This vote will stay open until Sunday, Feb 6 at 11 PM board time. Anyone can vote, but you have to have heard both albums before voting.

Also a word, I hope when you're judging an album you've known for a long time against one you're hearing for the first time, you're approaching the matchup with an open mind. After all, the purpose of this game is discovery.

Division 1:

Tubeway Army - Replicas vs
Blondie - Eat To The Beat

Division 2:

David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World vs
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

Division 3:

Studio - West Coast vs
Pere Ubu - Dub Housing

Division 4:

Circulatory System - Circulatory System vs
The Associates - Fourth Drawer Down

Also, Guy Clark - Old No 1 vs Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair has a tie to break.

Having trouble locating the Studio album on line... help anyone?

All Moonbeam match: Tubeway Army

All nj match: The Associates

I also need to find Studio's album. Although Dub Housing is top 50 AT for me so it'll be hard for Studio to top it, it sounds like something I would like as well.

Are we specifically voting for West Coast or for West Coast/Yearbook 1? I prefer Yearbook 1 myself because I like No Comply, and although either version will win the match because I don't care much for Ubu's avant-garage it might make a difference to some.

By the way, I can put Yearbook 1 on Dropbox if you want BillAdama.

Didn't the Grooveshark link work?

Ah, I was assuming Grooveshark didn't work in the US, but I can't find anything about it on Google, so I guess Dropboxing is indeed unnecessary.

Tubeway Army - Replicas: Quite enjoyed both, good overall quality. Replicas has some very good songs in the first half though, so it wins.
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That: Extremely close.
Studio - West Coast: West Coast masterfully creates a beautiful atmosphere whereas Pere Ubu has never appealed to me much—not even Modern Dance.
Circulatory System - Circulatory System: Not a big fan of either, but Circulatory System has some good moments.

West Coast is wonderful. Another great discovery. It's a shame I have to decide between it and one of my own nominations. If my pick loses, I'll be glad it lost to something like this.

Of course...


Product Details
Yearbook 1 - Audio CD - Import (Aug. 20, 2007) by Studio
2 used from $191.87
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
Music: See all 3 items

I am sad.

I can't access the Draw any more and would greatly appreciate it if someone could describe how to gain access, e.g., URL.

http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=381742

Division 4:

Circulatory System - Circulatory System vs
The Associates - Fourth Drawer Down

Four Drawer Down probably has the 2 or 3 songs I like the most of the match (Kitchen Person especially) but also the most annoying moments, and not only because of the voice of the singer. On the other hand Circulatory system regularly reaches moments of beauty, especially thanks to the wind instruments (I would say that my favorite moments came thanks to the oboe, but I'm not good at recognizing instruments)

Division 1:
Tubeway Army - Replicas vs
Blondie - Eat To The Beat WINNER
In the closest matchup of the week for me, Blondie wins just barely. I think "Me I Disconnect From You" is the best song on either album, but averaging out the entire discs puts Blondie on top.

Division 2:
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World WINNER
vs Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
I thank AM for turning me on to Phoenix over the past year. It's Never Been Like That is a fine album, but The Man Who Sold The World is in my all-time top 40, my second favorite Bowie album next to Ziggy. A perfect blend of rock jams and haunting melodies that even sub-par production can't mar. Fave = "Saviour Machine".

Division 3:
Studio - West Coast vs
Pere Ubu - Dub Housing WINNER
I enjoyed Stereo, though particularly in short doses as the music tends to blend together after several (long) tracks. Pere Ubu, on the other hand, is all over the place musically - I enjoy the surprises that can still affect you after several listens, as well as the rawness of the to-the-point recording.

Division 4:
Circulatory System - Circulatory System WINNER
vs The Associates - Fourth Drawer Down
Like Stereo, The Associates tend to find a groove and stay we're they're comfortable, which is fine... I just prefer the more epic sweep of bands like Circulatory System, even if it is probably the last E6 album I'll ever need (if only...).

Thanks!

Vote: David Bowie

This is an easy vote for me. It's Never Been Like That is...well, I would say "Wolfgang II" if it didn't come out before Wolfgang. It sounds exactly the same as a later record I only consider above average. I think Bowie embellishes his voice a bit too much on Man Who Sold The World, but it's got some brilliant tracks on it.

Vote: Pere Ubu

After consideration, I do still consider Dub Housing better.

Division 1:
Gary Numan's finest 45 minutes easily beats Eat To The Beat. Although the latter is still a solid album, it marked the start of Blondie's descend.

