Board 8 > Rank the Tracks Week 54: Hawaii Part II (plus SOAD's Toxicity results)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points. For albums with greater than 15 tracks, everything ranked below #15 will be given 0 points and the scale for the top 15 will be the same as a 15-track album. For albums with more than 20 tracks, you only have to list your top 15 (with 16-20, I still like having the average rank listed)
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, March 20 at 8:00 AM EST - though if you are for whatever reason listening to the album around that time, just say so in the topic and I can delay a bit
7. You can sign up to be added to the user cycle - the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).

Miracle Musical - Hawaii: Part II track list:
1. Introduction to the Snow
2. Isle Unto Thyself
3. Black Rainbows
4. White Ball
5. Murders
6. 7
7. The Mind Electric
8. Labyrinth
9. Time Machine
10. Stranded Lullaby
11. Dream Sweet in Sea Major

User Cycle:
3/20: ChichiriMuyo (VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater)
3/27: BlueCrystalTear (Phil Collins - Face Value)
4/3: MetalmindStats
4/10: HBJDubs
4/17: TheArkOfTurus
4/24: Snake5555555555
5/1: Jesse_Custer
5/8: ZaziGuado
5/15: firefdr
5/22: SpikeSetsFire
5/29: Johnbobb
6/5: VeryInsane
6/12: CasanovaZelos
6/19: Seanchan
6/26: Giggsalot
7/3: RyoCaliente
7/10: darkx
7/17: neonreaper
7/24: Great_Paul
7/31: jcgamer107

System of a Down - Toxicity results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
firefdr: 22
NFUN: 24
Great_Paul: 26
CasanovaZelos: 26
Raetsel_Lapin: 28
neonreaper: 32
Seanchan: 34
Johnbobb: 36
Snake5555555555: 58
MetalmindStats: 68

General Album Comments

Snake5555555555: This album is fuckin' perfect. Hard-hitting riffs, catchy as hell, sometimes it's serious, sometimes it's absolutely bonkers, and there's never a single song on here I skip.

NFUN: All of the songs in the top 6 have been my favorite at some point, and the top 5 is still basically tied. Prison Song honestly is taking it because I've figured out how to sing the first verse and it's a lot of fun. Always and forever my go-to album to recommend if I don't know somebody's tastes

Seanchan: Toxicity is an album I've not heard in probably about 15 years. So I did my not quite first listen with a bit of trepidation.

This album is so...aggressively early 00s. And I look at the related artists on Spotify and it's a murder's row of bands I listened to back in college and have not gone back to. It's just a sound and lyrical content that I am happy to have left in the past. It's all just so very unappealing to me in 2022. My taste in music has changed to enjoying more poppy, upbeat stuff, which might to a certain extent be a reaction to listening to bands like System of a Down during my more formative years.

And look, objectively speaking, this isn't a bad album. But it's inextricably tied to a period of my life I have no great desire to revisit.

neonreaper: Definitely relate to the 90s nu-metal stuff not entirely sticking around. I like it but it's rare that I wanna but on a full album of that stuff anymore.

Toxicity - good album! I always thought it was fun and was able to balance goofy stuff with the serious stuff. Good memories of this album but today I don't know how much crunchy riffs I need.

MetalmindStats: There isn't much of a difference between my ranks, especially from #1 on down to midpack.

Toxicity track ranking

14. X (Track #5)
Score: 35 (Average Rank: 11.5/14)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper (#6)
Biggest Detractor(s): NFUN, CasanovaZelos, firefdr, Johnbobb (#14)

13. Shimmy (Track #11)
Score: 37 (Average Rank: 11.3/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Snake5555555555 (#6)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#14)

12. Jet Pilot (Track #4)
Score: 45 (Average Rank: 10.7/14)
Biggest Fan(s): MetalmindStats (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555, Seanchan (#14)

11. Needles (Track #2)
Score: 52 (Average Rank: 9.9/14)
Biggest Fan(s): MetalmindStats (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Great_Paul (#14)

10. Bounce (Track #7)
Score: 59 (Average Rank: 9.1/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper (#14)

9. Science (Track #10)
Score: 66 (Average Rank: 8.6/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Snake5555555555 (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): MetalmindStats (#14)

8. Psycho (Track #13)
Score: 72 (Average Rank: 8.3/14)
Biggest Fan(s): MetalmindStats (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555 (#13)

7. Forest (Track #8)
Score: 88 (Average Rank: 6.8/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Snake5555555555 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#12)

