BSE Round 5

Well it's getting real close now, we're off the the final 4 after this. At this level pretty much every song on the list has some personal meaning to me as well as just being awesome. I think I only had one upset from my initial thoughts in round 5.2. I still don't know who wins yet either so I'm feeling pretty excited at finishing this up after 3 and a half months. Next round sometime next week. I might do some bonus lists too (or just regular entries) inbetween depending on how busy I am.

Match 5.1

Victor: No Woman No Cry – Bob Marley

Defeated: A Day in the Life – The Beatles

Why did this song deserve to be here?

So basically every round that the Beatles had been in so far up until now I just had to look at the match to determine the winner. God Only Knows has been its only real competition so far and even then I don’t like that song nearly as much comparatively. So here we are in round five and it turns out I’m actually going to have to listen to A Day in the Life.

Ok, so the Beatles might just be objectively the best band ever. They broke down musical barriers, they produced infinite singles and they were the ultimate pop icons. We all have our favorite Beatles song. For some it’s Hey Jude, others prefer Yesterday and crazy people love Maxwell’s Silver Hammer and Octopus’s Garden (Why????) Picking the ones Beatles song to represent their entire catalogue wasn’t easy to do. I needed a song that wasn’t tired or overused, something that has still retained its Beatle Magic, but it needed to have that instant recognizability as a top song of their discography.

A Day in the Life pushed pop boundaries with its three song glued together vibe. Random orchestra noise glues these sections together in an unconventional fashion. Sgt. Peppers is one of the Beatles albums people really get behind (Revolver, Abbey Road, and Let it Be being the others in my experience) and A Day in the Life is a cornerstone of the album. All in all the song represents the Beatles well. It’s a great song, we all know it, but we don’t really want to listen to it right now.

Why did it lose?

For the aforementioned reasons as well as Marley’s song being amazing.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Q9D4dcYng

Match 5.2

Victor: The Modern Leper – Frightened Rabbit

Defeated: Heroes – David Bowie

Why did this song deserve to be here?

I still debate with myself on whether this is the Bowie song that should have been here. Changes hold so much nostalgia for me that it’s almost unbearable. Space Oddity continues to be amazing. More recently I’ve taken a liking to the song Life on Mars? Which I hadn’t heard of before about 4 months ago. Ziggy Stardust probably would have done just as well too.

In the end I picked Heroes for somewhat of a different reason. On multiple occasions I heard my brother rave about Heroes and how the 3 minute version was complete bullshit. It took me a few listens to realize how great Heroes really is but I eventually realized he was right and the song truly stood out in the Bowie catalogue. So when I hear this song I think of my brother and the influence he has had on my musical perspectives.

The 3 minute version is bullshit. They cut out all the buildup!

Why did it lose?

I guess Heroes can be a little repetitive and the love story is a little tired. I’ve listened to it a lot recently so I guess I’m putting it to rest. Modern Leper continues to be awesome.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3SjCzA71eM (Had to search a bit for the real version)

Match 5.3

Victor: All My Friends – LCD Soundsystem

Defeated: Losing My Religion – R.E.M.

Why did this song deserve to be here?

This song has everything to me, extreme nostalgia, awesome lyrics, catchy melodies. It wasn’t that long ago that my perspective on the song changed. I always took the phrase “losing my religion” as more of a literal expression but I guess it can also take on the meaning that one is at the end of their rope. It really makes the whole song a whole lot more cohesive for me. It has the same lyrical themes that Every Breath You Take has but it executes them much more effectively. It gets a little too creepy in Breath. R.E.M. has the same unrequited love but the author seems to realize that it’s all a hopeless effort.

I mentioned this in the last set but the music video is really awesome. You know right from the start when the milk jug crashes in time that you’re in for a sweet video. The religious figures in the song give some good literal visuals. I love how Stipe avoids eye contact with the camera for much of the song. His dancing at the end is really bad and yet fits perfectly.

There’s a certain set of songs that were on one of my original mix CDs that I used to play over hours and hours of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3. Losing My Religion is one of those songs and I always get vibes of good times when I hear it.

Why did it lose?

Hardest match this round easily and definitely the song I’m saddest to see go.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-UzXIQ5vw

Match 5.4

Victor: Changes – 2pac

Defeated: Greener – Tally Hall

Why did this song deserve to be here?

The Tally Hall album is song by song the biggest string of hit or miss songs I’ve ever seen. Haiku and The Bidding are both boring and unpleasant. Two Wuv is god awful. Taken for a Ride, Spring and the Storm and just Apathy are all awesome.

Greener stand high and tall above all of these songs though. I think this song is probably the best representation of a long distance relationship and the damage it can cause that I’ve heard.

“Telephones make you seem miles away from home
All alone I get a little meaner
I leave a message at your tone
And miles away from home
You get a little cleaner of me
And I find a little greener shade of envy”

That pretty much wraps the whole experience very well. Apart, relationships have a tendency to crumble and jealousy has great potential to develop. What I really like about this song is that it sounds like the couple is a really good match, but it’s all outside factors that are tearing them apart.

“You fit just right
Right next to me
But there's always a reason why you can't be”

Why did it lose?

It’s still just a little too Tally Hall. One of the big disadvantages of a hit or miss album is that image somewhat taints the songs around it.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLZrJ36whP4