ROUND 2, WEEK 13

Here are this week's brackets. Remember, you can also view the brackets on this site. Voting is now open, and you have until 11:59 PM Pacific time on this upcoming Saturday to vote. Vote either in this thread or e-mail me.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie
#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding
#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles
#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops
#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles
#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love


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

Gillingham, I never got an email from you, so... I guess I can't really post a ballot for you.

(excuse the absence of the layla album)
I seriously have to postpone my vote because I can't choose between Let it Be and the Dock of the Bay. And the Johnny B Goode/Tangled Up in Blue matchup is a killer.
Damn!

If not necessarily strong, rather close brackets this week.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie ~ The catchiest song for which you need at least two people to do an impromptu rendition of at work. Despite its catchiness, it manages to have some of the most original chord progressions, structure, and lyrics ever seen in colloquial pop music. Probably the best song from Bowie's glam period.
#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes ~ The quality of this song motivated Brian Wilson to make Don't Worry Baby. If that masterpiece can't get to even the second round, this shouldn't really get much further, either. That said, it is a wonderful song with some superb melodies.
#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine ~ I'm going to have to put this one down here, for the sheer fact that Loveless can really only be experienced as an entire album. This closer doesn't even stick in my mind as one of the best from that album, but it still hammers home the notions which the whole album has: do songs even have to sound like music, as opposed to pure noise, for them to be beautiful? The answer is no. The reason? Loveless.
#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA ~ Oh, no no no no no no no. ABBA are one of the most insufferable things in existence. That said, Dancing Queen does happen to be one of their least insufferable songs. It still has utterly terrible lyrics and rhymes.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding ~ Is this really the 7th greatest song of all time? I say that not necessarily out of shock or horror, but out of surprise, because, no matter how I try, I don't actually mind that fact. Otis Redding's vocals are absolutely perfect for the lyrics he's singing, the middle eight is just phenomenal, and don't get me started about Steve Cropper's guitaring chops. An amazing track.
#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake ~ I've heard Pink Moon, and really admire it, so it's no surprise I find this track mesmeric as well. I think I'll need to listen to all of Five Leaves Left for the melancholic beauty of something like this to sink in. Nick Drake's voice is just so soothing, despite how saddening the overall composition is.
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles ~ As overrated as The Beatles are, they definitely can claim to some utter classics. Of course, that fact is both a blessing and a curse to something like Let It Be, but it certainly hasn't ruined it as much as something like Hey Jude, to be sure. Be sure to listened to the version untouched by Phil Spector's grubby fingers.
#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys ~ It's a damn shame to put this last, of all places, but this is definitely one of the hardest brackets we've encountered yet. Besides, it's still only The Beach Boys in their surf rock days; sure, it's hella catchy, and the harmonies are just amazing, but the lyrics and structure are pretty primitive stuff.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads ~ For a brief stint, I was unable to go without hearing this song every single day. That was in the past, but it remains a contender for the best song ever, in my mind. That chorus...
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry ~ One of the greatest songs of all time. [Damn, this bracket's good.] That intro is one of the most iconic guitar riffs, without a doubt, and I especially love this thanks to its immortalisation in Back to the Future, easily my favourite film ever.
#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan ~ I'm really starting to like Blood on the Tracks as an album. This, plus Idiot Wind, are definitely the highlights for me at this point.
#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament ~ I wants to get funked up all right, and I like Parliament, but I think I prefer Funkadelic to be honest. There's not much substance to something like Flash Light. Sure is funky though.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops ~ Man, what a song. The chorus has an epic mix of joyful anticipation for love, and utter humility to make sure the lover won't be wronged. It's just spellbinding.
#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths ~ This is one of my favourites from The Smiths, along with William, It Was Really Nothing. I love the opening guitar riff, and Johnny Marr's playing throughout, really.
#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love ~ It doesn't really strike me as that good, but hey--it's better than Help.
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles ~ This is a case of a song wherin The Beatles sound just like their image in popular culture. Think of the whole Beatlemania thing. Okay, they're crafting "perfect" pop music, but it's pop music nonetheless, and really shouldn't be as acclaimed as even their later work.

Can do this quite quickly, not a lot of new listening required...

