The Shuffle Game - Season 4 starting, get your lists ! (6 players minimum)

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spiritualized
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The Shuffle Game - Season 4 starting, get your lists ! (6 players minimum)

Post by spiritualized »

Hello to all !

I stumbled upon this game which I liked a lot on RYM.
Here are the rules - I love the random aspect of this game. No worries if you don't have time to play, if there is little interest, I'll fold it.

Below are the main rules from RYM[/b]

Here's how the shuffle game works: go to whatever device or program you store and play your music on and turn on the shuffle function. Post a list of the first 10 songs that come up in your shuffle. Once all players have posted their lists of 10 songs, we'll then go through each player's list (the order of who's next will be randomised), and everyone will rank the songs on the list from their favorite to their least favorite. Feel free to give grade marks to the tracks or leave comments about them if you feel like it. Once everyone has sent in their rankings for a list, the results will be tallied up to form a final ranking and we'll move on to the next list.

If you're interested in playing, just comment and post your shuffle list.

On a side note, if you get a track that's not the standard studio version, such as a live version or a single edit, be sure to specify that. Also, if you get something odd, like a very short song or a spoken word segment of an album, that you feel doesn't work as a standalone track, you can choose to not include that on your list.

Important points :

1. Be willing to take the time to review the shuffle lists of everyone else who is playing. Each round includes everyone's shuffle, with 3-5 days between each to give everyone time to listen, rank, and post their review. The order in which we review the shuffles depends on the order they were posted.

2. You don't need to be eloquent or long-winded in your reviews, but feel free to explain why you ranked each song in the order you did. A lot of us provide grades or scores for each song that helps identify your overall impression of the song, but a short review is also welcome.

3. The key is that the songs on your shuffle should be randomly selected, not something that you deliberately created to share with others.

4. Please research common music sites for each of the songs on your list and provide links for each to be sure everyone else reviews the version that matches the one in your collection. Do your best to pick links that are available world-wide, or if you're not sure, add an alternative link just in case.

5. I will also sometimes create bonus lists per round. Prior to these lists, I will prompt everyone to provide 1 song they would like to share with the group and then we will all review the list of the bonus songs, just as if it were a shuffle list. This song does not need to be randomly selected, which gives you the opportunity to pick something you are excited about, or think the group might like.

6. Once everyone has reviewed a person's shuffle list, I will post a final score which summarizes all of the rankings, and then will prompt you to begin reviewing the next person's list.

It is definitely a slow-moving game. It also requires some time commitment to review all of the songs you may be unfamiliar with. I'm not saying this to dissuade anyone from participating, but I'm only giving a heads-up to those who are trying it for the first time.

It's important also that you be honest but respectful in your comments, otherwise the other participants might be unwilling to continue to play. Keep in mind that everyone's tastes will be different and also that the contents of their shuffle are not necessarily their favorites either. I know I have some embarrassing titles in my collection! It's also important that the poster of the shuffle being reviewed not take others' comments too personally. Just because others scored particular songs that you've listed poorly, doesn't mean they are attacking you or your musical tastes.
Last edited by spiritualized on Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:36 pm, edited 29 times in total.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

I will start and hopefully encourage you guys to give this a go.

1. Rollerskate Skinny - So Far Down Up To Heaven
2. The Melody Unit : Prepare the Juggernaut
3. SEXWITCH : War In Peace
4. Logh - An Alliance of Worlds
5. The Wedding Present - Don't Laugh
6. The Stone Roses - (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
7. Pearl Jam - Yellow Ledbetter
8. Graham Coxon - Flights to the Sea (Lovely Rain)
9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - From Her To Eternity
10. James Brown - Funky President (People It's Bad)
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by luvulongTIM »

1. EMA- Anteroom
2. Robyn- Cobrastyle
3. Of Montreal- A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger
4. Gomez- Catch Me Up
5. Stereophonic- Handbags and Gladrags
6. The Beautiful South- We Are Each Other
7. The Donnas- Take Me to the Back Seat
8. The Bombpops- Ca in July
9. Yo La Tengo- My Little Corner of the World
10. Semisonic- Singing in My Sleep

Playlist Name: The Furley Shuffle: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2LQ29 ... f48jGhVoEg
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Safetycat »

1. Disturbed - Shout 2000
2. Chuck Berry - Go Bobby Soxer
3. Maxïmo Park - A Cloud of Mystery
4. Green Day - She
5. Hoobastank - Out of Control
6. Crowded House - Silent House
7. R.E.M. - Catapult (Live in Seattle, Washington, June 27, 1984 [from the Murmur Special Edition Bonus Tracks])
8. The International Submarine Band - One Day Week (Single Version)
9. Claude-Michel Schönberg - On Parole/The Bishop (from Les Misérables - The Musical That Swept The World [10th Anniversary Concert At The Royal Albert Hall])
10. The Byrds - You're Still on My Mind
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Madzong »

1. Paul McCartney - Hi Hi Hi
2. Doobie Brothers - Without You
3. The Raconteurs - Salute Your Solution
4. Credence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
5. Crosby, Stills & Nash - See The Changes
6. Alice Cooper - Unfinished Sweet
7. Jethro Tull - Memory Bank
8. Dan The Automator - Ganges A Go-Go
9. Simple Minds - Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)
10. Big Audio Dynamite - E=MC2
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Rob »

