Welcome to Week 4!

Please listen to the songs before making your choice, and provide comments (however brief) to form the basis of your pick.

The deadline for Week 2 is 11:59 PM, October 23rd AM time.

You can read the descriptions of why these songs were nominated in the rules thread.

Match 13:

Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"
The Decemberists- "Record Year"

Match 14:

The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise"
The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"

Match 15:

M. Ward- "Rave On"
Stereolab- "French Disko"

Match 16:

Prince- "Crystal Ball"
OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"

Happy listening!

13. "hilly fields" - always had trouble w/ meloy's voice, and sometimes lyrics, while "hilly fields" was a "nice" discovery lulz

14. "old and wise" - wow! maybe my favorite of the tournament so far. app + blunstone, nice. the alan parsons project was a progressive rock group from the '70s, ass.

15. "rave on" - tough, tough matchup. almost always like stereolab and no exception here, but the cover from m. ward, whom i've generally ignored over the years, was a pleasant surprise.

16. "crystal ball" - overlong, even by 1999 standards, but this is still a genius up against amateurs.

Match 13:
Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"
The Decemberists- "Record Year"

"Hilly Fields" and its weirdass clip are excellent, but I am a big fan of The Crane Wife and "Record Year" is absolutely gorgeous. Are the other volumes of "Always The Bridesmaid" this awesome as well?

Match 14:
The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise"
The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"

Another one of my picks. The greatest sad ballad of all time, it gets me every time—I think I would like this played at my funeral. Bit morbid maybe. Jack and Meg do what they do best, rock hard, but they've done it a lot better since and The White Stripes is one of those bands I can only listen to for a few minutes a day. In other words, easy win for TAPP, which I can listen to forever.

Match 15:
M. Ward- "Rave On"
Stereolab- "French Disko"

After two weeks of slightly weaker brackets, we're back full-force this week. "Rave On" is one of those covers that actually competes with the original for the best rendition. Very cool clip, too. "French Disko", however, is even better, one of the strongest songs in a week full of them. I'm really gonna have to dig into Stereolab.

Match 16:
Prince- "Crystal Ball"
OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"

I had given "Crystal Ball" a listen before this because of Moonbeam's lists (after discovering the awesome Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) this way, how could I not?) but I was a little underwhelmed. Not bad, but not on par with "Something..". I had to relisten "This Too Shall Pass" a few times because I kept getting distracted by its spectacular videoclip (perhaps one of the coolest I've ever seen, the got all of that in 1 cut?!) and it's pretty good. Perhaps not as good as some of the #2's in other brackets, but good enough to beat "Crystal Ball". Sorry Moonbeam.

Yeah, when I saw my matchup this week I knew I was screwed. I might not even get the White Stripes fans.

Last week was not my set of matches. There was only the Who, who got me going. This week is completely different. I find all songs really nice. I am slightly biased since one of the songs is my nomination, but the competition this week is great.

Match 13:

The Decemberists - "Record year"

With "My crane wife" I discovered The Decemberists back in 2006. Songs like "Shankill Butchers" and "Valencia" are really good. In 2008 when "Always the bridesmaid" volumes came I was instantly sold. The songs are all good enough to compete with them on "My Crane Wife". However this song sticks out above the rest. As I wrote when I nominated the song, it is one of my absolute favourite on a rainy day. With “Always the bridesmaid” being so good, the disappointment with the not so good “The Hazards of love” last year was hugh.

Match 14:

The Allan Parsons project - "Old and wise"

This was the best match this week. I would classify my self as a White stripes fan. Still, in this match the opposition was too hard. I really like this song and "The big three killed my baby" is not one of my absolute favourites.

Match 15:

Stereolab - "French Disko"

This was the tightest match this week. M Ward makes great music. "French Disko" is very contagious and gets the vote.

Match 16:

Prince - "Crystal Ball"

This is not a song that will end up on my Prince top-20. It is good and deserves the vote. However I can not shake the feeling, that Prince gets this vote because it is Prince. Still "This too shall pass" just is not interesting enough despite a very nice video. The video is part of the problem for me. I get so focused on the photo take, so I completely forget to listen to the song. This can not be a good thing. How many takes did they do before they got this video to work?

