Best Ever Albums

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Skinny — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 04:16:16 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/23/2021 09:16

1994 wins, 10-7.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

cestuneblague — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 15:18:12 GMT

Author: cestuneblague

Posted: 02/14/2021 20:18

I don't really have a formula for deciding since I think each match is unique, and I kind of just take it all as it lays, though I think having a method for voting can help when a lot of the matches can be hard to really compare. This is again a tough one, since it seems to be a notable difference between personal album appreciation and overall consistiency, so again still have some searching to do before deciding and that can be true of any number of matchups this round.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

LedZep — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 09:34:00 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 02/14/2021 14:34

RoundTheBend wrote:

when it's mind blowing amazing/has more cultural/musical importance than the album.

Skinny wrote:

I like dancing in clubs and at parties. I have also been known to DJ at clubs and parties. I don't want to hear or play an album in that context; I want to hear or play a selection of singles. There are numerous other contexts in which I prefer singles to albums, but that one in particular strikes me. It's why I have often struggled to completely get behind singles in this tournament which just feel like sections of an album I love ('Feelin' It' or 'Electric Relaxation', to give two examples), and why I gravitate more towards singles that are either obvious standouts from less consistent albums, or songs make perfect sense - to me, at least - as standalones in their own right. I tried to engineer a tournament in which singles were given equal weight as albums, but at the same time it's completely up to users how they choose to judge teams.

Both of these make perfect sense. Although I have no problem listening to the full album and choosing a song or two that would fit in my DJ set. But I do get why you'd think like that. It really is interesting how everyone votes differently, maybe that's why the tourney has been a huge success so far, it's different than anything else that I've seen in my (comparatively brief) tenure on BEA forums.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

kokkinos — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 03:54:52 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 02/14/2021 08:54

Regarding the voting patterns discussion: On general principle I value albums higher than singles. One argument for that would be the sheer quantity of music contained in each of these forms and the second would be that there are -at least nowadays- more circumstances I will listen to an album in comparison to a single. Of course it also depends on the specific matchup. If there is a case where one team wins the albums mini-match, but all four albums were relatively underwhelming and the other team wins the singles mini-match, where everything was top-notch, I would definitely consider voting in favor of the latter. Furthermore, for me it's not all about individual quality, I take into account team chemistry -admittedly to a higher degree than I should- , so that can elevate a single/album that I wouldn't rate as highly if I were to assess it as a standalone piece.
Not to be completely off-topic, I also found it hard voting againist 2015, but for me the reason wasn't so much To Pimp a Butterfly (don't get me wrong, it's a classic in every sense of the word), but Summertime '06, which was clearly my favorite part of this matchup. All things considered, though, 1994 is a force to be reckoned with and it ended up getting my vote, albeit with a heavy heart.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Skinny — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 13:37:32 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/13/2021 18:37

LedZep wrote:

Skinny wrote:

I think users' respective voting patterns - or lack thereof, in many cases - have been one of the more interesting things to observe throughout this tournament. Some users have attempted to use numerical ratings to decide; some users weight albums over singles (but never the other way round, rightly or wrongly, even though I struggle with the concept that an album is somehow more important than a single); some users seem to be swayed by the inclusion of a personal favourite or two; some users seem drawn to team cohesion, which can take many forms, whilst others seem to prefer teams with variety; some users appear to be going on some form of 'gut instinct'; I have personally used a variety of these methods to help me decide which team to vote for, depending on how I feel about a particular matchup. I think searching for logic in art and one's judgement of art is a largely futile exercise.

That said, Repo's decision makes no sense. :lol:

It's simple really. A single is 1 song, an album is a lot of songs. Not that it should be 10x more important than a single if there are 10 songs on an album, but it makes perfect sense to value albums more. Now is it 4x as important or 2x or just slightly more important (or completely even), that's on a personal basis. Even in singles based music like house, techno or hip hop for that matter, I personally see no problem with valuing 1 album more than 1 single. Maybe that's just me though, what would be the arguments to weight a single over an album?

