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Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRACKETOLOGY: ROUND 1, WEEK 2

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 0
1930s: 0
1940s: 1
1950s: 1
1960s: 6
1970s: 8
1980s: 7
1990s: 5
2000s: 4


Also of note:
Two songs by Sly & the Family Stone (in the same bracket, no less)
A bracket with two songs from this decade


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.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]
#372: "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]
#653: "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]
#884: "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
#167: "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]
#346: "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]
#679: "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
#858: "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
#4. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
#509: "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
#516: "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]
#1021: "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
#209: "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
#304: "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
#721: "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]
#816: "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
#202: "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
#311: "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]
#714: "God" - John Lennon [1970]
#823: "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
#197: "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]
#316: "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
#828: "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
#468: "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
#557: "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]
#980: "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
#184: "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
#329: "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
#696: "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
#841: "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Changes"
In some brackets, there is one song that is the obvious pick. Then there are brackets like this one where there aren't any standouts and it's basically a toss-up between two or more songs. To me, this is all about either Bowie or Joplin, and Bowie gets the nod here simply because I'm more likely to sing along with this one than "Bobby".
2. "Me and Bobby McGee"
It's an excellent song, almost on par (for me, at least) with "Changes." It just doesn't strike a chord with me the way the Bowie song does.
3. "Wicked Game"
This is one of the eerier love songs I've ever heard. It's dream-like and moody, but it has a lot of intensity. Here's an example of a music video being better than the song, which is saying something because the song is pretty darn good.
4. "Yeah!"
In a word, no. I hate this song. A stupid eight-note hook courtesy of Lil' Jon and an even stupider rap from Ludacris seals this song's fate. Seriously, Ludacris's rap features some of the most insipid lyrics I've ever heard.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Venus as a Boy"
Really? Björk only has ONE song in the top 1024? "Human Behaviour" (which is a far superior song from the same album) misses the cut by 141 songs, "Bachelorette" misses by 400-something, and my favorite ("Hyper-Ballad") is "bubbling under"? For shame, critics. Still, "Venus" is a pleasant-enough ballad, and it's still the strongest of the four here.
2. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"
Ian Dury's paean to his three favorite vices is a lot of fun, but it's not exactly heavy-hitting stuff. This is a fairly lightweight bracket to my way of thinking, and Dury is lucky to be getting three points out of me.
3. "Many Rivers to Cross"
Reggae goes gospel! This is a song that, if I had listened to it more than I have, I'd probably be rating it higher than Dury or even Björk. But as it is, it just hasn't taken hold with me yet.
4. "Boogie Chillen'"
I'm sure there's a reason why this song is so highly revered. I'm sure it's considered to be a major influence on different artists. But to me, it just sounds really repetitive. I'd rather listen to "Boom Boom."

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Ah, here's a bracket with an obvious pick. It's hard to vote against a song that kick-started an entire genre of music, and influences musicians to this day. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the song is pretty damned awesome. As a side-note, about seven years ago, I got together with three friends for an informal jam session. We played a few songs, but our most successful song was... "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The only other thing I remember about it is that after we finished, the guitarist said, "We forgot to do the solo!"
2. "Smoke on the Water"
A song like this deserves to be higher than #509. This song is a staple of EVERY wannabe rock band, and it's got (arguably) the most recognizable riff in all of rock music. Sure it's fairly dumb and simplistic, but it's still better than the other two.
3. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)"
The lyrics are a little simplistic and don't really hit as hard as Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" (from the following year). Still, it's a fun song, and you know that when the "Great googa mooga, can't you hear me talkin' to ya" line comes in, you're singing along with them!
4. "Da Funk"
For me, Daft Punk is one of those love/hate groups. Some of their stuff is great ("Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" & "Digital Love") and other stuff is just tedious and agonizing ("Da Funk"). This song gets a pass.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"
Odd coincidence that we get a bracket with two songs by Sly, but this one is the better of the two, and maybe Sly's best. Funky as hell, and a great party song.
2. "Hot Fun in the Summertime"
It's a shame that this one gets stuck with "Thank You," because it could easily win some of the other brackets. Like most of Sly's stuff from the '60s, this one is a hell of a lot of fun and is made for singing along.
3. "Teen Age Riot"
What can I say? I'm a Sly fan. "Teen Age Riot" is a great song by one of the best artists of all time, but it just doesn't compare to the other two.
4. "Rock Your Baby"
It's gonna take a lot for me to vote highly for a disco song. This one ain't it. It's pleasant enough, but... no.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Pump Up the Volume"
I don't know why I love this song as much as I do, but... this one's a five-star for me. Great beat, and even though there aren't any "lyrics" as you would normally think of them, I know every line in this song. A little story: I remember walking around my college campus one evening. I wasn't even listening to this song, I just had it stuck in my head. Anyway, I was dancing around and mouthing the "words" along with the song that was spinning through my brain. I'm sure I looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. Thank God no one saw me when I got to the "Mars needs women" part.
2. "Born to Be Wild"
Oh man. Another staple of classic rock radio. That's probably why it doesn't win this bracket for me; I've heard it WAY too many times.
3. "I Predict a Riot"
This song was my first introduction to Kaiser Chiefs, and musically, it's not a bad song. The lyrics are a little affected though, and that's what effectively weighs it down for me.
4. "God"
Don't really like it. The music is fairly repetitive, and the lyrics seem self-important. I'm not saying I disagree with the message, there are just other God-rejecting songs that I prefer, like XTC's "Dear God."

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Groove Is in the Heart"
This was a really difficult decision for me to make. I love three of the songs in this bracket (and hate the fourth), and I can't even decide which of the three I like the most. To me, they're all five-star songs, but Deee-Lite sneaks out a win simply because it's so much fun. Every time I hear it, I start smiling. It makes me want to dance.
2. "Karma Police"
I'm not going to try to argue against this song. I love Radiohead. "OK Computer" is their best album, and one of the best albums of all time. "Karma Police" is (in my mind) the best track on the album. And while the lyrics are obviously very deep and profound, it's not "fun." And that's what gives Deee-Lite the slight edge. If given the choice between listening to "Groove Is in the Heart" or listening to "Karma Police," I'll take the fun song any day. Still, I have a feeling that the forum's Radiohead fans will see this one through to the next round.
3. "Holiday in Cambodia"
It's not that I dislike this song; I really, really like it. Absolutely fantastic lyrics, and the bass line is hypnotic. It's very aggressive, and while that is a good thing, the song's aggression actually works against it in this case. When it comes right down to it, I would just rather listen to a fun song like "Groove Is in the Heart" or a serious, thought-provoking song like "Karma Police" than an angry song like "Holiday in Cambodia."
4. "Leader of the Pack"
This is the easiest pick of the four for me to make. With the exception of "He's a Rebel," I hate the whole girl-loves-the-bad-boy genre of music, and the motorcycle sound effects here are completely unnecessary. As soon as I hear the line about the class ring, my brain immediately shuts off. This is a terrible song.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy"
What can I say? This is one of the best tracks of the last few years, and I DON'T KNOW WHY. The only thing I can figure is that it's catchy. REALLY catchy. The beat appeals to the hip-hop crowd, the vocals appeal to the R&B crowd, and the whole thing appeals to the whole crowd. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about it, and that's probably the highest praise I can give a song: everyone loves it.
2. "That's Entertainment"
This one has personal attachment for me. When I was a DJ, I used to use this song as my closing song for all my shows. I'd say something like, "I hope you liked the show, and if not, that's entertainment," before I'd put on this song. Sure it's a corny line, but college radio doesn't have to be high-brow.
3. "Hounds of Love"
Is it better than Kate Bush's original? No. In the original, the "oh oh oh" parts weren't nearly as grating and blatant as they are here. It takes something special for a remake to be superior (or even equal) to the original. This one doesn't have that something.
4. "Sea Song"
I've never been a big fan of avant-garde music, and this song is the first victim of my distaste for it. I can only assume that Wyatt's body of work is just as dense and experimental, but this song doesn't make me want to explore it.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Rise"
Another bracket where none of the songs really stand out for me. I'm really surprised that I'm putting this one first, as I am not a PiL fan. Still, when compared to the other songs, it's got a slight edge, as my next few comments will show.
2. "California Girls"
FAR from the Beach Boys' best song, I wouldn't even put this in the band's top five. Heck, I probably wouldn't even put it in the band's top ten. I can understand that a lot of people love this song (I used to love it too), but it's really lightweight. "I wish that all the girls in the world lived in California!" Not the deepest sentiment, or even a good one. I'm convinced that if this song were done by any other artist, it wouldn't get nearly as much acclaim as it does. This song DEFINITELY benefits from having the Beach Boys' name attached to it.
3. "Who Do You Love"
I've never been a fan of Bo Diddley. I'll take Muddy Waters over Bo ANY day of the week. That said, this is probably my favorite Diddley tune. Some really interesting lyrics, but the refrain of "who do you love" is used a few too many times. Here's an example of where the cover (George Thorogood & the Destroyers in this case) is actually better.
4. "Born in the U.S.A."
Speaking of repetitive... If this song were a minute shorter, I wouldn't miss anything. Yes, I'll admit that the verses have some great lyrics about disillusionment with the U.S., but the chorus gets on my nerves IMMEDIATELY. Here's a song where every drunk in a bar thinks he can sing it, even though all they ever know is the line "BOOOOORN IN THE YOU-ESS-EH!" Is it really obvious that I don't like this song?

