I am fond of both these albums--and a little irked that they came up against each other. But I find "Mr. Jones" annoying whereas _Reconstruction Site_ is, for my money, pretty near flawless. So my vote is for the Weakerthans. Predictably.
I have to vote August, as it is my pick.. I really liked the Weakerthans though. Counting Crows is one of those bands I've learned to appreciate after spending so much time disliking them in years past. This hater gonna reevaluate-and-look-for-the- positives.
I think I roused some folks' ire in a past MDM by being critical of the Weakerthans. So I'm gonna go ahead and vote for them this round. To my ears, they are the less un-listenable of these two albums. (We have REALLY left the ball park that is my taste in music here, people...)
I can understand why people would like Counting Crows, but I can also understand why people wouldn't like them. And the same goes for the Weakerthans. I do like the Weakerthans quite a bit though. People can mock me if they like, but the third track where the singer starts in about the little boy with the cake and the wedding and the winter-coat and how he thinks about "how everyone dies someday"...man, that gets me every f*&#ing time. So, yeah, Weakerthans.
Also, I have a good memory of listening to this in Bruce and Sarah's car (out East somewhere?), which is probably the riding-in-the-car-with-Bruce-and-Sarah-listening-and-liking-fallacy, but you know, I'm a sucker for that fallacy.
I have fond memories of a road trip to Portland in a compact car to help some friends move in 1995. Two relatively tall guys (my friend is 6'4") with a guitar and a cheap Discman that kept resetting so that we got to hear "Seventy four, seventy five..." over and over and over. Every major city had a bad Clear Chanel radio station, and every station was playing the Macarena every hour. When we found ourselves way out in the middle of nowhere we would belt out "Omaha" as best we could.
But once I got over that "Reconstruction Site" wasn't "Left and Leaving," I fell in love with it. Well, maybe that's a little strong. At this moment I am listening to "Plea From a Cat Named Virtue" and enjoying the guitars. Then I'll jump to "One Great City" (again), and I'm sure I'll be listening to Weakerthans all night.
Now that Weakerthans are firmly in the lead, I'll take the opportunity to vote Counting Crows. I know that much of what came after August makes Duritz unpopular with music snobs (myself included), but I think this is quite an album. I don't find it unbearable to hear these days, other than Mr. Jones. And I do find his voice a bit wearing, but I find Sampson's (Weakerthans) voice a bit wearing too.
I actually found August to be more varied in tempo, lyrical pacing, yaddayaddayadda. But I do love Weakerthans storytelling. The old creative writing adage "show don't tell" certainly applies here. Many songwriters get away with telling because they have the melody and shiny guitars to distract us from the lyrics. I like when a band takes lyrics seriously, or seriously enough to interest that side of my brain.
These lyrics or lyrics in general? David Byrne once said something like "lyrics only exist to give critics something to talk about." To him I say "Whatever man, "Once in a Lifetime" is lyrically one of the greatest songs ever."
I don't entirely understand the rules for when the voting is over, so I'm going to go ahead and add one on really late here: Counting Crows for me. I thought I'd definitely be going for Weakerthans because I often make stabbbing-my-heart motions when I randomly hear songs from this album, but listening to it as a whole I forgot just how many of these songs are good and the stabbing is really more because of the impressionable time in my life when this came out and I listened to it constantly.
I do love me some Weakerthans as well and think that Mr. Sampson is one of the great lyricists of recent years, although this is the album that I think comes dangerous close to trying to being too cutesy: Now he’s talking to a cat! Now he’s Shakleton! Now he’s playing the same song in 3 different arrangements! Well that’s nit-picking isn’t it? (To be said in the accent of David St. Hubbins).
“I Hate Winnipeg.” Hey guys it’s an Urban Planning song! Don’t get many of those. It’s pretty great actually. Plus it says “Loonies.
Counting Crows wasn’t as bad as unpleasant as I thought it would be but……… I vote Weakerthans.
Counting Crows seems worthy of attention, despite the haters, but when it came out it just didn't grab me, and now when I listen to it again it just doesn't grab me. Weakerthans get full credit in all the ways they should: in short, for writing a song from a cat's point of view. Weakerthans doesn't *move* me, per se. Is it just me, or does he chant?
Anyway, Weakerthans for me. When people say, "I don't like either of these," it makes me feel like they lacking an important critical skill, to wit, the ability to select the correct criteria for judging a piece of art. But when it comes down it . . . I suppose I don't really like either of these. Or at least I don't love either one.
VS.
This round makes me nervous. Kinda awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhat rounds still need a tie-breaker? Cause I'm in the mood to do some spoiling (i.e. I've been drinking).
ReplyDeleteI am fond of both these albums--and a little irked that they came up against each other. But I find "Mr. Jones" annoying whereas _Reconstruction Site_ is, for my money, pretty near flawless. So my vote is for the Weakerthans. Predictably.
