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Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

BRACKETOLOGY: ROUND 1, WEEK 5

A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 0
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 2
1960s: 5
1970s: 12
1980s: 7
1990s: 4
2000s: 2

Also of note:
A bracket with three songs from the '80s


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.

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
#252: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
#261: "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
#764: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]
#773: "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
#326: "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
#699: "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
#838: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]
#367: "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
#658: "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]
#879: "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
#68: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
#445: "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
#580: "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
#957: "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
#137: "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
#376: "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
#649: "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
#888: "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#253: "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
#260: "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
#765: "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
#772: "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
#189: "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
#324: "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
#701: "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
#836: "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
#255: "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
#767: "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
#770: "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
Say it with me! I got a fever! And the only prescription... is MORE COWBELL!
2. "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
VERY difficult choice for me between #2 and #3. Ultimately, Stardust squeaks it out.
3. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]
Like I said, a very difficult choice for me between this one and Stardust. It just feels like this one is missing a certain something, especially in the chorus. I feel like when the chorus kicks in, the song pulls back a little bit.
4. "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
I really should like Daft Punk more than I do. They're everything that I love. But as much as I enjoy this song, it's just as grating.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
Oh man, this was a difficult choice. Do I go with the cutting-edge song or the classic? I gotta go with the classic, though I wouldn't be surprised if the Velvets end up taking this bracket. Still, this is one of those songs that I could listen to every day for the next twenty years and never grow tired of. Viva Boston!
2. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
Undoubtedly a groundbreaking track, and though I've never done heroin, this song makes me feel like I have. It took me a few listens for it to really open up to me, but once it did, it blows my mind every time. Still, I'd rather listen to Boston.
3. "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
Blondie is one of those bands that gets crazy amounts of cred, but little to nothing from me. "Call Me" is one of my favorite tracks of theirs, but it's got nothing on the other two. A distant third.
4. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]
This song suffers from the same problem that afflicts songs like Steve Perry's "Oh Sherrie," Starship's "Sara," or Laura Branigan's "Gloria." If it's not your name in the song, it just doesn't have the same impact. Plus, I've got a real pain-in-the-ass relative named Donna. I guess this song's position is a matter of guilt by association.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]
This song will forever be tied to jeans for me; the first time I heard it was in an ad for Levi's. I still think the ad was brilliant — maybe someone out there remembers it... Anyway, I saw the ad, investigated the song, and was instantly hooked. Personally, I'm a little preferential to the 8-minute-plus version that tacks on "Where Did Our Love Go", but that's just me.
2. "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
Okay, this one has me a little confused. I'm about 99% certain that the listing for this song on AM is in regard to the original cut of the song (off "When I Was Born for the 7th Time"), but I'm preferential to the Fatboy Slim remix from the following year. So that's why this one gets the high ranking from me: the remix. What can I say? I drank the Fatboy Slim Kool-Aid a long time ago...
3. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]
There is absolutely no reason for me to like this. I don't generally like instrumental rock, and I really don't like pre-1960 rock. But this has a real lazy, groovy feel to it that I can't deny. God, it's good.
4. "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
Madonna is a real hit-and-miss artist for me. When she's "on," I love it. When she isn't, I can't stand it. "Material Girl" is an off.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
I don't want to put this in the top spot here, but I can't find a reason to drop it. It's over-the-top, grandiose, bloated, self-important, and wholly unnecessary. But that's Queen for you. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is everything that the band ever tried to be, and every song they made after this was just a grab at the same success that this one had. I'm looking forward to the next round when whatever songs it faces blow it away.
2. "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
One of two rain-themed CCR songs (and my favorite of the two), I really want to put this above "Bohemian Rhapsody," but just can't justify doing it.
3. "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
I can't seem to be able to get into "Ziggy Stardust" yet, but this song gets two points simply because it's head-and-shoulders above...
4. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]
I actually like Eminem, but there's two Eminems. There's the serious Eminem of songs like "Stan" and "Lose Yourself," and there's the poppy, top-40-oriented Eminem that gives us crap like this and "Without Me." It's a shame that he feels he needs to pander with songs like this one to sell records.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
Fear not, Moonbeam. I'm with you on this one (assuming you also put this one first). I've always loved the line "Act your age, not your shoe size."
2. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]
Forget Spandau Ballet's "True." This is how that song is supposed to sound. Yeah, it's relaxing and soft, but sometimes that's a great vibe.
3. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
I'm really picky when it comes to songs by the Jam. Frankly, I'm a little more drawn to their more "pop" songs.
4. "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
Ray lost me when he went country.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
I know, the songs I placed at #2 and #3 were extremely influential songs, but I just love this song. It's dark and moody, but I'm always singing along with the chorus. Well, maybe "singing" isn't the right word... Shouting? Yeah.
2. "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
Truly a revolutionary sound in rap music, and it's still influencing artists today. Right, Common? AND it samples my favorite Kraftwerk tune.
3. "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
Sure, Dre made gangsta rap cool three years later with "The Chronic," but this song is the one that started it all. The opening line still gets me: "Straight outta Compton, crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube/From the gang called Niggaz With Attitude".
4. "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
I'm only just beginning to get this song. It still seems kind of pretentious and self-congratulatory, but it's so damn catchy. Just like every other LCD Soundsystem song.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
I remember being on vacation in Stockholm and having a certain amount of time to walk around town and do some window-shopping, but all I wanted to do was get back to the tour bus so I could listen to this song again.
2. "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
Thou shalt not take the names of Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Johnny Hartman, Desmond Dekker, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, or Syd Barrett in vain.
3. "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
Newman has so many better songs than this one.
4. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]
I think that little girls should be seen and heard, but Poly Styrene shouldn't be seen or heard.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
Tough choice for me. I can't say I "love" this song, but the song's sound blew me away the first time I heard it, and I always see it through to the end when it comes on. This bracket comes down to the first three choices, and Dizzee Rascal just barely edges it out for me.
2. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
Okay, I have a bit of an admission to make. You know how every concert (even non-Skynyrd concerts) have some asshole who yells out "Free Bird"? That's me. I want to apologize for being that douchebag. Unless you're also that guy, in which case... "FREE BIRD!"
3. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
Good to see that Joe got around to starting a music career for himself when he wasn't beating Michael. ...wait, it's a different Joe Jackson? Hmm...
4. "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
Never liked the Everly Brothers, and I detest this song. Their voices just pierce into my skull like a knife. I die each time I hear this song.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5 list on Spotify
I didn't find "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" by P.M. Dawn but all the rest are in playlist.

Edit. Now the link should work.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Wow, there are a ton of songs that I love this week. This is going to be tough.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Here's the Levi's ad I mentioned in my post...


Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

A very quick one, I'm not at home but away on vacation; but seeing this makes me wanna add my grain of salt, as we say in French

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2 :
1 "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]: Vive Daft Punk
2 "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]
3"Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
4"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1"Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]: greatest drug song ever
2"Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]: love that one too
3"Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
4"More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]: soul synth pop : a masterpiece of decadent cabaret-rock
2"Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]: r&b organ classic
3"Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
4"Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8 : énorme bracket (awesome if u prefer)
1"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]: another pop gem
2"Starman" - David Bowie [1972 : one of many ZS highlights
3"Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]: could easily have won any other bracket
4"The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1"Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]memories of eighties dance floors
2"I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]: close second
3"Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]: excellent third
4"Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]: terrible fourth

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2 : not being at home i can't listen to and don't remember the last three, but i doubt they would have beaten NWA
1"Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]: irreverent, socially unconscious, but so funny, fun ky and so good
2"Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
3"Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
4"That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1"Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]: 3 great songs, but this one is an old fave of mine : I just love Jamaican music until 1980
2"Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]: those lyrics are brilliant, but the music a little less so
3"Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]: great twin guitars job, but i don't like Verlaine's vocals
4"Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]: who's that ?