Vote: Hilly Fields

Hilly Fields is a cool trippy song that hearkens something Lennon might have wanted to do if better technology existed for it in the late Beatles period. For Record Year, I love the folky guitar, but the song itself doesn't stand out much. It's a good song but doesn't stand out at all from the Decemberists' catalog. It's like the average of all Decemberists songs.

Vote: The Big Three Killed My Baby

A futile vote for my own pick to make it less of a blowout. Old And Wise is awesome, and probably one of the favorites to win the whole thing. Hopefully my other pick has a better matchup.

Vote: French Disko

I love the mood of the vocals and the ringing chords of French Disko. Rave On isn't a bad song, but sounds, like much of M Ward's stuff, a little sedated. I respect M Ward's technical skill at the guitar but I'm not a fan of his actual songs.

Vote: Crystal Ball

I like the sound Prince goes for in Crystal Ball, but the theatrical buildup is kind of cheesy, and I wish he'd sing more in his normal voice. The structure of the song is kind of erratic. But, the parts of the song taken individually, ignoring the uneven way they're mashed together, sound better than This Too Shall Pass. (That video is awesome though, IF it was actually taken in one continuous shot.)

#13 ~~~ "Hilly Fields"
I really thought I was going to vote for The Decemberists, then I heard the Nick Nicely tune. What a great hidden gem.

#14 ~~~ "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
The raw energy is amazing...

#15 ~~~ "Rave On"
Not a strong matchup, I wish the Prince song was here. I liked Buddy Holly's version better, still a pretty good song...

#16 ~~~ "This Too Shall Pass"
I hate voting against Prince, but I really like this song. I downloaded this awhile back and have listened to it quite a bit. I thought OK Go was cheesy, but have really come around on these guys. Great choices this week.

Match 13:
The Decemberists- "Record Year" wins Match 13 for me.
While in large doses the Decemberists tend to annoy me, this song worked well enough to win out over Hilly Fields.
Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"
Trippy video decent song that sort of dragged on a bit for me. I can see this song growing on me, but on first listen it didn't thrill me. Definitely worth a second listen.

Match 14:
The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise" wins Match 14 for me.
Not my favorite APP song, but it is thoughtful and beautiful.
The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Talented as they may be, the vocal presentations of The White Stripes (yelling and raw) will never be my favorite.

Match 15:
Stereolab- "French Disko" wins Match 15 for me.
Didn't blow me away, but it works and I am ready to listen again.
M. Ward- "Rave On"
Different enough from Holly's original to make it interesting. Not bad at all, but I wouldn't jump to argue that it should be acclaimed yet.


Match 16:
Prince- "Crystal Ball" wins Match 16 for me.
There is a lot to admire in this song, including: a pleasant sparse intro, interesting percussion effects, departs from standard derivative musical expressions. The song gets a little more interesting at about the 4 minute mark, but never soars for me.
OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"
Great visual gags, pleasant and energetic. While I may have enjoyed this song just as much as Crystal Ball on their first listen, I have a very strong sense that the OK Go tune is fairly "disposable" - in that I will not find anything of great interest in subsequent listens.

Match 13:
Fine folksy/rootsy song by The Decemberists, but I was the one who nominated Nick Nicely, so of course my vote goes to the ´Strawberry Fields Forever´ of the 80s.
Nick Nicely wins.

Match 14:
Back then I was not a huge fan of Alan Parsons´ big hit Old And Wise and I still think it sounds a bit too slick for my taste.
The White Stripes song is just the opposite. A nice noisefest from one of their early albums, which I still need to explore.
White Stripes wins.

Match 15:
Surprisingly well done cover of Rave On, but I like my M. Ward a bit more more darker and nocturnal.
French Disko is a terrific tune that steams along in the tradition of the best Krautrock or The Velvets´ What Goes On, and then the usual melodic punch of Stereolab added on top of it. Great!
Stereolab wins.

Match 16:
Ooh, this match is a tough choice.
I never really took time to listen to late(r) period Prince, but Crystal Ball is such a magnificent track. Pleasantly weird and at the same time undercooled funky (I guess he took some ideas from Sly Stone´s There´s A Riot Going On album here).
OK Go´s contribution is a very cool one and deserved to win this match, if only for watching that bonkers video once more during the next round. But in the end Crystal Ball just has to prevail.
Prince wins.

