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ATTENTION
For this week, on a trial basis, I'm going to test something out.
Feel free to submit uncommented ballots. They will be counted for this week.
BUT...
Because I'd like people to still leave comments, there will be a caveat. If any bracket ends in a tie, the tiebreaker will only take into account ballots that have comments.
Again, this is just a trial and if this doesn't work out, we'll try something different, or go back to how it's been for the first half of Round 1. Stay tuned for more information.
Thank you, and good night. And now for your brackets.
WEEK 17
A little breakdown of this week's songs by decade...
1920s: 1
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 3
1960s: 11
1970s: 7
1980s: 5
1990s: 4
2000s: 1
Also of note:
Two brackets from the Mahler bloc
Two brackets from the Handel bloc
Two brackets from the Vivaldi bloc
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.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
#153: "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
#360: "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
#665: "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
#872: "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
#325: "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
#700: "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
#837: "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
#183: "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
#330: "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
#695: "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
#842: "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
#40: "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
#473: "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
#552: "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
#985: "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
#426: "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
#599: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
#938: "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
#174: "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
#339: "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
#686: "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
#851: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
#85: "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
#428: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
#597: "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
#940: "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
#349: "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
#676: "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
#861: "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
Yeah, I know. It's not gonna win this bracket. But I only like one of the other three songs here, and I don't "love" that one. I love this song, and have ever since the mid-90s.
2. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
Every time I listen to this song, I'm reminded that I need to pick up a copy of the Stone Roses' s/t album, and I can't seem to find it anywhere near where I live. I guess my only option is ordering it. But back to the song. It's good, yes. But I'd be hard-pressed to call it "great." And like I said above, I certainly don't love it. Fun song, but not terribly memorable. UPDATE: Just a couple of days ago, I finally downloaded the Stone Roses' s/t album. Pretty damn impressive. Still not enough to overtake "Missing."
3. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
It's nothing terribly special, though the sound quality of this one is eons better than "Dancing in the Street." Again, there's not a whole lot to say about this one. It's just kinda blah.
4. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
I've said before that I'm not really a fan of punk music, but I could see myself getting into this song. At this point though, it's the weak sister in the group.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
Difficult bracket for me. None of the four songs are real stand-outs, but all four are quite good. My first inclination was to put Aretha in the top spot, but I feel obliged to put Barrett in the top spot. This is just the best in a stacked bracket.
2. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
Alright, I'll say it. Dionne's version (the original) is better. And really, that's why I can't put this one in the top spot; the (unrated) original is superior.
3. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
I really shouldn't like this song. It's corny beyond belief, it's really dated, and it glorifies a guy who is really rebellious. Big deal. But there's something about this one. I just can't get enough of it. The Crystals are maybe my favorite '60s girl group.
4. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
This song got so much airplay back in '99 (and in '00 as well) and really contributed to a lot of the Santana burnout I experienced at that time. By the time his next album came out (with its stable of featured guests), I just didn't care anymore, even though one of my favorites was on that album. Still, for as much as this song annoys me, it's still a pretty darn good song. I'm just at my limit of Rob Thomas.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
It took four brackets for me to vote for the Who. The band has had some absolutely brutal competition (at least, in my mind). Still, this is a pitch-perfect rock song. I have no qualms putting this one in the top spot. It deserves to win.
2. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
I'm sure that the Who will easily win this bracket, and of all their songs, "Baba O'Riley" deserves a first-round win more than any other, but "Rhapsody in Blue" would easily have won just about any other bracket. I certainly would have put it in the #1 spot in every other bracket this week (except Handel 12).
This song is, without a doubt, the single most important song in American music. This is the song showed that popular music could be symphonic, and that classical music could be soulful. This is the song that ultimately put classical music into the back seat behind what we now term "popular" music. But more importantly, it showed that the United States could produce quality music.
Prior to this, jazz music was considered to be an American-only style of music, and it wasn't really considered a "serious" type of music. Before Gershwin, the U.S. didn't really have any kind of musical genius. "Rhapsody in Blue" changed everything.
And in spite of that, every time I hear this song, all I can think of is United Airlines. How's that for product branding?
3. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
Absolutely brutal bracket if this one is coming in third. This song has really grown on me since the first time I heard it. I remember thinking then that it was a throw-away alt-rock song, but I just kept coming back to it. It really is a great song.
4. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
In a bracket like this, SHTB4. This just happened to be the unlucky one.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
Easy pick for the top spot here. I don't see any reason to put a lot of comments here; this one will cruise through to Round 2.
2. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
Extremely underrated soul standard by one of the more underrated soul singers. Neville's voice is something of a joke nowadays (I'm having visions of Turk from "Scrubs" singing "Don't Know Much" right now), but at this point, his vocal affectations were still understated, though you can definitely hear Aaron's little quirks in this one.
3. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
I can't say I like this one, but I'd rather listen to this one than to...
4. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
Like I said above, I'm not really a fan of punk music. I don't really have much more to say. I just don't like this one.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
No competition here. This is the best song of the 1980s, and I'd definitely put it higher than 87 on the all-time list. I'll hold off on writing anything for this one until it gets to later rounds when it will face some actual compeition.
2. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
The first time I heard this, I remember thinking, "Why is this such an acclaimed song? Is it just because it's the Stones?" I still think that it's overrated, but I will grant that it is a very good song. Very pretty and very wistful.
3. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
You know something? This one's better than Elvis's rendition.
4. "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
Completely out of its league here. Don't be surprised if this one ends up in the "bottom 20."
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
Try to forget this song's use in "Trainspotting." And try to forget that Carnival Cruise Lines decided to use this one in their ads. This is a brilliant song, full of vitriol and energy. I'm more than a little curious what exactly Iggy's had in the ear, but after hearing this song, there's a small part of me that would like it in my ear too.
2. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
The unofficial anthem of early '90s g-funk. True, the genre wasn't ever much outside of this song and "The Chronic," but it's still a fine song, easily beating the other two songs here.
3. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
I don't think I will ever, for as long as I live, understand how the Strokes managed to come out of nowhere to completely dominate the music scene back in 2001. I'm certainly crying that they disappeared just as quickly.
4. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
I just don't like the Everly Brothers. None of their songs. Nothing.
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
Quite possibly the best rock instrumental of all time. That organ still sounds fresh today, and the bursts of guitar give the song a feeling that it could just burst apart at any moment. Somehow the song manages to stay together without going all to hell. Fantastic background music for any kind of mischief.
2. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
It's taken a long time for this song to grow on me. It's still not at the "great" level for me, but it's still a very good song. I know I'm showing my impatience with this next comment, but I always feel like the intro is too long. I just feel like screaming, "Get to the song already!" And when the vocals come in at the 1:19 mark, it's almost a relief. Not as good as "Green Onions," but still very good.
3. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
I was so torn on these last two tracks. I originally had Cyndi at the #3 spot and this one at the #4 spot, but after listening to the two, I had to switch them. Neither one is very good, but that opening bass line in "Boots" is what sealed it for me. I don't like this song, but I do like that one part.
4. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
In contrast to "Boots," there is nothing in this song that I like. One positive aspect outranks zero positive aspects. Very interesting how we get two female-centric songs in the same bracket, and neither one is any good.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
I was really tempted to put the Fab Four in the top spot here, but truth be told, I've never been a big fan of that song. And really, this is a timeless song. It's easily the best track off "Tapestry," which is really saying something because that album is absolutely perfect. Sure it's soft rock, but why does that have to be a bad thing?
2. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige)" [1995]
What an amazing collaboration. Back in 1995, the idea of joining a rapper and a R&B singer was not as commonplace as it is now, and this song hit like a sledgehammer. Just the idea that you could combine Method Man and Mary J. Blige with an old Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet still blows my mind fourteen years later. And it still sounds like it could be a massive radio hit today.
3. "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
Okay, here's the Beatles. I would not be at all surprised if this one ends up winning the bracket, but like I said above, I just don't think it's that great a song. The boys just had so many other, better songs.
4. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
I really feel weird putting these two classics so low in the bracket, but I've never been a big fan of Chuck Berry. Sure, he's one of the greatest and most important artists in rock music, but I can't help but feel like I like his songs only because I'm supposed to like them. Oh, and because I want to be the first to mention it, "Surfin' U.S.A."
4. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
I've said before that I'm not really a fan of punk music, but I could see myself getting into this song. At this point though, it's the weak sister in the group.
Magazine are definitely NOT punk...some of their stuff even sounds like proto-Radiohead to me.
Try "A Song from Under the Floorboards" or "Definitive Gaze"...if you don't like those, I won't bug you about Magazine ever again!
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
2. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
3. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
4. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
2. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
3. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
4. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
When Aretha is last you know that's a strong bracket. Smooth is one of my favorite songs. Everyone loves it.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
2. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
3. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
4. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
Oh jeez, that has got to be the hardest bracket in the first wrong. I love all of those songs so much. Rhapsody to me is really more of a classical piece than a jazz tune, one of the few ones that can get on this list. Its probably may favorite piece of classical music.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
2. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
3. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
4. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
2. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
3. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
4. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
Always thought Little Red Corvette was overrated anyway.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
2. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
3. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
4. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
2. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
3. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
4. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
2. "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
3. "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
4. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who: 61 plays in five years (according to iTunes); works out to one play per month on average. Sounds like a first place to me.
2. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin
3. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames
4. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes: Eaurrggh.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes:
It's interesting that with any conversation concerning "Is This It" , the word "hype" inevitably seems to follow suit. Oddly, I don't remember being aware of much hype at all around the time it came out, even while working at a record store! What I do know, however, is that I was one of several staff who, in late '01, found themselves obsessed with the Strokes' debut. (I quickly, and wisely, shelled out the cash for the UK import CD and LP, with the incredible "New York City Cops" replacing the lackluster "When It Started".) I remember listening to it during bus rides to and from work; the songs were the perfect escape from the upsetting reality of the brutally cold weather. The record was so short that it seemed to be over ridiculously quick, and you couldn't help but want to immediately play it again. And no one song seemed to trump any other -- they were all fantastic. For a solid two months, it was the only thing I listened to.
Fast forward eight years... I comfortably put "Is This It" in my top 10 favorite albums (and have for the past seven years or so). Like other great rock records, it's an album of pop songwriting disguised as something else, in this case 'garage rock'. Hype or no hype, each song is a delicious, catchy-as-all-hell pop nugget; not a second longer than it needs to be. "Hard to Explain" might be among the most immediate, but the other 10 songs are just as great.
2. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers
3. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg)
4. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd: For as much as Pink Floyd made a career out of continuously straddling the line of pop music -- never quite inside, but never all the way outside either -- it's their most straightforward offering that just might be their best. With no samplers, tape loops, or dominating sound effects (save for some radio static, a cough, and a bit of wind) the title track's simple acoustic guitar, piano, and aching lyrics carried by a gorgeous melody showed that the Floyd were able to connect emotionally just as satisfyingly as they could cerebrally.
2. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper: Coming in at #41 on my list of favorite pop songs of the '80s, Cyndi Lauper's fluffy ode to feminine freedom and innocence is pure guilty pleasure. There's just something about the simplicity of it, combined with an infectious melody that makes it irresistible.
3. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra: Not anything I would ever choose to listen to.
4. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's: I've always had a hard time with this one. I can appreciate it on a musical level, but even then, it's still just a 12-bar blues vamp. And it does absolutely nothing for me emotionally. I fail to see how this song could be considered exciting, as in "oh my! I can't wait to hear 'Green Onions' again!!"
