BSE? Round 1 Part 2

Alright, I'm through match 36 now and I ended on two real hard matches. We're over halfway through the first round now and more than a quarter done with the whole shebang. Long way to go yet!

Match 23:

Victor: Boys of Summer – Don Henley

Defeated: Walking- The Dodos

Why did this song deserve to be here?

It’s a very simple song but still very effective. I don’t think I could possibly say enough good things about the use of the banjo here. Of course I must say that I’m an absolute sucker for a good banjo part. Still though, I’ve never been a big fan of Bella Fleck strangely enough. The lyrics, again, are simple and effective. Just some words about change.

Why did it lose?

Boys of Summer is really good, this is just another case of one song outclassing the other.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvjItvYgBu0

Match 24:

Victor: Hotel California- The Eagles

Defeated: September- Earth, Wind and Fire

Why did this song deserve to be here?

I hate to see so many upbeat songs lose in the early rounds but I stand by all my choices so far. As Brian Clark used to say “All the truly great songs will bring you down.” I’m not sure if this is a law of land but I often think about it. I think the greatest song in the world is more likely to make you cry then to make you smile but surely there are some truly great pick-me-ups out there. I’d like to say this list represents them fairly well. Roam and the Crystal Cat did make it to the second round after all. September is another toe tapper, it makes you want to bust out the disco moves even though you weren’t alive in the 70’s. I love that there’s not even a hint of sadness. Who’s sad? Why would anyone ever be sad? It just doesn’t make sense in the context of this song.

Why did it lose?

Looks we got a Henley vs. Henley match-up next round. This might be the only time an artist will face themselves since Under Pressure is fairly far from Bohemian Rhapsody and Heroes. Layla was already eliminated so there’s no Clapton v. Clapton either. But yeah, Hotel California.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfLEc09tTjI

Match 25:

Victor: Stan- Eminem

Defeated: Rocket Man- Elton John

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Rocket Man is an absolute classic. Elton’s piano skills continue to shine in this emotional ballad. The lyrics are great and can be interpreted in so many different ways. There’ themes of regret, loneliness, being an outcast. Some say it’s a metaphor for drug use, other say it’s about Elton being in the closet, other still say it’s about being a spaceman. Wikipedia tends to agree with the spaceman theory since they cite it as being based off a Ray Bradbury short story, but I don’t think that makes other theories invalid. A lot of great stories leave the story a little ambiguous so the reader can fit themselves in the role and that’s what I believe Elton and his lyricist have done here.

Why did it lose?

Oh, another hard loss. They’re so many things Slim Shady did right in this song though. Some of it is just utter brilliance.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GAKOLOnfV4

Match 26:

Victor: Tears in Heaven- Eric Clapton

Defeated: Do you Realize?? – Flaming Lips

Why did this song deserve to be here?

A song that’s full of simple feeling and good vibes. The lyrics are pretty great. For a moment the song throws you for a loop when it ends a chorus with “Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die” but it’s not a sad thing. Life is precarious but that doesn’t mean we should live in fear.

Why did it lose?

Do You Realize?? has a lot of emotion in it but so does Tears in Heaven. This was a tough choice but I think correct.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zYOKFjpm9s

Match 27:

Victor: Landslide – Fleetwood Mac

Defeated: Blue Ridge Mountains – Fleet Foxes

Why did this song deserve to be here?

The Fleet Foxes album was really something special, it was one of those albums where pretty much every song on the album could have been a hit. But Blue Ridge Mountains still manages to stand out in album full of A quality songs. His voice is incredible, the vocal harmonies present in the album and in this song are astounding. On top of this they are obviously very talented musicians as well.

Why did it lose?

Well I can’t really figure out what the lyrics are really about besides some bonding between brothers. Though I must admit the imagery is fantastic. Landslide is too relatable though, and main metaphor is so strong.

Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m8CkxXhPtw

Match 28:

Victor: The Modern Leper- Frightened Rabbit

Defeated: Faith- George Michael

Why did this song deserve to be here?

With Wham! disbanded George Michael had to come out with a new single to prove he could make it in his solo act and he delivered Faith. It’s got a strong beat and is one of the catchiest songs ever. I remember a dude in a certain VH1 “I Love the Eighties!” special described it as “The song that made it cool for straight dudes to listen George Michael.” I suppose Wake Me Up Before You Go-go doesn’t really break that barrier.

Why did it lose?

Modern Leper is caked in metaphor and Faith is still fairly shallow despite it’s catchiness. Leper is even sort of catchy in a more morbid way

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu3VTngm1F0

Match 29:

Victor: Gin & Juice – The Gourds

Defeated: Crazy- Gnarls Barkley

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Well now, speaking of catchiness… I think most of use only had to hear this song once before we were hooked. I’m happy to see that Gnarls front man has had another success recently in Fuck You. I’m not sure if it gets radio play for obvious reasons but it still seems to be known by every person on the earth. Cee Lo Green’s voice is amazing as always and Danger Mouse did a great job with the instrumentation. This song feels like it was engineered to be the perfect pop song.

Why did it lose?

I’ve often argued against covers but I’m making an exception. G&J might be catchier.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd2B6SjMh_w

Match 30:

Victor: The Message – Grandmaster Flash

Defeated: Good Riddance – Green Day

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Green Day has made a career of churning out mediocre pieces of power punk, but I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. Ok maybe that’s a little mean, I thought Boulevard of Broken dreams was better than everyone gave it credit for. He’s pretty open about what the song means. It’s a breakup song that’s trying its best not to be caustic but really failing in that aspect. The guitar is pretty good and the fuck-up at the start is fairly charming. It’s just a relatable song.

Why did it lose?

