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Post by joeyself on Jul 10, 2010 15:58:36 GMT -5
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, Side 1
"A Hard Day's Night" 2:34 "I Should Have Known Better" 2:43 "If I Fell" 2:19 "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" 1:56 "And I Love Her" 2:30 "Tell Me Why" 2:09 "Can't Buy Me Love" 2:12
THE BEATLES, Side 2
"Martha My Dear" 2:28 "I'm So Tired" 2:03 "Blackbird" 2:18 "Piggies" 2:04 "Rocky Raccoon" 3:41 "Don't Pass Me By" 3:42 "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" 1:41 "I Will" 1:46 "Julia" 2:54
We start the second round with a match-up between one that got a bye last time (AHDN 1) and TB 2, which beat LIB 1 by an 15-11 count.
This round is not TOTALLY at random; I put the five album sides that were omitted from the first round along with three of the sides that showed good strength last time on one side of the page, and then pulled opponents at random for each of them.
The sixteen that remain are: Both sides of AHDN, RS, REV, MMT and AR, the first three sides of TB, and HELP 1, SP 1 and LIB 2.
JcS
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Post by coachbk on Jul 10, 2010 17:04:19 GMT -5
I'm surprising myself by going with AHDN side 1. As in many cases, our US albums made it less clear how great this album was because we just got some of these songs on SOMETHING NEW (one of the most misleading album titles ever) or split over two sides and interspersed with soundtrack music in the AHDN soundtrack album on United Artists. Every song on AHDN side 1 is above average or better while TB side 2 has two that are average at best (WDWDIITR and Rocky Racoon) and one that is poor (Don't Pass Me By). Each side has some classics, but AHDN wins on depth.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2010 18:24:50 GMT -5
I went for AHDN side 1
It's a good collection of songs and it's also an example of a band that is still very much "together"...
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Post by RockoRoll on Jul 10, 2010 18:52:31 GMT -5
AHDN side 1
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Joseph McCabe
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A rebel to his last breath ...
Posts: 912
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Post by Joseph McCabe on Jul 10, 2010 19:41:50 GMT -5
OK, let's face some facts:
A: The White Album is a superb, wonderful, mixed, varied, startling, eclectic four sides of music. As I've said before, listen to the WHOLE album from go to whoa at least once a year (more often if you are the self-indulgent type), and you will discover/relearn this fact.
B: However, there is a weakest side of this marvellous double album, and that side is Side 2.
C: A Hard Day's Night is one of the GREATEST straight rock n roll albums, ever. The drive and energy from first note to last is breathtaking.
D: Side 1 of AHDN is better than Side 2.
So how do I decide between the two in this match-up? Here's how. If I play the white album, when does it drag? Side 2. When I play AHDN, when does it drag? Late on side 2, NEVER on side 1.
AHDN1 gets my vote therefore over TB2.
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Post by ursamajor on Jul 10, 2010 20:54:39 GMT -5
AHDN S1 by a country mile.
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Post by winstonoboogie on Jul 10, 2010 21:58:04 GMT -5
AHDN Side 1, as I love all the songs. OTOH, I don't care for WDWDIITR.
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Joseph McCabe
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A rebel to his last breath ...
Posts: 912
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Post by Joseph McCabe on Jul 11, 2010 2:42:13 GMT -5
---------- OTOH, I don't care for WDWDIITR. What don't you like about it? For me it's maybe the third best song on TB2 (after I'm So Tired and Piggies). And why? It is a strong rock song, and Paul's voice is in fine form.
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wooltonian
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"Football isn't a matter of life and death - it's much more important than that." Bill Shankly.
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Post by wooltonian on Jul 11, 2010 3:13:28 GMT -5
AHDN-1
Twenty years ago I would almost certainly have voted for side two of the White Album. For me, side two is where the WA's individualism and sprawling diversity works best -- it is full of interesting contrasts and stunning variations in mood and style. 'Blackbird' and 'I'm so tired' are top drawer Beatles songs...and the rest are fine with the notable exception of 'Don't pass me by' which I just have to skip every time. Sorry, Ritchie.
