Best Ever Albums

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

mickilennial — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 15:42:46 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 08/26/2020 19:42

I'll finish my votes by midnight EST.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 02:37:46 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/26/2020 06:37

1a: Patrick Walker vs. Lou Reed

1b: Tim Buckley vs. Daniel Dumile

I like MF Doom. Operation Doomsday is brilliant. His voice is a gruff smoked out poetry lounge. But I like him more as a producer and less when he's doritos, cheetohs and fritos. Tim Buckley is cheesy sure but Lorca is an all timer.

1c: Lawrence vs. Tom Waits

Felt's good. They never quite did it for me as much as some of the other janglers but I come back to Splendour of Fear now and then. Waits on the other hand writes lyrics that are so good they almost make me think that Kerouac is worth it. He howls like any Kurt Weill fan should. Maybe my contender for the whole thing.

1d: Victor Jaras vs. Jeffrey Lewis

Jaras is a troubadour triumph and anti folk without the prerequisite sentimentality is a MISTAKE.

1e: Dan Fogelberg vs. Beck

This is tough because yacht rock is a hate crime while one time Beck looked at me funny in a bar.

1f: Bernie Taupin vs. Janelle Monae

1g: Matt Berninger vs. Will Oldham

I’ve never been obsessed with Bonnie Prince Billy but I feel his lyrics more than an anthropomorphized post punk starter pack with Tindersticks’ lyrics and voice.

1h: Phil Elverum vs. Linton Kwesi Johnson

Ooof this is tough. Finally got around to listening to Linton this tournament and it’s brilliant stuff. Much more up my alley to me now. Phil meant a lot to me through early music life though (and needs a break!). Heart says Phil Brain says Linton.

1i: Neko Case vs. Neil Peart

“I think I’m going bald”

1j: Roseanne Cash vs. billy woods

1k: Nanci Griffith vs. Van Morrison

1l: Cole Porter vs. Gordon Lightfoot

I’m a sucker for a good showtune repertoire.

1m: Andre 3000 vs. Billy Joel

It’s Andre 3000 you guys.

1n: Emmylou Harris vs. Nick Drake

Harris is an icon but Drake does more for me.

1o: Ron Mael vs. Josh Tillman
Sparks can really surprise you. For instance, they can do the overwrought ironic piano ballad better than FJM (see Those Mysteries)

1p: Bill Calahan vs. Townes van Zandt

This ones evil. I listen to Townes van Zandt a few times every week but Bill Callahan wrote my favorite lyric of all time. Gotta give it to the Callaman

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

mickilennial — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 17:08:06 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 08/22/2020 21:08

kinda been going through personal shit so its why ive been quiet

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

baystateoftheart — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 17:06:02 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 08/22/2020 21:06

I doubt I'll have the time or energy to further explore these discographies before the deadline, so I'll limit my votes to matches in which I've heard at least two full albums by each contestant (more if some of those songs are written by others).

1a: Patrick Walker vs. Lou Reed - ABSTAIN
1b: Tim Buckley vs. Daniel Dumile
1c: Lawrence vs. Tom Waits
1d: Víctor Jara vs. Jeffrey Lewis - ABSTAIN
1e: Dan Fogelberg vs. Beck - ABSTAIN
1f: Bernie Taupin vs. Janelle Monáe
1g: Matt Berninger vs. Will Oldham
1h: Phil Elverum vs. Linton Kwesi Johnson - ABSTAIN
1i: Neko Case vs. Neil Peart
1j: Rosanne Cash vs. billy woods
1k: Nanci Griffith vs. Van Morrison - ABSTAIN
1l: Cole Porter vs. Gordon Lightfoot - ABSTAIN
1m: André 3000 vs. Billy Joel
1n: Emmylou Harris vs. Nick Drake - ABSTAIN [I've heard 7 Emmylou Harris albums, but only 7 or so of her songs.]
1o: Ron Mael vs. Josh Tillman - ABSTAIN
1p: Bill Callahan vs. Townes Van Zandt

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:45:10 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/19/2020 12:45

Hehe I like the way you guys are taking this

UK A level Students vs The Algorithm

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

RoundTheBend — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 17:35:02 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 08/16/2020 21:35

Listened to some Emmylou today. Quality stuff. Still some of the content is less interesting to me.

