Board 8 > Rank the Tracks 124: SOPHIE's Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides (+Incubus/CRJ res)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Seanchan/Johnbobb/Great_Paul week (in artist order):
Grant Kirkhope - Banjo-Kazoiee: Re-Jiggyed
vs.
Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
vs.
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.

Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_2
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_3

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, July 23 at 4:00 PM Central Time; the future week poll will close earlier, when I am putting up the next topic
7. You can sign up to be added to the user cycle (a new user will be added to the end of the current cycle as long as there are four weeks remaining) - 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).
7c. I have added a tiered vote structure - the least popular album will be removed and its backup votes distributed to the other two entrants.
8. Starting with the next cycle, every four weeks will be a competitive week where those listed choose a single album to face off against others.
9. Skits and tracks under 40 seconds will be excluded from the rankings unless argued otherwise

SOPHIE - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides track list:
1. It's Okay to Cry
2. Ponyboy
3. Faceshopping
4. Is It Cold in the Water?
5. Infatuation
6. Not Okay
7. Pretending
8. Immaterial
9. Whole New World/Pretend World

Current cycle:
7/23: HBJDubs (The xx - xx)
7/30: Raetsel_Lapin (Desired - Lovestory)
8/6: Seanchan/Johnbobb/Great_Paul
8/13: Steiner
8/20: Snake5555555555
8/27: Jesse_Custer
9/3: MetalmindStats/MaxGalactica/firefdr
9/10: ZaziGuado
9/17: firefdr
9/24: Johnbobb
10/1: StifledSilence/Jesse_Custer/FoolFantastic
10/8: VeryInsane
10/15: FoolFantastic
10/22: Seanchan
10/29: neonreaper/rwlh/darkx
11/5: Giggsalot
11/12: RyoCaliente
11/19: darkx
11/26: Steiner/Giggsalot/jcgamer107
12/3: neonreaper
12/10: Great_Paul
12/17: jcgamer107
12/24: Snake5555555555/RyoCaliente/BlueCrystalTear
12/31: ChichiriMuyo
1/7: BlueCrystalTear
1/14: rwlh
1/21: NFUN/Raetsel_Lapin/ChichiriMuyo
1/28: NFUN
2/4: StifledSilence
2/11: MaxGalactica
2/18: VeryInsane/ZaziGuado/HBJDubs

Future Cycle:
2/25: MetalmindStats

Incubus - A Crow Left of the Murder results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
HBJDubs (34)
StifledSilence (36)
neonreaper (44)
Seanchan (46)
MaxGalactica (48)
Johnbobb (54)
jcgamer107 (62)
Raetsel_Lapin (62)

General Album Comments

Seanchan: Incubus was one of my favorite bands back in the day. Got into them with the album Make Yourself.

In particular, I remember them doing some live acoustic covers of Pardon Me and Drive on 92.3 KROC/KROQ. Absolutely amazing shit; the way he could melodically whistle was awesome. I think they might still be out there somewhere, though I remember the host saying that one of the recording got lost.

StifledSilence: A Crow Left of the Murder has been my favorite album since high school, junior year specifically. Its basically untouchable to me. You could create a ridiculous all-star band made from elements of all my favorite bands and their album wont touch it. I just find this album to be completely perfect. The order of the songs, the pacing, the singing, the instruments; it checks all of my boxes. And its interesting because before Crow was released, I thought Incubus was a very ok band. They were good, not great. I enjoyed their albums Make Yourself and Morning View, but my earth was not shattered. But then I heard Megalomaniac on the radioholy shit.

I recognized the singer. I knew it was Incubus. But I had a hard time believing it was Incubus. This sounded very different to me; they had an edge they didnt have before. An intensity, even. It really suited them, in my opinion. I knew I needed to get the new album right away. I dont remember how long it was between single release and album release, but I do remember one night after school picking it up at Target. Its kinda weird to think about, but that was around 20 years ago.

Ive listened to Crow a lot. A LOT. That includes another listen today to try and put the songs in order of preference. That was mostly very tough to do, outside of the top 2. My two favorites, Here in My Room and Southern Girl, are the ballads of the album. That intensity I mentioned earlier even went to the ballads. I could feel the fear of someone seeing who the singer really was in Here in My Room. I could feel the deep, romantic emotions being displayed to a special someone in Southern Girl. There was an interesting duality going on in those songs where the singer felt like he was longing for someone he already had. Like he was scared to really open up, but was ready to try.

