Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

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Brad
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Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Brad »

Welcome to Round 1.15 of Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8!

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 = June 20th 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. The Beatles - Help! vs. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II
2. Wishbone Ash - Argus vs. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
3. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs vs. Fennesz - Becs
4. Thrice - Major/Minor vs. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara

and Three Ties from Last Week:
1. TIE 7-7 Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out vs. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me *** Next vote from someone who hasn't already voted wins!
2. TIE 8-8 Django Django - Django Django vs. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die *** Next vote from someone who hasn't already voted wins!

3. TIE 7-7 Avey Tare and Panda Bear - Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished vs. Leonard Cohen - Live Songs *** Next vote from someone who hasn't already voted wins!

Lost on the Freeway Again!
Last edited by Brad on Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bang Jan
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Bang Jan »



Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt 2

2 | The Beatles | Help!
7 | Raekwon | Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt 2

5 | Wishbone Ash | Argus
1 | The Red Crayola | The Parable of Arable Land (My nomination)

4 | Nic Jones | Penguin Eggs
3 | Fennesz | Becs

8 | Thrice | Major/Minor
6 | Barbara | Barbara chante Barbara

Favourite song of the week: The Red Crayola | Hurricane Fighter Plane
"The first word in this song is discorporate. It means to leave your body."
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andyd1010
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by andyd1010 »

I vote for Help! and Major/Minor. Two of my favorite albums.

Nothing has ever quite had the effect that Major/Minor did for me when it first came out - Words in the Water especially. I listened through the entire album at least 20 times in the first week. I love Kensrue's vocal style. Melodic, but also gritty at times, emotional and passionate. But it's a very personal choice, since I don't know anyone else who has even bothered to listen to it, let alone enjoy it. Still, feel free to critique it. Since I don't know anyone else who's heard it, I haven't heard any other opinions on it (although I see that so far it has received only a last-place vote, unsurprisingly).

Help! has the trifecta of Yesterday-Help!-Ticket to Ride, so I'm surprised that wasn't enough to get it into the top 500.
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Honorio
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Honorio »


1. The Beatles - Help! (1965) vs. Chef Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt II (2009)


2. Wishbone Ash - Argus (1972) vs. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land (1967)


3. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs (1980) vs. Fennesz - Bécs (2014)


4. Thrice - Major/Minor (2011) vs. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara (1964)

Favourite song from every album:
I Need You | New Wu | Throw Down the Sword | Hurricane Fighter Plane | Canadee-I-O | Liminality | Promises | Nantes

Favourite song of the week: I Need You
DaveC
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by DaveC »

1. The Beatles - Help! vs. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II
2. Wishbone Ash - Argus (#20 AT) vs. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
3. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs vs. Fennesz - Becs (Near enough a coin toss)
4. Thrice - Major/Minor vs. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara
hectorthebat
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by hectorthebat »

1. The Beatles - Help! vs. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II
2. Wishbone Ash - Argus vs. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
3. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs vs. Fennesz - Becs
4. Thrice - Major/Minor vs. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Jirin »

Only Built For Cuban Linx...Pt 2 87 - Help! 86
Argus 89 - The Parable Of Arable Land 82
Becs 91 - Penguin Eggs 85
Barbara chante Barbara 83 - Major/Minor 74
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bonnielaurel
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by bonnielaurel »

The Beatles - Help!
Wishbone Ash - Argus
Fennesz - Becs
Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara
De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum.
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by EmilienDelRey »

The Beatles - Help!
The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by jamieW »

The Beatles - Help!
The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
Fennesz - Becs
Thrice - Major/Minor

Favorite album I couldn't vote for: Wishbone Ash - Argus
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luney6
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by luney6 »

The Beatles - Help!
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John
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by John »

1. The Beatles - Help! vs. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II
Very underrated Beatles album, at least 10 great songs here.
2. Wishbone Ash - Argus vs. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
Very accessible prog, very similar to some of King Crimson's best and even calls up Pink Floyd a little bit. Easily their best album and probably makes my top 100 list.
3. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs vs. Fennesz - Becs
No vote here because I haven't heard the Fennesz album but I'm not a fan of Penguin Eggs.
4. Thrice - Major/Minor vs. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara
No vote, haven't heard either.
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BleuPanda
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by BleuPanda »

Winners bolded.


