Match-ups:
1. Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle vs. The Black Keys - Brothers
2. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact vs. Pavement - Wowee Zowee
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour) vs. The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too vs. AC/DC - Ballbreaker
We also have a tie from the last round: The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed vs. Pixies - Trompe le Monde ***TIE!!! 7-7! Next vote from someone who has not already voted for this matchup wins!!!***[/b]
These braying sheep on my TV screen
Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!
Last edited by Brad on Tue Jun 19, 2018 6:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
4. Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle (1967) vs. 1. The Black Keys - Brothers (2010)
5. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact (2011) vs. 7. Pavement - Wowee Zowee (1995)
2. Fred Pallem & Friendz - Le Sacre du Tympan (Le Retour!) (2005) vs. 3. The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip (1994)
6. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too (1998) vs. 8. AC/DC - Ballbreaker (1995)
Favourite song from every album:
Palm Street | Howlin' for You | Glass Jar | We Dance | Train fantôme (pour Screamin' Jay Hawkins) | Born on a Train | You Get What You Give | Ballbreaker
1. The Black Keys - Brothers
2. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour)
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
Song Cycle 88 - Brothers 80
Eye Contact 96 = Wowee Zowee 79
The Charm of the Highway Strip 89 - Le sacre du tympan 74
Ballbreaker 77 - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too 72
Small note about New Radicals. Last time they came up I made a comment about how I found the celebrity bashing lyrics at the end a little pandery. Somebody responded, I forget who, it was an experiment to first make controversial political statements and then bash celebrities and see which one gets a stronger response.
Only problem with that is, I listened to that song maybe 100 times in the 90s, and I never had any god damn idea what those lyrics were. "Health insurance ripoff lyin FDA big bankers buyin". Up until the time I looked up the lyrics for that conversation, I never had any god damn idea what they were actually saying. I always heard them as "Helthen shurren with Bob Blian" or something. They were awkwardly phrased and even if you understood them, they're not very strong statements. Kind of like if Britta from Community started a political rant and wasn't sure quite where she was going with it? So, that is a failed experiment.
1. The Black Keys - Brothers
2. Pavement - Wowee Zowee
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour)
4. New Radicals - Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too
Very good: Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
Good:
The Black Keys - Brothers Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour)
Okay:
The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
Pavement - Wowee Zowee
AC/DC - Ballbreaker
Whenever I listen to AC/DC, I remember a story I heard on the radio many years ago where a band member (I think it was Brian Johnson) was asked in an interview if he's ever noticed that a lot of AC/DC songs sound alike. He immediately took offense and snapped at the interviewer, "ALL of our songs sound alike!"
My picks:
1. Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle vs. The Black Keys - Brothers
2. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact vs. Pavement - Wowee Zowee
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour) vs. The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too vs. AC/DC - Ballbreaker
1. Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle (3/10) vs. The Black Keys - Brothers (8/10)
2. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact (5/10) vs. Pavement - Wowee Zowee (9/10)
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour) (7/10) vs. The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip (6/10)
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too vs. AC/DC - Ballbreaker
8. Van Dyke Parks – Song Cycle
I didn’t expect it coming in, but turns out Song Cycle is an experimental album. It doesn’t have that reputation as far as I know, but this is inaccessible, non-linear, disruptive music. The only difference with all other experimental music is that this one works in the idiom of baroque pop. I already knew Van Dyke Parks as a collaborator on The Smile Sessions by The Beach Boys and that album actually gave a hint of the experimentations here. Still, The Smile Sessions was still a pop album. A weird one, yes, but still. Song Cycle feels more like a collection of sounds and lyrics that at least to me never come together, let alone make sense. I have to say though, that the instrumental track Donovan’s Colours was by far the best here. Does Van Dyke Parks work better if he doesn’t sing? I’m not sure; I only know that whereas I love The Smile Sessions to bits, this didn’t connect with me at all.
7. AC/DC – Ballbreaker
Since AC/DC isn’t an AM kind of band I love it that someone had the audacity of not only adding one of their albums, but also one of their latter-day, lesser rated works. Without one of the recognizable songs, no less. I like AC/DC, even if they are the very definition for me of “a little goes a long way”. I prefer one or two songs at a time above a full album experience. The reason is that it gets much the same rather fast. Heck, this is the only band I know that not only admits that they are a one-trick act, but take pride in that very fact. Nonetheless, it is a trick I kind of like, so let’s see what we have here. The usual of course, but sadly it seems that they aren’t playing at full energy. That while energy is their main selling point. Some of the songs are still fun, especially the opener, but I can’t help the feeling that by this time these guys were phoning it in a bit.
