Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.2

[Brad]

Back for the second group of albums in Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8.

I'm getting started slightly early as Round 1.1 is still winding down. It's a snow day here on the East Coast of the U.S. and I have 4 young kids swarming around me so I need to take advantage of any time I can get!

Vote for your favorite album in each match-up.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as the voter has heard both albums.

Good-spirited comments are encouraged, but not absolutely necessary.
Deadline = March 21th at 10am EST.

Here's a link to the bracket for the entire tournament:
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?t ... Albums%208

Match-ups:
1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
2. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare vs. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau vs. Almendra - Almendra
4. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo vs. Fishmans - Long Season

Think (think, think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free!

[Bang Jan]

Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
Long Season

3 | Bill Callahan | Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
8 | The Dismemberment Plan | Emergency & I

1 | Novos Baianos | Acabou chorare
5 | Janet Jackson | The Velvet Rope

6 | Los Fabulosos Cadillacs | Chau
4 | Almendra | Almendra

7 | Soda Stereo | Sueño Stereo
2 | Fishmans | Long Season

Song of the week: Novos Baianos | Preta Pretinha

[Jirin]

Emergency & I 82 - Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle 65
Acabou chorare 73 - The Velvet Rope 71
Almendra 81 - Chau 71
Long Season 82 - Sueno Stereo 78

[hectorthebat]

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
2. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare vs. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau vs. Almendra - Almendra
4. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo vs. Fishmans - Long Season

[StevieFan13]

The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Novos Baianos - Acabou choare
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau
Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo

[DaveC]

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
2. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare vs. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau vs. Almendra - Almendra
4. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo vs. Fishmans - Long Season

[Honorio]

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (2009) vs. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I (1999)


2. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare (1972) vs. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope (1997)


3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau (2000) vs. Almendra - Almendra (1969)


4. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo (1995) vs. Fishmans - Long Season (1996)

Favourite song from every album:
Too Many Birds | You Are Invited | Preta Pretinha | I Get Lonely | Matador | Muchacha (ojos de papel) | Efecto Doppler | Part 5

Favourite song of the week: Muchacha (ojos de papel)

I would like to see "Acabou chorare" winning the whole tournament but this first week it faces a really strong opponent, the Janet Jackson album is excellent.

[babydoll]

I would like to see "Acabou chorare" winning the whole tournament but this first week it faces a really strong opponent, the Janet Jackson album is excellent.

I'll have to listen to Acobou chorare since you really like it that much. I nominated The Velvet Rope, not in the hopes of it winning, but in the hopes of the artist actually gaining some more respect for her wonderful career, especially those four classic albums of hers. I feel the Superbowl incident did way too much damage to Janet - if most kids have heard of her name today, it's because of this, and her being the youngest sister of a certain singer - and The Velvet Rope is incredibly good, in my opinion.

[StevieFan13]

My faith in Chau is waning. Real shame, too.

[Rob]

I would like to see "Acabou chorare" winning the whole tournament but this first week it faces a really strong opponent, the Janet Jackson album is excellent.

I'll have to listen to Acobou chorare since you really like it that much.

I think you should simply listen to it, because it is great fun
But seriously, don't you listen to each match-up before voting?

I feel the Superbowl incident did way too much damage to Janet

Is that really all there is to it? There are countless artists who have survived scandals that were way worse. I know there has been a Janet Jackson discussion around here in the past were most people were actually much in favor of her. I'm not one of these people though and I feel that Jackson's music is not unique enough to stand out over time, now that the hype has died. I think that is why younger people don't care as much anymore: compared to other eighties/ nineties stars she sounds less special.

[babydoll]

I feel the Superbowl incident did way too much damage to Janet

Is that really all there is to it? There are countless artists who have survived scandals that were way worse. I know there has been a Janet Jackson discussion around here in the past were most people were actually much in favor of her. I'm not one of these people though and I feel that Jackson's music is not unique enough to stand out over time, now that the hype has died. I think that is why younger people don't care as much anymore: compared to other eighties/ nineties stars she sounds less special.

Yep. Totally wrecked her career. At the time, she had one of the most anticipated single releases. Thanks to the neo-conservativism that was running rampant in Bush's America, people protested her because you know "no boobies allowed on our screen!"