The Message is one of those songs everybody can agree on. His “message” is very powerful.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ8N1KacJc

Match 31:

Victor: Papa’s got a Brand New Bag – James Brown

Defeated: Sweet Child of Mine – Guns N Roses

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Guns N Roses have always stood out from the traditional rock bands for me. I’m not quite sure what the difference is but everything just feels a little more sincere. Axl actually seems to give a shit about what he’s saying most of the time. This is especially true in Sweet Child o’ Mine. It’s just a song about a girl but it still hits right. Of course it’s Slash that truly stands out in this song. The solos are pretty awesome, from the slow one at the start to face melter towards the end.

Why did it lose?

You know I wanted to give it GNR initially but their own disdain for the song takes away some of its magic for me. Wiki says it started out as a warm-up and Slash still calls it a string skipping exercise. Hmmm that’s fairly not magical.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4

Match 32:

Victor: 99 Problems- Jay-Z

Defeated: Young Hearts Spark Fire - Japandroids

Why did this song deserve to be here?

A good loud song and it should be played with the volume up. He’s not trying to say a lot here and it fits. I saw them live at pitchfork and the feeling I got is that they were trying to play as many notes and fit in as many cymbal crashes as they could. I think it all works well. The repetition of the chorus fits well with this style, he really wants to make sure you get what he’s saying.

“I don't wanna worry about dying
I just wanna worry about those sunshine girls”

Why did it lose?

99 Problems is about as classic as Hip-Hop can be (Well… except for The Message)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwoM5fLITfk

Match 33:

Victor: Under Pressure- Queen & David Bowie

Defeated: Numb/Encore –Jay-z & Linkin Park

Why did this song deserve to be here?

I’ve always been a sucker for mash-ups and this is probably the best one ever (aside from various girl talk albums) Not really one of the best songs ever but it still is worth talking about. Most mash-ups are mixes of two or more songs put together by a third party. Numb/Encore is a little different in that Jay-Z Contacted Linkin Park and wanted to do some work together. That’s why you got to see this album on shelves. By the way, do you know you can buy the last girl talk album from amazon? Why would anyone do that?

Why did it lose?

Under Pressure is a real song

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3METMAHEnvk

Match 34:

Victor: Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver

Defeated: Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley

Why did this song deserve to be here?

The lyrics are really good obviously and Buckley really makes the song his own. In my opinion this is the best version of the song out there. Personally I find the original Leonard Cohen version to be kinda grating. Buckley’s got quite a voice and it’s really the emotion in his singing that makes this song as good as it is.

Why did it lose?

I think this might be somewhat of a controversial pick. I suppose my main problem with this song is that it took at least 3 covers of this song before someone got it right. As I said I find the Cohen version to be unpleasant musically, and they’re not Buckley’s words. That leaves me in an awkward spot, who really means this? Is Buckley genuine in his emotion? Hard to say, but I will always have this aversion to covers for this reason.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4

Match 35:

Victor: Imagine – John Lennon

Defeated: Flashing Lights – Kanye West

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Maybe this isn’t the right pick for his song but the egomaniac definitely deserves a place on the list. This song’s good, we know that, let’s talk about the new album instead. First things first, the Chris Rock segment at the end of the blame game is the most hilarious shit ever. “I’ve even seen this part of pussy town before, It’s like you got your pussy all reupholstered or something. Who reupholstered your pussy?” This is absolute gold. They put this hilarious skit at the end of such a down song. I guess it’s a good way to pick on his ex though. Runaway is sick. All of the Lights is good and catchy. The album really feels like a whole though, with a familiar flow throughout. The intro and ender both fit their roles very well and the whole album comes together as a very tight package.

Why did it lose?

Imagine

Imagine

Imagine

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ila-hAUXR5U

Match 36:

Victor: Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks

Defeated: Hounds of Love – Kate Bush

Why did this song deserve to be here?

It’s a damn masterpiece. The music gives a feeling of intensity and fear. The heavy drums give us the subtle impression of fast beating heart. Just when Kate exclaims “Here I Go” the strings come in with quick back and forth bowing and add on to that on edge feeling. But why is Kate so afraid? Right when the song begins a voice says “It’s in the trees. It’s coming!” The beast chasing Kate is falling in love. She compares love to a pack of unrelenting hunting dogs. She knows she should allow herself to be caught but she can’t help but run away.

Why did it lose?

This is a real heartbreaker for me and I had to leave it down to a gut decision. I hate to see some of my favorite songs leave so early but that’s the woes of random seeding.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ow0bA4H3BQ

Match 37:

Victor: All My Friends – LCD Soundsystem

Defeated: Heartbeats – The Knife

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Are you kidding me seeding? Are you serious? How did I not notice this match-up earlier? This match sucks so much. I remember at a party once this song came on and I told Caitlin something like “This song is at the pinnacle of the world of music” or something along those lines. At the time I had a couple cocktails coursing through my veins and I was definitely in the mood to make big sweeping statements. As I look back though I wonder how I could really deny those words.

There isn’t really a confirmed meaning out there, though many people describe it as falling in love during a one night stand. I think this is actually pretty close but the difference I believe is that these two know each other already and are most likely already in love. The song is about a longing to break a drunken promise. “We had a promise made. Four hands and then away.”

Electronic music isn’t often the background for emotional songs. Perhaps this is the reason the Jose Gonzalez version found its way into popular culture but The Knife never really got there. It’s a real shame because I don’t think the music could have been any better. The synths are the perfect effect for this song and provide both a darkness and melancholy all in one. There’s even a dance mix at the end of the album if you want to go there.

Why did it lose?

This is a question I really had to ask myself this time. As much I as I love Hearbeats, All My Friends deserves this win. I practically wrote an essay on All My Friends and the meaning in metaphors in it in one of my blogs and I still stand by those words. Still, Heartbeats should be taken note of.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ow0bA4H3BQ