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]: the greatest guitar chorus of the seventies, along with stairway and hotel california
2"Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
3"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
4"I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
2: "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
3: "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
4: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]

Reaper wins but only because the rest of the songs are not that great. But, Reaper is a pretty good song especially the chorus. But, when it gets to the solos it's kind of crappy.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
2: "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
3: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]
4: "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]

Well, Heroin wins this hands down, but the next three are all really good songs as well. It was tough placing them so once again I'm just going on how I'm feeling today. Feels wrong putting Call Me in the #4 spot though.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15

1: "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
2: "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
3: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]
4: "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]

Another bracket full of good songs. But, the catchiness of Brimful of Asha takes top billing. I think it was the first taste of indie pop or at least non mainstream pop for me. Spin made it their #1 record of '97 and I had no idea who they were. I kind of forgot about that until now.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8

1: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
2: "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
3: "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
4: "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]

This should be at least a round 2 bracket... it's so unfair that all of these great songs have to go up against each other. I'm usually not a fan of epic songs but Bohemian Rhapsody is definitely one exception.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3

1: "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
2: "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
3: "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
4: "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]

One of the songs from the last bracket couldn't have snuck into this one? Kiss is good, but probably not in my top 10 of Prince. The rest of the songs kind of suck. Well, the Ray Charles song doesn't, but it's not my thing.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2

1: "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
2: "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
3: "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
4: "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]

That's When I Reach For My Revolver is a classic, one of the best songs ever. 2+3 were close to each other and Planet Rock blows even if it was way ahead of it's time.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7

1: "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]
2: "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
3: "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
4: "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]

Everything about Oh Bondage, Up Yours is amazing, I've never heard another song quite like it. It fused new wave, pop and punk perfectly. Like always with Television, the guitar work on Marquee Moon is fantastic but it isn't even in my top 3 songs on the album so I'm giving this one to X-Ray Spex. The other two are pretty good songs... I've heard Randy Newman's voice way too much over my lifetime to have a real appreciation for it anymore.


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1: "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
2: "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
3: "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
4: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]

Cathy's Clown is easily my favorite pre-British Invasion pop or rock song. A brilliant structured song when most songs being made were kind of raw and messy. Some may like that but the Everly's paved the way for the pop of the 60's and this was their finest.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER
1. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - awesomely nerdy song
2. "Music Sounds Better with You"
3. "Around the World"
4. "Hold On, I'm Comin'"

TCHAIKOVSKY
1. "More Than a Feeling" - great guitars, awesome vocals
2. "Heroin"
3. "Donna"
4. "Call Me"

LISZT
1. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - weak bracket so this wins by default
2. "Brimful of Asha"
3. "Tainted Love"
4. "Material Girl"

CHOPIN
1. "The Real Slim Shady" - spittin a dexterous flow, bein hilarious, defending free speech
2. "Who'll Stop the Rain"
3. "Starman"
4. "Bohemian Rhadsody"

RACHMANINOFF
1. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - good lyrics, great beat, beautiful chorus
2. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight"
3. "I Can't Stop Loving You"
4. "Kiss"

CHOPIN
1. "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" - gunz rule
2. "Straight Outta Compton"
3. "Planet Rock"
4. "Losing My Edge"

CHOPIN
1. "Sail Away" - brutal. america is awesome! now please step on the slaveship.
2. "Israelites"
3. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!"
4. "Marquee Moon"

BACH
1. "Free Bird" - wanderlust & awesome guitars
2. "Cathy's Clown"
3. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?"
4. "I Luv U"

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

I'll vote later but :

My 3 favourite songs of the week :
1) Dizzee Rascal - I Luv U
2) LCD Soundsystem - Losing my Edge
3) Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

So Greg, feel free to change your votes !

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
2. "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
3. "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
4. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]

I love “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” even with the cheesy guitar solo. The first half of the song is brilliant. I don’t remember the Stardust song being this good either – it’s a solid second in the group. I don’t care much for the other two, but “Around the World” is slightly better, I guess.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
2. "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
3. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
4. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]

“More Than a Feeling” is my all-time favorite song – it’s an easy number one here. It’s too bad that it’ll probably lose to “Heroin” in the first round. Both “Call Me” and “Heroin” are great – I wish that they could be in some of the other brackets since they’d win.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
2. "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
3. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]
4. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]

The first three songs are all decent – I just happen to like the Cornershop one better right now (although the one I like is the Fatboy Slim remix, go figure). I don’t really like “Honky Tonk, Pt. 1” and find it a bit boring.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
2. "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
3. "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
4. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]

Once again, strong top three. “Bohemian Rhapsody” represents Queen to the fullest: bloated, extravagant, but still great. I’ll echo Matt Schroeder’s comment’s on “Ziggy Stardust” but Starman is quality work. “The Real Slim Shady” is pretty awful.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
2. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]
3. "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
4. "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]

The weakest bracket of the week. The Jam has better hits, Prince has better hits. “Set Adrift” is good “chill” material, but you can’t really listen to it too often.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
2. "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
3. "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
4. "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]

Mission of Burma is by far the best of these four songs. I never got “Losing My Edge” – I’ve never liked it. “Planet Rock” is just awful; no idea how it got these acclaimed to begin with.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
2. "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
3. "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
4. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]

Love the dueling guitars in “Marquee Moon.” The middle two are alright: the problem with Randy Newman is his voice. I hadn’t heard the X-Ray Spex song before and I don’t plan on listening to it again. Seriously terrible singing.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
2. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
3. "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
4. "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]

I guess I don’t like rap too much, I’ve been giving very low ratings to the rap songs. Joe Jackson’s song edges out “Free Bird” by a bit in this bracket. I prefer the short and sweet to the drawn out in this case.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

First half for me:

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
#764: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]
Another song I had no idea I was already familiar with. I love this kind of bluesy soul that's brimming with emotional power.
#261: "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
Nice groove. Wait, this was made in 1999? (Listen again) Really? 1999? Not the seventies?
#773: "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
Really good dance loop, but I find the synthesized vocals grating, especially after seven minutes.
#252: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
I start thinking "...why is this song so famous?" Then the guitar solo happens. Okay, fair enough. It's not just coasting on an overrated Christopher Walken SNL sketch.




TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
One of Velvet Underground's best songs. The tempo changes really convey the desparation and loss of self control of an addict.
#699: "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
Blondie's a band that's only recently grown on me. You have to love their energy.
#838: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]
Pleasant sounding enough, but it's pretty much 50's radio-pop-by-numbers.
#326: "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
Not as bad as I remembered, but it's still cheesy 70's schlock rock.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
#658: "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]
Great instrumental blues piece.
#879: "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
Not my favorite Madonna song, but Madonna once again proves herself to be everything redeeming about dance-pop. The celebration of shallowness is a bit eye-rolling.
#367: "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
Now, this song illustrates my problem with looping. Most songs repeat the same measures over and over, but because you've got a human playing an instrument they do every one a little differently. They set expectations then slightly defy them, and that adds so much emotional flavor to the song. If all you're doing is looping, you're setting expections then meeting them exactly. This is fine when you use the vocals to inject some emotion, but Cornershop doesn't do that, their singing sounds like a looping record too. Nonetheless, this song is really catchy so I still like it.
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]
Lyrics are too hokey and some of the synthed beats sound awkward.




CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8

#580: "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
Quirky Bowie song. Not his best work but good enough to win this block.
#445: "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
Not the most interesting song. Straightforward rock. But I made it all the way through without at all considering scooping out my eardrum with a lobster fork, which places it at least at #2 in this block.
#68: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
Cheesy, self-indulgent, overwrought, overlong, histrionic dreck. It's a miracle it found a draw where I would not rate it last.
#957: "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]
Narcissistic self referential dreck. I saw an article on Popmatters that had a picture of him and said 'Rebels Wit Attitude'. No, Eminem is a merchant of attitude. Dr Dre created him in a test tube by centrifuging distilled market research. "Ooh, I'm so controversial!" He stages wire harness mishaps at award shows. He stages feuds with other celebrities. I wouldn't be surprised if some day he paid a gangster to non-fatally shoot him like that rapper on the Sopranos. Poser.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2

1. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]

SNL has sort of ruined it in the larger scope of things, but it shocks me that this still sounds fresh.

