And here we go!

Anyone can vote, but you must have heard both albums in order to vote. If you don't have time to hear all the albums, it's okay if you only vote in one or two of the matchups. (That's one of the reasons all the most well known ones are in the same division.)

Comments are optional but strongly encouraged.

This round will stay open until Sunday, January 9th, 11pm Eastern US time, which I believe is 6pm board time.

Division 1:
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One vs
Boston - Boston

Division 2:
Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy vs
Scott Walker - Scott Walker 3

Division 3:
Blind Faith - Blind Faith vs
The Cure - Bloodflowers

Division 4:
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. vs
Faust - Faust IV

Holy shit! January the 9th, that's one week from now. With the EOY lists and 00s poll starting in january/february it's going to be very busy. I'll do my best, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it to participate properly in this first round.

I'm not going to have time to listen to the albums in divisons 3 or 4, so i'll only be voting on the first 2.
Division 1: Boston
My second favroite album of all time, it has a lot of masterpieces, including the obvious "More Than a Feeling", and the underappreciated "Peace of Mind".

Division 2: Steely Dan
501? Really? Still great.

It's okay if you don't vote in every matchup. Or an alternate strategy would be to listen to all the winners so you can participate easily in the second round.

My votes:

1: Yo La Tengo

I enjoyed Boston a lot more than I did last time I listened to it, but I find the instrumental background a little too empty. Whereas I Can Hear The Heart is easily my favorite Yo La Tengo.

2: Scott Walker

Another straightforward rock vs nichey alternative matchup. I suspect a lot of the votes this week will split along those lines.

3: Blind Faith

I prefer above average blues rock to a Cure album similar but weaker than my favorites.

4: Faust

Yet another straightforward rock vs nichey alternative. I like L.A.M.F. but it's a little samey, whereas Faust IV is something seriously unique.

D1:
Boston - Boston... I relistened to this one on vinyl, I like every song and they all blend together so nicely...

D2:
Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy... I made the mistake of purchasing the Scott Walker CD thinking it had to be good. I will guarantee it will not be listened to again!!!

D3:
The Cure - Bloodflowers... This has been a one of the many CD's collecting dust for years. Just recently rediscovered this disc and enjoyed it much more than I did in 2000 when I just basically listend to "Maybe Someday". It is really a forgotten gem...

D4:
PASS -- Never heard either, do not have the desire to hear either of them...

Lots of stuff going on... UMT no.2 will be postponed until further notice.

I'm gonna try to get to listen to these albums, but it is unlikely I will get all of them in each week. I'll post my results, though, as I am able to do so. In that vein, my first two votes:

Division 1 Winner: Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
I own Boston, and I intermittently enjoy it. The songs are immediately catchy and the famously polished (and polished and polished) production works. But it pales in comparison to one of my true all-time faves. Yo La Tengo is so wonderfully capable of multiple styles and moods, and never more accessibly and effectively on this 1997 classic.

Division 2 Winner: Steely Dan, Countdown to Ecstasy
Scott Walker's baritone is gorgeous. I'm a big fan of "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More" and I was glad to hear that voice really be the focus of his third solo album. The songs were hit or miss on the album. Unfortunately, they did not match those on Countdown to Ecstasy. "My Old School" is one of my favorite songs. A wonderful groove throughout the whole album. And how can I forget the SFA-endorsed line "You know they don't give a fuck about anybody else."

Busy week. Hope I'll get to vote on the last four albums as well but here are the first two divisions.

Division 1:
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One vs
Boston - Boston

Not my favorite Yo La Tengo album because it's a bit too noisy for my taste, something remedied on the following album. However, it slightly edges out Boston.

Division 2:
Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy vs
Scott Walker - Scott Walker 3

I find it hard to pick a favorite Steely Dan record, but Countdown to Ecstasy is definitely in the running for that title. The first four songs are particularly enchanting, much more so than any song on Scott Walker 3. If this were #4 it would have easily won, now Steely Dan wins easily.

D1. Yo La Tengo
D2. Scott 3
D3. TACITNOMCAL*: Blind Faith
D4. Faust

*Tossed a coin in the name of Mrs. Coodenkær Annie Les - she's a vivid follower

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy
The Cure - Bloodflowers
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F.

This.

sucks.