I think her music was indeed unique. Her hits were memorable - "Rhythm Nation", anyone?" - and her classic four albums were experimental (for pop) and never borderlined (yep, I just made that word up) on tedious. Well... I never knew quite what to say about her music, but it was something special.

That being said, I did listen to Acabou chorare and what a bore that was! Thus, my vote goes to The Velvet Rope. I'm sorry... I just couldn't get into it.

[BleuPanda]

I think her music was indeed unique. Her hits were memorable - "Rhythm Nation", anyone?" - and her classic four albums were experimental (for pop) and never borderlined (yep, I just made that word up) on tedious. Well... I never knew quite what to say about her music, but it was something special.

Hmm...tedious is the exact word I was looking for to describe The Velvet Rope, actually...that album felt endless. I liked a lot of the songs, but I didn't need them in that amount.

[StevieFan13]

The Dismemberment Plan won that vote for me by virtue of actually being on Spotify. Maybe Bill Callahan is better than the Beatles, I have no idea and I don't want to spend the money on iTunes.

[Rob]

Yep. Totally wrecked her career. At the time, she had one of the most anticipated single releases. Thanks to the neo-conservativism that was running rampant in Bush's America, people protested her because you know "no boobies allowed on our screen!"

I know what the scandal was about, but history learns that if an artist keeps pouring out good music things usually turn around again. If you see what scandals David Bowie, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, George Michael and many others have endured and survived you know that Jackson might have pulled herself back out of it again.

I think her music was indeed unique. Her hits were memorable - "Rhythm Nation", anyone?" - and her classic four albums were experimental (for pop) and never borderlined (yep, I just made that word up) on tedious. Well... I never knew quite what to say about her music, but it was something special.

Of course this is all personal, but I feel that The Velvet Rope is long and tedious and that it is everything I expect from a nineties pop album, so I really don't see the experimental part of it, not even in a pop sense. Then again, I'm the first to admit to not being much of a pop guy. What I can say though is that to my ears Acabou Chorare has more variety and invention in it's 39 minutes than The Velvet Rope has in almost double that length. They're not really comparable albums of course, although that they get a comparison is part of the charm of this game.

[BleuPanda]

The Dismemberment Plan won that vote for me by virtue of actually being on Spotify. Maybe Bill Callahan is better than the Beatles, I have no idea and I don't want to spend the money on iTunes.

Don't vote in matches if you haven't heard both; and the second post provided a link to a youtube playlist.

[spiritualized]

The Dismemberment Plan won that vote for me by virtue of actually being on Spotify. Maybe Bill Callahan is better than the Beatles, I have no idea and I don't want to spend the money on iTunes.

It's on YT ?

Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle

[StevieFan13]

The Dismemberment Plan won that vote for me by virtue of actually being on Spotify. Maybe Bill Callahan is better than the Beatles, I have no idea and I don't want to spend the money on iTunes.

It's on YT ?

Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle

Whoops. Unprofessional of me. I'll give it a listen.

[babydoll]

I think her music was indeed unique. Her hits were memorable - "Rhythm Nation", anyone?" - and her classic four albums were experimental (for pop) and never borderlined (yep, I just made that word up) on tedious. Well... I never knew quite what to say about her music, but it was something special.

Hmm...tedious is the exact word I was looking for to describe The Velvet Rope, actually...that album felt endless. I liked a lot of the songs, but I didn't need them in that amount.

Well, I'm sorry you and Rob feel that way. I personally think it's a wonderful album and I am sure that you two both have favorites that sound tedious to me, too. Thanks for giving it a try, though.

But am I the only person who thought that the 39 minutes of Acabou chorare felt even longer than Bach's St. Matthew Passion? I was bored out of my mind. That album felt tedious by the second song. I'm really not going to be voting this year in the MCCA - this was an exception as I've heard both of these albums - but I have a feeling that if I was, this album will be the Hail to the Thief. The album that everyone else loves that I absolutely loathe.

[DaveC]

Interesting discussion. I enjoyed Acabou chorare, but not as much as my favourite find this week: Long Season.

