The History Of Jop Part 11 aka Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

1989, the number, another poll - something to do while you count the minutes until POPTIMISM TONIGHT AT THE UNION TAVERN (ahem).

Only EIGHT picks this time because Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" was a duplicate.


[Poll #837465]


Sweet Jop Of Ours (1988)

1. Push It (38 votes)
2. Sweet Child O Mine (35)
3. Don't Believe The Hype (34)
4. Paid In Full (33)
5. Alphabet Street (28)
6. Birthday (27)
7. Crash (26)
8. Welcome To The Jungle (25)
9. My Prerogative (23)
10=. Fast Car (20)
10=. It Takes Two (20)

Comments

BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

of course there is no possible way of choosing between these two, and I certainly couldn't make any arguments either way, but I would be interested in hearing any you have to put forward!

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[koganbot]

"Buffalo Stance" by a long shot; far better dance rhythm - not that I insist everything have dance rhythm, but though I ticked "Like a Prayer" it's my number seven pick in a mediocre-for-Jop list, and it's second-tier for Madonna, far less basic joy and pizzazz and actual feeling than "Everybody" and "Into the Groove" and "Holiday" etc. etc. and less basic clutch-my-heart beauty than "Live to Tell." Also I have a feeling of resentment that this capital-I Important is the Madonna track that P&J finally puts into its Top Ten.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[koganbot]

Um, "this attempt at capital-I importance" is what I should have written.

On a more positive note, both songs do a good job of pulling together disparate song elements into something that feels like a natural pulled-together track. It's just that I way prefer the elements in "Buffalo Stance," the way she really gets the rap - both rap's intensity and its playground chant - and the way that her beautiful melodies have a daydream/playdream quality without drifting off into "dreaminess."

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I can see myself agreeing with yr last point only (and I always felt vague irritation that Like A Prayer is the Madge album which gets the critical love, above Erotica and True Blue even, because it's so capital-I-Important.

but I think that its sheer rapture elevates it to top-tier Madonna, its deliberate evocation of the religious experience, the sonic rush of it all. It's not my absolute favourite Madge - top 5 almost certainly - but there's this massive pulling-out-all-the-stops (thematic, sonic, everything) feel to it which I completely adore when it succeeds.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's one of those big capital-I important singles that is actually good too though (it's Madonna's "Back For Good") - a little overconstructed maybe, but the transition it makes from beauty to joy is what makes it great, even if the actual measures of those components aren't as large as elsewhere.

(Also it's the basis for a couple of really terrific happy hardcore records)

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

OMG the Shanghai in Dalston has the most amazing Chinese happy hardcore version of 'Like A Prayer' on its karaoke machine.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

The anticipation that builds up during the intro is what elevates the song above pretty much everything else Madge ever did.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Like A Prayer is just great, completely lovely and a total anthem (and is completely going to win this), but it's not as stop-the-traffic mental as Buffalo Stance, which is the better pop song.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I am not sure how you are defining 'pop song' there! I would think that 'Like A Prayer' is the better traditional pop song (mostly due to its anthemic-emotional qualities) whereas 'Buffalo Stance' is the better dance track...

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

My definition of pop song doesn't take the modifier 'traditional' :) IE it's the effect ("Come here, listen to this!") rather than the genre.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

TS intros: "Will you stop scratchin' and gimme a beat?" vs "GOD!"

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Well, exactly.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Madonna wins that though!

Everything in 'Like A Prayer' kind of blossoms out of the intro.

Whereas you can't tell at all what's coming with 'Buffalo Stance'.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Well, exactly. I'm not having a go here, but you're making my arguments for me - I love the nailed-together nature of Buffalo Stance, and I definitely prefer the intro.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think at this point I am making everyone's arguments for them because I cannot decide at all.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

I'll be quite bored if Buffalo Stance wins this. We can't have ANOTHER Now! poll winner winning the Jop poll as well. It's like building our own critical consensus on top of another critical consensus.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Interesting how, after the argument that it's impossible to choose, no one has much to say about Buffalo Stance. I reiterate my opinion that it is over-rated, benefiting even more from the "capital-I important" factor than anything else. There are a million billion songs more danceable and/or more pop.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

One thing of interest is I find it difficult to trace influences to 'Buffalo Stance'. Like, what's the deal behind the style of it? Is it largely based on that Miami* electro-disco sound (Debbie Deb etc.) or what?

*sorry if the geog is inaccurate here

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

It does fill a floor like nobody's business.

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

i agree w.mitya on this a bit -- neneh was super-oversold in CITYLIMITSLAND as the "perfect ideal icon of [insert handy cause here]", and i wd have to work to hear her unemcumbered as a result

Re: BUFFALO STANCE vs LIKE A PRAYER

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

haha the MIA comparisons make even more sense now!