1984 Throwdown

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1984 Throwdown

Edgy MD
Mar 27 2013 03:08 PM

Girl on Film ends up in a barfight with Family Man.

I figured this can only be settled BLC style. I'll take Duran, because I have a soft spot for their post-1988 Warren Cuccurullo-era sounds. Who wants the Phillie boys?

[list=1][*]"Girls on Film"[/*:m]
[*]"Ordinary World"[/*:m]
[*]"The Reflex"[/*:m]
[*]"I Don't Want Your Love"[/*:m]
[*]"Save a Prayer"[/*:m]
[*]"All She Wants Is"[/*:m]
[*]"Planet Earth"[/*:m]
[*]"Come Undone"[/*:m]
[*]"Hungry Like the Wolf"[/*:m]
[*]"Rio"[/*:m][/list:o]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr
Mar 27 2013 08:29 PM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

Oh, I'll bite... and vote for songcraft and attention-to-detail over style and "sound."

1. "Rich Girl"
2. "Lady Rain"
3. "Maneater"
4. "It's A Laugh"
5. "Kiss On My List"
6. "Out of Touch"
7. "Private Eyes"
8. "She's Gone"
9. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
10. You Make My Dreams Come True

Edgy MD
Mar 27 2013 10:37 PM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

Nice. I heed that you proceed without calling into action two of Darryl's most notable ballad performances.

Round Duran Duran Hall and Oates
1 "Girls on Film" vs. "Rich Girl"
2 "Ordinary World" vs. "Lady Rain"
3 "The Reflex" vs. "Maneater"
4 "I Don't Want Your Love" vs. "It's A Laugh"
5 "Save a Prayer" vs. "Kiss On My List"
6 "All She Wants Is" vs. "Out of Touch"
7 "Planet Earth" vs. "Private Eyes"
8 "Come Undone" vs. "She's Gone"
9 "Hungry Like the Wolf" vs. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
10 "Rio" vs. "You Make My Dreams Come True"

I note that neither act has achieved Rock & Roll Hall of Fame status --- and hasn't, to my notice, received serious consideration. This is the case despite an unimpeachable catalog of hits for both, they are perhaps too quasi-rock to make it in as pure rock acts, but not cool enough to make it in on a stealth campaign of critics showing their friends how progressive minded they are with their mandate.

"Maneater" would have matched up well with "Rio" as they both have double sax solos.

TransMonk
Mar 28 2013 07:27 AM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

Nice battle! Two of my favorite bands from grade school.

1. H&O - The Rhodes sound (not Nick) is pretty sweet on this track.
2. DD - I never thought Duran Duran could cut a decent post '80s song...this one proved me wrong.
3. H&O - Tough choice, but the bassline and minor/major clash of "Maneater" takes it.
4. DD - Stinker matchup of the group...the lesser of two evils. (Would have loved to see "Union Of The Snake" vs. "One On One" here).
5. DD - My fave DD ballad.
6. H&O - My 10 year old self loved this song.
7. H&O - C'mon, listen to those hand claps.
8. H&O - An Oates sighting!
9. DD - Another tough choice, but "Hungry..." takes it.
10. DD - Again, DD edges a close one.

I'm tied 5-5, just like I thought I would be seeing the artists before the songs.

Edgy MD
Mar 28 2013 08:44 AM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

Good work. Excellent point about the Rhodes organ. Had "Rich Girl" been recorded by the eighties version of H&O, it would've been far less rich.

TransMonk
Mar 28 2013 09:52 AM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

I've had Hall and Oates Greatest on random this morning as I work. The Rhodes keys are featured on many of their songs from the 70s and early 80s (She's Gone, You Make My Dreams).

I've taken to playing keys much more in the past few years and I was surprised to find that my style mimics much of Darryl Hall's. Unconsciously, for sure...but the similarities are there.

seawolf17
Mar 30 2013 07:57 PM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

1. H&O
2. DD
3. DD
4. DD
5. H&O
6. DD
7. H&O
8. DD
9. DD
10. DD

7-3 in favor of the Brits.

John Cougar Lunchbucket
Apr 02 2013 07:39 AM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

1. Rich Girl
2. Lady Rain
3. Reflex (fleh-fleh-fleh-flex)
4. It's a Laugh (in a laugher). Awful fake drums on that DD track vs. genuine soulful saxiness.
5. Kiss on My List. Short and punchy wins over long and weighty.
6. Hall & Oates in a pretty weak matchup (DD Youtube link is messed up)
7. Out of Touch but not very strongly.
8. She's Gone (landslide)
9. Hungry Like the Wolf
10. Rio

That's a 7-3 victory for Hall & Oates. It's probably not supposed to work this way but this poll only reinforced my opinion that Duran Duran wasn't a very good act. They brought a certain exotic thrill but their slow stuff puts me to sleep and it's larded with phake drums, phake drama and phake hairdos. By contrast I spent a good time hating Hall & Oates for being uncool when I was a kid but their stuff has only grown on me over the years.

TransMonk
Apr 02 2013 07:55 AM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

As a guy who opposes "frontmen" who only dance around, sing and don't play instruments, Simon Le Bon is a great front man, IMO. His vocal talent is underrated and I've got a spot spot for him even if the overall sound and style of the band is fluffy at best.

Edgy MD
Apr 02 2013 08:08 AM
Re: 1984 Throwdown

Yeah, DD is full of the sort of production that takes place inside the boards, rather than inside the sound booth. It was maybe their grace at the time, and with the passing of years, it's their burden now.

But H&O, from "Maneater" on, were sacrificing their soul at the altar of overpolished product too.