However, the album I really couldn't connect with was Almendra. Obviously I am out of step on this one. This is one of the positives of this game: That albums appreciated by other voters come around again some weeks later. It is a bit like sleeping on something, so that the subsequent listens can give a whole new perspective (or maybe not, but you never know).

[BleuPanda]

Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare (9.0)
Fishmans - Long Season (8.0)
Almendra - Almendra (7.75)
Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope (7.5)
Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo (7.5)
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (7.25)
The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I (7.0)
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau (6.75)

[notbrianeno]

1. Bill Callahan | Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. The Dismemberment Plan | Emergency & I
2. Novos Baianos | Acabou chorare vs. Janet Jackson | The Velvet Rope
3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs | Chau vs. Almendra | Almendra

Discovery of the week goes to Bill Callahan's excellent album! Really wish Drag City would open up their streaming policy so the world could discover the virtues of him, Joanna Newsom, and Jim O'Rourke!

[spiritualized]

Polarized contests this week, but overall weaker than the first instalment, and I think that the Argentines are over-represented in this quadrant !

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (4.0) vs. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I (3.5)

I have been a big fan of Smog and enjoyed Callahan's subsequent album to "Eagle", but this is better. Somuchso that "Emergency & I" got downgraded a notch from my original rating. I like the Dismemberment Plan angular indie rock and their originality. Bill Callahan's voice and songwriting nudges past though.

2. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare (4.5) vs. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope (3.5)
Great debate on this contest. I, for one, was taken by Novos Baianos. Great atmosphere, you almost can FEEL Brazil with this record. I, on the other hand, am NOT a Janet Jackson fan as I always saw her as an ersatz of her brother. Not so much on Velvet Rope though. Yes it's long, very long, but it's rather enjoyable and easy listening. And Q-Tip features...

3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau (2.0) vs. Almendra - Almendra (2.5)

The weakest match-up so far, a battle of the Argentines in two totally different styles. The Cadillacs remind me far too much of a small French village band hired to do the summer parties around the countryside. Yes it's rather entertaining until you see your grand aunt jigging to the music. Almendra is too off-kilter for my enjoyment, but it takes the cake.

4. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo (2.5) vs. Fishmans - Long Season (3.0)

[EmilienDelRey]

Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare
Fishmans - Long Season
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
Almendra - Almendra
Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau

[Honorio]

Well, it's always nice and welcomed to have some discussion but… Absolutely loathe? Long and tedious? Are you sure, my friends? Both albums are very good in my opinion, a kind of concept albums, one about joy amidst the adversity ("Acabou chorare" means "No More Crying"), created by a band that lived in a hippie commune during the hardest times of the Brazilian dictatorship period. And "The Velvet Rope" ended being the template of the "rebel record" for mainstream pop artists, daring to board themes like bisexuality, bondage or domestic violence and being a brilliant album but, yes, maybe too long. But this is a common fault on too many albums from the mid 1990s to the late 2000s, the peak of the CD era, when it seemed that every album should be longer than 1 hour (especially in Hip Hop and R&B genres). Fortunately the streaming era is taking back the albums to the more easy-to-handle 45 minutes length.
And now please allow me a general consideration about comments and games (and please don't get me wrong). While it's perfectly fine to express your opinions about albums or songs (every artist should face some criticism when he/she exposes his/her work to the world) games like this one are designed to show to the other forum participants some lesser known (or overlooked) albums that we love to a certain extent. I mean every album on this list has at least one forumer that like it and want to share it with the rest of us, so there's no need to be harsh with the choices. I didn't like too much "Bend Sinister" last week but of course I didn't loathe it, in fact I think I could understand the reasons why the one who nominated liked it.
But sometimes it's not like that. And I think this is the reason why I stopped participating on the AM Forum games that involve voting for other people's nominations (Overlooked Songs was the last time) since I was getting more and more uncomfortable about seeing some of our beloved albums, songs or acts being bashed or ignored, while I continued participating in games not involving nominations like the Individual Artist Polls (until it disappeared), Decade Polls, Rank the Tracks and games like 5873/6000. I still want to participate in Moderately Acclaimed (I love the game that much that it's too late to stop now) and probably I will participate in B-Sides 2 too.
But this is simply my opinion. Please please please don't stop making comments or participating on the games you like. This is a free world (or it should be).

