I'm on #teamMitch here. The three songs he mentions are fantastic--especially, "Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight." Why that wasn't as big of hit as "Fast Car," I'll never know. The rest of the record never really landed with me.
While average song length isn't the be all end all of a great album (see Abbey Road, depending how the "medley" songs are measured), the fact that two songs on Tracy Chapman weigh in at 2:06 or less and another four under 3:30 pretty much says it all that a lot of those songs are throwaways and it is more EP than LP (I give Talkin' Bout a Revolution at 2:41 a pass). Regarding the Luke Combs cover, it's too close to the original for my taste, just as soon listen to Tracy's superior warble. The woefully overlooked cover is Wyclef Jean's rappy version with Paul Simon's overdub anchoring it just the right amount to the original.
I having been wanting to make this comment for awhile. This week is a great time to bring it up. You all need a 4th voter so that one person having a bad week cannot blackball a nomination. Voters in Ohio voted yesterday to not make it harder for voters to change the state Constitution. They recognized that this was a power play by the establishment to limit the rights of the citizens. Newbury St. is hamstrung by the way the numbers work out. A split decision is not a majority decision, so you all should go back to having a fourth member to break the ties.
More albums would get in if it was a majority vote, but we’d have less opportunities for villainy. Knowing that you are fully responsible for rejecting an album is a lot of pressure. That pressure has forged me into a weapon with one purpose: exacting revenge on behalf of Phil Collins and Boz Scaggs.
Just kidding, this week’s album was super boring coming off the blessed BeeGees.
But I am remembering right that you started as a four some before you became a power trio? That is what I remember from when I first started following you. If I am correct, which my wife and kids will say is not a guarantee or safe bet even, we can all blame Yoko Ono.
You are correct, Chris. We did have a fourth person when we started. We also had a complicated point system that caused more debates than it solved. When we became a (power) trio, we decided to make it an all or nothing proposition. And since our musical tastes are so divergent, I have to say it is extremely gratifying when I can convince not just one but both of these guys that my album should be in. Newbury St. should be tough to get into. Otherwise, it's just three guys sparing each other's feelings.
I have to agree with Mitch here. I love the first 44.7% of this album. It's emotional, heartfelt...REAL. "Behind The Wall" has given me chills since the first time I heard it. But track 6 thru 11 is forgettable. I WANT to love the entire thing, but.....never have.
I am wrong in my album handicapping quite often, but I was so far off on this one. I was almost certain our EONS readers would have universally praised this one. I need to get together with my quantitative analytics team and redo our algorithm.
Agreed the scoring system was overly complicated and fussy. I still think a 2 out of 3 vote would be cleaner.
Otherwise, I would like to see a published description of the consensus protocol you are employing. There are different ways to approach consensus, and the readers should have some insight into how the sausage is being made.
I'm on #teamMitch here. The three songs he mentions are fantastic--especially, "Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight." Why that wasn't as big of hit as "Fast Car," I'll never know. The rest of the record never really landed with me.
P.S. Somerville sounds like my kinda town.
You'd love Somerville. There are at least two used records stores that I can think of off the top of my head.
While average song length isn't the be all end all of a great album (see Abbey Road, depending how the "medley" songs are measured), the fact that two songs on Tracy Chapman weigh in at 2:06 or less and another four under 3:30 pretty much says it all that a lot of those songs are throwaways and it is more EP than LP (I give Talkin' Bout a Revolution at 2:41 a pass). Regarding the Luke Combs cover, it's too close to the original for my taste, just as soon listen to Tracy's superior warble. The woefully overlooked cover is Wyclef Jean's rappy version with Paul Simon's overdub anchoring it just the right amount to the original.
Don't worry - we did "Abbey Road" a while back and it didn't get in, either.
Scorpions? Sure
Beatles? Pass
A highlight of my EONS career. Klaus and Rudy thanked you in their acceptance speech.
I having been wanting to make this comment for awhile. This week is a great time to bring it up. You all need a 4th voter so that one person having a bad week cannot blackball a nomination. Voters in Ohio voted yesterday to not make it harder for voters to change the state Constitution. They recognized that this was a power play by the establishment to limit the rights of the citizens. Newbury St. is hamstrung by the way the numbers work out. A split decision is not a majority decision, so you all should go back to having a fourth member to break the ties.
More albums would get in if it was a majority vote, but we’d have less opportunities for villainy. Knowing that you are fully responsible for rejecting an album is a lot of pressure. That pressure has forged me into a weapon with one purpose: exacting revenge on behalf of Phil Collins and Boz Scaggs.
Just kidding, this week’s album was super boring coming off the blessed BeeGees.
Agree to disagree?
But I am remembering right that you started as a four some before you became a power trio? That is what I remember from when I first started following you. If I am correct, which my wife and kids will say is not a guarantee or safe bet even, we can all blame Yoko Ono.
You are correct, Chris. We did have a fourth person when we started. We also had a complicated point system that caused more debates than it solved. When we became a (power) trio, we decided to make it an all or nothing proposition. And since our musical tastes are so divergent, I have to say it is extremely gratifying when I can convince not just one but both of these guys that my album should be in. Newbury St. should be tough to get into. Otherwise, it's just three guys sparing each other's feelings.
I have to agree with Mitch here. I love the first 44.7% of this album. It's emotional, heartfelt...REAL. "Behind The Wall" has given me chills since the first time I heard it. But track 6 thru 11 is forgettable. I WANT to love the entire thing, but.....never have.
I am wrong in my album handicapping quite often, but I was so far off on this one. I was almost certain our EONS readers would have universally praised this one. I need to get together with my quantitative analytics team and redo our algorithm.
Agreed the scoring system was overly complicated and fussy. I still think a 2 out of 3 vote would be cleaner.
Otherwise, I would like to see a published description of the consensus protocol you are employing. There are different ways to approach consensus, and the readers should have some insight into how the sausage is being made.
You ever hear the Cowboy Junkies cover of "Helpless"? I'd listen to Margo sing Neil Young's catalog all day long.