Put a Pin on the Map View my Forum Guestmap
Free Guestmaps by Bravenet.com

The Old Acclaimed Music Forum

Go to the NEW FORUM

Music, music, music...
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

ROUND 2, WEEK 3

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.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
#31: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds
#226: "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
#354: "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave
#610: "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
#24: "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers
#233: "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash
#873: "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles
#920: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
#130: "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
#386: "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin
#514: "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
#302: "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges
#558: "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders
#595: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club
#851: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

How many weeks in round 2? Also, when can we expect the first 2 weeks' results?

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
#354: "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave (One of my favorite songs, I like the combination of trumpet and guitar)
#31: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds (One of the best covers ever, but I prefer Bob's version)
#226: "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads (I like this song for the guitar and bass, not the vocals)
#610: "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions(Good songs, but had no chance in this bloc)

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
#920: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan (My favorite song by Bob, II would love to see this song go up against the Byrds version later on)
#233: "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash (Mexican trumpets make the song)
#873: "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles (Cool song)
#24: "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers (Never liked the song)

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17 (This division is killing me insde!)
#514: "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses (The reason it is at 1 instead of 4 is because it got me started on rock and roll. I owe this song)
#386: "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin (LZIV is my favorite album, and this song is part of the reason why)
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd (Best guitar solo on the planet)
#130: "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones (The fact that it's one of my favorite Stones' songs and it's last shows ho great this division is)

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19 (Now this division sucks! Come on!)
#851: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes (Cool song)
#558: "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders (not their best song)
#302: "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges (Alright song)
#595: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club (How did it makeit to round 2?)

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
#226: "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
Bubbling rage with awesome bass.
#610: "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
One of Costello's best lyrical efforts, which is saying a lot. Energetic and fun while being angry and sarcastic. "And the radio is in the hands of a bunch of fools who all try to anaesthetize the way that you feel…" Awesome.
#354: "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave
One of the more exciting songs to listen to.
#31: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds
Good song but strips away some of the emotion of Dylan's version. Still has a lot of folky beauty.




RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
#233: "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash
A brilliant musician at his best. I bought American IV a few weeks ago. I haven't listened to it yet...
#920: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan
Wait, wait. The Byrds #31. Bob Dylan #920? …What?! Dylan's version comes of as so much more personal and human. This is a song that shouldn't be overproduced.
#24: "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers
Pop with incredible production value.
#873: "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles
Good song for round 1, not for round 2.


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
#130: "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
The Stones' second best song in my opinion. Not much I can say about it that I didn't say in round 1. The easy pick in a very strong bracket.
#514: "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses
A canonical example of flat out 'kick your ass' guitar rock. If you can get past the stupid lyrics it's awesome.
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd gave about ten million A-holes great breakup speeches. Great song if only for the solo.
#386: "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin
Good song but wouldn't be on my short list of their best.

Pretty much everything from the previous bracket would beat anything from this bracket.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
#558: "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders
Great rock that combines guitar talent and pop sensibility.
#302: "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges
Love scratchy punk.
#851: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes
Good song but overrated.
#595: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club
Meh. Probably the weakest of the week.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

Listyguy
How many weeks in round 2? Also, when can we expect the first 2 weeks' results?


16 weeks in Round 2. The results from the first 2 weeks are now posted.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
#354: "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave
#31: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds
#226: "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
#610: "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions

"Soul Man" isn't quite as great as "Hold On, I'm Comin,'" but it still waltzes through this relatively weak bracket. I still don't know why the Byrd's breezy take on "Mr. Tambourine Man" is so much more canonized than the original. I give "Psycho Killer" props for being one of the most unique debut singles ever, but I prefer their later work greatly. "Radio Radio" is probably one of my favorite Elvis Costello songs at this point, but I also don't really like him (yet).

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
#920: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan
#873: "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles
#233: "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash
#24: "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers

How many people actually believe "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is the 24th best song of all time? It sounds more dated than almost any other 60s classic. Meanwhile, "Mr. Tambourine Man" still sounds relevant, and contains perhaps the greatest lyrical verse on record ("Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind..."). "Hit the Road Jack" and "Ring of Fire" are accessible to the point of being self-explanatory. They're two great singles from two legends that are impossible to dislike. What else do you want?