[Romain]

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. 7. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
4. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare vs. 8. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau vs. 2. Almendra - Almendra
5. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo vs. 6. Fishmans - Long Season

[bonnielaurel]

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
Almendra - Almendra
Fishmans - Long Season

[Rob]

And now please allow me a general consideration about comments and games (and please don't get me wrong). While it's perfectly fine to express your opinions about albums or songs (every artist should face some criticism when he/she exposes his/her work to the world) games like this one are designed to show to the other forum participants some lesser known (or overlooked) albums that we love to a certain extent. I mean every album on this list has at least one forumer that like it and want to share it with the rest of us, so there's no need to be harsh with the choices. I didn't like too much "Bend Sinister" last week but of course I didn't loathe it, in fact I think I could understand the reasons why the one who nominated liked it.
But sometimes it's not like that. And I think this is the reason why I stopped participating on the AM Forum games that involve voting for other people's nominations (Overlooked Songs was the last time) since I was getting more and more uncomfortable about seeing some of our beloved albums, songs or acts being bashed or ignored, while I continued participating in games not involving nominations like the Individual Artist Polls (until it disappeared), Decade Polls, Rank the Tracks and games like 5873/6000. I still want to participate in Moderately Acclaimed (I love the game that much that it's too late to stop now) and probably I will participate in B-Sides 2 too.
But this is simply my opinion. Please please please don't stop making comments or participating on the games you like. This is a free world (or it should be).

I'm sorry you feel that way. For me, list-making and voting are always more interesting as an excuse for writing and reading about music, along with the discovery part of course. The final results of the game aren't what interest me most. I'm always curious to hear what other people think about songs and albums, especially because there are people here with great knowledge of music (like yourself) or otherwise unique visions. And I find reading and discussing different viewpoint refreshing. Moonbeam for example has a taste in music that's not close to mine (as is probably clear by now, 80's and 90's pop isn't my cup of tea), but his passion for it helps my appreciation. Dissonant voices are part of the parcel for me, as they learn us how different music can be perceived. Sometimes criticism almost paradoxically opens your eyes to new depths of music.

I do think that all should be presented as personal and as open for discussion, but I also feel that leaving negative commentary out of the way is somewhat fake. When I'm writing about albums that I don't care for like The Velvet Rope, I really don't mean anything more with it than that I, well, don't care for it. It's not meant to turn other people away from it or to instigate a down-vote or any of that.

[StevieFan13]

Whenever I express personal dislike for a band or album or song, I never intend any offense toward people who enjoy them - hell, unless I find the artist personally reprehensible, I typically try to avoid saying anything personally attacking the artists as well. I try to look at the bright side more than the bad, so I hope I never come off like I'm dismissing someone for enjoying music. If it isn't hurting anyone and makes them happy, I have no complaints.

[babydoll]

Well, it's always nice and welcomed to have some discussion but… Absolutely loathe? Long and tedious? Are you sure, my friends? Both albums are very good in my opinion, a kind of concept albums, one about joy amidst the adversity ("Acabou chorare" means "No More Crying"), created by a band that lived in a hippie commune during the hardest times of the Brazilian dictatorship period. And "The Velvet Rope" ended being the template of the "rebel record" for mainstream pop artists, daring to board themes like bisexuality, bondage or domestic violence and being a brilliant album but, yes, maybe too long. But this is a common fault on too many albums from the mid 1990s to the late 2000s, the peak of the CD era, when it seemed that every album should be longer than 1 hour (especially in Hip Hop and R&B genres). Fortunately the streaming era is taking back the albums to the more easy-to-handle 45 minutes length.
And now please allow me a general consideration about comments and games (and please don't get me wrong). While it's perfectly fine to express your opinions about albums or songs (every artist should face some criticism when he/she exposes his/her work to the world) games like this one are designed to show to the other forum participants some lesser known (or overlooked) albums that we love to a certain extent. I mean every album on this list has at least one forumer that like it and want to share it with the rest of us, so there's no need to be harsh with the choices. I didn't like too much "Bend Sinister" last week but of course I didn't loathe it, in fact I think I could understand the reasons why the one who nominated liked it.
But sometimes it's not like that. And I think this is the reason why I stopped participating on the AM Forum games that involve voting for other people's nominations (Overlooked Songs was the last time) since I was getting more and more uncomfortable about seeing some of our beloved albums, songs or acts being bashed or ignored, while I continued participating in games not involving nominations like the Individual Artist Polls (until it disappeared), Decade Polls, Rank the Tracks and games like 5873/6000. I still want to participate in Moderately Acclaimed (I love the game that much that it's too late to stop now) and probably I will participate in B-Sides 2 too.
But this is simply my opinion. Please please please don't stop making comments or participating on the games you like. This is a free world (or it should be).