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Only a couple of songs for me to catch up on this week. Looks like some good competitive brackets there...

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

From now on (as last time)I'll give a /5 rating to each song


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1."Changes" - David Bowie [1972] 4.5
2. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971] 4.5
3. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989] 4.25
4. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004] 3.25

David’s science of the perfect single hit again in this bracket. The Janis Joplin is an old teenage classic of mine, the Chris Isaak too, and the Usher song I had never heard (and will never hear again)


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11

1. "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948] 5
2. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969] 4.5
3. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993] 4.5
4. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977] 3.5

No, Anthony, AC/DC is not the least artistic band. John Lee Hooker could be a great candidat, because he never had this crazy white Western idea that he was making “art”, and that’s why I love him, he was just recording half-improvised songs in the backroom of a store in Hasting Street for a handfull of dollars. Although I’ll probably be the only one to put it at #1.
Sometimes I think Acclaimed music should be renamed Acclaimed music according to rock critics , which is a very different thing. So many genres are under represented, and the blues (which is totally forgotten in the very land where it was born) is among the left-behind.
The Jimmy Cliff song is a pure gem showing how much Jamaicans had assimilated gospel and soul, and Björk an almost-tie third, is a beautiful mermaid, and , yes, an accomplished “artist” in her own right.
When I first re-heard the Ian Dury song, it was a karaoke instrumental version, I found it good but then with the addition of the ugly voice the song is ruined.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991] 5
2. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972] 4.25
3. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997] 4.25
4. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970] 3.75

SLTS is an instant classic and to me the best song in the album. It carries so much anger, energy on a great melody and with this killer fuzz sound. The moment when the bass sneaks in on Smoke On the Water is one of the best in hard rock, although the song is a beat weary now. Da funk is also a great single. Those French Touch acts are fascinated with hard rock. Ball of Confusion is well behind, a piece of psychedelic soul that didn’t pass the test of time IMO.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1."Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988] 4.25
2. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969] 4
3. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974] 3.75
4. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969] 3.75

Teen Age, like Smells.. are great indie songs, and I don’t like indie that much, which proves that there’s good in every genre. Thank U has a great funky bass line, and I don’t have much to say about the other 2 except “not bad”. Week bracket to me.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968] 4.5
2. "God" - John Lennon [1970] 4.5
3. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005] 3.75
4. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987] 3.25

When I was 20, I thought that “Born To Be Wild “ was one of the coolest songs in the world. I don't think that way anymore, though it still sounds very very good, wild, but not intellectual enough for this site I’m afraid. But the competition is rather weak here, except for the Lennon song, a close second, with these excellent lyrics.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997] 4.75
2. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980] 4.25
3. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990] 4
4. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964] 3

Karma Police is the undisputable winner for me, one of the best things that the swollen nineties have produced. Holiday in Cambodia is a grezat punk song (and I don’t like punk, especialy the rest of the Dead Kennedys’ album, an ode to ugliness). The Dee Lite song is cool, especially on a dance floor. The shangri-Las one is, to me, one of the worst in this whole round.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974] 5
2. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006] 4.5
3. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980] 4
4. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004] 4
Do I have to justify this number one once again ? No. It’s a masterpiece.The vocals are magical, the lyrics mysterious and beautiful, and the melody... The Gnarls song is a great universal single, and the last two could have done better in other brackets.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984] 5
2. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957] 4.5
3. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965] 4
4. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985] 4

“Born in the USA” : same thing as “Sea song”. One of the best protest songs ever, and the subjects of one of the biggest misunderstandings in rock history. Bo D is unlucky to find himself in the same bracket as the boss, and could have topped elsewhere. “California Girls” is ok musically speaking, but the stupid chauvinist lyrics almost ruin the whole thing. “Rise “ has its qualities.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

I’ll indicate songs that I hadn’t heard before (or at least didn’t know by the title alone) with an asterisk. I’ll include places in my all-time list in brackets where appropriate.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3

1. David Bowie- “Changes”: I severely underrate this song among Bowie’s canon (it wouldn’t be in my top 50 Bowie songs), but I can’t deny it’s greatness. It became a bit of a theme song for him, even if it is referenced incorrectly, as Bowie didn’t exactly change to fit in with the times.

2. Janis Joplin- “Me and Bobby McGee”: This song simply rocks. The verses showcase some surprisingly tender and subtle vocals from Janis, while her voice reaches great heights to match the swirl of magical guitars.

3. Chris Isaak- “Wicked Game”: Definitely a nice song, but I wonder if most of its acclaim is due to the music video. I do feel that this song is so monstrous in his catalogue that he is regarded a bit unjustly as a one-hit wonder.

4. Usher- “Yeah”: No.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11

1. Björk- “Venus as a Boy”: I feel that there are many better songs on Debut, but I understand why this song is so revered. It’s not often that more tender characteristics of men are lauded in song, and it’s evident that Björk believes in true beauty as well.

2. Jimmy Cliff- “Many Rivers to Cross”*: I hadn’t heard this before, but I definitely felt the emotional tug on first listen. Very powerful indeed!

3. Ian Dury and the Blockheads- “Sex and Drugs and Rock ‘n Roll”*: This song reminds me that I need to pick up a good Ian Dury record soon. I appreciate that he added a lot of funk to his brand of punk, but I prefer “Rhythm Stick”!

4. John Lee Hooker- “Boogie Chillen”*: I can appreciate the groove for sure, but it just can’t stand with the other three.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1

1. Nirvana- “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: It did ignite a generation to be sure, although it did seem to come at the cost of the type of fun that makes me love 80s music so much. Still, a deserving classic, even if I like several other Nirvana songs better.

2. Daft Punk- “Da Funk”*: I knew this song without realizing it. It’s definitely a catchy electro ditty, and although it represents what I liked about the 90s more than Nirvana, I can’t elevate it to first.

3. The Temptations- “Ball of Confusion”*: I hadn’t heard this, but it seems to be a contribution from the Temps to the civil rights movement. It’s nice to hear a bit of grit from them. I now have a bit of context when I listen to this awesome Kylie song.

4. Deep Purple- “Smoke on the Water”*: I hadn’t heard this before, and the guitars are indeed insane. Still, I don’t feel the need to run out and get a Deep Purple record as I did when I heard Ian Dury.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10

1. Sly and the Family Stone- “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”: A pioneering funk song wins through and through for me! It inspired Prince and was incorporated into Janet Jackson’s epic “Rhythm Nation”, which earns major bonus points.

2. Sly and the Family Stone- “Hot Fun in the Summertime”*: I really need to pick up Stand! Sly was clearly firing on all levels in 1969, and this song shows the depth of his range, as it is worlds apart from “Thank You”.

3. George McCrae- “Rock Your Baby”*: I knew this without knowing that I did. It definitely moves to a decent-sized groove, but it doesn’t particularly stand out from the sea of similar songs from this era.

4. Sonic Youth- “Teenage Riot”: Raw and unhinged like rock should be, but something about it always leaves me cold.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6

1. Kaiser Chiefs- “I Predict a Riot”*: As much as I’ve heard about The Kaiser Chiefs, I don’t know if I’ve actually heard a song of theirs until now. This song is decent, and that’s enough to elevate it to first in a weak bracket.

2. M/A/R/R/S- “Pump Up the Volume”: An 80s staple of the dance floor, it still doesn’t thrill me as it should given my affinity for 80s dance.

3. Steppenwolf- “Born to Be Wild”: Get the motor idling is more like it.

4. John Lennon- “God”: I don’t believe in John Lennon. His voice just drives me nuts.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6

1. Deee-Lite- “Groove Is in the Heart” (338): Song of the week for sure! It’s an absolute tragedy that they are regarded as mere one-hit wonders. Deee-Lite were revolutionaries of dance in the early 90s, and if pop stars of today had one tenth the charisma, vocal chops and style of Lady Miss Kier, pop music would be in a good place today. It’s a shame that she has to settle on being a bit of a lost icon.

2. Radiohead- “Karma Police” (1297): I picked up OK Computer earlier this year, and this song stood out as one of the best, mostly due to the way it changes toward the end. “For a minute there I lost myself” is sung so disarmingly that I just swooned.

3. Dead Kennedys- “Holiday in Cambodia”*: I didn’t know them outside of seeing a few T-shirts of theirs worn by guys that looked like they rocked hardcore. This is much more melodic than I anticipated, even loaded to the hilt with political commentary. It could have won several of the brackets this week, I feel!

4. The Shangri-Las- “Leader of the Pack”: If my “lead” they mean wallow in the cellar, they’ve got it right. Horrors of my childhood have this is a soundtrack.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9

1. Gnarls Barkley- “Crazy” (561): It’s those damn background vocals that send this song into orbit for me. An amazing slice of soul in the midst of the largely soulless Naughties, it deserves its place as the most acclaimed song of 2006.

2. The Jam- “That’s Entertainment”: I’m learning the bass right now, so that may be coloring my choices here, but listening to this for the first time in a long time makes me want to bust out my piece of orange love and groove out. This song is beautiful.

3. Robert Wyatt- “Sea Song”: Stately and disarming, I’ve grown to like this song more and more since I first learned of it here. Unfortunately, it has to settle for 3rd here.

4. The Futureheads- “Hounds of Love”: It’s got absolutely nothing on the Kate Bush original.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7

1. Public Image Limited- “Rise”*: It’s astounding to me that this is the first PIL song I’ve heard, but it’s true. It towers over this bracket for me, and it appears to be yet another band I appear to be lured into exploring as a result of this week’s songs!

