ROUND 2, WEEK 12

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 18
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order
#181: "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
#437: "Lola" - The Kinks
#821: "Koko" - Charlie Parker

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
#114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground
#882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
#18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac
#402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
#173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson
#301: "With or Without You" - U2


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

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
#437: "Lola" - The Kinks (The kinks are great.)
#181: "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League (This song is good enough for second in this bracket)
#821: "Koko" - Charlie Parker (Ill jazz song)
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order (53 all time my ass)
MOPL: Whole Lotta Love, Led Zeppelin

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies (Great song)
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground (it still blows my mind that this beat out the Message)
#882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell (Decent)
#114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday (The fruit is fine, it's the song that's strange)
MOPL: The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
#18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks (This is one of the best brackets yet. This wins by a hair)
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac (First second and third are separted by literally a hair. This kills me)
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (This being third is unbelievable)
#402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges (This song had no shot against those three powerhouses.)
MOPL: You Really Got Me

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" -Jimi Hendrix (Another GREAT bracket. This song has a much clearer victory though)
#173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson (This is number 30 for me, hendrix got 24. Love the guitar solo by Eddie)
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley (I actually don't hate this song, it deserves it's title of best 2000's song)
#301: "With or Without You" - U2 (U2 has better songs)
MOPL: Walk this Way, Aerosmith

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order
A stunningly beautiful piece of electronic music. Easily the bands best song, and that's saying alot. No wonder this song is the highest selling 12 inch single of all time. For some reason, I always think of the superb lyrics as a sort of tribute to the late Ian Curtis. This song is probably in my top 30 of all time.
#181: "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
Really good slice of new wave synthpop. It's position on AM song list is about where I put it on my own list. There are but a handful of synthpop songs that really excel, and this is one of them.
#437: "Lola" - The Kinks
I love The Kinks, but they had much better songs. Still a really good song.
#821: "Koko" - Charlie Parker
Good, but doesn't stand a chance.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies
God, what a great song. Less than 3 minutes of near perfect alternative rock. I know that everyone says how the Pixies had such a sense of dynamics, and this song displays that sense better than anything else they'd done. Also, one of the greatest opening tracks ever. A masterpiece of rock.
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground
Really good song, but the gap between number 1 and number 2 is huge.
#114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday
Good, but overrated.
#882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell
Merely good, I like Joni and all, but that doesn't get her any higher than 4th.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
#18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
While "Waterloo Sunset" may be my favorite Kinks song, this one is a close second. There's not much left to be said about this song that hasn't been said already. I think a few rounds ago, listyguy said that "My Generation" was the first punk song. I respectfully disagree, this is the first punk song. A classic.
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac
Everyone knows the story behind "Rumours", and I'm not going to spend my time ranting about the tension between the band members in this song. But yeah, incredible song, but "You Really Got Me" is just a bit better.
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
On any given day, this song and "Go Your Own Way" would have their positions flip flopped, that's how close it is. Like I said before about "Don't You want Me", this is a prime example of a perfect synthpop song.
#402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges
Something has to be 4th, that's all I can say. Great song.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Hendrix's best song by a mile. Only a handful of people have ever covered a Dylan song and made it better than the original. This is one of them. While the Dylan song sounds mysterious, this song sounds damn near apocalyptic.
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
One of the best songs of last decade, definitely in my top ten. A great piece of minimalist neo soul, and when it came out it was a breath of fresh air amidst the trite, bland pop songs that dominated the radio back in 2006 (and with some exceptions, still do to this day).
#173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson
Probably his second or third best song, and while it is very, very strong, it's still not strong enough to rise any higher than number 3.
#301: "With or Without You" - U2
Great song, but not great enough. I think there are a handful of their other songs that I would choose in a heartbeat over this.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
#181: "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
One of the catchiest songs ever. Synth-pop is only good when it's this kind of power pop.
#821: "Koko" - Charlie Parker
Wonderfully talented jazz, packed into an exciting single.
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order
Good song but I think it's overrated. I like the mood but it drones a bit.
#437: "Lola" - The Kinks
Really catchy rock song about a hilarious subject.


