Moderately Acclaimed Albums 4 - Round 1.11

[Brad]

Round 1.11

Vote for your favorite album in each match-up.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as he or she has heard both albums!
Comments are encouraged but not absolutely necessary.
Deadline = May 20th at 10am EST

Match-ups:
1. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain vs. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
2. Faust - Faust IV vs. Fela Kuti - Confusion
3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind vs. !!! - Myth Takes
4. The Mekons - The Curse Of The Mekons vs. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark

Keep A Knockin'!

[PlasticRam]

Faust - Faust IV vs. Fela Kuti - Confusion

Didn't particularly like either one. Piero Scaruffi thinks the Faust album is the 3rd greatest of all time. He's f'd up.

[Honorio]

1. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain vs. R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
2. Faust - Faust IV vs. Fela Kuti - Confusion
3. Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind vs. !!! - Myth Takes
4. The Mekons - The Curse of the Mekons vs. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark

Surprise of the week: this fantastic expedition by Dillard & Clark.

[Jirin]

Anyone know where I can hear Soundtracks for the Bind and Dillard & Clark?

[jamieW]

Anyone know where I can hear Soundtracks for the Bind and Dillard & Clark?

I found both on Grooveshark. I've added the links below. (Hopefully, they work: if not you can copy-and-paste them.)

http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Soundtr ... nd/3544339

http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/The+Fan ... ark/556914

[Brad]

youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2d8CEt7vik

[Greg]

1. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
2. Fela Kuti - Confusion
3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind
4. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark

[Billy]

1. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain vs. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
2. Faust - Faust IV vs. Fela Kuti - Confusion
3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind vs. !!! - Myth Takes
4. The Mekons - The Curse Of The Mekons vs. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark

Bolded ones are the winners. I just want to say that the first 2 were especially difficult as all four albums are great. The last two were a little easier just because both the Swans and Dillard and Clark are fantastic albums, even though the other two are pretty good. Honestly every album this week was a treat to listen to again!

[sonofsamiam]

1. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain vs. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi

New Adventures has higher highs, but just gets exceedingly boring.

2. Faust - Faust IV vs. Fela Kuti - Confusion

Why why WHY did these 2 greats get matched up?!?!? I love several tracks from Faust IV (esp "Jennifer", a masterpiece), but Confusion is the best thing Fela did after Zombie, and as close to a pure funk murk as he ever got.

3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind vs. !!! - Myth Takes

Easy choice.

4. The Mekons - The Curse Of The Mekons vs. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark

Easy choice...anything with Gene Clark is gold. Never really got the Mekons.

[Brad]

My picks:
1. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain vs. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
I had forgotten how good Aztec Camera was.
2. Faust - Faust IV vs. Fela Kuti - Confusion
3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind vs. !!! - Myth Takes
Especially loved !!!'s Bend Over Beethoven, but Swans' offering is epic.
4. The Mekons - The Curse Of The Mekons vs. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark
Why y'all pickin' on my Mekons?

Thanks!

[Jirin]

REM - New Adventures In Hifi 89
!!! - Myth Takes 86
Faust - Faust IV 85
Aztec Camera - High Land Hard Rain 83
Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of 78
Fela Kuti - Confusion 77
Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind 75
The Mekons - The Cure Of The Mekons 67

[Stephan]

Strongest week of the tournament? Maybe I'm just saying that because it has two of my nominations though. I thought last year's winner should have another album in competition this year, and Confusion is my second-favorite Kuti album. It's great to see so many people are loving Dillard and Clark.

I'm voting for Fela and !!!, haven't been able to listen to Aztec Camera and The Mekons.

[jamieW]

R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
Honestly, I’m not wild about either one, but “New Adventures” does have a couple of my favorite R.E.M. songs (“How the West Was Won and Where It Left Us” and “Leave”).

Fela Kuti – Confusion
This matchup is a virtual tie: they’re both great. The high points of Faust are remarkable, but I felt that “Confusion” was more consistently strong.

Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind
!!! is good; Swans is a blockbuster. Any time I listen to a Swans album, I know I’m doomed to have nightmares afterward. It’s worth it.

Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark
Once again, greater consistency was the key for me in this matchup, since both albums have standout songs.

[Nassim]

3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind vs. !!! - Myth Takes

I like both a lot, I will stick to the one I picked for the game, but had Soundtracks for the Blind been a bit shorter (40 minutes maybe) I might have chose it.

[Kingoftonga]

1. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain vs. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
2. Faust - Faust IV vs. Fela Kuti - Confusion

[Brad]

23 - 1/2 hours left to vote in this round!

[DaveC]

1. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain

2. Fela Kuti - Confusion

3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind
The first Swans album I have heard which has has left an overall positive impression. Actually I quite like it.

4. The Mekons - The Curse Of The Mekons
I stopped listening after their early material was so dire, so this far exceeeded expectations.

[nicolas]

I don't think I'll have the time to listen to anymore albums
Exams next tuesday and wednesday 29.

R.E.M. - New Adventures in HI-FI 81.3 (#441)
Fela Kuti - Confusion 80.1 (#558)
Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain 79.08 (#668)
Faust - Faust IV 76.83 (#933)

[Michel]

2. Fela Kuti - Confusion

[Brad]

Results
14 total voters:
Billy
Brad
DaveC
Greg
Honorio
jamieW
Jirin
kingoftonga
Michel
Nassim
nicolas
PlasticRam
sonofsamiam
Stephan

Winners:
1. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi over Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain 7-3
2. Fela Kuti - Confusion over Faust - Faust IV 8-5
3. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind over !!! - Myth Takes 6-4
4. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark over The Mekons - The Curse Of The Mekons 6-2

Round 1.12 up soon!

[Honorio]

Bye Roddy


And good luck nicolas