Moderately Acclaimed Albums 8 (2017) - Submissions Now Open!

[Brad]

All of a sudden it's past the midpoint of January, and I'm further behind than I was last year... yikes! It's time to get the new Moderately Acclaimed Albums Tournament rolling!

Here's the deal:

Best Moderately Acclaimed Albums is a voting game where only albums and EPs not ranked in the top 500 are eligible. This includes all "bubblers" and completely unacclaimed albums and EPs.

There will be a single elimination draw with 128 albums, and now it's time to pick them.

Send me an ordered list of ten nominations at ModAcc3@aol.com or just shoot me a pm. Please include the artist name and album name as they appear on AM, as well as the AM rank.

You have until Sunday, February 12th to make nominations (this may be extended if not all slots are filled... but they will be).

Same drill as the last several years -
I will select nominations as follows:
First I will go through and pick all the first place albums
Then, I will go through and pick all the second place albums
Then, the third place albums, etc, until the draw fills up.

No more than 25 will be picked ranked 1000 or higher, no more than 50 ranked 1500 or higher, no more than 75 ranked 2000 or higher, and no more than 100 ranked 2500 or higher, so make sure you spread your picks out through the entire list. If after the month the draw is not filled, there'll be a first come-first serve round posted on the forum.

I will then sort the selections into quadrants based on their rankings, and then create a bracket by randomly sorting each quadrant.

During the competition period (which will begin in early March), we will choose one match-up from each quadrant (starting at the top of each quadrant) in the field and square them off against each other in a week-long voting period. (For clarification, week 1 of the competition will include the top matchup from each quadrant; week 2 will include the second matchup from each quadrant, etc.).

Additional rules:
- No one person can nominate more than one album by the same artist.
- No albums that qualified for the 2016 Moderate game are eligible.
- No albums that qualified for the 2015 Moderate game are eligible, except those that were eliminated in Round 1.
- No albums that qualified for the 2014 Moderate game are eligible, except those that were eliminated in Round 1 or Round 2.
- From the 2013 Moderate game, only those albums that were eliminated in Rounds 1-3 are eligible.
- From the 2012 Moderate game, only those albums that were eliminated in Rounds 1-4 are eligible.
- From the 2011 Moderate game, only those albums that were eliminated in Rounds 1-5 are eligible.
- From the 2010 (first) Moderate game, only those albums that were eliminated in Rounds 1-6 are eligible.
- No albums from 2016 are eligible (the eventual winner of the Moderately Acclaimed Album of 2016 will automatically be entered).

Sound confusing? Don't worry - I've included the list of non-eligible albums below!

The actual voting won't start until early March (a couple weeks after the bracket is published).