2. "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]

Yet another fantastic Daft Punk single.

3. "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]

I don't like this as much as some of the Daft Punk tracks from just before and after, but still fun.

4. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]

Not nearly as energetic as I remembered.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7

1. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]

Hard to argue with, this is just a relentless song.

2. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]

Just a great song, AOR-ness, slickness, Scholz-ness, and Delp-ness be damned.

3. "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]

A little classic rock for my liking, as far as Blondie goes, but fine nonetheless.

4. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]

I'm not sure Ritchie Valens really earned his status in the pantheon. Guess he was the first of the kind, but musically sort of generic.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15

Really weak group, this one...

1. "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]

Not very substantial, but we all like cotton candy one in a while.

2. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]

Awesomely subversive, especially considering this owned the charts in '81 and '82.

3. "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]

Hasn't dated all that well, though Asha Bhosle references are always welcome in any song.

4. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]

It's OK, not something I would actively listen to.



CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8

1. "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]

My favorite CCR song, melancholy suits Fogerty well.

2. "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]

Yet another great Ziggy track.

3. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]

I would switch stations if I heard it on the radio, but credit for going all-out.

4. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]

He has better singles than this.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3

Really, really strong group.

1. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]

Moonbeam will kill me for voting this white-boy rock #1, but I have to be honest. This is EASILY the Jam's finest moment, with absolutely devastating lyrics.

2. "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]

A great mid-'80s single -- this has been played at pretty much every wedding I've been at, and I have had absolutely no recourse but to make an ass out of myself on the dance floor.

3. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]

Ah, early '90s sensitive rap. Lovely hearkening back to Spandau Ballet...

4. "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]

Fine Ray-goes-country hit, though I prefer him in stomping mode.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2

An EXCEPTIONALLY strong group.

1. "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]

Where Bambaataa trumps Kraftwerk, and brings Sun Ra to rap. Still sounds great, the past is the new future.

2. "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]

Tough to have this as #2, as it's N.W.A.'s finest moment and also the best thing either Dr. Dre or Ice Cube was ever involved with, in my opinion.

3. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]

A really strong #3, though if this were "Academy Fight Song" I'd be feeling even worse about it.

4. "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]

Yes, it's last, but I still really like it. Us hipsters always need our tweakings.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7

Yet another great group, front to back. 1-3 could be in any order and I'd likely agree.

1. "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]

At the end of the day, all that guitar greatness is just too glorious to lose.

2. "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]

So very subversive, one of the prettier sounding yet harshest protest songs around.

3. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]

Poly Styrene and a drunken sax = fun.

4. "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]

Lovely, just not quite up to the standards above it.



BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2

And now for something completely different...a truly mediocre group.

1. "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]

Would've been last in several other brackets, but what can you do with the hand you're dealt?

2. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]

Good power-pub-pop.

3. "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]

There are many other Everly tracks I like better, but here he coooooomes....

4. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]

If only I could get one of those Men In Black devices to wipe my brain clean so I could hear this fresh again.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Part two:

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
#376: "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
Great post-punk with a great bassline.
#137: "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
I love Prince. Except when he sings all falsettoey. Then he's kind of annoying.
#649: "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
Way too schmaltzy with the cheesy choir.
#888: "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]
If you're going to just talk-sing for the entire song, you better be a raspy male vocalist over 40 who has both a first name and last name that are one syllable.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#772: "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
The greatest song by a good post-punk band.
#765: "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
Straight Outta Compton has been the fourth highest rated AM album I don't have for a while. Now I'm convinced I need it in my collection. But I swear, the filth of Hotel California shall never pollute my shelf! Not even to complete the top 100.
#260: "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
Nothing markets to hipsters better than sarcatically calling hipsters out on caring too much about whether their music is cool. "I was there!!" Although the LCD Soundsystem guy is not over 40 so he does not qualify to talk-sing.
#253: "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
Meh.




CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7

#189: "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
Really interesting song. Has that raggae beat by folky vocals.
#324: "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
I happen to think Television is a bit overrated, but they're still quite a good band. Good enough in this block. It would be first place if it weren't so freaking overlong.
#836: "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]
English punk with female vocals and saxophone to make it sound unique. I should look into if they have any big albums or if they were a singles band.
#701: "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
I really, really hate Randy Newman. I never liked him, but Harps & Angels jumped it up to hate. He's one of those people who reinforces the ridiculous liberal stereotypes invented by Karl Rove. Smug, self-righteous, and doesn't seem to have more than a vague superficial understanding of the issues he soapboxes about. He honestly thinks everybody on the other political side is an evil, greedy, militaristic tyrant. In Bizarro-world he anchors for Fox News. And even that might be okay if he didn't have the worst singing voice in human history.


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
The Drive By Truckers forced me to appreciate Skynyrd. Of course, 'Lord knows I can't change' does in fact sound better in the song than when you've got some hell to pay. Points for being the most canonical southern rock song ever recorded.
#255: "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
The Everly Brothers are an early 60's singles band I like. They've got a good sound but they're not the most original. They make me wish more newer pop songs would harmonize instead of just computer-buffing one set of vocals.
#770: "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
Good at creating a mood, but I find his rapping and some of the beats grating.
#767: "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
Irritating radio-oriented whine-pop. Musically boring, lyrically painful.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
#252: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]- i just like this one
#764: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]
#773: "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
#261: "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]- one of the best songs ever
#326: "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
#699: "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
#838: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]-awwww yeeeeaaaaahhh
#879: "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
#367: "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
#658: "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
#68: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]- the only bracket with all good songs
#445: "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
#957: "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]
#580: "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
#137: "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]- least favorite bracket, but whatever
#376: "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
#649: "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
#888: "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#260: "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]- i love this song. so awesome
#253: "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
#765: "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
#772: "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
#324: "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]- duh.
#701: "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
#836: "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]
#189: "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]- PLAY FREEBIRD!
#255: "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
#770: "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
#767: "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
#252: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
#773: "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
#764: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]
#261: "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]

I've always been a fan of The Reaper ever since I heard it when I was younger. I'll never object to Daft Punk playing at any party I'm at.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
#699: "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
#838: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]
#326: "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]

My #1 and #4 illustrates almost everything wrong with classic rock radio. Why Boston and Led Zeppelin? Why not the Velvet Underground? As a songwriting team, Reed/Cale is second only to Lennon/McCartney. Heroin is perfectly executed, a true thriller. Perfect loud/soft "pixies" dynamic before such a thing existed.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]#879: "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
#367: "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
#658: "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]

Very weak bracket for me. Like the first two, not particularly fond of the later.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
#580: "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
#957: "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]
#445: "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
#68: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]

I hate Queen so much. I really do. All three non-Queen songs in this bracket are very good, and I'm putting my money on Starman as the song most likely to take down Queen.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
#137: "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
#376: "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
#649: "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
#888: "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]

Another fairly weak bracket. Kiss isn't my favorite Prince but it's good enough to win this one.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#765: "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
#260: "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
#772: "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
#253: "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]

Really like LCD Soundsystem, but I have to give it to the niggas wit attitude. IMO Dre would eventually surpass the group, but what they made together was excellent.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
#189: "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
#324: "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]- duh.
#701: "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
#836: "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]

I find Television overrated, and Israelites to be beyond excellent. The best reggae song not by Bob Marley.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]- PLAY FREEBIRD!
#255: "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
#770: "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
#767: "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]