However, whereas my opinion of AHDN-1 has never changed -- it's an almost flawless, classic side of early Beatles - nuff said - the bulk of the Macca tracks that make up side two of the WA (Martha, Rocky, I will) have faded in my estimation...too much effortless McCartney froth - OK, but nothing special by his standards, I've actually grown quite tired of them...
...so the vote goes to AHDN-1.
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Post by vectisfabber on Jul 11, 2010 6:31:17 GMT -5
AHDN1
I thought this was an incredibly difficult choice but, in the end, AHDN has more punch (if that makes sense), and that was the sole criterion which enabled me to make a choice.
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Post by anyoneanyhow on Jul 11, 2010 11:18:07 GMT -5
AHDN, no question. This is for me the best side of their early days, every song sparks. WA2 has some good songs and whole lotta "eh"
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Post by winstonoboogie on Jul 11, 2010 12:30:33 GMT -5
---------- OTOH, I don't care for WDWDIITR. What don't you like about it? For me it's maybe the third best song on TB2 (after I'm So Tired and Piggies). And why? It is a strong rock song, and Paul's voice is in fine form. Because it's too repetitive and crude for my taste. But to each their own...
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Post by joeyself on Jul 11, 2010 13:06:56 GMT -5
I joined the gang at AHDN 1.
I like side 2 of TB; it's the second best side, I think (I rank them in the order presented.) I'm not wild about "Piggies" or "Julia" (although I've warmed to the latter a bit more in recent years), while there are no "skip this one" on AHDN 1.
I disagree with McCabe about AHDN rocking from start to finish--"If I Fell" and "And I Love Her" don't rock, but that's not a problem for me. The variety in the program is great.
As a personal aside, I'm happy to see that one of the five I pulled out of the first round as worthy of a pass to side 2 is doing so well. I'm surprised it is currently a shut-out.
JcS
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Joseph McCabe
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A rebel to his last breath ...
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Post by Joseph McCabe on Jul 11, 2010 16:32:02 GMT -5
Because it's too repetitive and crude for my taste. But to each their own... Crude?
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Post by John S. Damm on Jul 11, 2010 23:56:34 GMT -5
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, Side 1
I almost didn't vote this way. I have been down on AHDN and didn't know why until it hit me: the September 24, 2002 release of the Miramax AHDN dvd with the horrible music parts. Sure the spoken dialog was cleaned up and that was necessary but all the magic was taken from the film's music in the film! At least the MPI VHS tape I have has the much more listenable stereo soundtrack even if that seems out of place..
Well, I shouldn't let my dislike of the Miramax AHDN dvd and Martin Lewis(remember that jerk?) ruin my love of the AHDN album.
AHDN-1 is very strong. There is nothing wrong with joyous music(and I could sure as hell use some as I am playing right now George's "Extra Texture" for a friend who has asked that I give it another chance)!
TB-2 is rather short on John, just the majestic "I'm So Tired" and the haunting "Julia" but Paul fills the gaps nicely with his own majestic "Blackbird" and the rocking "Why Don't We Do It In The Road."
There are a lot of animals on this side even if we can't agree that "Martha My Dear" is about Paul's lovable, silly sheepdog, Martha. TB-2 is good but TB should be taken as a whole and only TB-1 is really well suited for this album sides tourney.
Ultimately, AHDN-1 is just too strong for TB-2 although the latter is not without its highs.
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Post by ursamajor on Jul 12, 2010 3:58:32 GMT -5
WA2 has some good songs and whole lotta eh agreed , for me it's more like a whole lotta meh
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JCV
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Post by JCV on Jul 12, 2010 11:54:23 GMT -5
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, Side 1JCV
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Post by scousette on Jul 12, 2010 13:37:07 GMT -5
AHDN, SIde 1
I'm such a lemming.
