Moderately Acclaimed 3 (MA3) Round 2.1

[Brad]

The second round begins!

Round 2.1
Vote for your favorite album in each matchup.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as they've heard both albums!
Deadline = July 2nd 10am EST

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy vs. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
2. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst vs. Fela Kuti - Zombie
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go vs. Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee

Also, the following matchups are is awaiting a tie-breakers:
Round 1.15 The Style Council - Our Favourite Shop vs. John Fahey - Fare Forward Voyagers
Round 1.16 Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun vs. Tom Waits - Alice Tom Waits wins 5-4!
Round 1.16 Thomas Newman - American Beauty vs. The Verlaines - Bird Dog The Verlaines wins 4-3!
In each case, NEXT VOTE WINS!!!

Get Yer Groove On!

[Stephan]

1. Fela Kuti - Zombie
2. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
3. Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade
4. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
5. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
6. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
7. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee
8. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst

[Romain]

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
I love the two albums. The hardest match of this turn.
2. Fela Kuti - Zombie
Not even a choice.
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
Idem here.
4. Pass

[Henry]

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy wins over Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
2. Fela Kuti - Zombie wins over Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go wins over Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade

[Nassim]

2. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst

4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge

Tallahassee has the best song, but Script of the Bridge is better as a whole.

[Brad]

My picks:
1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy over Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
see Romain's comments, above. ditto. Second round I've picked "Houses" over one of my own entries.
2. Fela Kuti - Zombie over Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go over Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade
Despite "Marjory Razorblade" being perhaps my favorite new find of the tournament.
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge over The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee
very close; agree with Nassim's comment.

Thanks!

[Greg]

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
2. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge

[Jirin]

I'm glad we've gotten to the point where more people have already heard more of the albums. That should at least lead to high turnout among the regular voters.

Kate Bush - The Kick Inside (#225)
Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy (#500)

The second time I'm voting against Houses Of The Holy for one that's higher scored in my system.

Dr Octagon - Dr Octagonecologyst 7/10
Fela Kuti - Zombie (#45)

Like Dr Octagon, but no competition.

The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go 9/10
Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade (#35)

Two great albums, but only one is 'All time' level for me.

The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge 4/10
The Mountain Goats - Talahassee 7/10

I don't remember either of these terribly well, but what I wrote down in the first round is:

I like the Depeche Mode vibe from the Chameleons' vocals, but I don't think it jives well with the excessive echo and the gloomy minimal guitar.

Tallahassee is so similar to Sunset Tree, if it came after I would call it a rehash. I guess that makes Sunset Tree the rehash? Only that happens to be his most emotionally direct album which really brings out his style the best. So I don't know, retroactively deduct originality points from that one? It's hard not to judge them strictly in the sequence I heard them.

Maybe I'll listen to Chameleons again just in case I have a radically different feeling about it now, but for now go with MG.

[Honorio]

Second round, maybe it's time for some comments:

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy vs. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
Gold prize to innovation vs. formula. While Zep was a widely innovative band (they created with their 4 first albums a whole style that for good or bad is here to stay) in their fifth album they seemed unsure about to follow their succesful formula or embark in some adventures (failed in this album but not in the next one, “Psychical Graffiti”, in which their attempts on funk or world music crystallized properly). On the other hand, the Kate Bush album today still sounds fresh, imaginative and out of the blue. I know it’s not fair comparing a debut album with the fifth album from an established band, but anyway Kate Bush opened a path that many females singers traveled since then, singers with peculiar voices that sang unusual melodies in a technically demanding way (from Björk to Joanna Newsom). Well, that was not exact, Joni Mitchell was first.

2. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst vs. Fela Kuti - Zombie
Two very good samples of black music but my vote goes without hesitation to Fela Kuti and the exciting sound of afro-beat. The guitars, the horns, the beat, the voices, the message, everything is outstanding there.

3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go vs. Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade
Kevin Coyne has been one the discoveries of MA3 for me (and there has been quite a lot). But "Where Did Our Love Go" was Holland-Dozier-Holland golden moment in album, and that's saying a lot. This team of composers-producers were going to produce many more gems for Motown (including "Nowhere to Run", "You Can't Hurry Love" or "Reach Out I'll Be There") but this album that included their first five singles with The Supremes really defined a sound (some could say even a time in history).

4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee
The Chameleons are the favourite band ever of a good friend of mine (in fact we've played a cover of "Swamp Thing" many times on stage). They are nowhere near for me (not even in my Top 100) but I find their "epic post-punk" sound (if I'm allowed to call it like that) quite enjoyable. Moreover "Script of the Bridge" is not my favourite album from them (it is "Strange Times") but it includes my favourite song, "Up the Down Escalator".

[antonius]

1. 2 very diverse albums not to far apart in time 1975 and 1978 I think
Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
Their most diverse record up to then, but none of the songs are top-notch

Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
Most of the songs are very accomplished "classic" piano songs.

2. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst
The man knows his beats.

Fela Kuti - Zombie
Classic afro-funk, and he has something to say.

3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
I would never listen to this if it weren't for MA3.

Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade
This is one of my all-time favorites.

4. pass - I can't decide which is better.
The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee

[Michel]

1. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
2. Fela Kuti - Zombie
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge

[VanillaFire1000]

1. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
2. Fela Kuti - Zombie
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge

[Kingoftonga]

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy vs. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside

Kate Bush in top form beats what amounts to Zep's only fifth or sixth best album.

2. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst vs. Fela Kuti - Zombie

These two albums are so different in style and approach that it's almost hard to compare. I'll give Zombie the edge, but I've come away with a good deal of respect for Dr. Octagon.

3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go vs. Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade

Marjory Razorblade was the only album I didn't like this week.

4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee

This is a close one as well. I didn't get a chance to listen to the Chamelons last time around, so I might be giving this album the vote simply because it sounds new to me. But this bracket is close to a tie.

[Listyguy]

Led Zeppelin over Kate Bush
This was my top pick, and it's a great album. Of course, I'm not big on Kate Bush either, so that makes my choice that much easier.

Fela Kuti over Dr. Octagon
Just the song "Zombie" could trump the entire Octagon album.

[Henrik]

Only one vote for me this week.

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

2. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst vs. Fela Kuti - Zombie
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go vs. Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee

I'm pretty sure I would vote for Kuti, Supremes and Chameleons. But these three seem to win anyway and I've heard so little by Dr. Octagon, Coyne and The Mountain Goats that I don't want to vote against them.

[Brad]

about 12-1/2 hours left!

[Evan]

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
2. Fela Kuti - Zombie
3. Pass
4. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee

[Brad]

Results:

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy over Kate Bush - The Kick Inside 8-6
2. Fela Kuti - Zombie over Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst 12-2
3. The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go over Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade 8-3
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge over The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee 8-2

Thanks... Round 2.2 will be up in a couple hours, due to time challenges this morning!