It's funny - Tom Waits' delivery is super key to his songwriting (hence the name of the craft... otherwise it'd be poetry). I mean this is a good read, but even better songwriting delivery.

Putnam County

I guess things were always kinda quiet around Putnam County
Kinda shy and sleepy as it clung to the skirts of the 2-lane
That was stretched out just like an asphalt dance floor
Where all the old-timers in bib jeans and store bought boots
Were hunkerin'(2) down in the dirt
To lie about their lives and the places that they'd been
And they'd suck on Coca Colas, yeah, and be spittin' Day's Work
Until the moon was a stray dog on the ridge and...
And the taverns would be swollen until the naked eye of 2 a.m.
And the Stratocasters slung over the Burgermeister beer guts
And swizzle stick legs(3) jackknifed over naugahyde(4) stools... yeah
And the witch hazel spread out over the linoleum floors
And pedal pushers(5) stretched out over a midriff bulge
And the coiffed brunette curls over Maybelline eyes
Wearing Prince Machiavelli(6), or something... yeah
Estee Lauder, smells so sweet
And I elbowed up(7) at the counter with mixed feelings over mixed drinks
As Bubba and the Roadmasters moaned in pool hall concentration and...
And knit their brows(8) to cover the entire Hank Williams(9) songbook
Whether you like it or not
And the old National register was singin' to the tune of $57.57... yeah
And then it's last call, one more game of eightball
Berniece'd be puttin' the chairs on the tables
And someone come in and say, 'Hey man, anyone got any jumper cables?'
'Is that a 6 or a 12 volt, man? I don't know...'
Yeah, and all the studs in town would toss 'em down
And claim to fame as they stomped their feet
Yeah, boastin' about bein' able to get more ass than a toilet seat(10)
And the GMC's(11) and the Straight-8 Fords were coughin' and wheezin'
And they percolated(12) as they tossed the gravel underneath the fenders
To weave home a wet slick anaconda of a 2-lane
With tire irons and crowbars a-rattlin'
With a tool box and a pony saddle
You're grindin' gears and you're shiftin' into first
Yeah, and that goddam Tranny's just gettin' worse, man
With the melody of see-ya-later's and screwdrivers on carburetors
Talkin' shop about money to loan
And Palominos and strawberry roans(13)... yeah
See ya tomorrow, hello to the Missus!
With money to borrow and goodnight kisses
As the radio spit out Charlie Rich(14), man,
and he sure can sing that son of a bitch
And you weave home, yeah, weavin' home
Leavin' the little joint winkin' in the dark warm narcotic American night
Beneath a pin cushion sky
And it's home to toast and honey, gotta start up the Ford, man
Yeah, and your lunch money's right over there on the drainin' board
And the toilet's runnin'! Christ, shake the handle!
And the telephone's ringin', it's Mrs. Randal
And where the hell are my goddam sandals?
What you mean, the dog chewed up my left foot?
With the porcelain poodles and the glass swans
Staring down from the knickknack shelf... yeah
And the parent permission slips for the kids' field trips
Yeah, and a pair of Muckalucks(15) scraping across the shag carpet... yeah
And the impending squint of first light
And it lurked behind a weepin' marquee in downtown Putnam
Yeah, and it'd be pullin' up any minute now
Just like a bastard amber Velveta yellow cab on a rainy corner
And be blowin' its horn in every window in town

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

BozoTyrannus — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 12:12:36 GMT

Author: BozoTyrannus

Posted: 08/16/2020 16:12

RoundTheBend wrote:

We still trying to listen to the entire discographies of these artists or what's the deadline again?

Randomly bolding an artist not participating to satisfy my instant gratification need. The brain sometimes can't tell the difference between pretend and real. 🤣

Johnny Cash vs Fred Durst

Good question. Let's say August 26 as a deadline.

Also, I like this instant gratification idea.

Gandhi vs. Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

RoundTheBend — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:33:35 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 08/16/2020 00:33

We still trying to listen to the entire discographies of these artists or what's the deadline again?