BRAHMS 17

1. MBV - Soon - The most perfect ending song to an album ever. Ok, maybe a bit exaggerative but even still, when those clean guitars come in after 9 seconds, I know I'm in heaven.
2. David Bowie - Changes - Haven't listened to it for a long time, but it's the first Bowie song I really got into. For that I owe it so much.
3. The Ronettes - Be My Baby - perfect "pop" song. One of its positives I think is that it sounds quite dated - it sounds like it epitomises its era, and indeed it does.
4. ABBA - Dancing Queen - This isn't a "something has to be fourth", rather "this must be fourth".

HAYDN 17

1. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay - I put this in a select group of songs which are actually perfect. If you do anything to it, you make it worse, and no one should dare to touch it (except Craig David, of course )
2. Nick Drake - River Man - his voice is so haunting, you can really get lost in the song.
3. The Beach Boys - I Get Around - Beach Boys beat the Beatles again, with one of their most famous songs. Those first 7 seconds are probably the most famous 7 beach boys seconds.
4. The Beatles - Let It Be - I don't mind it, but it has a lot which annoys me. The choir harmonies, the nonsensical lyrics, his voice, the bit around 2:00. I think it's a bit too melodramatic for my tastes (and perhaps overplayedness) but it's 4th in a pretty strong bracket.

TCHAIKOVSKY 17
1. Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue - Hey TimmyWing, wait till you get to "Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts", fantastic song. But this is better. Blood On The Tracks is such a rewarding album to get into, because every song gives you something new every time you hear it. This is no different.
2. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime - THE Talking Heads song. David Byrne remains one of the coolest singers ever - "This is not my beautiful house! This is not my beautiful wife" ahhhhh
3. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode - I think a lot of people are intimidated by it's ranking, so they put it high. While I respect and admire it enormously, it can't say it strikes me very much. ALthough I'm sure this will change as I explore this type of music more.
4. Parliament - Flash Light - excellent song. Really really catchy, and really unfortunate to be in this bracket. In the one below, it would probably be first.

CHOPIN 19

1. Four Tops - Reach Out (I'll Be There) - His voice has such power to it. It's the second time I've heard this song, and I'll be sure to listen to it more.
2. The Smiths - This Charming Man - It's not my favourite Smiths song - it's not in my top 10 - but you can't deny those guitars and that guitar riff.
3. Love - Alone Again Or - Forever Changes hasn't hit me yet. Unfortunately that means this song suffers.
4. The Beatles - Help! - I hate the fact that songs like this, and "Yesterday" and "I want to hold your head" get more love than the hidden gems of the later albums, like "She Said She Said" and "For No One" etc. I wouldn't call this perfect pop. I'd call the Zombies perfect pop and early Beatles highly inferior.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie
One of my favorite Bowie songs, but would not win most brackets for me.

#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
Over-rated, but still places second in this relatively weak bracket.

#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine
Works well enough for me, but not stellar.

#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
Vocals are clean, but ABBA never really did much for me.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding
I continue to be more and more impressed with the work of Otis.

#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles
This pop hit has enough to keep me interested even if it manages to annoy others. Tough call, but at the last minute I moved this to second place (from first)

#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
Fun and perky with the usual great harmonies.

#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake
Fine song, but not great in my view.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
A classic that still impresses me when I listen to it today.

#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
I prefer Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, but I may be the only one to have such a preference.

#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
One of my favorites from the Talking Heads, but still third in this bracket.

#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament
I enjoy this song, but it is an easy call for last in this bracket for me.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles
Not sure if this would beat out Let It Be for me. But, it tops this bracket.

#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love
This song continues to grow on me.

#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops
Probably the Four Tops best song.

#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths
This song clearly fits in the shouldn't have to be last category - would have been second in the BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17.

I got wordy this week.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes - It really is a perfect pop song.
2. "Changes" - David Bowie - I tried putting it first because it's DAVID BOWIE, but it didn't fit. Second-rate Bowie deserves a respectable second place.
3. "Dancing Queen" - ABBA - I'm not going to lie - it's a truly great song. But it's great in a way that makes most people gag, because its hooks and melody and structure are flawless while its white-boy groove and lack of "oomph" are not.
4. "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine - SH2B4, and it's the song I heard for the first time. (In truth, I've never listened to Loveless; it's an album that just hasn't really piqued my interest, despite this forum's love of it.)