2. Bo Diddley- “Who Do You Love”: Bo sure did know how to work his way around a groove, didn’t he?

3. Bruce Springsteen- “Born in the U.S.A.”: As bloated as this song is, I think what kills it for me is the way it is misinterpreted by so many as a blindly patriotic anthem.

4. Beach Boys- “California Girls”: My least favorite Beach Boys song, by a long way.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS
1. "Wicked Game" - where did this come from? nothing else sounds like this. a haunting slide guitar and isaak's elvis/orbison affectations, alternating between a deep baritone croon and a fragile falsetto. awesome.
2. "Changes"
3. "Me and Bobby McGee"
4. "Yeah"

HAYDN
1. "Many Rivers to Cross" - just a beautiful, beautiful song
2. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"
3. "Boogie Chillen'"
4. "Venus as a Boy"

CHOPIN
1. "Da Funk" - their style would expand (and improve), but in a way, this is still their defining track and "the sound of daft punk"
2. "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
3. "Smoke on the Water"
4. "Ball of Confusion"

SIBELIUS
1. "Teenage Riot" - druggy intro, raw guitar riff, propulsive drums, great lyrics...great song
2. "Hot Fun in the Summertime"
3. "Thank You"
4. "Rock Your Baby"

HANDEL
1. "Born to Be Wild" - a classic rock classic from an otherwise pretty uninteresting band, despite their cool name
2. "Pump Up the Volume"
3. "I Predict a Riot"
4. "God"

WAGNER
1. "Karma Police" - the "for a minute there I lost myself" part is what elevates this track above others of theirs
2. "Holiday in Cambodia"
3. "Groove is in the Heart"
4. "Leader of the Pack"

BRAHMS
1. "Crazy" - the minute you heard it you knew it was something special. one of those rare genre-defying songs
2. "That's Entertainment"
3. "Sea Song"
4. "Hounds of Love"

RACHMANINOFF
1. "Born in the USA" - that almost juvenile 6-note synth hook stops me in my tracks every time. also, 500 bonus points for Max Weinberg's fill-happy drumming here.
2. "Who Do You Love"
3. "California Girls"
4. "Rise"

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Matt, here's half. The remainder to follow when I get a chance.

***

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Changes" - David Bowie: I ranked it #1 in its weak bracket during bracketology v1.0, and the circumstances appear the same here. My fourth favorite Bowie song.
2. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak: Quick! -- name a second Chris Isaak song! Haha... betcha' can't do it. This will always be his signature tune. Definitely not a bad one to have, but while most will probably remark on its utility in the bedroom (a claim that I personally can't make; give me Massive Attack any day), or its music video, what strikes me the most about this song is the economy of the production: simple percussion, a lightly-reverb-tinged Strat, and an understated vocal. I'd put this one in "timeless" territory, if it isn't already.
3. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin: Count me in as one of those people who just doesn't "get" Janis Joplin.
4. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris): I don't know if I'm listening to a different song than what the critics are, because all I hear is a pedestrian club track. Nothing about this song is a big deal, at all.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk: The AM song list, to my eyes, suffers slightly from 1) being grossly underrepresented when it comes to certain artists, and 2) having far too many dubious entries (see #4 of previous bracket). It's hard not to correlate the two; meaning, if we had less songs like "Yeah!" stinking up the list, there'd be more room for the "Army of Me"'s, the "Hyper-ballad"'s, the "Unison"'s, the "Hidden Place"''s, etc. As it is, "Venus as a Boy" isn't a bad representation of Bjork in the top 1000; it just definitely shouldn't be the only one.
2. "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker: Along with all of the other songs that Noel Gallagher has aped, I think he took this one and spun it into the bluesy Oasis jam, "Swamp Song" (ie. the two instrumentals on the Morning Glory album). Three points for that.
3. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads: It's a bunch of white guys doing funk, not punk. Seems that a song with rock n' roll in the title should actually be rock n' roll.
4. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff: Not a fan. Or maybe I just don't have a pulse.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana: I think it was jonmarck who said during v1.0 that any time he'd go to play Nevermind, he'd skip past this song and start right at "In Bloom". That's pretty much where I've been with this album for a while. SLTS is such an unbelievable song, but it's so tattooed on my brain from overexposure that I don't need to hear it.
2. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple: One of those songs that you don't need to have on your iPod. Just turn on the radio to any classic rock station, wait a few minutes and you'll hear it.
3. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations: A side of the Temptations that I'd never heard before -- less sugary, more salty.
4. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Karma Police" - Radiohead: I suppose it could be considered the most accessible track on OK Computer, but maybe this is why, for me, it ranks 6th on the album. Without trying to slight it in any way - it's still an amazing song - the first two minutes sometimes feel a bit too Radiohead-by-numbers. It's the last two minutes that elevate this one into something special. The crescendo leading into "... for a minute there I lost myself..", the background vocals, the weird siren-like electronics that blend into "Fitter Happier"... it's Radiohead doing what they do best -- not giving us the fairy-tale ending; instead, leaving us utterly devastated. ("Climbing Up the Walls", anyone?).
2. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las: I don't know, I've actually always kinda liked this song. It's got a light dusting of danger/mystery; whatever you want to call it, which distinguishes it from other girl group fare.
3. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys
4. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite: Awful.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
#653: "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]
Wh...wh...um. ...WHY DO I LIKE THIS?!

#141: "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]
I've always seen Hunky Dory as a lackluster Bowie album with a few of his best singles. ...And Changes is one of them. I don't begrudge it for being more radio oriented than his later stuff.

#884: "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]
I love the guitar vibe for this song, but I hate that sort of high falsettoey oversensitive sounding male rock vocal from the 80s. I do an impression of it where the voice is normal then it suddenly switches to falsetto, and it has parody lyrics that repeat the phrase 'Poor little me'. (Good times.)

#372: "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]
And here we have the opposite of Changes. The weak link on a great album. Janis Joplin thrives on pure raspy emotional release, whereas this song is centered around a poppy hook.





HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
#679: "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
Debut is pretty much uniformly strong, though this is not the song on it I'd choose, this is a week enough matchup that it still wins.

#167: "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]
The Harder They Come is the closest thing to raggae I honestly enjoy. This song really conveys the frustration of being a subjugated culture.

#346: "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]
Underwhelming. You can do so much more with blues. I most of the great blues in the 40's was being played live, not recorded onto albums.

#858: "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]
I can not stand his voice. I bought this album purely based on it's AM rank, and when it came on I was like "Are you serious?" In 1977 it was edgy to sound like you're putting effort into sounding like you're not putting in any effort at all.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
#4. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
All of the frustration, anger, apathy and sarcasm built up over the past decade chemically distilled, and crystallized into this song. I wouldn't call it the #4 song of all time, but you won't find a song more emblematic of the grunge movement.

#1021: "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]
This song is making me realize how much more Temptations I need to hear.

#516: "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]
One big meh of electronic repetition. Play it at a dance club and nowhere else.

#509: "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
Meh. This kind of 'rock and roll' is the kind that aged the worst. Music custom tailored to a specific demographic at a specific time.





SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
#209: "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
A song by a great band that doesn't really deserve to be their most well known song. It's just a song that fits in well to the flow of a great album.

#304: "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
I'm not a Sly fan, but some of their songs, like this one, have a funky little kick to them.

#721: "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]
Meh. A comfortable-sounding song.

#816: "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
Meh. A comfortable-sounding song.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
#714: "God" - John Lennon [1970]
There's a loveable Dennis The Menace like charm about Lennon's militant atheism. John Lennon will say what he thinks and doesn't care what you think about it, and he'll express his opinions in a way that you can see as beautiful even while admitting he sounds like a condescending know-it-all.

#823: "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]
I don't really think anything good came out of the scores of post-Strokes 'me too' bands. But this is a rather good single. It at least beats out the other two.

#311: "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]
Hardcore meh. Has no place being played outside of a dance club.

#202: "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
Did this really once pass for rebellious? It sounds like a father trying too hard to relate to his kids. "I'm wild, I'm hip! I'm 'kickin!' (Do kids still say that?)"






WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
#316: "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
Parts of this song sound like it was recorded in 1964, and parts sound like it was recorded much later. It's like they nailed 45 years ago what all the retro-cool throwback bands are now trying to.

#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
If you look beyond the ridiculously awesome music of OK Computer you see biting attacks exposing the hollowness and blind mob mentality of modern culture. Just a great song.

#828: "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]
I tend to either like or despise punk. I like it when it focuses more on the release of excitement and energy and less on just pure anger. This is the kind I like.

#197: "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]
Sounds a bit too stitched together, but the intense vocals make up for the song's shortcomings. Any of the songs in this matchup would have gotten #1 or at least #2 in half the other matchups here.






BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9


#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
I have no idea why this is all the way up to 45, but I get why it's in the top 1000. It really nails the feeling that's easy to come by today that you're the only sane person with the world going crazy around you. It's also immaculately produced to accentuate that feeling at every turn.

#557: "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]
Rather good in a sort of subtle way that, in my opinion, works better in the context of a full album than as a single.

#980: "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]
Well great. Now I have to buy a Futureheads CD.

#468: "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
Eh. It sounds like they were going for that kind of post-punk energy I've described elsewhere, but it all comes off as lackluster.




RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
#329: "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
Awesome guitar work. I need to hear more Bo Diddley.