Randomly bolding an artist not participating to satisfy my instant gratification need. The brain sometimes can't tell the difference between pretend and real. 🤣

Johnny Cash vs Fred Durst

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Anonymous — Wed, 5 Aug 2020 08:29:45 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/05/2020 12:29

Skinny wrote:

theblueboy wrote:

I'm still not convinced by this reasoning. It's the context and what the lyric adds the particular song that matters. I've not heard the songs you mention so can't compare (the phrase certainly doesn't leap out to me in Trenchtown Rock but I believe you if you say it's there).

Not sure why you are saying what I wrote is factually incorrect. Also, it seems a bit overheated to say it's a disservice to Lou Reed but feel free to disagree.

I meant that the idea that it's "not an obvious choice" is factually incorrect. It's a super clichéd lyric, used in literally hundreds of pop songs. However, I take your point about the context being important. And in terms of doing him a disservice, I just meant that there are many more distinctive and unique lyrics from his oeuvre that you could have picked to showcase his creativity. We're in agreement that he's an amazing songwriter, one of my favourites in fact, but I just personally wouldn't have used that example. Apologies.

No worries at all. Yeah, I guess that lyric is more common than I realised. I just personally feel like I've not heard it other times (I just missed it in Trenchtown Rock- I really like that song though) I take your point that there must be other great Lou Reed lyrics, which are probably more unique to him. Hopefully they'll get quoted in the tournament as it goes on.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Skinny — Wed, 5 Aug 2020 07:51:04 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 08/05/2020 11:51

theblueboy wrote:

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Anonymous — Wed, 5 Aug 2020 06:46:58 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/05/2020 10:46

Skinny wrote:

The problem with this statement is that it's factually incorrect. Otis Rush used it as a lyric five years before 'Perfect Day'. Junior Parker used it as a lyric nearly 20 years before 'Perfect Day'. Van Morrison's Them, who split up in 1967, used the lyric on the song 'Philosophy'. Bob Marley's 'Trenchtown Rock' used the lyric the same year that Reed did. This isn't to mention the myriad gospel songs that used the phrase long before any of these artists, or the hundreds of other secular songwriters to have made use of it. (A cursory search threw up over 50 examples in pop music, and that was without any attempt at being thorough.) I love Lou Reed, but to use that phrase as an example of his creativity does both him and the lyric itself a disservice, frankly.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Skinny — Wed, 5 Aug 2020 05:55:48 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 08/05/2020 09:55

theblueboy wrote:

I disagree. Wherever the origin, it's certainly an expression in the public domain. I give credit to Lou for choosing it for the song. It's not as if it's an obvious choice for a lyric but it works beautifully.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Anonymous — Wed, 5 Aug 2020 03:45:57 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/05/2020 07:45

baystateoftheart wrote:

Not sure he deserves such accolades for a lyric that comes so close to being a direct Bible quote. Perhaps Paul should get a writing credit on that one.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

baystateoftheart — Tue, 4 Aug 2020 19:23:35 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 08/04/2020 23:23

theblueboy wrote:

Of the "big four" in this contest, I find Reed the most interesting lyrically. Hard to say why, I just find his lyrics very memorable, neat and evocative. "You're going to reap just what you sow" is really a perfect refrain. You don't need lyrics to be too flouncy, they just have fit perfectly and connect on some level. "You're going to reap.." is a home run. There is nothing wrong at all with Waits, Drake or Morrison, but I don't think their lyrics really catch fire like Reed's can.

Not sure he deserves such accolades for a lyric that comes so close to being a direct Bible quote. Perhaps Paul should get a writing credit on that one.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux ROUND ONE: Bloodbath

babyBlueSedan — Tue, 4 Aug 2020 19:16:54 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 08/04/2020 23:16

1a: Patrick Walker vs. Lou Reed

I think Walker's lyrics don't really work outside of their musical backing, but that's kind of the point here anyway, right? Regardless I've never been a big fan of Lou Reed's solo stuff outside of the big songs off of Transformer, and Walker didn't write "Andy's Chest."

