The Pop World Cup: Germany vs England

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The Pop World cup group stage begins with a clash whose profile could not be higher: England v Germany. The tabloids have been talking about nothing else for weeks, since Germany's ground-out group stage wins and England's lucky Group B escape set them on a collision course. What have the managers chosen - and how do they justify it?

All tracks can be found here - email me at freakytrigger@gmail.com if you have any problems downloading them.


Germany

Boney M - "Rasputin": Manager sbp told us:
"Recipe for Pop:

Take four black kids off the street, encourage them, nuture them for a few years, and see what they come up with.

Or don't bother, write yourself a song about a mad clergyman's affair with the Empress of Russia in the dying days of Empire, in a Gypsy Disco Cossack stylee, get a gifted session singer to record them for you, recruit a guy and three gals to prance around on Top of the Pops miming to your song whilst wearing futuristic silver lame costumes, and get to number 2. Pure pop.

NB this formula is only good for one go - the Milli Vanilli episode wasn't pretty."

England

Sway - "Loose Woose": Gaffer zenith had this to say: "In this week's episode of Footballers' Wives, Sway marries in haste only to repent at leisure when the tabloids dig up the dirt on his new boo, Pyrelli unwisely comparing himself to a geriatric wrestler in an attempt to impress the ladies, and Bigz confessing that sex with him doesn't last very long at all. What will those crazy, arguably-in-need-of-an-attitude-adjustment-where-women-are-concerned boys get up to next! Still, it can't be denied that the lads have done good here, in terms of beautiful flows over a juddering drum beat complete with stonking robot factory noises. The Sun says: NO (S)WAY CAN BRITS LO(O)SE."


So how is the match decided??


The knockout rounds work very much like the group stages, except now you get TEN points to divide between the two teams, and you don't have to give a team a point if you don't want to.

(PLEASE vote according to the relative strengths of the entries, though, not just pick the one you want to win and give it 10 automatically!)

The voting will be done by text poll - this is to keep the results secret. Please enter your scores as follows

"Germany - 5. England - 5"

Except with the "5"s replaced by your scores. If you want to vote but can't use the LJ poll, please email your scores to freakytrigger@gmail.com.

[Poll #691380]


Check back tomorrow for the half-time score.

Comments

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

THE TACTICS COULDN'T BE MORE DIFFERENT BRIAN.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Can I just point out that I didn't choose that particular image for my team....

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Sorry Sean, but all PWC managers have to cope with the whims of the media!

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

the milli vanilli comparison is disgraceful! boney m are part of the GRATE KRAUT TROIKA of WORLD-HISTORICAL POP (along w.kraftwerk and can) --- and this image is merely PART OF THE REASON WHY!

milli vanilli are merely in the second rank (ie alongside neu! and einsturzende)

[sbp.livejournal.com]

But a valid comparison cos it was the same guy, innit?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

A fascinating clash this - Germany have brought out the big guns but will these veterans play up to their reputation? Their football has plenty of gusto and I can't deny it's a delight to watch but their tactics may be over-familiar and I can see England's hungrier, younger side hurting them badly on the break.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Ah you have to admire the audacity of GERRY to revert to such classic style...

There was a cat who really was gone!

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

Much as it pains me to promote the German cause, can Sway, a relative rookie on the pop scene really be compared to legends like Boney M? 'Rasputin' has survived the test of time, and I can't see England progressing through this tricky encounter.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Hmmm I don't know. Much as I love 'Rasputin' I'm equally impressed by the bold exhuberance of this young England team. What they lack in experience appears to be made up for with some fine passing nous in midfield, fullbacks flying down the wing and great link-ups with yer frontmen.

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

"survived the test of time" = no relevance on the day! If England's current world cup squad were to play England's 1966 world cup squad tomorrow, WHO WOULD WIN??

disclaimer: i wz sat in front of the TV while the 66 cup-winning game was on BUT I READ A BOOK THE WHOLE TIME and cannot remember 1xthing abt it

sadly i also cannot remember what the book was :(

Garry Bushell writes...

[(Anonymous)]

ACHTUNG! LET'S BLITZ FRITZ!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

This is quite literally Germany 1978 vs England 2006. The style of play today being more dynamic, physical and fine-tuned, this gives England an advantage. BUT of course many prefer the game as it used to be played, and the Germans were the European masters back then. I think it comes down to which of those ideologies you align with most. Old vs New. Classic vs Modern. Past vs Future...

AIEEEE WHO WILL WIN?

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

WHO WILL WIIIIIN!??

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Oooh, those Russians...

oh, those RASHOMON more like!

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

these two songs are the SAME STORY from a difft PERSPECTIVE!!

[zenith.livejournal.com]

The England manager's expression is grim but resolute. What's going through his mind, Brian?

[juror8.livejournal.com]

Surely Sway should have been lining up for Ghana's national team?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Tom should've used the photo of Sway with the Union Jack bandana!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Maybe he'll appear for both teams! That would stir things up at FIPA HQ.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

His grandfather was indeed Ghanaian, so he was eligible to represent them, and did make several appearances for Ghana at under 17 level, but by virtue of his residence in England, he is also eligible for British citizenship, and can therefore play for England. His uncle from the Faroe Isles tried to persuade him to play for them, but the lure of the three lions proved too great.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I can't help but feel a bit sorry for his Japanese grandmother myself.

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

Much as I love the line "Russia's greatest love machine" I am inclined to award points for introducing me to someone* and something new, and not just throwing big obvious things at us.

*Okay I was reviewing Sway for Stylus a while ago, but I don't know this track.

[dorsalstop.livejournal.com]

I'll second that. I much prefer a team that shows me some new moves, even if they don't all quite work, over a team that just plays on counter-attack, obviously looking for a 1-0 win with minimal means.
Especially considering all the new talent on the German bench!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Hurrah I've heard both of these before! I really do like the Sway album "I Swam Here All The Way From Ghana" ft the hit single "Why Does The Birds Always Sh1tting On Me?. ACE stuff.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad I don't need an excuse to vote England through. Good to see the lads finally getting their act together after a very unconvincing performance in the group stage.

[poptasticuk.livejournal.com]

Hello! Is it me next week? I can't remember.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

No - next week there's a break cos I'm on holiday, then it's Ecuador and Trinidad, and then (i.e. in 3 weeks) it's Ivory Coast vs Portugal.

[poptasticuk.livejournal.com]

Oh, ages! Phew! Then again I chose the first one at the very last minute (I forgot the name of the first Meiway song I found so I downloaded this one) so maybe that's the key to success.