Despite my dislike of classic rock radio, I actually am a fan of Freebird. Very well-written song.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]: Another classic-rock staple of my youth that still retains its hypnotic hold on me. I remember being initially skeptical about the 8-hour miniseries adaptation of Steven King’s THE STAND; when the opening credit montage was accompanied by this song, I smiled and said, “OK, they know what they’re doing.”
2. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]: One of the greatest soul records of the Sixties, from that indelible horn riff to S&D’s gospel-tinged shouts. Backed impeccably by the MG’s, of course.
3. "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]: There are actually YouTube comments complaining about the “dumb, repetitive lyrics” of this song. Yeah, and “Tequila” has dumb lyrics, too. This is basically an instrumental where the title phrase is just another processed musical element. And it’s an irresistible one.
4. "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]: How weird is it that there are two songs in this bracket co-created by Thomas Bangalter? This is by far the lesser one, at least to me.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]: Imagine what it was like to hear this in 1967 – it must have had a seismic impact equivalent to BONNIE AND CLYDE (although it was obviously far less “popular”). The linchpin of the VU legend, and an enduring one; there are few sounds in rock more exciting than Cale’s climactic viola freakout.
2. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]: See #1 above. This song and its accompanying album have a lot to answer for, but not to apologize for. Yes, it’s calculated to within an inch of its life. Doesn’t make it any less brilliant. In almost any other bracket it would be my #1.
3. "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]: The beginning of the end; in Blondie’s case, increasing popularity really -did- correspondingly reduce their artistic credibility. A good single, to be sure, but piffle compared to almost anything that had preceded it.
4. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]: Valens’s rockers are filled with enough jittery energy and fiery guitar work to make you really mourn what might have been. His ballads, not so much.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]: For a long time, this held the record for longest continuous stay on the Billboard Hot 100 – almost a full year – and deservedly so. A great cover that fully exploits the sinister possibilities of synth-pop. And, yes, it gets bonus points for inspiring that brilliant Spike Jonze Levi’s commercial, one of the blackest pieces of advertising to ever make it to air.
2. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]: I discovered two surprises when I listened to this classic Fifties R&B instrumental. One was that I already knew it, as background music in the Dean Stockwell scene from BLUE VELVET (I don’t know if enough has been written about David Lynch’s taste in music); the other was that I like it more than #3.
3. "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]: They seemed brilliantly innovative and Next Thing-ish at the time; now, WHEN I WAS BORN… just sounds like a very good late ‘90s pop album, nothing more or less. This is a terrific single, though.
4. "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]: I think I always knew she was destined to be an enduring artist even when most people assumed she was a flash-in-the-pan. But I have always, always hated this song.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]: It’s bombastic and monumentally silly and ultimately meaningless, and it’s one of the most unstoppably entertaining records ever made. It helps, as it always did, that Freddie Mercury’s improbably foppish showmanship is backed by the effortless genius of Brian May’s surround-sound guitars.
2. "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]: Speaking of improbably foppish showmanship backed by effortless-genius guitar… One of ZIGGY’s highlights, with its shimmering acoustics and string section, gloriously dippy lyrics (“let all the children boogie,” indeed), unforgettable riff, and one of the all-time great singalong fadeouts.
3. "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]: Song for song, this may be the finest bracket thus far. This is #3 only because right now, I’d rather la-la-la along with Bowie than attend to Fogerty’s ponderings on The State of the World Circa 1970, but it’s a slim margin. It’s a brilliant song.
4. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]: It’s not the best song on MARSHALL MATHERS – it’s a bit too obviously calculated as “the hit single” – but it’s more than emblematic of what made him, at the time, both a lightning rod and a great artist. Beneath the outrage and outlandishness, his verbal skills are nothing short of breathtaking.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]: Prince was on such a roll at this point that there was no question this was destined for #1, even though it’s quite fantastically weird, with its minimalistic (even more so than “When Doves Cry”) arrangement, DYNASTY-referencing lyrics, and lead vocal delivered entirely in his Camille falsetto.
2. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]: Utterly devastating – a knife-edge portrait of a hate crime in progress from the viewpoint of the victim, in all its casually harrowing detail. Weller’s status as a great songwriter would be assured by this song alone (“they smelt of pubs/and Wormwood Scrubs/and too many right-wing meetings”).
3. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]: Wonderfully unlikely, both as a hip-hop song in the midst of the gangsta era and as a #1 pop hit in general – it’s far more low-key and reflective (the pauses when Prince Be says, “that’s the way it goes … I guess” speak volumes) than you’d expect. And centering it around a sample of Spandau Ballet’s “True” is just the icing.
4. "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]: The gigantic hit from the landmark MODERN SOUNDS IN C&W opened the door to a whole new audience for Brother Ray. I’ve never been a huge fan of the song, though; in fact, it may be my least favorite on the album.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]: MoB is a dense, knotty band that I have yet to fully wrap my head around (it’s fun trying, though), but no such problem exists with this song. It may be the greatest single of the entire post-punk era. Intense, deep, dramatic, and instantly memorable. It makes you want to form a band just so you can cover it.
2. "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]: One of the all-time in-your-face (excuse me, I mean in-your-motherf***ing-face) statements of artistic purpose, a startling shot across the bow of hip-hop that instantly changed the game for good and has lost none of its power.
3. "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]: Hilarious, but one could have been forgiven at the time for assuming that this was all that Murphy had to offer.
4. "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]: Eh. I can appreciate how innovative this was at the time (particularly its use of sampling), but it doesn’t do a lot for me.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]: My favorite epic guitar track, from one of my absolute favorite albums. Part of what makes song and album so great is the tension between the two guitarists, whose interplay is diametrically opposed to that of a matched pair like Keith ‘n’ Ronnie; Lloyd reels off effortlessly punchy, punky lines, while Verlaine seems inspired more by LIVE/DEAD than by RAMONES. Utterly spellbinding.
2. "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]: Newman’s art at its best, and most subtle; so beautiful and lulling and majestically arranged that it takes awhile to discern the sinister implications, which in this case (a sales pitch from the captain of a slave ship about the joys of your future homeland) is exactly the point. Fun fact: when Linda Ronstadt covered it, she changed “little wog” to “little one.” (I suppose if she’d done “Rednecks,” the key line would have become “keeping the naggers down.”)
3. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]: Yes, it’s shrill and off-putting. You know what? Poly doesn’t give a shit. I prefer almost any track from the actual GERMFREE album, but you have to admit this is one hell of an opening shot.
4. "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]: A breath of fresh air on top 40 radio in 1969, no doubt. It’s an enjoyable record, but an easy #4 here.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]: Classic rock rears its occasionally ugly head yet again, but decades of overplaying and even its title becoming a tiresome concert-shoutout cliché have done nothing to dim its greatness. That moment in the coda when the other instruments drop out and it’s just the guitars? Makes my jaw drop, every time.
2. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]: He wasn’t punk, or even new wave, really. He was a classic pop craftsman cannily riding the crest of a wave, with the help of a great band. The suddenly lush, cascading bridge of this song is what gives the game away. Jackson plays that game well, though; who hasn’t been able to relate to these lyrics?
3. "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]: I still remember the first time I listened to BOY IN DA CORNER; DR’s dizzyingly rapid-fire, heavily accented wordplay combined with the endless clanks and bounces of his homemade beats gave me a headache, but in a good way. This single is a great entry point.
4. "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]: An OK record, but not even close to my favorite Everlys song. Why this was their biggest hit (and it was massive) is a mystery.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER 2
1. HOLD ON, I’M COMIN’. “The Reaper” is better, but it’s not essential, and someone needs to vote for Sam and Dave’s groovy, raunchy song. Even the vocals work here, even though they sound like someone shouting while pinned under something heavy.
2. DON’T FEAR THE REAPER. No genre sucks all the time, and some AOR is pretty irresistible (see also Journey). Cool bass, and some nifty arpeggiated guitar in there.
3. AROUND THE WORLD. Looks like we’re getting all our Daft Punk out of the way early. They’re almost completely new to me, but this might be my favorite of the songs I’ve heard.
4. MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER WITH YOU. Oh, come on…how does a DP side project rank ahead of DP? Groovy, but not much of a song.

