90 For 90s: #80 - #71

I'm feeling another wave of 90's nostalgia coming on. Not quite sure why, but maybe it's because NATO's attacking a dictator by air and Newt Gingrich isn't pleased. Or maybe it's because I just discovered Portlandia on IFC. Or maybe it's because Elizabeth Taylor has died, and I was pretty sure that happened in 1996. Regardless of the reason, it's time to dust off the flannel and resume the countdown.

OK, that's a lie. I wore my flannel yesterday.

#80. TAKE A PICTURE, Filter. I'm going to let Wikipedia do the talking here: "Filter's frontman, and founding member Richard Patrick has said that the song is about him getting drunk on an airplane, taking off all of his clothes, and fighting with the flight attendants who tried to stop him" We've come so far since Bob Dylan sung about James Meredith's attempt to enter the University of Mississippi in 1962, haven't we?

#79. 40 Oz. TO FREEDOM, Sublime. Apparently there's no Sublime music videos on YouTube so I'll be relying on bootlegged user submissions for their multiple appearances on the list. I love every single premise of this tune, but none more than the notion that a woman looks so fine with her hair permed. How come nobody gets perms anymore?

#78. KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG, The Fugees. Lauryn Hill would've preferred her babies starve than I buy this song. I'm sorry, I truly am and I sure didn't mean to endorse infanticide. But I studied abroad for a semester in London in '97 and the jukebox rarely went 5 tracks without this being played. Weird that it wasn't played as much as Glenn Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" though.

#77. APRIL 26, 1992, Sublime. Told you there was more Sublime to come. Anyway, I get myself in trouble when I speak too passionately about this track, so I'm just going to say I wish the folks in NYC had the gumption of those in LA after the Diallo Assassins were acquitted.

#76. SILENT IN THE MORNING, Phish. Ah, so begins my on-again-off-again love affair with Phish. Like a passionate partner, I've both loved and loathed them. A battle that rages on today. Some days, I consider it great music and a killer scene. Other days, it's simpleton lyrics, repetitive sounds and crazed cult of trust fund babies desperate in need of some Axe.

#75. DISARM, Smashing Pumpkins. Reluctant addition, not because I dislike the song. Quite the contrary. No, it has more to do with the fact that Billy Corgan is the most arrogant, self-aggrandizing POS to hit the music scene in my lifetime. OK, maybe Celine can challenge that, but she's not on this list.

#74. EVEN FLOW, Pearl Jam. So begins the first of the maximum six Pearl Jam entries. Actually I'm lying. For being the Band of the Decade, they're allowed 7. Truth be told though, I miscounted. I suck at math.

#73. SCAR TISSUE, Red Hot Chili Peppers. I love RHCP and still feel like I don't do them enough justice or give them enough credit. Talk about an absolutely remarkable career. I wasn't feeling anything off "Californication" in 1999 (I wasn't feeling much of anything in 1999 except Milwaukee's Best and a few other choice substances) but man has it aged well.

#72. DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER, Oasis. Yup. There's Oasis again. I guess I kind of have to admit to really enjoying their one legitimate album. Thank you, Pine Hall and the band of misfits who settled in during the fall of 1995.

#71. RUFF RYDER'S ALBUM, DMX. Yeah, for the most part, the rap on this list is going to consist of embarrassingly bad generic tunes enjoyed by white people. For the first part of the decade I was making the transition from hair bands to grunge. For the latter part, as my tastes were expanding, I was more interested in Dylan, the Dead and Pink Floyd than anything else. God's honest truth, until I bought this a few years ago, I thought TuPac sang it. And he was allegedly dead for 2 years before it's release.

Music Madness: Liverpool - Sweet 16

Forgive me if I'm a little disheveled this morning. I'm still coming to grips with what I will heretofore refer to as The Great Hanson Riots of 2010. I've been slacking a bit of late, but I want to make the nuns proud and follow the words of wisdom laid out by Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen - Finish What Ya Started.

Today's region brings what should be a blowout on paper as the 1 seed takes on Cinderella, and a very, very intriguing 2 v 3 match up.