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Help!" - The Beatles
2. "It's Too Late" - Carole King
I was struggling a bit with this one -- King's best vs. my 32nd favorite Beatles song. But really, I was making this choice more difficult than it had to be -- all I had to do was think about which one I would take to the island. For as great as it is, "It's Too Late" isn't something that I'd be kicking myself for leaving behind.
3. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry
4. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige)
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
2. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
3. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
4. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
"Shot..." is only my 5th favorite on Real Life, but that's good enough to win this rather weak bracket. "Missing" is still nice. Always thought "Fools Gold" was extremely overrated, and "Heat Wave" is just tired these days.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
2. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
3. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
4. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
Very close at the top here, but Aretha doing Bacharach proves to be too pleasing a combo. Still love the Crystals no matter what. Big drop to "Money" and bigger drop still to the supremely irritating and horribly bland "Smooth".
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
2. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
3. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
4. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
Having "Rhapsody in Blue" in this poll at all just seems idiosyncratic -- really, it's one of the greatest pieces of 20th century art, and still sounds shockingly fresh today. "Baba O'Riley" is still one of the Who's best. I'm not a big fan of pre-funk James Brown, and the Violent Femmes are just sorta annoying these days.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
2. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
3. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
4. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
"Tracks" is just an evergreen classic, perfect Motown songwriting. "Blank Generation" is still good filthy rock. The other 2 are fine songs, but not of the same class.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
2. "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
3. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
4. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
Easy win here for Prince, still such a great single. "On Broadway" is my favorite of the Drifters prepositional songs. "Hound Dog" is fine sass, and I don't know why, but I've never ranked "Wild Horses" with the other countryfied songs on Sticky Fingers -- gimme "Dead Flowers" any day.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
2. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
3. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
4. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
Tough group...I'd probably give all 4 of these songs 4 stars out of 5. Iggy wins in the end 'cause of the drums.
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
2. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
3. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
4. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
Weak group...I'd probably give all 4 of these songs 3-and-a-half stars out of 5. "Green Onions" wins in the end 'cause of the drums.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
2. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
3. "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
4. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
REALLY weak group. "Help!" wins by default, and I'd almost certainly skip it if I ran into it on the radio. And "Sweet Little Sixteen" just creeps me out.
Lots of great 60s R&b this week !!
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963] : with this oldie-goodie, Martha takes one of the weakest brackets I've ever seen
2. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
3. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
4. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968] : more R&B from the sixties, please !!! Aretha's classic tops this bracket. I love Barrett Strong's money, but the 1965 version by John Lee Hooker is better I guess.
2 "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
3 "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
4 "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1"Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971] The epic and beautiful Who single beats the first James Brown hit, back when the godfather of soul was still singing doo-wop with a very funky voice. Sorry but I can't compare Gershwin's classical piece to the rest.
2 "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
3 "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
4 "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1 "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966] : What I prefer in music are the vocals. That's why this song wins this bracket. And also because I saw Good Morning England last week. Good bracket, I like all 4 songs. Best proof of that is a country song making # 4
2 "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
3 "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
4 "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952] : yes, I prefer Elvis' version but that one is fantastic too ! Great bracket btw. On Broadway is great too, but I also cherish the George Benson rendition (and Neil Young's one too)
2 "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
3 "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
4 "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11 : a bracket won by a 2000s song ? yes I can do that too, sometimes. I love the Strokes. Great bracket.
1 "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
2 "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
3 "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
4 "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962] : infectious bluesy grove, hooker guitar licks, great organ sound : the Memphis soul sound is born
2 "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984] : great 80's song, perfect hit
3 "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
4 "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975] : so I'll have to tell you about my brother in law. You choose your friends but not your family as French singer Renaus says. He's got these 3 or 4 000 dollars guitars and he can barely play, and he always wants to play "Wish you were here", and keeps on asking me to play with him. How to ruin a decent song.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2 : The method man track is Ok but really can't compete with the two giants above.
1: "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
2: "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
3 "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
4 "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963] - I had never listened to this, because "Dancing in the Street" is so overrated, but this is about ten times better than that song. It's the 1967 Motown sound in '63.
2. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995] - Not bad but not stellar either and generic. EDIT: I'm at the 2-minute mark and I realize I have heard this like 10 times before, at Abercrombie & Fitch, at a foam party, tons of places. I love this song.
3. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978] - First time hearing this - it's purty good. Post-punk is not one of the genres I listen to frequently, especially because everybody loves it these days and there are a zillion bands who wish they were Joy Division, but it's climbing up the ranks.
4. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989] - The Stone Roses are good but I don't like their forays into dance music, especially the standard late-'80s UK fare. Stick to guitar pop.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968] - One of my favorite Aretha songs, and Aretha is one of my favorite voices. Very subtle in its allure.
2. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960] - If there's one flaw to the Beatles, it's that they don't do covers well. They always pick good songs, and turn in servicable but mediocre versions of previously great songs and this is no exception. This is the perfect kind of "Animal House" frat rock that is my favorite pre-Beatles rock.
3. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962] - Very lounge-y for a song with "Rebel" in the title. Even if he is a rebel, you shouldn't date him if you're content to sing about him over a vibraphone.
4. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999] - Santana, I know you think you're cool cause you do all these duets with modern pop stars, but I'll let you in on a secret - they're not as cool as you were when you were big back in the day. Kurt Cobain happened, and everyone hates the mainstream these days. Sorry.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971] - The first, and probably best, use of a synthesizer in rock. One of the only times in hard rock when it's not chhesy either.
2. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983] - I know several people who really love the Femmes, but this one of the few songs of theirs I know and the one I like the best, which means its above-average.
3. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924] - Hard to compare to the others.
4. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956] - I don't think the fact that this is James Browns sets it that far apart from most '50s stuff.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965] - Smokey has never been my favorite in Motown (Marvin, people, Marvin!) but this is his undeniable best work, which is pretty good.
2. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977] - I like this cause that chord progression never fails, no matter how many times it's ripped off.
3. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980] - Sometimes there's a problem with the song itself, and sometimes there's a problem with the way it's presented. This falls into the latter - cause I hate twang, but I can imagine me liking it if the Stones did it.
4. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966] - That guitar sound is ten years ahead of its time. Still don't like it.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983] - As much as I prefer Thriller as best pop album of the 80s, it's Prince's gem that gets the nod as best song. It is one of the few songs that has literally taken my breath away.
2. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971] - Yeah, the Stones made a lot of songs that sound like this one - and they're all good.
3. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952] - Good song, but not a match for the top 2.
4. "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963] - Corny.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001] - It's not hard to explain this one - just listen to it, it's an amazing song!
2. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960] - Ah! I recognize this from cruisin' round with Grandpa as a kid. It's too bad even the fondness of childhood memories won't propel this to #1.
3. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994] - The only G-Funk hit made by someone who didn't rap on The Chronic. Nate Dogg's vibrato makes it.
4. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977] - I like Iggy but I can't detach this one from commercials with old people or "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" which I actually think is bigger. (Sacrilege!)
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962] - I loved when they used this in The Sandlot. It's probably one of the simplest songs ever, but they do so much with it.
2. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975] - Pink Floyd straddle the line between good (classic) and bad (dated and overwrought) classic rock with this one, but taken in the context of the band it becomes really great - it would be a Meh otherwise.
3. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984] - Actually a pretty good pop song, but when children of the 80s like my mom sing it incessantly it gets old fast.
4. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966] - I played the bass on this one in a middle school show once. Even then I still don't care for it.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Help!" - The Beatles [1965] - John's plea for intervention in his eating habits take the top spot.
2. "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971] - I've avoided listening to Ms. King (I hate soft rock and most female singer-songwriters from the '70s) but most overdone genres come from something that was good, and now I know where that is.
3. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957] - Ruined by Surfin' USA for me, but I guess that's what happens when the copy gets more famous than the original.
4. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995] - Hip-hop love is something I don't understand, so I don't get hip-hop love songs either.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]: One of the great postpunk singles, impossibly catchy and propulsive and driven by a classic ascending guitar riff.
2. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]: Great early Motown, at a point when the label hadn’t quite perfected its assembly-line pop-soul sheen – I mean that in a good way – and there were still some rough edges in the mix.
3. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]: The art of remixing at its best, taking a coolly retro duo and making them sound even more coolly contemporary.
4. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]: This lengthy single was actually tacked on to the U.S. release of the debut as a bonus track. It’s good for what it is, but sometimes I stop the CD after “I Am the Resurrection.”
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]: The actual, original Crystals (as opposed to the more faceless ones who took over with “Da Doo Ron Ron”), fronted by the great Darlene Love, on one of Phil Spector’s most iconic singles. Fun fact: written by Gene Pitney, and very much of a piece with the eccentric lyrical style of his own records (“If they don’t like him that way they won’t like me af-ter today” shouldn’t work, but it does).
2. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]: The song that launched Motown. The Beatles and the Flying Lizards both covered it brilliantly, but the original has a lot more going for it than pure historical value.
3. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]: The Queen can turn anything to gold and in this period almost always did, but I’ve never been a huge Bacharach/David fan, and this version has a couple too many “Forever, forever” 's for its own good.
4. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]: It was one of the biggest hits of all time for very good reasons, but it pretty much defines the term “played out” at this point.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]: As I’ve said before, WHO’S NEXT was the very first album I ever bought, and nothing on it has ever gotten old for me. Brilliantly hypnotic intro, great slow build of instruments, beyond-iconic lyrics, and that amazing controlled-frenzy finale – sheer classic-rock perfection.
2. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]: Sheer early alt-rock perfection, and it still sounds fresh (to me, anyway) because of its singular street-buskers arrangement (Brian Ritchie’s acoustic bass guitar remains one of the most distinctive sounds of the Eighties) and Gordon Gano’s uncanny and timeless ability to evoke nascent adolescent sexual confusion, male division, in all its literally messy glory.
3. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]: Another of Bracketology’s “Really? This has to compete with other stuff?” entries. It almost feels sacrilegious to put such a towering piece of music this low, but I just love my first two choices that much more.
4. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]: Last week I just couldn’t put Brown in last place in a bracket. I have no such qualms here, even though this was his debut. In any case, the song’s high ranking probably owes more to the climactic role it came to play in his live shows than to the perfectly serviceable record itself.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]: It’s almost a cliché to evoke the fact that Bob Dylan once called Smokey America’s greatest poet, but this more than any other is the song that justifies that claim. “My smile is my make-up I wear since my break-up with you” – really, does somgwriting get any better than that?
2. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]: I’m not the biggest country fan, but this song, frequently cited as the pinnacle of the genre, is absolutely brilliant (spoiler alert: the reason he stopped loving her today is because he’s dead), and the Possum’s vocal keeps it just on the right side of over-the-top.
3. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]: Hell himself often comes off as a bit of a poseur, but the Voidoids were a great band, dominated by the continuously jaw-dropping (and seemingly effortless) brilliance of guitarist Robert Quine. Everything Quine ever played on is worth hearing.
4. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]: It’s SH2B4 for Neville’s elegant early smash. Again, it’s a cliché, but you can’t help but marvel at the fact that THAT voice comes out of THAT man.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]: The song that deservedly made him a full-fledged superstar, with hooks so huge and undeniable some people probably never even noticed all the outrageous single entendres about “little red love machines,” pockets full of used condoms, etc.
2. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]: One of the Glimmer Twins’ most heartfelt and understated songs; they wrote it for and initially gave it away to Gram Parsons, but reclaimed it with a vengeance.
3. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]: Elvis made it his own, but Thornton’s ferocious original take on the early Leiber & Stoller classic is certainly no slouch.
4. "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]: I don’t get the indifference to this song from so many here; yes, I’ve got it in last place too, but man, is this ever SH2B4. It’s a beautiful, impeccable recording of a song so sturdy that it can even survive Neil Young’s attempt to update it for the late Eighties by bellowing “Gimme that crack!”
