Hall and also Oates
Votes due by Tuesday July 5th at 8 pm. Whoops! Looks like another scheduling mix-up, but I owe karma one for the time I forgot mine. By the way, if you are an English major, go see Midnight In Paris immediately- it’s really just a treat and a half. The right side of Division N looks a lot like a lost round from the Living The Dream Music Tournament, so for those of us hankering for some good old radio-friendly competition, voila! Grooveshark link is here, votes are due by Tuesday July 5th at 8 pm. And here we go!
Get out your wallet chains and PacSun wear, because this first match features headliners from the lost era of new grunge. Foo Fighters come with one of their newer tracks, while The Offspring makes their first post-Smash appearance.
Those guys.
Kittens Ablaze is on this side as well- that guitar you hear is Living The Dream contributor Grant. In fact, all in all over 50% of people that either played or currently play in KA have voted at least once in a music tournament. They don’t get an easy first round draw though, as Prince makes his Living The Dream tournament debut (I think this is mostly because Janos hates Prince.)
...seriously. If I could.
In a match that just sounds a lot like the soundtrack playing faintly out of the office speakers at your Tuesday afternoon dental appointment, Steve Miller Band tees off against Hall & Oates.
The last match-up seems composed of two songs on the soundtrack of a musical about love, mistakes, and time travel. Led Zeppelin and Cher on deck here.
Short List
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters)
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring)
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze)
#10 Purple Rain (Prince)
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band)
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates)
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin)
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher)
Living the Dream 
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 7.8
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 5.5
One of my favorite Foo Fighters songs – great guitar riffs always score well with me.
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 5.8
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 3.5
Purple Rain bored me nearly to sleep. KA easily won the energy war, and thus the matchup.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 7
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 5
Hall and Oates have great hair – alas not great music.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 8.5
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 4
I had forgotten all about this Zeppelin tune – been a long time since I’ve listened to LZ 1, and I’m the worse for it. Great call Nominator! We’ve covered my dislike of Cher before – so it goes.
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) vs. #15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring): 7.5/7
I don’t really remember hearing The Pretender before…it’s got some great guitar riffs. Instant download. The Kids aren’t Alright is one of those songs that just…well…it gets me going. If I was a teenager and it was a girl, I’d have a weird crush on it. Kind of like how I feel about the video for “Why Don’t You Get a Job” (mostly because of the walk through the Leave it to Beaver neighborhood (also Desperate Housewive’s Wisteria Lane) and the Back to the Future set)…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLf7ghM-6E
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) vs. #10 Purple Rain (Prince): 4.5/5
Doom Gloom Buttercups, I’d change the station on you, but might come back. I don’t love Purple Rain nearly as much as I love Little Red Corvette or Raspberry Beret. Still wouldn’t change the station.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) vs. #14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates): 9/5.1
I just don’t understand why some people call him Maurice…Did I miss something? Hall and Oates were probably so innovative singing “It’s a bitch girl…” Great writing by Darryl Hall. That song hasn’t aged well, either. But slightly better than Purple Rain.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) vs. #11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher):7.5/5.5
I too forgot that song existed; Page and Bonham really go for it around 2:15 and 4:30…some great, non-cliche Zepplin. Sadly, I will admit I’d probably sing along to Cher if it came on the radio. The song is non-sensical, and the video is atrocious. But it always reminds me of when Jack met Cher on Will & Grace (yup, my testosterone levels are really dropping as I type this critique), and they had a Cher-Off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLf7ghM-6E
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 8
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 8.5
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 3
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 7
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 8
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 6
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 6
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 4
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) – 4.5
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) – 5.0
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) – 3.0
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) – 7.0
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) – 7.0
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) – 6.0
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) – 7.5
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) – 7.0
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) – 5.8 Better than OK, just not great.
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) – 6.0 Better sound than Foo, but vocal was questionable.
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) – 4.0 Sound wasn’t bad at all but the vocal and lyric left a lot to be desired.