Alright I just did this based on a Spotify playlist called "Personal classics", where I keep my ultimate favorites, the things most resembling the requirements of this game. There is more than enough stuff on there that isn't your standard list fare, but... Sadly the randomizer decided to ignore this and came out with these 10:

- The Go-Betweens – Streets of Your Town
- Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
- Grinderman – Palaces of Montezuma
- Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
- Bob Dylan – Every Grain of Sand
- The Stranglers – Golden Brown
- The Crystals – He’s a Rebel
- Tori Amos – Cornflakes Girl
- Frank Sinatra – One for My Baby (One for the Road)
- Elvis Vs JXL – Little Less Conservation

If Bob Dylan has the most out-there selection you know it is not the most unique list ever. Serves me right for complaining about people nominating the same old, same old in other polls I guess.

Don't know if I have time to play the actual game. There is already so much stuff going on here. But I'm a sucker for randomness so we'll see.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Brad »

Random Rules circa 2021! Love the idea but don't think I'll be able to fit all the listening in... I'll keep tabs on the progress however!
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by rumpdoll »

This reminds me of Spotify removing the shuffle all playlists in a folder function a few years ago, promising to replace it with something better ... which never happened
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Akhenaten »

Henry Mancini - Peter Gunn
Poppy - Don't Go Outside
Frank Sinatra - I've Got The World On A String
Elton John - The One
Percy Faith - Malaguena
Wet Wet Wet - Sweet Little Mystery
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - The Only Looney Left In Town
Mull Historical Society - The Final Arrears
Elvis Costello - Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter
Fats Waller - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
But I was caught, like a fleeting thought,
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Nice turnout, looks promising.
I will expect all the nominators to do their best to rate each other's lists, I don't want a top heavy nominees and no rankings, that would defeat the point. So when you are nominating, be sure to dedicate some time to do your rankings. It doesn't have to be fast, I'll leave the first few ones open-ended so we'll work out what time period for ranking is best for everyone.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Schüttelbirne »

I turned on the shuffle version on the "favorite songs" segment on Spotify, but I don't have all my favorites saved yet (it's still a few thousand, so that should be okay):

Hans-a-Plast | Für'ne Frau
Today Is the Day | Kill Yourself
Miles Davis | Tutu
Agnes Obel | Broken Sleep
Wire | A Mutual Friend
Boudewijn de Groot | Kindermeidslied
Kenny Burrell | Lotus Land
Stephen Fretwell | What's That You Say Little Girl
Gang of Four | Damaged Goods
Léo Ferré | Jolie môme



Nothing really special. I was hoping for something weird... :(
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Brad »

I think I could give this a shot if there were playlists created for each entrant (is that the intent?) - I could maybe go through and rank a list each night, but I just don't have time to seek all these songs out and create lists for everyone else. I would create and post one for my own list, of course - like I see a couple others have done already.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Brad »

What the hell, I’ll give it a shot - from my music library:

1. Caterpillar - Miannin
2. Bessie Smith - Pinchbacks-Take ‘Em Away
3. Boston Spaceships - Earmarked For Collision
4. Bob Dylan - Ballad Of A Thin Man (from The 1966 Live Recordings - Newcastle, May 21, 1966)
5. Caetano Veloso - Haiti (from Live In Bahia)
6. Explosions In The Sky - What Do You Go Home To?
7. OutKast - Spread
8. Elvis Presley - Any Day Now
9. Sarah Vaughan - Jim
10. Big Star - The Ballad Of El Goodo (alternate lyrics) (from Keep An Eye On The Sky)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Pjr2 ... voRnZ1fPug

I'm so sorry, I can't locate an audio file to share of the Caterpillar track (ugh)... if it helps, the next song up was "Creep" but I'd much rather ignore that one...

Here's the Dylan (actually get the restored footage of this one!):
Thanks!
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by rumpdoll »

from my preparation playlist for the Best Song game:

Couch - Gegen Den
Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Daft Punk - Around the World
The Go! Team - Everyone's a V.I.P. to Someone
Pixies - Gigantic
Disco Inferno - A Rock to Cling to
Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers
Swell Maps - The Helicopter Spies
Prolapse - Chill Blown
Lamb - Five
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

Instead of sticking with my goto playlist. This is from my 5000 liked songs...