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies
Nobody else besides Pixies and Violent Femmes have made this sort of music sound this good. Of course, both of them owe their existence to VU.
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground
Lou Reed is still one of the only ones who can pull of talk-singing. It's him, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave. The VU invented the kind of rock music that has this sort of raw energy.
#114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday
Smooth song with mysterious feel.
#882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell
If I was ever on American Idol, I'd try to sing this song just for the irony. Great song, just the weakest in this bracket.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
#402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges
This song's easily in my top 100 of all time. Full of raw energy, killer riffs, and a charismatic, testosterone infused vocal delivery. (I'm seeing the Stooges in August!)
#18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
Classic rock song with great energy.
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac
Very catchy rock song.
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
I strongly dislike this song. I find it very cheesy. Where Don't You Want Me is everything good about 80's synth pop, Tainted Love is everything bad. Cheesy passive aggressive lyrics, gimmicky keyboard riffs, and uninspired melodies.

This is a ridiculously strong bracket.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19

#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
One of the best covers of all time, Hendrix brings amazing energy to Dylan's incredible lyrics.
#173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson
The guitar in this song complements Michael's performance more than in any of his other songs. I also like the 'Stay the hell in your own depth' message of the lyrics.
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
Great song with a great mood. 45's a bit too high.
#301: "With or Without You" - U2
By far the worst of this bracket. This song is the beginning of when U2 started to get full of themselves. Bono started oversinging everything and the songs started to feel unnecessarily grandiose. Edge has one of his best riffs in this one, but it doesn't save it from Bono.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Koko" - Charlie Parker
Miles Davis was once asked to describe jazz, and he said, "You can sweat it down to four words: Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker." It's difficult for a guy like Bird to get a lot of praise on this board, since he died before albums became the primary medium for musicians (and from what I've seen of this board, the people here tend to prefer albums to individual songs). But when one of the most-acclaimed jazz artists ever (Miles) describes you as one of only two people you need to understand in order to understand jazz, that's praise of the highest order.
Where Louis Armstrong made it popular and represents the "old school" of jazz, Parker was the true trailblazer. Without Parker, you don't have Miles. Or Coltrane. Or anyone else that worked in the bop, post-bop, neo-bop, hard bop, etc. style(s) of jazz. And if this is the only song that Bird gets here in Bracketology, I feel almost obligated to put it in the top spot.
2. "Lola" - The Kinks
I can't really say I'm a huge Kinks fan, but this is definitely my favorite by them. But that's probably in large part because of a rendition of this song sung by Zapp Brannigan.
3. "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
A few months ago, someone on this board asked what the highest-rated album was during the nine months prior to your birth. For me, it was the Human League's "Dare," and ever since I found that out, I've had kind of a special place for that album. Weird, I know.
Of these last two songs, I can't say that I love either of them, but I agree that they are very good ones. I'll go with this one in the 3 spot, if only because I really that synth hook.
4. "Blue Monday" - New Order
A bracket like this is bound to have a VERY good song at the bottom, and it just happens to be this one. It's difficult for me to listen to this one and not think of the (extremely inferior) cover by Orgy. So I guess this song is just a victim of guilt-by-association.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday
To the people who didn't put this song very high... I posit (and I might be completely wrong here) that you're not familiar with the song's history. It started as a poem written by Abel Meeropol about the lynching of two black men.
"WHAT? This is about race relations?" Yes. Listen to the words again. Since the song started as a poem, the lyrics are obviously going to be crucial...

Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

Now listen to Holiday sing it again. Listen to the way she emphasizes the word "swinging." That's no accident. It's a play on swing music, then the popular form of music.
It's sad, it's haunting, it's stark, it's damning. It's more powerful than a lot of protest songs of the '60s. It is quite simply, a GREAT song.
2. "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell
After a song like "Strange Fruit," just about anything is going to be a come-down. Still, this is a pretty damn good song. I'm obviously on a bit of a jazz kick this week, as I've put two jazz songs in the top spot so far, and I've put this very jazz-influenced song in the runner-up position.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's got some impeccable musicians backing Joni up on this song; David Crosby and Graham Nash sing backing vocals, and José Feliciano plays electric guitar. Great, great stuff.
3. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground
Am I the only one who actually prefers the version off "Rock n Roll Animal"? That one is much more of a rocker than this one.
4. "Debaser" - Pixies
Give me time. I'm just not there yet with the Pixies.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
If it's not the greatest cover of all time, then it's a close second behind Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" (see below). There's just not much more that should be said.
2. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac
"Rumours" is one of those albums that seemingly EVERYONE has. I heard a comedian describe it as the album that someone slips under your front door as soon as you buy a house in the suburbs. In spite of their occasional reputation as a "soft rock" band, this is a pretty strong rocker. I usually prefer Christine McVie's work for the band (Oh, do I love "You Make Loving Fun"), but it's hard to deny the greatness of a monster like this one.
3. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
As I said above, I'm not a huge Kinks fan, and I've heard this one a bazillion times, but every time I hear it, I'm reminded of why it really is a great song. Overplayed? Perhaps, but I'm not at the point of weariness with it. This is the song that just about every garage band since 1964 has tried to emulate.
4. "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges
I've said before that I'm not really a fan of punk music, but listening to this song always makes me reconsider my beliefs. No, it isn't officially "punk," but listen to it again and tell me it didn't influence the genre. Lots of righteous anger and power. Shame to put it at the bottom.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Beat It" - Michael Jackson
Say what you will about "Billie Jean," but this is the best track off "Thriller." An incredible fusion of R&B and rock. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it has one of the all-time great videos. And man, can Eddie shred.
2. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
I watched the movie "Watchmen" the other day, just to see if it really was as mediocre as I remembered it. (It was.) What really struck me about that movie was how OBVIOUS the music was.
"Hmm... we need a song to play over the opening montage that shows that times have changed since World War II. What should we use? Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'?" YES!"
"Hmm... we need a song to play while Nite Owl and Silk Spectre get it on inside Archie. Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah?" YES!"
Yet even for all the musical flaws of that movie, the inclusion of this song as Nite Owl and Rorschach approach Ozymandias's Antarctic retreat was not terrible. Sure, it was a good way to crank up their bad-ass factor, but this song could turn ANYONE into a bad-ass. Play this song while Abigail Breslin is walking down the street, and suddenly she's not Little Miss Sunshine, she's hard.
3. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
Ooh, does this hurt. But compared to the first two here, I can't justify bringing it up above #3.
4. "With or Without You" - U2
I really like this song, but... It's U2. I feel obligated to put them here.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
#821: "Koko" - Charlie Parker ~ The decision for the victor of this bracket compares definitive synth-pop, or the invention of bebop featuring Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach, to name but a few. It's not too hard, folks.
#181: "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League ~ But like I said, this is definitive pop, and much more so than something like Blue Monday. I love how it has about three individual choruses, each catchier than the last.
#437: "Lola" - The Kinks ~ The Kinks really let themselves go after the '60s. Not to mention how behind the times they sounded by 1970.
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order ~ It's odd to think how this is essentially what Joy Division became. Is this really what Curtis would have approved? The lazy bass guitar line pushes it over the edge into mediocrity.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
#882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell ~ This is, in fact, the first Joni Mitchell song I've heard. And I like it a lot. It definitely has an underlying implication that it could only come from a folk singer-songwriter, but in truth, it's a lot more than that. Great instrumentation too.
#114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday ~ People need to realise when this was actually made at a time when racism wasn't really being actively protested, but still when people were condemning it. Also, of course it's going to sound old against everything else in this bracket, especially next to Debaser, which is 50 years younger than this, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be given its due.
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies ~ A song about Un Chien Andalou! That still doesn't make this that good, which is strange, because I absolutely love Surfer Rosa and anything off of that, while Doolittle never quite held me as well.
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground ~ The Cowboy Junkies version of this song is simply amazing, but the original pales greatly in comparison. I'd even take the Mott the Hoople cover over this. As musicians, I've never really seen The Velvet Underground to be that deserving of the acclaim they have.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
#402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges ~ A perfect opener to what is a very different album to what The Stooges did before, but a reminder that it almost matches Fun House's chaos and paranoia with...well, raw power. One of the best and most underrated rock songs ever.
#18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks ~ It's strange to think how astray from the times The Kinks actually were. Here you have some pretty damn hard rock in 1964, and yet in 1968, when people like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix were popping up, The Kinks were the Village Green Preservation Society. Is it a shame they moved on from something like this? Possibly.
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac ~ It seems as though Rumours is a lot more popular in the U.S. than here in the U.K., seeing as this is the first time I've heard this. It's still a pretty decent song, though, and maybe if I heard it more it might grow on me (though equally, it sounds like it'd get overplayed too).
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell ~ I hate Soft Cell. Marc Almond has such an annoying voice, and this song has been one of my most hated of theirs, thanks to its abundant use and samples in things like Rihanna's "SOS". The original version of this is much better anyway.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley ~ One of the greatest and most deservingly successful wildcards of the '00s. Gnarls Barkley came out of nowhere with their expertly crafted hip hop and soul transfusions, and shook the world--with Crazy being the epicentre of it all.
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience ~ It's not one of Jimi's best, and the guitar solo is, in fact, a little disappointing coming from him, but it definitely delivers a paranoid, ominous mood with so much more kick than the Dylan original.
#173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson ~ Thriller as an album doesn't appeal to me because it's genius, or because it practically invented synth-pop, or something ridiculous like that. I like it because it's untentionally hilarious, with horrible lyrics about vegetables and horror films, inane collaborations, and countless overdubs of Jackson's vocal idiosyncracies...well, it's also really catchy, I suppose.
#301: "With or Without You" - U2 ~ You know that this rips off both Another Girl, Another Planet with the chord progression, and Without You for the godamn chorus, right? "I can't live, [if living is/with or] without you..."