So sorry, Hail to the Thief wasn't the best comparison for Acabou chorare. I can certainly appreciate that album, in fact, it's quite interesting at times, but it was a chore for me. I was talking about my feelings about it, and I mentioned that everyone else will probably love it, but not me, almost exactly like my feelings for Hail to the Thief. And that fact that everyone else will love it is probably a good thing in the long run. It certainly didn't mean to be that negative and I certainly don't loathe it - certainly not Hail to the Thief or "A Day in the Life"-level of loathe - which is why I probably shouldn't have even made that comparison in the first place.

I also just wanted to say that I had nominated The Velvet Rope because I felt it needed some reappraisal. Of course, I was disappointed by Rob & spiritualized's comments - the latter of which I both absolutely disagree on and am happy with - but while I acknowledge the album's flaws - it is really long - I wanted to bring to light some of the greatness of Ms. Jackson which it seems to have. Overall, I am actually honestly happy with the reception it's received here.

I certainly hope you do participate in future tournaments, because you do nominate some really, really good choices.

[BleuPanda]

And to add my voice into that discussion, the only reason I brought up the tediousness of The Velvet Rope is because babydoll claimed the opposite, so I just wanted to point out that some people do in fact find a 75 minute pop album tedious. I still have an overall positive opinion of the album (see my 7.5/10 rating), but if you were to ask me the leading issue with the album, it would be its length; I'm sure it would gain at least one notch if it cut a bit of excess (in the end, it isn't a genre fit for me, but that's not a problem with the record).

I think part of the appeal of an exploration of less acclaimed works is to see both sides; why does it deserve to be more highly regarded, but also why would people resist that movement? This feels especially relevant with albums by famous artists, where the issue isn't going to be that people that would like it simply aren't aware of it. At least for me, when I submit albums for Moderately Acclaimed, it's because I want a question answered: why don't people love this as much as I do? Sure, I'd love to see everyone fall in love with Naked City and have it win the whole thing, but I'd much rather see the discourse it creates; much like with The Velvet Rope, I'm sure the things I love about Naked City will be the same things others hate.

In the end, I tried to get people talking about John Zorn in a topic dedicated to him and I think one or two people checked him out. This is a more immediate way to get people to listen, and I want their thoughts, good or bad.

[babydoll]

And to add my voice into that discussion, the only reason I brought up the tediousness of The Velvet Rope is because babydoll claimed the opposite, so I just wanted to point out that some people do in fact find a 75 minute pop album tedious. I still have an overall positive opinion of the album (see my 7.5/10 rating), but if you were to ask me the leading issue with the album, it would be its length; I'm sure it would gain at least one notch if it cut a bit of excess (in the end, it isn't a genre fit for me, but that's not a problem with the record).

Oh... It looks like I accidentally forgot to type in the words "for me, at least." My brain just works at a much rapid rate than I type that I sometimes forget to type in words or phrases. In this case, it was a quite important phrase that I didn't type in.

Sorry for that, Bleu.

[BleuPanda]

And to add my voice into that discussion, the only reason I brought up the tediousness of The Velvet Rope is because babydoll claimed the opposite, so I just wanted to point out that some people do in fact find a 75 minute pop album tedious. I still have an overall positive opinion of the album (see my 7.5/10 rating), but if you were to ask me the leading issue with the album, it would be its length; I'm sure it would gain at least one notch if it cut a bit of excess (in the end, it isn't a genre fit for me, but that's not a problem with the record).