#184: "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
A song on the shortlist of 'Songs most misinterpreted by conservatives to anti-liberal'. Along with Okie From Myskoke and Sweet Home Alabama. It's a great arena song and a fun listen, but honestly not something I'd rank as his best.

#841: "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]
I've been averse to Public Image Ltd because of their Sex Pistols connection. But it appears they have a deeper sound than I imagined. I'll probably need to get at least one of their albums.

#696: "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
Meh. How did they turn this boy band into one of the greatest pop groups of all time?

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Anthony
Matt, here's half. The remainder to follow when I get a chance.


That's just fine.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3

Weakest bracket yet, by far.

1. "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]

Maybe my 5th favorite track on Hunky Dory, yet tops this bracket. It'll win anyway, so not a big deal, I guess.

2. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]

Very locked into the early '90s in my mind, this has that vaguely spaghetti western sound mixed with high-sheen production that was oddly prevalent in that era. Good vocal.

3. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]

I really really really don't like Janis Joplin, but this song is OK.

4. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]

Neither Usher nor Ludacris has ever done much for me.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11

Suddenly, a really strong bracket.

1. "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]

Absolutely badass blues.

2. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]

Gorgeous early reggae track, though I'm a little tired of it.

3. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]

I love Björk, but I can't just vote this in higher just to ensure she stays in the game. There are at least a dozen by her I love more.

4. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]

I think Ian Dury fanaticism must be a British thing.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1

1. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]

The song is fun, cheap thrills, but also managed to be hugely influential at the same time.

2. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]

I'll never have the moment back, but when I first saw this on MTV in late 1991 it knocked me back. I really didn't expect it to kill hair metal dead, and I probably should give it the #1 slot for that alone. "More Than a Feeling" is still better, though.

3. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]

Very good later-period Tempts.

4. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]

Destroyed by over-saturation, though the specific and dated nature of the lyrics make it at least somewhat interesting.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10

1. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]

Where Sly truly starts slipping into funk, hinting closely at deeper, darker things to come.

2. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]

Just missed the #1 spot, this is still a fantastic piece of late-80s alternative epic-ness.

3. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]

A fine track, just not one of my favorites.

4. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]

As much as I love the '70s, I fail to see what separates this from so many other great singles of the era.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6

Weird, weird bracket.

1. "God" - John Lennon [1970]

Ballsy track from JL/POB, the lyrics are a little overwrought but that's pretty much the point. It's that subtle, lilting piano part that makes it, very fine use of juxtaposition.

2. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]

Dated, but in a good way, despite the Christian Slater guilt by association bit.

3. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]

Really generic.

4. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]

Just awful.


WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6

Fantastic block here, very little separation between the 4 for me.

1. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]

The Herbie Hancock sample, the fantastic slide whistle, the ridiculous video and clothes, ah! 1990.

2. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]

I LOVE the Shangri-Las (and Moonbeam, there are many great tracks, not like this one at all, that I bet you would like knowing your tastes) but I couldn't just put this #1 because it was them. The song is too much of a cliche at this point, though it's unfair that such a brilliant group must be forever associated with this and this alone.

3. "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]

Probably only my 8th favorite on OK Computer, mainly because of the rather draggy beat and the overt "Sexy Sadie" rip. Still sonically fantastic, of course.

4. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]

I feel I should love the Dead Kennedys, and this song absolutely succeeds at what it sets out to do, but Jello Biafra just pisses me off generally.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9

1. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]

Just so appealing on so many levels, and a very nice throwback to classic soul (while at the same time offering modern technological bits 'n' bobs). I'm still not sick of it.

2. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]

Gorgeous, and one of a kind. But I've got to be in the mood.

3. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]

Tough knocking this fine bitter ballad to #3, but Paul Weller is sort of a prat so I'm not that sad about it.

4. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]

This cover is interesting the first time, grating every time after.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7

1. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]

Just listen to the lyrics on this! Bo Diddley was an original gangsta, 30 years before Ice-T.

2. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]

One of their last true surf songs, it's got silly lyrics, yes, but still those harmonies, and that arrangement!

3. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]

Probably should be #2, but I'm generally a music guy rather than a lyrics guy, and the production on this is almost hopelessly dated at this point. A slow, acoustic cover of this is really what's needed. (And for all I know that already exists, just haven't really looked.)

4. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]

PiL post-Metal Box does nil for me.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1- "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]
2- "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]
3- "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]
4- "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1- "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
2- "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]
3- "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]
4- "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
2- "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
3- "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]
4- "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1- "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
2- "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]
3- "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
4- "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1- "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
2- "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]
3- "God" - John Lennon [1970]
4- "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1- "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
2- "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]
3- "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
4- "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1- "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
2- "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
3- "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]
4- "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1- "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
2- "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
3- "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
4- "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]
Me and my father disagree on what the best David Bowie song is. He says it's Changes and I argue for Heroes and I'm obviously right. Nonetheless, I can see where he's coming from. Bowie will put his second song through this week.
2. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]
3. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]
4. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]
I've been trying to broaden my knowledge of Reggae beyond Bob Marley, and the first artist I went to was Jimmy Cliff. I'm happy I did.
2. "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]
3. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
4. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
So much has been said about this song. It turned the underground into mainstream. It killed all the dinosaurs. People tend to dwell on it's importance rather than its musical virtues, of which are in no short supply. The song is fantastic, bringing the soft-loud dynamics of the pixies into a whole new level of ferocity.
2- "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
3- "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]
4- "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
I feel bad that I cant put either of the Sly Stone songs at first, but it would just be wrong. Few songs have made me think "oh! this is great!" like Teen Age Riot did. The spacey intro leads to some of the finest guitar stylings in the alternative universe. If it had never been written, just think about how much great music we would be at a loss for.
2. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
3. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
4. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "God" - John Lennon [1970]
This one is my favorite of his solo career, and that's saying a lot. Other than the fact that it's a deeply personal statement (if a tad self-aggrandizing), the singing is absolutely phenomenal. Maybe my favorite Lennon vocal performance after A Day.
2. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
3. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]
4. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
My fifth favorite track on OK Computer, and that's high praise considering that OKC is the cadillac of albums.
2. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
3. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]
4. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
Who can resist that one? A perfect fusion of southern soul and modern production. The Raconteurs did a great hard rock cover, although it's obviously not as good as the original.
2. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]
3. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
4. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
This song seems like the Bruce song that everyone likes, but diehard Bruce fans hate. I'm in the former category, and it's excellent. I'll take the polish Born in the USA over Nebraska or The River any day.
2. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
3. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
4. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Changes" - David Bowie
A fantastic song that is what I used to think of when i heard David Bowie. Thankfully he has a lot of great music and even a few better tracks.
2. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris)
Even though I've heard this song many times this was the first time I listened to it. This was not the sort of thing I listened to when I was 14, but the beat is in my head and I don't want it out.
3.Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak
A very good song that could be higher in other brackets, but fails to really get into me.
4. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin
I haven't found anything by Janis that I have liked.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff
In a weak bracket the great Jimmy Cliff presents a powerful gospel song complete with female singers.
2. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk
I like. I need to listen to some more of her.
3.”Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker
For some reason I hear this song and it makes me want to move forward. I like this song, but I don't think I could listen to it too much.
4. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads
I don't understand how this cam together. I think the singer is out of place.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
This one was close, but I had to give it to the song this song probably because I've heard it a hundred times and it still is great.
2. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk
On the other hand this was the first time I've heard this song and songs like this have made me realize that I like dance music a lot more than I ever thought I did.
3. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations
Wow the bass voice is shocking and the rest of the song is great.
4."Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple
Great guitar riff and ... absolutely nothing else.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth
I have mixed feelings about the beginning, but the second half is pure genius. I'm not sure what it is about, but it seems to have something powerful to say.
2. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae
Humongous gap here. This song makes me think fun more than everything and that is not a bad thing.
3. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone
I haven't heard a Sly & the Family Stone song that I liked more than this, but to me this is just ok.
4. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone
I don't like it or hear anything other than that bass.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "God" - John Lennon
I can clearly hear what Lennon is trying to say and relate strongly to this. What better way to end something than by proclaiming your disbelief in it.
3. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs
Good song that seems to get better throughout it.
2. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf
Straight forward rock song and that is not a bad thing.
4. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S
There is nothing I hear that I like.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Karma Police" - Radiohead
Stunning first half that only gets better. I have kinda overlooked how great this song is.
2. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite
Fantastic dance song and one of the songs sung by a female that I really get.
3. "Holiday in Cambodia- Dead Kennedys
Surprisingly catchy especially after the intro.
4. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las
The singing is good, but the motorcycle sounds and some of the lyrics make me cringe.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
Pulls off blending so many styles and appealing to so many people. This song was recommended to me by my mother, but what is more surprising is that I loved it. The best song this week.
2. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam
Gentle song that seems to say a lot to me.
3. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads
Interesting, but more so in relation to the original.
4."Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt
I guess the beginning is ok, but the the rest does nothing for me.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
I do agree that the production is bad, but this song still captures a lot of Bruce's energy. Easily wins this bracket.
2."California Girls" - The Beach Boys
The lyrics are god awful, but there is a certain charm to the harmonies and the chorus.
3. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd.
A good song that I will listen to again.
4. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley
A simple song that is not my thing.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1: "Changes" - David Bowie
2: "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [
3: "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris)
4: "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak

Kind of a weak bracket with two songs that are admittedly good but not ones I listen to a lot. The last two are annoying. I'll go chalk here.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1: "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
2: "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]
3: "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]
4: "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]

Another weak bracket with three good songs but nothing great. I don't think I'd put Venus as a Boy in my top 10 Bjork songs.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
2: "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
3: "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]
4: "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]

Smells Like Teen Spirit blows the others out of the water here and I don't even love the song. I hate to keep saying "weak bracket" but this is the worst one yet I think.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10

1: "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
2: "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]
3: "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
4: "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]

Finally a good bracket! While nothing here is amazing, everything is very good including one of the Family Stones best songs.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6

1: "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]
2: "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
3: "God" - John Lennon [1970]
4: "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]

I forgot about I Predict a Riot but that's really a great song. Born To Be Wild suffers from overkill and the other two songs are awful.


WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6

1: "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]
2: "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
3: "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
4: "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]

Very tough call btw. the first two but I think Holiday in Cambodia edges Karma Police out. But both are classics. Put either of them in the other brackets so far and they win by a landslide. Leader of the Pack is good but nowhere near the other two. But, it is definitely one of the better early 60's songs. I've never understood the love for Groove is in the Heart.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9

1: "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
2: "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]
3: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
4: "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]

Love That's Entertainment- one of the best songs of the 80's. Sea Song has been growing on me... I used to think it was awful and now I think it's pretty good. Maybe someday I'll see it as the classic that Nicolas and others see it.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7

1: "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]
2: "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
3: "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
4: "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]

Rise is a really fantastic song that time has sort of forgotten. I'd even forgot about it. It's a little too long I guess since it's repetitive but I love the melody.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
#372: "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin : incredible voice for a wonderful song
#884: "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak : what a voice again
#653: "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) : not as bad as some said, I really like the sample and the whistles. But the 3 singers tends to waste the song.
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie : Does not stand the comparison with any song in Ziggy Stardust for me, far from the best Bowie can do/ has done.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
#858: "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads
#167: "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff
#346: "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker
#679: "Venus as a Boy" - Björk
Nothing I really like there, I kinda like the 2 first however, one for its fun, the other for its intensity. Don't get any of the other two.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
#4. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana : easy winner
#516: "Da Funk" - Daft Punk : the first electro song I loved I guess... don't like it as much now but still a freaking great song to play for the dancefloor
#1021: "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations
#509: "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple : easy loser, a great riff but nothing more

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
#209: "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth : started the 90s before the 90s... God sure I want to riot now !
#816: "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone : more fun than hot
#721: "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae
#304: "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone : I Don't have any Sly album but I own a best-of and this is probably the song I love the less in it

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
#202: "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf : I guess THAT is what you can call an anthem
#311: "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S : probably more influent than still enjoyable to listen because of the huge evolution of electronic music since then, but take a few time to really listen to it and you will found plenty great moments and subtleties
#823: "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs : fun but not even the best song on the album
#714: "God" - John Lennon : I'm deeply atheist and truly think those lyrics are awefully lame. If only the music was interesting... maybe worst song this week

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6 :
#197: "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite
#828: "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys : very very
#709: "Karma Police" - Radiohead
#316: "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las
Best bracket so far and very very tough choices.
Leader of the Pack is both the best song to end 4th of a bracket so far and a clear winner versus the 3 others masterpieces. Karma Police only lose versus the 2 others for not being one of the top songs of its band and thus having other songs in the same style that tops it, while the 2 others are the best in their categories.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley : a (very little bit) overrated song... but yeah, honestly, nobody can resist it
#980: "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads : very fresh cover
#557: "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt : I try to dig this song and album as a proof of trust for nicolas even though he likes Bruce Springsteen. I'm still bothered about this one, I find it oscillating from one second to the other between greatness and dullness
#468: "That's Entertainment" - The Jam : already did not get it on the 80s poll, I have not changed my mind since


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
#329: "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley : easy winner of a quite weak bracket
#841: "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. : good discover, not amazing but I think I should dig in this band discography
#696: "California Girls" - The Beach Boys : boring
#184: "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen : booooriiiiing

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "God" - John Lennon: Jesus? Absolutely. Kennedy? Ok, I can agree with that too. But cinnamon? What's so bad about cinnamon?*
2. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S: It must be a weak bracket if I'm putting a dance track 2nd.
3. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs: "Watching the people get lairy/Is not very pretty I tell thee" Ok, I can't tell if these lyrics are pretentious or retarded. Honestly, this song is one of the worst of this decade; there's nothing redeeming about it. It's as unmemorable as The Bravery and as banal as the Killers, with none of the charm. Like one reviewer commented: "If Franz Ferdinand were Pearl Jam, these guys would be the Stone Temple Pilots." I actually think that analogy's a bit too nice.
4. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf: Empty lyrics, unremarkable music... I don't know how it is that this song has lived on for forty years.

*All joking aside, I love this song. The sincerity, the message, the balls! It was Lennon's personal closure. Yes, maybe it's a bit melodramatic, but its emotional starkness will ensure that it lives on.

*waits for schleuse's rebuke*

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley: I'm a bit at odds with this one. On the one hand, I'm happy to see recent acts/songs/albums get the acclaim they deserve. On the other, when a song that's barely three years-old gets put along (and above) some of the best of all time -- well, my bullshit detector starts going off. Don't get me wrong... it's a good song (definitely the best of this bunch); maybe even great. But classic? "Superstition" is a classic; "God Only Knows" is a classic. "Crazy", which is just a eyelash length's away from these monuments of pop immortality on the AM list, is certainly not.
2. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt: I bought this album not long after nicolas' enthusiastic advocacy in the '08 album poll; this song was an immediate highlight. It's artsy and unconventional (which everyone knows I love), but not at the cost of melody and mood.
3: "That's Entertainment" - The Jam: Not anything special to these ears, but not awful.
4. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads: Next to Kaiser Chiefs, the worst of the post-punk revivalists. This whole skinny-tied, new-wave "mod-ness" is sooooo played out.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]: I can’t really think of anything new to say here. All I can do is echo almost everyone else: not my favorite Bowie song, not even close to being my favorite on HUNKY DORY, yet it’s still an enduring classic and somehow an easy #1 in this bracket.
2. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]: Did Kristofferson deliberately give his song’s subject a relatively gender-neutral name (it’s “Bobbie” in his original) in the hope of doubling its chances of being covered? Possibly. I don’t think he could have foreseen that it would live forever thanks to Joplin, though.
3. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]: No, it isn’t particularly deep, but it’s got a great hook, and honestly I’d rather hear it than #4 at this point.
4. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]: Undeniably good – it became a surprise smash for good reason, because it sounded like absolutely nothing else that was popular at the time. It’s a little played out for me, though.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]: There are other Dury songs I like more, but his biggest and best-known hit is a fine representative example of his catchy cleverness and the Blockheads’ sympathetic backing.
2. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]: A beautiful ballad, one of the highlights of THE HARDER THEY COME and reggae in general.
3. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]: For me, her artistry doesn’t come into full focus until POST; DEBUT is all over the place, held together by its great singles, of which this is one.
4. "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]: Sorry, haven’t had a chance to listen to it. I’m guessing a little stomp, a little strum, a little growl & mumble. Not to be glib: I like Hooker and recognize his importance. But I can’t imagine this not being #4 for me.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]: Well, that was easy enough. It really did change rock, and for me those opening chords still have the power to recall that initial excitement.
2. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]: Give me “Highway Star” any day, but The Riff abides. Try to picture Blackmore approaching the rest of the guys, guitar in hand, and saying, “Hey fellas, what do you think about this?”
3. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]: Socially conscious Motown at its best, with Norman Whitfield’s kitchen-sink production and the Tempts’ typically passionate performance making up for some seriously silly lyrics. Great googa-mooga!
4. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]: Great electronica, but still brings up the rear here. Inspired one of Spike Jonze’s most weirdly touching videos.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]: It takes a truly great record to beat two Sly & the Family Stone songs, but this one is a monster. From the second DAYDREAM NATION blasted off with this insanely propulsive and provocative masterpiece, you knew that a band that had previously been conceptually fascinating with flashes of inspiration had instantly ascended to Hall-of-Fame levels. And they’re still there.
2. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]: They were marking time between landmark albums with this single, but it’s a measure of Sly’s effortless genius and the band’s effortless groove that it was an instant #1 and a timeless classic even with a third verse consisting of previous song titles.
3. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]: How many takes do you think it took Larry Graham to intone “County fair in the country sun” without bursting into laughter? Another between-albums single that works, this time almost in spite of itself.
4. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]: A terrific disco precursor (produced by the future K.C.) that has the misfortune to be in the wrong bracket.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "God" - John Lennon [1970]: One of rock’s all-time greatest statements of purpose, and one of its most misunderstood. Lennon isn’t hectoring us not to believe at all in his escalatingly intense laundry list of concepts and people, but simply exhorting us not to place blind faith in anything external (including him) over and above our belief in ourselves. It works better as the purge at the end of a harrowing album than as a stand-alone song, but it’s still an easy pick here.
2. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]: One of the first records to prove that sampling could be an art form. All the hooks – and there are a lot of them – originated somewhere else, yet somehow they all seem organic. Dance! Dance!
3. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]: I used to think of this as one of those classic-rock staples that I never need to hear again, but there’s something about the mix of fuzzed-out guitar and overamped organ that keeps me coming back. I don’t need to keep hearing it in commercials and movies (is there a lazier signifier of “THE SIXTIES!”?), but I still love the record itself.
4. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]: A good single, nothing more.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]: A lot of the songs on FRESH FRUIT… are obviously shock-value jokes, way too over the top to possibly be taken seriously. Not this one, though. It hits its targets mercilessly, frighteningly. It still sounds like the musical equivalent of being waterboarded, and I mean that as a compliment. Pol Pot!
2. "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]: It’s not the best song on The Greatest Album of All Time; it actually sounds like a calculated effort at The Single, albeit a single with references to Hitler hairdos. It’s still an amazing track, with the best white-noise ending since “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).”
3. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]: The ultimate rock’n’roll death song, a thriving subgenre in the early Sixties. Shadow Morton’s melodramatic production is matched by the ‘Las’s feverish performances (“LOOKOUTLOOKOUTLOOKOUTLOOKOUT!!!”); from here, the only place the genre could go was parody, which The Detergents’ “Leader of the Laundromat” hilariously did (“Who’s that bangin’ on the piano?” “I dunno”).
4. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]: Sorry. So catchy and joyous I almost hate to rank it last, but I didn’t make this bracket, you know. Kudos for snagging Bootsy Collins to make a cameo.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]: One of the truly defining records of this decade. A great singer and a great producer find each other, and the rest is history.
2. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]: A very close race for second place here, with the slight edge going to Paul Weller’s driving acoustic melody and remarkably novelistic eye for ironic detail.
3. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]: Dazzling and movingly heartfelt art-rock. A wonderful introduction to one of the most idiosyncratic great albums ever.
4. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]: More interesting as a concept.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]: As much as I love #2, Bo’s trademark rhythm, stabbing guitar and hilariously menacing braggadocio make this one more timeless. Instantly memorable from the first time you hear it, and undimmed by decades of flatfooted covers.
2. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]: Even an artist like The Boss couldn’t resist the siren song of Eighties overproduction, with its BIG! BAM! BOOM! (admittedly tailor-made for a drummer like Max Weinberg) and its airy synths (the great Roy Bittan deserves better). But this is one of his very best songs, even if the politicians and the frat boys somehow missed the seething anger that it practically wears as a flashing neon sign around its neck.
3. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]: A remarkably sophisticated intro, giving way to some remarkably dumb lyrics. Everything they did during this period is golden, though.
4. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]: Lydon at his annoying best, but I prefer early PiL.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1 - "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]
2 - "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]
3 - "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]
4 - "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]
Weak bracket. 'Changes' by default - it's not one of his best I don't think,but solid enough to win here. 'Yeah' obviously the weakest,the other two decent enough...

