BSE? Round 1 Part 3

Phew, another batch of matches done. One more part and the first round should be complete. Also, I'm sorry about a lot of the formatting, I know a lot of this looks like WALL OF TEXT. Unfortunately Blogspot likes to remove a lot of white space and add some of it's own for whatever reason.

Match 38

Victor: I heard it Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye

Defeated: Sweet Home Alabama – Lynard Skynard

Why did this song deserve to be here?

In case you’ve never really paid much attention to the lyrics of this song, it’s actually an answer song directed at Neil Young. Neil had released two songs about racism in the south called Alabama and Southern Man. (“A southern man don’t need him around anyhow.” Get it? Eh? Eh?) He also mentions how mostly people opposed the Birmingham governor, who was an outspoken segregationist though some people miss the sarcasm in the line “In Birmingham they love the governor.” Lyrics aside, the riff at the start is unmistakable and the solos peppered throughout the song are equally memorable.

Why did it lose?

Grapevine feels like it has more to say than “Stuff it Neil”

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8rnFKo4PAE

Match 39

Victor: Missed the Boat – Modest Mouse

Defeated: Real World – Matchbox 20

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Let me say first that this type of super catchy power pop is, at least in my opinion, pretty underrated. Taking out Semi-Charmed Life early on was not an easy thing to do and now as I look back I think I would have cut other things. (Ian brought up a pretty good point about how Jay-Z/Linkin Park was trash) I’m going to talk a little bit about both of those songs here then, Real World first.

Holy smokes, is this song catchy! No wonder it still gets occasional radio play. He’s really not saying anything but nobody really cares. This is one of the songs where the lyrics are engineered to sound good first and convey a message second. It works for the song as it’s really just trying to catch listeners from random radio listens. Of course the trick often with radio songs is they get dull very quickly since they’re often just a lot of repetition. But I’ve listened to this song a lot (My iTunes library says 93 times… it was on the “Summer Jamz” playlist) and I’m still not really sick of it. That kind of repeatability from pop doesn’t come by accident, someone worked hard on this one.

As for Semi-Charmed Life, it’s similar to Real World in that it’s in that same Genre of power pop. There is a major difference though, with Semi-Charmed you come for the catchiness but stay for the lyrics. It’s hard to tell really what he’s saying but the whole song is about being addicted to meth. “The Sky was gold it was rose, I was taking sips of it through my nose” That’s some good lyrical shit. Also, something I didn’t know (thanks wiki!) this song is actually a response to Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild side.

Why did it lose?

Missed the Boat is almost as catchy as real world but it also has some real lyrics. Even though it sounds good sometimes “I wonder what it’s like to be the rainmaker, I wonder what it’s like to know that I make the rain” just doesn’t cut it.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh5_Wdd80lE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwJazZIWNgg

Match 40

Victor: No Children – The Mountain Goats

Defeated: 99 Red Balloons - Nena

Why did this song deserve to be here?

First of all let it be known that those who prefer the English version are damn fools. Even if you can’t understand what she’s saying there’s just so much more charm in the Deutsch. This song is a classic example of those 80’s one hit wonders we all know and love: She blinded me with Science, Jenny, Living in a Box, Rock me Amadeus etc. I think this the only one that made the list though. I love the cheesy synths and artificial drums, this song couldn’t be more eighties. The song is about balloons triggering nuclear warfare if you’ve never looked up the meaning. Being a protest probably gave it the edge over the other 80’s songs.

Why did it lose?

No Children I also wrote an essay about, or at least about Moral Orel. Though I don’t like it nearly as much as All my Friends.

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

Match 41

Victor: Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Defeated: Two-Headed Boy Part 2 – Neutral Milk Hotel

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Brendan – “Wanna know I know you’re way too indie”

Steven – “How’s that?”

Brendan – “You have Neutral Milk Hotel on vinyl”

Fair enough Brendan. This album is a known classic in certain circles and completely unheard of in others. I really have no clue what the hell this or really any other NMH song is about. The closest known thing is that it’s somewhat inspired by the diary of Anne Frank. How odd.

Why did it lose?

If this was an album contest NMH would be winning, but it’s not smells like teen spirit was sort of a representative of a generation

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gkAF5_UOj8

Match 42

Victor: Hey Ya! - Outkast

Defeated: The Past is a Grotesque Animal – Of Montreal

Why did this song deserve to be here?

This is a 12 minute song. How on earth can a 12 minute song possibly the album hit? 12 minute songs are reserved for experimental noise tracks and Jethro Tull. Somehow Of Montreal succeeded in making a catchy, interesting and meaningful song that lasted 12 minutes and kept all these traits throughout. The album is supposed to be a chronicle of the lead singers transformation into alter ego “Georgie Fruit” and the transformation takes place during this song. I don’t know about all that but there’s some damn good lines in this song. “Somehow you've red-rovered the gestapo circling my heart” How do you even come up with something like that?

Why did it lose?

Really tough, these are both round 2 caliber songs. It came down to gut feeling.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sMqRkUME_Y&feature=watch_response

Match 43

Victor: Gold Soundz - Pavement

Defeated: Band on the Run – Paul McCartney and the Wings

Why did this song deserve to be here?

