggernauts...

1. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles

A very good song, just the rhythmic structure alone is worth listening to.

2. "London Calling" - The Clash

An anthem for the ages, though I'm not really a dyed-in-the-wool Clash fan.

3. "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang

Lots of fun, but not on regular rotation Chez Sonofsamaiam.

4. "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield

This has just not dated well for me ... I prefer the weirder, epic, Neil Young-y Springfield.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
#1: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2
#2: "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
#3: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith
#4: "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement

Amazingly, Pride and Superstition are #185 and #186 in my top 500 songs. Pretty much no difference, both fantastic songs. Gloria also made my top 500, at #255. Cut Your Hair didn't make the top 500, but it is one of my favorite Pavement songs.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
#1: "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman
#2: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
#3: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown
#4: "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone

Another case of two songs being very close, less than 20 spots between Fast Car and I Heard It Through The Grapevine, both easily making the top 200. The other two are also very good, and once again I think almost equal in quality. Had to toss a coin for that one.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#1: "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks
#2: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke
#3: "1999" - Prince
#4: "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke

Over the last few years I've begun to love Waterloo Sunset more and more, and although it's not quite on par with my favorites from The Kinks (Celluloid Heroes, You Really Got Me), it's pretty fantastic. 1999 and You Send Me are both just outside my top 500, which means they're both great songs. Walk Away Renee has never impressed me that much.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
#1: "London Calling" - The Clash
#2: "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
#3: "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang
#4: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles

AM order for this one, and big gaps in between the songs. London Calling is in my top 50 of all time, a true masterpiece, while For What It's Worth is in the 300s. Rapper's Delight is very entertaining, but doesn't make the top 10 of 1979. Finally, Ticket To Ride doesn't even make the top 100 of 1965.

I hope it's okay to comment on the songs in this format, by the way. If not, let me know and I will change it.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

Very hard to pick between the top three in this bracket.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
#348: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith
One of my favorite songs of all time. Patti Smith sings it like a burst of raw emotional energy, 'Don't try to define me by your icons'. It slowly builds on itself until the end.
#37: "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
Just plain awesome groove. One of Stevie's best.
#293: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2
I like U2's pre-Joshua Tree work best out of their catalog, and Pride is one of the best examples of their resonating guitar riffs.
#421: "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement
Good song, but against three great songs. The whole off-key singing aspect of Pavement is only good in small doses.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
#392: "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman
One of the more beautifully emotional songs. "I like you, but I have ambition beyond my current situation, so if you're only interested in screwing around keep on moving."
#8: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
Great groove, great Motown production, great sense of paranoia and dread.
#136: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown
Good song, very charisma driven.
#249: "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone
Good song, but very poppy. Good for the first round, outclassed for the second.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
#328: "1999" - Prince
I considered putting this in last just to get a reaction from Moonbeam, but then I thought, no.
#57: "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks
Good song but I don't know why it's considered the Kinks' best work.
#200: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke
Good song.
#584: "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke
Good song, but weak for the second round.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
#30: "London Calling" - The Clash
Great song. Angry and sarcastic, a response to an entire musical bandwagon coming to an end.
#99: "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
Another great song.
#286: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles
The poppy era of the Beatles is really good, but in my opinion not on the same level as their later stuff.
#158: "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang
Good fun rap song, but weak for this bracket.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
1: "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder: He wrote some fantastic songs, but this one's an achievement he didn't come close to equalling.
2: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2: A decent tune, but I could go a long while without needing to hear it again. (I'll award bonus points for it preceeding the time when Bono started declaring the band's musical intentions at every opportunity.)
3: "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement: I probably haven't given Pavement the fair chance they deserve, but it's a song like this that doesn't motivate me to want to. Those "oooh oooh oooh oooh"'s really irritate the hell out of me.
4: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith: If this is indeed the highlight of Horses, then this is me turning the other way.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
1: "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman

Not much to add to my first round comments, other than there's just something altogether comforting about this song, despite the revelations of alcoholism, poverty and utter hopelessness. Maybe it's a lyric like "city lights lay out before us/And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder" and the Springsteenian ideal it represents. I'm sure that Chapman, during the writing of the song, had no idea of the legacy it would come to have, or how much of a chord it would strike in people. I think that's part of the appeal: a simple, effortless-sounding, unpretentious song, performed with heart and emotion, and produced with marvelous economy. Can't ask for much more than that.

