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Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

BRACKET M
1. What’s Going On – What great delivery. It’s the sweetness that makes the lyrics so sharp and effective. There’s almost a calm resignation to a world going out of control that’s so haunting.

2. Fortunate Son – These two top ones are probably the best message songs out there. I have trouble hearing modern anti-war songs that are still lyrically cryptic. The second the lyrics begin you know what this angry song’s message is. CCR stopped being a playful swamp band after this.

3. Sweet Child of Mine – Another awesome song that is just a tad overplayed.

4. The Tracks of My Tears – Gorgeous but nothing the redefines the musical canon.

BRACKET N
1. Good Vibrations – In the battle of the essential musical suites, this one wins out, providing the listener with something new to get excited about when the other perfect portions of this opus get boring.

2. Bohemian Rhapsody – Very tough call, but lyrically and sonically this masterpiece gets a little goofy. Chalk it up to my association of this with Wayne’s World for it’s #2 spot, I guess.

3. She Loves You – One of the more grating Beatles songs, which I refer to as the sheep song because of the obnoxious singing of the words “and you know she can’t be BAAAAAAHD”

4. Jumpin’ Jack Flash – Another indistinct Stones song that I can’t figure out the melody too.

BRACKET O

1. Won’t Get Fooled Again – This needs to advance! Relentless energy and dynamics, with an early keyboard solo that holds you with baited breath before Keith Moon pounds back in.

2. How Soon Is Now? -- I need to get this on iTunes so I can really enjoy it. Like another favorite He’s a Rebel, this pop song seems to have a chorus that adds a double dose of extra notes and beauty when you think it’s all wrapped up.

3. Penny Lane – Pleasant listenable Beatles, that pales in comparison to Strawberry and other experimental sounds of this period of the band.

4. Hey Ya! - OK, I know we have to give credit to music from this decade but let’s let this song retire, please? I don’t think it’s that special.

BRACKET P

1. Hey Jude – With the exception of maybe Dry the Rain by the Beta Band, this song makes all other songs that use crescendoing repeated notes and verses for their last third sound boring. Bonus points for opening little kids to the Beatles by letting them sing most of the song before they know many words.

2. Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay – Another iTunes priority, this is just wonderful, and the whistling is spot-on.

3. Billie Jean – Um, just fine, but I have yet to get beyond Off the Wall in my MJ collection.

4. Strange Fruit – Sorry, but my tastes don’t go this far back. I’ve heard this song’s lyrics referenced before so I should check it out.

Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

BRACKET M

Two strong songs in this bracket.

1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On” - No sweet sixteen without this sweet soul.
2. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine” - Energetic, powerful guitar rock combined with Axl Roses' impressive voice. Expressive, strong song.
3. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” - Good protest song, rarely listen to it anymore.
4. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” - Nice intro, nice voice, nice song, but no further sparks.

BRACKET N

Bracket with a clear winner.

1. The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” - Their ultimate hit has a very strong composition. Groundbreaking for that time, but timeless and ever so beautiful.
2. The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” - Energetic and catchy song, not their strongest, but prefer to listen to this over the next two songs.
3. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - A classic that I've heard too often. The fact, that one can hear this too often, says enough. I appreciate their guitar rock, but don't like the theatrical appearance from the band.
4. The Beatles, “She Loves You” - Catchy pop from the early 60's, but like their later work more. This is nice to hear on the radio once in a while, but has no body.

BRACKET O

Different styles, but equally good songs. Very difficult to pick here.

1. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” - Close call with Smiths and Outkast, but this song has stand the test of time more than once. A typical Beatles song, not so depressing like The Smiths or happy as Outkast, it just makes you feel good.
2. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” - The Morrissey mouth strikes again. Strong lyrics to a strong song.
3. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” - Happiest and silliest song from the century (so far)?
4. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” - Outlier in this bracket. Just don't like this song.

BRACKET P

Another bracket with a clear winner.

1. Otis Redding, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” - Don't ask me why, but this is my ultimate #1 song. Maybe because it relaxes more than any yoga or other meditational exercise? A kind of 'Zen and the art of wasting time'.
2. Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean” - Classic hit from Jackson at his highest peak. Not as bombastic as other songs on Thriller, Michael's voice is coming to its right in this strong disco rhythm.
3. The Beatles, “Hey Jude” - I remember we had this single at home, one of my favorites in younger times. Somehow the single got lost and this song has lost some affinity compared to other timeless Beatles songs.
4. Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” - My personal taste must be underdeveloped, for I do not yet like this kind of jazz.

Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

Translate by Honorio.
Gracias a Honorio por la traducción.
BRACKET M

1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On”, 4 points to the elegance

2. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears”, a delight that used to move to tears to the audience of the Miracles concerts

3. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son”, nice but don’t forget that we are choosing the 16 best songs in history

4. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine”, one of the few heavy metal songs I can enjoy



BRACKET N

1. The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations”, 4 points to the innovation

2. The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, the instrumental intro is one of the best things I’ve ever heard

3. The Beatles, “She Loves You”, I can’t explain why I like it more and more

4. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, possibly the ugliest song of the 256



BRACKET O

1. OutKast, “Hey Ya!”, 4 point to the XXI Century (and to this lovely green shirt)

2. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. It has eliminated “Anarchy in the U.K.”, “Creep” and “I Say a Little Prayer”. It could be the great surprise of the final tournament

3. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?”, the less representative song of The Smiths

4. The Beatles, “Penny Lane”, the best was on the other side of the single



BRACKET P

1. Otis Redding, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”, 4 selfish points

2. Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean”, it don’t seems so much but as the song advances is getting complete, perfect

3. Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit”, for crying of emotion and rage

4. The Beatles, “Hey Jude”, the opening phrase is precious, later the song goes boring

Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

BRACKET M
115. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” Greatest protest song ever.
19. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On” Was this a protest song? If so, 2nd greatest protest song ever.
51. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” Great 60s soul.
83. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine” Umm, this is #4? Wow, what a strong bracket because this song is frickin' awesome as well.


BRACKET N
35. The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” Well, this bracket isn't nearly as strong. I love "Jumpin' Jack Flash," but it was missing the grandiloquence of some of their better songs.
62. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody” Loony, excellence. I hadn't heard it in about two years and then the Flaming Lips covered it and I still knew all the words and then I became obsessed with this song again.
3. The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” I always thought this song was pretty overrated. It's catchy and sweet, but no better than 10 of the tracks on Pet Sounds. I think the Smile mythos elevated this song higher in many people's minds.
99. The Beatles, “She Loves You” Yeah, yeah, yeah, another typical early Beatles single. Fun, nothing special.

BRACKET O
118. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Epic done right.
182. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” The Smiths song everybody knows. Gets a little long, but the guitar part is so cool that it's hard to hate.
43. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” Yeah, I'm reacting to how overplayed it has been
150. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” Yep, Beatles. This is actually a Beatles song I will admit to liking, but it's in another strong bracket and this is the one I listen to the least.


BRACKET P
6. Otis Redding, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” Just perfect
27. Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean” Groovy baby
187. Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” Would probably be higher if I hadn't just discovered this because of Bracketology
38. The Beatles, “Hey Jude” Great, but a bit too long. Humm, I just put the Beatles at the bottom of three brackets. If only "In My Life" had made it on.

Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

BRACKET M
1. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine” – These last four brackets are amazing – really, there isn’t a single one of these sixteen songs that I wouldn’t drop everything to hear right now. So, essentially, implied across the board here is that SH2B2, 3, -and- 4. (A preview, no doubt, of the rounds yet to come.) That said, GNR’s ultimate power ballad gets the nod in this bracket, mostly for Slash’s inimitable (not that that’s stopped every hard-rock guitarist since from trying) guitar work.
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” – The best and tersest political protest song in rock history.
3. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” – Visceral excitement trumps perfection in this bracket, at least for me. If this was a songwriting competition alone, Smokey’s masterpiece might well win the whole thing.
4. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On” – A song, and an album, that I admire more than love.

BRACKET N
1. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody” – 5:55 of pure bombastic bliss. Is it as “great” or even as “good” as any of the other three in this bracket? Certainly not. And I don’t care.
2. The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – In lots of ways, the quintessential Stones song, with Jagger cementing his sinister-MC persona and Jimmy Miller’s immaculately dirty production taking its cues fm Richards’ fuzz-crusted guitars.
3. The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” – Have you ever really listened to the lyrics? They’re kind of dippy. No, wait, they’re -seriously- dippy. But who listens to this song for the words anyway? As a piece of sonic art, it remains breathtaking after 41 years.
4. The Beatles, “She Loves You” – It pains me to place such a slice of diamond-sharp pop in last place, but there you go. If you can track it down, you need to hear Peter Sellers’ fall-down hilarious spoken-word cover (produced, I believe, by George Martin himself), recited in his Dr. Strangelove voice to a gleeful Nazi cohort: “She says she LUFFS you!” “YAH?” “Yah. Yah.”

BRACKET O
1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” – It’s almost nine minutes, but it never feels overlong or self-indulgent, climactic ARP synth drone and all. All four members at their considerable best.
2. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” – Another lengthy masterpiece, from a band not normally known for stretching out. Marr’s reverb-laden riffing perfectly complements Morrissey’s tales of nightclub woe.
3. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” – Hip-hop with unusually contemplative lyrics, keyed to a bouncily strummed acoustic guitar – until both those elements disappear amid an explosion of glorious instant-catchphrase nonsense (“Ice cold!” “Shake it like a Polaroid picture!”).
4. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” – I know, I know; who am I, Moonbeam all of a sudden, or what? One can almost picture John shaking his head in bafflement at the finished version of this fussy soufflé even while marveling at his partner’s unerring sense of craftsmanship.

