90s Cup musings

[Jumper K]

It’s all fuckin dreadful. I don’t much like some of the shit that I’ve put up. Mind you I made a conscious decision not to include any hip hop cos you cloth eared twonks wouldn’t appreciate it.

[algroth]

One 'complaint'.... why is it not okay to enter 'successful' tunes? The amount of 'snobbery' around that has really astounded me - including comments like "I'm certainly not going to vote for a hit single from them" etc etc..... I was looking for the rules that said "No chart hits" but I couldn't find it.

Just a thought

Well, it's because this is more interesting (to me, anyway, and how I judge things) as a competition to try and pick something less obvious, because I want to hear quality new music. Even if in the only unknowns that really stand out to me are Pram, and that Vic Chesnutt track in round 8, that's still been worth my while. Even if its not good, it's just more interesting to hear new stuff, or perhaps something almost forgotten, than have to comment on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Celebrity Skin". We could all have picked 8 famous tracks that would appeal to most people here, I just don't see the point in doing that.

This, exactly. I believe this is as good a place as there can be in this board to actually make people listen to things outside their comfort zone or which they might not be familiar with. Talking about Nirvana or Radiohead or Wu-Tang is all well and good but we do that any day of the week in the main board, I don't see what benefit there is by bringing them to this game beyond, I don't know, some votes in one's favour or something. I know that I would not even bother with these games if all I had to listen to is the same old.

[never/ever]

Neil Young was the most vital artist of the 90s.

Surely you mean Portishead?

[Loki]

This same conversation has been going on here for years. Should we hold a fricking referendum or something?

[never/ever]

I don't see any problem with submitting known and well-known songs to the competition. For some people it'll be welcomed as a track they don't have to listen to. Some people are here for the discoveries and will let you know that. I only was critical on one track that I had heard too much and was kind of getting weary of but that was just a personal observation and not one levelled at the general feeling of 'too obvious'.
This Cup certainly hasn't got any of the BCB-snobbiness of the BCB Cup with its consistent commenting on 'standard BCB-fare' (whatever that is).

[Diamond Dog]

Neil Young was the most vital artist of the 90s.

Surely you mean Portishead?

To be fair, Portishead isn't such a daft suggestion.

[fange]

So, all the ties are up and it’s fair to say, the lists en masse would represent nobody but the criminally insane’s 90s. There’s plenty on there that would feature in mine - Massive Attack, Blur, ATCQ, Pulp, Wu Tang Clan, Beck, Saint Etienne, etc -but there’s even more things that I’d expect any 90s list to contain but which this excludes. Off top of my head: Pavement, Oasis, Beastie Boys, Chemical Brothers, Acid Jazz types (as opposed to the actual jazz selected), Pearl Jam, Tricky, Smashing Pumpkins, Drum & Bass, Bob Dylan as the elder statesman of choice... Not really sure what that means other than it was a pretty eclectic period and mainstream consensus was fraying.

Anyway, other overall thoughts? Including general flaying of the standard?

Ok, here's how I chose my tracks - I went to my I-tunes, found the dozen-or-so most-played '90's songs and chose my tracks from them. That was it; I spent about 10 minutes. I didn't trawl through my CDs or YT, just whatever is on my I-pod, which isn't that much because it's not got a huge memory and it's a pain in the arse to keep putting new stuff on it.

So, while I could very easily have put some Massive Attack, Acid Jazz tracks, Beastie Boys, Nas and Gang Starr and whatever else I really loved form the '90s, I didn't and i'm still very cool with that because every track I chose is one I love and means a lot to me. BUT, they were not chosen in any way because I thought someone ELSE might like them, and this is has been a big departure from my usual Cup track-picking MO. Usually i'll spend at least some time weighing up whether this or that is "too well-known" or "by a band that's not too divisive", etc. That didn't happen at all this competition, as you can probably all tell by my inclusion of tracks by The Aints and The Circle Jerks.

Which reminds me - one of the things i've found most hilarious in this competition is the way so many people have written things like, "Why has A decided to include a song by old 60s/70s/80s guy X?! Is that REALLY their idea of the '90s?!", when they themselves chose old 60s/70s/80s guy Y and thought that no fucking problem at all! Fuck me, i've had a laugh; i've probably done it myself maybe with Molly Hatchett! (though i still think that one might at least slightly have been a bit of a pisstake) Anyway, it just goes to show how biased and subjective our own points of view can be, and how natural that is; that's why it can be a lot of fun just letting loose, not taking it too seriously, and enjoying it as a bit of fun distraction from reality.

