Yet Another Year In Pop: 51

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

The GBP has spoken. But where do poptimists stand? Let's do it. (NB: this is my first ever attempt to do a poll, so I hope I haven't screwed up)

[Poll #1501728]

Comments

[koganbot]

I'm temporarily setting aside my rule against ticking re-entries, 'cause that would ruin the game today, obviously. So RATM's nontick is on their own merits.

Rage Against The Machine "Killing In The Name": As noise funk w/ shout raps go it's awfully plodding in comparison to Beasties/PE before and Evanescence/Linkin Park since. The shout part almost gets this by, but no cigar, exploding or otherwise. NO TICK.

Joe McElderry "The Climb": The Miley version was much better paced, and with her raw scrapheap of a vocal cord, soaring was never a given - sure, from the first note you knew she was going for the sky, but there's still a musical payoff in getting there, and she had a smart producer who knew better than to give her nothing but a wall of uplift.* She was an easy tick. But, while Joe's voice is reasonably pretty, the arrangement here evens out and smooths his upward path too much. NO TICK.

3Oh!3 "Starstrukk": I keyed right into the anger/disgust/elation of "Don't Trust Me," but this one is too facile in its cynicism. I did underrate it in the Jukebox, but it's still a mess. NO TICK.

George Michael "December Song": Strings too heavy for the piano, and George sounds lost amid both. Melody pulls some surprises; I'd have liked to hear this with just piano and brushes. NO TICK.

Leona Lewis "Stop Crying Your Heart Out": I like the slow repetitiveness at the start - there's potential greatness here - and I really wish they'd just stuck with the low volume and spare arrangement. At least they keep the pace slow and don't totally smother the drama that gave this potential in the first place.** BORDERLINE TICK.

Queen & Muppets "Bohemian Rhapsody": Noisy, not funny. NO TICK.

Alexandra Burke "Broken Heels": I suppose this is referencing the line about Astaire and Rogers, "Sure he was great, but don't forget Ginger Rogers did everything he did backwards . . . and in high heels!"*** Yeah, but he looked better doing it (though she looked good too). RedOne gives this a fast boogie but he needs a GaGa or RiRi to give it personality. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

Pet Shop Boys "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas": Knack for melody; the original is pretty in its slight way. This new version loses too much of the prettiness. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

*mixed metaphor, whatever

**I'm listening to the Oasis original right now, and the whiny vocals make it a total hairball.

***I found this attributed to Bob Thaves online, but "online" is a tricky place to verify attributions

[edgeofwhatever.livejournal.com]

Queen & Muppets "Bohemian Rhapsody": Noisy, not funny. NO TICK.

So, what do you have in that space where your heart is supposed to be?

[koganbot]

Oh, the usual: a jar full of piss, vinegar, cheez whiz, and ball bearings.