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

RoundTheBend — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 13:18:44 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 02/13/2021 18:18

LedZep wrote:

Maybe that's just me though, what would be the arguments to weight a single over an album?

when it's mind blowing amazing/has more cultural/musical importance than the album.

Also when you use the logic of a "release" regardless of length.

But yeah if an album has 10 songs just as good as the single/any single... then obviously it'd be weighted higher.

My two cents.

Also for some reason, hip-hop singles especially weigh more than the albums. Possibly hardest hitting singles in any genre. I don't really have an explanation on the why there for me, but it just turns out that way.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Repo — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:52:22 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:52

Skinny wrote:

🤣 🤣 🤣

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

LedZep — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:52:17 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:52

Skinny wrote:

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Skinny — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:21:05 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:21

I think users' respective voting patterns - or lack thereof, in many cases - have been one of the more interesting things to observe throughout this tournament. Some users have attempted to use numerical ratings to decide; some users weight albums over singles (but never the other way round, rightly or wrongly, even though I struggle with the concept that an album is somehow more important than a single); some users seem to be swayed by the inclusion of a personal favourite or two; some users seem drawn to team cohesion, which can take many forms, whilst others seem to prefer teams with variety; some users appear to be going on some form of 'gut instinct'; I have personally used a variety of these methods to help me decide which team to vote for, depending on how I feel about a particular matchup. I think searching for logic in art and one's judgement of art is a largely futile exercise.

That said, Repo's decision makes no sense. 🤣

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Repo — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:16:56 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:16

Hayden wrote:

I never thought someone would say the team with To Pimp A Butterfly on it would be considered the underdog in this tournament. 🤣

I ended up voting for '94 myself. Came down to the singles.

Remember. 2015 got clobbered last round! I voted 2015 than too. I'm a snowflake! lol

Which reminds me, I got to shovel! Again!!! 🧱

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Hayden — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:10:21 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:10

I never thought someone would say the team with To Pimp A Butterfly on it would be considered the underdog in this tournament. 🤣

I ended up voting for '94 myself. Came down to the singles.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Repo — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:06:59 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:06

baystateoftheart wrote:

Repo wrote:

Crazy good match-up! All four of those albums are amazing! Might have to come down to the singles.

Blowout Comb is one of my favorite albums of all time. So many great memories. So hard to vote against that.

One of the toughest matchups for me. Just LOVE all four albums. Going with 2015 because never heard that Vince Staples before and it really hits that sweet spot for me. I like big massive "over-stuffed" if they're done well. If they become someything bigger because of the little stuff that others might not find essential but that I feel lends to the mystique of the album. That just doesn't make it feel like a collection of songs that were thrown together. Add to that that Maxinquaye is one of my favorite albums of all time and that this scratches a similar itch with its dark, trippy foreboding tone and its great use of back up singers.

Killer match-up. 2015 just because of Summertime '06.

BUT if I'd have to rank the albums it'd probably be

1. Blowout Comb
2. Summertime '06
3. Stress
4. TPAB

So my vote makes no sense! 😨 :lol:

So you'd rank both the albums and singles higher, but you're voting against my team anyway? Damn lol

I'm a sucker for the underdog!!! lol

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

baystateoftheart — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:05:34 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:05

Repo wrote:

One of the toughest matchups for me. Just LOVE all four albums. Going with 2015 because never heard that Vince Staples anymore and it really hits that sweet spot for me. I like big massive "over-stuffed" if they're done well. If they become someything bigger because of the little stuff that others might not find essential but that I feel lends to the mystique of the album. That just doesn't make it feel like a collection of songs that were thrown together. Add to that that Maxinquaye is one of my favorite albums of all time and that this scratches a similar itch with its dark, trippy foreboding tone and its great use of back up singers.

Killer match-up. 2015 just because of Summertime '06.