Confused? Here's all you need to know 
Box Score Keys: EC (Entire Collection - 3 pts), DA (Defining Album - 2), PC (Personal Connection - 2), DS (Defining Song -1), HI (Historical Impact -1)

(1) Beatles v (12) Sublime

How They Got Here:
BEATLES: def (16) Kings of Leon 9-0, (8) Wolffe tones 9-0
SUBLIME: def (5) Jimi Hendrix 5-4, (4) Johnny Cash 5-4
Box Score:
EC: Sublime is yet to win this category, which makes it even more impressive that they've advanced, as this is the most valuable one. And for the third straight time, they fail to win it. Does it mean good things ahead? ADV: BEATLES
PC: This is where the upstarts have made their noise, as I've mentioned the youthful, fun, illicit, illegal and bizarre memories set to their soundtrack. But that ends here. We're talking about the Beatles here. The one cool band my parents liked. The Babe Ruth of 101.1 CBS FM. Like most, I had a strong Beatles foundation to begin with, but going off to school, discovering each album on an individual basis, it was a whole new experience some 25, 30 years after their release. You can't just write off something like that. ADV: BEATLES
DA: This is officially in the books. Now it's just a matter of seeing if the Liverpudlians can match Dylan's 27-0 categorical start. Of the 16 teams to advance to the regional semi-finals, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ranks 6th among all albums. 40 oz to Freedom, though I love it so, comes in 16th. ADV: BEATLES
DS: "Hey Jude" you're number 11. If you're "Waiting for My Ruca", you'll find her at thirteen. ADV: BEATLES
HI: Like comparing Thomas Jefferson and George W. Bush. Yeah, they were both Presidents and all, but...ADV: BEATLES

The fairytale is over, it's down to the big boys now. And John, George, Paul and Ringo carry their undefeated streak into the Elite 8.

FINAL SCORE: BEATLES 9 - SUBLIME 0

(2) Led Zeppelin v (3) Pearl Jam
How They Got Here:
ZEPPELIN: Def (15) Raconteurs 9-0, (10) Willie Nelson 9-0
PEARL JAM: Def (14) Radiohead 9-0, (6) Rolling Stones 8-1
Box Score:
EC: What a battle of heavyweights we have going on right now. With the release of Backspacer, Pearl Jam has expanded their resume into some rarefied air. 9 albums. 18 years. Many classics among them. Most impressive, in my opinion, is that they're best 5 consist of their first 3 and last 2. Could it be that I was into other things in the middle? Maybe. Zeppelin likewise has 9 major releases to their name. And maybe it's because of the aforementioned middle-gap with Pearl Jam, but I have to declare this one to be property of Led Zeppelin. ADV: LZ
DA: On that chart I just mentioned, Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy comes in at a very respectable #9. That's eight spots behind Ten. You can do the math on that one. ADV: PJ
DS: I felt there was no choice but to name "Stairway" the defining Zeppelin songs. Some artists, I can make the choice. Sometimes, the choice makes itself despite what I may think. Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" may be his most popular tune, but it's not the song that the masses define him by. The only other comp I can come with here is the relationship between Lynrd Skynrd and "Free Bird". I may prefer "Going to California" or "The Immigrant Song" personally, but "Stairway" it is, and that's ranked #10. Regardless of which song I went with though, it wasn't touching the fabled sheets of empty canvas. ADV: PJ 
HI: Hitting the homestretch at a 3-3 tie, could one expect any less? I struggled with this one and here's why: I grew up with the notion that Led Zeppelin was already classic rock. By the time I was buying music on my own, they were done making it, about 18 years after their debut. However, now we're 18 years into Pearl Jam's popular existence. Is it not time that they enter the same pantheon? I think it is. But some states of mind are impossible to exit. I still view the two in completely different ways. Maybe I'm holding on to the idea of youth, but I have to call this one for Zep. ADV: LZ 
PC: My favorite category. And I've probably made it clear already. I'll explain more in the Elite Eight how strong the bond is as they go head-to-head with the Undefeated Beatles - a connection match up that I have no idea how it may shake out. But Pearl Jam's going to be a tough beat in this category. For all comers. ADV: PJ 
FINAL SCORE: PEARL JAM 5 - LED ZEPPELIN 4 

REMAINING SCHEDULE
Charlottesville Sweet 16
(1) Dave Matthews Band v (5) Billy Joel
(2) The Doors v (3) Pink Floyd
San Francisco Sweet 16
(1) Grateful Dead v (4) Bob Marley
(2) Bruce Springsteen v (3) Simon & Garfunkel
The Village Regional Final
(1) Bob Dylan v (2) Guns N Roses
Liverpool Regional Final
(1) Beatles v (3) Pearl Jam.

