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Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

ROUND 2, WEEK 5

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.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
#108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis
#236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson
#492: "Train in Vain" - The Clash
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
#42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders
#298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
#58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas
#71: "Live Forever" - Oasis
#186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
#3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
#254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard
#643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield


REMINDER: You must comment on ALL the songs in order for your ballot to count.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
#429: "Train in Vain" - The Clash ~ This isn't anywhere near the best on London Calling, but it just so happens to be in such a weak bracket that it wins out. I really don't see how it beat God Save the Queen, especially since that one is impossible to be accused of straying too far from punk, but this'll do in its place.
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana ~ The guitar riff is pretty good, but the lyrics are too repetitive and don't really go anywhere. Also, I really hate those grunge chord progressions. Perhaps, with the phase having passed, it sounds too clichéd now.
#236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson ~ I never really found what was so special about this or most other acclaimed blues musicians. It's not bad, but not exceptional. Maybe I find it too sparse and freely played, so as to sound unprofessional.
#108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis ~ Oh God no. I was barely able to give this another listen for the sake of reviewing it. I have quite a tolerance for things being overrated or too ubiquitous, but it couldn't cope with what this song has garnered. The music is actually OK, but Noel's lyrics and Liam's vocals are absolutely horrible.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince ~ Prince easily wins in this bracket. The chorus is so damn catchy, and it's packed full of great innuendos and metaphors like the title and anything regarding 'Trojan horses'. He also plays some scorching guitar, that Prince. "Giiirl, you got an ass like I've neeever seeEEEEEEN..."
#298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin ~ The instrumentation is cold-sweat-funky, even when in the breakdown, and Aretha's voice complements it so well with such an omniscient, powerful voice.
#42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M. ~ I don't like R.E.M. that much, but the mandolin and string arrangements make this one pretty good.
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders ~ It's a shame Kim Deal left the Pixies for stuff like this. There's really not much to praise it for.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18:
#58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha and The Vandellas ~ This one makes me want to dance wherever it's played, whenever it comes on. Some great Funk Brothers instrumentation, with some powerfully danceable percussion led by Marvin Gaye.
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam ~ I don't care if these guys were jumping on the bandwagon of grunge but weren't really grunge, or if they ended up sounding like Nickelback. This is still a great song, and the way Vedder sings the lyrics in the verses has a nice arhythmic kind of feel to it.
#186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful ~ I like this one. It's got some great lyrics, and John Sebastian seems to have the perfect voice for it.
#71: "Live Forever" - Oasis ~ You got to be kidding me. I shouldn't be able to take more than one dose of Oasis per day. That said, this is possibly Oasis's best song, but by that, I mean least annoying. It's still pretty mediocre.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17:
#3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys ~ They were all superb vocalists. But you really have to hand it to Brian Wilson for having such a divine ear for divining harmonies, song structure, and making unusual instruments feel as if they were always there in the list of standard rock equipment. Good Vibrations also just happens to be a damnned catchy song, and a 3 minute baroque-'n'-roll suite to help propel music into the heights of musical creativity.
#643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield ~ I'd like to say this is better than Good Vibrations, but I think the fact that it takes 9 minutes to execute one idea, while Vibrations goes through several in a third of the time, holds it back. Nevertheless, it's exceedingly funky, and the instrumental half of it is more than worth the extended length, with some fantastic brass solos.
#254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard ~ As much as I like Little Richard, he really can't hold up against the monoliths that are Move On Up and Good Vibrations. Still; this is as raw and energetic as was physicially possible in the '50s, and, in Jerry Lee Lewis's hands, was still as energetic as physically possible in the '60s. In fact, I'd like to see his Star Club version go up against the above songs instead, to see if it ends up standing a better chance.
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps ~ I HATE Elvis's version. The original, however, isn't so bad, actually - possibly better than Good Golly Miss Molly when played live. However, it would stand no chance whatsoever against the first two.