1. Keane - Spiraling
2. Run the Jewels - Crown
3. Elitsa Alexandrova - Animus Black
4. Post Malone - Hit This Hard
5. Rufus Wainwright - I Dont Know What It Is
6. Wavves - Vermin
7. Arctic Monkehs - Four Out Of Five
8. Henry Burr - My Buddy
9. Ozzy Osbourne - Flying High Again
10. Ministry - Psalm 69
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Safetycat »

Now, seems like there's some variance on how we're making the lists - I took mine from my entire iTunes library, which has a lot of songs I haven't listened to or don't necessarily like. Should I redo or is that an acceptable entry?
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by mileswide »

All from my Liked Songs on Spotify, so anything 8/10+:

1. Rilo Kiley - With Arms Outstretched
2. A Taste of Honey - Disco Dancin'
3. Millie Jackson - Summer (The First Time)
4. New Order - The Him
5. Steel Pulse - Macka Splaff
6. Culture feat. Mr. Bojangles - Two Sevens Clash/Prophecy Fulfilled [this is a 9 for me]
7. Pusha T feat. Ab Liva & Rick Ross - I Still Wanna
8. The Vanguard Project - Giant Squid
9. The Secret Sisters - Silver
10. Wojciech Kilar & Orchestre philharmonique nationale de Pologne - Father Kolbe's Preaching
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Brad »

Safetycat wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 8:05 am Now, seems like there's some variance on how we're making the lists - I took mine from my entire iTunes library, which has a lot of songs I haven't listened to or don't necessarily like. Should I redo or is that an acceptable entry?
Yes, I did the same. Also have a "Top 8300 or so" list but opted not to use that. Bigger the library the better, imo.

* Only 2 of the songs on my list are in the Top Songs list; both appear in alternate versions here.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

I agree, the bigger the list the better so the random aspect is improved. Wouldn’t want to rank Smells Like Teen Spirit vs Rollîng Stone regularly…
Mine was taken out of my « liked » songs, which hover around 21k.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Romain »

Hello Spiritualized... I did this on all my mp3s on the computer - a few thousand - and I was happy to have one of my classical works that I like a lot... for the rest, nothing that can be classified in my favorites, alas.


Pink Floyd - Brain Damage
Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste
A-Ha - The Way We Talk
Granville - Les Corps Perdus
Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine
Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears)
Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message
Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile
Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by luvulongTIM »

Hate that you can’t program Brain Damage and Eclipse to ALWAYS play back to back on these like on the radio on these streaming apps. Feels as weird as We Will Rock You and We are the Champs being separated.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Thank you to all !
So we have 12 lists, a more than respectable number.

The first list to be ranked has been randomised and it will be Romain’s.

Pink Floyd - Brain Damage
Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste
A-Ha - The Way We Talk
Granville - Les Corps Perdus
Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine
Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears)
Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message
Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile
Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2




Ill do a Spotify list soon but you can start ranking, rating (although that won’t have an impact on the final ranking) and I hope to see 12 ranked lists so we can move on to the next one. No time limit at the moment so as to not rush things, but this will change when rankings dry up. So get listening and enjoy having a piece of your fellow forumers earworms !
Last edited by spiritualized on Thu Jun 03, 2021 6:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Rob »

I used to have a huge iTunes library too, on which I stored many digital purchases, but also copied any CD I could get my hands on onto it. It would have been interesting to use that for this game, but sadly when switching laptops I lost all that data and didn't want to go through the whole process of compiling that again. Nowadays my Spotify playlist Personal Classics, which is far more carefully curated, is the next best thing, but not nearly as long.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Father2TheMan »

Too busy to give this proper attention now but if it's still active in September, I'll hop in then.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

I'll start on Romain's list, a mixture of long tracks, a mix of short pop songs and classically influenced tracks.

Pink Floyd - Brain Damage (9) - this one cannot not be at the very top. Classic track, my father used to listen to this album on a loop.
Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile (8) - Love Iron & Wine, it's Americana with a sweet tinge. Great voice, outstanding track
Granville - Les Corps Perdus (7) nice discovery, 60s style singing (Bardot springs to mind), short and to the point.
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine (7) not sure this was the intended track, but this is good nonetheless and sounds very familiar - was this used for a jingle somewhere ?
Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 (7) another classically influenced track, hopefully this is the right version. Very pleasant.
Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste (6) - incredibly sad classical track, well named.
Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) (6) not a big fan of Jones, but this track is something different, smooth soul.
Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance (4) - slow burner, not unpleasant, mildly interesting
A-Ha - The Way We Talk (3) vocal jazz influenced, very short track, meh.
Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message (2) Really not my cup of tea, dislike the BGs in general and this song is not helping them...
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Romain »

spiritualized wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 6:59 pm
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine (7) not sure this was the intended track, but this is good nonetheless and sounds very familiar - was this used for a jingle somewhere ?
Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 (7) another classically influenced track, hopefully this is the right version. Very pleasant.
It's the good tracks/version on your Spotify list. :D (sorry, I didn't see your point 4)
If La Nuit Américaine sound familiar, it's maybe because it's simply a famous theme :mrgreen: (and yes, it has been used many times in commercials) !
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Safetycat »

Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 - 9
My immediate favourite of the lot, a very strong classical piece with a lot of exciting change and action.
Pink Floyd - Brain Damage - 9
Brain Damage immediately followed by Eclipse is a 10, on its own it's just the build up to an unrealised climax
Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste - 8
I was also very excited by this piece, it has a very strong sense of drama to it.
Granville - Les Corps Perdus - 8
Very good, could be a grower, I need to remember to sample the rest of this album.
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine - 7
A regal theme, reminds me of the sort of music used for anything monarchy-related on British tv (perhaps ironic for something called Americaine)
Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile - 6
I enjoy some Iron & Wine songs, and this is pretty good, but it does get a little monotonous.
Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) - 5
Messy is the word I want to use, but it's good fun as well
Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance - 5
I recognised the album from a past MAA game, but not the song. It's alright! I like the horn and violin closer.
Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message - 4
It's not bad but doesn't do anything for me.
A-Ha - The Way We Talk - 3
Bizarre, doesn't really work for me. I like other tracks off this album though.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Romain »

