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BLC: REM v. Aerosmith

Johnny Dickshot Jun 23 2006 02:10 PM

Freed by Elvis, and moving up again... Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars) Driver 8 Exuming McCarthy It’s the End of the World as We Know it Life and How to Live It Nightswimming Pilgrimage Radio Free Europe South Central Rain (I’m Sorry) These Days

seawolf17 Jun 23 2006 02:35 PM

I'll counter with nine songs from the first three albums and their only number one hit, even though it's an enormous risk putting any songs with any commercial success in this contest.. Dream On I Don't Want To Miss A Thing Mama Kin One Way Street Same Old Song And Dance Sweet Emotion Toys In The Attic Train Kept A Rollin' Walk This Way Walkin' The Dog

metirish Jun 23 2006 02:37 PM

Smart choice going with the first 3 albums..

seawolf17 Jun 23 2006 02:44 PM

IDWTMAT is a blatant pander to Cooby and Elster, both of whom admitted to liking it.

Edgy DC Jun 24 2006 03:26 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 26 2006 09:09 AM

vs. "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" Interesting Fact: "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" was written by Mills about a love-interest who was being called back home by her parents after they had gotten wind of her disappointing grades. Interesting Fact: Jerry Garcia reportedly said of Aerosmith that they were "the druggiest bunch of guys I've ever seen."

Willets Point Jun 26 2006 12:11 AM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" R.E.M. "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" R.E.M. "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" R.E.M. "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" R.E.M. "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" R.E.M. "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" R.E.M. "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" R.E.M. "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" R.E.M. "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way"Aerosmith "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" R.E.M. R.E.M. 9:1 Aerosmith

sharpie Jun 26 2006 09:11 AM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" REM "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" REM "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" tie "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" REM "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" tie "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" REM "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" Aerosmith "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" REM "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" Aerosmith "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" tie REM 6.5 Aerosmith 3.5

Edgy DC Jun 26 2006 09:11 AM

A note. Once again, the "Hyena" link ended up in the "These Days" slot. I've fixed it but you may want to re-listen if you're judging by that.

Edgy DC Jun 26 2006 09:19 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 26 2006 09:27 AM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" =blue]Aerosmith wins big "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" =orange]REM fires back with a six-run inning of their own. "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" "Mama Kin" rips through the speaker cones like a Stooges record, capturing all the rock and all the boogie that made greasy touring bands of the seventies special, while Michael Stipe takes the safe as houses position of coming out against McCarthyism in 1990. =blue]Aerosmith. "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" "OWS" is the American Stones in all their glory, but "ItEoftWaWKI" is purely original radio dynamite. =orange]REM. "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" Both capture what the bands were doing, but neither is particularly an appealing song to me. Tie. "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" Stipe's voice is coming into it's own here, and the piano and strings are beautiful, but the string arrangements are John Paul Jones's work, and not a band member's. "Sweet Emotion" is a funky metal classick and I guess I'll get past the reality, for now, that it celebrates maturing from an awkward teenager into a deadbeat-dad cad. =blue]Aerosmith. "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" "Pilgrimage" is Murmuriffic, the band still not that good on their instruments, but each getting a good distinctive sound out of them, and the arrangement is still just the four of them. "Toys" is a preview of the eighties Aeros, taking a song that's more of a concept/hook-gimmick than a compostiton, and arranging and producing the hell out of it. to make it radio-worthy. Less is more here. =orange]REM. "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" Here, too. =orange]REM. Good solo by Joe Perry, though. "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" How do you choose? You don't! Tie. "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" Michael Stipe spits out a mission statement before he completely transoformed from Hawkeye to Alan Alda. But I think I'd probably press the accelerator a little more if the =blue]Aerosmith song came on. It's 5-5 tie. REM represents something of a lost faith for me, I guess. I can't take and never have taken Aerosmith more seriously than I do any other band with a vocalist who dresses in scarves, but with expectations low, they can't disappoint.

metirish Jun 26 2006 09:20 AM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" R.E.M. "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" R.E.M. "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" -Aerosmith "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" R.E.M. "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" - Aerosmith "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" R.E.M. "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" -Aerosmith "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" - Aerosmith "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" - R.E.M "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" R.E.M. R.E.M - 6 - Aersmith - 4

seawolf17 Jun 26 2006 10:49 AM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" Aerosmith "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" Aerosmith "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" Aerosmith "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" Aerosmith "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" Aerosmith "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" Aerosmith "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" Aerosmith "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" Aerosmith "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" Aerosmith "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" Aerosmith I don't like most of these REM songs. I like my REM a little more commercial. Not "Shiny Happy People" commercial, but at least "Losing My Religion" and "Man On The Moon" commercial. (You should have put up their cover of "Toys In The Attic.")