Great matches this week!

Match 13:

Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields": What a bizarre song! I can hear the influence of lots of 60s psychedelia, and it doesn't turn me off in the slightest. This is the kind of warped pop that I really seem to enjoy lately. Great choice! I suspect I'll be buying this soon.

The Decemberists- "Record Year": I've long been somewhat intrigued by The Decemberists, but haven't heard much, likely because my own genre biases seem to dissuade me too much. However, this is a fair bit better than I thought! The strings are a really nice touch. I can see how the vocals could be a bit off-putting, but I don't mind them. I like this more than several songs I've voted for in this game, but it's up against one of the best discoveries for me so far.

Match 14:

The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise": Sweeping, lovely and elegaic, it definitely carries that funereal feeling that Stephan depicts. Another good choice that would have won many battles in this game!

The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby": A nice little tempest in its own right, and I tend to like The White Stripes best when they rock out. They edge out the win.

Match 15:

M. Ward- "Rave On": Interesting take on a rock classic. The background vocals are the best bit for me, and this makes it the second song I enjoy from Hold Time. Maybe I should pick up the album!

Stereolab- "French Disko": My brother is a big Stereolab fan, but I have yet to pick up any of their albums. This song kicks all sorts of ass, though, and it may just inspire me to pick up some long overdue Stereolab.

Match 16:

Prince- "Crystal Ball": A permanent entry in my top 10 songs of all time, "Crystal Ball" would have been my favorite song on the unreleased 1987 album of the same name, even including all of the great Sign o' the Times tracks that are on there! A mish/mash of nearly everything Prince had played with up to that point sonically and thematically (synth funk, lush almost classical orchestration, tweaked vocals and raucous rock to his favorite theme of the duality of sexual and spiritual fervor, especially in the height of social unrest), it is a wonderfully weird and beautiful cauldron.

OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass": This band has always struck me as a bit gimmicky due to their videos. I'm a big geek/nerd/dork, but there's something a bit cringe-worthy about their brand of dorkdom for me! This song is decent enough, and I actually prefer the original video with the ghillie suits, but this is no contest for me.

Match 13:

Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields": Really good psych-pop, never would've guessed this was 1982. Maybe not AS good as its primary influences, but I like it.

The Decemberists- "Record Year": The Decemberists have always annoyed me, mainly because on paper they have a lot of the attributes I would think I'd enjoy and appreciate, but in practice I generally get bored and move on. That said, I like this one better than most I've heard by 'em, so there may be hope yet. Still...

WINNER: "Hilly Fields"


Match 14:

The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise": This is a weird one, as there are elements I really like in there, it's very nicely orchestrated, and a Colin Blunstone appearance is always well-received. That said, when the sax came on, I cringed.

The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby": Straightforward early rawkin', sounds even better apart from the album.

WINNER: "The Big Three..."


Match 15:

M. Ward- "Rave On": You can file M. Ward with The Decemberists...an artist I would expect to like, but who bores me. This is a nice enough cover, but not mind-blowing.

Stereolab- "French Disko": Best song to yet appear in this game, with only "Dazzle" troubling it. Just a fantastic slab of drone rock, mixing the Velvets with '60s lounge elements and that lovely monotonal vocal where Nico would've been. Hell, I like this more than nearly anything by the VU!

WINNER: "French Disko"


Match 16:

Prince- "Crystal Ball": Yes, the all-around ambition of this track is fabulous, and I love it when Prince pushes the envelope. That said, I'm not sure it entirely works in its sprawl, and I definitely prefer other '87-era tracks (even another lost one, the magnificent "Power Fantastic"). Still great stuff, of course.

OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass": This did very little for me at all, just came and went and I forgot it.

WINNER: "Crystal Ball"

Match 13:
1) The Decemberists- "Record Year"
2) Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"
Les deux chansons sont excellentes, elles font partie des deux meillleures depuis le début du jeu. The Decemberists gagnent d'un cheveu, la chanson est admirable et mériterait amplement d'être dans le top 500, haut la main. Mais Nick Nicely ne démérite absolument pas, j'aurais pu voter pour lui dans plein d'autres Match.

