Moderately Acclaimed 3 (MA3) - Round 1.9

[Brad]

Round 1.9
Vote for your favorite in each matchup.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as they've heard both albums!
Deadline = May 7th 10am EST

1. Yes - Fragile vs. Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry vs. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3. Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango vs. Gun Club - Las Vegas Story
4. Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley vs. Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster

Whip It Good!

[Stephan]

Gotan Project starts off really great, but soon becomes way too monotonous. The Gun Club album surprised me a little because I seriously dislike their first two albums; this is actually slightly better than both of those. Still not very good though. Not a great week besides Os Mutantes.

1. Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry
3. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
4. Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley
5. Yes - Fragile
6. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...
7. Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango
8. The Gun Club - Las Vegas Story

[Henrik]

Gotan Project starts off really great, but soon becomes way too monotonous.

I understand this comment. I agree but on a higher level. For me it goes from great individual songs to great background music. It wasn't my nomination but it is probably my favorite of this week's batch.

[Honorio]

1. Yes - Fragile vs. Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry vs. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3. Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango vs. Gun Club - Las Vegas Story
4. Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley vs. Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster...

Voted albums in blue

[Henry]

1. Yes - Fragile wins easily over Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes

I can understand why other AMers are drawn to the VU like sounds of Os Mutantes, but I was not at all enthralled with this album. Fragile is a long-standing favorite of mine, especially Heart of the Sunrise, Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, and South Side of the Sky.

2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry wins over Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

New York Tendaberry has been my favorite find so far in this competition.

[Jirin]

9/1

Yes - Fragile (#582)
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes (#180)

9/2

Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry (#159)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 6/10

9/3

Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango 7/10
The Gun Club - The Las Vegas Story 6/10

In La Revancha del Tango the instrumental parts don't sound natural enough and they do that french-pop thing where the music gets quiet and somebody talks over it, which is kind of jarring and just doesn't work like it does for ol' Serge. It's opponent, however, packs no punch at all, which is pretty important for punk.

9/4

Brad: Abstain for now, but if it's a tie, I will cast the tiebreak for Robert Palmer.

Robert Palmer - Sneakin Through The Alley With Sally 5/10
Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster 4/10

I don't know about anyone else but I find something creepy about hearing these lyrics in a glossy retro-rock context. "I sure would like to handle what's between your ribs!" That's about the creepy-uncle-est thing I've ever heard. But, Los Campesinos have some of the most jarring vocals -- they try to do what Architecture In Helsinki get away with and fail.

I just want to say how awesome these picks have been so far. So far I'm up to week 11 in my listening, and out of those 88 albums, 29 are either already in my top 500 AT or they're 9/10s. That's almost 1/3 of the albums in this competition all time quality for me.

[Brad]

I just want to say how awesome these picks have been so far. So far I'm up to week 11 in my listening, and out of those 88 albums, 29 are either already in my top 500 AT or they're 9/10s. That's almost 1/3 of the albums in this competition all time quality for me.

Completely agree. I'm very pleased with the participation level as well, as I'd had some concern about dwindling interest.
I've said it before - there's just so much great untapped/unheard music. This format should last forever.

[antonius]

I don't know about anyone else but I find something creepy about hearing these lyrics in a glossy retro-rock context. "I sure would like to handle what's between your ribs!" That's about the creepy-uncle-est thing I've ever heard.

I think Robert Palmer sings: "I sure would like to handle what's between your ears!", meaning he would like to kiss her?

[Jirin]

Wow...it is ears. It sounds like ribs.

That's less creepy but makes less sense. Does he want to kiss her nose, or her entire face?

[Brad]

Wow...it is ears. It sounds like ribs.

That's less creepy but makes less sense. Does he want to kiss her nose, or her entire face?

I don't know the full context, but it sounds like he wants to get a grasp on what she's thinking (?)

[antonius]

1. Yes - Fragile
One of the best Yes albums. It's got "Roundabout", "The Fish" and "Long distance Runaround".

Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
This sounds old and too psychedelic sometimes, out of focus. It's got a very good reputation, though.

2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry
Had never heard a record of her, beautiful voice, beautiful singing, instantly familiar, but very original. Like the slow songs more than the uptempo ones. Another discovery!

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
This is ok, but I failed to be moved by it.

3. Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango
It all sounds the same after awhile. They play the single "Epoca" on the radio often over here, and I like that one. Very hip in Belgium!

Gun Club - Las Vegas Story
I knew the first 2 albums, I own "Miami". Both albums are punkier, this one is bluesier. Very eighties, "The Stranger in our town" sounds like the American Echo and the Bunnymen. JL Pierce couldn't sing properly, but he sure could write songs.

4. Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley
Great album. The way the first 3 songs flow over into eachother is pure magic. "Through it all there's you" is overly long but funky as hell. So is the rest of the album. A very underrated album. Anyone who remotely likes Dr.John/Allen Toussaint/New Orleans/70's funk should hear this, as The Meters together with Lowell George play on it. I know, I know, Robert Palmer isn't "in" at all, but to me he made some very decent records, and I think this is his best one.

Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster
Some Arcade Fire influences, lyrics aren't very good, music is, but no competition for the Robert Palmer record.

[Brad]

I'm gonna match antonius on my picks:
1. Yes - Fragile over Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
Love both albums despite their inconsistencies. Yes eeks this battle out. So why do I feel guilty?
2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry over Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
See everyone else's comments re: Laura Nyro. I like the CYHSY album but New York Tendaberry in on another level for me.
3. Gun Club - Las Vegas Story over Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango
I "get" the cool sounds of Gotan Project - it's highly listenable (and potentially tiresome). But despite their lack of perfection, Gun Club's sound strikes me in a primal way, not unlike early Stooges. My pick, I'm sticking by it.
4. Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley over Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster
I've had the Los Campesinos disc since it came out, and am disappointed that it has never grown on me. Robert Palmer has a kind of cool uncool sound, but I'm in a 70's retro mood these days. The title track especially works.

Thnks!

[Michel]

1. Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes

[Greg]

1. Yes - Fragile
2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry
3. Gun Club - Las Vegas Story
4. Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley

[Brad]

About 22 hours left to vote for this week's matchups!

[Kingoftonga]

Winners in blue!

1. Yes - Fragile vs. Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes

Os Mutantes never gets old to me. I like Yes, but they can get tiresome fairly quickly, and I prefer the longer suites of Close to the Edge to Fragile in any case.

2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry vs. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Nyro has a habit of being a bit melodramatic, but she easily wins over CYHSY, which just sounds like generic indie rock to me.

More soon?

[Brad]

Only 9 participants this week:
antonius
Brad
Greg
Henry
Honorio
Jirin
KingofTonga
Michel
Stephan

Winners:
1. Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes over Yes - Fragile 5-4
2. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry over Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 8-0
3. Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango vs. Gun Club - Las Vegas Story TIE 3-3: Next Vote Wins!
4. Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley over Los Campesinos - Hold On Now, Youngster 4-1

Again, next vote in the Gotan Project vs. Gun Club matchup takes it!

Round 1.10 up soon!

[Henrik]

3. Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango

In a different world where everything would sound like "La Revancha del Tango" and "The Las Vegas Story" would be unique I might have voted differently.

[Brad]

Thanks Henrik... based on your post earlier in the week, I kind of hoped you'd be able to make it official.

Gotan Project - La Revancha del Tango wins it, 4-3 (ot)