Exactly, Jonathon. No Boston vote, Mr. Fluffytaste from whereyourefromagain?

Found some more time today.

Division 3:
Blind Faith - Blind Faith vs
The Cure - Bloodflowers

Bloodflowers somewhat surprised me, I didn't expect it to be as good as it is. It's not great, mind you, but very enjoyable. Blind Faith is enjoyable but suffers from the same problems that most Cream albums do for me; too much of the same without any really good songs.

Division 4:
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. vs
Faust - Faust IV

When it's the original release of L.A.M.F. vs Faust IV there's no question Faust made the better album. The Lost Tapes version of L.A.M.F. evens the odds, however, and although IV has bigger highlights the album also has some very grating sections which means Johnny Thunder takes the prize.

Not that it's a shame to lose against Countdown to Ecstasy but...

How can people not like Scott 3

too many plastic bottle water sips... generates the OverPussy in all of us, i guess. all hail tah 2011..

Division 1: Boston
Division 2: Countdown to Ecstasy
Division 3: Pass
Division 4: L.A.M.F.

Never got around to listening to Faust before, but I really liked what I heard on IV & plan on consuming their discography soon.

Division 1: Winner = Boston
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One vs
Boston - Boston

Boston has not aged particularly well, but it is still much more enjoyable for me than a reasonably good Yo La Tengo effort.

Division 2: Winner = Steely Dan
Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy vs
Scott Walker - Scott Walker 3

Not much of a contest here. Scott Walker is fair to middling at his best, while Steely Dan is amazing.

Steely Dan's ability to blend jazz elements and provide provocative lyrics is anything but "straightforward" in my view.

For those who want to concentrate in the a subset of the tracks on Countdown to Ecstasy, I suggest: My Old School, Boston Rag, King of the World, Pearl of the Quarter, and Bodhisattva.


Division 3: Winner = Blind Faith
Blind Faith - Blind Faith vs
The Cure - Bloodflowers
Bloodflowers is a fine effort. I enjoyed Watching Me Fall, Maybe Someday, and Bloodflowers. But, none of these slow ponderous efforts compare to the best on the Blind Faith Album: Presence of the Lord, Can't Find My Way Home, Sea of Joy and Well All Right.

Division 4: Pass - not particularly interested in either artist at this point.
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. vs
Faust - Faust IV

Well, maybe 'straightforward' was the wrong word. But Steely Dan's sound is very anchored in the classic rock sphere. It's not as eclectic.

I think it's more that I find Steely Dan songs a bit too decorated and tidy. I wouldn't use 'Provocative' to describe their lyrics, so much as 'Smarmy'.

Although I admire the intricacy of their melodies.

Next you should go with Faust So Far. Their self-titled debut is great as well but extremely hard to get into.

Division 1:
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One vs
Boston - Boston

Yo La Tengo makes 30 minutes of good music, then send its best track and then gets boring while Boston makes the mistake to start with its best shot and can not keep my interest more than 15 minutes after that. Advantage Yo La Tengo.

What the hell's your problem with me

don't worry, i believe nj's (ongoing) problem is with me for generally preferring cleanly produced song-based music to weird, experimental crap (though look who voted for mr. clapton!) a kraut votes for faust - what is this, the mitchell stirling hour? hey nj, how about next round i call your votes before you make them and vice versa, and we'll see whose taste is really more predictable?

I like nj and I like Jonathon, i guess it's just a joke. I hope this is not turning into something serious, let's laugh, have a good time and some sense of humor, FUN! Or maybe this is joke-fight and i'm making a fool of myself asking you guys to have fun when you guys are already having, but who cares? I'll submit my votes in 2 days, hopefully next round my album will win... or not. Let's have some fun and no disco sticks (ugh, worst song EVER)

Division 1:
WINNER - Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One vs
Boston - Boston

Division 2:
WINNER - Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy vs
Scott Walker - Scott Walker 3

Division 3:
Blind Faith - Blind Faith vs
WINNER - The Cure - Bloodflowers

Division 4:
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. vs
WINNER - Faust - Faust IV

For me, except "The heartbreakers", all the other 7 albums are very good. I'm also surprised to put my vote to Bloodflowers but, after listening and relistening, it's really and excellent album.

I like Faust, I just really like Johnny Thunders and anything associated with the cbgbs scene.

