Old Soldiers

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I was tryin to work out why the thought of the next 10-15 or so Now polls fills me with more nerve than glee, harbingered by my slight anomie today due to the imminent victory of Massive Attack (a song which is RLY GOOD!!) (as is say "Ms Jackson" whose potential anointment also gives me a vague sinking feeling). Why this resentment? I figured that it's probably because we're now swinging into the period when I rolled up my sleeves and got my hands dirty online - setting up FT, setting up NYLPM, founding ILM etc. - and so the particular battles and twists and turns of orthodoxy that characterised them are all still semi-fresh, wounds that might yet be re-opened when the wrong reflex gets triggered.

(despite the fact that "we" WON!!)


"Chap with artistic intent - five rounds rapid!"

Of course the other side of me thinks, the more recent the Now polls get the more INTERESTING and factional they get - these next few years are still unformed canon-wise after all...

(I probably need to stop caring about the effing canon AT ALL, but then I wouldn't be me, sigh.)

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Have you seen how completely ridiculously AWESOME Now 45 is yet?

I actually have a sense of creeping dread about a lot of the Golden Age of R&B, my Sparkle outrage was roundly ignored and I fear I am even more emotionally attached to eg Aaliyah to see her suffer a similar fate.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

(Now 45 being the one just after Baby One More Time where EVERYONE was basically trying to recreate it)

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

I'm willing to bet that precisely 0 Aaliyah tracks will make it into the medals on the rest of the NOWs.

[nicolars.livejournal.com]

It seems like everyone loves Aaliyah, I think she will do well.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Ha we will see which of these two conflicting predictions is right. I do so hope it is nicolars's.

(er any reasoning behind the predictions, gentlemen?)

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

<lex>I can't name any of them, therefore they can't be famous, or popular. </lex>

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Try Again'!!!!!!!!!! It is one of the best songs EVER!!!!!!!!!

'More Than A Woman'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It got to No 1!!!!!!!!!!!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Aaliyah is great but is not quite LCD material innit.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

LCD material? eh? She is better than LCD Soundsystem.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

On Poptimists we look for the HCD innit!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

that then

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

Alex your point is undermined by the near-certainty that DESTINY'S CHILD will win at least one poll, potentially four if you factor in Crazy In Love. They could even shoot down Aaliyah.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I don't actually expect Aaliyah to win! Though that would be lovely. But I fear she won't even be in the chasing pack with 20+ votes, if Sparkle (still languishing on like FIVE) is anything to go by. The same goes for Tweet, Mya, Brandy and so on if and when they crop up.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

There's a shift in the "poppist" perception of R'n'B around this time tho, and Aaliyah and Destiny's Child are on one side with Sparkle still on the other (i.e. I don't remember her)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I do hope you're right; I think DC are definitely on the new side, but I don't know about the r&b girls with less...force than Beyoncé (the "shift" shifted back pretty damn quickly if poppist reaction to Ciara is anything to go by).

I can understand a lot of people forgetting Sparkle, who to my knowledge never even had another song, but I would've thought she had enough clout top beat EE Cherry/Mavericks/sodding Three Lions aaargh I am on the verge of TEARS!!! Especially after I uploaded her (albeit in wrong format, CURSE computers)

I think I have a lot more emotional investment in r&b girls than in any other pop stars ever!

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

It's really quite simple - fast rnb = grebt, slow rnb=rub.

(Poppist preference redux)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

JUST BECUZ YOU CANNOT GRIND

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure there's been a lot of fast r&b recently overlooked too! Janet Jackson hasn't exactly been getting love, even though she appears LOADS. Though I guess we shall see when we get there.

I love slow r&b. People who hate slow r&b are droids.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I think I have a lot more emotional investment in r&b girls than in any other pop stars ever!

Really? Hadn't noticed!

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

Now 45 isn't that good at all actually - I barely like anything on it. It'll be torn apart by Daphne & Celeste anyway.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

It had better not be, it's got the DEBUT OF KELIS on it! I foresee a battle royale.

Also you hate pop, in addition to the above it's got TWO Artful Dodger songs (oh 2-step how I love thee) AND the Backstreet Boys' greatest ballad AND Britney at her most abject AND 'Bingo Bango' AND 'Thong Song' AND the debut of Jamelia AND sun-kissed Moloko AND the best Honeyz song AND monster Gabrielle positivity ballad AND Craig David getting filled in AND the only good Mel C solo song AND Madison Avenue AND about ten Baby One More Time copyists!