I love how this song is divided into three segments. We start out with a chill out guitar riff then proceed to a darker, grungier riff and then finally we end up on the pop music we all know and love from Paul. The lyrics are simple and seem to about a sort of jail escape but the last “song” definitely turns it into a sort of fun thing. This song is actually several unfinished songs put together.

Why did it lose?

Gold Soundz, hmmm I’ll get to it.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBX2dySWGew

Match 44

Victor: Mistaken for Stangers – The National

Defeated: Wish you Were Here – Pink Floyd

Why did this song deserve to be here?

This is another classic rock song that no list is complete without. The instrumentation is really where this song shines. background It’s got that classic if-I-was-on-drugs-I’d-totally-be-trippng feel that Floyd is so good at. The wind sound effects at the end are the perfect way to bring the song to a close

Why did it lose?

To a song I didn’t even have in the initial list no less. I’ve always felt Floyd was overrated in general, but maybe that’s because I’m not on drugs often enough. A lot of the lyrics seem like they’re supposed to sound deeper than they actually are.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B2B77-0LW0&feature=fvst

Match 45

Victor: Purple Rain - Prince

Defeated: Every Breath you Take – The Police

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Sting describes it himself as a simple song with interesting words “The tune itself is generic, an aggregate of hundreds of others, but the words are interesting.” It’s interesting how people differ on the meaning. It can be taken as sweet song about being in love but Sting’s original meaning was intended to be “unrequited love.” It’s pretty scary if you go that route and really seems obsessive.

Why did it lose?

Purple Rain just has more going on in it. Plus this song is just a little too creepy.

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

Match 46

Victor: Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

Defeated: Common People - Pulp

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Now I love a good story, and Pulp sure tells it here. It’s about a girl who wants to give “slumming” a shot. Pulp puts her place by saying it’s not a game, this is life. There’s a terribly catchy keyboard providing the background, it was apparently conceived on a Casio keyboard.

Why did it lose?

Bohemian Rhapsody is sort of the odyssey of rock songs and it can’t really lose first round.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnoqjLI5Nfs

Match 47

Victor: Losing My Religion – R.E.M.

Defeated: Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead

Why did this song deserve to be here?

I got some flack from Drew for picking this one over several other Radiohead songs. Maybe he’s right and Paranoid Android should be losing this round instead but I think we’re all a little tired of thinking about Paranoid Android. Wiki says Yorke regards this song “as a joke that turned out to not really be that funny.” That seems like an apt description as the lyrics are quite clever but the subject matter is rather chilling. Everything is fake, but what’s real upsetting about this song is it’s not set in some sort of distant 1984esque future, this is all happening right now. There are fake plants, fake bodies, and finally a fake persona for a fake love. There’s some classic wailing Radiohead guitars going on the background and Yorke is singing in his usual droney fashion. It’s all quite Radiohead

Why did it lose?

I don’t think there’s a single Radiohead song that could beat REM here and again it’s not an album contest.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKd06s1LNik

Match 48

Victor: Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) – Radney Foster

Defeated: Under The Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Here’s RHCP’s signature song doing its signature thing. The guitar parts are damn good and it’s all in all pretty much a modern day rock song. As with a lot of RHCP songs the bass is actually worth listening to in parts of the song. It does some interesting things right at the end when the song begins to fade out. This song is little atypical for RHCP too in that the words seem to matter. “The Bridge” in the title is actually a place where the lead singer used to go to buy heroin and the whole song is about loneliness and only having drugs.

Why did it lose?

Not sure, close one.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwlogyj7nFE

Match 49

Victor: Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones

Defeated: Ooh La La – Rod Stewart

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Rod Stewart sure made a relatable one here as pretty much every man in the world can attest to. The world of love and relationships sure seem like an easy game when you’re young, but nothing’s ever as easy as it seems. This song is about doubt from a younger generation but the wisdom of an older one. Rod hits some really good lines in this song too

“When you want her lips, you get her cheek
Makes you wonder where you are”

Damn Rod, you read my mind.

Why did it lose?

Sympathy’s quite a bit better musically and has a completely new sort of lyrical approach.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7qGejxErTA Sorry, live is all I got

Match 50

Victor: Random Rules – Silver Jews

Defeated: Closing Time - Semisonic

Why did this song deserve to be here?

Hey there power pop! It’s simple, it’s effective, and it’s damn catchy. I always liked how this was love song but only the chorus gives it away with one simple repeated line.

Why did it lose?

There’s just more to Random Rules

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGytDsqkQY8

Match 51

Victor: Mrs. Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel

Defeated: All Star – Smash Mouth

Why did this song deserve to be here?

This song is so dumb, I can’t even begin to describe how stupid the lyrics are. Does any of this nonsense matter? Random clichés are thrown in whenever he needs something to rhyme “All that glitters is gold” “hit the ground running” “the sharpest tool in the shed” “Break the mold.” Wiki says it’s about the things people told him in order to motivate him to become a rock star, then what the hell does the middle verse have to do with that? Wiki also says “Lead singer Steven Harwell has said that his first instinct after recording the song was not to release it as a single but to sell it to advertisers" I don’t think anything else is the world has ever been more appropriate.

And yet, omitting it from the list seemed wrong.

Why did it lose?

LOL

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xxQs34UMx4