The rest of the songs present that intensity in a more obvious way. The instruments are heavier than their previous albums, and the singing ranges from calm insanity to blind chaos, depending on the track. Incubus previous albums were still a tad moody, but also significantly more upbeat. Crow explores hopelessness, depression, anxiety, and anger much more than the band previously has. It feels more revealing and honest, which makes it more compelling. Its a wild ride, with the tracks ebbing and flowing between feeling big enough to defy authority, to wanting to stay inside away from the world, to pushing people away, to letting those people back in, and even confronting internal and external demons. If you feel any semblance of angst during your day, Crow has an outlet for you without being cringey and weird about it. It has something to say and it isnt wasting any time to tell you.

azuarc: Weird story:

I liked early Incubus, but didn't care for Morning View, so I I took a wait-and-see on this album. I really liked Megalomaniac, but I held out for the second single, and Talk Shows on Mute put me off of ever buying or fully listening to this CD.

I would eventually go on to buy Light Grenades years later. (And I have the three predating Morning View.)

...looking at the wikipedia page, how the hell did Fungus Amongus chart in the US, but SCIENCE didn't? What were they waiting for -- a certain shade of green?

Raetsel_Lapin: I didn't have much experience with Incubus before this album, but I enjoyed it. "Southern Girl" in particular is one of my favorite songs we've ranked in quite a while. While I was initially disappointed that this album didn't have "Drive" (the only song by the band that I knew at all), I'd say I'm pleased with this album and it was well worth checking out.

MaxGalactica: Pretty good album with only a small handful of duds. A Crow Left of the Murder and Sick Sad Little World are the ones that stood out to me the most. But yeah, lots of cool riffs throughout, the vocals are great, and there are some fantastic instrumental breaks here and there. Enjoyable listen.

Johnbobb: This album was just entirely okay, which is disappointing because I love Make Yourself. Maybe that's just nostalgia though?

jcgamer107: While it doesn't match up with their best album, Morning View, A Crow Left of the Murder still has a handful of impressive tracks, helping solidify Incubus as one of the most successful rock groups of the early 2000s.

Seanchan: I've said multiple times in the past that there are many bands I listened to during high school and college that I find unlistenable/embarassing today. Thankfully Incubus is not one of those bands. With that said, I was reminded why "A Crow..." is the album I forget about in their oeuvre. There's some songs here I like but overall I don't really rate this album. Nothing bad...just, a lot that I would have no problem skipping over.

A Crow Left of the Murder track ranking

14. Smile Lines (Track #12)
Score: 37 (Average Rank: 10.5/14)
Biggest Fan(s): jcgamer107 (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): StifledSilence (#14)

jcgamer107: High energy & apt lyrics

13. Zee Deveel (Track #10)
Score: 39 (Average Rank: 10.25/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): StifledSilence, HBJDubs (#13)

jcgamer107: heh heh guitar make funny sounds in the bridge

12. Priceless (Track #9)
Score: 49 (Average Rank: 8.88/14)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica, Johnbobb (#6)
Biggest Detractor(s): StifledSilence (#12)

jcgamer107: an UPBEAT bridge??! I'll allow it. Best part of the song.

11. Made for TV Movie (Track #11)
Score: 50 (Average Rank: 9/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#14)

10. Beware! Criminal (Track #5)
Score: 53 (Average Rank: 8.63/14)
Biggest Fan(s): StifledSilence, Seanchan (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): MaxGalactica, Johnbobb (#14)

jcgamer107: Another good & chill bridge. "Tight" "Yeah"

9. Agoraphobia (Track #3)
Score: 53 (Average Rank: 8.38/14)
Biggest Fan(s): StifledSilence, neonreaper (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): jcgamer107 (#14)

8. Leech (Track #14)
Score: 58 (Average Rank: 8/14)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#14)

jcgamer107: an UPBEAT bridge??! I'll allow it. Best part of the song.

7. Pistola (Track #7)
Score: 63 (Average Rank: 7.75/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb, jcgamer107 (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper (#14)

jcgamer107: Great energy on this one. Love that they got kinda weird with it. And some of Brandon Boyd's best vocals.