2: "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown
3: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
4: "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone

Not much to say about the other three songs. Not indifferent to them, but a far cry from being passionate about them. "Grapevine" is pretty stellar though.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1: "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke: A delicious slice of baroque pop, served with a despair pickle on the side. Unrequited love's a bitch, but it's made for some timeless music.
2: "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke: I shudder at the idea of 'greatest hits' discs, but Portrait of a Legend is a good argument in favor of their necessity. And this is one of the many gems from it.
3: "1999" - Prince: I'm not about to give Prince a free ride simply on the basis of being Prince. A great song, but not among my favorites of his.
4: "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks: Three years and counting... it still does absolutely nothing for me. I don't have ice water in my veins, but the lyrics are the most maudlin I've heard in a long time.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
1: "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles: The mono remasters are incredible; the sound and production is so pristine you could eat your lunch off it. This one -- forever a personal favorite -- never sounded better.

2: "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang
3: "London Calling" - The Clash
4: "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield

Again, three songs that simply don't exist within my musical universe. That's likely to disappoint a few people here (one for sure), but it is what it is.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

And so we reach the point where the previous bracketology started: 256 songs left. Of course, this time, the competition will be even fiercer, since we’ve already—presumably—culled most of the weaker and overrated songs.

For example, I notice that seven of this week’s songs—nearly half—are not in AM’s top 256.

WAGNER 19
1. SUPERSTITION. Pure uncut Stevie; I don’t think he did anything better in the 70s. Is there any groove that can top this?
2. GLORIA. I just love this song. Patti sounds absolutely demented. Also, absolutely rock ‘n’ roll. By the end of it, I need to be reminded: who was that Van guy, again?
3. PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE). When Bono is over-earnest, U2 can be unbearable; at other times, they’re fantastic. In this case, he’s dancing right on the edge. It’s damned effective, and I loved this song for a few years before I even learned whom it was actually about.
4. CUT YOUR HAIR. Will echo what’s been said before: good, even very good, but clearly 4th here.

MAHLER 17
1. SEX MACHINE. Hey, didn’t we just have this one? This might be my favorite song of his—with some of his other classics, it sometimes takes me a bar (or a verse, or never) to shake off the cobwebs of familiarity. Not this—it grabs me as soon as JB starts the countdown.
2. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. Everyone’s been there: we’ve been dumped and half the songs on the radio become soundtracks for wallowing in jealousy and self-pity. I wouldn’t try it with Marvin’s song, though…my guess is it would be absolutely unbearable.
3. DANCE TO THE MUSIC. Sly’s breakthrough song, this is the highest-rated (on AM) of his pre-Riot singles. I don’t see it…he did increasingly better work throughout 1969.
4. FAST CAR. Beautiful, but it’s now 21 years old and has not—in my opinion—attained the status of a classic. The other 3 here have.

MAHLER 18
1. 1999. Man, I’m picking nothing but funky this week… The title track and maybe the best song of the Prince album I’m most likely to listen to for fun.
2. WALK AWAY RENEE. Prettier (among other things) than “Waterloo Sunset.” Apparently the Left Banke’s backstory is kind of a proto-“Rumours”-era-Fleetwood-Mac situation. I should read up on it…
3. WATERLOO SUNSET. A nifty slice of life, and an enjoyable song, but it’s never been a favorite of mine.
4. YOU SEND ME. What this song has going for it: Sam Cooke’s smooth, smooth voice, with an occasional thrilling detour into falsetto. That’s huge, but there’s not much else here.

