Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

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Brad
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Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Brad »

Welcome to Round 4.1 of Moderately Acclaimed Albums!
Winners here move on to the Quarter-Finals!

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 5th at 10am EST.

Here's a link to the bracket for the entire tournament:
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=474290

Match-ups:
1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret vs. The Pentangle - Basket of Light
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle vs. Smog - Knock Knock
3. The Cure - Bloodflowers vs. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
4. American Football - American Football vs. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir


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Listyguy
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Listyguy »

1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret vs. The Pentangle - Basket of Light
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle vs. Smog - Knock Knock
3. The Cure - Bloodflowers vs. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
4. American Football - American Football vs. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
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acroamor
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by acroamor »

1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle
3. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
4. American Football - American Football
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Jirin »

Basket Of Light 89 - Keep It Like A Secret 73
Once I Was An Eagle 93 - Knock Knock 76
Aretha Arrives 84 - Bloodflowers 77
50 Song Memoir 95 - American Football 87
Brad
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Brad »

My picks:
1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret vs. The Pentangle - Basket of Light
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle vs. Smog - Knock Knock
3. The Cure - Bloodflowers vs. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
4. American Football - American Football vs. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir

Thanks!
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Schüttelbirne »

1 | Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret vs. 7 | The Pentangle - Basket of Light
6 | Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle vs. 5 | Smog - Knock Knock
4 | The Cure - Bloodflowers vs. 8 | Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
3 | American Football - American Football vs. 2 | The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Nassim »

1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret
2. Smog - Knock Knock (I don't think I nominated both but I could have)
3. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
4. American Football - American Football
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by DaveC »

1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret vs. The Pentangle - Basket of Light
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle vs. Smog - Knock Knock
3. The Cure - Bloodflowers vs. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
4. American Football - American Football vs. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Rdwdbob »

1. Built To Spill - Keep It Like A Secret
2. Smog - Knock Knock
3. The Cure - Bloodflowers
4. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
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Safetycat
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Safetycat »

The Pentangle - Basket of Light
Smog - Knock Knock
Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir

Exit, side left!
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by spiritualized »

1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret vs. The Pentangle - Basket of Light - This breaks my heart to have to choose !
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle vs. Smog - Knock Knock
3. The Cure - Bloodflowers vs. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
4. American Football - American Football vs. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Madzong »

1. Built To Spill - Keep It Like A Secret
2. Smog - Knock Knock
3. The Cure - Bloodflowers
4. American Football - American Football
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Bang Jan »

3 | Built to Spill | Keep It Like a Secret
2 | The Pentangle | Basket of Light

1 | Laura Marling | Once I Was an Eagle
4 | Smog | Knock Knock

7 | The Cure | Bloodflowers
6 | Aretha Franklin | Aretha Arrives

8 | American Football | American Football
5 | The Magnetic Fields | 50 Song Memoir
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by jamieW »

The Pentangle - Basket of Light
Smog - Knock Knock
The Cure - Bloodflowers
The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
hectorthebat
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by hectorthebat »

The Pentangle - Basket of Light
Smog - Knock Knock
Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir
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Rob
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Rob »

1. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret vs. 6. The Pentangle - Basket of Light
4. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle vs. 5. Smog - Knock Knock
7. The Cure - Bloodflowers vs. 8. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
3. American Football - American Football vs. 2. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir

The second and fourth match-up are cruel. Moreover, the albums of the third match-up strike me as very week in comparison to the others. Aretha Arrives remains for me an album that is solid Aretha, but contains none of her more inspiring takes. Bloodflowers on the other hand has some real gems, especially the third three songs. The middle section though, feels uninspired. In fact, many of these songs sound like opener Out of This World. I fear that Bloodflowers could win this whole game, because it is The Cure sounding like The Cure, but I don't think it is deserved. In this case I have to vote for them, sadly, because at least it has real highlights, which I don't think Aretha Arrives really has.
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Honorio »

Fourth round? One-line comments...



3. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret (1999) vs. 1. The Pentangle - Basket of Light (1969)
Discovered on MAA7, my album of the week is a jewel of British progressive folk. But it hurts not voting for the brilliant KILAS.

2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle (2013) vs. 6. Smog - Knock Knock (1999)
The velvetish-rock slowcore of Smog is good but the fourth album by Laura Marling (especially the initial four-songs run) is great.

7. The Cure - Bloodflowers (2000) vs. 8. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives (1967)
Two minor albums by major acts, both good but not offering anything that cannot be found in other parts of their discographies.

5. American Football - American Football (1999) vs. 4. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir (2017)
A smartly designed concept album by Merritt, the master-of-concept-albums, slightly winning to the delicate web of guitars of AF.
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by mileswide »

The track that has grown on me most from each of the albums this round then:

8. Built to Spill - Keep It like a Secret v. 6. The Pentangle - Basket of Light
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle v. 3. Smog - Knock Knock
5. The Cure - Bloodflowers v. 4. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives
7. American Football - American Football (1999) v. 1. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir

Growers: Broken Chairs | Light Flight | Love Be Brave | Bloodflowers | Baby, I Love You | The One with the Wurlitzer | '99: Fathers in the Clouds
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Brad
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Brad »

21 hours left to vote!
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Brad »

slight delay today... maybe a couple of hours.
Feel free to vote if you haven't already!
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Brad »