6. Deer Dance (Track #3)
Score: 88 (Average Rank: 6.3/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555 (#12)

5. ATWA (Track #9)
Score: 91 (Average Rank: 6.3/14)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): MetalmindStats (#13)

4. Prison Song (Track #1)
Score: 117 (Average Rank: 4.3/14)
Biggest Fan(s): NFUN (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555 (#8)

3. Toxicity (Track #12)
Score: 119 (Average Rank: 4.2/14)
Biggest Fan(s): firefdr, Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#10)

2. Chop Suey! (Track #6)
Score: 120 (Average Rank: 4.2/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin, CasanovaZelos, Seanchan (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): MetalmindStats, Johnbobb (#7)

1. Aerials (Track #14)
Score: 131 (Average Rank: 3.5/14)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper, Great_Paul (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555 (#9)

MetalmindStats' message on her choices:

Whereas last week's slate was instrumental in defining the '80s sound', these three albums were instrumental for the distinct ways they harnessed that defined sound, and their influence and popularity has likewise lasted well beyond the 80s. Like the chance to follow up Phil Collins with Peter Gabriel, the parallel's a fortunate coincidence. And yet my choices were perhaps inevitable for some of the same reasons they simultaneously became showcases of the single's resurgence and exemplars of the artistry in their decade's mainstream music.

Collectively, these three albums are about as representative as possible of the type of popular music I listened to most of my life and perhaps more importantly of the way I listened to popular music most of my life. That is to say they all stand out most particularly as track collections, without sacrificing their effectiveness as albums in the process. Each has its great strength - comparatively, Songs from the Big Chair is the most consistent, Synchronicity is the most virtuosic, and So is the most evocative. They all add up to a series of compelling contrasts embedded within a summation of their milieu and my tastes alike.

Thank you!

Thank you!

Oops, I actually directed this towards CasanovaZelos specifically. That being said, it works well here, too, as a statement for Rank the Tracks in general. I've been very glad to get to participate so far, and I hope my presence in turn has at least been tolerable. Indeed, it's a consequence of this series that I've started regularly listening to music by way of (non-compilation) albums, hence my lack of individualized write-ups about my choices.

All sleeping on X and Shimmy

CasanovaZelos posted...

3. Toxicity (Track #12)
Score: 119 (Average Rank: 4.2/14)

2. Chop Suey! (Track #6)
Score: 120 (Average Rank: 4.2/14)

Toxicity got fuckin robbed

Definitely rooting for So

To anyone who likes Hawaii: Part II, I recommend checking out the pre-order bonus track, Variations on a Cloud:

https://youtu.be/LJCLUhBzBM8

It's always seemed like Track 12 to me. It also includes a riff on an earlier Tally Hall song, Ruler of Everything (Hawaii: Part ii features 4/5 Tally Hall members)

All three of MetalmindStats' choices are albums I would like to cover here someday - though I am rooting for the latter two due to already covering Tears for Fears before (even if I think this is their better album)

Did a first listen today. It was pretty enjoyable. My initial impression was that it was a little Moon Patrol-ish but I don't think that holds up over the full course of the album. I could definitely feel the "musical"-ness of it but then there's certain songs that have very (sometimes VERY) video game-y beats.

I think there's a particular song in the middle that's going to be near the bottom of almost everyone's lists...and then inexplicably right at the top for one person.

You know how after you play an album on Spotify it'll play related songs? Well, it played Variations on a Cloud right after and then continued to play songs that I didn't bother skipping because I was digging them. One in particular stood out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-WTfP3WJc4

I'll tag this but I don't know if I will be able to get to it because vacation. I certainly had no time last week.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

I'll tag this but I don't know if I will be able to get to it because vacation. I certainly had no time last week.

This one's a pretty short, easy listen and I don't think it'll be too difficult to rank.

bump

up

1: The Mind Electric
2: Labyrinth
3: Murders
4: White Ball
5: Isle Unto Thyself
6: 7
7: Time Machine
8: Black Rainbows
9: Introduction to the Snow
10: Stranded Lullaby
11: Dream Sweet in Sea Major

Nice - I think I'll have the same top 4, in a different order

bump

Not quite sure what I think of this. Several people here have expressed distress at the more chaotic albums we have covered, but I actually tend to have the opposite problem. Like, this was too...melodic? It's all very pretty in an easily digestible way and this is, for whatever reason, a problem for me. It's like I'm waiting for something more to happen and it never does and it ends up leaving me on edge.