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1 - "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969
2 - "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]
3 - "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]
4 - "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
'Many Rivers To Cross' is probably my favourite reggae(?) track - great melody. Ian Dury had better songs,but SD&R is a decent anthem. Quite like that Hooker track - had never heard it before. Great groove. Bjork I'm sort of new to after hearing the Sugarcubes,but her solo stuff is a bit 'meh' to me...


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1 - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
2 - "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
3 - "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]
4 - "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]

SLTS obviously the winner - one of the all time great album openers. All the rest do nothing for me really,close between 2 and 3 but 'Da Funk' isn't my style at all...

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1 - "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
2 - "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
3 - "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
4 - "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]
Fantastic track from Sonic Youth,took a while to grow on me. Cool vocals and intro. 'Hot Fun In The Summertime' - a good time summer anthem,surprised it's not ranked higher. 'Thank You' gets a little boring with it's repetitiveness,'Rock Your Baby' just not up to scratch.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
2 - "God" - John Lennon [1970]
3 - "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]
4 - "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]
'Born To Be Wild' - wouldn't win most brackets,but it's a good,fun single. 'God' is a track that I play very rarely,but can't deny it's a decent track. M/A/R/R/S and the Kaiser Chiefs are just average tracks that do nothing for me at all...

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1 - "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
2 - "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]
3 - "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
4 - "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]
Sometimes I forget how great 'Karma Police' is when it's in the middle of so many other great songs on that album - classic. 'Groove Is In The Heart' - great song of it's genre,maybe a bit cheesy,but who cares. Absolutely love the vocals on 'Leader Of The Pack' - definitely one of the first songs I can remember hearing from that era. Could just never really get into 'Holidays...' or most of US punk the same as I can for UK punk...

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1 - "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
2 - "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
3 - "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]
4 - "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]
'That's Entertainment' - great song by a band who surprisingly fail,on the whole,to do much for me. Think Morrissey's cover is just as good though. Still haven't forgotten 'Crazy' bouncing out my favourite track in the first round last time,great track though,it's grown on me for sure. 'Hounds Of Love' is decent on first listen,nothing amazing. And 'Sea Song' - well I've just never really been able to get into this...

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1 - "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]
2 - "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
3 - "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
4 - "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]

Strong bracket - like all 4 songs. John Lydon really can't sing to save himself,doesn't matter here - 'Rise' is a fantastic track,love it. 'California Girls' is another pleasant early Beach Boys track - great vocals as ever. 'Who Do You Love' - my favourite track of his,exciting track. 'Born In The USA' is a track that I don't really listen to very much but it's a good enough listen.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Once again, I have to work late this Saturday. So you'll have an extra hour and a half (or so) to enter your ballots this week.

Another reminder, I've got all 1,024 songs on my computer if anyone is missing some. Just e-mail me and I'd be happy to help out.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS 3
1. WICKED GAME. Sure, why not? Chris Isaak is kind of uncategorizable, which I think makes many people uncomfortable. But this is one of the greatest, and spookiest, love songs I’ve ever heard. And beautifully sung.
2. CHANGES. The vocal and lyrics are a lot more interesting than the music, which is rare for Bowie—and which makes this a middling effort for him. Still good enough for #2 in a soft bracket.
3. ME AND BOBBY McGEE. I’m willing to give almost anything a chance, and I’ve been trying to give Janis a fair shake for years. I think it’s time for me to give up and file her in the “good, not special” category. Hate to do that to a Texan, but there you go.
4. YEAH! No, nope, naw, nein, uh uh, non, nyet. Too obvious? Sure, but so is this song.

HAYDN 11
1. BOOGIE CHILLEN. Raw blues without an ounce of fat on it. It’s in him, and it’s got to come out.
2. VENUS AS A BOY. I’m warming up to Björk, although I’m also surprised this is her only tournament song. I’m tempted to give it the top slot just on that basis, but it wouldn’t really reflect my opinion.
3. SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL. A fun goof.
4. MANY RIVERS TO CROSS. Then you’d better move faster. Not interesting enough to be this slow.

CHOPIN 1
1. SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT. The best song ever indirectly inspired by an advertisement for deodorant, and, according to this site, the most highly acclaimed song of my lifetime (and I’m older than most of you). Works for me.
2. BALL OF CONFUSION. I love late-period Temps. There’s something kind of amazing about heirs of the Orioles and doo-wop performing funk…this is no “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” though.
3. DA FUNK. One of those songs I didn’t even know I already knew. It’s good, although house generally isn’t my thing.
4. SMOKE ON THE WATER. You know what? For all I know, this song might actually be pretty good. But I can’t judge that, because I can’t help laughing every time I hear it. Are these men serious?

SIBELIUS 10
1. TEEN AGE RIOT. The keystone track from one of the best albums of the 80s. This was one of the first pop songs I enjoyed with an understanding that I had to actively engage with it.
2. THANK YOU (FALLETINME HAVE FUN WITH PHONETICS).
3. HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME. AM has these two great Sly songs ranked in the correct order. Funk trumps languor.
4. ROCK YOUR BABY. OK, but really just taking up space here.

HANDEL 6
1. PUMP UP THE VOLUME. In a slight bracket, I have no problem picking one of the greatest of one-hit wonders…also a chance to give a shout-out to 4AD.
2. I PREDICT A RIOT. This one was brand new to me. My verdict: pretty nifty. Not ready to award it top-250 status, though.
3. GOD. I’m don’t know if you’ll consider this a rebuke, Anthony, but I find John much more interesting when he was surreal and universalist (1966-67) rather than confessional and ascetic (1970-). He’s fighting for stakes I don’t much care about.
4. BORN TO BE WILD. Irredemable.

WAGNER 6. A brutal grouping. Any one of these songs could win half of the other brackets this week.
1. KARMA POLICE. Big-time Radiohead fans seem to dismiss this song, I guess for being too poppy. But it’s a masterpiece; a first section of sluggish vitriol (love the bit about the “Hitler hairdo”) and a gorgeous second section which basically, and beautifully, apologizes for the first part. Brilliant.
2. HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA. This was always fun for frightening people who thought “punk rock” meant Blondie and the Cars. Pure intravenous rock ‘n’ roll. Essential.
3. LEADER OF THE PACK. Huh. Turns out the Shangri-Las are essential listening for Gen Xers in the Late Period of Western Irony. So a music critic friend loaned me their CD, and I think I get it now. This is cheap, trashy, and the real thing; I’ll never be able to enjoy the baroque “Ode to Billie Joe” again.
4. GROOVE IS IN THE HEART. I remember I actually had this winning its bracket in Round 1 last time. I can understand that if you can’t get your head around its very peculiar early-90s vibe, this might not click with you, but for me, liking this song is the same thing as liking fun. Sadly, though, the competition makes this an early exit for Deee-Lite (at least we still have Bootsy in some other songs).