I agree that the film was bad, really bad. But please don't let it stop you from reading the graphic novel which really is a true masterpiece.

I've never seen that movie, and now I know not to.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18 (weak)
1. #437: "Lola" - The Kinks /
Easy win for my favorite Kinks song. Very catchy and lots of fun. Way less dated than the last two songs in this bracket. One simply has to sing along.
2. #821: "Koko" - Charlie Parker /
Normally, I wouldn't put this jazz song second. First because it is not much of a song and second because I don't like this one that much. But I do like it better than the next two.
3. #53: "Blue Monday" - New Order /
Sounds too much like an 80's synthpop track. Probably the best of New Order, but really, give me Joy Division any day.
4. #181: "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League /
An even more stereotype example of 80's synthpop and a horrible one at that. God, I do hate this song. Probably with the ten worst in the Am Top 1000. I don't like the melody, I don't like the singing, I don't like the instruments... Just nothing likeable here.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17 (average)
1. #498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground /
Really curious intro, but when the actual song starts, I'm hooked immediately. One of the many good VU tracks and also one of the highlights of Loaded. I like the quite simple guitar work in this song.
2. #114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday /
Very important song, but that's not it's only appeal. It is also very beautiful and moving. It has a lot of soul and the performance is stunning.
3. #271: "Debaser" - Pixies /
A bit screamy and noisy. But also catchy and fun. One of the better Pixies songs, but not necessarily my favorite one. Proves that songs really don't have to be long to achieve a certain level.
4. #882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell /
I don't like the intro very much and Mitchell has a lot of songs I like better. Maybe it's a bit too poppy for Mitchell to suit my taste? I don't know...

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20 (weak)
1. #239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac /
I like this as much (or as less?) as the number two, but this one has the advantage of the underdog position. Possibly my favorite track of Rumours and I definitely prefer Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.
2. #18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks /
Edgy and catchy. Ahead of it's time. But also just not likeable enough to be a personal favorite. Part of that is caused by it's repetitiveness. The good thing is that it's short.
3. #402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges /
Too loud for me, but fundamentally still quite a good song. I really prefer the protopunk of The Stooges over the less interesting punk of the late 70's. These guys actually know how to play their instruments. Not good for a headache though.
4. #146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell /
Synthpop reings this week, unfortunately. This may be a cover but it's better than a lot of original synthpop songs. It's the general sound that I don't like, but still the rest is not especially good either.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19 (strong)
1. #301: "With or Without You" - U2 /
My favorite U2 song, from a period when they made a lot of good stuff. Really beautiful right from the start. It's both quite icy and soulful at the same time.
2. #84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience /
One of the best covers ever. I do like the original very much as well, but this is just a tad better. His guitarwork and his voice really fit the song in general. Even Dylan himself liked it.
3. #45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley /
Interesting one. A bit overrated, but I was positively surprised when I first saw this one on tv. This guy actually has talent. The chorus is extraordinary, backed with a very nice arrangement.
4. #173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson /
Highly catchy and rhytmic. One of his best songs. Nice mix of disco, funk and rock. This bracket is just a little bit too strong for Jackson. Would have been top 2 in bracket 18 and 20.

Matt, could I possibly vote until Sunday, 11 July for next week's brackets? I'll be on a vacation to France from this Friday till Saturday night next week. I hope it's possible. If not, alas.

