Bon voyage:

18. Led Zeppelin (46)
17. Elvis Costello (46)

In the waiting room: The Clash (40), Johnny Cash (36), Radiohead (36), The Kinks (35), Stevie Wonder (31).

I don’t have any brilliant observations this week, so I’ll just break down the final 16 by nationality: US 9, UK 7 (before this week, they were tied).

Survivor’s Sweet Little Sixteen:

The Beach Boys, The Beatles, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, The Clash, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, Prince, Radiohead, R.E.M., The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young.

Week 24 starts now. Off we go.

No change for me..

1) [5pts] Neil Young
2) [4pts] The Beach Boys
3) [3pts] The Kinks
2) [2pts] The Who
1) [1pt] Johnny Cash

1. (5p) Jimi Hendrix - Guitar wanking can be a whole lot of fun, but everything has to come to an end.

2. (4p) The Clash - Quite good, but not good enough. They have made a lot of crap.

3. (3p) Radiohead - Too many uninteresting albums. For some reason a lot of people seem to think that everything they make is great, but it isn't.

4. (2p) Neil Young - Not untalented, but he's got a creepy voice.

5. (1p) The Kinks - Fun band, with some amazing songs, but amazing works both ways here. Amazingly good and amazingly bad.

Now it's off to buy some new tires for my Hyundai.

5 pts - Radiohead - repeat
4 pts - Stevie Wonder – repeat
3 pt. – David Bowie - repeat
2 pts – Prince – repeat
1 pt. - Jimi Hendrix – A huge talent, but not something I go to very often.

Same as last week:

5 - points The Clash
4 - points Johnny Cash
3 - points Stevie Wonder
2 - points Neil Young
1 - points Prince

5 points Cash
4 Hendrix
3 R.E.M.

New

2 Stevie Wonder
1 The Kinks - Feel bad voting for both of these but it still puts them in the top 13. Of all the other artists Bowie, Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles have a back catalogue that could easily fill three hours with some of the best music ever recorded. The Who, Neil Young, The Beach Boys and VU have a sizeable collection songs and at least three great albums. That leaves those two The Clash and Radiohead. Two bands who, along with the multitude of B-sides and albums they put out have the strongest claim (aside from the long gone Smiths and not on the list Super Furry Animals) to be the two strongest and most consistent British bands since The Beatles.

P.S. Neil Young is not from the US.

Arrgh.

Sorry about that--I eyeballed it. Sloppy, sloppy work by me. The correct tally is:

US 9
UK 6
Canada 1

1. THE KINKS
2. RADIOHEAD
3. THE BEACH BOYS

4. JOHNNY CASH. Amazing, isn’t it, that he’s the last fifties artist standing? (Wonder how he would have done without the biopic.) There are so many things that could be said about him, but I’ll leave it at this: many people have combined vulnerable and cool, but JC did it first, and best.

5. THE WHO. I never need to listen to Tommy or Quadrophenia in their entirety (although both contain good songs). But the occasional artistic misfire due to overreaching is no great sin, and that’s about all I can find negative to say about the Who—their energy, songwriting, audacity, and diamond-hard intelligence are pretty much impeccable. By the way, my favorite album of theirs? The Who Sell Out. Ask for it by name.

And I still didn't get it right.

US 8
UK 7
Canada 1

1.REM
2.Radiohead
3.Velvet Underground
4.Kinks
5. New : Beach Boys : Magnificient music, highly melodic and vocal. Great songs but, to me, only one masterpiece album.

1. R.E.M.
2. The Beach Boys
3. The Clash

New:

4. Johnny Cash -- I love that rollicking, rocking chug-a-chug sound you hear on his early hits - Hey Porter, Folsom Prison, etc. Let me be self-critical for a moment and question why I love it so much in Cash, and dismiss it so readily with his label-mate Elvis Presley. (32 whole spots separate the two on my list.) Is it because it continues to sound fresh in the context of "country" music, but "rock 'n roll" has evolved more rapidly and farther afield? Is it because the darker Cash's persona and themes are more artistically resonant than Elvis'? For me, those are (legitimately or not) all reasons. But at heart, I think it's just that Cash's deep baritone stirs me more than Elvis' hiccupping, straining tenor.