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]: My favorite track on IS THIS IT, and the one that probably best encapsulates its deceptively simple mixture of classic rock songcraft, NYC swagger, awe-inspiringly tight arrangements (has a human drummer ever sounded more like a machine than Fab Moretti does here?), and a relentless, rattling rush that, in the case of this song, has no choice but to simply stop with startling abruptness.
2. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]: Speaking of a relentless rush… Iggy’s finest moment as a solo artist must have sounded like an instant classic from the moment it was released. Brilliantly used as the opening song in TRAINSPOTTING; not-so-brilliantly used in those cruise line commercials, although I might be selling short the inherent subversiveness of pitching genteel sea vacations with a song extolling the pleasures of hypnotizing chickens and having it in the ear. Fun fact: the rhythm section is comprised of Hunt and Tony Sales, longtime Bowie cohorts and the sons of legendary comedian Soupy Sales, who died last week.
3. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]: What’s cooler than cool? This prototypical slice of West Coast G-funk by Dre’s brother (with Snoop’s cousin) is ice cold. Not really my thing, but as good as this subgenre gets.
4. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]: I like Phil & Don, but I’ve never been particularly fond of this one.
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]: Possibly the greatest rock and roll instrumental ever, perfectly embodying everything that made these four musicians so great both as individuals and as the ultimate house band. Duck Dunn and Al Jackson lay down the smoldering groove while Steve Cropper fills the nonexistent gaps with no-muss-no-fuss guitar lines and Mr. Jones himself anchors the whole thing on the B-3. Nobody shows off, because nobody has to.
2. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]: When the virtuosic Mexican acoustic-guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela played Lollapalooza a few years ago, the crowd erupted when they played the instantly recognizable opening of this song; when the instrumental pair got to where the vocals would start, EVERYONE started singing. It’s a timeless song, and possibly the only Floyd track from the Waters era that can actually stand just as well on its own as it does within its particular album’s context.
3. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]: A bit cheesy, yes, but great sassy fun, and the last thing (well, now that I’ve heard “Some Velvet Morning,” almost the last thing) you’d expect from Ol’ Blue Eyes’s daughter.
4. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]: The week of SH2B4 continues. Admittedly, you’d never know how good Lauper is/was from this track alone; the pleasure of SHE’S SO UNUSUAL is how surprisingly diverse it is. But it’s a great ‘80s pop single. (P.S.: R.I.P. to Captain Lou Albano, veteran wrestler and star of this song’s classic video.)
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]: The title song to their second film is one of John Lennon’s earliest and best psychological self-examinations, couched in a magnificent folk-rock arrangement with unusually structured backing vocals and George and Ringo at their musical best.
2. "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]: Who could have predicted that one of the greatest songwriters of the Sixties would turn performer herself and record one of the most wildly successful albums of the Seventies? This was the big hit (#1 for five weeks), a rueful and mature fare-thee-well that exemplifies the way King hit so many people where they lived at that time.
3. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]: Try to put aside how creepy a lot of Berry’s lyrics about teen girls sound now that we know far too much about him. There was always something a little incongruous about Berry, a natural bluesman who became a superstar doing baldly commercial teen music; what makes the records timeless is how much fun he and his musicians are having, and how good they are.
4. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]: “You’re All I Need” boasts one of Motown’s most memorable melodies, and as rendered by Blige it provides a perfect backdrop for Method’s heartfelt rap.
Some strange groups this week, and I must motor through them quickly (Matt’s kind permission to dispense with comments entirely is tempting, but I started that meme back when and need to hold my end up, at least for the #1’s).
MAHLER 15
1. SHOT BY BOTH SIDES. One of the alltime great songs in my baseline genre: art-punk. I’m not going to get into questions of whether groups like Magazine or Television are punk or not—like rock n roll itself, punk is at least as much an attitude as a style.
2. FOOLS GOLD
3. MISSING
4. HEAT WAVE
WAGNER 7
1. HE’S A REBEL. Another smart-women-foolish-choices entry by a great girl group. Sometimes I wonder how culpable Phil Spector and Goffin/King are for young women making horrific relationship choices.
2. I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER. Good lord. Seems like we have an Aretha song every week.
3. MONEY. It’s a real classic and still a lot of fun, which makes it even more amazing that there are two cover versions I prefer to the original.
4. SMOOTH. A fun, catchy, wildly overplayed song in which one artist I really don’t like teamed up with another artist I really don’t like.
HANDEL 7
1. BLISTER IN THE SUN
2. RHAPSODY IN BLUE
3. BABA O’RILEY
4. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
Sometimes bracketology spits out a matchup so discordant as to be surreal. It makes absolutely no sense to try to compare the Violent Femmes and George Gershwin. Probably most music lovers would claim that Gershwin in clearly “better,” and maybe he is…but these are completely different genres of music, and as I keep insisting, it makes zero sense to say one genre is better than another. So I’ve taken the one that’s a lot closer to my heart, even though I understand that “Rhapsody in Blue” is one of the finest pieces of music ever written, perhaps the clearest link between American vernacular music and the classic tradition.
Oh, and “Baba O’Riley,” for me, goes in the same category as another Rhapsody—Queen’s Bohemian. Apart from each song’s epic quality, I don’t think there’s actually much to them.
MAHLER 9. Chalk. Great bracket.
1. THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS. Smokey’s masterpiece, imo, with some of the weirdest tempi of any song I can think of from its decade. I’ll have that falsetto croon of “although she may be cute, she’s just a substitute” stuck in my head for the rest of my life. Thank goodness.
2. HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY. Another good reason to respect country music: it’s one of the few styles of American popular music which routinely acknowledges death (without kitsch).
3. BLANK GENERATION
4. TELL IT LIKE IT IS
HANDEL 12
1. LITTLE RED CORVETTE. Compared to Prince’s most iconic song, the rest of this group is behind the horizon. I was 14 when this came out, and it confused me in oh so many wonderful ways.