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
#130: "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
#386: "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
#514: "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses

All the classic rock somehow ended up in one bracket. "Gimme Shelter" undoubtedly stands out here, and is a favorite to make the Final Four in my opinion. Even though "Rock and Roll" is only the second best song with that title, it's absolutely excellent with a great drum intro and guitar riff. "Free Bird" still has a nice payoff if you can make it through the first five or so snoozeworthy minutes. A few years ago, my opinion of "Welcome to the Jungle" would have been much different. Now, I absolutely despise it. It might have something to do with its intro's inescapability during virtually any sporting event.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
#302: "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges
#851: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes
#595: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club
#558: "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders

The gap between the first two and last two in this bracket is enormous. "Hard to Explain'"s amazing chorus and interesting structure is barely defeated by the apocalyptic, insane atmosphere of "I Wanna Be Your Dog." "Genius of Love" manages to slip by "Back on the Chain Gang" because it at least sounds semi-fresh, compared with the tired hook of the Pretenders song.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

Bach Bloc

Mr. Tambourine Man
Psycho Killer
Soul Man
Radio Radio

Rachmaninoff Bloc

Ring of Fire
Mr. Tambourine Man
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
Hit the Road Jack

Bach Bloc

Gimme Shelter
Rock and Roll
Free Bird
Welcome to the Jungle

Vivaldi Bloc

Hard to Explain
I Wanna be Your Dog
Genius of Love
Back on the Chain Gang

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
#226: "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads ~ Only just beats out on Soul Man for sounding so damn original, and having some amazingly surreal and bilingual lyrics.
#354: "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave ~ Not only is it in the incredible Blues Brothers, but it's just a really funky and energising number.
#610: "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & The Attractions ~ I never thought This Year's Model had any of their best work, really. This is a good song, but not particularly interesting or catchy, perhaps as this was midway between Costello's pub rock and New Wave phases.
#31: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds ~ Their vocals really kill this for me, and it's a bit too twee for me to appreciate as a cover of Dylan's song.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
#920: "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan ~ The original is so much better than the Byrds' cover. The sparse, folk instrumentation really let the song's beauty and amazing lyrics shine.
#233: "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash ~ Superbly catchy song. Also shows just how far astray Cash took country music, to the point of being accessible to people who wouldn't normally listen to the genre.
#24: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" - The Righteous Brothers ~ Great number. It's a shame it has to face the songs above, since it stands on its own as a structurally and instrumentally grand song.
#873: "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles ~ It's good, but a little too repetitive and unoriginal for my liking.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
#130: "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones ~ Brilliant backing vocals and blend of guitar and harmonica. The chorus gives me goosebumps every time.
#233: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd ~ An classic - overplayed perhaps, but with a beautiful chord progression and fantastic guitar melodies. The solos are just icing--but delicious icing--on the cake.
#386: "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin ~ Not that amazing, but not bad either. The drum introduces it in a great way, but I don't see what's special about it otherwise.
#514: "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns 'n' Roses ~ I just hate it. The lyrics are REALLY bad, and it's simply gotten annoying and overplayed to boot.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
#302: "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges ~ Psychotic and ominous. Ron Asheton was legendary on the guitar, and the constant piano and sleigh bells just make this one even greater.
#233: "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club ~ This one is just so much fun to listen to. Terribly funky, and a great influencer of hip hop as well.
#386: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes ~ Pretty good song. The structure is quite interesting, and the chorus is especially great.
#514: "Back On the Chain Gang" - Pretenders ~ It does sound a bit too outdated to hold its own today. The "ooh, ahh" backing vocals really don't fit in too well either.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20

1. "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions

Blazing classic from his absolute peak year. Anyone who hasn't seen it needs to Youtube the SNL performance where he cuts off the band a couple bars into a different song and barrels right into this. Seething genius.

2. "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads

Disturbing in how clinical it is, with stuttering right up there with "My Generation".

3. "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave

The Blues Brothers ruined this song forever, though the original still retains its charm.

4. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds

I've never ever been able to get into this song, regardless of version. I think it's the association of tambourines to hippy-dippiness that I just cannot get past. Anyway, there's loads of Byrds tracks I'd rather here.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20

1. "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash

The mariachi horns were a stroke of genius -- the rest is pure Cash coolness.

2. "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers

This has finally emerged from the shadow of Top Gun in my world, only 24 years on. Wall of Sound in excelsis.

3. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan

See comment above on the Byrds version. This might be my 8th favorite track on Bringing It All Back Home -- not sure if that is a comment on how I feel about this song or that album.

4. "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles

Sort of feels like generic Ray these days. If I'm listening to his greatest hits, I always skip this one.


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17

Classic rock rumble!

1. "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones

Still really terrifying, and a great example of how production can set a mood.

2. "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses

Just an excellent rock song -- I thought they were a metal band back then, but they were always far more Stones than Slayer, Scorps, or Sabbath.

3. "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin

It's all in the drums.

4. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

I'm softening my stance on this song -- the duelling guitars and sighing slide are pretty thrilling and gorgeous, but it still can't quite pull itself out of the bottom in this group.


VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19

1. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges

Pure lasciviousness, recorded for posterity.

2. "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders

Pretty damn heart-breaking stuff, as well-wrought as a rock elegy can be.

3. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club

Very fun, and something I'm often more likely to want to hear than a lot of the Heads themselves.

4. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes

Not my favorite from Is This It, very solid nonetheless.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH 20
1. PSYCHO KILLER. Set the template for one of the greatest bands of the last 35 years. I still think T-Heads are actually a little bit underappreciated.
2. RADIO RADIO. Everything that made Elvis great—razor-sharp punkesque lyrics on top of high-grade power pop.
3. SOUL MAN. As fine a piece of 60s R&B as you could ask for. And no, it doesn’t matter that John Belushi led me to it.
4. MR. TAMBOURINE MAN (Byrds). If I remember correctly, the Byrds’ version reached record stores before the original. It might actually be the superior version, but this group is stronger than the next one.

RACHMANINOFF 20
1. RING OF FIRE. The more I think about it, the weirder this song is. Not just because the lyrics make less sense to me every year, but because this strange Latin-flavored concoction was written by the novelty-specialist youngest member of the venerable Carter Family for her somewhat wayward fella. But it is great.
2. MR. TAMBOURINE MAN (Dylan). Growing up when I did, to me, “folk” means something that sounds like Peter, Paul & Mary. In that sense, this is an unusually “folky” Dylan song.
3. YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’. Very good song, excellent production.
4. HIT THE ROAD JACK. Did I say “minor Ray Charles” in round one? If not, I’m saying it now.

BACH 17
1. GIMME SHELTER. One great danger in rock ‘n’ roll is that the aggressive posing and cultivated air of menace can easily tip over into self-parody…and Mick Jagger was certainly guilty of that on more than one occasion (see also: “Welcome to the Jungle,” below). Not here, however. “Gimme Shelter” is in a select circle of songs—several of which are late-sixties Stones—which should make any sane person want to flee to the hills.
2. ROCK AND ROLL. My favorite song by a band I kind of admire but find terribly problematic. That may be the most ambivalent sentence I’ve written this week.
3. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. (Continuing from comment on #1…) Not that self-parody’s necessarily a bad thing. Highlight: Slash creating one of the great intros in rock by hammering viciously on just one note.
4. FREE BIRD. This song represents so many things I dislike, but let’s be honest: it’s hard not to find it stirring.