MOZART 20
1. LONDON CALLING. The Clash’s most iconic song—iconic enough to be travestied in an episode of Friends, a James Bond movie, and god only knows what else. Please, leave your TV off while listening to this song, unless you’re watching the grainy, black-and-white video, with the band playing Thames-side in a massive downpour that truly does look like a prelude to the apocalypse. In any musical universe (hi, Anthony!).
2. TICKET TO RIDE. One of the Beatles’ really good’uns, and I still have no idea what the lyrics actually mean. The song’s signature has got to be Ringo progressively deconstructing his fills from chorus to chorus.
3. RAPPER’S DELIGHT. I was 12 when this came out, which was exactly the right age for it. It was NOT the first rap song (sorry, Listyguy), just the first to break out and achieve national recognition. Not to say that’s nothing, but they weren’t the pioneers.
4. FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH. There’s one thing about this song I absolutely love: those fantastic bent notes on (Neil’s?) Rickenbacker. That’s it, though.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

Figured you'd catch that. heh

I actually do enjoy it, even if the album doesn't quite do for me what it does for you.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2: Here’s where it really starts getting difficult – first bracket of first week of Round 2, and it’s got three of my all-time favorite songs. I think Stevie’s gonna end up taking this one, but “Pride” gets the edge for me based on the “which one of these songs makes me lunge for the volume knob most quickly to turn it up?” factor.
2. "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder: Probably his finest recording, amazing in every aspect. Would a “real” drummer have been able to do a better job than Stevie does here? Discuss.
3. "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith: Greatest opening line ever? Maybe. Greatest opening track on a debut album? Possibly. Greatest repurposing of someone else’s song? Almost certainly.
4. "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement: In last place only because it isn’t QUITE as great as its companions. As the insanely catchy centerpiece of a brilliant Velvets-as-arena-rock-band album, though, it’ll do. (By the way, I’m retiring SH2B4 for the remainder of this tournament; from this point on, that’s pretty much a given, at least for me.)

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman: I’m not the world’s biggest Chapman fan, but this is far and away her finest achievement, and one of the best singles of the Eighties. It’s a brilliant piece of songwriting that takes the dream of escape promised in its title and slams it headlong into the brick wall of reality; somehow, it manages not to be depressing because its wealth of detail and emotional acuity are so breathtaking.
2."Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone: How did this record, essentially an audacious deconstruction of itself and its makers, become such a huge hit? Because, as the bassman with the bass voice says, the dance of it just won’t hide, even when the beat drops so you can listen to the voices. And because it’s Just. So. Damn. Much. Fun. All the squares go home!
3."I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye: An impeccable single; I have no quarrel with it being #1 on so many all-time lists. But I’d rather listen to #’s 1 and 2.
4. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown: See my last sentence directly above, and add #3 to it. Doesn’t mean I’d ever turn this off. I doubt you CAN turn off a sex machine, in any case. And, again, where’s that confounded bridge?