2. HOUND DOG. A classic, and the lesser-known B-side is just as good: “They call me Big Mama / ‘cause I weigh 300 pounds.”
3. WILD HORSES
4. ON BROADWAY. I played this in junior high school jazz band, and haven’t been able to take it seriously since.
VIVALDI 11
1. LUST FOR LIFE. My favorite Iggy stuff comes from his Bowie/Berlin period. This isn’t on the level of “The Passenger,” but it’s still fantastic.
2. ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM. There’s almost nothing else in the tournament this beautiful.
3. HARD TO EXPLAIN. The Strokes are much less hard to explain than they’re usually made out to be.
4. REGULATE
VERDI 12
1. WISH YOU WERE HERE. The beginner’s sampler for 70’s Floyd, and the title track to my favorite album of theirs.
2. GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN. A perfect shard of fun 80’s pop, by a true original.
3. GREEN ONIONS
4. THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING. Made me wish I’d given her more credit for “Some Velvet Morning.”
VIVALDI 2
1. SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN. I’m moderately stunned that this isn’t doing better. Even knowing that bracketology is cruel to 50’s artists, this is such an obvious choice to take such a weak bracket, if only because it’s one of the most influential songs in rock history—and a lot of fun to boot (and I don’t find it creepy…the lyrics aren’t voyeuristic, and I refuse to read an artist’s bio into his songs if there’s no call for it).
2. HELP! Possibly the most overrated song in the Beatles canon.
3. I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU/YOU’RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY
4. IT’S TOO LATE
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. Magazine- "Shot By Both Sides": Real Life was one of my biggest discoveries of the year- what an album! It so effortlessly showcases the diversity and vitality of post-punk in all of its facets. "Shot By Both Sides" isn't anywhere near my favorite, but I still adore it: such is the power of this album. John McGeoch's razor-sharp guitar work is the perfect jolt in the vein.
2. The Stones Roses- "Fools Gold": I haven't listened to the debut in quite some time, but I do like it. This song serves as a reminder that I need to bust it out again! Groovy, memorable alternative from the 80s- what can be wrong about that?
3. Martha and the Vandellas- "Heat Wave": I like this much more than "Dancing in the Street", for whatever reason. Those ascending chords just make it feel more vital to me.
4. Everything But the Girl- "Missing": Sophisticated dance music of the 90s isn't really my thing, and I've never really cared for Everything But the Girl, but this is OK, in retrospect.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. Aretha Franklin- "I Say a Little Prayer": I can't stand Aretha Franklin, but this is definitely my favorite song of hers. Perhaps it is because she sounds a bit more vulnerable in it.
2. Barrett Strong- "Money (That's What I Want)": The backing vocals annoy the crap out of me, but Barrett's lead vocal is pretty solid.
3. Santana- "Smooth": Ubiquitous in 1999-2000, it would have been far more tolerable without Rob Thomas, I think.
4. The Crystals- "He's a Rebel": Ugh.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. Violent Femmes- "Blister in the Sun": I do think it's given a little more credit than it deserves, but this song is still quite fun.
2. George Gershwin- "Rhapsody in Blue": It's hard to compare this with rock and roll music, but it's definitely quite good.
3. James Brown- "Please, Please, Please": Pretty standard blues number memorable for James' soulful pleading.
4. The Who- "Baba O'Riley": So they had a synth intro- whoopdie doo. I still can't stand The Who.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. Richard Hell & the Voidoids- "Blank Generation": Another undiscovered gem comes to my attention through this game. Wow! It's punk, but that descending chord progression gives it an emotional pull. I'm going to have to check this out!
2. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles- "The Tracks of My Tears": One of Motown's biggest moments. It's not a real favorite of mine, but it's still pretty good.
3. George Jones- "He Stopped Loving Her Today": Even "good" country isn't going to rank highly with me, unfortunately. I've heard this describes as the greatest country song ever- I'm not sure I'd agree with that, but I can see how it would have appeal well beyond fans of the genre.
4. Aaron Neville- "Tell It Like It Is": I can't stand the Neville Brothers- their cloying vocal "acrobatics" make me sick. This song would be quite good if it weren't for who was singing it, in my opinion.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. Prince- "Little Red Corvette": What? You thought I'd place a song from 1999 anywhere but first? Guess again! Classic car/sex imagery taken over the top with Prince's fabulous vocals. The Dance Remix is my favorite version of the song. May Day!
2. Big Mama Thornton- "Hound Dog": Much grittier and cutting than Elvis' polished version this is! I prefer it by quite a bit.
3. The Rolling Stones- "Wild Horses": It's a nice enough sentiment, but it's never been a favorite of mine.
4. The Drifters- "On Broadway": It sounds pretty gimmicky now and thus has to be 4th.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11: KILLER bracket!
1. The Strokes- "Hard to Explain": "Alone, Together" is my go-to song on Is This It, but "Hard to Explain" is such a brilliant start/stop single. It's so easy to understand why critics fell over themselves in praise of the album- such gutsy, succinct blasts of joyous greatness were in short supply in 2001.
2. The Everly Brothers- "All I Have to Do Is Dream": My mom used to place The Everly Brothers all the time when I was young, and this was my favorite song of theirs. Dreamy indeed.
3. Iggy Pop- "Lust for Life": What an amazing pulse this song has. I can't believe I'm placing it third, as it would easily top most of the brackets this week. Maybe Jet's bastardization of it with "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" has made it fall here for now...
4. Warren G- "Regulate": Such a GREAT, GREAT groove deserves much higher than 4th. It would have won Wagner 7 quite easily.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
#360: "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978] : same #1 as Moonbeam ! That does not happen a lot... maybe I'll end up with the same #1 as nicolas too someday
#872: "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
#665: "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
#153: "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
#183: "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983] : among the few albums of the early I really love... I might prefer kiss off, but Blister in the Sun is awesome too.