The minuses - Cash's novelty songs are hit or miss, and there is a lot of schmaltz in his catalogue.

5. Jimi Hendrix - Now a big jump into my top-25. I'd like to play up two underplayed aspects of his work - his songwriting and his voice. His songwriting is not always top notch -- too often it is just a chord structure around which to deliver his devastating guitar work (see "Voodoo Chile" and "Stone Free"). Often though that is enough. But on many other tunes, the pyrotechnics hide some great songs - the ballads "Little Wing" and "The Wind Cries Mary," the rockers "Manic Depression" and "Crosstown Traffic," many others. Don't get me wrong, as a songwriter, he's still mainly a guitarist. But they're solidly rocking tunes... good vessels to deliver some freakiness to the masses.

His voice is an underrated instrument in his arsenal. Bluesy and hip in delivery, but suprisingly deep and tuneful. A bit talky and a bit strained in the upper register, but his delivery makes those come across well.

I also throw Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell in as part of Jimi's high ranking. Their work (which I adore on the furious "Fire") is the perfect accompaniment to his own work.

In the end, I vote for him now becasue the songwriting, while solid, is not as fine as that of the artists ahead of him.

1. The Beatles
2. Radiohead
3. Stevie Wonder
4. The Velvet Underground
5. The Kinks

1. The Who
2. The Clash
3. The Kinks
4. R.E.M. (my all-time #75)

5. Johnny Cash (#73) - What a surprise that JC is still in the game! He's lower in my personal list, but nevertheless it's a pleasant surprise. JC is the type of artist I really like despite not actively playing him very often. But anyway, anyhow, anywhere I hear him, he really moves me.

5 points - Johnny Cash
4 point - Prince

3 points - R.E.M.
Should I confess that automatic for the people kinda bore me ?
2 points - The Beach Boys
From this point I do not have much things to reproach to anyone on the list, so I will just choose the one I like less ! I find Pet Sounds a little overrated, it is indeed a great album but is it really the best ever ? I really prefer Odessey and Oracles or Sergent Pepper's !
1 point - Bob Dylan
I just prefer the 11 other ones !

1. Prince
2. Stevie Wonder
3. Johnny Cash
4. The Clash
5. The Kinks

Repeats:

1. Johnny Cash - Great voice, but really too hit or miss. Also seemed to just disappear for some years.
2. Stevie Wonder - Can't say I love any of his albums front to back.
3. Prince - Funk really isn't my thing, but I respect what he does with it.

New:

4. The Clash - I never got into "London Calling" to be honest. I always felt that the Ramones were better simply because while they were not nearly as intelligent or passionate, their songs were simply fun and melodic. For me, that's good enough. Simply being influential doesn't really prevent them from being voted off.
5. Jimi Hendrix - He's a guitar god, but everything else leaves a bit to be desired. "Little Wing" and "All Along the Watchtower" are simply amazing, but much of his work is simply just guitar playing. As good as "All Along the Watchtower" is, it still is a Bob Dylan song. Hendrix's songwriting and voice really isn't up to par with the remaining competition.

On the edge: The Kinks, David Bowie, Neil Young

5 points. Johnny Cash
4 points. Stevie Wonder
3 points. The Clash
2 points. Prince
1 point- The Who- Again a tough choice between what albums I like more. I dislike a lot of Who and Neil Young stuff so I had to decide who had the most I liked (which is a lot for both) and make the decision.

Neil Young is out so. I add the Rolling Stones who I like.