Safetycat wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 12:23 am
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine - 7
A regal theme, reminds me of the sort of music used for anything monarchy-related on British tv (perhaps ironic for something called Americaine)
In fact, the "American night" is not about the country but about the cinematographic technique called "Day for night" in English.
It is the music of a famous film by François Truffaut... which is essentially about cinema.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_for_night

And I'm very happy that you like Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2, he's one of the most beautiful classical music discoveries of the last few years... I discovered him on the radio and it was an immediate "shock" :-) So much joy and happiness in this dance!
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Madzong »

1. Pink Floyd - Brain Damage - 9
2. A-Ha - The Way We Talk - 7
3. Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message - 7
4. Granville - Les Corps Perdus - 6
5. Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile - 4
6. Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 - 3.5
7. Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) - 3
8. Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance - 3
9. Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine - 3
10. Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste - 3
Last edited by Madzong on Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:12 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Madzong wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:16 am Pink Floyd - Brain Damage - 9
Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste - 3
A-Ha - The Way We Talk - 7
Granville - Les Corps Perdus - 6
Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance - 3
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine - 3
Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) - 3
Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message - 7
Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile - 4
Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 - 3
Hi Madzong, could you rank those please ? The final scores will be based on your ranking, the ratings are subsidiary, but still valuable !
Actually, you may not have to. The "winning" method I use allows equal rankings.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Schüttelbirne »

This first list a real triumph. Having Pink Floyd in here is unfortunate though, because it will easily win.

In order from best to worst:

Flotation Toy Warning | Donald Pleasance (2004)

A sprawling, magnificent display of melancholia. What turns this from a good song into a great one for me is the brass section. I grow more and more convinced that wind instruments are the best instruments for displaying emotion; pianos may have a wider variety and guitars seem to be everyone‘s favorite instrument for whatever reason, but nothing beats the quiet, lonely solace of brass, employed to great effect on this song.The ten minutes fly by faster than the birds on the album cover. 9/10

Lili Boulanger | D‘un soir triste (1918)

Lili Boulanger, the sister of noted composer Nadia Boulanger, was also a composer herself and quite an acclaimed one at that. She managed to win the Prix de Rome at age 19 as the first woman to win this award. Female composers always had it harder in the classical world. There are very few who are actually part of the usual canon, though recently there have been developments that try to put them more center-stage.
Boulanger suffered from chronic illness, dying at the age of 25. „D‘un soir triste“ was one of her last compositions. Apparently her writing noticeably deteriorated in the process of composing this chamber music piece.
Though a chamber piece for piano and cello, it is often played in trio formations with an added violin (like in the recording on the playlist) or even in an orchestral version.
Boulanger manages to create an astounding display of emotion that feels genuine and not at all overblown or pompous. There‘s an actual sadness conveyed through the creeping strings. A truly beautiful composition by a composer who went far too soon. 9/10

Arturo Márquez | Danzón No. 2 (1994)

This is played in Mozart in the Jungle in one of its best episodes „How to Make God Laugh“. It‘s a very popular modern classical piece, because it has a lot of great moving pieces, with changes in the tempo and intensity (that is not a technical term). Basically impossible to dislike. 8/10

Pink Floyd | Brain Damage (1973)

I wrote a rather long paragraph interpreting the lyrics, but you don‘t wanna know…
As luvlongTIM has said, this song without „Eclipse“ sounds incomplete because its cathartic climax is missing. As it is, it‘s really just the first parts of a song, but I still think these parts are great. It starts rather quietly without drums, so the vocals float over the guitar, before the chorus elevates it all in a higher gear, not only with the drums kicking in, but with background vocals that refer back to „The Great Gig in the Sky“ (despite not featuring Clare Torry). The second verse is similar to the first one, only the drums are present here. The samples of Peter Watts‘ laughter do contribute to the song, but they do not make it prettier. Overall, one of the highpoints of a great album. 8/10

Georges Delerue | La Nuit Américaine (1973)

Day for Night belongs to those movies I really need to see, but I haven‘t done it yet, so I can‘t speak about the employment of this piece in the film. It‘s a short, orchestral piece that sounds very festive, consisting of an armada of strings playing the consistent backdrop for the brass melodies. Very nice, but (like a lot of music made for soundtracks) not very deep. 7/10

Grace Jones | I‘m Crying (Mother‘s Tears) (2008)

I actually had no idea Jones released anything after the ‘80s had ended. Thankfully, this sounds nothing like the typical ‘80s sound which often rather annoys me. It‘s an introspective R&B track telling a very personal story, starting quietly but getting louder in the bridge part. It all comes together well, with the music serving as a good counterpoint to the lyrics that often border on the „too emotional“ sector though me, which could have been amplified by a wall of overproduction that‘s missing here. A good song. 7/10

Iron & Wine | God Made the Automobile (2009)