TCHAIKOVSKY 7. Chalk-ovsky for me.
1. HEROIN. In a weak bracket, my fourth- or fifth-favorite song from the banana album takes the biscuit.
2. MORE THAN A FEELING. Pity Tom Scholz. With his temperament, if he’d been born a decade or two later, he could have been They Might Be Giants or Hot Chip. Instead he brilliantly mastered a style that turned out to be a creative dead end. Still a fun song.
3. CALL ME. That sucking sound you hear is Blondie’s garage-punk chops going down the tubes. Debbie’s so much more threatening and potent when she’s cooing and purring…she should have left the hollering to Exene. The rest of the band pastiches the Ramones in the verses and pre-Moroder disco in the chorus, to no particular point. Also, this song helped make Richard Gere a star, which is something it should probably have to answer for.
4. DONNA. Nobody except nicolas is a greater proponent of the 50s on this forum than I am, and I love “La Bamba.” So it pains me to say this: if Ritchie hadn’t died a few months after this was released, nobody would care about it at all. Snoozeworthy.

LISZT 15
1. TAINTED LOVE. Probably the greatest cover version ever (yes, including “Respect” and “All Along the Watchtower”). Very groovy and very, very spooky—the backing vocals sound like something from Inner Sanctum. Or, at least, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
2. HONKY TONK, PT. 1. Now that’s more like it (for the 50s, I mean). New to me, but a fun instrumental.
3. BRIMFUL OF ASHA. I never got this. Why, in 1997, is it interesting to make a song that sounds like Happy Mondays without the E?
4. MATERIAL GIRL. I like a lot of Madonna…not this. Betty Boop vocals and supposedly humorous lyrics without a trace of actual humor, all over a vaguely martial beat? Check, please.

CHOPIN 8
1. STARMAN. What I think of when I think of pre-Berlin Bowie. Great track.
2. THE REAL SLIM SHADY. Poser? Pandering? If you guys say so…I don’t mind self-referentiality so much. I like funny, and this is.
3. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. The last time I rated this song, I was not employed by an opera company. Now that I am, its cringe factor has only increased for me, even if this song has the same relationship to opera that ham has to hamburgers. Still rises to at least the level of a guilty pleasure, whatever that is.
4. WHO’LL STOP THE RAIN. I’m pretty sure I first heard (part of) this song during one of those mail-order TV commercials for a CCR greatest hits. That seems to be its natural habitat. Unremarkable.

RACHMANINOFF 3. Chalk-maninoff.
1. KISS. More proof that, from 1982-87, Prince could do anything. There’s just no way this should have worked, let alone become a huge hit, in 1986 (2006, yes). One of the incontrovertible laws of rock: ladies love falsetto.
2. DOWN IN THE TUBESTATION AT MIDNIGHT. I can’t imagine this has much competition for the title of Best Rock Song About Being Bullied. The Jam at their most barbed.
3. I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU. Yes, it’s neat that after Brother Ray mastered gospel-inflected R&B he moved on to country. This is a good song, not a classic.
4. SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS. Really? If you’re gonna sample a third-tier New Romantic single, at least improve on it, will ya?

CHOPIN 2
1. LOSING MY EDGE. The clear choice in a strong bracket. With the line “You don’t know what you really want,” I think he’s clearly making fun of himself as much as his audience—more pointedly, he’s making fun of aging hipster oneupsmanship. I don’t think anything on Sound of Silver reaches this level, by the way.
2. THAT’S WHEN I REACH FOR MY REVOLVER. Punk can be gleefully, wonderfully stupid or intelligent but angry. This is the latter. Mission of Burma had a slightly incoherent mission statement, but this song is full of piss and vinegar.
3. PLANET ROCK. I’m kind of surprised by the dislike this song’s evoking so far—it’s as much fun as it was influential.
4. STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON. A very effective, powerful tag-team rap. To revive an old bracketology tradition: SH2B4.

CHOPIN 7
1. MARQUEE MOON. It’s long, sure, but I wish more guitar solos were like this. Verlaine’s not showing off his virtuosity, he’s just taking his time with a damn good song.
2. ISRAELITES. Could have won a lot of brackets. I think this may have been the first reggae song to reach the US top 10—I find it very moving, and I love the juxtaposition of a man providing for his family with lines like “don’t want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde.”
3. OH BONDAGE UP YOURS! Punk was originally the ultimate nonconformist genre. It’s a measure of how long it’s been since 1977, and how thoroughly punk has suffused the mainstream, that Poly Styrene’s screaming now sounds…well, kind of adorable.
4. SAIL AWAY. “Randy” “Newman” “wrote” “great” “songs,” “but” “he” “put” “absolutely” “EVERYTHING” “in” “ironic” “quotation” “marks.”

BACH 2
1. IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? Joe Jackson was an odd cat…on the evidence, he could have been a fine pub/punk rocker like Elvis Costello or Nick Lowe, but for some reason he wanted to be Cole Porter. This is his best song, and takes a soft bracket.
2. CATHY’S CLOWN. The Everly Brothers don’t get enough love, and I’m tempted to put them first, but this isn’t a particular favorite of mine, so I’ve put pleasure before duty. There will be more chances to vote for Don & Phil.
3. FREE BIRD. Wears out its welcome. You can take that to mean “over 9 minutes” or “over 35 years”…either one works.
4. I LUV U. This was my first listen to Dizzee. Um…maybe this will grow on me.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
#764: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966] - Those are four songs with great quality but a bit too repetitive. I give the first spot to the less repetitive of the 4.
#773: "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
#252: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
#261: "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
#699: "Call Me" - Blondie [1980] : classic FM hit for sure, but one that I am always please to hear
#187: "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
#326: "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
#838: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981] : another bracket where I choose by elimination, I don't like much any of those
#658: "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]
#367: "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
#879: "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
#68: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975] : I could have considered that I had heard this song too much, however it is not its fault if I listened to it every day when I was a teen and if we play it at any party we go to... great slow followed by a crazy opera and ending with a killer riff, what more could we ask for ?
#580: "Starman" - David Bowie [1972] : far from the best track of the album, which still means it is an awesome one since they are not a single weak track on Ziggy Stardust
#957: "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000] : I like the fun Eminem as much as the serious one, however this is not the best track of the "fun" side, I'd rather listen to Without Me, Superman or My Dad's Gone Crazy
#445: "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
My joker of the week

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
#260: "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002] : come on Matt, it is neither pretentious nore self-congratulatory, it's totally ironic and auto-parodic ! They have topped that song since but it is still an amazing track for people who usually don't dance to invade the dancefloor. Killer beat going crescendo, that the recipe of many LCD songs and this one is one of the best example. And well, citing The Sonics is a pretty good thing.
#772: "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
#253: "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982] : I really see the importance of those 2 hip-hop songs on the history of hip-hop, but I don't have any pleasure listening to them today
#765: "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
#836: "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977] : don't mess with Poly Styrene... ever... she will kick your ass that's for sure. Of all the songs I discovered with the first chapter of the Pitchfork 500, that is by far my favourite. The trumpet is fabulous, the singing comes right from the guts and everything else does the job.
#701: "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
#324: "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977] : I have learnt to appreciate this one thanks to this forum, I still find it far too long however
#189: "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969] : first think I thought hearing it "hey ! it is in Osymyso's Intro Inspection ! "... well, that's almost all I think about it



BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
#770: "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003] : best track of the week. I might not be the best lyrics of Boy In Da Corner (even though I do like them) but it is by far one the most awesome beat of the decade. Chaotic and asymetric rythms pushing you hard to dance while you really really don't know how to ; creepy ambiance totally contradictory to the title ; and Dizzee has one of the best flow I have ever heard.
#258: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973] : one of the funniest song to play in any Guitar Hero / Rock Band game, and probably one of the 10 best guitar solo ever (far from Metallica - One though)
#255: "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
#767: "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979] : at least I know where Steady as she Goes riff comes from