Oh... It looks like I accidentally forgot to type in the words "for me, at least." My brain just works at a much rapid rate than I type that I sometimes forget to type in words or phrases. In this case, it was a quite important phrase that I didn't type in.

Sorry for that, Bleu.

Eh, even then, I would have likely shared my contrary opinion, just to show where the less-enthused of us might be coming from. Of course, genre can have a major influence, my endurance for folk and electronic is a lot higher than my endurance for pop.

I think part of the problem (at least for me) is that this tournament inherently makes me think of these works in relation to their critical acclaim and the relativity of it all. Especially with albums by famous artists, I tend to go in questioning 'so, why isn't this as discussed as (other works by the same artist).' ...which tends to highlight my negative thoughts instead of positive ones, even if my overall opinion would likely be the same.

[notbrianeno]

I would also hope that all of us are thick-skinned enough to not take negative criticism of an album we nominated too personally. Music is subjective after all, and it would be ingenuous for someone to assume unanimous positive feedback from their nomination.

[spiritualized]

Sometimes criticism almost paradoxically opens your eyes to new depths of music.

Spot on Rob. This is exactly what happened with Velvet Rope and me... I started with a huge pre-judgment on Janet Jackson, but reading Babydoll's opinion on the album made me listen to it from a different angle and enjoy it far more than if the discussion hadn't taken place at all...

For me, nominating in these games will mean that you are ready to accept some flak. Not everyone will like your favorite album. I tried to do this with wife and kids, and boy did I get some backlash

[Nassim]

For me, nominating in these games will mean that you are ready to accept some flak. Not everyone will like your favorite album. I tried to do this with wife and kids, and boy did I get some backlash

Wait, did you enroll your wife and kids in an online poll to see if people like them?!!!

[StevieFan13]

For me, nominating in these games will mean that you are ready to accept some flak. Not everyone will like your favorite album. I tried to do this with wife and kids, and boy did I get some backlash

Wait, did you enroll your wife and kids in an online poll to see if people like them?!!!

I'm getting it with Chau, and I don't expect it to get better when Dare to Be Stupid shows up.

[BleuPanda]

For me, nominating in these games will mean that you are ready to accept some flak. Not everyone will like your favorite album. I tried to do this with wife and kids, and boy did I get some backlash

Wait, did you enroll your wife and kids in an online poll to see if people like them?!!!

I'm getting it with Chau, and I don't expect it to get better when Dare to Be Stupid shows up.

You might be in luck; it's facing off against an electronic video game soundtrack in the first round. I like Weird Al, it's just hard to compare what he's doing to other musicians.

My main issue with Chau is it's hard for me to appreciate a live album from a band I haven't heard much else by. Matador has easily placed into my top 500 song range since getting introduced to it, but I feel there has to be a better entry point on the album front.

[StevieFan13]

If I had figured out a better representative album,I would've brought it up. I mostly know LFC for their songs, and I'm pretty sure a best-of would've been ineligible. In hindsight, I should've switched it with my #6 (Gogol Bordello's Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike), which is another underrated band but with a better representative album.

[spiritualized]

For me, nominating in these games will mean that you are ready to accept some flak. Not everyone will like your favorite album. I tried to do this with wife and kids, and boy did I get some backlash

Wait, did you enroll your wife and kids in an online poll to see if people like them?!!!

Hahahaha that cracked me up I guess my English-teaching wife would probably have a few things to say about my sentence building

[spiritualized]

If I had figured out a better representative album,I would've brought it up. I mostly know LFC for their songs, and I'm pretty sure a best-of would've been ineligible. In hindsight, I should've switched it with my #6 (Gogol Bordello's Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike), which is another underrated band but with a better representative album.

Did you nominate Chau ? I assumed it was one our Hispanics forumers who did... I was a bit harsh with Chau, but it really had a weird impression on me.

[StevieFan13]

If I had figured out a better representative album,I would've brought it up. I mostly know LFC for their songs, and I'm pretty sure a best-of would've been ineligible. In hindsight, I should've switched it with my #6 (Gogol Bordello's Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike), which is another underrated band but with a better representative album.