Division 2:
Few share this view, but I think that The Man Who Sold The World is one of the weaker albums of the classic Bowie period. The album is interesting, because it's so different from the hippyish predecessor Space Oddity and the lush Hunky Dory that followed. It's just that the music on it is not really outstanding. IMO the best thing about The Man Who Sold The World is its sleeve (with Bowie posing in men's dress).
Phoenix leaves me kinda cold as well. During their career they made a couple of fine tunes, but in general I find their music somewhat safesounding. On It's Never Been Like That however, they at least sound inspired and manage to conquer my vote.
Phoenix wins.

Division 3:
With their first two albums Pere Ubu were significantly influential in new wave taking a more exprimental route in 1978. Debut The Modern Dance may have been the more groundbreaking one, but I like sophomore album Dub Housing even more (both are in my all-time top 100).
West Coast contains a couple of nice pulsating krautrock-inspired tracks, but has trouble keeping that same quality level over the whole length of the album.
Pere Ubu wins.

Division 4:
Circulatory System evolved out of Olivia Tremor Control and sounds basically like OTC part 2, only slightly less interesting.
I'm actually suprised to notice that Fourth Drawer Down is included in the AM 3000. As far as I know it's a singles compilation. This may explain why it doesn't very much come across like a coherent album and quite a few efforts by messrs. McKenzie & Rankine fall flat. Still, the highs of Fourth Drawer Down are higher than those by Circulatory System.
The Associates win.

Division 1:

Tubeway Army - Replicas WINS vs
Blondie - Eat To The Beat

Eat to the Beat has some good high points (I like the surf rock-tinged "Atomic,") but overall I think Replicas is a more interesting album.

Division 2:

David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World WINS vs
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

I think Bowie might be more versatile on this one album than Phoenix has been in their whole career.

24 more hours to vote. Hopefully we get way more votes than this.

this filling isn't allowed
to be called beefteeth anymore:

Replicas
It's Never Been Like That
Dub Housing
Circulatory System

The only one I can fairly vote on is the first match! Both are my picks, so I naturally love both albums, but I give the edge to Eat to the Beat.

Division 1: Blondie - Eat To The Beat
Division 2: David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
Division 3: Pere Ubu - Dub Housing
Division 4: The Associates - Fourth Drawer Down

Division 3:

Studio - West Coast vs
Pere Ubu - Dub Housing

West Coast sounds like the 3rd best Cure album ever ! On the other hand, Dub Housing has its moments but is not really my cup of tea.

Division 3:

Studio - West Coast WINS vs
Pere Ubu - Dub Housing

Both albums are far from mainstream, but I prefer to cold, calculated music of Studio to the raw, wild experimentalism of Pere Ubu.

Division 1:
Tubeway Army - Replicas
Eat to the Beat doesn't stand out nearly as much.

Division 2:
Pass. I haven't listened much to any of these albums. I prefer other material of both artists.

Division 3:
Studio - West Coast
Currently my 14th album of all time!

Division 4:
Pass. Fourth Drawer Down isn't on Spotify and Circulatory System doesn't sound like an album I could judge quickly.

Division 1:
WINNER Tubeway Army - Replicas vs
Blondie - Eat To The Beat
I love the two albums but I always adore the Tubeway Army's album.

Division 2:
WINNER David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World vs
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
I never understand why Phoenix is so sucessfull ?! Whatever The Bowie's album is a masterpiece.

Division 3:
I don't know.
Division 4:
I don't know.

ever the bizarro-nj:

Eat to the Beat
The Man Who Sold the World
West Coast
Fourth Drawer Down

The results:

Tubeway Army - Replicas 7 def
Blondie - Eat To The Beat 4

David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World 6 def
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That 3

Studio - West Coast 5 TIED WITH
Pere Ubu - Dub Housing 5

Circulatory System - Circulatory System 4 TIED WITH
The Associates - Fourth Drawer Down 4

Next vote wins for the tied matches.

Division Four is still open, right?

Circulatory System - Circulatory System vs
The Associates - Fourth Drawer Down WINS

It took me a while to listen to the whole Associates album (I had to piece it together using Grooveshark, Youtube and Myspace). It was worth the effort - far more exciting, energetic and interesting than Circulatory System.

The Associates win. West Coast/Dub Housing is still open.

I'll break the tie with a vote for Pere Ubu. I was really impressed with West Coast though, and it should be a factor in my best-of-2007 list.