VIVALDI 19
1. I WANNA BE YOUR DOG. Runs the musical gamut from A to B, and Iggy hasn’t quite figured out how best to use his…vocal instrument, but John Cale still made it cool.
2. GENIUS OF LOVE. This week’s exhibit B in my claim for Talking Heads’ greatness, this side project was one of the great party songs of the 80s…hell, of all time. There’s no beginning and there is no end…
3. BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG. A pitch-perfect obituary for Pretenders Mark I, as only Chrissie could do it: completely heartfelt, completely unsentimental.
4. HARD TO EXPLAIN. I like this song, but I’ve just never been able to completely buy into the Strokes.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads: The rest of the debut is first-rate, but this brilliant from-the-inside portrait of a disturbed mind takes it to another level and offers the first real inkling of what Byrne and company were all about.
2. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds: I’ve always wondered if anyone’s ever covered the song by doing the Byrds’ groundbreaking folk-rock arrangement (with that iconic riff) but keeping all of Dylan’s original verses. That would be something.
3. "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave: As perfect in every detail as Sixties soul could get. Play it, Steve, indeed.
4. "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions: A great song, but E.C.’s vitriol is usually more jolting when directed at individuals (including himself) rather than institutions.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers: Phil Spector’s greatest production. I’ve said it before, I’m saying it again, I’ll always say it.
2. "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles: One of the shortest #1 singles ever, and one of the most fun.
3. "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash: As many have said, it’s the mariachi horns that really make this something special. Well, that and the 100% conviction that The Man in Black brought to everything he did.
4. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan: It’s hard to say that I PREFER the Byrds’ version – the two are just too different for comparisons to be meaningful. But there are a lot of Dylan songs from this great period that I do like better.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones: An amazing, all-classic-rock-all-the-time bracket, containing four of my favorites. But “Gimme Shelter” is one of a handful of legitimate candidates for Greatest Rock and Roll Recording Ever Made, to my mind, and even in this company is an easy #1.
2. "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses: The fantastic opening salvo from one of the classic debuts. Almost 25 years later, it hasn’t lost any of its dangerous excitement or its sense of imminent collapse.
3. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd: The decades of cheap jokes have almost obscured how magnificently epic it is. I still get a surge of excitement during the coda when the other instruments drop out and you just hear those squalling guitars, and if you don’t, what’s wrong with you?
4. "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin: It’s brutal to put this in last place, but there you go. One of Zep’s excursions into pure rock’n’roll fun, complete with a closing drum solo that sounds like Bonham didn’t know he was supposed to do it until about a second beforehand.

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges: Another easy #1. Iggy’s deliberately, deliriously monotonous monolith-with-sleigh-bells (thanks, Mr. Cale!) stands head and shoulders above the rest here.
2. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes: Probably my favorite track on IS THIS IT, highlighted by Fab Moretti sounding more like a drum machine than any human drummer ever has and by a marvelously abrupt ending.
3. "Back on the Chain Gang" – Pretenders: A perfectly crafted, emotionally moving single.
4. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club: I certainly have no problem with this one, but it’s way out of its league here in Round 2.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds
2 - "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
3 - "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave
4 - "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
I prefer almost all the Byrds' Dylan covers to the originals,and 'Mr Tambourine Man' is no exception. The song will forever be connected with them. 'Psycho Killer' is pretty great,but I'm probably more of a fan of their post '78 stuff. 'Soul Man' is one of the better soul songs of the 60s,too bad it's got 2 strong songs to compete with. 'Radio Radio' is OK,but it's not one of my favourites of his.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers
2 - "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash
3 - "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan
4 - "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles
The peak of Spector's Wall Of Sound is the easy #1 here - the singing is incredible. 'Ring Of Fire' is Cash's definitive song,although I'm more of a fan of his American Recordings series. 'Mr Tambourine Man' has never even been in my top 50 Dylan songs. He's done loads better. 'Hit The Road Jack' is pretty minor in Ray Charles' catalogue...

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
1 - "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
2 - "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
3 - "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin
4 - "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses
'Gimme Shelter' wins fairly comfortably - the Stones' best song just gets better with age. I've quickly erased that version on American Idol's Rolling Stones week from my mind. The start of 'Free Bird' is great,but the soloing gets a bit repetitive for me. Led Zep and Guns N'Roses are bands I'm really sick of and both those songs,while good,do nothing for me...

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
1 - "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes
2 - "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders
3 - "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club
4 - "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges
Pretty weak bracket - 'Hard to Explain' was the song that drew me to the Strokes - really catchy. 'Back On The Chain Gang' is probably my favourite of theirs - either it or 2000 miles. 'Genius Of Love' I'd never heard before this game,and was a great discovery,pretty fun track. I've had 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' on my ipod for ages and hardly played it - sounds pretty forgettable...