I enjoy nj's posts as long as they aren't directed at me.

i said i tossed a fucking coin, smartglass.



you bet it is. all your yank shit combined doesn't even come close to the quickest one of Zappi's burps during his after-lunch nap.



Stephan, could you please tag this posting with a "Spoiler Alert"? it kills the method acting troll spirit in me... thanks.

Believe me, there's nothing to spoil over here. keep doing your troll job... you troll internet comedy it's not my thing... maybe i should take advantage of my latin roots like the hot funny woman of Modern Family... i'm not a girl, but it could work. Tchau amigos.

great idea! i'll start with your picks:

1. lame
2. lame
3. double lame
4. mmm... ok

AMF is more interesting when nj posts. Who could disagree with that?!?!?

Yo La Tengo
Scott Walker
The Cure

Couldn't really decide between Heartbreakers or Faust. As said before, Faust definitely has better highlights, but also some grating parts. If I had more time with it, it might get my vote, so we'll see how far into the brackets it goes. BTW, I think Yo La Tengo has easily the best album this week.

and rightly so. i'm basically alright with everyone on AMF, well, except for whatshisnameagain.. he's like ten million douchey needles in the very eye of my exceptionally exquisite understanding of what great music is all about (firstly strings, secondly female saxophonists, and thirdly lots of noooooooiiiiiiise). he's listening to Fleetwood Mac and Waylon Jennings and Def Leppard ballads instead. he's a whiny old pedo nazi, i guess.

My votes are for:

Division 1:
Boston - Boston

Division 2:
Scott Walker - Scott Walker 3

Division 3:
The Cure - Bloodflowers

Division 4:
Faust - Faust IV

and

Easy-A ? I totally love that movie ! Favorite quotes:

Marianne: Looks like someone's on a downward spiral. [stapling papers]
Olive Penderghast: Looks like someone's practicing the mundane activity she'll be saddled with the rest of her pathetic life.

Nina: "Perhaps you should embroider a red "A" on your wardrobe, you abominable tramp."
Olive: "Perhaps you should get a wardrobe you abominable twat."

wtf I posted the thing twice. My bad!

A Nazi? Really? I never heard of wahtshisnameagain, i wasn't frequenting here yet! was he really that douchey? or was he like a little brother to you that happened to have a crush on Stevie Nicks or... lindsey buckingham? hehehe



Yes! That movie totally rocked! Smartest teen flick since i don't know when! the Brat Packs ones are cool but not too smart! wasn't alive at the 80s! I'm still just a teen and i like movies that show the good side of us! Easy A is totally quotable, especially the Tom Cruise one.

nj should so post on Mubi. She could argue with Dimitris, play an obscure eclectic director in Director's Cup then call people philistines who vote against him.

Division 3 Winner - The Cure, Bloodflowers

I was surprised to enjoy this album as much as I did. I have come around on the Cure, a band I used to dislike, in the past two years. But that is mostly based upon a greater appreciation for their singles. I wound up getting Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and not really caring for it. Bloodflowers was better as a whole. They're still not a favorite, but better for me than Blind Faith. Aside from a good hit single, I didn't care much for the album. The jams felt overlong and unfocused (which was not a fault of Clapton's and Baker's Cream work that I have heard). But mostly I don't care for Winwood's voice that much. His "soulful" vocals too often sound strained to me.

Division 4 Winner - Faust, Faust IV

Both were flawed albums, that I'm unsure that I would want to return to. But Faust had intermittent moments of sublime sound, that reminded me of the best of Stereolab. On L.A.M.F., there was a dearth of catchy songs, the sine qua non of any successful punk album.

EDIT: I take part of that back. Nothing in Faust IV is as good as the best of Stereolab. A better analogy would be Beta Band's Three EPs.

Thanks for sharing this view with us. Winwood has a relatively high-pitched voice and I wonder if that contributes the "strained" quality that appears to bother you. (In my view the vocalist in The Cure has a much more annoying voice than Winwood and almost always sounds like he is depressed and whining.)

If you don't care for all of the following songs: Sea of Joy, Presence of the Lord and Can't Find My Way Home - it would be interesting to know which song you are referring to as the "good hit single."

I also wonder whether you also find Winwood's vocals strained in his solo performances (e.g., Arc of Diver) and/or his efforts with Traffic (e.g., John Barleycorn Must Die).