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) – 6.0 Not such a big fan and haven’t heard this in a long time but definitely better than the Felines Aflame. Too bad I couldn’t find an appropriate symbol to put up for the score, but then Danno may have thought that I forgot to score one…..again.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) – 8.2 Great tune! Great lyric! Only thing missing is it didn’t make my feet move. You go, Mo’rice!!
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) – 6.3 They were better when first released. Whenever that was.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) – 8.0 Very pleasant surprise. Guess I just don’t know enough Zeppelin of the Led variety. Great stuff!
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) – 6.0 Liked but too familiar. Hence – tiresome.
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 7
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 4.5
I don’t really like The Offspring as a rule, but I didn’t MIND TKAA either.
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 7
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 5
KA is great! Purple Rain makes me too sad. And it is long, so it lost half a point for that too.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 8
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 6
I grew up listening to and loving Steve Miller Band and The Joker is one of my favorites. Makes me really happy. Rich Girl is fun but not my favorite Hall & Oates.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 5.75
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 8.5
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 1.5
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 4
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 7
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 6
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 9
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 6.2
I think I put The Joker on every mixed tape I ever made.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 2
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 7.5
The tournament brings out sides of me that no one else knows – like that I’m a closet Cher fan.
The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 7.5
The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 5.5
Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 4
Purple Rain (Prince) 3
Not a big fan of either of these songs but definitely didn’t have the patience to listen to 8+ minutes of Purple Rain so Kittens Ablaze gets the nod.
The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 9
Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 7
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 5
If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 4
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters): 6. Nothing special. Takes a while to get started. Not bad either.
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring): 7. Lyrics prevent this from getting too high on the ranking.
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze): 7. Love this song, but it def isn’t my favorite kittens song.
#10 Purple Rain (Prince): 5
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band): 6. Good natured, but mediocre and that stupid shit after “some people call me Maurice”?
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates): 7
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin): 4
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher): 7.
— It hurts quite a bit to give Cher a better score than Zeppelin, but taking the songs by themselves… I don’t have much of a choice.
The Pretender (Foo Fighters) v. The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) = 5 to 2
Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) v. Purple Rain (Prince) = 5.5 to 4
The Joker (Steve Miller Band) v. Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) = 6 to 8
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) v. If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) = 8.5 to 2
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 5
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 6.25
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 6.75
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 6.8
Some people don’t sound like themselves when they sing— that is not the case for Timothy Spellman. Prince by a hair, but only because I have a soft spot for the shores of Lake Minnetonka.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 8.7
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 6.8
Heyyyy there’s my 3 seed. “Joker” is just so fun— Pompatus is a made-up word. It’s fine.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 6.7
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 8.6
This song taught me that sometimes girls regret too, which is a good thing since it makes the emotional battlefield seem a little more even. If this ends up Steve Miller-Cher in the next round, that is going to be personally brutal.
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) – 5.7
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) – 6
The Foo Fighters always just seemed a bit too generic for me, but I enjoyed the energy. The howling at the end was a bit over-the-top, however.
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) – 4 (meh)
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) – 5
Nod to Prince but 8+ minutes was several minutes too long. I checked how far along we were at least twice.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band)- 8
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) – 6
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) – 6.5
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) – 4
The Pretender (Foo Fighters): 5
The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring): 6
Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze): 4
Purple Rain (Prince): 7
The Joker (Steve Miller Band): 6.5
Rich Girl (Hall and Oates): 6.5
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin): 6.5
If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher): 6.5
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) – 6.5
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) – 8.5
this is just what i needed to wake me up after a long weekend.
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) – 5.5 (great song title)
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) – 3
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) – 6.5
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) – 4
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) – 6 (not one of my favorite zeppelin songs)
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) – 5.5
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) [5]
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) [6.5]
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) [7]
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) [6]
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) [8.25]
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) [7]
Tough match-up indeed.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) [6.5]
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) [7.5]
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 7 [that rocks pretty hard and toes the line without falling into the “new rock” genre.]
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 7.5 [hard call]
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 6.5 [so, yeah. I’ve played this song a few times and should probably recuse myself, but I haven’t listened to the recording in years- really makes me want go go back and completely remix it.]