Johnny Dickshot Jun 26 2006 12:24 PM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" -- Like both, but Aerosmith wins "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" --EZ win for REM "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" --REM "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" --REM "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" --Win for REM. This is a cool song by them, punky and funky. "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" --Win for Aerosmith here "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" --Like em both, REM wins "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" --Same REM "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" --Aerosmith "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" --REM REM with a 7-3 win. I think the “Dream On-Sweet Emotion-Walk This Way” holy trinity has won every ballot I cast so far.

soupcan Jun 26 2006 12:37 PM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" -AEROSMITH "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" -REM "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" -REM "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" -REM "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" -REM "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" -AEROSMITH "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" -REM "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" -REM "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" -REM "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" -REM REM - 8 / AEROSMITH - 2

HahnSolo Jun 26 2006 01:45 PM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" Aerosmith "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" REM "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" um, tie. "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" REM "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" REM "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" Aerosmith "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" Aerosmith "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" REM "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" REM "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" REM REM 6.5, Aerosmith 3.5

Edgy DC Jun 26 2006 01:50 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I think the “Dream On-Sweet Emotion-Walk This Way” holy trinity has won every ballot I cast so far. Seawolf really is packing three smart bombs there, isn't he?

seawolf17 Jun 26 2006 01:59 PM

And yet it still isn't enough. (Sigh.) Paging Elster and Cooby.

Lundy Jun 26 2006 02:04 PM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" - Aerosmith "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" -REM "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" - Aerosmith "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" - REM "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" - Aerosmith "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" - Aerosmith "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" - Aerosmith "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" - Aerosmith "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" - Aerosmith Aerosmith 8, REM 2

Gwreck Jun 26 2006 03:32 PM

"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" vs. "Dream On" Aerosmith "Driver 8" vs. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" R.E.M., easily. If we're going to go commercial...how about some of the rock songs from the post-drug era? Love in an Elevator? Rag Doll? Cryin'? IDWTMAT is really a weak, weak link in the Aerosmith lineup. [/rant] "Exhuming McCarthy" vs. "Mama Kin" R.E.M., a personal favorite, thanks Dickshot for including it. "It’s the End of the World as We Know it" vs. "One Way Street" R.E.M. "Life and How to Live It" vs. "Same Old Song And Dance" R.E.M. "Nightswimming" vs. "Sweet Emotion" Wow, tough matchup. Gotta go with the Tie here. "Pilgrimage" vs. "Toys In The Attic" Tie "Radio Free Europe" vs. "Train Kept A Rollin'" R.E.M. "South Central Rain (I’m Sorry)" vs. "Walk This Way" Aerosmith "These Days" vs. "Walkin' The Dog" R.E.M. Final score: R.E.M. 7, Aerosmith 3

Willets Point Jun 26 2006 04:13 PM

Just because I like arguing with Edgy I'd like to point out that "Exhuming McCarthy" is more of a topical song than he suggests. in 1987, when the song was actually released, we were in the midst of the Iran-Contra scandal where agents of our government defied Congress because they felt fighting Commies in Central America made them above the law. The point of the song is that McCarthyism in late 1980's America is not dead.

Edgy DC Jun 26 2006 04:21 PM

But what is McCarthyism in that context. Were Congressional committees redbaiting prominent Americans? Were they smearing people wtih guilt-by-association tactics? And who is it that is improving their business acumen? Are young upwardly-mobile professionals being compared to McCarthyists? In the Iran-Contra scandal, it was Congressional Committees acting as watchdogs not against people with supposedly dangerous ideologies, but against genuinely unlawful behavior by those working for the administration.

Willets Point Jun 26 2006 04:29 PM

Well the context was mine linking the date of release of the song with Iran-Contra, no idea if that's R.E.M's intention. The main point is that anti-Communist hysteria (or anti-Islamist hsyteria in today's terms) is alive in government and can return in unique forms.

Edgy DC Jun 26 2006 04:41 PM

Yeah, but I don't think of those things as McCarthyism, and is part of the reason I think the song misses it's mark. (It's an ironic stance, I guess, as Stipe finally tries to say something specific and I find it to be too nebulous.) In fact, I think the over-labeling of things as McCarthyist can itself be seen as a sort of McCarthyism, as it's making a murky guilty-by-association argument.

Willets Point Jun 26 2006 04:45 PM

Well fair enough. I can accept that stance because it's different from what you said originally about it being a Joe Mcarthy protest song 30 years late. Still a rocking tune I think.

sharpie Jun 27 2006 03:03 PM

It's the end of the world as Aerosmith knows it, REM wins 63-37.