BUT if I'd have to rank the albums it'd probably be

1. Blowout Comb
2. Summertime '06
3. Stress
4. TPAB

So my vote makes no sense! 😨 :lol:

So you'd rank both the albums and singles higher, but you're voting against my team anyway? Damn lol

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Repo — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:01:55 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 02/13/2021 17:01

Repo wrote:

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

RoundTheBend — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 01:28:46 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 02/13/2021 06:28

Hayden wrote:

Which adds up to... maybe a slightly more consistent '94 team? I think. I'm just having a hard to going against Kendrick here.

x2 now 😕

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

travelful — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 15:57:43 GMT

Author: travelful

Posted: 02/11/2021 20:57

This was one of the toughest match-ups for me this round. Ultimately I think Kendrick carries the 2015 team just barely enough for my vote. I love all four albums here, however I think TPAB's weight gives a nice lead before getting into the singles. I think I'd rank the albums like this:

TPAB>>Stress>=Summertime 06>Blowout Comb

There are better 2015 singles to use, but I respect the L$D pick. It's awfully nostalgic for me nowadays and addicting enough that it is one of the standout singles of the year in retrospect. The Dr. Dre track is meh, not necessarily bad when listening but pretty forgettable just like the album it's on. Both 94 tracks are just killer 10/10 tracks.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

Hayden — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 14:43:05 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 02/11/2021 19:43

I should be able to figure this one out by now, but I really can't. I wish 2015s singles were just a bit stronger... I think To Pimp A Butterfly adds this massive weight, but the Dre/A$AP selections drag the team down a smidge.

I'd rank the albums like this—
1. To Pimp A Butterfly (way out front)
2. Stress
3. Blowout Comb
4. Summertime '06 (which isn't toooo far behind really)

And the singles like this—

1. Electric Relaxation (way out front)
2. Listen Up
3. Talking To My Diary
4. L$D (which is quite far behind)

Which adds up to... maybe a slightly more consistent '94 team? I think. I'm just having a hard to going against Kendrick here.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

cestuneblague — Sun, 7 Feb 2021 04:39:42 GMT

Author: cestuneblague

Posted: 02/07/2021 09:39

Yeah To Pimp a Butterfly is a giant, gonna make any team formidable, and Summertime '06 is actually still my favorite hitherto Staples release, I don't mind the inconsitiency because I love the many moods and different stories/impressionistic moments here that aren't quite as prevelant on the admittely tighter and more mature craft of his following albums. But... I really don't care for those singles at all.

94 has two albums I like but don't really love (although Stress is def close), but I may like the overall team better than '15 perhaps because of the very lopsided singles comp. Still doing some listening so vote can still be won either way.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

babyBlueSedan — Thu, 4 Feb 2021 17:25:41 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 02/04/2021 22:25

I gave Blowout Comb another listen, and my opinion on it hasn't really changed. The music is nice but the vocals being buried so much makes it hard for me to focus on them. Which would be fine if I found the music amazing, but I don't. It's just nice. It probably sounds better in the summary than in February, but I'm not sure a different setting would be enough to sell me on it.

Despite not really caring for Blowout Comb I still expected to vote for '94 because "Listen Up" is easily the best single in this group and "Electric Relaxation" is easily the second best. But after thinking about it more I'm going with 2015. I listen to those two albums much more than I do Organized Konfusion, and though the '94 team feels more complete I just can't get over the fact that I much prefer those albums. And the 2015 singles aren't weak exactly, just not amazing.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group B - 1994 vs. 2015

PossiblyMichigan — Mon, 1 Feb 2021 15:26:23 GMT

Author: PossiblyMichigan

Posted: 02/01/2021 20:26

Yeah not to underestimate the impact of To Pimp A Butterfly at all, it's a fantastic album but 6 years on Kendrick's pleas for afro collectivism seem a little bit more disingenuous than they did on release (this isn't my white take overreaching, it's stuff I've read and found myself agreeing on in Noname interviews re Kendrick and J Cole's community outreach). Not to use this to discredit how good TPAB is but it's the things like that that are gonna make me separate such a tough bracket. Well that and a rather lackluster Dre song. Andddd that Vince Staples album while really good is certainly overstuffed, especially in comparison to the much much tigher Big Fish Theory. Also yeah, Digable Planets, one of my favorite groups ever. Stress: The Extinction Agenda blew my mind when I was first getting into hip hop. Does it less so but I greatly enjoy it still. That Erule single is great. Muchhhh tighter matchup than I thought going in.