6. A Crow Left of the Murder (Track #2)
Score: 76 (Average Rank: 6.13/14)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs (#14)

jcgamer107: Not bad but a little underwhelming for a title track

5. Talk Shows on Mute (Track #4)
Score: 77 (Average Rank: 6.13/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): jcgamer107 (#12)

jcgamer107: uhhhh...."interesting" music video lol

4. Megalomaniac (Track #1)
Score: 81 (Average Rank: 5.63/14)
Biggest Fan(s): jcgamer107 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#12)

jcgamer107: I forgot how hard the main riff goes that we first hear at 0:34. This played on the radio all the time here for like a month when I was in high school, and I was pretty into it. Sick drumming in the bridge.

3. Sick Sad Little World (Track #6)
Score: 83 (Average Rank: 5.63/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#13)

jcgamer107: actually good enough to warrant being 6 minutes long, though I do like the instrumentation better than the vocals. Great drums in the intro, and the guitar is really locked in too. A classic chill, groovy Incubus bridge, and nice half time towards the end.

2. Southern Girl (Track #8)
Score: 86 (Average Rank: 5/14)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): jcgamer107 (#11)

1. Here in My Room (Track #13)
Score: 91 (Average Rank: 5.13/14)
Biggest Fan(s): StifledSilence, HBJDubs, neonreaper (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#11)

It's been a while since I typed up a long post about one of these albums, but I feel like this one in particular needs context. Like Portishead or Velvet Underground, I imagine this will be among our most controversial choices; even if you don't like the album, I hope I can at least shed some light on why this is so important to some people.

One of the more recent members of my top 100 albums, and also among the roughest listens. But, despite its harsh tones, this is a comfort album to me. Before Oil of Every Pearls Un-Insides (a clever way of saying I Love Every Persons Insides), SOPHIE had been a pioneer within the hyperpop genre. While the penultimate track of this album, Immaterial, is perhaps the best hyperpop as a genre has to offer, the journey there is loaded with tension and violent industrial production. It opens with a moment of calm, Its Okay to Cry, the sole track where SOPHIE sings herself. Despite having used the name from the beginning, SOPHIE actually publically came out as a transwoman with this lead single, and it was a brave choice to take that moment to sing for herself. The morning I learned of SOPHIEs untimely death, I naturally turned straight to this album, and this track had me bawling my eyes out.

Ponyboy, in turn, hits like a jackhammer. This is a pure club banger. Faceshopping hits just as hard, but with more nuance. There are two tracks here that I consider direct statements of trans-affirmation, and Faceshopping takes an unlikely approach. The whole of hyperpop is a statement on artificiality, and Faceshopping plays on that idea. Computers and the internet made it easier for us to both express ourselves and find a community. So, while SOPHIE herself sings on the opening track, this mechanical piece with another persons voice is just as much a representation of her. Im real when I shop my face, which is to say, even if some of us have to go to greater lengths, the way we present ourselves is ultimately what matters, not our supposed default state.

Is It Cold in the Water? almost passes as a comedown track, but the icy synths instead add a sense of dread. The following three tracks find the album going in a more atmospheric direction, key to the inner journey this album represents if not as gripping as individual tracks.

That long journey leads to Immaterial. If Faceshopping obscures the trans allegory in a dozen layers, Immaterial is its joyous opposite. At first glance, the term immaterial girl sounds like another bit of artifice, an inversion of the classic Madonna track. Yet SOPHIE is clearly aiming for a higher meaning; that we transcend the material world. The track itself is pure bliss from the beginning, but then we get to that legendary bridge, where the music drops to a low and slowly pulls itself back up. After offering comforting words to a past self, she declares I dont even have to explain/just leave me alone now she is not looking for your acceptance to be herself. She cannot be held down. The chorus returns as a grand moment of revelation, the production emphasizing the repeated phrase of I can be anything I want. For me, this track is a rare burst of gender euphoria, something I will forever treasure.

Whole New World/Pretend World is the extended closer, one of those tracks that feels like a sonic summary of everything that came before. Not my favorite, but its nice to have at least one more piece that captures the harsh industrial noises of Ponyboy/Faceshopping (and, while I love Immaterial, its too much of a high to structurally work as a closer).

My track ranking:
Immaterial
Faceshopping
It's Okay to Cry
Is It Cold in the Water?
Ponyboy
Infatuation
Whole New World/Pretend World
Pretending
Not Okay

Born in the USA > Pastel Blues > Banjo-Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed

Two artists I've really wanted to cover. Also here is the necessary reminder that the title track, "Born in the USA," is a bitter anti-war song. It's also a fun album because seven of its songs hit the Billboard top ten, so it might be one of the less predictable classic album choices (Born in the USA only peaked at #9, so 5 of the songs charted even higher back in the day).