BRAHMS 9
1. THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT. I agree that Weller’s a prat, but this is just a fantastic song. Very, very few lyricists—and many have tried—can marshal irony this well.
2. CRAZY. Yep, it’s a throwback. Yep, it’s outstanding. Still not entirely sure what it’s about.
3. SEA SONG. This was my first hearing. Not bad, although the twin specters of prog and singer-songwriter loom in the background for me. Give me time, nicolas.
4. HOUNDS OF LOVE. Was this trip really necessary?

RACHMANINOFF 7. #1 is easy but after that, this is the second toughest bracket of the week.
1. WHO DO YOU LOVE. Bo Diddley is my personal favorite of the first generation of rock ‘n’ roll, and this is his masterpiece. Apart from Bo’s propulsive lead guitar, there are the lyrics, which, in a post some months ago, I nominated as the finest in rock history.
2. RISE. The hard choice I had to make in this bracket was between 2 and 3, two songs which I’d give something like an A-minus. Then I remembered I was comparing Lydon and Springsteen. Easy choice. This is, to my admittedly odd ears, a beautiful song.
3. BORN IN THE USA. A powerful stadium rocker lifted (a bit) above the rest of its genre by its sheer venom. Misunderstood. Often.
4. CALIFORNIA GIRLS. A fun romp in the cherchez-la-femme tradition from the Beach Boys, but not in the top tier of their stuff.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989] - When I first posted on AM the poll of the month was 1989, and Mr. Isaak popped up enough to intrigue me into a listen. It turned out to be my fave discovery of that poll. It's sensual and sultry in a '60s Elvis movie kind of way, which is a hard thing to do well.
2. "Changes" - David Bowie [1972] - As Bowie songs go, this is his most meh. It neither stands out nor repulses me.
3. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971] - I think Janis Joplin's "27 Club" membership makes her susceptible to overrating.
4. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004] - I understand that critics like this song because it fuses Lil Jon's crunk and Usher's R&B, a previously undone feat, I guess, but I don't like either style separate, so why would I like them together?

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11

I had never previously heard any of these songs.

1. "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948] - I love old bluesmen from the 40s and 50s, and John Lee Hooker is one of 'em. How could you not start swaggering or shaking or head-bobbing to this song if it comes on? Powerful.
2. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969] - I've also been trying to go beyond Bob in my reggae pursuits, but this one is just aight. He sounds like a reggae Otis Redding to these ears.
3. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993] - I watched a live Youtube vid, which seemed interesting at first but I quickly lost interest.
4. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977] - Clunky Cockney accent and clunkier lyrics.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991] - An absolute monster of a track. But it's basically a joke riff masked under the most intense Cobain wails. Maybe that's why it resonated so well with Gen X; laughing on the outside, cringing on the inside.
2. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997] - The track that brought the robots from France to the world. Funky.
3. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970] Also funky, but not as funky, though I do like the Temptations.
4. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972] - Knowing many, many people who took up guitar at some point, I have heard this one (mangled) far too often.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988] - My favorite discovery of something else: Rock Band 2. Unlike anything else I'd ever heard (it kicked down my previous misconceptions of SY's noise) and freaking hard on drums.
2. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969] - Maybe my favorite Sly track. Soothing and laid-back, I could listen to Larry Graham sing that one line over and over again.
3. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969] - The progenitor of slap bass strikes again, but I don't think this one is quite as enjoyable as the last.
4. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974] - Just doesn't cut the mustard.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "God" - John Lennon [1970] - Harold, you won me over on this one. A fantastic piece of singing and writing, even if it is a little preachy.
2. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987] - My first listen: Holy crap! An undeniably innovative and ear-catching slice of proto-house. I had no idea they made music like this in 1987.
3. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005] - At first glance I had this tagged at #1. It's a brooding but also easily sing-along-able piece of Clashesque post-punk. Me likey.
4. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968] - Passé right down to the title.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997] - This was the first Radiohead song I ever heard. I found a burned copy of Now! 1 (the US version) and even though it wasn't a hit Karma Police was on it. I had no idea about it except that OKC was #14 all-time on AM and the highest-ranked album I'd never even heard of. But Karma Police planted the seed, and then I heard Creep, and soon enough I was a full-fledged fan. Anyways, needless to say, it's a great song.
2. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964] - I guess I used up too much room for Karma Police, so I'll just say the last three are good songs in styles I don't care for.
3. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]
4. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006] - The obvious and unanimous (I didn't actually check) #1. GB are the most underrated act in rap; Danger Mouse ought to be the hottest producer in the game.
2. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004] I'll probably look up the original thanks to this song. It's pretty catchy but this version is a little too slick with a few too many "Oh-oh-ohs"
3. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980] - Paul Weller can sure write a witty ditty, but this one suffered from poor execution. Some electric guitars and a different structure could have made this a lot better.
4. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974] - Maybe I didn't have the original version, but the video I listened to on the 'Tube was plain bad. I was expecting a lot from nicolas' all-time favorite; maybe too much.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965] - This song marks the beginning of the Pet Sounds period for me. It's got one of the most well-crafted intros ever, and the lyrics aren't dumb - I think it's a great concept for a pop song.
2. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984] - This would be #1 if Bruce didn't obscure his leftist-leanings with the most patriotic and barroom-friendly chorus ever.
3. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985] - Johnny Rotten shut up and stop f---ing shouting nonsense, you're ruining a good song!
4. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957] - It's a good song, but maybe I'm used to the George Thorogood version (my Dad plays it pretty often), which is about the same, but it's a hard song to screw up. And the Bo Diddley beat is overwrought now; it's hard not to view the original like you've heard it a million times before.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

It's interesting to me that the first word people associate John Lennon - God with is 'Preachy'. I see it as more of flaunting his thought independence than trying to preach anything. He's saying basically the same thing he said in 'Think For Yourself' only a lot more smugly.

A lot of other Lennon songs bother me lyric-wise a lot more than God. Like, "If you disagree with me...then you're crippled inside!" Or "I'm so sick of hearing things from people who see the world differently from me! All I want is the truth!"

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

And to finish up...

Not the most thoughtful comments, I know, but I really don't have much to say about these ones.
(And Matt, sorry for the sporadic commenting.)

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone
2. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
3. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone
4. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae

This very well might be my least favorite bracket ever. I guess I'll take "Hot Fun" as my #1 pick, and let the chips fall where they may. The other three aren't that great; in fact, I'd assign zero points to each if I could.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
2. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
3. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
4. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]

It's not my favorite Beach Boys tune, but in this bracket it's the only song that I probably wouldn't skip if it came on.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Anthony
And to finish up...

Not the most thoughtful comments, I know, but I really don't have much to say about these ones.
(And Matt, sorry for the sporadic commenting.)

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone
2. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
3. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone
4. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae

This very well might be my least favorite bracket ever. I guess I'll take "Hot Fun" as my #1 pick, and let the chips fall where they may. The other three aren't that great; in fact, I'd assign zero points to each if I could.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
2. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
3. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
4. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]

It's not my favorite Beach Boys tune, but in this bracket it's the only song that I probably wouldn't skip if it came on.


WRONG. This is NOT a forum for deep, intellectual debate. Or rather, if you and I MADE it that, you and I would be the only ones reading what we wrote. I have little interest in engaging in an argumentative discussion, online, with someone I don’t even know. It’s a waste of my time, and my time is valuable to me. If you were someone I knew, and I knew we had something to say to each other that we COULD discuss at length–and I knew that you had some inkling of what you were talking about—then I might be willing to do so (engage in a lengthy discussion here). But then why do it here? If all that were true, we could do it elsewhere, via email or something.

The bottomline is this: you came on here making definitive, sweeping statements in support of your own personal bias. I called you on it on the basis of historical accuracy–namely, that definitive statements CANNOT be made about literacy in the ancient world in the way you made them.

That’s it. The manner I chose to address this, from the start, was through my usual persona, on this site, which you witnessed. If you don’t like it, too bad. You made the statements you made and you are therefore open to attack. But furthermore, this site ISN’T a professional journal forum.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Anthony
And Matt, sorry for the sporadic commenting.


Not a problem at all.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

schleuse

2. HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA. This was always fun for frightening people who thought “punk rock” meant Blondie and the Cars. Pure intravenous rock ‘n’ roll. Essential.


I still think that Blondie was pretty punky in the beginning, but The Dead Kennedys didn't scare me at all! I think that punk is a lot more fluid than it is usually defined. And heck, if Sum 41 can be called punk, why not Blondie?

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]
2. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]
3. "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]
4. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]

Wicked Game is an unbelievably sultry song. Its also a song that has a defining music video, and that does help.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
#167: "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]
#346: "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]
#679: "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
#858: "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
2. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
3. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]
4. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]

SLTS defined a whole decade of music. There really isn't another song that could do that.

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
2. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
3. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]
4. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]

Teen Age Riot...its almost like a alt-rock opera in scope, message, and power.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
2. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]
3. "God" - John Lennon [1970]
4. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]

Born to be Wild is such a great song. Its so raw and aggressive. Its another song that is also connected to video for everyone.


WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
2. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990]
3. "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
4. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]

As I said before last week, Leader of the Pack is one of my favorite songs ever. I love so many of those 60s girl groups, about tales of james dean bad boys and their motorcycle gangs is fun and campy for me, I can't get enough. The engine sounds after they say Leader of the Pack is classic, as well as "LOOK OUT LOOK OUT LOOK OUT LOOK OUT!"