1. Velvet Underground- 5pts
2. Bob Dylan- 4pts
3. Radiohead- 3pts
4. The Beach Boys- 2pts
5. The Rolling Stones- 1 point What have done the last thirty years. One average album after another. They still sound like they did thirty years ago.

Rank1: Neil is not out yet.

5 – Prince
4 – The Clash
3 – Stevie Wonder
2 – The Velvet Underground
new:
1 – Johnny Cash – I’m not a big fan of country music, but I really do love Johnny Cash. What does bother me though is that a lot of his songs do sound very similar.

5 pts: The Clash (holdover)
4 pts: R.E.M. (holdover)
3 pts: The Kinks (holdover)
2 pts: Neil Young (holdover)
1 pt: The Velvet Underground - their first 2 may be a bit overrated, the second 2 a bit under. Amazing, timeless band, but I only go back to scattered songs.

5 pts - Johnny Cash
4 pts - R.E.M.
3 pts - The Beatles
2 pts - The Who:Have done some great stuff such as 'Live At Leeds' and 'Who's Next' but their early stuff sounds pretty tacky to me and 'Tommy' is pretty dull
1 pt - The Clash:I'm gonna have to go with these guys as the next choice. They're just not as talented as the rest of the artists left and although 'The Clash' and 'London Calling' are classics,some of their other material lets them down

johnny Cash is going
Hats off for his excellent score of 24 weeks

1. Bob Dylan
With Mr McManus off the island, my next three each move up a place:
2. The Clash.
3. R.E.M.
4. Stevie Wonder
5. The Beach Boys - 10 albums on the AM list, including the Number One position - looks fine and dandy. But beyond "Pet Sounds" where are the other nine albums? "Surf's Up" is way down at 490th, after which we have to look outside the Top 800 for their 3rd positioned album.
And then there's the matter of another 18 albums after 1973, none of which are on the AM list at all, nor are any post-'71 songs listed. A great 60s band who should have stopped in 1971, in my opinion.

Bubbling under, in alphabetical order:
The Beatles, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, Prince, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, The Who, Neil Young.

Since Neil Young is still here.

1. Velvet Underground
2. Neil Young
3. Bob Dylan
4. Radiohead
5. The Beach Boys

First of all, I think the sweet little sixteen is a great sixteen. So compliments to ourselves, we did a damn good job!

Then I noticed that I totally forget to vote last week? Hmm, not so good. Well, here we go again.

Still waiting after all these weeks:
5 pts - Jimi Hendrix
4 pts - The Kinks
3 pts - The Who
2 pts - Prince

Walking the line straight to the sea:
1 pt - Johnny Cash

It really surprises me to see him get this far. Great country artist though, he had a good start in his career and after a lesser period got more acclaimed again in his later years. May the man in black rest in peace and find his spot somewhere around spot 12 or so.

P.S. schleuse, The Beatles are not from the UK ...

... they are from outer space

Actually, Andre, the Beatles are the Secret Masters of the World. Their songs are in fact sonic Druidic rituals created to draw telluric currents to Liverpool, thus driving away the Blue Meanies of Agarttha while keeping the underground sun shining over Pepperland. To this day, neo-Templars living beneath Central Park still worship the oracular head of John Lennon, and ritually defile homonculi created from the blood of Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and John Cale.

Some of them even post here, I think.

(Let this be a warning to everyone: don't read Foucault's Pendulum while you have the flu.)

mr. schleuse, coincidence or not, I beg you: would you like to finish the scripts of "Krull - The Beginning" and "Beastmaster - The Ending"... for me as an executive producer?? just imagine, we could even. finally. conquer:...tha..VOORLD...!

oh... ok... i'm fine with Eco, too.

All repeats
5 Points - Radiohead
4 Points - The Kinks
3 Points - The Beatles
2 Points - Stevie Wonder
1 Point - The Rolling Stones

Led Zeppelin is gone and I had mixed feelings about them considering the current influence they have in rock music. There is a good debate they might be the biggest influence out of everyone who is left.