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys - This is actually a pretty underrated tune. It's incredibly catchy and the arrangement and harmonies are great. The lyrics , yes are dumb, but what would you write about if you wanted a #1 hit? Girls and/or cars? I think so.
2. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding - A very, very good song, but not the timeless classic most critics claim it to be.
3. "Let It Be" - The Beatles - One of the Beatles' most overexposed/overrated songs, the kind of song that will draw you into their catalog only to realize half their songs are better.
4. "River Man" - Nick Drake - I do like Nick Drake, but I don't like this song; I also don't dislike it as much as I used to. The word I would use to describe it is "insubstantial".

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Flash Light" - Parliament - This bracket really made me consider, "What is a great song?" Is it rhythm, lyrics, influence? For now, I'm going to say the best songs are the ones that when you have listened to them, you think, "I am glad/happy/ I listened to that". For that reason, "Flash Light" goes in first, because its saucy funk groove makes me, well, happier than any of the other three songs do.
2. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry - A landmark of rock and the beginning of the guitar in rock, and really an exciting song to listen to.
3. "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads - A very tough third place for Byrne, Weymouth & Co. It's quirky, catchy, bizarre and thought-provoking all at once.
4. "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan - I've sort of soured on this song, probably from hearing it too much. Blood on the Tracks has several songs as good if not better than this one.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "This Charming Man" - The Smiths - An easy #1, a propulsive song with the brilliant guitar work of Marr and the brilliant lyrics of Morrisey.
2. "Help!" - The Beatles - Help! (the album) isn't as bad as it's often made out to be, and Help! (the song) is one of its highlights, with its pessimistic outlook foreshadowing the path towards Rubber Soul.
3. "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops - For me, Motown songs are made great by The Funk Brothers, not flute-y, overwrought arrangements. This has both, so I have a mixed opinion about it.
4. "Alone Again Or" - Love - It's done very well in our song polls over the years but I don't get it (after repeated listens even). As a result, I've never really given Forever Changes a listen either.

Not very inspired by this week songs !
Most brackets seemed easy to rank at least.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes : quite easy win for that song, one those innocuous girl band songs of the 60s
#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA : not that I love that one much but it's as decent as a guilty pleasure can be
#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine : among all the indie classics of the 90s, MBV and Primal Scream are probably those I like less, but at least, as opposed to Primal Scream and the next song, MBV does not bother me much
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie : probably the Bowie AM ranked song I like the least

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake : a personal favourite, my favourite Nick Drake song which is not a little thing to say, proves that chords and guitar are enough to make a beautiful haunting song. The silences and nudity of the song are part of its majesty.
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding : another proof that economy of instruments is a great thing, as somebody said before, add anything to that song and you start ruining it
#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys : classic pop classic, damn catchy but lacks the majesty of the 2 above !
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles : rather bad song in the Beatles canon, slightly annoying

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry : I first thought it was a winner by lack of opposition, but now that I listened to it once more I guess that it might have won even with much heavier opposition, it has aged so well, seems as much as a capture of its age than as a modern song
#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads : fun and catchy, but there's something I dislike on the chorus
#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament : I almost have a love/hate relationship with Parliament/Funkadelic and that one is closer to the "hate" side
#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan : I used to find that one awfully annoying, now I just find it overlong and tad boring

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles : sure it clearly isn't the deepest Beatles song, but I doubt they have made many as fun, immediate, catchy, convivial...
#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops : it always makes me sad to think that in my dear country, the awful Claude François cover is more known than this wonderful song
#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths : I'm not much a fan of the Smiths but I must admit that their 3 AM-top200 songs are hard to resist
#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love : SH2B4, took me time to like Love but it's slowly happening, still sounds too much to me like a Hair song

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
One of the great pure pop songs, especially for it's era.
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie
Great song. Maybe comes off a little as quirky for the sake of quirky. But a lot of Bowie does that.
#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine
Good song but doesn't stand out like the other three.
#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
Another one of those really good pure pop songs, but outclassed by Be My Baby. It has the same quality of production but without the nuanced emotional feel to it.


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding
Up against a Beach Boys song before their prime and a Beatles song after their prime, Dock of the Bay *is* Otis Redding's prime.
#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
It's a good thing the Beach Boys are such good singers, or else you'd notice more how inane their lyrics were before Pet Sounds.
#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake
Great moody song, a bit outclassed in this bracket.
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles
Good song, a bit tame for the Beatles.