I really wish I could be supporting Nina Simone, but alas. Easily one of the most underappreciated musicians in popular music (...though I kind of feel like Springsteen is getting there due to his image being warped)

Born in the USA > Pastel Blues > Banjo-Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed

So Born in the USA is just like Fortunate Son then?

Pastel Blues > Banjo Kazooie > Born in the USA

Never cared much for Bruce Springsteen tbh

Tag

FoolFantastic posted...

Like Portishead or Velvet Underground, I imagine this will be among our most controversial choices; even if you don't like the album, I hope I can at least shed some light on why this is so important to some people.

First listen done, and yupppp, this is accurate. Thankfully it's not that long and Immaterial stands out. Likely will not be a favorite of mine but I appreciate you giving the artistic context.

up

Grant Kirkhope - Banjo-Kazoiee: Re-Jiggyed > Nina Simone - Pastel Blues > Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.

Feels a little unfair to pick a video game album, but I at least want to anti-vote Springsteen

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/6/8/AAeEDaAAErHQ.png
ohno

...Well anyways, no matter how much I leave there, I figure I'd better vote now!

Nina Simone - Pastel Blues > Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. > Grant Kirkhope - Banjo-Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed

I would love to see us tackle Nina Simone, though admittedly that's pretty much off vibes and name value for now. I'm not as excited about Bruce Springsteen, and also I could see Born to Run working out better. Grant Kirkhope simply seems outclassed here.

Grant Kirkhope > Bruce Springsteen > Nina Simone

Carly Rae Jepsen - EMOTION results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
ChichiriMuyo (62)
FoolFantastic (62)
Johnbobb (64)
PeaceFrog (64)
MetalmindStats (70)
Seanchan (72)
Raetsel_Lapin (74)
hotdogturtle (82)
MaxGalactica (96)
HBJDubs (104)

General Album Comments

MaxGalactica: Man, I love this album so much. I'd go as far as to call it my favorite pop album of all time. Only the bottom 3 on my ranking are songs that I'm not over the moon for (which is funny because I Really Like You was marketed as the lead single for this album, and it doesn't represent what this album is about at all). EMOTION has absolutely elite 80's inspired synth production, catchy melodies abound, and is rich in what I like to call "ear candy moments" (these are especially present in Warm Blood and Never Get to Hold You). Each track has a unique identity and can stand on its own. The funk elements (such as in Boy Problems) add a lot of flavor to this already really well-made pop production. Compositionally, there's so much detail and so many elements that make it stand out from most pop albums, such as well-placed chord progressions and well-made bridges (the chord progression in All That's bridge is breathtaking). Anyways, before I ramble on too much, hopefully this is enough to convince you to at least give this album a try and maybe give it a ranking too if you were on the fence about it. And if you like this album, CRJ's subsequent albums, Dedicated and The Loneliest Time (as well as the B Sides for EMOTION and Dedicated), are all worth checking out as well.

FoolFantastic: EMOTION has such a bizarre place in pop culture. Having always paid more attention to critics than the charts, I had always assumed EMOTION was this gigantic cultural smash based on critics treating it as among the greatest pop albums ever released. It wasn't until years later that a friend pointed out to me that it was essentially a commercial flop. It just amazes me that this album was following one of the biggest singles ever, had almost unprecedented acclaim for a mainstream pop album, and then made what is essentially a minor splash.

Seanchan: We've heard some truly stellar pop albums during this project, so as someone who enjoys that genre, I'm looking for something to really grab me. And, on a first listen this one didn't quite do that. Certainly enjoyable overall and well made, but few songs that really stuck out in my mind. We will see how my feeling evolve though.

I'm also going to say that I think the album is too long for what it is, as 17 songs and an over an hour runtime is a bit much for me.

Seanchan (responding to FoolFantastic): I have to wonder if it's the very...PG...nature of the album that might have turned people off? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't CRJ try to avoid more overt sexual references/feelings? That seemed to be what I was hearing, with songs about "really, really, really, really, really liking you" or "hoping you take the long way back". A ton of songs about love and romantic/amorous feelings but presented in a very Disney Channel way.

