Acclaimed Music Forums

Welcome to Round 3.3 of Moderately Acclaimed Albums 2019.
Vote for your favorite album in each match-up.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as the voter has heard both albums.

Good-spirited comments are encouraged, but not absolutely necessary.
Deadline = October 8th at 10am EST.

Here's a link to the bracket for the entire tournament:
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?t ... Moderately Acclaimed Albums 2019

Match-ups:
1. Bob Dylan - Desire vs. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. vs. The The - Soul Mining
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
4. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek vs. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

We've waited so long, waited so long

Bob Dylan - Desire
The The - Soul Mining
Bee Gees - Bee Gees' First

MANO NEGRA - PUTA'S FEVER
THE THE - SOUL MINING
THE SOUND - THE LION'S MOUTH
BEE GEES - BEE GEES 1ST

1. Bob Dylan - Desire vs. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. vs. The The - Soul Mining
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth

1. Bob Dylan - Desire
2. The The - Soul Mining
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
4. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek

1. Bob Dylan - Desire vs. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. vs. The The - Soul Mining
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
4. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek vs. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

Bob Dylan - Desire
Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

4. Bob Dylan - Desire v. 6. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. v. 1. The The - Soul Mining
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge v. 7. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
2. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek v. 5. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

I never thought I'd place a Dylan album just one spot above a Bee Gees one but here we are!

1. Bob Dylan - Desire
2. Pass
3. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
4. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

I couldn’t decide between Gainsbourg and The The so I looked at which one I’d ranked higher and I had ranked them both as #86 for their respective decades...

FrankLotion wrote: ↑Tue Oct 01, 2019 11:39 pm 1. Bob Dylan - Desire
2. Pass
3. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
4. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

I couldn’t decide between Gainsbourg and The The so I looked at which one I’d ranked higher and I had ranked them both as #86 for their respective decades...

We may need your tie-breaking vote later. You've got plenty of time to ponder should that happen.

1. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B.
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
4. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

Puta’s Fever 88 - Desire 84
Initials BB 83 - Soul Mining 79
From The Lion’s Mouth 90 - Script Of The Bridge 87
Bury Me At Makeout Creek 78 - Bee Gees 1st 75

2. Bob Dylan - Desire (1976) vs. 3. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever (1989)
The second Mano Negra's album is truly enjoyable, an exciting melting pot of styles played with infectious enthusiasm and audacious eclecticism. Sadly it faces Dylan in his second peak (the mid 1970s). Maybe I'm in minority here but to me "Desire" is one of the highest points of Dylan's career, recapturing the inspiration and energy after the cathartic "Blood on the Tracks." But if I have to find the two main reasons why I like the album so much I would choose… Emmylou Harris and Scarlet Rivera.

6. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. (1968) vs. 1. The The - Soul Mining (1983)
"Initials B.B." is French Pop at its best, at a midpoint between baroque pop and yé-yé and with references to movies and comics (these delicious onomatopoeias!), the playful side of Gainsbourg. But my vote goes to Matt Johnson if only because I remember vividly the first time I heard "Uncertain Smile" at a disco in 1982, I was baffled to hear a flute on a dance song (the 12" mix, sadly the album version don't have the flute). The fluid exchange between electronic and organic still delights me.

7. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge (1983) vs. 8. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth (1981)
The only post-punk duel, odd having so many post-punk albums in the tournament. Both albums share the Cure-like guitars and Joy Division-like drums and the gloomy energy typical of the style. Not masterpieces but both albums are very good and time has proved them influential. Why choose The Chameleons? Not sure, maybe it's the dense wall created by the two guitars, maybe it's their epic drive or maybe "this is the stuff dreams are made of" ("The Maltese Falcon" as quoted in "Second Skin").

5. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek (2014) vs. 4. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st (1967)
Firsts that were really thirds. Bee Gees' "1st" was preceded by two albums released only in Australia. And Mitski's first album released by a record label finds her moving away from the piano-based two previous self-released albums and going to a guitar-based sound with punk and 90s indie influences, while retaining a pop core with brilliant songwriting. But I choose the Gibb brothers "debut" mainly for their gift for creating ear-candy melodies and for the sweet baroque-pop arrangements.

Mmm, excellent week, much better than the second one.

Bob Dylan - Desire
Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B.
The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

1. Bob Dylan - Desire
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B.
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
4. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek

My picks:
1. Bob Dylan - Desire vs. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. vs. The The - Soul Mining
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
4. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek vs. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

Thanks!

1. Bob Dylan - Desire (7) vs. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever (9)
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B (10). vs. The The - Soul Mining (8)
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge (9) vs. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth (8)
4. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek (9) vs. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st (7)

5. Bob Dylan - Desire vs. 3. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. vs. 1. The The - Soul Mining
4. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge vs. 7. The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
2. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek vs. 6. Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st

This week is a lot better than the last one; I only don't care much about Initials B.B.

2. Desire < 1. Puta's Fever
8. Initials B.B. < 5. Soul Mining
3. Script of the Bridge > 4. From the Lions Mouth
6. Bury Me at Makeout Creek > 7. Bee Gees' 1st

5 | Bob Dylan | Desire
8 | Mano Negra | Puta's Fever

3 | Serge Gainsbourg | Initials B.B.
4 | The The | Soul Mining

2 | The Chameleons | Script of the Bridge
1 | The Sound | From the Lions Mouth

6 | Mitski | Bury Me at Makeout Creek
7 | Bee Gees | Bee Gees' 1st

Winners in red:

1. Bob Dylan - Desire vs. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. vs. The The - Soul Mining

1/2 hour left to vote!

19 total voters this week:
acroamor
Bang Jan
bonnielaurel
Brad
CupOfDreams
DaveC
FrankLotion
Honorio
Jirin
Kingoftonga
Listyguy
madzong
mileswide
Rdwdbob
Rob
Romain
Safetycat
spiritualized
Wisnu Tirta Aji

Winners:
1. Bob Dylan - Desire over Mano Negra - Puta's Fever 12-7
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. over The The - Soul Mining 9-8
3. The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge over The Sound - From the Lions Mouth 11-5
4. Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek over Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st 9-8

Round 3.4 is next!