...Hate to Say I Told You So might have, though.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20 (average)
1. #661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana / One of the better songs of Nirvana, just very good.
2. #236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson / Nice old, raw blues song. Real and honest.
3. #108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis / Could have been #2 as well. Oasis is not my favorite band, but this is one of my favorite songs by them.
4. #492: "Train in Vain" - The Clash / Not my cup of tea. A little annoying.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19 (weak)
1. #42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M. / Easy winner in this weak pack. Great song of a good band.
2. #170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders / This song works indeed. The refrain is not as good as the rest of the song.
3. #298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin / Not her best song, but her voice is fine as always.
4. #87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince / Prince again... Not my music, especially this song.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18 (average)
1. #314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam / One of the best songs of Ten and of Pearl Jam in general as well.
2. #186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful / Always glad to hear this one hit my eardrums. Let the sun shine!
3. #58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas / Nice, but not that good. A little repetitive.
4. #71: "Live Forever" - Oasis / Not bad, but it doesn't move me, unfortunately.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17 (strong)
1. #3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys / No beating this song at this stage, not even in this all-good bracket.
2. #643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield / Really good, maybe a tad too long.
3. #254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard / Let's Rock and Roll! Makes you want to dance.
4. #126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps / Sorry to put this one in fourth place. Just not as fun as #3.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
#492: "Train in Vain" - The Clash (Love it)
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana (Good for the second spot)
#236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson (Always liked the cream version more)
#108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis (Good acoustic)

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
#298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin (Favorite Aretha SOng)
#42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M. (Probably will take the bracket)
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince (Best song from it's album)
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders (No chance)

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
#186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful (Love it! Love it love it love it!)
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam (I've alwasy liked Alive more, but part of a great album)
#58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas (No chance here. The top 3 should be a tight battle)
#71: "Live Forever" - Oasis (Not an Oasis fan. How'd you guess?)

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
#3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys (Is there any question?)
#254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard (My favorite by little richard)
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (Elvis cover is good too)
#643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield (Great song, not enough for this strong bracket)

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
#492: "Train in Vain" - The Clash
One of my favorites from the Clash, wins this less than stellar bracket
#108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis
Despite howls from others about the lyrics, this song works for me
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana
Pretty good Nirvana song, and pretty close to being number 2 in this bracket
#236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson
Not a big fan of Johnson's recordings, but I do recognize/admire his talent.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
It took me awhile to appreciate this song, but it now tops this bracket for me
#42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.
Accessible and peppy, yet mysterious. I enjoy the song and it could have topped this bracket on a different day.
#298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin
Great song, but 3rd in this fairly strong bracket (other than the Breeders song)
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders
Easy call for 4th in this bracket. Probably my least favorite song in this week's competition.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
#58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas
This tune consistently raises my energy level. Superb.
#186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful
Excellent song by Mr. Sebastian.
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam
Pretty close competition in this bracket, but Pearl Jam falls to third for me.
#71: "Live Forever" - Oasis
Not my favorite Oasis tune, but would not be 4th in other brackets.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
#3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
Probably the top tune this week in my view.
#254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard
Sounds dated to me, but provides some perspective on one of the most influential stars of early rock.
#643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield
Thoroughly enjoyable song.
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
Not a bad song, but not at all special to me. In my view, this is likely the most overrated song in this week's competition.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana - just pips first. whattasong. the video is perfect too.
#108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis - the soundtrack to my early years on this years. overplayed, yes. an anthem for boorish beery ladz, yes. a 24ct tune, yes. narrow second place.
#492: "Train in Vain" - The Clash - great track, but up against two big guns.
#236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson - simply, haven't heard enough times to compete.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
#42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M. - whiny emoting brilliance
#298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin - my Mum used to blast this through the house so often that it stuck. love it.
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders - bouncy, fun and sassy. nothing more to add really.
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince - never been huge on this

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
#71: "Live Forever" - Oasis - great bracket, and Oasis top it. what can I say? they (used to) know how to write some amazing tracks
#58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas - if you don't move to this you're dead inside.
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam never fully clicked with me but this is a prime cut of mainstream grunge.
#186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful - a tad annoying.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
#643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield - in my top 10 favourite songs of all time. SO GOOD.
#3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys - despite Curtis steamrolling this bracket, could it really come below second?
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps - ehhh
#254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard - ehhh

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

A lot of grunge this week.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20

Pretty weak bracket, surprising...