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 4.5 [really not a fan of this prince song but understand why people may be….but just saw I have entire 4 more minutes to go on this track…… lord help me–dropped from a 6 to a 4.5.]
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 6.0 [that’s coming off of
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 4.5
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 4.0 [happy to never hear this again]
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 8.0 [first music video I ever remember seeing. God was it epic.]
Um this video is totally epic. How did the U.S. Navy agree to let this happen?
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 7
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 5.5
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 6.5
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 3
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 7.5 forgot how much I like this!
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 6.5
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 4
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 8
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters): 4
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring): 6
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze): 8
#10 Purple Rain (Prince): 5
Gloom Doom doesn’t sound as good as the recording on my computer, but I guess if Grant didn’t say anything…
Oh and I don’t hate Prince at all, I just think he’s vastly overrated. “Little Red Corvette” is totally in my extended karaoke set.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band): 7.5
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates): 3 –Just awful. Worse than Maneater.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin): 9.3
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher): 7.2
Great nominations.
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 5.5
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 7.9
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 7
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 2
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 6
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 7.5
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 3
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 9
Votes brought to you from Little America, an awful nice truck stop in the middle of nowhere Wyoming. I just took a mineral bath here. But I listened to these driving through the Shoshone national forest because the dirt road made my cd skip.
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 4
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 6
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 8.5
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 6.8
I dont know how much I would like either of these songs if I hadn’t heard them before, but they sound good since I have. I am giving kittens a .5 because I like that guitar. I love prince the man more than prince the music. -.2 for refusing to end.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 6.5
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates)5.5
Ah the joker is so silly it makes me a little embarrassed (just what are the peaches? Boobs? Then what is the tree?) but it’s still infectious. I feel like I should hate rich girl but i don’t.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 2
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 8
My dad would hate my vote on this because he loves Zeppelin and hates disco, but he also stubbornly refuses to admit any music created after about 1982 has any musical merit, so I don’t feel too badly. I like a lot of Zeppelin but this song was just souless. And had terrible lyrics.
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 2
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 5
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 6
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) 8
PR spawned many an amazing cover. love kate nash’s rendition.
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 5
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) 9.5
thank you, person who nominated rich girl. i haven’t really heard this song since my mother played it continuously on vinyl when i was a wee lass. TAKE, TAKE ME HOME.
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 7
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) 7.5
The Pretender – 6 – I find the Foo Fighters pretty boring, but the songs are never all that bad.
The Kids Aren’t Alright – 5.5 – I haven’t listened to much Offspring since 7th grade, this songs decent, but its kind of sappy.
Gloom Doom Buttercups – 7.7 – As one of the several Kittens Ablaze ex-bassists, I’ve got to give this song a good score. I am also a sucker for whistling solos.
Purple Rain – 8.2 – Classic.
The Joker – 7.3 –
Rich Girl – 7.7 –
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You – 7.9 –
If I Could Turn Back Time – 2.5 –
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) 5
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) 6
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) 4
#10 Purple Rain (Prince)5- Long and very melancholy. Still better than it’s match
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) 8-Old favorite
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates)7.5-also an old favorite
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) 6.8
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher)7
Really prefer the acoustics in Zepplin, but it seems that the song just was hard to listen to.
Making dinner with the roommates and listening to the match-ups. Votes for me / Chris / Carolyn.
#2 The Pretender (Foo Fighters) – 3 / 7 / 3
#15 The Kids Aren’t Alright (The Offspring) – 3 / 5 / 3.5
#7 Doom Gloom Buttercups (Kittens Ablaze) – 4.5 / 3 / 5
#10 Purple Rain (Prince) – 7 / 8 / 7.5
#3 The Joker (Steve Miller Band) – 8.5 / 7 / 8.5
#14 Rich Girl (Hall and Oates) – 7.5 / 7 / 10
#6 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin) – 7.5 / 8 / 10
#11 If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) – 6 / 2 / .5
This Led Zeppelin song is Chris’ favorite song of all time. He almost threw his 11 on this one. So Cher suffered out of spite. Carolyn also does NOT like Cher.