ReplyDeleteI have to vote August, as it is my pick.. I really liked the Weakerthans though. Counting Crows is one of those bands I've learned to appreciate after spending so much time disliking them in years past. This hater gonna reevaluate-and-look-for-the- positives.
ReplyDeleteWeakerthans
ReplyDeleteI find the Counting Crows almost unbearable at this point in time. I never really liked them, but now...ugh.
ReplyDeleteWeakerthans.
I think I roused some folks' ire in a past MDM by being critical of the Weakerthans. So I'm gonna go ahead and vote for them this round. To my ears, they are the less un-listenable of these two albums. (We have REALLY left the ball park that is my taste in music here, people...)
ReplyDeleteI can understand why people would like Counting Crows, but I can also understand why people wouldn't like them. And the same goes for the Weakerthans. I do like the Weakerthans quite a bit though. People can mock me if they like, but the third track where the singer starts in about the little boy with the cake and the wedding and the winter-coat and how he thinks about "how everyone dies someday"...man, that gets me every f*&#ing time. So, yeah, Weakerthans.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have a good memory of listening to this in Bruce and Sarah's car (out East somewhere?), which is probably the riding-in-the-car-with-Bruce-and-Sarah-listening-and-liking-fallacy, but you know, I'm a sucker for that fallacy.
ReplyDeleteI have fond memories of a road trip to Portland in a compact car to help some friends move in 1995. Two relatively tall guys (my friend is 6'4") with a guitar and a cheap Discman that kept resetting so that we got to hear "Seventy four, seventy five..." over and over and over. Every major city had a bad Clear Chanel radio station, and every station was playing the Macarena every hour. When we found ourselves way out in the middle of nowhere we would belt out "Omaha" as best we could.
ReplyDeleteBut once I got over that "Reconstruction Site" wasn't "Left and Leaving," I fell in love with it. Well, maybe that's a little strong. At this moment I am listening to "Plea From a Cat Named Virtue" and enjoying the guitars. Then I'll jump to "One Great City" (again), and I'm sure I'll be listening to Weakerthans all night.
I vote Weakerthans.
Now that Weakerthans are firmly in the lead, I'll take the opportunity to vote Counting Crows. I know that much of what came after August makes Duritz unpopular with music snobs (myself included), but I think this is quite an album. I don't find it unbearable to hear these days, other than Mr. Jones. And I do find his voice a bit wearing, but I find Sampson's (Weakerthans) voice a bit wearing too.
ReplyDeleteI actually found August to be more varied in tempo, lyrical pacing, yaddayaddayadda. But I do love Weakerthans storytelling. The old creative writing adage "show don't tell" certainly applies here. Many songwriters get away with telling because they have the melody and shiny guitars to distract us from the lyrics. I like when a band takes lyrics seriously, or seriously enough to interest that side of my brain.
Lyrics suck.
DeleteThese lyrics or lyrics in general?
DeleteDavid Byrne once said something like "lyrics only exist to give critics something to talk about."
To him I say "Whatever man, "Once in a Lifetime" is lyrically one of the greatest songs ever."
I don't entirely understand the rules for when the voting is over, so I'm going to go ahead and add one on really late here: Counting Crows for me. I thought I'd definitely be going for Weakerthans because I often make stabbbing-my-heart motions when I randomly hear songs from this album, but listening to it as a whole I forgot just how many of these songs are good and the stabbing is really more because of the impressionable time in my life when this came out and I listened to it constantly.
ReplyDeleteOh how you English Majors love those Weakerthans!
ReplyDeleteI do love me some Weakerthans as well and think that Mr. Sampson is one of the great lyricists of recent years, although this is the album that I think comes dangerous close to trying to being too cutesy: Now he’s talking to a cat! Now he’s Shakleton! Now he’s playing the same song in 3 different arrangements!
Well that’s nit-picking isn’t it? (To be said in the accent of David St. Hubbins).
“I Hate Winnipeg.” Hey guys it’s an Urban Planning song! Don’t get many of those. It’s pretty great actually. Plus it says “Loonies.
Counting Crows wasn’t as bad as unpleasant as I thought it would be but………
I vote Weakerthans.
Counting Crows seems worthy of attention, despite the haters, but when it came out it just didn't grab me, and now when I listen to it again it just doesn't grab me. Weakerthans get full credit in all the ways they should: in short, for writing a song from a cat's point of view. Weakerthans doesn't *move* me, per se. Is it just me, or does he chant?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Weakerthans for me. When people say, "I don't like either of these," it makes me feel like they lacking an important critical skill, to wit, the ability to select the correct criteria for judging a piece of art. But when it comes down it . . . I suppose I don't really like either of these. Or at least I don't love either one.