MaxGalactica: Yeah, she's pretty tame lyrically. Although considering Call Me Maybe's success, I doubt it was that huge of a factor at least from a commercial perspective. I'd attribute it more to I Really Like You being marketed as the lead single instead of Run Away With Me amongst other factors. I Really Like You didn't have much that made it stand out amongst other pop records at the time, so people probably just thought it was Call Me Maybe 2 and dismissed it as a result.

Also worth mentioning on a personal level that while I do recognize the value of lyrical content and know that a lot of the lyrics in this album are rather cheesy, lyrics don't make a difference as far as my overall enjoyment of music in general. I care a lot more about how music sounds than what it's saying.

Raetsel_Lapin: I actually prefer how tame the lyrics are. I'm still rather averse to sexually explicit lyrics (though I'm no longer especially bothered by them), so the more childish type of romance is far more my type of thing & is probably one of the things that drew me to her work originally. Anyway, I was greatly looking forward to covering this album--"Run Away With Me" is one of my favorite songs of all time, so I had to support the nomination & hoped I could find a song even half as good as that one.

Well... I can't say that any song here resonated with me anywhere close to "Run Away Wiith Me", -but- I'd say "Emotion" and "I Really Like You" are pretty great at least. And I generally like the rest of the album; while none of the songs are quite what I was looking for, the fact is, I'm pretty into this type of sweet innocent pop song & enjoy her singing.

hotdogturtle: Did my first listen, and my initial reaction is: This album was a huge disappointment compared to what I expected from the one song that I listened to before. I'm not really sure how I misinterpreted it like that, but maybe Warm Blood (the preview track) was a stand-out and the others don't live up to it. Or maybe hearing that song alone made it sound different than hearing it in the middle of the other songs. I'm still gonna attempt a ranking but it's gonna be more of a drag than I thought it would be.

Raetsel_Lapin (responding to hotdogturtle): I'd agree that Warm Blood doesn't sound like anything else on the album, though obviously we disagree on if that makes it better or worse than the other tracks. I don't like how unnatural her voice sounds here (especially the heavily distorted/almost demonic sections, brief as they are) & there's a darker quality to the instruments that feels completely at odds with what I want from her music.

So yeah, I think it'd make sense to not be into the rest of the songs if you were really into that one.

PeaceFrog: Re: "disney"-ifying sexuality, she's stepped away from it some in recent albums. But yeah emotion was a much more pg place.

I assumed that call me maybe was a one hit wonder, and am blessed that she did a tour for emotion and a friend thought it would be fun to go. She's been one of my top artists ever since, thanks in part to this album.

hotdogturtle: Like many people, I only knew CRJ from Call Me Maybe. That song had all the characteristics of a "mainstream summer hit" or whatever people call it: a single hook (in this case the chorus) that was blatantly the main idea behind the song, minimal and irrelevant verses cobbled together just as a vessel for leading back into the chorus, and repeating the chorus as many times as possible to ensure that the hook stays in your head even if you don't know what the rest of the song sounds like. So naturally I was intrigued by this album nomination to see if there was more to this artist than people knew on the surface. This album has what many people describe as the "80s pop" sound in terms of instrumentation, and for me that's my favorite part; I love it and it set my hopes high when I started listening. Where it dies for me is the style/structure of all the songs. They all have the same EXTREME level of repetition of the chorus that overshadows and drowns out every other aspect of the song. It kills the vibe and wastes all the potential that the tracks would otherwise have. I think that I would enjoy an instrumental version of this album better than the real thing, but unlike most instances when people say that (as an insult directed at the singer), in this case it has nothing to do with the singer's voice. It's just how the songs were written.

HBJDubs: Pleasant surprise, I really enjoyed this album. Even the bottom tracks are okay. The top 2 are very, very good!

Seanchan: I ended up enjoying this a bit more on subsequent listens. That said, I think a lot of my original thoughts still hold. It's overall a very solid and slickly produced album that I wish wasn't quite as long. There wasn't really a single standout hit for me, just a lot of songs I enjoyed, even if long term I think this album is likely to all glom together in my mind.

Johnbobb: This whole album was leagues above Call Me Maybe, even if it still wasn't really my thing.