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

I hadn't noticed the Kelis or Jaxx (Madison Avenue would get my vote out of that lot). I never liked 2-step AT ALL really.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

Aah, that's why - I only saw the tracklisting for the first disc. Movin' Too Fast is great though, only Artful Dodger song I liked.

Actually, the Thong Song is going to win, isn't it? Still the greatest key change ever.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

YES.

I can't believe you hate 2-step, I never understood how it was possible to hate gorgeous gorgeous 2-step! Artful Dodger album is AMAZING.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

You forget I hate slickness and smoothness - I want my music to sound DIRTY.

I think I also resented it a bit - everything went all slick and UKG at exactly the point my mind was in a place when I wanted local dancefloors to be all BASHBASHBASH!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

yes that does sound good. brimful of smashers on a 45!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

BOOM TISH

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

TS: bitterly refighting old battles when "we" won (cf dissensus on reynoldsism) vs decadent contrarian-esque attacks of all we then "stood" for (heehee *rubs hands*)

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

The prow of the destroyer entered the paddling pool...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes, if we'd *really* won pitchforkmedia.com would now feature ONLY Bus Stop records.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

1. Human League - "Fascination"
2. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "Relax"
3. Cyndi Lauper - "Time After Time"
4. Giorgio Moroder and Phil Oakey - "Together In Electric Dreams"
5. Katrina and the Waves - "Walking On Sunshine"
6. Kate Bush - "Running Up That Hill"
7. Pet Shop Boys - "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)"
8. Run DMC - "Walk This Way"
9. Europe - "The Final Countdown"
10. M/A/R/R/S - "Pump Up The Volume"
11. Pet Shop Boys - "Always On My Mind"
12. Salt n Pepa - "Push It"
13. Yazz and the Plastic Population - "The Only Way Is Up"
14. Neneh Cherry - "Buffalo Stance"
15. Neneh Cherry - "Manchild"
16. Technotronic - "Pump Up The Jam"
17. Adamski - "Killer"
18. Betty Boo - "Where Are You Baby?"
19. Massive - "Unfinished Sympathy"
20. 2 Unlimited - "Get Ready For This"
21. The KLF - "Justified And Ancient (Stand By The Jams)"
22. Snap - "Rhythm Is A Dancer"
23. East 17 - "House Of Love"
24. 2 Unlimited - "No Limits"
25. Ace Of Base - "All That She Wants"
26. Pet Shop Boys - "Go West"
27. Ace Of Base - "The Sign"
28. Blur - "Girls And Boys"
29. Shampoo - "Trouble"
30. Portishead - "Glory Box"
31. Pulp - "Common People"
32. Pulp - "Sorted For Es And Wizz"
33. Pulp - "Disco 2000"
34. Gina G - "Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit"
35. Spice Girls - "Say You'll Be There"
36. White Town - "Your Woman"
37. Hanson - "Mmmbop"

Hip-hop and RnB not faring too well in the 90s...perhaps they'll do better in the 00s?

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Everything from 7 to 24 is (racist) hiphop!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I am looking forward to seeing yr workings on 9!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

They are fleeing the Black Planet The record released is only the recording of what was recieved back on Earth - in the inertial frame of the rocketship each 'guitar note' is a compressed verse from a different member of the Wutang Clan.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

well it suggests that poptimists predictably prefer hip-hop as co-opted element with other things (fair enough). but then why the drop-off by 94? BRITPOP STRIKES AGANE.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Cos dance music went rub, innit.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

rockist

We won?

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I thought Alex in NYC did?

[dorsalstop.livejournal.com]

Have added obscure mp3s to Now poll. It's not too late for that Kerri-Ann comeback!

[nicolars.livejournal.com]

I don't care, I still like Teardrop the best out of all of the other choices. DESPITE the fact that it the theme song for my most hated program currently on tv, House. If you knew how much Hugh Laurie's American accent annoyed me, you'd know what a great mountain that was to overcome.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

People are still voting on that Poll you know. I wasn't even the last to!

i.e. it ain't over until the fat lady sings