#695: "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
#330: "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
#842: "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
#426: "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
#599: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
#938: "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11 : great bracket too; but Warren G is one of the those songs that just send me back to the year it was released. The "madeleine" effects take the lead
#686: "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
#339: "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
#851: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
#174: "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
#940: "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
#597: "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
#85: "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
#428: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2 : I love that bracket a lot, all the songs would deserve to go further on the bracketology
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles [1965] : the best "plain rock and roll" Beatles songs. And same #1 song as nicolas, what an odd weak
#676: "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
#349: "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
#861: "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
OK this week I comment only few songs.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
The rest could be in any order (they are all good ones). But Missing is clear winner. The original is also very very good but the remix is better.
2. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
3. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
4. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
2. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
3. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
4. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
I'm not a big fan of The Who but the synth intro is just too good to ignore this.
2. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
3. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
4. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
2. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
3. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
4. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
Prince wins but Stones were actually pretty close.
2. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
This is my favourite Stones song they've done after 60's.
3. "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
4. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
Is This It has done almost surprisingly well in the decade lists so far. After listening to this again it's not hard to explain why. (where is the drummer of the bad jokes -smiley?)
2. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
3. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
4. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
2. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
3. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
4. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
2. "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
3.: "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
4. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1 - "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
2 - "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
3 - "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
4 - "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
'Missing' is the only one here I play on a regular basis,'Heatwave' is decent,the other 2 not particularly memorable.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1 - "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
2 - "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
3 - "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
4 - "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
Bit of an average bracket,don't hate or love any particular track,guess 'Smooth' is the only one that isn't a genuine classic,but I'll play it a lot more often.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1 - "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
2 - "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
3 - "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
4 - "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
The Who win pretty easily with probably their greatest track,never gets old. The others aren't even close.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1 - "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
2 - "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
3 - "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
4 - "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
Pretty comfortable win for the masterpiece 'Tracks Of My Tears'. Blank Generation is quality as well...
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 - "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
2 - "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
3 - "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
4 - "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
The 'newer' tracks demolish the older ones here. Prince wins with one of his finest.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1 - "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
2 - "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
3 - "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
4 - "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
Tough choice - top 3 are all quality. The nice melody and harmonies of 'All I Have to Do Is Dream' make it my favourite.
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1 - "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
2 - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
3 - "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
4 - "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
Pretty easy for Pink Floyd. Don't think it's one of their best,but far too good for the rest here.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1 - "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
2 - "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
3 - "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
4 - "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
'Help' is not one of their best by any means,always found it pretty glib. Best song in this weak bracket though...
Running out of time for this week. Only seven hours and 49 minutes left!
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
#665: "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
Lively song with great production
#153: "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
This entire album is so consistent I don't know how they settled on which singles to put on their lists. Almost all of them belong there. I'm not sure why it had to be nine minutes.
#360: "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
#872: "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
I like the chord progression but it's too repetitive. Club mixes are good for clubs, bad for casual listening.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
#188: "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
#325: "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
Early ode to the youth culture of fashionable rebellion.
#837: "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
#700: "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
Santana's bid for late career mainstream bucks. Not a bad song, but it's a shame it obscures his earlier stuff.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
#183: "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
Great minimalist rock.
#695: "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
The keyboard at the beginning is the perfect kickoff to The Who's dive into harder rock. From the first few notes you can tell the album is something special.
#330: "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
#842: "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
#552: "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
"The blank generation" is a poetically elegant way to sum up the disillusioned subculture.
#40: "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
#985: "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
Smooth, but kind of dull.
#473: "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
One of a great performer's greatest singles.
#426: "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
#599: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
This version has a lot more emotionally powerful a performance than the original. In this case it has unfortunate matchups.
#938: "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
A good song against three better songs.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
#174: "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
Great harmony.
#339: "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
#851: "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
It's a good song but I'm not sure why it's considered a standout track.
#686: "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
Smooth groove, but a little cliche, and but not as strong as it's competition.
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
#597: "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
The best Pink Floyd song, hands down. It's not melodramatic or disillusioned angsty, nor is it part of some grand ambitious experiment. It's just a rock song! Pink Floyd should have written a lot more 'just a rock songs'. They're great at it.
#85: "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
#940: "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
I like the guitar in Nancy Sinatra songs.
#428: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
Just ugh. There are so many good songs on She's So Unusual, and this is the one that's highest rated? Not the beautiful Time After Time or the great Prince cover? Travesty.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
#676: "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
I like this a lot. Good thing it came out in 1995 and not 2005. So the voices sound like real human voices and there isn't an annoying techno-dance loop.
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
Catchy but a little cheesy.
#349: "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
#861: "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. Booker T. & the MG's- "Green Onions": It feels odd placing this first, but it really is a great, groovy instrumental.
2. Cyndi Lauper- "Girls Just Want to Have Fun": As horrifying as it has been for me to hear some 80s music referred to as "oldies", I can see it in this case- it has been so overdone. My favorites from She's So Unusual will always be "She Bop", "All Through the Night" and "Money Changes Everything".
3. Nancy Sinatra- "These Boots Are Made for Walking": Pretty sassy indeed. I should probably place it 2nd, but I feel bad enough demoting Cyndi one place.
4. Pink Floyd- "Wish You Were Here": How I wish I never had heard this song before.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. Carole King- "It's Too Late": I just picked up Tapestry yesterday, and this song gives me hope that I'll quite enjoy it.
2. Chuck Berry- "Sweet Little Sixteen": The piano solo is what elevates this to second!
3. Method Man and Mary J. Blige- "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By": I think both Method Man and Mary J. Blige have both had better songs than this. That said, somehow, it works.