I'll vote in two of the matchups right now. Not sure if I'll get around to hearing all of the other albums.

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One over Boston - s/t

I've had every note of the Boston albums ingrained in my consciousness for over ten years while the Yo La Tengo was a relatively new discovery. Boston's songs are certainly well-produced and the album delivers catchy, consistent songs, but years of overexposure have affected my enjoyment of this album more than equally overplayed material by the likes of the Stones or the Beatles. I Can Hear the Heart... would have surely benefiting from some trimming, but it's one of the most stylistically diverse indie rock albums I've heard, and its successes outweigh some of the more boring cuts.

Faust - Faust IV over The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F.

With Faust IV being my nominee, I made this choice in the amount of time it took me to listen to the Heartbreakers album for the first time. That being said, I'm increasingly enjoying the style of punk on display in the well-titled L.A.M.F, and I'll likely return to the album.

Faust IV was my gateway into Krautrock, and it delivers everything I like about that genre (which really is more of a label than a genre, but that's a topic for a different time). The album's mix of pop hooks and noise ensures that something new is discovered every listen. Faust makes truly unclassifiable, unique, and unpredictable music, and this album is their best mix of accessibility and experimentation.

Another one I can't find. Laika - Sounds Of The Satellites.

Guess what that one is against. Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie.

I predict that will be the least voted in match of the tournament.

And exactly this will be the bracket where i'm going to vote against my own nomination. hoo. ray.

I'll put it up in the Dropbox.

By the way, are we just moving down the list per division (i.e. games 2, 18, 33 and 50)?

Yes.

Division 1:
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One WINNER
vs Boston - Boston
This was an easy choice. Yo La Tengo was my pick, and it's my favorite album by one of my favorite bands. The scope of "I Can Hear The Heart..." is vast, and encompasses everything that is great about YLT. The lengthier tracks benefit from repeat listening. While I enjoy Boston - Boston as a sort of guilty pleasure, after listening to the album 5 times this week, I'm ready to stay away for another decade or two... in particular, I find the guitars to be rather grating - kind of tinny and that downward slide effect (see "Something About You") gets old real quick. Good (sometimes very good) songs though, particularly for the AOR set.

Division 2:
Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy vs
Scott Walker - Scott Walker 3 WINNER
Close match- I'm going with the gut on this one. I think Walker's songs have more room to grow for me personally. I definitely admire Steely Dan's masterly musicianship, and some of the songs on this album are true rock classics, but I think given a choice on a desert island, I'd go with Walker.

Division 3:
Blind Faith - Blind Faith WINNER
vs The Cure - Bloodflowers
That damn drum solo at the end of "Blind Faith" is a definite defect, but overall I simply like the songs here better. The Cure album was a pleasant surprise to me, in that it sounds as if it could have been released in the mid-'80's, a period I consider The Cure to have been at their peak (though their first album will always be my favorite). But that's a problem too, as I just don't think The Cure has progressed much (at all?) since circa 1990. (Admittedly, the image of Robert Smith wearing that same hair & makeup while singing these angst-ridden lyrics as if he were still as old as his original fan base does not help the case).

Division 4:
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. WINNER
vs Faust - Faust IV
This was the most difficult decision of the week. Two excellent albums for two very different reasons. Faust IV is brilliant. My heart, however (for better or worse), leads me to confirm my allegiance to Johnny Thunders, possibly the greatest punk rock idol of my youth, and to this album, much of which my former band confiscated for our very limited repertoire, because the songs were easy and oh-so-enjoyable to play. Whenever a jam session started to meander, inevitably someone would shout "Chinese Rocks! 1-2-3-4!" and we would immediately launch into that classic without abandon. My attachment to LAMF is too great to not give it the nod here.

Thanks!

The song I do like, and had heard before, was "Can't Find My Way Home." Maybe it wasn't a hit single... it's just the one song I had heard before.

It's funny, because I shared your view of Robert Smith for a long time. I've only recently come around to hearing how his vocals can be kinda nice when the Cure's work is at it's catchiest. When it is not, his vocals continue to bother me.