1. "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson

Timeless blues, though there are others better by him.

2. "Train in Vain" - The Clash

One of the best pure-pop Clash songs, though probably not in my personal Top 10. Still get enough for 2nd here.

3. "Wonderwall" - Oasis

Still lovely, but the lyrics continue to be cringeworthy after all these years. Good drumming.

4. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana

Possibly my least favorite Nirvana single. It's OK.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince

The first Prince song I ever heard, and it sounds as fresh now as it did then. From "Maybellene" to this in the time to get to drinking age...whew.

2. "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin

Aretha in her absolute prime.

3. "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.

Never an all-time fave of mine, but obviously good.

4. "Cannonball" - The Breeders

Catchy, but kinda slight for the all-time Top 200.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18

VERY weak bracket.

1. "Live Forever" - Oasis

Their best song. A crass band at the end of the day, but this is glorious and there's not much way to argue it.

2. "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas

Kinda tired but still admirable. Would be 4th in lots of other brackets though.

3. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam

Gave me goosebumps in '92, but now it just sounds overwrought.

4. "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful

Never a fan of the Lovin' Spoonful at all.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17

Really great bracket. #3 here would have won most of these.

1. "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield

This won't win, which is a shame, because this is glorious funk-soul of the highest order. The length is the point...get lost in the groove...

2. "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys

Obviously the A1 example of the perfect pop symphony.

3. "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard

His best, and it's depressing it's down here.

4. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps

Great '50s song, sad it's 4th.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

#236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson
I really think this song is amazing. Modern guitarists wish they could express such emotion with such low tech.
#108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis
Great single, but is this really the song that convinced all of England that Oasis were the next Beatles?!
#492: "Train in Vain" - The Clash
The least Clash-like of the Clash's hits. Good song but not one of the highlights of the album.
#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana
Another good song, but overrated among Nirvana songs. I think it's one of those songs that got extra attention because of having a really good video.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
#42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.
One of REM's best singles with the classic mandolin. Maybe a bit overplayed, but great.
#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
Great pop song. A little unnecessarily echoey.
#298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin
Great song, but not in her top tier, and against much stronger competition.
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders
Good enough for round one, not for round two.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam
A disturbing song, with probably one of the best music videos ever made.
#71: "Live Forever" - Oasis
Another strong Oasis single.
#58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas
Good song but too much in the center of the pop circle for round two.
#186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful
Comes off as a little cutely hooky to me.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
#3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
Wow. GV was going to win anyway, but ending up in a weak bracket just cements it.
#254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard
Great rock and roll charisma and flair, a bit cheesy.
#643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield
Great song. Curtis Mayfield may be one of the best in his genre.
#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
Good guitar, but vocally meh. I *hate* stutter-singing.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
#492: "Train in Vain" - The Clash

I can't believe this isn't doing better in this bracket. An absolutely airtight single, "Train in Vain" is the best non-Dylan breakup song ever written, and is my favorite from London Calling.

#108: "Wonderwall" - Oasis

It's all about the drumming here.

#661: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana

One of the few guitar riffs I can play. An excellent song, but I've heard it too much to appreciate it any more.

#236: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson

A legendary song, but it's easier to appreciate than to listen to.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
#170: "Cannonball" - The Breeders

A sonic breath of fresh air. The guitar sound is absolutely stunning, overcoming meaningless lyrics. Cool intro too.

#42: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.

Lives up to its classic reputation--emotional, ambiguous, and slightly mysterious.

#298: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin

Musically, it's almost as good as the highly overrated (but still excellent) "Respect." Aretha is pretty much the prototype for excellent female soul vocalists to this day.

#87: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince

Extremely dated and overrated within Prince's catalog.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
#71: "Live Forever" - Oasis

By far Oasis' best song; they spent the rest of their career trying to recapture the magic of its last minute.