I'll make you a deal: email me, and I'll send you Week 13. You can then email me your ballot for Week 13, and I'll post it when the week starts.

That deal goes for anyone else also. If you know you're not going to be able to vote in an upcoming week, let me know and I'll send you that week's ballot.

By the way, I'm going to be going on a vacation from July 20 to August 13, so Bracketology is going to have to take a bit of a hiatus. Week 14 will conclude on July 17, and Week 15 will pick back up on August 15.

Consider it done.

Thanks.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Koko" - Charlie Parker: Probably Bird's finest hour.
2. "Blue Monday" - New Order: Probably New Order's finest hour.
3. "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League: Excellent synth-pop with some the campiest/best vocals ever.
4. "Lola" - The Kinks: Not one of my favorites of theirs, just doesn't resonate like their best things do.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday: Only my #1 song ever, still alarming over 70 years later, with one of the best vocals on tape. Plus, the music itself is beautifully wrought. Maybe the bravest song of the 20th century?
2. "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell: Breezy '70s Joni at her very best.
3. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground: Excellent VU pop moment.
4. "Debaser" - Pixies: I love Doolittle, but I skip this one a lot.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges: An easy #1 here, just a terrifying performance.
2. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks: Still a template for riffage and snotty harmonies all these years on.
3. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell: I really didn't realize how campy this was when I first encountered it at age 10. Guess that's a good thing.
4. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac: I really can't objectively assess Rumours anymore. Obviously this is very good '70s AOR.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19

Good lord what a bracket.

1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hendrix's best moment, evokes the mood spectacularly, plus perfectly economical.
2. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley: Absolutely deserving of its new-classic status. I haven't gotten sick of it yet.
3. "Beat It" - Michael Jackson: SHTB3 -- what a great song, though the lyrics are a bit cringeworthy. (Yes I know that's not the point.)
4. "With or Without You" - U2: Good track, can't compete in this company.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Lola" - The Kinks: Ray Davies at his “maybe a hit wouldn’t be so bad right about now” best: wickedly smart gender-bending lyrical gamesmanship morphed into a worldwide smash and instant classic by a wickedly dumb riff and shoutalong chorus.
2. "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League: As I said in Round 1, few records so instantaneously reference an entire decade. The first all-synth #1 single here in the U.S., but it transcends trendy gimmickry and has held up beautifully.
3. "Blue Monday" - New Order: Most of what I wrote about #2 above is true here as well. I just find #2 more fun to listen to.
4. "Koko" - Charlie Parker: Pioneering jazz, to be sure, but an unfortunately easy #4 here.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Debaser" – Pixies: I feel a little guilty about putting something as powerful as “Strange Fruit” at #2, but the barking-mad Bunuel homage that opens (and encapsulates everything great about) DOOLITTLE is an all-time favorite.
2. "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday: One of those records that’s truly in a class by itself – stately yet savagely angry, filled with overwhelmingly pungent imagery and emotion.
3. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground: That riff is what makes it one of Reed’s most iconic songs, but it’s the lyrics – alternately quaint (a Stutz Bearcat!), abstract, and punch-in-the-gut direct (that catalog of what the “evil mothers” believe) – that give it its staying power.
4. "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell: A very strong #4. Her albums from this era are so consistent and so all-of-a-piece that it’s difficult to pull any track, even the singles, out of context.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges: This is one of the very best brackets in Round 2 – a strong case could be made for any of these four. But RAW POWER’s brilliant opening track is as pure and perfect a distillation of rock and roll as has ever been recorded.
2. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac: It’s amazing that after one album, Lindsey Buckingham already had so much power that he could demand (as I assume he did, because no one else would have picked it) that this unapologetic, magnificent wall-of-squall rocker be RUMOURS’ first single. (That’s nothing compared to what happened with the next album, but that’s another story. Real savage-like.)
3. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks: Further proof (see Verdi 18 above) that one of the smartest people in rock can be gleefully stupid when he wants to be. The difference here, of course, is that THIS instant classic was Davies’ first single; I’m guessing that based on this and its follow-up, no one could have possibly predicted what he had in store.
4. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell: Very, very much a case of SH2B4. Another instant Eighties reference, and a remarkable cover, so much so that most people probably don’t even realize it IS a cover (admittedly, the original – by Gloria Jones, the future Widow Bolan – is pretty obscure).