As for Winwood, for a while I've thought this about the limited amount of his repertoire I've heard. Back in the day I got Back in the High Life when I forgot to tell BMG not to send me the album of the month. (I miss BMG some times.) The same strained quality exists on that album (e.g., "Higher Love"), as it does, for me, on "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy." I just don't think he sounds entirely comfortable or strong in his higher register. This is not because he has a high-pitched voice. Lots of male singers I admire, in many different styles, sound right at home hitting those high notes, and not just the singers with naturally amazing voices like, say, Stevie Wonder and Steve Perry. Take, for example, Phil Collins. I don't think anyone would say that he has a world-beater voice (as some seem to think about Winwood - Rolling Stone recently had him at #33 on its all time greatest singers list). But to me he sounds much more comfortable and natural than Winwood.

Maybe part of my problem is that back when I sang I was a tenor, but also felt like I sounded strained on the higher notes, so in a fit of self-hatred, I'm overly sensitive to this issue.

I'll plead ignorance on the rest of Winwood's output. I really don't know Traffic too well. I do like "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," though.

Your comments are very much appreciated.

First, let me clarify that there are many Cure songs that work very well for me and in which I find the vocals to be quite good (or at least good enough), including: Boys Don't Cry, Let's Go to Bed, In Between Day, Just Like Heaven, and Pictures of You.

As for the "straining" characteristic you find troublesome in Winwood's performances, I still think that there are many other popular vocalists with much greater flaws, especially in view of the consensus recognition of Winwood's vocal acuity.

I would recommend that you listen to the following songs - and see if you find his voice strained in these as well:

Arc of a Diver
While You See a Chance
Empty Pages
Freedom Rider

Division 2:
Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy vs
Scott Walker - Scott Walker 3

Did not see that one coming, I usually dislike Steely Dan and really love Scott Walker 4. Here, I enjoyed both albums the same, but while Countdown was a good surprise, Scott Walker 3 was a bit of a letdown, especially since the best part is the ending, with 3 songs which were better sung by Brel (or if not better sung, more enjoyable to hear in my native language)

Division 3:
Blind Faith - Blind Faith vs
The Cure - Bloodflowers

For something in which Clapton is part of, Blind Faith sounds like an Everest for me, meaning I can sit through it from the start to the end, which I think never happened before. Still, easy win for Cure, even without one of their best albums.

Division 4:
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. vs
Faust - Faust IV

Krautrock is typically the kind of music I am very thankful for, given how it changed the face of music to lead to the music I love, but don't enjoy much. Most of the albums I heard (by Can or Neu mostly) seems to have one or 2 wonderful peaks surrounded by fillers, this is no exception. On the other hand, LAMF might the most fun and straightforward album of the early punk era, a period where there is lots of singles I love but very few albums I do, especially without "Wire" wrote on it.

I'll try to listen to brackets 3 & 4 today. In the meantime, here's my votes on Brackets 1 and 2.

1. Boston, "Boston" vs. Yo La Tengo, "I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One"
Winner: Yo La Tengo

These are two very different albums. Boston comes out completely full-powered at the very start, bowling you over with three massively catchy tracks. Yo La Tengo's album is far more subtle, but there's a certain beauty and grandeur that's not to be found in the Boston album. If side 2 of "Boston" could keep up the pace of the excellent first half, it might have won me over. But, as it stands, side 2 of "Boston" is rather bland to me. Yo La Tengo's record is a bit overloaded, but it still pulls ahead as the winner.

2. Steely Dan, "Countdown to Ecstasy" vs. Scott Walker, "Scott 3"
Winner: Scott Walker

I went into this match-up expecting to vote for Steely Dan. I had never heard Scott Walker before, and I didn't expect that he would appeal to me. Unlike the first matchup, both of these albums are similar, in that they rely on dense, meticulously arranged productions. Maybe it's just that Scott Walker is new and exciting to me, but I found his "slightly-sinister-Vegas-lounge-singer" act really interesting. "Countdown to Ecstasy," on the other hand, inspired more respect than intrigue, but that's how I feel about most of Steely Dan. In a dry academic sense, their albums are masterpieces, but they don't really pull on the heartstrings at all.

The winners:

Division 1: Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

Division 2: Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy

Division 3: Blind Faith - Blind Faith

Division 4: The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F.

Turnout is already way higher than it was in the first round of the first Moderate game. Maybe it was because the nomination round went on so long. 18 votes in division 1 and 13 in division 4.

