It’s
Kate Bush
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs&feature=player_embedded%5DVS
Eric B and Rakim
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fUii3L4Fqok%5DCategory: Pop music
Singles World Cup – Round 2 – First Tie
First tie of the next knock-out round!
It’s
The Jackson 5
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Q80mk7bxE%5DVS
Kate Bush
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp43OdtAAkM%5DVote in the comments or at https://www.facebook.com/events/372515509517345/
Singles World Cup 2013 – Round 2
Singles World Cup – First Round – Sixteenth Tie
It’s
Brian Eno – Baby’s On Fire
Have you ever heard a guitar solo like that? If Eno is God, Fripp is the devil.
VERSUS
Ike and Tina Turner – River Deep, Mountain High
The creative madness of Phil Spector helped to creative this monster of a “wall of soul”. The brass, the reverb, its all so glorious, underpinned by the tempestuous and ultimately abusive relationship of the Turners.
WINNER: Ike and Tina Turner
Singles World Cup – First Round – Fifteenth Tie
It’s
‘Hurt’ by Johnny Cash
OK, it’s the 2003 cover, but Johnny takes full possession of the original and makes it his own. A vulnerability and bombastic piece of orchestration at the end wrenches at your heartstrings. I may cry.
VERSUS
‘I Know You Got Soul’ by Eric B and Rakim
It may be glued together from other people’s songs, but that’s what makes it so influential. The quintessential golden age hip hop track, the beats and groove are irresistible and Rakim is arguably the greatest MC who ever lived.
WINNER: Eric B and Rakim
Singles World Cup – First Round – Fourteenth Tie
It’s
‘Work It’ – Missy Elliott
In 2003 this sounded like absolutely the most futuristic, avant-garde thing I could imagine, and the most fun, too. A massive hit, proving that, sometimes, the charts absolutely are home to the cutting edge.
VERSUS
‘London Calling’ by The Clash
Great tune, I like the voice, I think the beat is great…Kit (age 8) 9 out of 10
Jiggy, The song starts straight away and takes you straight in, bad voice…Tess (age 10) 7 out of 10
WINNER: The Clash
Singles World Cup – First Round – Thirteenth Tie
It’s
‘Rebel Without A Pause’ by Public Enemy
Newsflash: I did not grow up in Brooklyn so Rebel Without A Cause was alien and frightening, the sound of someone about to kick the door in and take over. And they were. Insistent, relentless, merciless, this is the sound of revolution, of the arrival of a new voice, a new sound, a new world.
VERSUS
‘Frontier Psychiatrist’ by The Avalanches
Very busy, makes you want to move to the rhythm, lots of different things going on…Tess (age 10) 10 out of 10
Everything goes together, nice song makes me want to dance, all instruments go together, good beat…Mia (age 11) 10 out of 10
WINNER: Public Enemy
Singles World Cup – First Round – Twelfth Tie
It’s
‘Unfinished Sympathy’ by Massive Attack
Awoke my interest in dance music in the early 90’s and realised that it wasn’t as narrow a genre as I imagined. The combination of natural sounding piano and strings, along with such emotive vocals has stayed with me ever since.
VERSUS
‘Walk On By’ Dionne Warwick
The perfect combination of words, melody, music, emotion, and performance. I could have picked any of a number of Bacharach and David songs, but this feels like a platonic essence.
WINNER: Massive Attack
Singles World Cup – First Round – Eleventh Tie
It’s
‘Come To Daddy’ by Aphex Twin
Great singles should sound like bizarre, alien things beamed in from distant planets, outlandish artifacts that mere mortals could never concoct. This is one of those. Strange, and scary, and amazing.
VERSUS
‘God Save The Queen’ by Sex Pistols
If rock is rebellion then God Save The Queen is the greatest rock song of all time. That cover, those lyrics, that clarion call of disaffection, that ban, that boat trip, that stolen number one spot. Before it all, that slashing guitar and that incredible, still electrifying, vocal performance.
WINNER: Sex Pistols
Singles World Cup – First Round – Tenth Tie
It’s
‘God Only Knows’ by The Beach Boys
I don’t care what you think….this is simply beautiful. The loveliest song ever written. Undeniable.
VERSUS
‘Once In A Lifetime’ by Talking Heads
I’ve known this since I was a child and always found it an amazing mixture of bizarre and cool and fascinating and fun and, as I get older, and live in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife, oddly profound. How did any of us get here?
WINNER: Talking Heads
Devon Record Club 