ChichiriMuyo: Even though this wasn't my top vote for this week, it was one I really wanted to do. When I listen to this album, I have mixed feelings. There are so many songs that I feel like maybe could have become radio hits, but none of them did. My ranking isn't necessarily related to which ones could maybe have been hits, but that's the thing. A good number of these songs could have potentially been big. Not the meme that "Call Me Maybe" was, obviously, but there are songs in here that could have been legit hits. Payola is alive and well, I suppose, and her team didn't throw the cash around. :/

There are a lot of times when I just want to get to the end of an album in this series, just to have it done, including even one I nominated. I really wanted to listen to each song here. Well, more or less. There is one song I would have been happy to skip, and one that the sound mixer must have fallen asleep on at the board... Otherwise, this is a stellar album.

MetalmindStats: As a rule, I like lyrical repetition. This sort of sound (speaking generally) is also right up my alley, and so I wound up enjoying every single song here.

PeaceFrog: I've never been fond of the leading single here. But every other song on the album is at least pretty good, and I Really Like You has grown on me somewhat in the years since. It's just a fun crowd song to experience live. But listening on its own is a lot less exciting.

Run Away With Me is an incredible album opener and is a top tier CRJ track. But the album never quite reaches that peak again.

EMOTION track ranking

17. When I Needed You (Track #12)
Score: 45 (Average Rank: 11.8/17)
Biggest Fan(s): PeaceFrog (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb, ChichiriMuyo, MetalmindStats (#17)

16. Love Again (Track #17)
Score: 46 (Average Rank: 11.4/17)
Biggest Fan(s): MetalmindStats (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): ChichiriMuyo (#16)

15. Favourite Colour (Track #15)
Score: 51 (Average Rank: 10.9/17)
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin, FoolFantastic (#16)

14. All That (Track #5)
Score: 53 (Average Rank: 11/17)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): hotdogturtle, HBJDubs (#17)

13. LA Hallucinations (Track #10)
Score: 60 (Average Rank: 10/17)
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): PeaceFrog (#15)

12. Boy Problems (Track #6)
Score: 64 (Average Rank: 9.7/17)
Biggest Fan(s): hotdogturtle (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): MetalmindStats (#16)

11. Never Get to Hold You (Track #16)
Score: 69 (Average Rank: 9.3/17)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): PeaceFrog (#16)

10. Black Heart (Track #13)
Score: 71 (Average Rank: 9.7/17)
Biggest Fan(s): hotdogturtle (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): MaxGalactica, FoolFantastic, Seanchan (#17)

9. Let's Get Lost (Track #9)
Score: 72 (Average Rank: 9/17)
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs, Johnbobb (#16)

8. Warm Blood (Track #11)
Score: 75 (Average Rank: 9.3/17)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#17)

7. I Really Like You (Track #3)
Score: 76 (Average Rank: 8.9/17)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): PeaceFrog (#17)

Raetsel_Lapin: I hated this song back in the day for how overly repetitive these lyrics are--by my count, "really" is said 67 times. But I've come around on it lately. It's another really catchy tune and the entire thing is so ridiculous.

" ...how'd we get in this position?
It's way too soon, I know this isn't love
But I need to tell you something

I really, really, really, really, really, really like you"

The sudden shift from sexy times to that chorus is so jarring that it cracks me up every time. This song pleases me now.

hotdogturtle: It turns out that I was actually familiar with this song without realizing it. I believe that it played in the store where I used to work (and probably half of the stores where I've shopped since 2015). Ordinarily that on its own would drop the song near the bottom of my list (as my external associations with the song are stronger than whatever I feel listening to it in a vacuum), but in this case, being able to hear the instrumentation made me like the song better. Going by that metric alone, this song would be ranked even higher, although it's held back by the same flaw that I described in my album writeup.

6. Emotion (Track #2)
Score: 76 (Average Rank: 8.8/17)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin, FoolFantastic (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): hotdogturtle (#14)

Raetsel_Lapin: Incredibly catchy song. I kinda love this one.

5. Making the Most of the Night (Track #7)
Score: 81 (Average Rank: 8.5/17)
Biggest Fan(s): MetalmindStats (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs (#15)

4. Your Type (Track #8)
Score: 84 (Average Rank: 7.8/17)
Biggest Fan(s): ChichiriMuyo (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#13)

3. Gimmie Love (Track #4)
Score: 85 (Average Rank: 7.7/17)
Biggest Fan(s): FoolFantastic, Seanchan (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): ChichiriMuyo (#13)

2. I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance (Track #14)
Score: 107 (Average Rank: 6.1/17)
Biggest Fan(s): ChichiriMuyo (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#11)