The polls are still open, right?

3. Blind Faith, "Blind Faith" vs. The Cure, "Bloodflowers"
Winner: Blind Faith

I like classic rock instrumental jam fests. I don't like brooding melodramatic alt-rock. No contest.

Unfortunately, I won't have time to get to the last match-up.

Division 1:
The two bands in this division are pretty much each others opposite.
Yo La Tengo surfaced in the slipstream of early 80s guitar-oriented bands like Dream Syndicate and Green On Red. While those names have vanished long ago, Yo La Tengo soldiered on, only becoming better over time. On the 1997 release I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One they are finally hitting their stride. Twelve years after the release of their debut album.
How different is Boston's history. This group came in full-fledged, confident, mature, with the marketing machine of a major behind them to skyrocket their self-titled debut in no time to million-selling blockbuster status. Boston is a good album in its genre, one of the best I guess. The point is, I have a certain bias against this genre. After all it's the likes of Boston, Journey and Foreigner that polished off the rough edges of 70s Hardrock, paving the way for the kind of corporate rock that made mainstream 80s music such a dreadful place to be. So yeah, I go along with Yo La Tengo. Easy choice here.
Yo La Tengo wins.

Division 2:
After the demise of the Walker Brothers, Scott Walker produced in a short period of time four solo albums which do not differ that much from each other. Scott 4 has the best individual songs, while his solo debut is my overall favorite. Scott 3 straddles the middleground: classy pop, as lush as it is deep. However, as the album title already suggests it's basically just Scott Walker solo, third time around. No real surprises to be heard.
The same criticism can be directed towards its opponent. Countdown To Ecstacy is classic Steely Dan, but to me this record seems a tad less inspired than the superior ones it's surrounded by (Can't Buy A Thrill, Pretzel Logic).
Both albums in this division are fine. Not great. In the end though, the booming voice of Scott W. resonates more with me, so it conquers my vote.
Scott 3 wins.

Division 3:
For such an historical and famous album Blind Faith has always sounded kinda underwhelming to me. Sure, everything is performed in a very competent, professional and tasty way, but there is some spark lacking here. Was it because of the fact that at this stage all Blind Faith members already had at least two complete music careers behind them and maybe they were suffering from a certain fatigue? In any case, with such a wealth of talent involved, their sole album sounds slightly disappointing.
For The Cure circa 2000, way past their heyday, I had no expectations at all. So from there on it only could get better. And hey, it did. Bloodflowers ain't no challenge to Cure smashes like The Head On The Door or Three Imaginary Boys and isn't by any means an essential purchase, but at least there are plenty of things happening on this album and Robert Smith & co. keep it interesting throughout.
Bloodflowers wins.

Division 4:
Ahh, these are two records that really do appeal to me. Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers is the ultimate in GutterPunkrock, the sloppy production only adding extra dimension to classics like Chinese Rocks, One Track Mind and Born To Lose.
Faust IV is one of a quartet of 70s Faust albums, which are in a league of their own. It's no use discussing which one is the best of the four, to me they're all essential.
This is a close match. Purely for nostalgic reasons I choose Johnny Thunders. In 1977 when L.A.M.F., with its air of danger, risk and excitement, came out it had a profound impact on a then 14-year old Mindrocker. So, I simply cannot deny it my support.
Heartbreakers win.

KingofTonga: By your timestamp you made the deadline by four minutes.

Mindrocker: Technically your ballot was late, but since it doesn't change the outcome I might as well include it.

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One 14 def
Boston - Boston 5

Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy 11 def
Scott Walker - Scott 3 7

The Cure - Bloodflowers 10 def
Blind Faith - Blind Faith 6

The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F 8 def
Faust - Faust IV 6

Midaso and Henry take an early lead in Predict It, both getting all 4 matches correct.

Damn it! Boston's out already! Let's hope Jimi and Queen can save me.

Congrats to Midaso.

My success in the first round is purely based on luck.

So is mine! After I'd picked it,I really didn't think that Steely Dan would beat Scott Walker. The last matchup was pure luck,since I'd never heard either beforehand. The other 2 I could see coming...

One key factor I used in making my selections was that an album outside the genre of classic rock would typically beat an album considered by AMers to be classic rock. Steely Dan's win this week was a rare exception to that factor.