4. The Beatles- "Help!": I have nothing but pure, scathing hatred for this song. It's absolutely abominable to these ears.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses [1989]
2. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine [1978]
3. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas [1963]
4. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl [1995]
Going with the critics on this one. “Fools Gold” is overrated and not the best song off of The Stone Roses, but it does contain some of the coolest guitar sounds I’ve heard. “Shot By Both Sides” is growing on me, especially that excellent intro. “Heat Wave” is pretty average for a classic Motown single.
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals [1962]
2. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) [1999]
3. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin [1968]
4. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong [1960]
Nothing really stands out from this bracket. “Smooth” is a nice nostalgia kick every once in a while, but nothing that should be in the AM 3000. I don’t like Aretha or Barrett Strong, leaving The Crystals in first for this bracket.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes [1983]
2. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who [1971]
3. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames [1956]
4. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin [1924]
Two stone cold classics headline this bracket. “Baba O’Riley” is a great art-rock track that is hideously underrated by AM, but “Blister in the Sun” is one of the catchiest, most tightly performed rock songs I’ve ever heard.
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [1965]
2. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids [1977]
3. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville [1966]
4. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones [1980]
“The Tracks of My Tears” is the easy winner here—it’s probably the best-written Motown song, and that’s really saying something. Unfortunately one of punk rock’s better singles, “Blank Generation,” is relegated to second place here.
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones [1971]
2. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince [1983]
3. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton [1952]
4. "On Broadway" - The Drifters [1963]
I don’t really care for any of these songs. “Little Red Corvette” is one of the most overrated songs not just within Prince’s discography, but of the entire 1980s. “Wild Horses” isn’t even in the Stones’ top 20, but it wins by default.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop [1977]
2. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes [2001]
3."Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) [1994]
4. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers [1960]
This is by far the week’s strongest bracket, and any of these songs would win some of the weaker brackets. “Lust for Life” is the best song Iggy Pop ever did, with or without the Stooges. “Hard to Explain” is one of about five class-A rock songs on The Strokes’ Is This It?.
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's [1962]
2. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd [1975]
3. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra [1966]
4. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper [1984]
“Wish You Were Here” just isn’t as good as it used to seem to me, leaving the nice groove of “Green Onions” as an easy pick for first.
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 2
1. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) [1995]
2. "Help!" - The Beatles [1965]
3. "It's Too Late" - Carole King [1971]
4. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry [1957]
“I’ll Be There For You” is my best new discovery of the last few weeks of Bracketology. It smokes the rest of the bracket.
Is there a different US version of the Stone Roses' debut album or something? 'Fool's Gold' wasn't on the original album...
MAHLER 15
1. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)"
2. "(Love is Like a) Heat Wave"
3. "Fools Gold"
4. "Shot by Both Sides"
WAGNER 7
1. "I Say a Little Prayer"
2. "He's a Rebel"
3. "Money (That's What I Want)"
4. "Smooth"
HANDEL 7
1. "Baba O'Riley"
2. "Rhapsody in Blue"
3. "Please, Please, Please"
4. "Blister in the Sun"
MAHLER 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears"
2. "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
3. "Tell it Like It Is"
4. "Blank Generation"
HANDEL 12
1. "Little Red Corvette"
2. "Wild Horses"
3. "Hound Dog"
4. "On Broadway"
VIVALDI 11
1. "Regulate"
2. "All I Have to Do is Dream"
3. "Lust for Life"
4. "Hard to Explain"
VERDI 12
1. "Wish You Were Here"
2. "Green Onions"
3. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
4. "These Boots Are Made for Walking"
VIVALDI 2
1. "Sweet Little Sixteen"
2. "It's Too Late"
3. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By"
4. "Help!"
Voting is now over for this week. It would have been over fifteen minutes ago if I had been paying attention. Results will be posted as soon as possible.
RESULTS
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 15
1. "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - Martha & the Vandellas (38, 4)
2. "Shot by Both Sides" - Magazine (35, 5)
3. "Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)" - Everything But the Girl (35, 4)
4. "Fools Gold" - The Stone Roses (32, 1)
In the next round: John Lennon's "Imagine"; David Bowie's "Space Oddity"; M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes"
WAGNER BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin (41, 7)
2. "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals (37, 3)
3. "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong (29, 1)
4. "Smooth" - Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) (23, 2)
In the next round: Radiohead's "Karma Police"
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 7
1. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who (49, 8)
2. "Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes (42, 5)
3. "Rhapsody in Blue" - George Gershwin (34, 2)
4. "Please, Please, Please" - James Brown & His Famous Flames (25, 0)
In the next round: Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog"; John Lennon's "God"
MAHLER BLOC, BRACKET 9
1. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (47, 9)
2. "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell & the Voidoids (35, 3)
3. "Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville (24, 1)
4. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones (24, 0)
In the next round: Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour"
HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince (47, 10)
2. "Wild Horses" - The Rolling Stones (38, 2)
3. "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton (33, 1)
4. "On Broadway" - The Drifters (22, 1)
In the next round: R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"; Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools"
VIVALDI BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes (43, 6)
2. "Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop (40, 4)
3. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - The Everly Brothers (38, 3)
4. "Regulate" - Warren G (With Nate Dogg) (29, 2)
In the next round: The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog"; Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang"; Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love"
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 12
1. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the MG's (47, 8)
2. "Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd (42, 5)
3. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper (33, 1)
4. "These Boots Are Made for Walking" - Nancy Sinatra (28, 1)
In the next round: Prince's "When Doves Cry"; Ray Charles' "Georgia on My Mind"
CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 11
1. "Help!" - The Beatles (47, 7)
2. "It's Too Late" - Carole King (39, 3)
3. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry (33, 3)
4. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" - Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) (31, 2)
In the next round: The Four Tops' "Reach Out (I'll Be There)"
I guess I was a little saddened by how instantly dismissive it seemed people were regarding "Rhapsody in Blue".
An odd week--I only voted for two of the winners, and my two favorites--"Lust for Life" and "Blister in the Sun"--settled for second. It seems there were far fewer blowouts than there usually are, with few songs I think stand a chance in the next round.