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" – In a weaker bracket this great soul track wins by default because the other three bore me at some points.
2. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" – Fantastic chorus and I'm not a fan of the solo at all.
3. "Around the World" – Very funky, but drags on and on.
4. "Music Sounds Better with You" – It has a nice beat, but isn't interesting to me.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Heroin" – It is easily the best here. It builds and builds and pays off.
2. "More Than a Feeling" – I've heard it so many times, but it's first half makes the entire song great.
3. "Call Me" – A very close call between 2 and 3, but this doesn't quite reach the peak that I see in my previous choice.
4. "Donna" – Completely bland and does not stand out to comparable songs from its era at all.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Tainted Love" – Not one of the best, but it is the only song that I really like.
2. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" – Mildly interesting, but it is samey.
3. "Brimful of Asha" – Catchy and it has gotten better after a few listens, but it still is just decent.
4. "Material Girl" – Equal parts catchy and crap.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Who'll Stop the Rain" – Two fantastic songs here, but this one seems much more powerful than the other songs.
2. "Bohemian Rhapsody" – I really like this song, but I wonder sometimes if it was toned down would it be better, or does its strength come from its largeness.
3. "The Real Slim Shady" – It hasn't worn out its welcome and I find it catchy.
4. "Starman" – One of the weaker songs on Ziggy, but it is the strongest 4th song this week.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" – Way better than the rest of the songs and manages to cut the cheese off of “True” while adding some great parts.
2. "Kiss" – An above average Prince song that has a fun feel to it.
3. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" – Kinda catchy, but could use a lot more.
4. "I Can't Stop Loving You" – Seems straightforward and boring.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Losing My Edge" – Would easily be last in Chopin 8. Really groovy, but long.
2. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" – Decent. Has grown a little on me.
3. "Straight Outta Compton" – Ok, but I don't' see myself listening to it much more.
4. "Planet Rock" – Rather annoying and its overly long.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Marquee Moon" – In this week of (overly) long songs, the longest will escape my scorn. I do wonder what it would be like shorter, but this is one of my favourite guitar songs, and I could not tell where to cut it down.
2. "Israelites" – Such a great early reggae song with fantastic groove.
3. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - Is a great song, but I have am having a little difficulty taking some of the singing serious especially the higher stuff.
4. "Sail Away" – Uninteresting singing and boring song.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Free Bird" – Great guitars everywhere, but I would appreciate if the extended solo wasn't so extended.
2. "I Luv U" – First time I heard it and I like it a lot. A little weird.
3. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Doesn't seem distinct. I probably will forget.
4. "Cathy's Clown" – The vocals are a little annoying and the rest of the song is below average.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Just to let you all know that you have just under 33 hours left to vote! There are currently three brackets where the victor is still in doubt, so be sure to get your ballot in while there's still time!

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
Björk has only one song in top 1000 (+ Birthday by Sugarcubes). Daft Punk seems to have one song per week. That's too much but it's hard to say which one shouldn't be in top 1000. Both singles from Homework are very good and now there isn't Smells Like Teen Spirit in same bracket.
2. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
I'm also very surprised how good this song still sounds. The first part is better.
3. "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
4. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
The best song of one of the best albums ever.
2. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
3. "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
4. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
I liked this song back in the 90's. I'm still a bit surprised how amazing and fresh this sounds today. Overpowering winner of this bracket.
2. "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
One of my favourite Madonna song from 80's. The chorus resembles the chorus of Little Red Corvette.
3. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]
4. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
Pure rock opera. It's a bit surprising how short this song actually is. No blank moments.
2. "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
3. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]
4. "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
Falsetto Prince rules too.
2. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
3. "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
4. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
I heard this song first time when we had 80's poll. Very good rock song.
2. "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
3. "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
4. "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]
Song I have listened to the most this week. Thin voice of Poly Styrene makes this even better. The saxophone solos adjudicates the win of this bracket to X-Ray Spex.
2. "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
3. "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
4. "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
Good indie/electro hip hop song.
2. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
3. "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
4. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966] An awful lot of Daft Punk (or related) material so far. It’s fine in small doses, but Stax was better.
2. "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
3. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
4. "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967] I don’t listen to this too often, but it’s definitely a masterpiece.
2. "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
3. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
4. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981] One of the best covers of all time.
2. "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
3. "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
4. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975] If this was the only song Queen ever did they would be the coolest band on our planet.
2. "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
3. "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
4. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986] Stripped-down funk from Prince again. This time it’s gotta win!!!
2. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
3. "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
4. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
Ugh! I don’t care for any of these songs so I leave it up to you…

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977] So incredibly good! This should be the biggest upset of the week, but it's probably not going to beat MM, so I’m just happy see a few others putting this song on the number one spot as well.
2. "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
3. "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
4. "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003] Headache has never felt better.
2. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
3. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
4. "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER 2

1. Daft Punk - Around the World
- This is really, really good. I actually own a Daft Punk dvd with their first videos. The video for this one is one of the best ever made. The other ones are good too, but this is the superstar. One of the few dance tunes of the 90s that could make me go bananas, monkey style, on the dance floor.

2. Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper
- I love the movie Halloween, and one of the best thing about that movie is when Laurie and her friend drive in their car, and Michael Myers is following them. This song is played on the radio at that moment. That's pretty cool. The song is good.

3. Sam & Dave - Hold On, I'm Comin
- Excellent bedroom music. Pretty good in other rooms as well.

4. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
- Quite pleasant tune, but you won't see me going bananas for this one. Besides, it rips off a song I wrote back in the mid-90s, called Substitute. Really pissed me off when I heard it first.


TCHAIKOVSKY 7

1. Boston - More Than a Feeling
- I should have put Velvet Underground at the top, but I simply can't resist this. It's sort of a guilty pleasure, I guess. That riff! Duuh Duuh, duh duh, duh-duh-d-duh-du duau. I don't know exactly what it does to me, but I guess both testosterone and serotonin play a part.

2. Velvet Underground - Heroin
- I love all the songs off VU&N, with a possible exception of Run Run Run. This one is a masterpiece, however far from the best of that album.

3. Blondie - Call Me
- Blondie is so good, it's a shame to put them in third. This is even one of my favorite songs by them. Sexiest singer in a band until Wendy James.

4. Ritchie Valens - Donna
- This was a pretty strong bracket, and sadly I have to put this at the bottom. I watched the movie La Bamba not so long ago, and that boy Ritchie seemed like a very likeable boy. This song is nice, and it's even better when you know the story behind it.


LISZT 15

1. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
- The greatest cover version of a song ever. This is what I listened to while getting drunk when I was 18.

2. Cornershop - Brimful of Asha
- What does Asha mean? I've always wished I liked this song better than I actually do, but it's ok.

3. Bill Doggett - Honky Tonk Pt 1
- Not very exciting. I don't know what to say.

4. Madonna - Material Girl
- Madonna was shit in the 80s (and 90s and 00s). It's music for little girls. This one is particularly bad. Everything is wrong, the lyrics are disasterous, the singing is far below par, and the arrangement of the song... God, the arrengement!


CHOPIN 8

1. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
- I'm not really a Queen fan, but this one is a stand out. The song pulls in so many directions, but it all fits so good anyway. We're not worthy!

2. David Bowie - Starman
- David Bowie made a lot of cool songs during this era, and this is one of them. It's not the best he's made, but it's good enough to secure a 2nd place.

3. Eminem - The Real Slim Shady
- This is so annoying, it's hard to handle. I want to turn it off, still it's better than CCR. Eminem is great when he's angry for real. His best song is Mosh, that's so dark it scares me. But this... no no no.

4. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Who'll Stop the Rain
- I'll stop the rain if you'll stop the damn singing.


RACHMANINOFF 3

1. Prince - Kiss
- Prince is a weird (and a little scary) man-like creature, but he sure can make a catchy song. It's really really excellent. Loved by prostitutes in bathtubs, apparently. One advice, though.. Stay away from this at the karaoke joint.

2. The Jam - Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
- I never got into The Jam during my punk period. I think I've been into all other punk bands of the 70s, but not them. The song is ok, but I'd rather play, well, anything else from similar bands.

3. P.M. Dawn - Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
- My sister loved this, which usually means it's shit. And that golden rule applies on this song.