Strongest bracket of the week right here.
TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
My strongest association with this is the Weird Al parody. "And you may tell yourself: This is not my beautiful stapler! And you may tell yourself: This is not my beautiful chair!!" You have to love the spacey feel of the song and the existential questions about working a boring office job.
#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
One of Dylan's most personal and most beautiful songs. He works his usual verbal gymnastics with airy, longing guitar. I hate putting it in second. And I hate putting Chuck in third even more.
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
Who couldn't love that opening riff? Who didn't have this song ingrained in their heads as a child by Back To The Future? If this were an influential contest, it'd be a candidate to win the whole thing.
#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament
Great song. But with this competition? No chance.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops
Incredible Motown production. Great melody highlighted with great instrumentals. Another one of those great pop songs.
#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love
Wonderfully unique song.
#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths
A great song, but it doesn't stand out in the Smiths' catalog to me.
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles
Good song but too hooky.

I appologize for the short comments, but I accidentilly hit cancel instead of post!!!!!!!!
BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie (Could be in the top 30, IMO.)
#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes (Shouldn't be that high, but still great.)
#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA (One of the few ABBA songs I don't love to puke to.)
#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine (Not a fan of MBV, but I love the guitar parts in this one.)

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles (Should be much higher)
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding (The most deserving second yet)
#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys (Love the guitar)
#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake (not a fan.)

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry (the song of the 50's. Killer guitar.)
#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan (This song made Blood on the Tracks. I wonder how much of it is true....)
#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament (Let's go funk!)
#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads (Something has to be fourth...)

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops (The song blows me away every time...)
#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love (I love those damn trumpets!)
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles (Good ranking for this song.)
#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths (another tough fourth)

I've got to start voting in this weekly again. Last week, I would have lofted "Search and Destroy" above "You Really Got Me" and "Sweet Jane" above "Strange Fruit."

This is definitely the best set of brackets so far in the second round. So many personal favorites.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine

My number 2 song of all time has no chance against deserving favorite "Be My Baby," but "Soon" contains one of the best drum beats and guitar riffs ever put to record. Everything on this song works perfectly for me, even its vagueness and repetition have a transcendent quality.

#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes

An unbelievable drum performance is the underrated ingredient in making this song the classic that it is.

#141: "Changes" - David Bowie

"Life On Mars?" should be Hunky Dory's most acclaimed and popular track, not this. The chorus is excellent, but the verses are uninteresting.

#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA

Just because this song is acclaimed doesn't mean I have to be nice to it. This song is relentlessly cheesy and annoying as well as overplayed. If this is really ABBA's best, then the more favorable critical trend toward them is inexplicable.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding

The best number one-charting song ever.

#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake

My favorite off the album is "Day is Done," but this song is fantastic and deserving of its high placement in our all-time songs poll.

#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys

Probably the best of the Beach Boys straight-up surf songs, but it doesn't touch its B-side "Don't Worry Baby," as well as about twenty or so Beach Boys songs later in their career.

#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles

I recently developed an enormous disdain for this song. It's one of the worst Beatles songs I've heard--definitely their worst single from the 1965-1970 period. The lyrics are inane and little separates the music from the cheese that plagued so much popular 70s music.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan

This monster of a song tops this monster of a bracket. This is my favorite Dylan song due to its nostalgic mood and incredible lyric presented as a series of vignettes.

#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads

One of the best songs of the 80s, mainly because it sounds like nothing else made in the 80s. This is the best track Eno was ever involved with, and coming from perhaps the biggest Eno fan on this forum, that's high praise.

#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry

Not overrated in the slightest. This flawless tune is probably the best song that could have possibly been achieved within the 50s rock and roll sound.

#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament

Would be first in most brackets from the second round, but faces devastating competition here.


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love

Not my favorite from Forever Changes, but was a perfect choice to open that album and features great all-around performances.

#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops

Surprised that it's rated this high, but it certainly is one of Motown's more emotionally moving singles next to "Tracks of My Tears" and "What's Going On."

#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths

Not even close to the Smiths' best. Though an enjoyable listen, this song is a case of influence/importance exceeding the actual music when it comes to its acclaim.