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Another exceptionally strong bracket, but Hendrix’s astonishing Dylan cover – probably the finest ever – is an easy #1.
2. "With or Without You" - U2: Their well-deserved breakthrough smash, a beautifully arranged mood piece that builds slowly to an enormously satisfying crescendo.
3. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley: It’s a testament to how great this bracket is that one of the past decade’s finest singles is relegated to #3, at least for me.
4. "Beat It" - Michael Jackson: Again, SH2B4, although the THRILLER single that made his crossover to the rock audience complete (in a very calculated way, of course – you don’t hire Eddie Van Halen for nothing) isn’t as great as “Billie Jean” (or a couple of the other hits, in fact).

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
#437: "Lola" - The Kinks--Fun song. Hard not to sing along to.
#821: "Koko" - Charlie Parker--I don't care for bebop. I care less for new wave. Ergo, slot 2.
#53: "Blue Monday" - New Order--The better of the two.
#181: "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League--One of the worst songs ever.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground--My favorite Underground song.
#882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell--Joni jamming.
#114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday--Historically the best, but not something to listen to all the time.
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies--I love the Pixies. I hate this song.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac--For the line, "Packin' up, shackin' up's all you wanna do".
#18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks--Not the best Kinks song, but better than the others.
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell--Fun song.
#402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges--Noise. That's all.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
#301: "With or Without You" - U2--Not their best, but it's hard to beat them.
#173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson--Again, not the best, but good, probably more for the video.
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience--Good. Better when Dylan does it.
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley--One of the worst songs ever.

In honor of one of this week's selections, enjoy this remarkably dark - so much so that, if I recall correctly, it didn't actually air for very long - but hilarious Levi's commercial from Spike Jonze:

No vote for the first bracket, I love the first 3 songs the same. Blue Mondays is a huge dance track, the last minute of Lola is close to perfect and Don't You Want Me has everything I don't like about 80's music and still sounds fantastic

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
#271: "Debaser" - Pixies : even though rock existed long before them and tons of bands have tried to copy them since, nothing sounds like Pixies best songs... I would bet that has something to do with some hidden mental illnesses
#114: "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday : one of the best sung songs ever, but the music around this deep haunted voice is not strong enough to compare with Pixies madness
#498: "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground : I don't like Loaded much, this song included, not that it sounds bad but I just don't see why it should be acclaimed
#882: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell : nothing special here either for me

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
#402: "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges : a call to riot, rock encapsulated in a song, raw power, perfect
#146: "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell : I don't know why but I always remember that song as much worse than it is
#18: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks : the bottom 3 songs here are all very good songs that I have nothing against but I would never consider as personal favourite, so once more it is very hard to rank them... but that short solo is incredibly enjoyable
#239: "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac : epic, but somehow quite tragic too... still there is something that displease my ears here even though I can not clearly put my finger in it

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
#84: "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience : that song is the definition of a good cover, not that it has to be better than the original (even though I think it is) but that it brings new elements in it, a new way to approach it
#45: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley : then come 2 songs you have to fall in love with the first time you hear it... I'm pretty sure this one will stand the test of time as much as Beat it (and as the 2 others too) but it will also stand out as something rather unique, with nothing sounding close to it release as the same time
#173: "Beat It" - Michael Jackson : another era defining song, however first 2 minutes are not strong enough to compare with the first 2 songs, so it had to be 3rd
#301: "With or Without You" - U2 : good song that would stand no chance against U2's best songs and clearly none against the rest of the bracket

Typing this in Notepad on a strange computer, so I'll have to do it fast...

VERDI 18
1. BLUE MONDAY. The best song produced by either New Order or Joy Division. Easy #1 here.
2. LOLA. No, it's not exactly prime Kinks--it's too late and kinda too stupid for that. But man, is it fun.
3. DON'T YOU WANT ME. iirc, this was the FIFTH single off of Dare. Which should tell us something about how strange it must have seemed at the time.
4. KOKO. Leaves me a little flat...Bird's just not on the same plane as Satchmo, Duke, Miles or Trane for me.

LISZT 17
1. STRANGE FRUIT. This is a slice of perfection both as poetry and as performance.
2. SWEET JANE. Would have won almost any other bracket.
3. DEBASER. Howl, Francis!
4. FREE MAN IN PARIS. The most conventionally pretty, but also the slightest song in this group.