Here's a list of the albums that are ineligible per the above stated restrictions (please check your picks!):
Adele - 21
Alain Bashung - Osez Joshephine
Amon Düül II - Yeti
Anais Mitchell - Hadestown
Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Anita O'Day - Pick Yourself Up With Anita O'Day
Annie - Anniemal
Anouar Brahem  - Le Voyage de Sahar
Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash 
Arthur Russell - World of Echo
Arzachel - Arzachel
Bad Company - Bad Co.
Band Of Horses - Everything All Of The Time
Bark Psychosis - Hex
Beach House - Bloom
Betty Davis-Nasty Gal
Blink-182 - Enema of the State
Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin'
Bob Marley - Uprising
Bon Iver - Blood Bank
Brand New - Daisy
Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music for Airports
Brian Eno - Discreet Music
Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Bruce Springsteen - Hammersmith Odeon, London '75
Café Tacvba - Cuatro Caminos
Camaron - La leyenda del tiempo
Camel – The Snow Goose
Can - Soon Over Babaluma
Captain Beefheart - Clear Spot
Champion Jack Dupree - Blues from the gutter
Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
Charanjit Singh - 10 Ragas to a Disco Beat 
Child of Lov - Child of Lov
Chuck Berry - After School Session
Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe
Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
Compulsion - The Future Is Medium
Cortex - Troupeau Bleu
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
CunninLynguists - Oneirology
Cyndi Lauper - She’s So Unusual
DakhaBrakha - Light
Deep Purple - Burn
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
Destroyer - Kaputt
dEUS - In a Bar, Under the Sea
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Donovan - Sunshine Superman
Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me
Drake - Nothing Was the Same
Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Masterpieces by Ellington
Dungen -Ta Det Lugnt
Eels - Electro-Shock Blues
Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook
Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Painted from Memory
Emma Ruth Rundle - Some Heavy Ocean
Ennio Morricone - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Eric Truffaz - Bending New Corners
Eric's Trip - Love, Tara
Exuma - Exuma I (1970)
Exuma - Exuma II
Fela Kuti – Original Sufferhead
Fela Kuti-Zombie
Fimber Bravo - Fimber Bravo
First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Four Tet - Rounds
Gal Costa - Gal Costa
Galaxie 500 - On Fire
Game Theory - Real Nighttime 
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
Ghost - Hypnotic Underworld
Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces of a Man
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A#∞
Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
Haim - Days Are Gone
Harry Belafonte - Calypso
Hash Jar Tempo - Well Oiled
Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness
Horace Silver - Blowin' the Blues Away
Jackson, Joe - I'm The Man
Jacques Brel - Olympia 1964
Jacques Brel – Brel (1977)
Jacques Brel - Jacques Brel [Ces gens-là]
Jacques Higelin - Alertez les bébés
Jane Birkin - Ex-fan des sixties
Japandroids - Post-Nothing 
Jeff Mills - Live at the Liquid Room, Tokyo
Jim O'Rourke - Eureka
Jimmy Cliff - Jimmy Cliff
JJ Cale - Naturally
John Coltrane -Olé Coltrane
Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon
Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns
Julee Cruise - Floating into the Night
Julia Holter - Ekstasis
Kaki King - Everybody Loves You
Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music 1
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
Kate Tempest - Everybody Down
Katerine - Les Mariages Chinois
Keith Jarrett-The Koln Concert
Kevin Coyne - Millionaires and Teddy Bears
King Crimson - Red
La Femme - Psycho Tropical Berlin
Lafayette Afro Rock Band - malik
Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Lenny Valentino - Uwaga! Jedzie tramwaj
Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man
LFO - Frequencies 
Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms
Lisa Germano - Geek the Girl
Low - C'mon
Low - Things We Lost in the Fire
Madonna - Madonna
Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh
Manuel Göttsching - e2-e4
Marquis de Sade - Rue de Siam
Mary J. Blige - Mary
Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
Miles Davis - A Tribute To Jack Johnson
Miles Davis - On the Corner 
Miossec - Boire
Misty In Roots – Live at the Counter Eurovision 79
Modest Mouse - Building Nothing Out of Something
Mogwai - Rock Action 
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
My Morning Jacket - Z
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
New power Generation - Exodus
Nick Cave - The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Let Love In
Nico - Desertshore
Nils Frahm - Spaces
Nina Simone - Wild Is the Wind
Nina Simone - Jazz Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club / Little Girl Blue
Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
Norah Jones - Come Away with Me
Ólafur Arnalds - Living Room Songs
Ondatropica - Ondatropica
Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba
Ought  - More than Any Other Day
Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of It Again
Panteón Rococó - Compañeros musicales
Paul Simon - Still Crazy after All These Years
Pere Ubu - Datapanik in the Year Zero (EP)
Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome: The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert, June 8, 1963
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (III)
Pink Floyd - Animals
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
R.E.M. - New Advenutres in Hifi
R.E.M. - Chronic Town [EP]
R.E.M. - Reckoning
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Rites of Spring- Rites of Spring
Robert Hood - Minimal Nation
Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley
Robyn - Body Talk
Rodriguez - Cold Fact
Roxy Music - Manifesto
Roy Harper - Stormcock
Röyksopp - Melody A.M.
Saint Etienne - Tiger Bay 
Sébastien Tellier - Sexuality
Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B.
Sharon Van Etten - Epic
Silverchair - Diorama
Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
Sixteen Horsepower - Sackcloth 'n' Ashes
Slowdive - Souvlaki
Soundtrack - Until the End of the World 
Spiro - Lightbox
Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
St Vincent - Actor
St. Vincent - Marry Me
Sufjan Stevens - Age of Adz
Sun Ra - Atlantis
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
Susanne Sundfor - Ten Love Songs
Taj Mahal Travellers - July 15, 1972
Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Tears for Fears - The Hurting
Terry Riley - A Rainbow in Curved Air
The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions
The Black Keys - El Camino
The Caretaker - An empty bliss beyond this world
The Cars – The Cars
The Chills - Brave Words
The Church  - Starfish
The Cure - Faith
The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
The Divine Comedy - Promenade
The Drive By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
The Gun Club - Fire of Love
The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F.
The Housemartins - London 0 Hull 4
The Kills - Midnight Boom
The Like - Release Me
The Little Rabbits - Dans Les Faux Puits Rouges Et Gris
The Loud Family - Plants And Birds And Rocks And Things
The Magnetic Fields - The Charm of the Highway Strip
The Notwist - Neon Golden
The Pentangle - Basket of Light
The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me
The Rolling Stones - Metamorphosis
The Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno - Cowboy Bebop
The Soft Machine - Third
The Sonics - Here Are the Sonics!!!
The Specials - More Specials
The Stranglers - La Folie
The Supremes -Where Did Our Love Go
The ToureRaichel Collective - The Tel Aviv Session
The United States of America - The United States of America
The Waterboys - Fisherman’s Blues
The Wet Secrets - Rock Fantasy
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music
This Heat - Deceit 
Throwing Muses - Limbo
Tim Buckley - Goodbye and Hello
Tim Buckley - Lorca
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
Tom Waits - Frank's Wild Years
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt
Traveling Wilburys - Volume 1
TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
Van Halen - 1984
Van Morrison - Common One
Various Artists - Angola Prison Spirituals
Wilco- Sky Blue Sky
Woodie Guthrie - Dust Bowl Ballads
XTC - English Settlement
Yes - Close to the Edge
Yes - The Yes Album
Yes - Fragile