BRACKET P
1. Otis Redding, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” – No one will ever know if this would have been as huge without the unexpected poignancy of its posthumous release. But it hasn’t endured for four decades because it was a great artist’s ironic valedictory. It has endured because it’s great art, of a most unassuming kind.
2. The Beatles, “Hey Jude” – As opposed to great art -conceived- as potential great art – you don’t enlist a symphony orchestra and then have them all sing na-na-na-NA-na-na-na for four minutes out of modesty. But, again, it has endured and then some, because of McCartney’s incredible melodic gifts, and for his readiness and willingness to go nuts in the vocal booth when the occasion calls for it. “Yeahyeahyeahyeah, yeah, yeahyeahyeah – YEAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA…”
3. Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” – Not really jazz, not really pop, not really like any other recording ever. Otherworldly. Chilling. Infuriating. Unforgettable. Makes almost anything you listen to immediately afterward sound small and meaningless. Which means it will almost never be your first choice.
4. Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean” – A great record by a man who, yes, at the time really -was- that good. The fact that it’s in last place here is a reflection of how amazing this bracket is, not of the song’s own quality.

Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

Needless to say, a lot of close races.

BRACKET M
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” - I'm always in favor of an energetic rock song that sticks it to the man.
2. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” - I probably like this song more because of the "Platoon" tie-in. But it has a terrific melody.
3. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On” - Beautiful social commentary. If only we had some of that today.
4. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine” - Sentimental Axl. It's a great song, but somehow rings false on an emotional level.

BRACKET N
1. The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” - A pop masterpiece plain and simple.
2. The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” - Can't understand a word Mick is saying, but it rocks anyway.
3. The Beatles, “She Loves You” - One of their best early tracks, but I've always preferred their later stuff
4. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - A convoluted mess that somehow still manages to be fun but can't be taken too seriously.

BRACKET O
1. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” - I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "Meet the new boss / Same as the old boss" is one of the greatest lyrics in all of pop culture.
2. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” - Proof that not all great songs were written before 1980.
3. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” - A fun stroll about Liverpool. The titular road, by the way, is named after a slave trader, as are a lot of places in Liverpool.
4. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” - A good song, a really good song, but outmatched here.

BRACKET P
1. Otis Redding, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” - This one sticks with me every time. As immortal as the tide itself.
2. Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” - The song her voice was made to sing. And it's an important story to tell.
3. Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean” - Not a Jackson fan, but I can't deny this one's greatness. His best.
4. The Beatles, “Hey Jude” - The Beatles are my favorite band, but I'm being really hard on them this week.

Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

BRACKET M
1. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On” - A marvellous song and performance
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” - Their best
3. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears” - Excellent ballad
4. Guns ‘n’ Roses, “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine” - The second best 'O' (O'?) song from 1987 is #4 here.

BRACKET N
1. The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” - Save my comments again
2. The Beatles, “She Loves You” - The quintessential early Beatles
3. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - It sorta feels sad that I didn't get the chance to rate this higher
4. The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” - Jumps out of the tournament

BRACKET O
1. The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now?” - Why all the hate of Morrissey? Though this is, of course, Johnny Marr's finest moment.
2. OutKast, “Hey Ya!” - One of the most uplifting songs ever
3. The Beatles, “Penny Lane” - Not special to me, just some line repeated again and again
4. The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” - How come so many of you got fooled again?

BRACKET P
1. Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean” - You play. I dance!
2. Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” - Hauntingly beautiful and soooooooooooo historically important.
3. The Beatles, “Hey Jude” - 1968 was Paul's year, but the competition here is tough...
4. Otis Redding, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” - I remember I was hard to this song in the first round, but this is not an opportunity to be nice.

Re: Bracketology Round 2: Week 4

BRACKET M- pretty solid

1. "Sweet Child o' Mine"- the hair metal child in me will not let this be dethroned.
2. "What's Goin' On"- brilliant social commentary and set up the path for the even more brilliant Songs in the Key of Life
3. "Fortunate Son"- That guitar lick is nice.
4. "The Tracks of My Tears"- would win the terrible Bracket N.

BRACKET N- yikes- I like none of these songs!

1. "Bohemian Rhapsody"- I suppose I could live with this over the others.
2. "Jumpin' Jack Flash"- merely better than what's below for me.
3. "Good Vibrations"- I know it's influential, but I can't stand the vocals at all.
4. "She Loves You"- one of my least favorite Beatles songs, and that is saying something.

BRACKET O- 2 great songs, 2 awful songs.

1. "How Soon Is Now?"- Deliriously wonderful- the signature hit of one of the greatest bands.
2. "Hey Ya!"- a heck of a lot of fun. But if this advances and Prince doesn't have anything in the Sweet 16, something is wrong.
3. "Won't Get Fooled Again"- I detest The Who.
4. "Penny Lane"- but not as much as I detest the Beatles.

BRACKET P- 3 fantastic songs!

1. "Billie Jean"- nobody can fuck with that bass. Try! I dare you.
2. "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"- Would have won brackets M and N. Love it!
3. "Strange Fruit"- another really strong song falls in a tough bracket.
4. "Hey Jude"- na na na na! Goodbye!