Match 14:
1) The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
2) The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise"
Deux chansons totalement différentes, bonnes dans leurs catégories mais l'énergie démentielle des White Stripes emporte tout sur son passage.

Match 15:
1) M. Ward- "Rave On"
2) Stereolab- "French Disko"
Deux chansons en dessous des quatre premières pour moi. M Ward remporte de Match par défaut, je trouve l'autre sympa au début mais très lassante.

Match 16:
1) Prince- "Crystal Ball"
3000) OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"
Il n'y a qu'un Prince sur cette planète et il est là dans toute sa splendeur, écrasant au passage toute concurrence.

Romain, je veux pratiquer mon francais, donc j'ai traduisé tes comments à anglais. (J'éspere que cela ne te fait rien.)

Non-French speakers, I've translated Romain's comments into English, mainly so I can practice my French skills and so you don't have to pull up Google Translate to read them.

Match 13:
1) The Decemberists- "Record Year"
2) Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"
Both songs are excellent, they're two of the best songs since the game started. The Decemberists win by a hair, the song is admirable and deserves to be in the top 500, hands down. But Nick Nicely isn't faulty at all, and I would vote for it in many other matches.

Match 14:
1) The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
2) The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise"
Two completely different songs, great in their respective genres, but the primal energy of the White Stripes destroys anything in its path.

Match 15:
1) M. Ward- "Rave On"
2) Stereolab- "French Disko"
Both songs rank below the top four for me. M. Ward takes the match by default, I found the other song nice at first but very boring.

Match 16:
1) Prince- "Crystal Ball"
3000) OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"
There is nobody like Prince on this planet, and here he is in all his splendor, overwhelming the competition.

nicolas, Nassim, les autres participants du forum francophone, n'hésitez pas à ajouter ou à corriger mes traductions.

Match 13:

The Decemberists- "Record Year"

I wasn't particularly impressed by either song, but I get the feeling that closer listening to "Record Year" could be rewarding down the line.

Match 14:

The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"

I was excited for the APP song after reading these comments, but I found it a tad schmaltzy, where as the White Stripes are anything but.

Match 15:

M. Ward- "Rave On"

I hadn't liked what I'd heard of M. Ward previously, but this a pleasant and sneaky-good take on the original. Stereolab, on the other hand, left me feeling a bit flat afterwards.

Match 16:

Prince- "Crystal Ball"
OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"

I'd heard the OK Go song many times previously (there's a rock station in Philly that played it the whole summer) but never got the feeling it was particularly special. It's knocked clear out of the park by "Crystal Ball", which is probably the most spectacular Prince song I've ever heard. Maybe not the best, but it's not often a musical genius at the top of his game critically and commercially attempts such a sprawling piece. (Other examples of this: "Desolation Row" comes to mind, "Good Vibrations", "Strawberry Fields" maybe...basically a lot of the songs that go down as the best of all time.) I'm not putting "Crystal Ball" there yet, but it could get there.

White Stripes are doing a lot better than I expected. I thought that sort of song got more backlash on this forum.

Match 13 Winner - The Decemberists, "Record Year"

That Nick Nicely song is striking in its sound. I was surprised to see it was from 1982. It feels fresh. It's a wonderfully dense production. The song itself is not quite as impressive, though. Which is why the Decemberists get my nod. It's a moving song, and a wonderful arrangement.

Match 14 Winner - The White Stripes, "The Big Three Killed My Baby"

For me, it's not even close. I have adored this track from the White Stripes debut for a long time now. I had it as my #212 song of all time in the last poll. I loved it before I even heard it, when I saw the title. I love when Jack White marries conceptual lyrics with dirty rawk. (See also "The Union Forever"). Thanks BillAdama for picking this song. As for "Old and Wise," I have to say I don't quite get what others see in this song. I was thinking "it sounds a lot like a David Foster production." And then that sax kicked in and I thought, "wow it really sounds like a David Foster production." Now that is not necessarily good, and not necessarily bad. Just not my cup of tea.