Again, send your nominations to:
ModAcc3@aol.com
or send a Personal Message through this site.

Very excited to see your nominations!

[Bang Jan]

Do we include the AM rank based off the unofficial update?

[Brad]

Do we include the AM rank based off the unofficial update?

Good question... No, please use the "official" rankings.

[Romain]

It's done Brad. I sent you a PM

[Bang Jan]

Do we include the AM rank based off the unofficial update?

Good question... No, please use the "official" rankings.

Thanks! Just sent mine.

[spiritualized]

And mine is gone too

[Greg Rumpff]

Are live albums excluded?

[spiritualized]

Are live albums excluded?

I wouldn't say so, as Pete Seeger's concert album was eligible ?

[Brad]

You can include live albums.

[Bang Jan]

How many lists so far?

[Brad]

How many lists so far?

About a dozen - I'll put out a list by tomorrow.

[Brad]

I've received 14 submission lists so far, including my own:
Bang Jan
EmilienDelRey 
Romain
spiritualized
Jirin
Listyguy
notbrianeno
DaveC
bonnielaurel
hectorthebat
Rob
PlasticRam
babydoll
Brad

[andyd1010]

Submitted mine

[Smithers-Jones]

Just to clarify by 'unacclaimed', am I right in assuming that this is an album without an AM ranking? Sorry if this seems like an obvious question.

[Bang Jan]

Just to clarify by 'unacclaimed', am I right in assuming that this is an album without an AM ranking?

Yes

[Bang Jan]

Remember the deadline's tomorrow!

[Honorio]

Brad, did you receive my list?

[Brad]

I did, Honorio... and a couple others as well. I haven't had time to assemble the names but I'll try to get the list together later tonight then leave some leeway for stragglers.