4. Ray Charles - I Can't Stop Loving You
- Oh no no no. I say as they do in France: Is le crêpes!


CHOPIN 2

1. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
- Now we're talking. Hiphop nowadays is a joke. Back in the 80s it sounded spectacular, and 80s hiphop still sound ace.

2. Mission of Burma - That's When I Reach for My Revolver
- My first meeting with this song was through the Moby cover. I liked that then, I even bought the single. This version sounds more genuine. Who the hell believes Moby is able to use a revolver anyway?

3. Afrika Bambaataa - Planet Rock
- This is excellent party music, at least if you want to show that you got some taste. I would not listen to this unless drunk, though.

4. LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge
- I own two LCD Soundsystem albums, much thanks to you guys, and they are both equally worthless. Thanks a lot, fellas Come to think of it, Sound of Silver is worthlesserererer than the one with Tribulations on it, because it doesn't have Tribulations on it. This one's from the Tribulations album, isn't it. I'm pretty sure I'll never play that album again.


CHOPIN 7

1. Television - Marquee Moon
- It's so good it's no fun thinking of all the time I don't listen to this. I heard this album first when I was about 14, and into Sex Pistols. Back then I didn't find it interesting, so it sort of stayed that way until quite recently. I think I discovered it around 5 years ago, and since then I've played it a lot, but not enough.

2. X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage, Up Yours
- This is a spectacular song. She sings really good, and it's a very entertaining 2:46. Shame not to put it first, but I can't.

3. Desmond Dekker - Israelites
- It's the sort of song you laugh a little of, but I can't see anyone seriously liking this.

4. Randy Newman - Sail Away
- I can see why he never gets an Oscar (or did he get one a couple of years ago?).


BACH 2

1. Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out with Him?
- Joe Jackson has been included into the group of singers I haven't listened much to, but I now like more and more. He's a bit punkier than most of the others, like Paul Simon and Jackson Browne. This song I've known for years, and I've always liked it.

2. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
- Very very good song. Far superior to that Sweet Home Alabama crap. I heard the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd on the radio the other day. I knew about the plane crash, but I didn't know that one of them got shot while looking for help. Looking like cavemen didn't help.

3. Everly Brothers - Cathy's Clown
- Not the worst of The Everly Brothers. I can stand it, but I don't particularly like it.

4. Dizzee Rascal - I Luv You
- I have this record. Bought on the recommendations of NME, I believe. Never got into it, and I remember thinking this song was one of the worst of the whole album. That woman voice saying "I love you" bugs me a whole lot. Anyway, this has never been my genre, even if it's the new punk.

Top 5 songs of the week:
1. Television - Marquee Moon
2. Boston - More Than a Feeling
3. Velvet Underground - Heroin
4. X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage, Up Yours
5. NWA - Straight Outta Compton

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Rune
4. Randy Newman - Sail Away
- I can see why he never gets an Oscar (or did he get one a couple of years ago?).


He did get one for Best Song for the song from Monsters, Inc.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
2 - "Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
3 - "Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]
4 - "Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
I'll stick with the rankings. Haha I'm glad Matt brought up the SNL skit - great stuff. Not really a favourite,but the best here no doubt. Other 3 are nothing amazing - pretty weak bracket really.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1 - "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
2 - "More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
3 - "Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
4 - "Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]
Very close between the top 2 - 'Heroin' I listen to a lot less than 'More Than A Feeling',but it's a class act for sure. Other 2 are just OK.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1 - "Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
2 - "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]
3 - "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]
4 - "Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
An absolute blowout for 'Brimful Of Asha'. Still remember it coming out,thrilling stuff. The rare feat of topping both the charts and the John Peel festive 50. 'Tainted Love' I've always thought was pretty average,and would be #4 in most brackets,but unfortunately this one is incredibly weak.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1 - "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
2 - "Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
3 - "Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
4 - "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by a country mile. Nothing like it before or since. Favourite song by CCR,favourite song off 'Ziggy' but this is all Queen.

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1 - "Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
2 - "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
3 - "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962]
4 - "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]
'Kiss' is a good catchy number,can't believe I heard that Tom Jones version first. Solid Jam single,hard to believe Weller was only 20 at the time. Other 2 are decent as well,great discovery with 'Set Adrift...'

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 - "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
2 - "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
3 - "Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]
4 - "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
Mission Of Burma easily - one of my favourite discoveries off this site. 'Losing My Edge' and 'Straight Outta Compton' are solid,but nothing great. Never got 'Planet Rock' really.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1 - "Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
2 - "Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
3 - "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]
4 - "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]
Not even my current favourite off 'Marquee Moon' but far too good for anything else here. Amazing guitars. Don't have any problem with Newman's voice - great song. X-Ray Spex always sounded pretty average to me,Israelites boring.

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 - "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
2 - "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
3 - "Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
4 - "I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
'Free Bird' I guess carries on way too long,but mostly sounds pretty amazing. Decent songs from Joe Jackson and the Everly Brothers(the latter definitely did loads better though). Don't care much for 'I Luv U'

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1."(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult [1976]
I love the lyrics and the music. The instrumental section is great too.
2."Around the World" - Daft Punk [1997]
3."Music Sounds Better with You" - Stardust [1999]
4."Hold On, I'm Comin'" - Sam & Dave [1966]

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1."More Than a Feeling" - Boston [1976]
This is a great classic rock tune. The riff is so good it was latter borrowed by kurt cobain for smells like teen spirit
2."Call Me" - Blondie [1980]
This is such a energetic song, every time it comes on i can't stop from bobbing my head. One of the best songs of the 80s.
3."Heroin" - The Velvet Underground [1967]
I suppose this song is suppossed to be evocative of taking heroin, and is why it is very unique sounding. That being said some parts of this song I found very annoying.
4."Donna" - Ritchie Valens [1959]
Can't stand this style of music.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1."Tainted Love" - Soft Cell [1981]
A good 80s pop songs wins because it is way better than the other songs in this bracket.
2."Brimful of Asha" - Cornershop [1997]
3."Material Girl" - Madonna [1984]
Not a huge fan of Madonna but it beats honky tonk.
4."Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" - Bill Doggett [1956]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1."Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen [1975]
I think this is one case where a band's most well known song is also one of their best. Freddie Mercury does an amazing job on this song.
2."Starman" - David Bowie [1972]
I really enjoyed this song I need to check out ziggy stardust.
3."Who'll Stop the Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival [1970]
4."The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem [2000]
This is a very cheesy song, but I like that Eminem doesn't really take himself too seriously, and I also enjoyed all the decade old pop culture refrences

RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1."Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn [1991]
Very relaxin song. Makes me want to take a bubble bath.
2."Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam [1978]
3."Kiss" - Prince & the Revolution [1986]
4."I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles [1962

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1."Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem [2002]
Man, once this song kicks in it is pretty incredible. Awesome beat.
2."Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force [1982]
3."That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma [1981]
4."Straight Outta Compton" - N.W.A. [1989]

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1."Marquee Moon" - Television [1977]
Cool song from a band i've never heard of.
2.: "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" - X-Ray Spex [1977]
3."Sail Away" - Randy Newman [1972]
4."Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces [1969]

BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1."Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd [1973]
This song is great the dual guitar jam at the end is sublime.
2."Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
3."Is She Really Going Out with Him?" - Joe Jackson [1979]
4."I Luv U" - Dizzee Rascal [2003]
Can someone explain how this got on the list of acclaimed music?

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Voting is over. Results will be posted momentarily.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

RESULTS: ROUND 1, WEEK 5

WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (58 points, 10 first-place votes)
2. "Around the World" (45, 3)
3. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" (43, 5)
4. "Music Sounds Better with You" (34, 0)

Blue Öyster Cult doesn't fear the reaper, nor does it fear its first-round competition; "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" advances to the second round. Stardust is done in its lone bracket, but Sam & Dave must pin their hopes on "Soul Man." Daft Punk finishes the first round one-for-three, with only "One More Time" reaching the second round.