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Post by joeyself on Jul 12, 2010 16:52:06 GMT -5
AHDN, SIde 1 I'm such a lemming. Sometime, the crowd is actually right... JcS
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Post by vectisfabber on Jul 12, 2010 19:44:11 GMT -5
AHDN, SIde 1 I'm such a lemming. Yes, but lemmings are cute and fluffy and cuddly... ...and suicidal and dead...
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Post by coachbk on Jul 12, 2010 21:19:46 GMT -5
I've got to admit I'm surprised that nobody has voted for TB side 2.
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Post by joeyself on Jul 14, 2010 9:22:41 GMT -5
I've got to admit I'm surprised that nobody has voted for TB side 2. Me, too. Also surprised that we've only had 15 voters so far. That's a drop off from the 25 or so we had in a round or two earlier. Maybe folks just got busy. JcS
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Post by John S. Damm on Jul 14, 2010 13:42:32 GMT -5
I've got to admit I'm surprised that nobody has voted for TB side 2. Me, too. Also surprised that we've only had 15 voters so far. That's a drop off from the 25 or so we had in a round or two earlier. Maybe folks just got busy. JcS I hope more can vote but also discuss their vote as we have some good discussions going. Thanks Joey for handling these as they have been very fun this Summer and we are just getting to the nitty gritty with them! I absolutely love the critical re-evaluations here of the "White Album." We have folks like woolie expressing doubts on long-held beliefs about this album or the McCabe's making strong arguments for Side 4 which historically was placed last among the four Sides. I still think The Beatles is an amazing album and I will always thank the stars for the re-emergence in it of John Winston Lennon(if just temporarily) but I am fascinated in reading here some doubts or criticisms about an already respected album that became mythical in 1976 with the Second Wave of Beatlemania and the cynically timely release of the film Helter Skelter (and if anyone doubts the effect of that movie in making the "White Album" a must-have album then that person wasn't a teenager in 1976). I would never have bet a 15-0 run here by AHDN-1 over TB-2. Never. CW has been that later Beatles trumped earlier Beatles. The Blue Album was deemed cooler than the Red Album.
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Post by theman on Jul 15, 2010 17:47:49 GMT -5
It's still a perfect game for AHDN1. Frankly, this tournament has brought me around to reevaluating A Hard Day's Night. I think it would finish in my top 3 Beatles albums today (whereas, in the past, it probably ranked a little lower).
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Post by acebackwords on Jul 15, 2010 18:03:41 GMT -5
Boy, when you look at those two sides its like comparing apples to oranges. Hard to believe they're both from the same band.
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Post by joeyself on Jul 15, 2010 19:01:25 GMT -5
It's still a perfect game for AHDN1. Frankly, this tournament has brought me around to reevaluating A Hard Day's Night. I think it would finish in my top 3 Beatles albums today (whereas, in the past, it probably ranked a little lower). As I've said, the outcome of the voting is really not the reason for these games; it's the opportunity to look at the songs/albums in a different way. In this case, it's comparatively/competitively, but still, it's different. But I just looked, and someone has cast a ballot for TB 2. It's OK, you're among friends, you can claim it, whoever you are! JcS
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Post by vectisfabber on Jul 17, 2010 9:08:53 GMT -5
He says.
I'm warning you - you own up, and the AHDN1 gang will be knocking at your door one dark night...
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Post by Panther on Jul 24, 2010 14:57:54 GMT -5
Much as I love the early rockin' Beatles, this is still a no-brainer -- The White Album wins easily.
Some energetic beat-pop cannot possibly compare with mature classics like Martha My Dear, I'm So Tired, Blackbird, Piggies, Rocky Raccoon, Why Don't We Do It in the Road?, I Will, or Julia. Any three of those would beat AHDN, in fact.
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