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

A couple of weeks ago, schleuse noted that there were quite a few songs that were outside of the top 256. This week there are only 5 songs that are INSIDE the top 256. Lots of upsets...
That said, there are a lot of songs this week that I don't remember voting for in the first round. Some of these brackets are going to be difficult to pick a top spot.


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
I agonized over this bracket in particular because I don't really think any of them deserve to be in the third round. Still, c'est la vie.
1. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds
Maybe I'm the only one on this board to say this, but I prefer it to the original. Sorry, Dylan-philes.
2. "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave
Sure, the Blues Brothers brought it back to fame in the late '70s, but the original still burns hot.
3. "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
I saw Elvis Costello last summer as the opening act (yes, the opening act) for the Police, and this one still brought the house down. And as someone who used to be on the radio (college radio counts!), it rings true for me. But it doesn't hit me viscerally the way the first two do.
4. "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
Anyone else hear that first guitar chord (at about the 0:08 mark) and think it sounds a lot like something that Frankie Goes to Hollywood would do? Of course, once the guitar riff kicks in (at about the 0:16 mark), it's very un-FGTH... Great song, but it always struck me as kind of gimmicky.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash
I'm stunned, absolutely stunned, that I'm putting a country song to win a Round 2 bracket. Very unlike me. Still, Cash was as close to rock as country got, and those mariachi horns give it just enough to put it over the top. Fantastic stuff.
2. "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers
The second this song starts with "You never close your eyes", I'm always fooled into thinking that this is a group like the Four Tops or the Temptations, not the Righteous Brothers. And yet, it absolutely oozes soul and emotion. Great, great song.
3. "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles
Overplayed and lightweight, but still fun. It just doesn't have enough to be worthy of a place in the next round.
4. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan
As I said before, I prefer the Byrds' version. I grew up on that one, so I just don't really like this one. I know it's still going to go through to Round 3 without my vote, but c'est la vie.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
Easiest pick for #1 this week. Nothing else even comes close. I'd have this song maybe in my top 5.
2. "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin
Much closer call between 2 and 3 here, but the simplicity of this one wins out. As I mentioned back in the first round, it's basically just a 12-bar blues, just sped up and given a rock beat. Yes, Page's guitar solo in the middle absolutely burns, but what I always loved was Bonham's solo at the end.
3. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Like I said back in the first round, I am that asshole at every concert (even non-Skynyrd concerts) who always shouts out, "Free Bird!" For me, this one doesn't really work until the guitar solo starts at about the halfway point. Up until then, I just try to tolerate it. Once the tempo picks up and the guitars kick in, it blasts into outer space.
4. "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses
Never liked GnR. I'm still stunned that this one beat out "Satisfaction."

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club
I'll tell you what I consider fun: listening to this song. Hell, Webster's ought to just put "Genius of Love" as the only definition for the word "fun." Considering the heaviness of Talking Heads, it must have been a shock for something this lightweight and bouncy to come out of TTC. Then again, Byrne always struck me as the "heavy" one of TH...
2. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges
Like a lot of other people have mentioned, that repeated piano note is almost hypnotic, and it's what draws me back in every time. Still, it just doesn't keep me coming back the way "Genius" does.
3. "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders
Great song, and I love those jangly guitars, but it really strikes me as second-tier compared to the others here.
4. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes
And then there's the Strokes, who I've never managed to "get". Go figure.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

Voting for this week is now over.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

Week 3 gave us three winners from the US and one from the UK. Here are your results.




BACH BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads (27 points, 4 first-place votes)
2. "Soul Man" - Sam & Dave (24, 2)
3. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds (21, 2)
4. "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions (18, 1)

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash (29, 4)
2. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bob Dylan (24, 3)
3. "You've Lost That Loving Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers (22, 2)
4. "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles (15, 0)

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones (33, 8)
2. "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin (20, 0)
3. "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns n' Roses (19, 1)
4. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd (18, 0)

VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges (29, 5)
2. "Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club (21, 2)
3. "Back on the Chain Gang" - Pretenders (21, 1)
4. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes (19, 1)

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 3

DAMN IT!!!
BOTH versions of Mr. Tambourine Man are gone!