If anyone is still expecting to submit a list but hasn't yet, please let me know and I'll make sure it gets in.

Thanks!

[StevieFan13]

Mine's in!

[Smithers-Jones]

I did, Honorio... and a couple others as well. I haven't had time to assemble the names but I'll try to get the list together later tonight then leave some leeway for stragglers.

If anyone is still expecting to submit a list but hasn't yet, please let me know and I'll make sure it gets in.

Thanks!

Have I still got time to submit a list? I'll have it ready in the next few hours if so.

[Smithers-Jones]

Submitted a list now. Hopefully I'm not too late

[Kingoftonga]

Just sent my list in!

[Brad]

I have lists from the following:
Bang Jan
EmilienDelRey 
Romain
spiritualized
Jirin
Listyguy
notbrianeno
DaveC
bonnielaurel
hectorthebat
Rob
PlasticRam
babydoll
Brad
Bleupanda
andyd1010
acroamor
Honorio
Nassim
Steviefan13
luney6
Dan
kingoftonga
Smithers-Jones

That's 24 total, so it looks like everyone will get about 5-6 entries in.

The deadline is today, but I'll compile the results on Tuesday and start putting the bracket together so there's still a little time left. If you know you want to send a list but need more time, please let me know. Otherwise I will close the submissions completely in about 40 hours.

Thanks for your patience!

[Brad]

PS - Whenever I see "Steviefan13" I think of Stevie Nicks for some reason - then I see the avatar and realize it's the "other" Stevie. Doh!

[StevieFan13]

PS - Whenever I see "Steviefan13" I think of Stevie Nicks for some reason - then I see the avatar and realize it's the "other" Stevie. Doh!

Well, I love that Stevie as well!

[Brad]

Altogether, we have 233 albums nominated (231 different albums - 2 are duplicates). Great variety as always, & more than a few that we've seen before. There's one album I suspect may cause some (minor) controversy (for a reason other than it doesn't meet the guidelines - it does), but we'll see how that plays out.

Again, I'll wait another 24 hours then close the nominations and get started on the bracket.

As always, very excited to get this rolling!

[StevieFan13]

Altogether, we have 233 albums nominated (231 different albums - 2 are duplicates). Great variety as always, & more than a few that we've seen before. There's one album I suspect may cause some (minor) controversy (for a reason other than it doesn't meet the guidelines - it does), but we'll see how that plays out.

Again, I'll wait another 24 hours then close the nominations and get started on the bracket.

As always, very excited to get this rolling!

Good-controversial or bad-controversial?

[Jirin]

Thinking about what might cause controversy. Something that might be construed as having too much of an advantage, or something very similar to something considered great. Something in the top 500 of the unofficial update maybe?

Nothing Kanye West is right on the edge. Oracular Spectacular maybe? Houses of the Holy? Are 2015 albums that debuted high in the Unofficial Update technically eligible like To Pimp A Butterfly?

Other option is really divisive albums, but I don't think any of the Kanye albums below 500 would cause too much controversy, or pop albums. Maybe something politically divisive?

[StevieFan13]

Thinking about what might cause controversy. Something that might be construed as having too much of an advantage, or something very similar to something considered great. Something in the top 500 of the unofficial update maybe?

Nothing Kanye West is right on the edge. Oracular Spectacular maybe? Houses of the Holy? Are 2015 albums that debuted high in the Unofficial Update technically eligible like To Pimp A Butterfly?

Maybe it's just a kind of album that doesn't normally show up on Acclaimed Music - some kind of genre people aren't used to, maybe?

[Jirin]

Thinking about what might cause controversy. Something that might be construed as having too much of an advantage, or something very similar to something considered great. Something in the top 500 of the unofficial update maybe?

Nothing Kanye West is right on the edge. Oracular Spectacular maybe? Houses of the Holy? Are 2015 albums that debuted high in the Unofficial Update technically eligible like To Pimp A Butterfly?