LISZT 20
1. SEARCH AND DESTROY. Warning: can melt lead. It doesn't get any more ruthless than this.
2. YOU REALLY GOT ME. I'm convinced this was an influence on the Pixies/Nirvana soft-loud-soft song structure.
3. TAINTED LOVE.
4. GO YOUR OWN WAY. If we didn't know the backstory, where would this be ranked?

BRAHMS 19
1. ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER. The best song ever recorded about the Eschaton. If it doesn't scare the willies out of you, you're not hearing it right.
2. BEAT IT. I still like it better than "Billie Jean."
3. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU. This marks the beginning of U2's imperial phase, but I won't hold that against it.
4. CRAZY. SH2B4. It's a tough bracket.

VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
1 - "Blue Monday" - New Order
2 - "Lola" - The Kinks
3 - "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
4 - "Koko" - Charlie Parker
'Blue Monday' easy winner,the absolute pinnacle of synthpop although it's a bit of an insult to lump it in with some of those awful songs. 'Lola' is a load of fun,definitely in my top 5 Kinks tracks. 'Don't You Want Me' is great too,the best song off the definitive synthpop album. 'Koko' is nothing terribly interesting...

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
1 - "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground
2 - "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday
3 - "Debaser" - Pixies
4 - "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell
Really great song by the Velvet Underground - never tire of it. 'Strange Fruit' is a singing masterclass and the only song from pre-1956 that I play regularly. 'Debaser' is fairly strong,but it's definitely faded for me from when I first heard it,I prefer a few other songs of theirs over it. 'Free Man in Paris' is a good song,but easily the weakest here.

LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
1 - "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges
2 - "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
3 - "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac
4 - "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
I'll go with the 2 raw tracks at 1 and 2 here with the two polished radio staples at 3 and 4. 'Search And Destroy' is the one that stands out,brutal stuff. 'You Really Got Me' is classic Kinks,obviously they have several better,but their most important single. 'Go Your Own Way' is a great song,although it sounds a bit bland compared to the top 2. Never really liked 'Tainted Love' that much - much prefer the original by Gloria Jones...

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
1 - "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
2 - "With or Without You" - U2
3 - "Beat It" - Michael Jackson
4 - "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
'All Along The Watchtower is the easy winner - still rocks after 42 years. 'With Or Without You' is one of Bono's finest lyrical performances. 'Beat It' is not really one of my favourites of his,but it's decent. 'Crazy' is overrated - I like the song,but something has to be #4...

Voting for this week is now over.

Managed to get the results in fairly quickly this week. Let all the land rejoice!



VERDI BLOC, BRACKET 18
1. "Lola" - The Kinks (31 points, 4 first-place votes)
2. "Koko" - Charlie Parker (27, 3)
3. "Blue Monday" - New Order (26, 3)
4. "Don't You Want Me" - The Human League (26, 1)

The Human League took an early lead in this bracket, but the Kinks managed to pull it out with a strong finish. Ray Davies and the boys will face off against two other British bands in Round 3, as "Lola" will take on the Who's "My Generation" and Oasis's "Wonderwall".


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday (34, 3)
2. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground (33, 3)
3. "Debaser" - Pixies (31, 5)
4. "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell (22, 1)

Pixies too an early lead in this bracket, but Lady Day managed to come on strong (I'd like to think my electioneering made a difference!) and sneak out a win. "Strange Fruit" will face off against Derek & the Dominoes' "Layla" and Pulp's "Common People."


LISZT BLOC, BRACKET 20
1. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks (35, 2)
2. "Search and Destroy" - Iggy & the Stooges (34, 7)
3. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac (29, 2)
4. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (22, 1)

You'd better believe that the second-place votes help out! Even though the Kinks only managed two first-place votes, they got seven second-place votes. That proved to be the tipping point, as they squeaked out their second win of the week, this time over Iggy & the Stooges by a single point. The Kinks will take on Derek & the Dominoes' "Layla," Pulp's "Common People," and Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit."


BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "All Along the Watchtower" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (43, 8)
2. "Beat It" - Michael Jackson (28, 1)
3. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley (26, 1)
4. "With or Without You" - U2 (23, 2)

The week's only blowout goes to Jimi Hendrix, and "All Along the Watchtower" breezes into the third round to take on the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" and OutKast's "Hey Ya!"