#164: "Help!" - The Beatles

It seems like I've ranked every Beatles song fourth in this round so far. I don't dislike "Help!" and I don't remember what songs it faced in round 1, but it's definitely not second round material.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17

1. "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes: An unimpeachable pop classic, gorgeous.
2. "Dancing Queen" - ABBA: The 2nd best disco song (after "Good Times").
3. "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine: Glorious song, my 2nd fave by MBV, but can't top the pure pop above it.
4. "Changes" - David Bowie: Not really one of my favorite Bowie tracks, and stands no chance here.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17

1. "River Man" - Nick Drake: A perfect introduction to the melancholy loveliness that is Nick Drake.
2. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding: Gorgeously sunny but in its own way devastating considering the context.
3. "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys: A fine song but way below the top 2.
4. "Let It Be" - The Beatles: The self-importance doesn't annoy me like it used to, but still this has to be 4th.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17

1. "Flash Light" - Parliament: The synth-bassline is so ridiculously funky and fun, this remains an all-time favorite and is guaranteed to make me shake my ass uncontrollably. So it wins a very difficult bracket.
2. "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan: One of his very best, and this would win many a bracket for me, but P-Funk is unstoppable today.
3. "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads: Their quintessential song, tough to land it here.
4. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry: It makes my head hurt to have this last, but there are several by Chuck that I prefer, and at some point I have to go with subjectivity over objectivity. Maybe the ultimate example of SHTB4.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19

1. "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops: The bass, the vocal, the overall sound of it -- stunning, and one of the best Motown tracks bar none.
2. "Alone Again Or" - Love: Only my 3rd fave from Forever Changes, but that's a great album!
3. "This Charming Man" - The Smiths: I actually like later Smiths more than earlier Smiths, though this is certainly the standout pre-"How Soon Is Now" single.
4. "Help!" - The Beatles: Very good of course, but I skip it even when I listen to the album.

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes: The Wall of Sound in something approaching its purest form, highlighted by Hal Blaine’s explosively brilliant drumming.
2. "Dancing Queen" – ABBA: ABBA over Bowie? Really? In this case, yes. I’m not the world’s biggest ABBA fan, but this is not just their best by far but one of the most perfect pop singles ever.
3. "Changes" - David Bowie: A great song, but as I think I’ve said, it’s probably only my fifth favorite track on its own album.
4. "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine: Again, as much as I adore LOVELESS, I’ve never really been taken with its epic closing track. An easy #4 for me.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding: Flawless and peerless. Not much more to be said. As simple a performance and recording as could be imagined, but it towers over the rest of this bracket.
2. "Let It Be" - The Beatles: More deep simplicity, courtesy of McCartney. This ranking is for the original, uncluttered single version, rather than the Spectorized album mix, which adds both gloppy strings and choruses and – paradoxically and weirdly – a notably loud and sloppy lead guitar (it’s like playing PLASTIC ONO BAND and RAM simultaneously).
3. "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys: As is the case with most of their pre-PET SOUNDS output, their first #1 single is far more interesting musically than lyrically. That music’s something else, though.
4. "River Man" - Nick Drake: Drake is one of those artists whom I admire more than actively enjoy listening to. Again, there are several tracks on FIVE LEAVES LEFT – probably my least favorite of the three albums to begin with – that I like a great deal more.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan: My favorite Dylan song, the perfect opener to my favorite Dylan album. A brilliant rush of discursive but deeply evocative and strikingly moving images.
2. "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads: My second sentence above could just as easily apply to David Byrne’s signature song; I was about to add, “minus the ‘moving’ part,” but that’s not really true – there’s something oddly touching about Mr. Not-My-House/Wife/Car’s search for meaning. What really ties the track together, though, is Jerry Harrison busting out some old-school Modern Lovers organ on the coda.
3. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry: One of the founding documents of rock and roll, and it’s unfortunate that it has to be up against such formidable competition.
4. "Flash Light" – Parliament: It’s also unfortunate that a dazzling funk jam like this is such an easy pick for last place here.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Alone Again Or" – Love: This is by far the strongest bracket of the week, but even in such stellar company Bryan MacLean’s (yes, he and not Arthur Lee wrote it) endlessly mystical and poetic opener to FOREVER CHANGES (that most gloriously strange of great albums) is a clear standout, at least for me.
2. "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops: Probably Holland-Dozier-Holland’s (and Motown’s) greatest achievement, with their dramatically urgent lyrics and production more than matched by Levi Stubbs’ magnificent vocal.
3. "Help!" - The Beatles: At the time, it represented a huge leap forward both lyrically and musically, and even 45 years later there’s a remarkable freshness in the harmonies and in the way Lennon’s acoustic and Harrison’s jangly electric play off each other.
4. "This Charming Man" - The Smiths: SH2B4, but not really; this deceptively jaunty romp is a brilliant single, but not quite on the same level for me as the other three here.