Labyrinth
Black Rainbows
Isle Unto Thyself
The Mind Electric
7
Murders
White Ball
Time Machine
Introduction to the Snow
Dream Sweet in Sea Major
Stranded Lullaby

Sad I missed Toxicity. Good final rankings overall (title track is my #1, and I like Psycho more than most at #3)

Labyrinth
Time Machine
Isle Unto Thyself
White Ball
7
Stranded Lullaby
Black Rainbows
Murders
The Mind Electric
Introduction To The Snow
Dream Sweet in Sea Major

bump

I should remember to link the rank the album thread here:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/79907429

Awesominator3 on Youtube says:

God this album is so fking good, probably the best concept album to ever be made. I mean it's literally about the death and rebirth of the universe as a love story between time and space(my interpretation at least) you cannot get any cooler than that.

1) White Ball - Excellent blend of strings, piano and accordion, with a fat beat. Very nice 2-part harmonies. The transition of Black Rainbows into this is so great and seamless.
2) The Mind Electric - Highly polarizing song. Most people would say that making a song that is a literal audio palindrome is a terrible idea, but Joe Hawley, he don't care. Personally I love the combining of chaotic noise distortion with the anguished lyrics of a mental patient. The reverse section can be kind of weird to sit through but the forward half is so good I don't really mind it. 5:01-5:56 might be the high point of the album.
3) Labyrinth - VGM and rap?? YES.
4) Murders - Immediately transports you to a dark forest. Sounds like it could be accompanied by an old-timey cartoon a la Spooky Scary Skeletons.
Variations on a Cloud would go here
5) Black Rainbows - Another great beat here, just a very chill, tropical song
6) Time Machine - Rob Cantor with great vocals, good use of vocoder
7) Stranded Lullaby - A well-placed moment of pause and poignancy
8) Dream Sweet in Sea Major - Almost sounds like a whacked-out mutation of an old Disney song, and seems to end about 3 different times. Has a section of great drum programming towards the end.
9) Isle Unto Thyself - A solid, high-energy song that feels like the 'real' start to the album
10) 7 (Space Station Level 7) - Not bad, but not as interesting as the rest of the album
11) Introduction to the Snow - More of a prelude than an actual track

Bump and reminder to myself to do my third listen

I got to it this time

The Mind Electric
Time Machine
Labyrinth
Isle Unto Thyself
7
Dream Sweet in Sea Major
Black Rainbows
Stranded Lullaby
White Ball
Murders
Introduction to the Snow

Honestly I got a really big Broadway esque vibe from this but it never really hit any high notes apart from the Mind Electric which I thought was cute. Still, the second half ends up stronger, and its one of the most unique albums listed here so its a decent listen at the least.

1. Dream Sweet in Sea Major
2. Labyrinth
3. Isle Unto Thyself
4. White Ball
5. Murders
6. Time Machine
7. Stranded Lullaby
8. Black Rainbows
10. The Mind Electric
11. Introduction to the Snow

This one didn't particularly grow on me. Repeated listened never really recaptured the intrigue and surprise of my first spin.

I also have to say, I kind of shocked at how many of you have The Mind Electric ranked so high! I understood the gimmick of it within about 20 seconds but yikes, I cannot enjoy a song when I basically want to skip the first half of it. The "forward" part of it does have some nice bits but it just doesn't overcome the "backward" part that is awful to listen to. But that's why these topics are fun, so I can find out I'm the crazy outlier.

I expected people to be more split on The Mind Electric but am pleasantly surprised to see it's in most people's top half

1. Black Rainbows - I could probably listen to this beat on loop all day and not get tired of it
2. The Mind Electric
3. Dream Sweet in Sea Major
4. Labyrinth
5. Isle Unto Thyself
6. Time Machine
7. Murders
8. White Ball
9. 7
10. Introduction to the Snow
11. Stranded Lullaby

fantastic fucking album, surprised they've never returned to this group for a followup album because there's really just nothing else like it

This was a great album, which I feel like I could use more time to digest.

Labyrinth
Isle Unto Thyself
Dream Sweet in Sea Major
White Ball
Murders
Black Rainbows
The Mind Electric
Stranded Lullaby
7
Time Machine
Introduction to the Snow

jcgamer107 posted...

I expected people to be more split on The Mind Electric but am pleasantly surprised to see it's in most people's top half

Me too! I figured I was the only one that would care about an experimental and depressing song that spent half its time playing in reverse, but it's good to know that type of strangeness has more of a place around here than I would have expected.