I generally like Iron & Wine a lot, and this is another good song of his. It‘s all very pretty, but the lyrics could have used a bit more fine-tuning. I like it, but it‘s not one of his best. 6/10

a-ha | The Way We Talk (1990)

A rather short song from a band everyone is familiar with, but not necessarily in a good way. „Take on Me“ is pretty much on the same level as „All Out of Love“ for me. This track is different though, and I would make a distinction between the instrumentals and the vocals, because the combination of piano and bass works remarkably well and creates a very good foundation for the song. The vocals itself aren‘t bad, particularly the final part „If I could, I would, I swear“, but for the first few lines it seems like they used some kind of electronic effect on the voice, distorting it a bit which lessens my enjoyment of the song considerably. It‘s certainly different from what I expected, though. 6/10

Granville | Les corps perdus (2013)

Also pretty short and to the point, but the song fails to mesmerize me in any way. It‘s nice, but also completely inconsequential, like a song tailor-made for radio. No element manages to stand out to me, with the guitar probably being the best here. I can‘t write any more about this. 5/10

Bee Gees | I‘ve Gotta Get a Message to You (1968)

I am not a big fan of the Bee Gees, but I don‘t dislike them either. This isn‘t a very good song, but it‘s amplified by the production (people like to call it „baroque“, but it really doesn‘t have a lot to do with baroque). All the good the production doesn‘t turn it into a great song, though. It would be a relatively decent, layered track. But then there‘s the vocals in the chorus that are pretty much indefensible. I don‘t know which Gibb messed this up, but one of their voices is extremely grating there… 4/10
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Schuttel, thank you !
Your comments, as Rob’s and many others are a pleasure to read.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by mileswide »

Flotation Toy Warning - Donald Pleasance 9 The sweeping centrepiece of an MAA highlight a few years ago, full of impressionistic hints of a family falling apart. Already my AT #999 (subject to change).

Arturo Márquez - Danzón No. 2 [I listened to the Alondra de la Parra version in spiritualized's playlist] 8.5 A classical piece for the feet as well as the head? Sign me up! The brass section adjusts convincingly from the salsa-style sashay segments to the more Sturm und Drang parts and the delicate halfway point.

Pink Floyd - Brain Damage 8 A 'message song' that doesn't patronise the subject or guilt the listener and most of all doesn't forget the need for melody.

Granville - Les corps perdus 7 Doesn't find another gear but still gets plenty of mileage from a twangy bassline and a youthful insouciance "At our age, we don't know how to behave", in its own words.

a-ha - The Way We Talk 6 A musical novella, maybe a longer duration would rob it of its mystery.

Grace Jones - I'm Crying (My Mother's Tears) 6 Opting for a more personal approach to the lyrics appears to undermine the song's personality, having little of Jones' usual threatening froideur. But her evident emotional investment holds enough of my interest.

Georges Delerue - La nuit américaine 5 It neither disgraces nor, despite its allegro flourishes, distinguishes itself in its short time.

Lili Boulanger [Trio des Alpes] - D'un soir triste 4 Too understated for me to fully engage, even what sounds to me like heavy-handed piano work doesn't shake it from its melancholic stupor.

Iron & Wine - God Made the Automobile 4 Something deeper lies under the surface of this otherwise typical Sam Beam strum (apparently centred on the darker side of traditional values?) but seeing as he doesn't take the line about "passing on to the blissfully young...the fear of the Black and the Jew" anywhere substantial, it just comes across as gratuitous.

Bee Gees - I've Got to Get a Message to You 2 Offkey and manipulative (Truck Driver's Gear on every chorus from the 2nd one onwards!), the nadir of the Gibbs' sincere 60s output, which I don't find all bad, just in the shade of their falsetto period.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Akhenaten »

Fantastic start to this game!
1. Pink Floyd - Brain Damage (9) - it is a bit odd cutting off before Eclipse comes in, but still magnificent
2. Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 (8) - this is a real quality find, love it
3. Granville - Les Corps Perdus (7)
4. Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste (7) - tried to not let the incredibly sad story around this sway me,
5. Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine (7)
6. Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message (7) - always thought this is really nice song, surprised by the antipathy towards it.
7. Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) (6) - wasn't what I was expecting from Grace Jones - really liked it
8. Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile (6)
9. Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance (5)
10. A-Ha - The Way We Talk (4) - this was unexpected, so though I gave it a low score, I liked the way A-ha popped up in the playlist to sing an odd short song!
But I was caught, like a fleeting thought,
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Edre Peraza wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:22 am Instead of sticking with my goto playlist. This is from my 5000 liked songs...
luvulongTIM wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 9:43 am Playlist Name: The Furley Shuffle: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2LQ29 ... f48jGhVoEg
Madzong wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 12:54 pm 1. Paul McCartney - Hi Hi Hi
Rob wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 1:30 pm Don't know if I have time to play the actual game. There is already so much stuff going on here. But I'm a sucker for randomness so we'll see.
Brad wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 1:35 am What the hell, I’ll give it a shot - from my music library:
rumpdoll wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:15 am from my preparation playlist for the Best Song game:
Hi, 6 in, 6 potential to go, shall I wait for you guys ?
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Brad »

Yes, I will be done tonight!
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Madzong »