It's going to be difficult for me to rate this week's songs (and all remaining weeks for that matter), as just a couple days ago, my external hard drive crashed and I lost all my music. All 52,000 songs. Nevertheless...

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
Easy, easy #1. It's definitely my favorite girl-group song, but it's probably in my top 5 or 10 all-time. If it's not the Wall of Sound at its best, it's #2.
2. "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine
Word of advice: don't do what I did and listen to this song before you listen to anything else by MBV. It will throw off your perception of what the band sounds like. Oh sure, the wall of guitars is trademark "Loveless," but this is much more dancier than anything else on that album. Which strangely makes it my favorite track.
3. "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
I can understand the ABBA bashing, but this really is an almost transcendent song. A couple weeks ago, I was in the car with a buddy of mine, and he happened to mention that he really liked it (as a guilty pleasure). I agreed with him, and so we ended up putting the song on and listening to it. Picture that: two twenty-something heterosexual males driving down the road listening to "Dancing Queen," one of them humming the bassline, the other singing the lyrics.
4. "Changes" - David Bowie
As far as Bowie goes, it's decent Bowie. It certainly isn't transcendent like "'Heroes'".

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "River Man" - Nick Drake
It's in the top spot for me only because I like Nick Drake so much. It's hardly my favorite by him (give me just about anything off of "Bryter Layter" over this one), but even my eighth- or ninth-favorite ND is good enough to top this bracket. Spare, dark, and brooding. Brilliant stuff.
2. "Let It Be" - The Beatles
No, it's not exactly a heavyweight, but it's one of my favorites by the Fab Four, and that carries a lot of weight with me.
3. "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
It's not as though I think this one is amazing so much as I think that it just barely beats out...
4. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding
Blasphemy, I know. But it's never been that amazing to me. And I've always thought that it was overrated.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
As far as lyrics go, this song is about the best one I've ever heard. What makes it truly unique is that the story Dylan tells sounds fresh even today. And bonus points for the "employed/Delacroix" rhyme.
2. "Once in a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
Easily the most recognizable of TH's repertoire, but (as I recall) the one song off "Remain in Light" that doesn't sound like anything else on the album. Still, the image that always springs to mind for me is David Byrne in his oversized gray suit jacket making karate-chop motions on his forearm.
3. "Flash Light" - Parliament
Some songs are all about the groove. Case in point: this song. This song has a groove big enough to hang a coat on. The lyrics are almost incidental.
4. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
Again, I know it's blasphemy, but like "Dock of the Bay," it's never really resonated with me. Revolutionary as far as rock music and for guitar-based rock, but frankly, I could take it or leave it.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops
Quite possibly my favorite Motown song. It's long been a favorite of mine. I remember watching an old VHS tape back when I was a kid and it basically featured clips of Disney cartoons set to '50s and '60s music (including "Reach Out"). Even back then, I remember liking this song.
2. "Help!" - The Beatles
Massive drop-off from #1 to #2 for me. While "Reach Out" is in the stratosphere for me, "Help!" is only okay to me. It's not even second-tier Beatles in my book, but with the rest of the bracket, that's enough to push it to this place.
3. "Alone Again Or" - Love
Not long after I lost my music, I started hitting up my local libraries for CDs to rip, and "Forever Changes" was one of the first I got. Not because I especially wanted it, but more because it was there and I knew I would want it. So I have "Alone Again Or" again. Or.
I've listened to this song many, many times now, and I appreciate it. I even kinda like it. Kinda. I could take it or leave it.
4. "This Charming Man" - The Smiths
Before my hard drive crashed, I know I had listened to this song a few times and was never really amazed by it. Now that I've lost all my music and I'm starting to (slowly) reacquire my collection, I can't really say that I feel compelled to seek this one out at the moment. Oh, I'll get it eventually, and I'll listen to it then and probably say, "Meh." Until then, meh.

You see? This is why I'll never switch from CD to MP3 until they introduce a 'pay once, download forever' feature.