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Heroin" (64, 12)
2. "More Than a Feeling" (51, 5)
3. "Call Me" (41, 1)
4. "Donna" (24, 0)

In a big blowout, the Velvet Underground shoots up... to the second round. Boston is done, but Blondie and Ritchie Valens both have more songs left in the running.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Tainted Love" (58, 11)
2. "Brimful of Asha" (47, 4)
3. "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1" (38, 2)
4. "Material Girl" (37, 1)

Cornershop and Bill Doggett took an early lead in this one, but Soft Cell came back and put this bracket away in a hurry. Doggett and Cornershop are both out of Bracketology, but Madonna still has eleven songs in competition.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 8
1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" (59, 12)
2. "Starman" (50, 3)
3. "Who'll Stop the Rain" (41, 2)
4. "The Real Slim Shady" (30, 1)

I was really surprised by the disparity in opinions on "Bohemian Rhapsody." Everyone's opinion seemed to be either "I can't deny that this is a great song," or "I hate Queen." Nevertheless, Queen advances to the second round. David Bowie finally loses a bracket, as both of his previous two songs won their respective brackets. CCR has three other songs left in the first round, as well as "Fortunate Son" already in the second round. Eminem falls in his first bracket of the tournament.


RACHMANINOFF BLOC, BRACKET 3
1. "Kiss" (58, 11)
2. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" (50, 3)
3. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (33, 3)
4. "I Can't Stop Loving You" (29, 0)

One of the most difficult pieces of music for a piano player is Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto, which is why I was especially interested in this bracket (Rachmaninoff 3). In his third try, Prince finally puts a song through to the second round, but it was not easy, as the Jam continued to hang around all week long. P.M. Dawn gets set adrift after its only bracket, but Brother Ray has five more chances for victory.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" (52, 8)
2. "Losing My Edge" (43, 5)
3. "Straight Outta Compton" (42, 3)
4. "Planet Rock" (33, 1)

The week's biggest upset goes to Mission of Burma, as the song ranked #772 advances to the second round. To tell the truth, I was quite stunned by the general antipathy directed toward "Planet Rock," and Afrika Bambaataa is eliminated in his only bracket. LCD Soundsystem still has three chances to advance, and N.W.A. is left with only "F*** tha Police."
"That's When I Reach for My Revolver" will take on Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Radiohead's "Creep," and a yet-to-be-determined song in the second round.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Marquee Moon" (59, 10)
2. "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" (42, 4)
3. "Israelites" (42, 3)
4. "Sail Away" (37, 1)

Another blowout (there seems to be a trend this week), with Television upsetting Desmond Dekker to advance to the second round. X-Ray Spex and Randy Newman are both done after one bracket. "Marquee Moon" will take on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and two undetermined songs.


BACH BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Free Bird" (57, 9)
2. "Is She Really Going Out with Him" (42, 3)
3. "Cathy's Clown" (41, 1)
4. "I Luv U" (40, 5)

I'm a little surprised by just how much classic rock radio there was this week. I'm also a little surprised at just how much antipathy this board seems to have for classic rock radio. In spite of that, Lynyrd Skynyrd pushes FREE BIRD! into the second round in a blowout. Dizzee Rascal and Joe Jackson go oh-for-one in Bracketology, but the Everly Brothers have three chances remaining.

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

STATISTICS

WHO GOT THE MOST CORRECT WINNERS THIS WEEK?
1. Harold Wexler (8 out of 8 - 100%)
2. Michael (7 out of 8 - 87.5%) tie
2. Midaso (7 out of 8 - 87.5%) tie
4. Matt Schroeder (6 out of 8 - 75%)
5. John (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
5. nicolas (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
5. SR (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
5. The Lone Gunmen (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie
9. Henrik (4 out of 7 - 57.14%)
10. brose (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
10. Penguin (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
10. pop elton (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
10. Rune (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
10. schleuse (4 out of 8 - 50%) tie
15. BillAdama (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
15. Greg (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
15. sonofsamiam (3 out of 8 - 37.5%) tie
18. Nassim (2 out of 7 - 28.57%)


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY PERCENTAGE)
1. Michael (12 out of 15 - 80%)
2. Honorio (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
2. Mindrocker (6 out of 8 - 75%) tie
4. Midaso (28 out of 40 - 70%)
5. brose (27 out of 40 - 67.5%) tie
5. Harold Wexler (27 out of 40 - 67.5%) tie
5. Matt Schroeder (27 out of 40 - 67.5%) tie
8. SR (26 out of 40 - 65%)
9. Anthony (20 out of 32 - 62.5%) tie
9. Greg Rumpff (5 out of 8 - 62.5%) tie


OVERALL TOP TEN (BY NUMBER CORRECT)

1. Midaso (28)
2. brose (27) tie
2. Harold Wexler (27) tie
2. Matt Schroeder (27) tie
5. SR (26)
6. nicolas (25)
7. BillAdama (23)
8. sonofsamiam (22)
9. Anthony (20) tie
9. Greg (20) tie
9. schleuse (20) tie

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

MORE STATISTICS

TOP TEN BEST-PERFORMING SONGS
1. "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding (3.905 points per ballot)
2. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana (3.778)
3. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley (3.667)
4. "Ms. Jackson" - OutKast (3.650)
5. "London Calling" - The Clash (3.571) tie
5. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles (3.571) tie
7. "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground (3.556)
8. "Changes" - David Bowie (3.5)
9. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye (3.429)
10. "Tears of a Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (3.421)


TOP TEN WORST-PERFORMING SONGS
1. "Donna" - Ritchie Valens (1.333)
2. "You're No Good" - Linda Ronstadt (1.35)
3. "I Want It That Way" - Backstreet Boys (1.4)
4. "Up on the Roof" - The Drifters (1.55)
5. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads (1.556)
6. "Yeah!" - Usher (Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris) (1.611)
7. "Acid Trax" - Phuture (1.619)
8. "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin (1.643)
9. "The Real Slim Shady" - Eminem (1.667) tie
9. "Flat Beat" - Mr. Oizo (1.667) tie


TOP TEN WORST-PERFORMING SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
1. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (2.667) tie
1. "God" - John Lennon (2.667) tie
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (2.667) tie
4. "I Feel Love" - Donna Summer (2.75) tie
4. "Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell (2.75) tie
6. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman (2.810)
7. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (2.842)
8. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (2.857)
9. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds (2.9)
10. "Many Rivers to Cross" - Jimmy Cliff (2.941)


TOP TEN BEST-PERFORMING SONGS TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. "Rid of Me" - PJ Harvey (3.036)
2. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick (2.952)
3. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince (2.95)
4. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" - The Jam (2.941)
5. "Iron Man" - Black Sabbath (2.9)
6. "Something" - The Beatles (2.857)
6. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (2.857)
8. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston (2.833)
9. "A Girl Like You" - Edwyn Collins (2.810)
10. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" - Prince (2.8)


TEN LOWEST-RANKED SONGS TO ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
1. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (ranked #824)
2. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" - Mission of Burma (#772)
3. "God" - John Lennon (#714)
4. "Karma Police" - Radiohead (#709)
5. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys (#696)
6. "Reelin' in the Years" - Steely Dan (#449)
7. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz (#404)
8. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman (#392)
9. "September Gurls" - Big Star (#384)
10. "Life on Mars?" - David Bowie (#375)

TEN HIGHEST-RANKED SONGS TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" - Jerry Lee Lewis (#64)
2. "Walk on By" - Dionne Warwick (#109)
3. "Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who (#121)
4. "Sign 'o' the Times" - Prince (#129)
5. "Sexual Healing" - Marvin Gaye (#138)
6. "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - Kylie Minogue (#176)
7. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley (#177)
8. "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen (#184)
9. "Israelites" - Desmond Dekker & the Aces (#189)
10. "Groove Is in the Heart" - Deee-Lite (#197)

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Nooooooooo - Tainted Love ahead of Brimful Of Asha? This is terrible...

Re: Bracketology: Round 1, Week 5

Shoot, I was too busy to get my votes in this past week. I'll be sure to vote in Week 6.