#186: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful

Very enjoyable 60s pop.

#314: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam

I never fell in love with this like many seem to upon first listen; Pearl Jam has several better songs and I don't like them at all to begin with.

#58: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas

For a pop song that's supposed to be exciting and fun, it's rather boring, unremarkable, and dated. I can't even listen to it all the way through anymore.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
#3: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys

Untouchable. I'll save further comments for later rounds.

#643: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield

A recent discovery for me, it's just about the pinnacle of the soul genre. The percussion on this track is hypnotizing and not only holds my interest, but engages me over the song's lengthy run time. I can see this passing "Good Vibrations" pretty soon.

#254: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard

Probably my favorite Little Richard song, for whatever that's worth.

#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps

Why don't younger people on this site like myself listen to 50s music? Because the perception is, unfair as it may be, that 50s music sounds like this.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

Sorry…had to crank these out in a hurry…

VERDI 20
1. CROSS ROAD BLUES. It became the most famous Delta blues song just because something had to—the mythology surrounding Robert Johnson and Cream’s cover cemented its place. But it’s a worthy choice, and nothing else in this group can top it.
2. COME AS YOU ARE. “And I swear that I don’t have a gun.” Brrr.
3. TRAIN IN VAIN. One of the many, many things I love about London Calling (Anthony, belated thx for the podcast—good stuff!) is that the Clash had the stones to end it with a novelty song. THAT’S a sign of a group at the top of their game, I think.
4. WONDERWALL. Ironically, this is the only song in this bracket I had winning in round one. That must have been a terrible group…

MOPS: Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen” (just edging out “Don’t Worry Baby”)

HANDEL 19
1. LOSING MY RELIGION. I remember well the first time I heard this one…I was with a friend who doesn’t much like R.E.M., and when it was over, he said, “That’s going to be their biggest hit.” In other words, an obvious masterpiece by a band that has rarely specialized in the obvious.
2. CANNONBALL. Speaking of novelty songs, here’s a great one. Nobody has ever made goofing around with strange instrumentation sound so much fun.
3. LITTLE RED CORVETTE. Cars had been one of the fundamental subjects for rock songs for thirty years when this one came out. Prince did a very canny thing; he took the sexual organ subtext and turned it into…well, text.
4. CHAIN OF FOOLS. It might be Aretha’s best, and it’s #4 here. That’s how good this group is.

MOPS: R.E.M., “Losing My Religion”

HAYDN 18
1. LIVE FOREVER. Has finally become the only Oasis song I can really enjoy, but it’s still freakin’ fantastic.
2. DANCING IN THE STREET. Martha epitomizes the “pull-random-high-schooler-off-the-street” vocals of so many girl groups, and it’s more effective here than just about anywhere else.
3. JEREMY. Sigh…you know, I don’t really even dislike Pearl Jam—it’s just that they went on to do SO much more interesting stuff after their debut.
4. SUMMER IN THE CITY. Weakest song of the week.

MOPS: Oasis, “Live Forever”

MOZART 17
1. GOOD VIBRATIONS. Pocket symphony. It is to “Pet Sounds” what “Strawberry Fields Forever” is to Sgt. Pepper (and in both cases, the song is better than the album).
2. GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY. Well, of course she can’t hear her mama call, what with you hollering like that.
3. MOVE ON UP. The most badass gospelish thing I can think of.
4. BE-BOP-A-LULA. I really like it, but this is a tough bracket and even I have to admit that much of its acclaim is down to influence and importance, rather than it being a really good song…which, to be honest, it isn’t.