If your computer is a lap top, you should definitely get the external hard drive. If your desk top is more than 3 years old you should as well.

I'm a firm believer in storing music (and other important files) in multiple locations: iPod, computer, external drive, etc.

Hard drive space is so inexpensive, there's no excuse for losing files in the 21st century.

I have a laptop, and all my music was on an external HD. 1.5 TB. Then earlier this week, it started making a clicking noise when I'd turn it on. The Geek Squad at Best Buy told me I was (my words, not theirs) S.O.L. Fortunately it's still under warranty, so I can get a new one, but I'm on a CD hunt right now.

I agree with you, Anthony. I guess I was just arrogant and had a "it can't happen to me" attitude. I plan to be backing everything up as soon as I can.

BRAHMS 17
1. SOON. My own jaw is dropping a bit that I’m picking this over “Be My Baby,” but it really is that good. MBV are one of those rare bands whose output is almost a genre unto itself, and this is their best song.
2. BE MY BABY. It might not be the cornerstone of the last 50 years of pop…but it’s close, and an intelligent argument can be made.
3. CHANGES. I’ve come around a bit on this one, which I once found overrated. But I’d still rather take Hunky Dory as a whole than any of its individual songs.
4. DANCING QUEEN. I remember the first time it was played on the radio in Houston, and I actually like it better now

HAYDN 17
1. THE DOCK OF THE BAY. Even a 5-year-old can understand the appeal of Otis’ singular singing style on this one. I did.
2. RIVER MAN. Like I needed my bad mood enchanced…thanks, Nick. (Kidding.)
3. I GET AROUND. Fits into the very large category of “really good pop songs that came out in the first half of the 1960s,” but it doesn’t really distinguish itself from that pack.
4. LET IT BE. I love Billy Preston’s keyboard work on this, and George’s fuzz guitar is nice. That’s about it.

TCHAIKOVSKY 17
1. ONCE IN A LIFETIME. Just awesome. The best—and most representative (the two rarely occur simultaneously) song by one of my favorite bands.
2. JOHNNY B. GOODE. Yeah, it was Back to the Future that enshrined it as the fountainhead of rock ‘n’ roll, which it really wasn’t…but it’s typically great Chuck—and a great story to boot.
3. TANGLED UP IN BLUE. Not Bob’s best song, but probably the best ballad (in the old-fashioned sense) that he ever did.
4. FLASH LIGHT. Easily the most purely fun song in this group…but it’s the best group of the week.

CHOPIN 19
1. THIS CHARMING MAN. This, on the other hand, is a (relatively) weak group, and the Smiths’ early flag-planting song, though not their best, is my clear choice.
2. REACH OUT (I’LL BE THERE). I nearly voted against the Four Tops a few weeks back in the UMT. Then this came up on shuffle, and I changed my mind quickish.
3. HELP! On further review, the Help! soundtrack gets a bad rap.
4. ALONE AGAIN OR. I’ve grown to like Love, but I still can’t love Love.

Hey man, if you had those songs on an iPod (which you probably did) then this may be helpful(and free(and legal)):
http://www.engadget.com/2004/11/02/how-to-get-music-off-your-ipod/

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
1 - "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine
2 - "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
3 - "Changes" - David Bowie
4 - "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
'Soon' is the easy winner - wonderful guitars,love it. 'Dancing Queen' is easily Abba's best moment and a perfect pop song. 'Changes' is a great song,but not the best off the album. 'Be My Baby' is pretty good,but definitely not the be all and end all of Spector productions that it's said to be...

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
1 - "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding
2 - "River Man" - Nick Drake
3 - "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
4 - "Let It Be" - The Beatles
'Dock Of The Bay' has to be the winner - a perfect soul song. 'River Man' is my second favourite Nick Drake song,more of a fan of his next 2 albums but that song is great. 'I Get Around' is fun and catchy but no threat to Redding and Drake. 'Let It Be' has to be 4th - doesn't do much for me...

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
1 - "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
2 - "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
3 - "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
4 - "Flash Light" - Parliament
Tough,tough bracket. 'Tangled Up In Blue' is my favourite Dylan song,love the lyrics. 'Once In A Lifetime' still sounds amazing,the whole album does. 'Johnny B Goode' is obviously a classic,influential song but it's not as good as the top 2. 'Flash Light' never did much for me - easy #4.