Match 15 Winner - Stereolab, "French Disko"

Man, Stereolab are so good. Such drive and beauty in their music. Totally unique sound. M. Ward's cover really left me ambivalent, but I'm warming to it. I started out really disliking the languid pace of a song that should, after all, "rave." But I do like the vocal harmonies. In the end, I appreciate his trying something new with the song, but I did not think it was entirely successful. He is such a good musician, though, that it is certainly interesting.

Match 16 Winner - Prince, "Crystal Ball"

I wanted to like the OK Go song (and I do like some others of them), but it didn't grab me. The Prince song was a mess. No structure to the long composition. A lot of typically inspired ideas slapped together. When Prince is focused and tight in his songwriting and productions, he is unbeatable. That is not the case on this TRACK. But there was enough inspiration here to lift it over th OK Go song.

Match 13:

Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"
Tough, because I think "Record Year" is a great song; I just like "Hilly Field"s trippy (and catchy) shifting structure more.

Match 14:

The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
I'll echo sonofsamian's (and Schwah's) words concerning "Old And Wise"... any hope the song had was squelched when the sax came in. Not my sort of thing. The White Stripes bring it, on the other hand... some serious ass-smokin' rock.

Match 15:

Stereolab- "French Disko"
Good cover by Ward, but seems rather lackluster against "French Disko."

Match 16:

Prince- "Crystal Ball"
Not a huge Prince fan, but maybe I just need to hear more of this non-commercial stuff. Very ambitious, indeed. My first pass through these songs excludes the videos to get rid of potential distractions. That said, the video for "This Too Shall Pass" was excellent (though I'm skeptical).Good song too, just not enough to win this matchup for me.

Moonbeam, I won't be able to send my ballot right in time this week. Could I please send it a few hours later? Specially given that this week my only song of the tournament is in the competition?
I'll understand if not possible, anyway.

Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"
The Decemberists- "Record Year"

What a great start with the driving "Hilly Fields". So this Nicely fella just came and went, huh? Too bad. About The Decemberists, my feelings are very similar to Sonofsamiam's.


The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise"
The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"

Not an easy match-up. Probably I would like this White Stripes track a lot less if it wasn't early in their catalog. But it's cool to follow Jack's steps to the greatness of White Blood Cells. "Old and Wise" didn't catch me enough, although I liked the sax at the end. I had to listen to some Kenny G afterwards.


M. Ward- "Rave On"
Stereolab- "French Disko"

"Rave On" was a nice listen, but it's seems a little odd to me that someone sacrificed the choice of an unacclaimed song on a cover that's not totally unique. Anyway I really like Stereolab and this track is as good as any of theirs, so this was an easy choice for me.


Prince- "Crystal Ball"
OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"

I admit I have never heard "Crystal Ball" before and I am really curious about it after reading others comments. Halfway through the song my feelings are mixed, I both agree that Prince's talent shines through and that the song is a bit of a mess. A lot to take in, it feels kinda wrong to vote after hearing this song only once. I sorta wish that the OK Go track is bad so I have a good reason to come back to "Crystal Ball" for the next round.
...
Looking up OK Go at RYM - this is a 2010 track, was this allowed? During the intro it feels like a winner, but then I lose interest in the music. The dominos/balls/glasses/etc sounds better than the real instruments and vocals. And the video is extremely fascinating! But I'm voting for the best music...

ooo if I can squeeze my votes in too.

I instinctively think of Sunday afternoon as a time to wrap up various loose ends so I think I got lazy and missed last week because of that.

I know that U.S. Central Time isn't the center of the whole universe, but maybe a few hours past midnight so us non-Europeans can get their votes in just before bedtime?

Of course I can't begin to think of how to adjust for Aussie time, Moonbeam!

Jonah

Match 13:

The Decemberists- "Record Year"

Tough call... I get tired of Meloy's voice upon repeated listens like a lot of people, but the song itself isn't that bad. And Hilly Fields was a pretty good listen to, but not quite distinctive for me.

Match 14:


The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"

This song has everything that makes the White Stripes so great. And since I love hearing the White Stripes doing what they do, they win out.