Maybe it's just a kind of album that doesn't normally show up on Acclaimed Music - some kind of genre people aren't used to, maybe?

If it doesn't get talked about on the board a lot, it probably won't have a lot of support in the game, so I can't see it making people angry. If it's not something perceived as having an unfair advantage, I would guess something that politically pushes people's buttons, either something rabidly conservative or rabidly liberal. Unless it's a Weird Al album or something.

[PlasticRam]

One thing that might cause controversy is an album that has very little acclaim and/or is considered bad by many. Since the name of the game is "moderately acclaimed". But maybe I'm too much caught up on semantics.

The 2015 thing that Jirin suggested is a loophole that would certainly cause controversy.

[StevieFan13]

I purposefully didn't pick any 2016/16 albums for that reason. But I did pick one that I'm worried might be what Brad's talking about. But we're open-minded folks, so I'm not too worried.

[Brad]

I'm thinking now I shouldn't have brought up the word "controversial" - as Jirin suggested, it is an album that is well-known and well-liked but outside the top 500 so completely within the rules - I'm not judging anybody's picks (yet!)... I just don't want any of my picks to run up against it in the first round if you catch my drift. No biggie - I'm probably just over-thinking it (and no, not yours Steviefan!)

[StevieFan13]

I'm thinking now I shouldn't have brought up the word "controversial" - as Jirin suggested, it is an album that is well-known and well-liked but outside the top 500 so completely within the rules - I just don't want any of my picks to run up against it in the first round if you catch my drift. No biggie - sorry for the drama (and no, not yours Steviefan!).

Oh good. I'm just excited to see what everyone suggests!

[babydoll]

One thing that might cause controversy is an album that has very little acclaim and/or is considered bad by many. Since the name of the game is "moderately acclaimed". But maybe I'm too much caught up on semantics.

The 2015 thing that Jirin suggested is a loophole that would certainly cause controversy.

We did have Blink-182 last year and that lost major time. Sorry, acroamor...

And I hope Brad will use his judgment wisely and remove all the super major albums of 2015 like TPAB.

[StevieFan13]

I'm coming at it all open-minded. I'm hearing new music through this no matter what, so I love this whole idea.

[PlasticRam]

One thing that might cause controversy is an album that has very little acclaim and/or is considered bad by many. Since the name of the game is "moderately acclaimed". But maybe I'm too much caught up on semantics.

The 2015 thing that Jirin suggested is a loophole that would certainly cause controversy.

We did have Blink-182 last year and that lost major time. Sorry, acroamor...

That particular Blink-182 album you still could easily call "moderately acclaimed" cos it's ranked on AM.

[StevieFan13]

One thing that might cause controversy is an album that has very little acclaim and/or is considered bad by many. Since the name of the game is "moderately acclaimed". But maybe I'm too much caught up on semantics.

The 2015 thing that Jirin suggested is a loophole that would certainly cause controversy.

We did have Blink-182 last year and that lost major time. Sorry, acroamor...

That particular Blink-182 album you still could easily call "moderately acclaimed" cos it's ranked on AM.

I like "All the Small Things." Tom DeLonge is a nut job.

[acroamor]

One thing that might cause controversy is an album that has very little acclaim and/or is considered bad by many. Since the name of the game is "moderately acclaimed". But maybe I'm too much caught up on semantics.

The 2015 thing that Jirin suggested is a loophole that would certainly cause controversy.

We did have Blink-182 last year and that lost major time. Sorry, acroamor...

And I hope Brad will use his judgment wisely and remove all the super major albums of 2015 like TPAB.

Hahaha, yes. Unfortunately not everyone shares my deep deep love for Enema of the State. "All the Small Things" was the first song I ever learned the words to, and "Going Away to College" ranks high in my best of all-time.

I'm also curious what this mystery album is. For whatever reason, I'll guess that it's J Dilla's Donuts.

[andyd1010]

Hahaha, yes. Unfortunately not everyone shares my deep deep love for Enema of the State.