  

Music Madness: Liverpool Region: Round 2

Two Shutouts, One Blowout and a surprisingly competitive match in front of the Liverpudlians. Love that word. Rest assured however, that the Sweet 16 will be awfully more competitive than Round 2.

Rules and Criteria can be found here

SHUTOUTS
(1) Beatles v (8) Wolfetonnes. Oh it pains me so. This cruel fate for the Rebels, to go out in a bloodbath at the hands of the British, on English soil. I'd have liked to avoid the shutout in principle, but the fact of the matter is, nothing was even close.
FINAL SCORE: BEATLES 9 - WOLFETONNES 0

(2) Led Zeppelin v (10) Willie Nelson I initially had Nelson taking the impact. Then I realized I must have inadvertently been smoking what he was . Not a chance. 
FINAL SCORE: LED ZEPPELIN 9 - WILLIE NELSON 0



BLOWOUT
(3) Pearl Jam v (6) Rolling Stones. The Stones obviously take Impact. Pearl Jam obviously takes everything else. This 3 seed is sneaky good. Don't take them lightly. An epic matchup with Zeppelin awaits...
FINAL SCORE: PEARL  JAM 8 - ROLLING STONES 1

NAILBITER
(5) Johnny Cash v (12) Sublime. Sublime already knocked out one legend in Jimi Hendrix. Is the Man in Black next?  Even though I believe that Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around was the best album of the past decade,   I ever so slightly favor 40 Oz To Freedom. Sublime takes the album. As much as I love JRC, the connection I have to Sublime spans just as long, probably includes more people, and some of my best memories, be it the first time I heard "Waiting for My Ruca" (of which I shall plead the fifth on details) or the shared laughs over the orgasmic "Uhhhhhhh" in "Caress Me Down" at my brother-in-law's college graduation bash. As much as I cherished getting out of class at noon on Wednesdays in my last semester and going out for beer and wings and listening to "Boy Named Sue", Sublime takes the connection. 4 Points.

I don't think anyone can argue Cash's historic impact or entire collection. There's his 4 points and making the tie breaker the "defining song". As much as I love Cash's "Hurt", most people consider it a Nine Inch Nails tune and we'll leave it at that. Conversely, my favorite Sublime song is a Grateful Dead cover in "Scarlet Begonias". So it becomes "Walk the Line" head to head "Waiting for My Ruca". And I can't fathom this, but using the methodology I set out with from the start, we have a major upset. I mean, Christ, I have Johnny Cash on my personal Mount Rushmore of great musicians. Looking at the bracket, I thought he had a shot to beat the Beatles. But we officially have ourselves a Cinderella.
FINAL SCORE: SUBLIME 5 - JOHNNY CASH 4.

Looking ahead to the Sweet 16:
(1) Beatles v (12) Sublime. We can no longer underestimate them.
(2) Led Zeppelin v (3) Pearl Jam. Epic, Epic matchup.

Music Madness 2010:Liverpool 1st Round

All Rules and Criteria can be found here

LIVERPOOL REGION: FIRST ROUND ACTION
(1) The Beatles vs. (16) Kings of Leon. Ringo beats them on his own. Next.
FINAL SCORE: BEATLES 9 ~ KINGS OF LEON 0

(8) Wolfe Tones vs. (9) Joan Baez. Who on the selection committee thought it would be funny to send the Rebellious Wolffe Tones to Liverpool? Tough matchup even if the score doesn't indicate it. Spent many a night falling asleep to Ms Baez back in the day and she may have the most beautiful voice on earth. I'm giving her "Song" for "Diamonds and Rust" and Historical Impact, but the Wolffe Tones are just that good that they sweep the rest.
FINAL SCORE: WOLFFE TONES 7 ~ JOAN BAEZ 2

(4) Johnny Cash vs. (13) Tom Petty. Strong case can be made that Petty deserved a better seed. And a  better fate. Generously, I give Petty the Song with "American Girl" and I'll even stretch it and give him Personal Connection for playing half-time of The Greatest Super Bowl in History, but the rest isn't even a contest. The Man in Black moves on.
FINAL SCORE: JOHNNY CASH 6 ~ TOM PETTY 3