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
2. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
3. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]
4. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]

Crazy is the perfection of soulful rap, period.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
2. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
3. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]
4. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]

When I was a little kid, we used to have a Beach Boys tape stuck in the player. California Girls was the start of side 1. Its the best intro to any Beach Boys song ever. What a happy and fun song, the song everyone thinks about when they think about 60s surf culture.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Changes" - David Bowie [1972]
One of the top 10 songs of Bowie.
2. "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak [1989]
Wicked Game fit well in dreamlike atmosphere of Wild at Heart but it also works very well without the movie. By the way how many have heard cover of Wicked Game by HIM? (It was a big hit in Finland in 1996 and I'm not recommending to it anyone.)
3. "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin [1971]
4. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) [2004]



HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Venus as a Boy" - Björk [1993]
Only one Björk song in top 1000! The only reason must be that she have so many great songs in every album that the critics have voted different songs. Maybe the most important solo artist of the last two decades in popular music. And the song is one of the best in Debut.
2. "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker [1948]
3. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff [1969]
4. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads [1977]


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana [1991]
Nice to hear Kurt singing instead of Rick Astley.
2. "Da Funk" - Daft Punk [1997]
3. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple [1972]
4. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations [1970]



SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae [1974]
I don't why but this song reminds me of 2step garage and some other popular electro subgenres from early 00's.
2. "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth [1988]
3. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
Good Sly track.
4. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone [1969]
Bad Sly track.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf [1968]
Easy Rider! I'm actually more surprised that I still like this song than that so many almost hate this song here. Karaoke hit
2. "God" - John Lennon [1970]
3. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs [2005]
4. "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S [1987]




WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6 Very strong group.
1. "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las [1964]
I must listen more girl groups from 60's (well maybe not The Shaggs).
2. "Karma Police" - Radiohead [1997]
At least half of the songs in OK Computer are better than this. Of course if song before is Let down it's almost impossible that the next song isn't letdown. This time song beforet was Holiday in Cambodia and wow I realise how wonderful song Karma Police is.
3. "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys [1980]
4. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite [1990] Would have won Sibelius bracket.




BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9 Wow this is even better than last group.
1. "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt [1974]
I heard this song first time when we had song poll in early 2008. This song keeps growing every time I hear it.
2. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley [2006]
3. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam [1980]
4. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads [2004]
It's almost impossible to ruin perfect pop song. So this sounds rather good. It's still the most unnecessary song this week. Original is at least million times better.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7

1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys [1965]
Anthem of summer and vacation.
2. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen [1984]
3. "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. [1985]
4. "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley [1957]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

VanillaFire1000,
Just a heads-up: the second bracket has no comments. If you post your comment(s) for that bracket before time is up, I'll count your ballot for that bracket. Otherwise I just have to accept the other seven.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Don't know if it will count, but anyway will send it...

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1) "Changes" - David Bowie: I wish Bowie had stayed all the '70s doing songs like this. And that intro is one of my favorites!
2) "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin
3) "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris)
4) "Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1) "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff: That vocal singing the verse "many rivers to cross" is the best thing here, and puts the track at first in the weakest bracket of the week.
2) "Venus as a Boy" - Björk
3) "Boogie Chillen'" - John Lee Hooker
4) "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1) "Da Funk" - Daft Punk: I'm not a huge fan of non-sung electronic music, but this one is great, specially in the beginning.
2) "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations
3) "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
4) "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple

SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1) "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & the Family Stone: Totally move-your-ass song. If this isn't grooving then I don't know what could be.
2) "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone
3) "Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth
4) "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1) "Pump Up the Volume" - M/A/R/R/S: Listened to it first for this bracket and had the best discovery of the week!
2) "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs
3) "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf
4) "God" - John Lennon

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1) "Karma Police" - Radiohead: For 2 minutes there, Radiohead lost themselves making an almost commercial ballad. One OK Computer's best moments.
2) "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite
3) "Holiday in Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys
4) "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1) "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley: Don't love it as everybody else do, but still find it nice enough to win here.
2) "Sea Song" - Robert Wyatt
3) "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads
4) "That's Entertainment" - The Jam

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1) "California Girls" - The Beach Boys: Not that great, but better then the rest in this weak bracket.
2) "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
3) "Rise" - Public Image Ltd
4) "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley

Edited the post cause I had forgotten to comment on Many Rivers to Cross.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Toni, it still counts! Thanks for the ballot. If there's anyone else out there who hasn't voted yet for this week, you have about eight and a half hours left! Go, go, go!

One other thing: there is one bracket where one or two ballots could completely change the results. So don't think that your vote won't count! If you haven't voted yet, I urge you to do so!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Voting for Week 2 is now over. Results will be posted as soon as I finish tallying the points.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

RESULTS: ROUND 1, WEEK 2

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Changes" (63 points, 12 first-place votes)
2. "Wicked Games" (46, 4)
3. "Me and Bobby McGee" (42, 1)
4. "Yeah!" (29, 1)

David Bowie wins another bracket in a runaway, as "Changes" joins "Life on Mars?" in the second round. Some late love put Chris Isaak into second place, but he is ultimately eliminated. Janis' hopes for a first round victory are down to her work with Big Brother & the Holding Company, while Usher, Ludacris, and Lil' Jon go oh-for-one.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Many Rivers to Cross" (50, 5)
2. "Venus as a Boy" (46, 6)
3. "Boogie Chillen'" (41, 4)
4. "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" (33, 2)

Jimmy Cliff manages to hold off Björk and puts "Many Rivers to Cross" into the second round. Björk and Ian Dury are eliminated, while John Lee Hooker must pin his hopes on "Boom Boom".


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 1
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (68, 15)
2. "Da Funk" (43, 3)
3. "Smoke on the Water" (36, 0)
4. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (33, 0)

In "you should have seen this one coming" news, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" destroys any and all comers. Deep Purple is out, but Daft Punk still has two songs left, and the Temptations have three.


SIBELIUS BLOC, BRACKET 10
1. "Teen Age Riot" (60, 11)
2. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (44, 4)
3. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" (44, 2)
4. "Rock Your Baby" (32, 1)

Sonic Youth ran away with this one, destroying two songs by Sly's Stone Family. The Family still has three songs in Bracketology, but George McCrae goes one-and-done.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "God" (48, 7)
2. "Born to Be Wild" (47, 6)
3. "Pump Up the Volume" (44, 3)
4. "I Predict a Riot" (41, 2)

In a very close bracket, John Lennon's "God" squeaks through and pulls off the (so far) biggest upset. Steppenwolf, M/A/R/R/S, and Kaiser Chiefs are all eliminated in their only bracket.


WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 6
1. "Karma Police" (60, 9)
2. "Holiday in Cambodia" (41, 2)
3. "Groove Is in the Heart" (40, 4)
4. "Leader of the Pack" (39, 3)

The OK Computer fans showed up in force to put "Karma Police" into the second round. The Dead Kennedys and Deee-Lite are gone, but there is still hope for fans of the Shangri-Las: "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" is still around.


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Crazy" (66, 13)
2. "That's Entertainment" (45, 3)
3. "Sea Song" (41, 2)
4. "Hounds of Love" (28, 0)

Another blowout, with Gnarls Barkley becoming the first act from this millennium to put a song into the second round. The Jam still have five chances for a victory, but Robert Wyatt and the Futureheads are gone.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "California Girls" (48, 5)
2. "Born in the U.S.A." (47, 4)
3. "Who Do You Love" (46, 5)
4. "Rise" (39, 4)

This proved to be the closest bracket of the week, with only two points separating first and third place. It looked to be a two-horse race between Bo and Bruce, but it went down to the final ballot and "California Girls" came out of nowhere to win it. PiL has one song left in contention: "Public Image".

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

Damn it, I forgot. I'm at week three already, though.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 2

And now, for some statistics.


WHO GOT THE MOST CORRECT WINNERS THIS WEEK?
1. brose (7 out of 8 - 87.5%) tie
1. SR (7 out of 8 - 87.5%) tie
3. Alex D (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
3. Anthony (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
5. Harold Wexler (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
5. Midaso (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
5. Toni (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
8. VanillaFire1000 (4 out of 7 - 57.14%)
9. BillAdama (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
9. Greg (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
9. nicolas (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
12. Matt Schroeder (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
12. Moonbeam (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
12. Nassim (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
12. pop elton (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
12. schleuse (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
12. sonofsamiam (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
18. John (2 out of 8 - 25%)



OVERALL TOP TEN (BY PERCENTAGE)
1. brose (13 out of 16 - 81.25%)
2. Alex D (12 out of 16 - 75%) tie
2. SR (12 out of 16 - 75%) tie
4. Henrik (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. Honorio (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. Mindrocker (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
7. Michael (5 out of 7 - 71.43%)
8. Harold Wexler (11 out of 16 - 68.75%)
9. Anthony (10 out of 16 - 62.5%) tie
9. BillAdama (10 out of 16 - 62.5%) tie
9. Greg (10 out of 16 - 62.5%) tie
9. Midaso (10 out of 16 - 62.5%) tie
9. nicolas (10 out of 16 - 62.5%) tie



OVERALL TOP TEN (BY NUMBER CORRECT)
1. brose (13)
2. Alex D (12) tie
2. SR (12) tie
4. Harold Wexler (11) tie
5. Anthony (10) tie
5. Bill Adama (10) tie
5. Greg (10) tie
5. Midaso (10) tie
5. nicolas (10) tie
10. sonofsamiam (9) tie
10. Toni (9) tie