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke: In this bracket, it’s all about two exemplary examples of just-the-right-side-of -twee Sixties pop. But for me it’s no contest: “Walk Away Renee” is pretty much THE perfect pop single, brilliantly arranged and full of evocative images and genuine emotion. It’s very much a personal favorite. I doubt it will overcome my #2, but I’m doing my part.
2. "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks: As much as I love everything Ray Davies and company did in this period, I’ve always thought this song was ever-so-slightly overrated. It’s no match for the best half-dozen or so tracks on VILLAGE GREEN.
3. "1999" - Prince: The man sure as hell knew how to open an album in the Eighties. A guaranteed party-starter, and utterly irresistible.
4. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke: Cooke’s breakthrough hit is perfectly charming, but suffers mightily amid this company.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "London Calling" - The Clash: I love #2, and #3 is a favorite early Beatles track, but still – the Clash’s eternally stunning, overpowering anthem would be a remarkably easy #1 pick against just about any opposition. Thirty years on – Christ, has it really been that long? – it has lost absolutely none of its power.
2. "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield: Decades of overexposure as instant pop-culture shorthand for the Sixties hasn’t really dimmed this one’s power, either, because Stills’ lyrics are so eternally prescient in their wary paranoia and because Young’s guitar is so icily, minimalistically brilliant.
3. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles: In which John beats the Byrds at their own jangly 12-string game, with big assists from an even-more-inspired-than-usual Ringo and from unexpected lead guitarist Paul. The seeds of RUBBER SOUL’s leap forward are right here.
4. "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang: Historically important and fun, but an easy #4.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder - Utterly fantastic, probably the coolest thing since dry ice, and the day it came out it was apparent that no one could ever write a better clavinet part, ever.
2. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2 - One of the best U2 songs. I don't think Bono oversings it and anyway The Edge more than makes up for it.
3. "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement - Waaaaaaaaaay to catchy to be called "alternative" and that's a good thing.
4. "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith - It's in tough company.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye - The end of an era for Motown, but the beginning of a whole new one. I have no qualms with #8, not with the atmosphere this one creates.
2. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman - Obviously beloved on this forum, and an amazing (and very moving) song that just doesn't quite stack up to #2.
3. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown - Like.
4. "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone - Dislike.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks - "Pleasant" might be the best word to describe the song's mood, but "absolutely gorgeous" is better for the song itself.
2. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke - Come on people, why don't you like this song?
3. "1999" - Prince - You know it's a strong bracket when Prince comes in third.
4. "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke - I have never understood the acclaim for this one. It's boring.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "London Calling" - The Clash - Just a monster of a track. Some things just don't need to be said, like how good this song is.
2. "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield - A very simple song, but devastatingly effective.
3. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles - I can't believe there's a bracket where this is 3rd. This is gonna get hard.
4. "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang - Tons of fun, but a tad long.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
1 - "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder: Stevie Wonder has many great songs,but this will always be his crowning achievement
2 - "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2: Great song off an underrated album. Wish other songs on that album would get more acclaim
3 - "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement: Catchy and fun enough,but off the pace from the top 2
4 - "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith: A song I've always respected more than enjoyed

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
1 - "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman: This song should,in theory,be no match for the other 3,but with it's great story and vocals it's the one I come back to the most.
2 - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye: Obviously one of Motown's great songs which I never tire of
3 - "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown
4 - "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone
Both the last 2 are great funk songs,kind of similar - I guess as songs,there's not quite as much to like in them as the first 2.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1 - "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks: Has been called the most beautiful song in the English language with good reason. A song I'll never tire of.
2 - "1999" - Prince: Don't like the album version,but the single version is great and his best song.
3 - "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke: Another really beautiful song,and yeah - love the Four Tops version as well
4 - "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke: Nothing wrong with it,his singing is ammaculate - just not an impressive enough track to be any higher in this strong bracket.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "London Calling" - The Clash: Although this is the title track to one of my favourite albums,I always felt it was a little overrated. WAY too strong for the rest here still though.
2 - "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles: I guess,their best song up to that point. I'll take it or leave it most of the time though...
3 - "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield: Great song for sure,just really bores me these days
4 - "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang: An important track? Sure. Good? No

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
Stevie's finest moment in a career of fine moments. The moment those first few notes come on, it makes you want to get up and dance. Great, great song.
2. "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith
Much has been said about the opening line to this song, and I can't really add much to it, but the words here really are like a punch to the gut. And that moment when the drummer shifts from a shuffling beat to a rock beat, whew...
3. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2
I've said before that I'm no fan of U2. But it's hard to deny that this is a great song. Just one question: has anyone else picked up on the fact that Martin Luther King, Jr. was not killed in the "early morning"?
4. "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement
At this point in the game, all the songs are good. So for just about every bracket, there's going to be a SHTB4. Here it is.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman
It's my second-favorite song of all time (only a certain Elton John song gets the top spot), so I feel obligated to put this in the top spot. Hmm... Not sure what I can say here to add on what I wrote for the first round. I didn't really expect it to beat the Who then...
2. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown
James had some truly amazing songs, and he somehow managed to make them with the minimum amount of words. This one goes for six and a half minutes, and I doubt he says more than about thirty different words. HEEEEEEEEY!
3. "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone
There aren't many songs where the title of the song explicitly tells you to do something, and you immediately want to do exactly that. That's not exactly praise, but sometimes that's all you want to do: get up and dance.
4. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
Sure, it's a great song, but at #8, it's WAY too high. I've heard so many people talk about how great this song is, and how it's Gaye's greatest moment, but I just don't see it. Good, but not great.