Did you nominate Chau ? I assumed it was one our Hispanics forumers who did... I was a bit harsh with Chau, but it really had a weird impression on me.

I hear that. I'm a huge LFC fan, even though I'm a gringo (seeing them next month, in fact!). Better albums are Vasos Vacios or one of their best-of albums.

[Jirin]

I never cared for Bill Callahan or Smog. I find his talk-singing voice kind of obnoxious. This one song of his 'The Well' I find particularly obnoxious privileged pseudo-philosophical nonsense.

[Honorio]

Thanks for your comments everyone. In fact I agree with most of them, especially with Rob about how criticism can be positive too. And of course you can't have positive feelings about every work of art, negativity is fundamental to develop your own opinion. I was thinking along the lines of respect when I wrote the previous post. But anyway I realize now that I shouldn't have been so open expressing why I stopped participating in some AMF games, for three main reasons:
1. Just a few days before writing it I just gave up on my self-imposed ban. During the first two days of the B-sides 2 nomination phase I was not going to participate again. But then I thought WTF, why not? So I began to throw some nominations on the table. I'm still not sure why after changing my mind about the subject I decided to share it with you (moreover when the main reason for not participating more on the Forum is lack of spare time). Not a big deal anyway.
2. My personal experience with the feedback on my nominations so far had been mainly positive (I even remember MAA4 with 3 of my nominations on semifinals). So maybe I shouldn't have been so thin-skinned about the subject, there was no reason to be afraid about my babies being exposed to the world. Anyway maybe some of you would agree about being (not worried but at least) curious about the fate of your own nominations. As an example, BleuPanda surely is curious about the performance of Zorn against Minogue next week (by the way, after many deliberations with myself I decided to give my vote next week for "Naked City" even if it faces my favourite album of Kylie).
3. But the main reason why I regretted my previous post is that it came from a misunderstanding on my part. I admit I overeacted when I saw the word "loathe" tied with Novos Baianos. I mean, that band was so absolutely lovable, their album was all about positivity, about the joy of life, enriching the traditional sounds of Samba and Bossa with a laid-back hippie vibe. Like they said on their song "Beta é tu" "Why not living in this world / When there aren't any other worlds to live in?" But after reading the second post of babydoll I realized that the loathing was not directed to "Acabou chorare" but to "Hail to the Thief." Moreover I should say that I understand your feelings about those albums-that-everyone-else-loves-that-I-absolutely-loathes, my more recent case were the last albums by the Knowles sisters, two albums I actually bought because of the hype and I don't loathe but definitely I don't "get" the acclaim.
P.S. It may seem but "Acabou chorare" was not my nomination. In fact it's an album I barely knew before this game but now it had quickly become a favourite of mine. Whoever was who nominated it, thank you...

[babydoll]

Honorio, you're a doctor, aren't you? I'm honestly surprised that you had as much time to dedicate to this forum as you have. And I think you may have misunderstood my comparison to Hail to the Thief. My post wasn't simply dedicated to my hatred of that album; it was saying that people really love that album (it honestly deserved to get clobbered by On the Corner last year), much to my flabbergasted surprise. Acabou chorare, while I can understand the likeability of it, will probably do incredibly well. In that sense, my post mainly served as a prediction. And I really liked Lemonade last year, but I was too critical of it. This year, I gave it another spin, and it's quickly become one of my most favorite albums of all time. Newly developed situations have caused it to become probably the most important album of my life right now. However, I understand why you might not like it; my critical listen to it caused all the flaws to show up and not enough of the brilliancy.