1. Bob Dylan
2. The Velvet Underground
3. The Beach Boys
4. Neil Young
5. Johnny Cash- I am big fan of Johnny Cash and he is still big influence on country music and even country-alt. I don't think he is above Elvis Preseley in the long run.

5 points - Jimi Hendrix

4 points - Prince

3 points - Neil Young

2 points - Johnny Cash

1 point - Stevie Wonder. A new entry and the first entry with an album in my top 100 (Innervisions). When I first discovered Stevie, Songs in the Key of Life was getting all the critical hype. That album never really got to me, mostly because it should have been 1 disc. Innervisions was exactly what I wanted Songs to be: no fluff, all funk. Of course Talking Book is another solid albums and the 15 minute duo of "As" and "Another Star" at the end of Songs is one of my favorite musical moments. Stevie really marks the first artist I'm voting for that instantly comes to mind as a favorite.

5 pts. Radiohead- I like some songs from them here and there but overall I feel they're VASTLY overrated.

4 pts. Velvet Underground- Again, I feel like they deserve credit for their influence but as far as me actually LISTENING to their music, it's a small group of indispensables for my taste.

3 pts. David Bowie- Go ahead, tie me to the stake and soak me in gasoline for my blasphemy but other than ZIGGY STARDUST I think a well-chosen packed 2CD anthology would give me all the Bowie I care to have.

After this, it got TOUGH

2 pts. Neil Young- Before I get pilloried, please understand my Neil Young experience at this point is limited to a couple 90s era releases, a hits anthology, HARVEST and AFTER THE GOLD RUSH so it's entirely possible my estimation of him will rise exponentially as I get a chance to listen to more of his 60s/70s output. But for now, I put him here...

1 pt. The Clash- Love a lot of their stuff but there's quite a bit, I, er, don't love.

Greg,

Get yourself a copy of Tonight's The Night. Based on what you already have, I think it would substantially increase your appreciation for Neil Young.

Since Stephan is off on the Nile somewhere, I'm posting his ballot for him:

****

1) Jimi Hendrix
2) Radiohead
3) Stevie Wonder
4) The Clash
5) The Beatles – I’m sure I’ve expressed my opinion about them often enough, and they’re still my #31 artists of all time.. not too shabby for a bunch of hacks (I kid, I kid).

yaaah.... go on, schleuse, holy puppet master of The Steppph...

1. The Kinks
2. The Clash
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. Stevie Wonder
5. David Bowie (re-entry)

Led Zeppelin's exit means a new entry is in order.

1. The Who
2. The Beatles
3. Bob Dylan
4. Johnny Cash
5. *NEW* The Beach Boys- I struggled with this last pick for quite some time. It was between them and Neil Young. I know much more Beach Boys material than Neil Young, and the only song that I really like of theirs is "God Only Knows". I figured that my own relative ignorance about an artist's career precludes me from voting such an artist out until we get to a point where the only other options are artists I really like quite a bit. That said, this marks the first time that I am voting for an artist with a song that I really enjoy.

5 points - Johnny Cash

He's got great live albums and great cover albums, but not really any good proper albums. So, as much as I like him, it doesn't seem like he fits.

4 points - Jimi Hendrix

Unbelievable songs, like "Crosstown Traffic" or "Third Stone from the Sun," but it always feels like he goes on and on, mostly because the lyrics always fly right past me.

3 points - The Clash

Definitely where punk hit a great pop stride, especially with "London Calling," but again rather samey, "Sandinista!" experiments and all.

2 points - Stevie Wonder

Really beautiful songs. But I have to be in a really specific patient mood for them to work. It always amazes me how they still sound completely out of their time, though.

1 point - The Kinks

I have to be in a Monkees mood to listen to The Kinks, so you know there's something wrong. Some incredible songs, though, and I wish they'd done something to keep themselves from being underrated - like making a flawless album.