Match 15:

Stereolab- "French Disko"

Finally got a chance to listen to Mars Audiac Quintet and Emperor Tomato Ketchup this past year and love hearing their unique soundscape in all forms, including this song.

Match 16:

Prince- "Crystal Ball"

Wow, I remember mentioning hearing elements of Frank Zappa weirdness (albeit with an R+B flavor) on some earlier Prince tracks, but this goes for epic experimentation while remaining distinctively Prince. If enough post-Sign of the Times Prince is like this, I'll be very interested in hearing more.

OK Go have to stop making incredible videos. Their songs are really good but they can't match up with the images. Maybe something more minimalist is in order... oh wait...

Probably yes , I'll begin now.

Nick Nicely - Hilly Fields : I liked both songs, but Hilly Fields' strangeness gives it the edge
The White Stripes - The Big Three Killed My Baby : this game is much easier when you like once song and are bored by the other !
Stereolab - French Disko : it's my pick, so I guess that's no surprise that I really love it
OK Go - This too Shall Pass : I would probably have voted for Crystal Ball if it was 5 minutes shorter, but here it is unnecessarily long, while OK Go, while not being a great band, is often undeservedly bashed.

Match 13:

Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields": I agree it's the Strawberry Fields of the new wave era. What means it is excellent.
The Decemberists- "Record Year": Good ballad, but not mind-blowing as the former.

Winner: Nick Nicely- "Hilly Fields"

Match 14:

The Alan Parsons Project- "Old and Wise": Very good ballad. Reminds a bit of the Fleet Foxes...
The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby": At a unique listen it sounded awesome!

Winner: The White Stripes- "The Big Three Killed My Baby"

Match 15:

M. Ward- "Rave On": Of course I'll vote for my own choice. Maybe I didn't mind put a cover here in the likes of what Henrik said because I've never heard the original version, so it sounds quite original for me. One of my favorite love songs. And yes, Moonbeam, the vocal harmonies are the best part!
Stereolab- "French Disko": I didn't know stereolab sounded guitar oriented like this. I always had imagined their sound more spacey and experimental. I had looked for Emperor Tomato Ketchup in the past, but didn't find it. I think I should look for it again, specially given that Damon Albarn loves Stereolab.

Winner: M. Ward- "Rave On"

Match 16:

Prince- "Crystal Ball": I'll assume I prefer a lot of other Prince's songs more than it.
OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass": Nice track, and specially great video.

Winner: OK Go- "This Too Shall Pass"

Voting for this week is now closed.

Here are the results!

Match 13:

Nick Nicely - "Hilly Fields": 10
The Decemberists - "Record Year": 7

The closest match of the week saw the lead change hands a few times before "Hilly Fields" maintained a slim lead until the end.

Match 14:

The Alan Parsons Project - "Old and Wise": 4
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby": 13

In an odd turnaround, "Old and Wise" scored the first 3 votes and 4 of the first 6, before The White Stripes put the foot to the pedal to earn each of the last 11 votes.

Match 15:

M. Ward - "Rave On": 5
Stereolab - "French Disko": 12

Stereolab quickly established a comfortable lead and never let go, scoring an easy win.

Match 16:

Prince - "Crystal Ball": 13
OK Go - "This Too Shall Pass": 4

The week's biggest win goes to Prince, with "Crystal Ball" cruising to a 13-2 lead before OK Go got the last 2 votes to bring the final margin under double digits.

The winners advance to the Winners Bracket 1 (W1), while the losers can take heart in the fact that they are not out of the game yet, and move to Losers Bracket 1 (L1).

Up-to-date brackets are available here.

Oh, just thought I'd clear this up.

"Crystal Ball" is the title track of a collection of outtakes released in 1997/1998, but the song itself dates back to 1986. It was going to be the title track of a triple album, but Warner Brothers freaked out and made him reduce it to a double album which became Sign o' the Times.

Here's some more info for those interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Ball_%28unreleased_album%29

I can't believe my pick got through. We must have none of the same voters as bracketology.

Moonbeam, don't worry, this game is, by far, the best game in Acclaimed music. I already discover two or three excellents songs I don't know.
I hope this game continue a very long time...I have so many songs to propose