I’ve ranked mine
"On a mountain range, I'm Dr. Strange"
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Madzong wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:18 am I’ve ranked mine
Of course, sorry.
I just realised that the sixth is Romain's own ranking...
Romain wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 6:07 am And I'm very happy that you like Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2, he's one of the most beautiful classical music discoveries of the last few years... I discovered him on the radio and it was an immediate "shock" :-) So much joy and happiness in this dance!
Romain, do you want to rank your own list ?
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Romain »

spiritualized wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:46 am
Romain, do you want to rank your own list ?
Mince, je pensais qu'on ne votait pas pour nos propres chansons, désolé.
Oui, je vais le faire alors. Mais mon anglais étant ce qu'il est, ce sera concis je pense. :mrgreen:
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Romain »

Already, how was chosen these songs: I have thousands of mp3 albums in my computer arranged by categories (yes, I'm old) and I simply made a blind manual selection. First I blind chose the category, then the artist, then the album, then the song within the album.
Out of the 10 songs, there are 5 that don't ring a bell.

Let's have a look at them!

Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 So this one, I'm very happy it's here. I love it. I remember exactly where and when I discovered it... that I had to stop in my car to listen to it in Lyon when it was broadcast on Radio Classique and that I told my wife about it the second I got home to buy the CD right away. ("Fiesta" with Gustavo Dudamel as conductor).
A superb discovery that carried me away from the first listen and that I listen to again and again to give me a boost :-) And very happy that it pleases so much. 10/10

Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste Even if I would have preferred to hear another piece of music by Lili Boulanger, I am already happy that she appears here because she is such a moving composer. Try other compositions, there is a wonderful strength and originality in her works. 9/10
Granville - Les Corps Perdus super catchy song that doesn't say anything to me either; nice (re-)discovery? I like it a lot. 8/10
Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance I know the album of course but couldn't have named a single song on it. Lucky choice 7/10
Pink Floyd - Brain Damage First of all a classic, a beautiful Pink Floyd song, but not one of my favourites. 7/10
Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile Nothing special here! 6.5/10
Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine famous theme in my country for an equally famous film by an even more famous director! Repeatedly used in many visual media, it is difficult to judge this work. 6.5/10
Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message to you I find this dislike of the song astonishing. It doesn't seem much different to me from the other Bee Gees hits .... sweet as hell. But I confess to not knowing the band well. More like an easy, not unpleasant little ballad. 6/10
Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) I remember liking this Grace Jones album without having any standout songs. Well, this is a bit like that, pleasant song without being outstanding. Nice voice. 5.5/10
A-Ha - The Way We Talk I didn't know this song, I think it's a shame it's not longer to have a proper development. But I don't find it bad at all. It's a transitional song. 4.5/10
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Brad »

I hate this game already!
The first list is too good - there's no obvious "weeders" in there, so it's not going to be easy.
(To be honest, it's the comment part that's killing me... can't do the dishes and comment at the same time, ugh)

Here's what I got:
1. Pink Floyd - Brain Damage: Classic, ranked on my list (#2225)
2. Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message: Also ranked (#7383), wouldn't have thought this back in the '70's when the Bee Gees represented the ultimate antithesis of "good" music to us rocker & punkers. I've mellowed in my old age (or at least succumb to waxing nostalgic)
3. Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance: Great song, not ranked by me but that will change
4. Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste: Mellow, pleasant… then the melancholic undertones kick in - like this a lot
5. Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile: I really like Iron & Wine - always comforting. This is another excellent track
6. Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine: Excellent stuff (love Truffaut btw)
7. Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2: Great piece of music, I honestly don't know hopw to begin to comment on elaborate classical pices like this - it is beautiful though
8. A-Ha - The Way We Talk: Short but better than I would expect from A-Ha, a band I lack familiarity with (apart from Take On Me)
9. Granville - Les Corps Perdus: Catchy little number, reminds me of La Femme (is that fair?)
10. Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears): Bottom by default. Appreciate Grace Jones while never being a huge fan.

Thanks for your patience!
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Rob »

Romain's random picks favor long pieces, despite A-Ha's attempts to keep it short.