6. Pavement – Wowee Zowee
Disclaimer: this is the first time I listened to a Pavement album. To go further, they might be the most acclaimed act I hardly ever paid attention to before. I heard some of their songs before in various playlists, but they never persuaded me to get deeper into them. Except, Harness Your Hopes, a song that for some reason recently clicked with me. Wowee Zowee not so much. If I’m correct this is not the right album to start with them, as it is said to be somewhat inaccessible. Indeed, somewhat. This isn’t experimental music exactly, but it is still rock without clear hooks or melodies, a voice that is not very immediate and lyrics that take a while to grasp. It is rather varied too. Mostly, it feels like I have nothing to hang on to. Two listens is not enough to get it (which seems to be the common consensus). Whether I’ll ever love it is still up in the air, but for now it doesn’t hit me enough to get my vote.
5. New Radicals – Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too
Another one of those albums that showed up in this game three years ago. It was how I remembered it: a fun album with no weak tracks but only one great song (You Get What You Give of course). It comes off as a bit of a slight and inessential album to me; one I never think of playing. But when I play it I have to admit that I have good time with it.
4. The Magnetic Fields – The Charm of the Highway Strip
This is one of those albums that is a subtle oddity. It is indie rock with country influences about travelling, but somehow I’m thinking of gaming. Is it just me or do I hear echoes of some 8-bit tunes as well as the Donkey Kong Country soundtracks in this? Well, that would be an original influence for this kind of band, even if the DKC series was at a peak when this came out. Anyway, this is a great album for a quiet Sunday morning, when these tales of the road have ample time to worm their way in your mind.
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le Retour)
Another unusual album, but here the main influence is clear: Henry Mancini! That’s a famous artist that isn’t referenced much, so this is a nice change of pace. What I like is that Pallem takes the Mancini sound and runs wild with it. So there are lose, comedy like pieces as well as dark, almost disturbing tunes. There is even a track that earns the title Sexy Sax. Some of these songs have quite the length and these are the best as it allows Pallem to play with the general sound and vary as if we are watching a film were the one thing happens after the other. Great addition to this game!
2. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact
I only heard of this band last year, when their song House Jam joined the 2000’s Decade Poll of this forum. That song didn’t connect with me, but Eye Contact does. Man, Glass Jar and Adult Goth are amazing songs. Even the interlude between them is wonderful. These two songs are masterpieces that I want to listen to for many more times. The rest of the album is pretty great too, but doesn’t have the depth and variety of these two songs. Not that these other tracks are half-assed or lesser. It’s just that they come after works as ordained by the Gods. Heck, Glass Jar and Adult Goth are so good they would have carried this album almost to #1 of the week, no matter how ridiculous this sounds.
1. The Black Keys – Brothers
This is an album I have owned and loved since some time shortly after it came out, but I hadn’t heard it in quite some years. Seems like it has only grown with time for me. No matter that a lot of these songs are about failed love and unreliable women, this still sounds like a very sexy album to me. Something about the dirty production mixed with sweet guitars hits a special place. That it works as some sort off party music in a time when rockers hardly seem to try to make music for parties anymore is an added bonus. It also goes strong for one hour. One of the best rock albums of the last 10 years if you ask me, and perhaps an inspiration to another decade favourite of mine: AM by the Arctic Monkeys.
My votes in a simple overview:
1. Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle vs. The Black Keys - Brothers
2. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact vs. Pavement - Wowee Zowee
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour) vs. The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too vs. AC/DC - Ballbreaker
1. Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle vs. The Black Keys - Brothers
2. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact vs. Pavement - Wowee Zowee
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour) vs. The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too vs. AC/DC - Ballbreaker
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too 5/10)vs. AC/DC - Ballbreake(9/10)r
Really don't like New Radicals - Jagger wannabe.
I am, sorry to admit it, the audacious one who nominated ACDC. It actually garnered more votes than I thought
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too 5/10)vs. AC/DC - Ballbreake(9/10)r
Really don't like New Radicals - Jagger wannabe.
I am, sorry to admit it, the audacious one who nominated ACDC. It actually garnered more votes than I thought
14 total voters this week:
Bang Jan
Brad
DaveC
FrankLotion
Honorio
jamieW
Jirin
Kingoftonga
PlasticRam
Rob
Romain
spiritualized
StevieFan13
Sweepstakes Ron
Winners:
1. The Black Keys - Brothers over Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle 10-4
2. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact over Pavement - Wowee Zowee 8-5
3. Fred Pallem - Le sacre du tympan (Le retour) over The Magnetic Fields - The Charm Of The Highway Strip 7-4
4. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too over AC/DC - Ballbreaker 7-4