1b: Tim Buckley vs. Daniel Dumile
1c: Lawrence vs. Tom Waits
1d: Victor Jaras vs. Jeffrey Lewis
1e: Dan Fogelberg vs. Beck

I was ready to vote for Fogelberg off of the strength of "Operator" but then learned my brain had consolidated Fogelberg and Jim Croce into a single person. Going with Beck by just a hair.

1f: Bernie Taupin vs. Janelle Monae
1g: Matt Berninger vs. Will Oldham

At first I thought Oldham was the obvious choice. Berninger can have some clunky lines but I think his great lyrics outshine Oldham's.

1h: Phil Elverum vs. Linton Kwesi Johnson

Really close one like I said, but sticking with my nom. I hope to explore more of Johnson's work though.

1i: Neko Case vs. Neil Peart

tbh I'd vote for almost anyone over Peart here

1j: Roseanne Cash vs. billy woods

I enjoyed the Cash songs I listened to, but I'm not sure there's anyone (in this tournament or not) that I'd vote for over woods.

1k: Nanci Griffith vs. Van Morrison

I think both are good but not amazing lyricists. Griffith's down-to-earth storytelling is more my styles than Morrison's.

1l: Cole Porter vs. Gordon Lightfoot (abstain, hope to get around to this one by the end of the week)
1m: Andre 3000 vs. Billy Joel
1n: Emmylou Harris vs. Nick Drake

See thoughts on Griffith vs Morrison

1o: Ron Mael vs. Josh Tillman

Not a huge fan of Sparks' lyrics but I could never get behind Tillman's sardonic style.

1p: Bill Calahan vs. Townes van Zandt

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Anonymous — Tue, 4 Aug 2020 16:55:23 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/04/2020 20:55

Of the "big four" in this contest, I find Reed the most interesting lyrically. Hard to say why, I just find his lyrics very memorable, neat and evocative. "You're going to reap just what you sow" is really a perfect refrain. You don't need lyrics to be too flouncy, they just have fit perfectly and connect on some level. "You're going to reap.." is a home run. There is nothing wrong at all with Waits, Drake or Morrison, but I don't think their lyrics really catch fire like Reed's can.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

BozoTyrannus — Tue, 4 Aug 2020 09:53:47 GMT

Author: BozoTyrannus

Posted: 08/04/2020 13:53

RoundTheBend wrote:

not gonna lie, kinda sad these two didn't make it...

Bob Marley & Laura Marling

It's my own fault for not keeping a closer eye on the number of nominees. Sacrifices had to be made. No sense punishing someone else for my mistake.

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

RoundTheBend — Mon, 3 Aug 2020 21:35:57 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 08/04/2020 01:35

not gonna lie, kinda sad these two didn't make it...

Bob Marley & Laura Marling

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Hayden — Mon, 3 Aug 2020 10:42:47 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 08/03/2020 14:42

babyBlueSedan wrote:

I listened to Forces of Victory the other night and absolutely loved it. Especially "Sonny's Lettah".... damn. It actually has me thinking about voting against Phil Elverum, as much as I agree with what others have said about old favorites having a special connection that's difficult to overcome. They both have some really powerful lyrics, but for different reasons. I hope people give this match-up a fair chance, at the very least I've gone from never hearing of Johnson to being a fan (and this from someone who's never really loved reggae/dub before either).

Awesome 😄 That is the point of this all. Sonny's Lettah was my quote selection. Not sure why it isn't considered a classic.

I admit, Elverum's a tough opponent. He's still one of the best on the board himself.

Quote:

Still my favorite tv show, no matter how old it is

I've only seen the movie, and it's my least favourite Altman work by a bit. Never checked out the TV show, but I have heard quite a bit of positive things about it from my mother 🤣

Re: Best Songwriters Redux [August 26]

Anonymous — Mon, 3 Aug 2020 08:18:17 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/03/2020 12:18

I think I need to do about a year's worth of listening to properly respond to the first round 🤣

Red Dirt Girl shows how strong Emmylou Harris is as a songwriter when it's her own material. Georgous album- maybe even better than Wrecking Ball. I may vote for her yet...