The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land (8.5/10)
Fennesz - Becs (8/10)
Wishbone Ash - Argus (7.75/10)
The Beatles - Help! (7.5/10)
Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs (7.25/10)
Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II (7/10)
Thrice - Major/Minor (5.5/10)
Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara (5/10)
Brad
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Brad »

Anyone else care to give this a shot?:
3. TIE 7-7 Avey Tare and Panda Bear - Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished vs. Leonard Cohen - Live Songs *** Next vote from someone who hasn't already voted wins!
Brad
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Brad »

My picks:
1. The Beatles - Help! vs. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II
2. Wishbone Ash - Argus vs. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
3. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs vs. Fennesz - Becs
4. Thrice - Major/Minor vs. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara

Thanks!

About 20 hours left to vote!
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spiritualized
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by spiritualized »

1. The Beatles - Help! (4.0) vs. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II (2.5)
2. Wishbone Ash - Argus (3.0) vs. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land (2.5)
3. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs (2.0) vs. Fennesz - Becs (4.0)
4. Thrice - Major/Minor (4.0) vs. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara (1.5)
Well impressed by Thrice - I very much liked "Ambulance", but it feels this one is even better.
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Rob
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Rob »

6. The Beatles - Help! vs. 2. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II
Raekwon is getting a beating here like there is no tomorrow. Of course, The Beatles are always a dangerous opponent, but in his way Raekwon out-Beatles the Fab Four themselves here. Usually it is or Liverpudlian group that makes the most varies album; that's part of their virtue. Not really so with Help!. It's still a very good album, by any measure, but hardly it contains no surprises in the way their best albums do.
Now, Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt II is an epic in any sense of the word. It's got great variety. Musical depth and lyrical power to spare. Better even, despite YouTube breaking the continues flow the album goes for you can still easily experience how well everything fits together here. No mean feat considering how much Raekwon is balancing here. I haven't heard Part I actually, but still I can't help but being deeply impressed with Part II.

5. Wishbone Ash - Argus vs. 1. The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
Argus is a very good prog rock album, of the kind that easily appeals to people who wouldn't normally touch the genre with a ten foot pole. That's because it never gets too weird and normal instruments are used. If this sounds like back-handed praise, it isn't. I like Argus. Especially the second half got great songs.
But The Parable of Arable Land belongs to that ever-fun group of truly weird albums who, if they are not by any member of Animal Collective, I tend to love. The Red Crayola debut is no exception. It's seriously insane and I love every minute of it.

8. Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs vs. 3. Fennesz - Becs
Penguin Eggs was a disappointment. I thought I would love it, but it felt like a sub-standard folk album. Well-played and sung perhaps, but with little that makes it truly stand out.
Becs is gorgeous. One of the warmest electronic albums I have heard. Should be heard by anyone who claims the genre is cold.

7. Thrice - Major/Minor vs. 4. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara
I long thought that the chanson was not for me, but a couple of artists have proven otherwise to me. Barbara chante Barbara is a good example. It's a very good, cool mood piece, sung with a great voice.
Major/Minor was a pleasant surprise too. Not a unique album in any sense, but it's rock played very well, with a couple of truly memorable song and perhaps one genre masterwork in Promises. I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
Brad
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by Brad »

15 total voters this week:
andy1010
Bang Jan
BleuPanda
bonnielaurel
Brad
DaveC
EmilienDelRey
hectorthebat
Honorio
jamieW
Jirin
John
luney6
Rob
spiritualized

Winners:
1. The Beatles - Help! over Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt II 12-3
2. Wishbone Ash - Argus over The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land 8-5
3. Fennesz - Becs over Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs 9-2
4. Barbara - Barbara chante Barbara over Thrice - Major/Minor 7-6

Round 1.16 up soon!
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andyd1010
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 - Round 1.15

Post by andyd1010 »

Tough loss, but Major/Minor did better than I expected. Nice to see some people appreciated Promises. That's some high praise, Rob, but I would agree.
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