(5) Jimi Hendrix vs. (12) Sublime. Gus Johnson's calling this one and he's losing control. Is there an upset in the making? Two careers that were shorter than they should have been. Hendrix narrowly takes the "Entire Collection" category, the big kahuna of them all and the 3 points to go with it. But 40 oz to Freedom takes the Album by a nose over Are You Experienced? Two cover songs go head to head for the Song point, with Sublime's "Scarlet Begonias" (Grateful Dead) beating Jimi's "All Along the Watchtower" (Dylan). Hendrix wins the Historical Impact hands down, taking a 4-3 lead and setting up Personal Connection (2 pts) as the deciding factor. And Lo and Behold, thanks to the many, many memories from 1996 - 2005 that I can recall, Sublime pulls it off. The importance of having a scoring system is clear now, cause my gut woulda said Jimi hands down.
FINAL SCORE: SUBLIME 5 ~ HENDRIX 4

(3) Pearl Jam v. (14) Radiohead. Warning to the Beatles and Led Zepplin: Beware the Jam.
FINAL SCORE: PEARL JAM 9 ~ RADIOHEAD 0

(6) Rolling Stones v. (11) Neil Diamond. I wanted Jewish Elvis to advance, I really did. Always found the Stones to be a tad overrated. I give the Diamond my Personal Connection and Song for "Cracklin Rosie" but that's as far as it can go. I guess You Can't Always Get What You Want.
FINAL SCORE: ROLLING STONES 6 ~ NEIL DIAMOND 3.

(7) Elton John v (10) Willie Nelson. Another nail biter. On the surface you'd think that Elton takes the Entire Collection, but then you realized that early in the 1980s, he got sober and started writing lame ass Lite FM 106.7 crap. Willie's always been Willie. Elton does take the Album for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and song, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters". He also get's the Historical Impact. But the personal connection seals the minor upset for Willie Nelson. Every road trip I took from the age of 3 to 16, he was the soundtrack, and I've been trying to restart that tradition. Can't wait to take my kids on a 4 hour ride and torture them with "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys"
FINAL SCORE: WILLIE NELSON 5 ~ ELTON JOHN 4

(2) Led Zepplin v (15) The Ranonteurs. A sweep. Good for Jack White though, he's got to get some rest so he can try and carry the White Stripes to the Final Four.
FINAL SCORE: LED ZEPPLIN 9 ~ RACONTEURS 0

So when Liverpool starts up again, we're looking at:
(1) The Beatles v (8) Wolffe Tones. This one's going to hurt me. A lot. So cruel.
(4) Johnny Cash v (12) Sublime. Can Cinderella knock off another icon?
(3) Pearl Jam v (6) Rolling Stones. Stones have impressive stats. Beware the entire collection.
(2) Led Zepplin v (10) Willie Nelson. Personal Connection could be a factor.

NEXT UP: CHARLOTTESVILLE REGION. A quick preview of our next bracket:
(1) Dave Matthews Band v (16) Queen. Historical Impact is a weakness for this 1 seed. Personal Connection isn't.
(8) Elvis Presley v. (9) The Band. Honestly have no idea how this plays out.
(4) U2 v (13) Poison. A very strong 13
(5) Billy Joel v (12) Rage Against the Machine. This gives me a chuckle
(3) Pink Floyd v (14) Arctic Monkeys. British Civil War
(6) Phish v (11) Public Enemy. Another unintentionally funny matchup 
(7) Flogging Molly v (10) Jay Z. Ditto
(2) The Doors v (15) Dropkick Murphys. Jim and Co have a tough road.

My 30 Best Albums of the Decade: 15 - 11

Because my mind wanders to wanderous places, after declaring that Bob Dylan would have the #1 album of the 60s and 70s, I had to confirm. And my instincts served me well. Here's what I came up with for best album of the previous 3:
1960s: Freewheeling Bob Dylan (narrowly over Highway 61 Revisited and The White Album)
1970s: Blood on the Tracks (over American Beauty, Dark Side of the Moon and Houses of the Holy)
1980s: Appetitie For Destruction (over everything.  Graceland, The Wall, Slippery When Wet and The River would probably be 2, 3, 4 and 5 and they're light years behind)
1990s: Ten (over Before These Crowded Streets)

Back to the lecture at hand. Creeping up on the Top 10....