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
1 - "This Charming Man" - The Smiths
2 - "Alone Again Or" - Love
3 - "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops
4 - "Help!" - The Beatles
Fairly weak bracket - my favourite band,The Smiths have to be #1 with the song that gave British rock music a shot in the arm. Not in my top 5 of theirs though. Similarly,'Alone Again Or' is a great song,but I'd put several Love songs above it. 'Reach Out I'll Be There' is a great Motown song. 'Help' is minor Beatles...

BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
#13: "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
I don't know about the whole notion of so called "perfect pop", but if such notion does exist, then this song would be a contender for that category.
#141: "Changes" - David Bowie
Not Bowie's best, but even alright Bowie songs are better than many bands best songs. Even so, this is really good, and it almost made it to number 1.
#116: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
There was once a time in my life when I'd rank ABBA as one of the worst bands in the world. Well today I'm still not too fond of them, but this song alone saves them from being considered awful in my book. The hooks are just too irresistible. It's too perfectly crafted to hate.
#756: "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine
There are many albums that work way better as a whole than as stand alone tracks. Loveless is such an album. But still, props to Soon, because it's a great song, and the best one off of Loveless.

HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
#7: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding
A classic, I really can't say much else about it because this song's greatness doesn't seem to need explanation, it just seems so obvious as to why it's great. And it still sounds fresh today.
#250: "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
Possibly the greatest thing to come out of the entire surf rock genre, a great example of the early Beach Boys.
#391: "Let It Be" - The Beatles
Overwrought? Maybe. Overrated? Yeah. Great? No doubt about it. Though I'll never understand why so many people put this song at the top of their "best Beatles songs" lists, (off of the album Let it Be, I much prefer Across the Universe) but hey, it's still a great ballad, and that I can't deny.
#890: "River Man" - Nick Drake
I really like Nick Drake, but this song didn't stand a chance.

TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
#123: "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
This is a song that seems odd and quirky at first impression, but after later listens reveals itself to be very poignant and philosophical. This song is easily in my top 20 songs of all time. A song about growing old, losing track of your dreams, and conforming. Letting the days go by....
#6: "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
Never saw how this song is in nearly every top ten list I've read, but hey, it's still a freaking great song, and continues to kick serious ass after over 50 years. How many other songs can say that?
#262: "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
Dylan's second best song IMO (second to you know what) and one of his best examples of storytelling.
#891: "Flash Light" - Parliament
Damn, I really hate putting this song last, but this bracket is just so strong. Very very fun, to me it's sounded like a bunch of people dressed in Halloween costumes celebrating a Bar Mitzvah. But maybe I'm the only one who thinks that...

CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
#93: "This Charming Man" - The Smiths
Although not my favorite Smiths song, this one is definitely near the top. So while it isn't their best, it is the song that captures their sound the best.
#164: "Help!" - The Beatles
One of the defining songs of the Beatles early period. I've never grown tired of it.
#36: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops
One of the quintessential motown songs, possibly one of the greatest pieces of R&B to come out of the 1960's. But still, that can't raise this song any higher than number 3.
#221: "Alone Again Or" - Love
Good, but Forever Changes works as an album much better than the individual songs do on their own.

Voting for this week is now over.

RESULTS




BRAHMS BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes (46 points, 7 first-place votes)
2. "Changes" - David Bowie (35, 3)
3. "Soon" - My Bloody Valentine (33, 4)
4. "Dancing Queen" - ABBA (26, 0)

In the next round: the Beatles' "A Day in the Life"; OutKast's "Hey Ya!"; the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "All Along the Watchtower"


HAYDN BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding (49, 9)
2. "River Man" - Nick Drake (34, 3)
3. "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys (31, 1)
4. "Let It Be" - The Beatles (26, 1)

In the next round: Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run"; the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash"; Oasis' "Live Forever"


TCHAIKOVSKY BLOC, BRACKET 17
1. "Once In a Lifetime" - Talking Heads (41, 4)
2. "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan (40, 5)
3. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry (36, 3)
4. "Flash Light" - Parliament (23, 2)

In the next round: David Bowie's "'Heroes'"


CHOPIN BLOC, BRACKET 19
1. "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops (44, 6)
2. "This Charming Man" - The Smiths (34, 4)
3. "Alone Again Or" - Love (33, 2)
4. "Help!" - The Beatles (29, 2)

In the next round: Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit"; Television's "Marquee Moon"