The other concept that has come up a lot, maybe especially as this is a decade-type comp., is that the tracks should somehow be "noteworthy", which i'm guessing means important somehow in the context of the decade's music styles or charts. Now, this idea also had NO impact whatsoever on my list choices. I don't begrudge anybody making this an important criteria in their voting - though again, these things can be extremely personal and subjective - but it's had almost no effect on me when i've been voting. Who was popular and trendy or an anachronistic has-been made little difference to me 19 times out of 20 - i just went for the tune i liked best, usually.

I'm not sure who will win - probably out of the group of people who have both wide-ranging tastes and tastes that are generally within the inner part fo the BCB musical Venn diagram - but it's been fun so far. Cheers again, Maarts.

[The Modernist]

I'm not sure who will win -

It's between Goat Boy and Mike Boom.

[fange]

Oh really? Two sturdy Cup stalwarts. I haven't checked the leaderboard for ages, what about you and Ed, G?

[The Modernist]

Oh really? Two sturdy Cup stalwarts. I haven't checked the leaderboard for ages, what about you and Ed, G?

I think I've blown it by picking dance type tracks!

[Darkness_Fish]

Which reminds me - one of the things i've found most hilarious in this competition is the way so many people have written things like, "Why has A decided to include a song by old 60s/70s/80s guy X?! Is that REALLY their idea of the '90s?!", when they themselves chose old 60s/70s/80s guy Y and thought that no fucking problem at all!

I think there can be a distinction though, between old guy who's constantly developed and changed his sound, vs old guy still retreading the sound of the 70s. For instance, Scott Walker was a perfectly good choice. Motorhead wasn't.

Of course, if any of you had thought to check with me beforehand, we wouldn't need this debate about what was and was not acceptable.

[fange]

I think I've blown it by picking dance type tracks!

Oh no, rookie error!

Of course, if any of you had thought to check with me beforehand, we wouldn't need this debate about what was and was not acceptable.

Ok. *Makes mental note to ask DF what is acceptable or not*



*so i can do the opposite*

[Diamond Dog]

Here's another one - what is is with the "I'm going for A] because I think it will need the votes"?

What is that all about - you're not picking the one you may like most because you're feeling sorry for the other track?!

Explain, please.

[fange]

Here's another one - what is is with the "I'm going for A] because I think it will need the votes"?

What is that all about - you're not picking the one you may like most because you're feeling sorry for the other track?!

Explain, please.

That is the gamesmanship angle coming in - you don't want anyone to have too big a win because they might be in your group and fuck up your chances for finals, so any flimsy excuse to even the odds will do!

[Diamond Dog]

Aha.... see I'm just a Cup novice!

[Loki]

Aha.... see I'm just a Cup novice!

So Pete, whaddya think about the song vs. song format, as opposed to the lists of 10?

[Diamond Dog]

Aha.... see I'm just a Cup novice!

So Pete, whaddya think about the song vs. song format, as opposed to the lists of 10?

I much prefer this format, I must say. It seems to give you just that little bit more time to listen to the tracks and vote accordingly - the preoblem with the lists was you were trying to evaluate mulyiple tunes v multiple tunes - it's incredibly difficult to do that objectively, I think.

[Loki]

Aha.... see I'm just a Cup novice!

So Pete, whaddya think about the song vs. song format, as opposed to the lists of 10?

I much prefer this format, I must say. It seems to give you just that little bit more time to listen to the tracks and vote accordingly - the preoblem with the lists was you were trying to evaluate mulyiple tunes v multiple tunes - it's incredibly difficult to do that objectively, I think.

I agree. Maybe there's more of a strategy component in the lists, but it's too easy for some songs to get lost. This way each song gets proper attention - sometimes the analysis nit-picking can be excruciating!

Interesting how the Cup has evolved over the years. Those early ones without YouTube were so different.


OK, whaddya think the chances are of the Lions this year?

[Diamond Dog]

OK, whaddya think the chances are of the Lions this year?

After the Jets (the fucking Jets!) pissed on your parade last night... erm, not much I'm afraid! Much like my Redskins I'm afraid.

I've already backed The Rams at 10/1 for the Superbowl.....

[Loki]

HOHHHHH!