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "1999" - Prince
Tough call for me between #1 and #2 in this bracket. On any other day, I could put the Left Banke here and Prince at 2, but I guess this one is for Moonbeam, since it's hardly my favorite song by His Purpleness. Hell, it's not even my fave off "1999". And just why DOES everybody have a bomb?
2. "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke
Baroque pop at its finest, unintelligible lyrics and all. And those harmonies! And that harpsichord! If this one manages to sneak into Round 3, I will be doing a little dance.
3. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke
Hardly Cooke's finest, and hardly the best of the soul genre, but Cooke's voice is so crystalline and perfect that it's hard to say anything bad about this one.
4. "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks
I've listened to this one so many times, and I just don't understand the appeal or the acclaim. I guess I just prefer the Kinks in their sleazy, rock-n-roll moments.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
Maybe the best protest song from the Vietnam era, but all anyone knows it for is the "stop children" line. Hell, when I was a kid, I loved this song just for the refrain. Maybe my favorite moment in the song is during the second refrain, when the lead guitar comes in. Very nice.
2. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles
Not really a great bracket here for me. Feels like a real step down from #1 to #2. Still, this is a fantastic song. Just not on the same level as FWIW.
3. "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang
Perhaps the longest song that I know all the lyrics to, but the line about how he hates to brag or boast, but "we like hot butter on our breakfast toast" always rankled me a bit. I mean, it's right in the middle between really terrible and really funny. Still, for what this song did in terms of initiating an entire genre of music, I gotta give props.
4. "London Calling" - The Clash
I didn't like it in the first round, and I don't like it now. I guess I'm just the guy who doesn't buy into this song. I'm not a fan.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

Voting for this week is now over.

I will be posting the results for this week (as well as for the last week of Round 1; I haven't forgotten, just been busy) tomorrow.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

I can't believe I failed to vote this week, when my favorite song in the competition was eligible. Stress sucks.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

Moonbeam
I can't believe I failed to vote this week, when my favorite song in the competition was eligible. Stress sucks.


Same here, and my favorite was in the same bracket as yours.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

Jackson
Moonbeam
I can't believe I failed to vote this week, when my favorite song in the competition was eligible. Stress sucks.


Same here, and my favorite was in the same bracket as yours.

I'm going to take a guess that moonbeam's favorite was 1999 and jackson's was waterloo sunset.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

Listyguy
Jackson
Moonbeam
I can't believe I failed to vote this week, when my favorite song in the competition was eligible. Stress sucks.


Same here, and my favorite was in the same bracket as yours.

I'm going to take a guess that moonbeam's favorite was 1999 and jackson's was waterloo sunset.


Yep - their #2 and #1 favourite songs of all time respectively...

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

The winners in Week 1 are a varied bunch: a blind man from Saginaw, Michigan; a folkster from Cleveland, Ohio; Minnesota's favorite son; and a defunct British punk band. Here are your results.


WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder (41 points, 8 first-place votes)
2. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2 (30, 2)
3. "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria" - Patti Smith (22, 1)
4. "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement (17, 0)

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman (35, 6)
2. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye (31, 3)
3. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" - James Brown (25, 2)
4. "Dance to the Music" - Sly & the Family Stone (19, 0)

MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "1999" - Prince (33, 4)
2. "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks (30, 4)
3. "Walk Away Renee" - The Left Banke (26, 3)
4. "You Send Me" - Sam Cooke (21, 0)

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "London Calling" - The Clash (38, 8)
2. "Ticket to Ride" - The Beatles (29, 2)
3. "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield (26, 1)
4. "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang (17, 0)

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

I'm all for surprises, but "Grapevine" and "Waterloo" should have cruised through their brackets.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 1

Jackson
I'm all for surprises, but "Grapevine" and "Waterloo" should have cruised through their brackets.


I agree. I almost fell off my chair when I saw Fast Car won the bloc.