And, Bleu, I nominated Kylie's Fever, an album I want everyone to fall in love, too, and win the whole thing. Of course, that won't happen, but like my hopes that The Velvet Rope will cause people to gain an appreciation for Janet Jackson, which it seems it has, I want people to realize that there are good pop albums. "Can't Get You Out of My Head", a pop song that is doing overwhelming well in the 2001 poll, isn't the only great song on that album. Of course, you love John Zorn's album and want people to realize that, and naturally, you're probably going to not vote for Fever on the basis it's against one of your nominations and a much-loved album. Honestly, I don't want to seem too much like a poptimist, but at times, it feels like there's a heavy rock-centered bias, and I want to add some pop in the mix. That being said, I may or may not like John Zorn's album. It'll definitely be on my radar. I honestly fell in love with Cowboy Bebop, even though I listened to it only once, last year when you nominated it, and I gave Sound of Silver because you loved it and I liked it a lot. You're doing a lot of good to me, too. Honestly, I don't give a fuck about whether Kylie does well. Like I said, I just want people to realize there's good pop albums out there. Fever is probably one of the most accessible, constantly good albums there is, hence my nomination.

[PlasticRam]

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I

Forgot to mention last week that Aerial Ballet is a discovery that's now on my all-time list. Emergency and I is also on my all-time list.

[jamieW]

The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare
Almendra - Almendra
Fishmans - Long Season

This might be the closest week ever between my #1 and #8 album - I like them all, but don't love any of them. (Though if the center of "Long Season" had been as great as Pts. 1 & 5, it would've definitely been love at first listen.)

[Smithers-Jones]

The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare
Almendra - Almendra
Sods Stereo - Sueño Stereo

[antonius]

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
2. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare
3. pass
4. pass

[Rob]

Don't have time for comments just now; I will add them to this post later tomorrow. Just want to get my vote in so I'm sure I'm on time. Let's say for now that the top 3 for me this week are amazing. Hard to rank them and I'm happy to see they don't face off against each other.

*Edited with comments:

2. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. 4. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Emergency & I sure is a great ride. I like the way it just goes in many directions while still sounding like a complete work. Only the voice of the lead singer sometimes lets it down, but overall it is a very good album.
Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle is far more uniform, more predictable in it's genre trappings. It is done so well however, with much depth and insight, that it still easily defeats The Dismemberment Plan. To me, the final track - Faith/ Void - is one for the ages.

3. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare vs. 8. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
Enough has perhaps been said about this match-up. Still, it is worth mentioning that Acabou chorare is a spirited exploration of Latin-American music and lots of things beyond. Ans when I say "spirited" is mean it's full of the spirit of life.
I liked The Velvet Rope a little bit more the second time around, but this is never going to be my favorite kind of music. Still, I like Together Again.

5. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau vs. 6. Almendra - Almendra
The toughest choice this week doesn't feature the most exciting albums. I liked both, but don't see me returning to any of them once this tournament is done. The two first tracks of Almendra are so great that it threatens to be a masterwork like Acabou chorare, but the other tracks are hit and miss. It's sometimes hard for me to quite get a feeling for what they go for. Maybe if I could understand the lyrics it might click more.
Chau is far more accessible, even if it sometimes feels like crashing a party where everyone knows one another and you don't know anyone. It has a big sing-alone appeal to it, so it probably works best if you actually know the songs and can sing along. I don't think Chau was ever meant as an introduction for Los Fabulosos Caddilacs, but is mostly for established fans. Still, it works. The music has a primal appeal, like a lot of great rock. Once the feeling gets to you it becomes very enjoyable. Also, I have seen no live images from these concerts, but it sounds like the drummer is having the time of his life.

7. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo vs. 1. Fishmans - Long Season
Long Season is flawed (I could do without the water effect half-way that simply like someone is having toilet time), but even more it is sheer beauty. It feels like a real discovery: many music sources don't mention it. I've noticed that Spotify have a page for almost every musician, even if they don't actually have the music. Fishmans are an exception. So here I was thinking this game uncovered a real obscure gem, only to find out this actually ranks high in the All Time list from Rate Your Music. Well, good this magnificent and dare I say magical music hasn't gone unnoticed.
Soda Stereo is no match. Am I the only one who thinks that Sueño Stereo sounds like typical Britpop sung in Spanish? It's an okay album with some good track, but to me somewhat nondescript as a whole.

[Kingoftonga]

Winners in red:

1. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle vs. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
2. Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare vs. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
3. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Chau vs. Almendra - Almendra
4. Soda Stereo - Sueño Stereo vs. Fishmans - Long Season