17 total voters this week:
acroamor
Bang Jan
Brad
DaveC
hectorthebat
Honorio
jaimeW
Jirin
Listyguy
Madzong
mileswide
Nassim
Rdwdbob
Rob
Safetycat
Schüttelbirne
spiritualized

Winners:
1. The Pentangle - Basket of Light over Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret 10-7
2. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle over Smog - Knock Knock 9-8
3. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Arrives over The Cure - Bloodflowers 9-8
4. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir over American Football - American Football 11-6

Round 4.2 up soon!
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by jamieW »

With The Cure gone, all of my nominations have now been eliminated. (To be fair, that was the only one I figured could make any sort of run.) Hooverphonic did surprisingly well. Sarah McLachlan, The Fixx, and Jenny Wilson were all knocked out in the first round. Thus ends my one and only year participating in MA! (I was never cut out for this. A lot of these are so personal to me that it leaves me feeling badly in the end. It's definitely a "me" issue, and one I wish I could change.)
Brad
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Brad »

jamieW wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:03 pm With The Cure gone, all of my nominations have now been eliminated. (To be fair, that was the only one I figured could make any sort of run.) Hooverphonic did surprisingly well. Sarah McLachlan, The Fixx, and Jenny Wilson were all knocked out in the first round. Thus ends my one and only year participating in MA! (I was never cut out for this. A lot of these are so personal to me that it leaves me feeling badly in the end. It's definitely a "me" issue, and one I wish I could change.)
jamieW - we've all been there, but trust me - once you get past the disappointment of your favorites getting down-voted (and it happens over and over), you realize the fun of just introducing others to your tastes & enjoying what everyone else has to offer. I always stress that this is not supposed to be a competition with a prize being awarded to the one who picks the winning album... yes, it's nice to be that person but the real purpose is Discovery! By the way, my last nomination is going down hard this week... oh, well. I've learned to laugh off the disappointments (Bad Brains loses in OT in the first round? To Wild Beasts? lol) and start looking for some cool entries for next time around. In fact, I already have a rough list... and I sure hope you come back next year with your own list. We want to hear them!
jamieW
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by jamieW »

Brad wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:43 pm
jamieW wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:03 pm With The Cure gone, all of my nominations have now been eliminated. (To be fair, that was the only one I figured could make any sort of run.) Hooverphonic did surprisingly well. Sarah McLachlan, The Fixx, and Jenny Wilson were all knocked out in the first round. Thus ends my one and only year participating in MA! (I was never cut out for this. A lot of these are so personal to me that it leaves me feeling badly in the end. It's definitely a "me" issue, and one I wish I could change.)
jamieW - we've all been there, but trust me - once you get past the disappointment of your favorites getting down-voted (and it happens over and over), you realize the fun of just introducing others to your tastes & enjoying what everyone else has to offer. I always stress that this is not supposed to be a competition with a prize being awarded to the one who picks the winning album... yes, it's nice to be that person but the real purpose is Discovery! By the way, my last nomination is going down hard this week... oh, well. I've learned to laugh off the disappointments (Bad Brains loses in OT in the first round? To Wild Beasts? lol) and start looking for some cool entries for next time around. In fact, I already have a rough list... and I sure hope you come back next year with your own list. We want to hear them!
Thanks for the pep talk, Brad - I will seriously consider it. (More than anything because this is something I need to get past. It certainly isn't healthy to get so down over what other people think of personal favorites, even given the high level of respect I have for the AMF's tastes.) I sure enjoy the discoveries I make from the forum, so I'd be missing a lot if everyone felt the way I did!
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by Jirin »

I nominated 50 Song Memoir and am frankly surprised it’s still in. I love it but thought it was less accessible than that.
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by DaveC »

There are always good albums to be found via MA. I just think of nominations as the price of entry. I nominate some albums that I like that are not very well known and then forget about it. There are usually other favourites of mine nominated too, so my own nominations are just some of the albums I already know and enjoy. I count five of the remaining albums as personal favourites but I didn't nominate any of them (this time), yet it is the new-to-me album nominations that I have enjoyed (including 50 Song Memoir) that are more important than the eventual winner.
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by mileswide »

jamieW wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:03 pm With The Cure gone, all of my nominations have now been eliminated. (To be fair, that was the only one I figured could make any sort of run.) Hooverphonic did surprisingly well. Sarah McLachlan, The Fixx, and Jenny Wilson were all knocked out in the first round. Thus ends my one and only year participating in MA! (I was never cut out for this. A lot of these are so personal to me that it leaves me feeling badly in the end. It's definitely a "me" issue, and one I wish I could change.)
What you talking about, Stereophonic Sound Spectacular was one of the treasures of this year's haul! Trauma shouldn't have gone out that early either. Don't refrain from nominating next year if you've got more selections of that calibre!
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Re: Moderately Acclaimed Albums 12 - Round 4.1

Post by jamieW »

mileswide wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 9:40 pm
jamieW wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:03 pm With The Cure gone, all of my nominations have now been eliminated. (To be fair, that was the only one I figured could make any sort of run.) Hooverphonic did surprisingly well. Sarah McLachlan, The Fixx, and Jenny Wilson were all knocked out in the first round. Thus ends my one and only year participating in MA! (I was never cut out for this. A lot of these are so personal to me that it leaves me feeling badly in the end. It's definitely a "me" issue, and one I wish I could change.)
What you talking about, Stereophonic Sound Spectacular was one of the treasures of this year's haul! Trauma shouldn't have gone out that early either. Don't refrain from nominating next year if you've got more selections of that calibre!
Glad you liked those, mileswide!
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