1. Flotation Toy Warning – Donald Pleasance: 9
I love the album this is from, Bluffer’s Guide to the Flight Deck. This is one of the highlights, a long composition, that sustains itself on melancholy and a sense of loss for 9 and a half minutes. It’s instrumental choices keep feeling unique; it is hard to classify in a genre. Soul-stirring.
2. Pink Floyd – Brain Damage: 9
The song that gives Dark Side of the Moon it’s title and actually on of it’s best pieces, lack of a climax not withstanding. I have heard this many times before and will listen to it many more times in the future no doubt.
3. Lili Boulanger – D’un soir triste : 8
The title warned me, but this sounds very sad. Never heard of the composer before, but it is a beautiful piece.
4. Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2: 8
If the other two long track of this group sound fragile, this one goes the opposite direction. Pure, epic bombast a la Mexico. Hard to resist.
5. Granville – Les Corps perdus: 7
Very bright, very bouncy. Summer is coming.
6. Georges Delerue – La nuit américaine : 7
The movie from which this is the title track is brilliant. Highly recommended. I haven’t seen it in a while though and I don’t particularly remember the soundtrack, nor does this sound familiar from commercials. It sounds rather grand, even though the film is about the making of a minor run-of-the-mill film. Still, it works very well on its own and doesn’t oversell it’s classical aspirations.
7. Iron & Wine – God Made the Automobile: 7
Iron & Wine is one of those acts that I think most people in my social circle adore, but somehow I have never gotten around to seriously listening to him. At first I thought this was a Sufjan Stevens track. They sound uncannily alike, both in voice and sound. Very soothing to listen to. Perhaps it will also be a grower.
8. Bee Gees – I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You: 6
You know, many of those early Bee Gees ballads straddle the line between great and terrible, with rarely falling on either side. This one is a good example. Equal amounts schmalz and earnestness and not quite either of them.
9. Grace Jones – I’m Crying (Mother’s Tears): 6
I seem to be not the only one here for who Grace Jones usually isn’t doing much, but this is a fine R&B ballad. Nothing that hits mee deeply, but tastefully done.
10. A-ha – The Way We Talk: 5
Nothing wrong with it, but it is really over before you know it started.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Last roll call - the ranking for Romains list will be over in 24 hours and a new list will be presented !
Edre Peraza, rumpdoll & luvlongTIM, place your bets please.
I may exclude the lists from people in the next round who didn’t rank in this round to encourage voting 😉
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Madzong »

Sorry Spiritualized - I made some minor edits to my list
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

OK - thank you sooooo much for your input in this new game, this has been quite a success, not only through the quality of the list (thank you Romain), but also through your reviews, you guys are great.
Here are the results for Romain's list, using a Baldwin "election" result

10. A-Ha - The Way We Talk (-45)
9. Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) (-40)
8. Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message (-35)
7. Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine (-24)
6. Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile (-21)
5. Granville - Les Corps Perdus (-12)
4. Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste (-9)
3. Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance (-2)
2. Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 (-1)
1. Pink Floyd - Brain Damage (1)
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Next up (and thank you to all NINE of voters)....
Eight lists to choose from, and the selected list is : Rob's

Note : excluded from the pool for this round are rumpdoll / Edre Peraza / luvlongTIM as no ranking was submitted (if you submit a list, play along please, your lists will be included as soon as you post a ranking)

- The Go-Betweens – Streets of Your Town
- Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
- Grinderman – Palaces of Montezuma
- Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
- Bob Dylan – Every Grain of Sand
- The Stranglers – Golden Brown
- The Crystals – He’s a Rebel
- Tori Amos – Cornflakes Girl
- Frank Sinatra – One for My Baby (One for the Road)
- Elvis Vs JXL – Little Less Conservation

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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by spiritualized »

Well if Romain's list was full of classical discoveries, Rob's is full of classics !

Out of the 10 songs, 5 are already in my "liked" selections. Tough to rank.

1 - The Stranglers – Golden Brown (10/10) Now that's an absolute classic, which recently made my top 1000. I was wondering with my family what the lyrics pertained to. It could be heroin or a woman, or both. Musically, this is one of those popular songs which retain a character of respectability. The harpsichord melody is simply to die for.
2 - Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal (8/10) - one of the lesser songs on a monster of an album, but the voice harmonies are mesmerising. Fleet Foxes are about voice melodies. The rest is dressing up. Brilliant stuff.
3 - Tom Petty – Free Fallin’ (8/10) 'm no huge fan of Petty, but this takes the cake. The soaring chorus, great rhythm understated guitars, it really couldn't be a much simpler melody, but Petty nailed it in 4 minutes. The bridge ain't half bad too.
4 - The Go-Betweens – Streets of Your Town : (7/10). Brilliant jangle pop from the Australians. It's almost too poppy for my ears, but the melody is so catchy it couldn't fail to be a classic. After the band's split, I did enjoy McLennan's solo albums more than Foster's. He was the McCartney to Foster's Lennon.
5 - Grinderman – Palaces of Montezuma (7/10) - perhaps my least favorite of my "liked" songs, because I think Grinderman 2 functions better as a whole than on a song basis. Palaces of Montezuma has the edge though - good chorus and atmosphere throughout, although never as menacing as Cave's other band. Far more upbeat though.
6 - Elvis Vs JXL – Little Less Conservation (7/10) Junkie XL turned Fatboy Slim on Elvis, renewing interest in a song which was sleeping in the King's discography. Huge success of course, I think it betters the original somehow, but it's been overplayed.
7 - Tori Amos – Cornflakes Girl (6/10) one of those hugely popular songs which never did it for me. Tori Amos reminded me of a second grade Kate Bush at the time, which is why I never gave her my full attention. The song goes everywhere, but Amos manages to keep it on its track, carried by a great Kate B voice.
8 - The Crystals – He’s a Rebel (5/10) - never heard this one, but it's not uplifting or enthralling enough. Just about passable. The claps at the end almost feel off beat.
9 - Frank Sinatra – One for My Baby (One for the Road) (4/10) - quite boring for Sinatra, and a figure which I can't really relate to.
10 - Bob Dylan – Every Grain of Sand - (4/10) I can appreciate Dylan for his classics, but this isn't it. His deep cuts certainly require several listens to be able to appreciate fully, but I hardly take the time to do just that. Oh and harmonica kinda sucks.
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Brad »