#15: Some Devil - Dave Matthews. It took me much longer to get into this than it should have. Partially because I'm still scarred by the hiatus that Jon Bon Jovi took to record Blaze of Glory at the same time that Richie Sambora took off to record Stranger in this Town. It's never a good sign when band members work on "other projects". Still, I was required by the dogma of dmbism to purchase this album and give it a fair shot. I was so-so on it, I thought at first it seemed a little too forced, Matthews was was trying too hard to make the lyrics fit within the tempo of the song - something he does with the band as well, though they're talented and diverse enough to comply and make it sound seemless. That reminds me, has there ever been a more clever name for a band than The Band? Can't tell you how many times I've been asked something along the lines of "Is this Jerry Garcia?" to which I'd respond "No, The Band", and then the follow-up would be "Oh, the Grateful Dead?" Seriously, clever shit.

Back to Some Devil - I had my "Come To Dave" moment sitting on the dock with some family at my wife's grandmother's lake house a few summers ago. Relaxed summer atmosphere, just after sundown, having a few cold beverages and just enjoying life. While listening to "So Damn Lucky" it all clicked and the album's been a staple ever since. The Lake is funny like that. Certain albums just become "Lake Albums", and it helps you ignore the fact that Cat Stevens is an evil-doer that wants to blow up your children and hates you for your freedom.

#14. O Brother, Where Art Thou - Soundtrack, Various. There is almost no explanation for why I loved this soundtrack so. It's not exactly something you throw on while entertaining, it's not good drinking music, not great driving music, and while it can be relaxing - it's not exactly the perfect fireside CD. But I've always loved me some good old folk music, Allison Kraus probably has the greatest voice of any female singer since Joan Baez, and it conjures up images of a time in American History where all some people really had was song, so it does strike a chord in that respect. And really, if you were to rank the greatest American songs ever, wouldn't "You Are My Sunshine" have to be up there?

#13. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam. I'm not the most organized person in the world, but there are some things I get OCD over. One of them is what candles are lit in what room of my house. Another is how I firmly believe that only a debut album should be self-titled. It wasn't cool when Metallica did it, it aint cool that Pearl Jam did it. You can't wait 15 years to release a self-titled album. But overlooking that transgression - Jesus, this album was classic Pearl Jam from start to finish. A "Ten" sound with the social consciousness similiar to "Vs" but magnified. 

More importantly, it transformed Pearl Jam -  in my eyes - from being just a band who made awesome music while I was in High School into an All-Time Classic act. I never fully got into the stuff post-Vitalogy and pre-Self Titled. Sure, a few good tracks appeared now and then, bought an album or two, but it wasn't the same as the early releases. They were probably the most defining band of my high school years, and boy was it great to see them back.

#12. White Blood Cells - The White Stripes. What's there really to say about an album that pretty much offers up everything? From the ingenious lyrics in "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" to the exceptional composition in Hotel Yorba - which seems to borrow from every era of Rock History and then some, to the changing tempos within "The Union is Forever" to the slightly threatening nature of "I Think I Smell a Rat" and everything in between. When you analyize the album as a whole, you can't help but be amazed. But again, sounding too much like a critic there, and critics, shampoo, scrotum, etc.

White Blood Cells is just a fucking awesome album, enough said.

#11. Brushfire Fairytales - Jack Johnson. What a huge decade for Hawaii, huh? Shane Victorino ignites the Phillies to a World Championship, Barack Obama becomes freakin President, and Jack Johnson unleashes a slew of great CDs. Though, before making such a declaration, I think we need to see Victorino's and Johnson's birth certificates just to confirm that they're native born Hawaiians and not secret Muslim Terrorists hellbent on destroying Major League Baseball and the Recoriding Industry from within.

Ignoring the borderline repulsive imagery of scarred and mauled bubbly feet make Johnson inexplicably randy, "Bubble Toes" might be the most fun song of the decade. I mean, how can you not get in a good mood when it comes on? And "Mudfootball?" Come on, who didn't live through that? Reminds me of my innocent, pre-substance-loving life. And maybe that's what slightly bothers me about Jack Johnson. Dude's a little too content. Maybe I'm jealous, cause I don't think I could ever be that content. You could give me 10 million bucks and put Sean Hannity in a gulag and I don't know I'd be that content. But maybe it's as simple as he's found the answer: "Slow down everyone, you're moving to fast."