MOPS: The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations”

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Wonderwall" – Oasis: If they’d packed it in or disappeared after those first two albums, the battling brothers G and company would be undisputed rock legends instead of the wildly hit-or-miss cliché parade they’ve devolved into. By coincidence, their two finest songs are in play this week, and they should both top their respective Round 2 brackets handily. With no argument from me.
2. "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson: Not Johnson’s best song, but probably his most iconic. In any case, “not his best” is a very relative term with such a towering figure.
3. "Come as You Are" – Nirvana: A great song but, as I’ve said before, it’s not even one of my five favorite tracks on NEVERMIND.
4. "Train in Vain" - The Clash: As much as I worship LONDON CALLING, I’ve never been a fan of its fluke hit single. They hid it for a reason.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.: Another Round 2 bracket where I absolutely love all four tracks, but one still stands out as a ridiculously easy #1. A rare case of a great band’s biggest hit also being their best recording.
2. "Cannonball" - The Breeders: After #1 it gets brutal here. This one gets the runner-up slot simply for its sheer audacious weirdness.
3. "Little Red Corvette" – Prince: Speaking of audacious weirdness… It’s still amazing that this was his radio breakthrough despite being packed with entendres WAY too single to qualify as double.
4. "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin: It pains me to put the Queen’s rawest slab of gutbucket R&B at #4, but such is Bracketology. Never has the acronym SH2B4 been typed with more sorrow.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Live Forever" – Oasis: See #1 in Verdi 20 above. Noel Gallagher may be an arrogant ass, but you have to admit that “Well, I wrote ‘Live Forever.’ What have you done?” would be a pretty unassailable argument-settler.
2. "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful: One of the best singles of the Sixties, and startlingly hard-edged compared to their previous output.
3. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam: A standout even on a debut filled with instant classics.
4. "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas: A Motown classic that’s become a bit worn out from overplaying.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys: A great bracket, but another no-brainer #1 pick. Brian Wilson was going here for nothing less than The Greatest Single Ever Recorded, and he came pretty damn close.
2. "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard: Kudos to drummer Earl Palmer for almost being able to keep with Richard’s rapid-fire delivery – especially on the verses, this is practically a duet between them.
3. "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield: Irresistible early ‘70s soul. Maybe it doesn’t need to be 9 minutes long, but you can’t really stop a groove like this, you know?
4. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps: Definitive rockabilly, but an easy #4 here.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

1: "Wonderwall" - Oasis: Noel was no poet. He rarely held a theme throughout an entire song and his style centered more around the general idea or thought behind a song, carried by the musical composition rather than the word-for-word meaning of the lyrics. It's an effective style of writing, though I'll be the first to admit that it makes him seem more poetic than he actually was. But if you're a fan of the group, the overall vibe and emotion of their music is what really shines through. Here, Liam sings with such emotion that every lyric gets pulled into an orbit around "you're my wonderwall". He's singing about someone, and though we don't know who, we do know why. And that's the reason people keep coming back to this song, and why they'll still be coming back 25 years from now. It's a classic.
2: "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson: I could never put on the complete recordings and listen to it straight through; it would be a bit too much. For me, Robert Johnson is best served in small doses, like when he shows up during shuffle. It's a nice, brief change-up from the brickwalled sound of modern music.
3: "Come as You Are" - Nirvana: One of the tracks on Nevermind I always skip past. That is, when I listen to the record as a whole (which is something I haven't done for a good while).
4: "Train in Vain" - The Clash: Out of respect for a London Calling fan.... no comment.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
1: "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.: My love of R.E.M. begins and ends in the first half of the '90s. Clearly one of the highlights of their catalog, not to mention, of the entire alt-rock genre.
2: "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin
3: "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
4: "Cannonball" - The Breeders

Not much to say about the bottom-dweller and the other two. All of them are pretty inconsequential to me.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
1: "Live Forever" - Oasis: Sometimes you want the wheel reinvented, but sometimes it's fine just how it is. Oasis, over the course of their 15+ year career, never strayed far from the template of their debut album, choosing to simply tweak here and there. In doing so, I suppose they created a good argument in favor of their superfluousness (to most people, anyway). However, for me, it was just fine that Noel Gallagher never cared to alter the formula. In fact, among my regular rotation of favorite artists, Oasis were probably tops among a handful of bands that I never had any expectations for (at least, expectations that went beyond solid songwriting). All I wanted from album to album was, simply, more great songs. And Liam and Noel always delivered. Let's face it: we all have those certain bands where "more of the same" is all we want. And for me, that was always Oasis.
2: "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam: I'll always have a soft spot for the debut LP, a pillar of my musical foundation. I will say that this song sounds just as good today as it did back in '91.
3: "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful: An enjoyable slice of '60s pop.
4: "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas: This doesn't grab my attention, nor does it make me feel anything. It's really just elaborate elevator music.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
1: "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys: Frankly, I don't care for anything from this bracket, so it's with slight unease that I put this at #1. But even I'm able to recognize when something SHOULD be.
2: "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard: I don't know; it is what is it.
3: "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield: Forever ruined by Bran Van 3000.
4: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps: @Jackson: exactly. (Even though I'm on the other side of 25.)