Wow, I actually have 9 of these in my "Top 8373" list - and the 10th probably should be there as well. So here we go, by rank (and once again illustrating to me how fragile these ratings are):

1. The Go-Betweens – Streets of Your Town: #2232. I love this song, it makes me happy, like the evening sun coming out after a cleansing rain storm.
2. Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal: #2837. Have grown to appreciate Fleet Foxes after initial resistance. Pretty perfect harmonies.
3. Bob Dylan – Every Grain of Sand: #3337. Dylan bias here no doubt. My most played artist over the past 11 years by a significant margin. Not one of his best and probably too highly ranked for me, but I'll stick to what I have for now.
4. Frank Sinatra – One for My Baby (One for the Road): #3437. Not sure what to say about this - very good but not top-flight Sinatra. I understand he's not for everyone.
5. Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl: #4208. I took my wife to see Tori back in the '90's before we were married. Never a huge fan, but I like this song (though it's slowly fading in my charts...).
6. The Crystals – He’s a Rebel: #4229. I have a soft spot for the songs of 1964, a pivotal year in music (and society). The "girl groups" of this time have a particular appeal.
7. Elvis Vs JXL – Little Less Conservation: #4813. Great remix that saves the original.
8. The Stranglers – Golden Brown: #6841. Probably should be higher... I think this song was introduced to me via one of the other forum games. It's real good.
9. Tom Petty – Free Fallin’: #7319. This is one I've grown to appreciate more over the years. Love the casualness of the delivery - I can relate to it more in my old age. Ugh, am I getting into "yacht rock"?
10. Grinderman – Palaces of Montezuma: I have so much Nick Cave on my list, but not this one. Another instance of "bottom by default" - still a really good aggressive track.

Thanks!
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by mileswide »

Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl 9 (provisional AT #969) What other tracks of Under the Pink I did sample put me off persevering with the album. Maybe one day I'll return but I'll always have this beguiling tale of a woman fighting to keep it together while life's tectonic plates shift underfoot.

Elvis vs. Junkie XL - A Little Less Conversation 8 The white jumpsuit comes out for an irreverent refresh of what sounds like one of the lesser Elvis' Vegas numbers. It matters little that JXL probably wouldn't have pulled this off had he chosen a more renowned Presley song.

The Go-Betweens - Streets of Your Town 8 The lyrics could well be the most drily observed on 16 Lovers Lane and the warm studio gloss only enhances the shimmering guitars as throughout the record.

The Crystals - He's a Rebel 7 That my only excuse for not having knowingly heard this is its release a quarter-century before my birth in '87 doesn't ring true- isn't this prime Scorcese soundtrack fodder? Such a flimsy reason may account for its freshness, mind you. I don't find that the choruses deliver as I'd like but there's a sassiness to the vocals in the verses that appeared missing in their subsequent recordings.

The Stranglers - Golden Brown 6 It couldn't sound any less like their snarling sleazefests in their earlier career and no one has tried to imitate its style since but I crave some of that punk-era edge when hearing the vocals to this. Still, spiritualized is bang-on about the distinctive harpsichord!

Grinderman - Palaces of Montezuma 6 The slow delivery and list format of the narrative scuppers this song's dynamism but the rolling piano and surprisingly effective tambourine give it a groove that's hard to shake off.

Bob Dylan - Every Grain of Sand 4 An unheard Dylan song (from my perspective) should be more of an event than this; perhaps being born again diminished his creative impulses for this track from his second Christian album as long as you don't count John Wesley Harding but there's little of his flair for language. His voice is usually worth the entrance fee alone though.

Tom Petty - Free Fallin' 4 Impassioned chorus stands out for a lack of competition elsewhere in the song.

Frank Sinatra - One for My Baby (One More for the Road) 4 I can't say that Frankie convinces here as a victim of heartbreak, nor as a incorrigible lush, yet I suppose the arrangements do give off a timeless, late-night-diner vibe of an Edward Hopper painting.

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal 4 No doubting the technical prowess of the harmonising but it, like much of their music, leaves me cold emotionally.
All I got inside is vacancy!
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Re: The Shuffle Game

Post by Romain »

spiritualized wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:12 pm OK - thank you sooooo much for your input in this new game, this has been quite a success, not only through the quality of the list (thank you Romain), but also through your reviews, you guys are great.
Here are the results for Romain's list, using a Baldwin "election" result

10. A-Ha - The Way We Talk (-45)
9. Grace Jones - I'm Crying (Mother's Tears) (-40)
8. Bee Gees - I've gotta get a message (-35)
7. Georges Delerue - La Nuit Americaine (-24)
6. Iron & Wine - God Made The Automobile (-21)
5. Granville - Les Corps Perdus (-12)
4. Lili Boulanger - D'un soir triste (-9)
3. Flotation Toy Warning - Donald pleasance (-2)
2. Arturo Márquez - Danzón No2 (-1)
1. Pink Floyd - Brain Damage (1)
Hello Spiritualized, can you explain this kind of "result"? I'm not familiar with. Thank you.
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