Moderately Acclaimed Albums 6 - Round 1.10

[Brad]

Welcome to another installment of Moderately Acclaimed Albums!

Vote for your favorite album in each match-up.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as the voter has heard both albums!
Comments are encouraged but not absolutely necessary.
Deadline = May 25th at 10am EST.

Match-ups:
1. D'Angelo - Voodoo vs. The Specials - More Specials
2. Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions vs. Roy Harper - Stormcock
3. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo vs. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
4. Strawbs - Strawbs vs. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba

Rockin' in the Free World!

[Jirin]

The Specials - More Specials 86-78
Roy Harper - Stormcock 100-82
Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba 84-74

The fourth one I haven't found either, is this a case of them being under different names?

[Maschine_Man]

Roy Harper - Stormcock https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 142CDB7926

[Rob]

In this region Monoliths & Dimensions is unavailable on Spotify. For people who share this problem, here it is on YouTube:

[PlasticRam]

1. D'Angelo - Voodoo vs. The Specials - More Specials
2. Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions vs. Roy Harper - Stormcock
3. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo vs. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
4. Strawbs - Strawbs vs. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba

[DaveC]

1. D'Angelo - Voodoo vs. The Specials - More Specials
2. Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions vs. Roy Harper - Stormcock
3. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo vs. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
4. Strawbs - Strawbs vs. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba

The last match-up was frustrating. I was delighted to see Strawbs on the nominations list; An underappreciated band who deserve more exposure to new listeners. But 'Mouhamadou Bamba' is a favourite. Still 'Strawbs' runs it close. Something from the 'From The Witchwood' to 'Ghosts' run of albums would have caused me even more trouble. (Hehe If I was ever challenged to write a meaningful sentence containing the word sequence 'from the from the', I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to do it.)

[Honorio]

1. D'Angelo - Voodoo (2000) vs. The Specials - More Specials (1980)
2. Sunn 0)))- Monoliths & Dimensions (2009) vs. Roy Harper - Stormcock (1971)
3. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo (1991) vs. Fimber Bravo - Con-fusion (2013)
4. Strawbs - Strawbs (1969) vs. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba (1980)

Hardest decision of the week: Archer vs. Dammers


Neo-Soul, 2 Tone, Drone Metal, Progressive Folk, Latin Alternative, Caribbean Folk Music, Progressive Folk and Wolof Music.

[Jirin]

Are there Youtube links to El Circo and Con-fusion or might I find them under a different name on Spotify?

[DaveC]

Are there Youtube links to El Circo and Con-fusion or might I find them under a different name on Spotify?

MaschineMan has included both albums in his Spotify playlist above.

[Brad]

Jirin - The Orchestra Baobab spotify link above is working for me, but Con-Fusion is apparently not available on US Spotify. I tried unsuccessfully to piece it together on youtube (about half the tracks are there, only a couple in album versions), so I just purchased it for <$4 on emusic.

My picks:
1. D'Angelo - Voodoo vs. The Specials - More Specials
2. Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions vs. Roy Harper - Stormcock
3. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo vs. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
4. Strawbs - Strawbs vs. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba

Thanks!

[Jirin]

El Circo is on Spotify, just Bracketmaker cut off the title so I was searching for 'El'.

I'll try to find Con-Fusion.

[Romain]

1 The Specials - More Specials with a huge marging.
2. Roy Harper - Stormcock
4. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba

Favorite of the week : The Specials.

[Kingoftonga]

Winners in red.

1. D'Angelo - Voodoo vs. The Specials - More Specials

2. Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions vs. Roy Harper - Stormcock

Weird week; I didn't really like either of the albums in Bracket 1, but I loved both of the albums in Bracket 2. So both ended up being tough choices...

[phil]

Match-ups:
1. D'Angelo - Voodoo vs. The Specials - More Specials
3. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo vs. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
4. Strawbs - Strawbs vs. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba

Hoping to listen to the ones from the 2nd match up another time before the voting closes. As it stands, they are pretty level for me.

[Maschine_Man]

3. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
4. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba

[Rob]

1. D'Angelo - Voodoo vs. The Specials - More Specials
Voodoo is one of the highest ranked albums on the main list of Acclaimed Music to compete in this game. Consider me blasphemous, but I really can't get into it. It seems that D'Angelo settles into a groove and doesn't come out of it for the remainder of the album, except Devil's Pie and Untitled, the only two songs I care for on this total slog of an album. It just never seems to end or attempt variety. It's a contender for the prize of personal least favorite album of the game at this moment.
The Specials are the opposite, because they seem all over the place with this album,trying various styles and moods. Their all the more fun for it, so this is an easy vote.

2. Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions vs. Roy Harper - Stormcock
Another easy choice. Here and there, stuck between the endless noise, there are beautiful moments on the Sunn 0))) album, but like Voodoo it just drags too much. Also, I'm not a fan of the grumbling voice that's used here.
I already knew Roy Harper from the Unacclaimed game, where I Hate the White Man was one of the best songs. Here he proves to me that he can also deliver on full album for. It's a great singer-songwriter effort and it's a shame his work is so hard to get.

3. Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo vs. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
Damn, these are the two best albums of the week for me and two wonderful discoveries. El Circo is wonderful, driving Mexican-flavored rock, but Con-Fusion just edges out for the win because it really sounds like something else. It takes it's Caribbean (?) sounding music out of summer holiday cliches and sets it to use in some surprisingly emotional music. I love left-field entries like this.

4. Strawbs - Strawbs vs. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba
Mouhamadou Bamba is okay. It does what it does, but somehow didn't connect to me. The Strawbs sound more unique to me, taking the prog rock interest in medieval music to new extremes during the best songs. Although the opening song really isn't matched anymore by what follows this remains a very good effort from start to finish.

[Poliuks]

1. D'Angelo - Voodoo
Disastrous performance of Sunn 0))) isn't unexpected I guess, but what's happening in the first matchup is unbelievable.

[jamieW]

Strawbs - Strawbs
Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions
D'Angelo - Voodoo
Roy Harper - Stormcock
Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba
The Specials - More Specials
Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion
Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo

[Gillingham]

Wow, hadn't expected Voodoo to get so much negative response here. Black Messiah was doing well on AMF, even in the 2010-2014 tournament.

[PlasticRam]

Wow, hadn't expected Voodoo to get so much negative response here. Black Messiah was doing well on AMF, even in the 2010-2014 tournament.

Tit.

(I mean the word as the British expression tit for tat. I'm not sure if I'm using it right though, prolly not.)

Though I actually can't really get into it, as Rob says, but I thought I was one of the few.

[Nassim]

1. D'Angelo - Voodoo

[Brad]

Results and launch of next round will be delayed a bit today due to family obligations resulting from holiday here in the States. Be back a little later - in the meantime, all votes are welcome!

[Brad]

Results (abbreviated version)
13 total voters this week

Winners:
1. The Specials - More Specials over D'Angelo - Voodoo 9-3
2. Roy Harper - Stormcock over Sunn 0)))- Monoliths and Dimensions 7-2
3. Fimber Bravo - Con-Fusion over Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio - El Circo 7-1
4. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba over Strawbs - Strawbs 6-4

Round 1.11 up soon!