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

Jackson


#126: "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps

Why don't younger people on this site like myself listen to 50s music? Because the perception is, unfair as it may be, that 50s music sounds like this.


i'd immediately sign this if you Bizarro World-baby boomers in exchange finally stop voting London Calling into the t10 all time album polls over and over again..

ps: ... no, seriously, Gene Vincent!??

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

Harold Wexler
VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Wonderwall" – Oasis: If they’d packed it in or disappeared after those first two albums, the battling brothers G and company would be undisputed rock legends instead of the wildly hit-or-miss cliché parade they’ve devolved into.


I don't know about that. Like I've said in many of the bracketology posts, their singles are great. But, I think for Oasis, there's a huge quality gap between their singles and the album cuts that weren't singles.

I also remember a lot of British critics putting DM and Morning Glory in their top ten albums of all time back in the 90s. But I really think that came out of wanting to believe their country could generate another Beatles. Even if their careers ended right then, with time I think they would have still ended up where they are now.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

2 songs I've previously had at #4 will be #1 this time...

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "Wonderwall" - Oasis
2 - "Come as You Are" - Nirvana
3 - "Train in Vain" - The Clash
4 - "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson
Oasis' best known song wins this,a defining song of 90s Britain - can't believe Earth Song held it off #1. Enjoyable tracks off Nevermind and London Calling,nothing much between them. Great Blues song sure,but I'll never vote any of those songs above mature rock songs...

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
1 - "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
2 - "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.
3 - "Cannonball" - The Breeders
4 - "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin
LRC has always been in my top 2 or 3 Prince tracks,always think of it as the single that launched him into the big league. 'Losing My Religion' was never one of my R.E.M. favourites,but there's no denying it's classic status. 'Cannonball' is a fun,but a little goofy,a bit overrated - I laughed when I saw the video the other day,I thought they would look much cooler. 'Chain Of Fools' is good,but not up to the level of the other tracs here...

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
1 - "Live Forever" - Oasis
2 - "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas
3 - "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam
4 - "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful
Best bracket of the week easily - strong songs from 1 to 4. Took me years to realize how great 'Live Forever' was - amazing track. 'Dancing In The Street' is a really fun track - wish I played it more often. The song that got me into Pearl Jam,still one of my favourites of theirs. 'Summer in the City' is another great song - unfortunate group to be in...

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
1 - "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
2 - "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield
3 - "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
4 - "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard
'Good Vibrations' by a mile - one of the,if not the most innovative song of the rock era. Love 'Move On Up' - maybe slightly too long. Strangely,I first discovered it through 'Touch The Sky'. Not a 50s rock fan really these days,but 'Be-Bop-A-Lula' would be one of my favourites. 'Good Golly Miss Molly' is fairly one dimensional...

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

Got it in with 3 minutes to spare! Boo-ya!




VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Wonderwall" - Oasis
I'm absolutely stunned to see the displeasure being voiced on this board over this song. To my way of thinking, this is one of the best songs of the '90s. I can totally understand why this song was as huge as it was: it's appealing to people young and old, there's a sing-along chorus, and it's got a hook big enough to land a whale. This is the Oasis that I like. Nay, love.
2. "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson
This one gets the #2 spot not because I necessarily like it, but more out of respect for Johnson's virtuosity on the guitar and because of all the people who have tried to imitate his style. Still, at the end of the day I'd much rather listen to Cream's rendition.
3. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana
Has anyone else commented on the similarity of this song to Killing Joke's "Eighties"? If not, then I'll be the guy. Yeah, this is a good song, but it just isn't strong enough to be in Round 3.
4. "Train in Vain" - The Clash
One of my favorite songs of all time (Garbage's "Stupid Girl") co-opted the opening drum section, but to tell the truth, I don't really like the rest of the song that much. Sorry, just not a big fan of the Clash.

HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
If I had to put together a list of my favorite songs released in my lifetime, this one would be very near the top of the list. 'Nuff said.
2. "Cannonball" - The Breeders
Bastard pop. We don't talk about it a lot on this board (or at least I haven't seen many threads about it), but there is something to be said for artists who can do it well. I've only listened to two bastard pop albums so far, 2 Many DJs' "As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2" and Girl Talk's "Night Ripper", and this song features prominently on both.
Listen to this song again. Sure it's grunge-lite, but what stands out for me is how danceable the song is. And a couple of people obviously realized this too; why else would it appear on the aforementioned albums?
I love this song, and I feel no shame in saying that.
3. "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin
Great, great song. And I adore Aretha. But it just isn't strong enough to deserve a spot in Round 3. Besides, the next song is going to easily sweep through...
4. "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard this song, and I just don't understand the acclaim for it. It just isn't my thing, I guess.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas
I was fully prepared to put this one in 2nd or 3rd place, but I listened to it again, and I realized I had to put it here. It's that good. It's one of those that you forget just how good it is until you listen to it again. I can't quite put my finger on why it's so good. Is it the lo-fi sound? Is it the horns? Is it the drums that are a little more to the front than usual? Whatever it is, I love it.
2. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam
I don't feel comfortable commenting on a song's music video, since we're (ostensibly) supposed to be commenting on the song itself. But what a video. And what a song too. Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye!
3. "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful
Another song that you forget just how good it is until you listen to it. Considering their earlier sunshine-y pop music, it must have been quite a shock for Sebastian and co. to come out with this decidedly un-sunshiney song. Brilliant stuff.
4. "Live Forever" - Oasis
If "Wonderwall" is the Oasis that I love, this is the Oasis that I don't love. No thanks.

MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
Easy win. Again. Nothing else to say. One of the most perfectly-crafted pop songs ever.
2. "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield
BIG drop-off between 1 and 2 here. I've said it before, and it was never truer here: it's a good song, just not strong enough to warrant being in Round 3.
3. "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard
In the end, this is definitely a more important song than "Move On Up," but I'd much rather listen to that one than this one.
4. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
And then there's this one. I don't understand how it managed to sneak into Round 2, but I definitely don't feel like it should be in the next round. Pass.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

Voting for this week is now over.

Re: Bracketology, Round 2, Week 5

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Wonderwall" - Oasis (35 points, 4 first-place votes)
2. "Cross Roads Blues" - Robert Johnson (32, 3)
3. "Come as You Are" - Nirvana (32, 2)
4. "Train in Vain" - The Clash (31, 4)

In the closest bracket of the week, Oasis manages to squeak it out. The Gallagher boys trailed ALL WEEK, but finally took the lead on the second-to-last ballot.


HANDEL BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Losing My Religion" - R.E.M. (41, 6)
2. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince (34, 5)
3. "Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin (29, 1)
4. "Cannonball" - The Breeders (26, 1)

The favorite moves on once again, as the guys from Athens move on to Round 3 going away.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Live Forever" - Oasis (36, 7)
2. "Dancing in the Street" - Martha & the Vandellas (33, 3)
3. "Jeremy" - Pearl Jam (34, 2)
4. "Summer in the City" - The Lovin' Spoonful (27, 1)

A slow start wasn't enough to hold back Oasis, as they put through a second song this week. "Live Forever" will face off against the Boss in Round 3.


MOZART BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys (50, 11)
2. "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield (34, 2)
3. "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard (30, 0)
4. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (16, 0)

The week's biggest blow-out belongs to the Wilson family. The Beach Boys will take on "London Calling" and "Paint It, Black" in the next round.