I share it! I used my 10th nomination on a Blink-182 album, so it looks like it won't make it.

[StevieFan13]

Enema of the State is a great album.

[Nassim]

Hahaha, yes. Unfortunately not everyone shares my deep deep love for Enema of the State.

I share it! I used my 10th nomination on a Blink-182 album, so it looks like it won't make it.

My strong dislike for this album is heightened by the fact I think Dude Ranch is one of the best pop punk albums ever. I'm even more annoyed when I hear "oh my god Travis is such a great drummer" when you hear the crazy things Scott Raynor did in songs like Josie.

[StevieFan13]

Hahaha, yes. Unfortunately not everyone shares my deep deep love for Enema of the State.

I share it! I used my 10th nomination on a Blink-182 album, so it looks like it won't make it.

My strong dislike for this album is heightened by the fact I think Dude Ranch is one of the best pop punk albums ever. I'm even more annoyed when I hear "oh my god Travis is such a great drummer" when you hear the crazy things Scott Raynor did in songs like Josie.

To each their own. I think they're both great drummers. Green Day's the better band, though.

[Listyguy]

Hmmm...if we're going with "album very close to 500 that barely qualifies but it seems wrong that it should qualify" I'd have to guess it's "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady". "Houses of the Holy" has definitely been nominated before.

[notbrianeno]

The only thing controversial I could think of would be the nomination of a band/artist with dubious associations such as Death in June

[StevieFan13]

Checking the non-qualifiers - no Rush albums? Very interesting...

[Jirin]

If someone did nominate To Pimp A Butterfly or Carrie & Lowell I think they'd be the most overpowering favorites since Aeroplane in the first BMAA.

[StevieFan13]

If someone did nominate To Pimp A Butterfly or Carrie & Lowell I think they'd be the most overpowering favorites since Aeroplane in the first BMAA.

If I had thought of that, I'd have nominated one of those or Lemonade. But I'm trying not to find loopholes and just play by the book.

[Brad]

I think I need to clarify something, as my "controversial" remark (which was really just an off-hand comment with a poor choice of wording) has indeed seemed to generate much more discussion than it necessitates.

My point has not so much to do with any particular album that is nominated. Instead, I was anticipating a renewed discussion that crops up in these moderately & unacclaimed "contests" every so often regarding their actual purpose. At the two extremes: Is the point to expose others to otherwise under-exposed music we think they may benefit from hearing? Or is it to "win" by being the actual nominator of the tournament champion? Maybe some mix of both? Or something else?

Regardless, I don't think anybody is exploiting loopholes - I would call that outright if that was the case.

And perhaps my estimation about an album's standing is way off-kilter... I fear I am a bit older than most of you and (I reluctantly confess) perhaps a bit out of touch as well.

Either way, I would erase the comment I made if I could, though the larger discussion regarding purpose, is, I believe, quite worthwhile.

Last call for nominations my friends!

[StevieFan13]

I think I need to clarify something, as my "controversial" remark (which was really just an off-hand comment with a poor choice of wording) has indeed seemed to generate much more discussion than it necessitates.

My point has not so much to do with any particular album that is nominated. Instead, I was anticipating a renewed discussion that crops up in these moderately & unacclaimed "contests" every so often regarding their actual purpose. At the two extremes: Is the point to expose others to otherwise under-exposed music we think they may benefit from hearing? Or is it to "win" by being the actual nominator of the tournament champion? Maybe some mix of both? Or something else?

Regardless, I don't think anybody is exploiting loopholes - I would call that outright if that was the case.

And perhaps my estimation about an album's standing is way off-kilter... I fear I am a bit older than most of you and (I reluctantly confess) perhaps a bit out of touch as well.

Either way, I would erase the comment I made if I could, though the larger discussion regarding purpose, is, I believe, quite worthwhile.

Last call for nominations my friends!

Of course this could all be about the album Controversy by Prince, #2898 on the site (and a good album, to boot).