1. Run Away With Me (Track #1)
Score: 155 (Average Rank: 3.1/17)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin, FoolFantastic, HBJDubs, Seanchan, Johnbobb, PeaceFrog (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): hotdogturtle (#12)

Raetsel_Lapin: Ah, this old favorite of mine. It was nominated at one of my ranking topics a few years ago and I fell in love with it fairly quickly. It's kinda funny looking back at my thoughts back then--I actually partially dismissed this song originally for being more explicit than I'd have liked, which is hilarious considering how tame it is. I really could not handle anything even adjacent to sex back then. Aaaanywho..., the intro to this song opens with some of my favorite notes. There's this deep, low sound to those tones that reverberates through my soul & those first ten notes are absolute perfection, if not somehow beyond perfection. And while I'm not going to go into the details publicly, the lyrics are also incredibly resonate with me for *reasons*. Taken together, this song is one of only three songs that I've given scores of 11/10 to. Simply wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnzSGSDhbqg

Oh yeah, I had a laugh when I was drafting my list last week and noticed that my favorite song was the shortest one on the album. It's like it was trying its hardest to break away from the standards of the other 16 songs.

I listened to this Sophie album a few days ago and then got busy, so I'll try to start my ranking tonight or tomorrow.

I did listen to CRJ - twice ! But the order was 1 Warm Blood 2. Everything else. I didnt have a very well thought out ranking so I scrapped it. The #1 song was pretty low for me.

Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. > Nina Simone - Pastel Blues > Grant Kirkhope - Banjo-Kazoiee: Re-Jiggyed

1: Immaterial
2: Ponyboy
3: It's Okay to Cry
4: Infatuation
5: Pretending
6: Is It Cold in the Water?
7: Not Okay
8: Faceshopping
9: Whole New World/Pretend World

I think this may be my new favorite album that we've covered. I'd also like to thank our host for the added context on the album, it was a very insightful read.

just want to remind people that they can still do the right thing and vote for Nina Simone

completely non-biased psa

1. Immaterial
2. It's Okay to Cry
3. Is It Cold in the Water?
4. Infatuation
5. Whole New World/Pretend World
6. Ponyboy
7. Faceshopping
8. Pretending
9. Not Okay

I didn't hate it? I didn't hate it!

With some of those other controversial albums, it was clear after one listen that I wasn't going to like them because I couldn't find any "anchoring" song to latch onto. The 2nd and 3rd listens then feeling like pulling teeth and just further cement my negative feelings. Thankfully that was not the case here, and if anything I think the 2nd and 3rd listens helped a bit. Immaterial is obviously very catchy. Outside of that though, there's still something here, even if songs like Ponyboy and Faceshopping can get a bit too harsh/industrial for my taste.

Is this a favorite of mine? No. Am I likely to listen to it again? ...Probably not. But certainly it's better for me than some of the other controversial albums we've covered.

Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. > Grant Kirkhope - Banjo-Kazoiee: Re-Jiggyed > Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
vs.

Bruce Springsteen > Nina Simone > Grant Kirkhope (I love his music, but not for Banjo)

Is It Cold In The Water?
Immaterial
Infatuation
Whole New World/Pretend World
It's Okay To Cry
Pretending
Not Okay
Faceshopping
Ponyboy

I think maybe Grimes was the last album that I said the rankings were an accurate representation of the track quality? Regardless the same thing applies here - bottom songs bad, middle songs okay, top songs good. As I've said in the past though, I do like seeking out albums that sound really unique, and I'd say this fits the description.

HBJDubs posted...

Bruce Springsteen > Nina Simone > Grant Kirkhope (I love his music, but not for Banjo)

Is It Cold In The Water?
Immaterial
Infatuation
Whole New World/Pretend World
It's Okay To Cry
Pretending
Not Okay
Faceshopping
Ponyboy

I think maybe Grimes was the last album that I said the rankings were an accurate representation of the track quality? Regardless the same thing applies here - bottom songs bad, middle songs okay, top songs good. As I've said in the past though, I do like seeking out albums that sound really unique, and I'd say this fits the description.

In what way are Faceshopping and Ponyboy bad?

Whole New World/Pretend World
Immaterial
Not Okay
Ponyboy
Is It Cold in the Water?
Faceshopping
Infatuation
Pretending
It's Okay to Cry

Immaterial: Is it just me or does this song not match the rest of the album at all? The vibe is completely different than the other 8 songs. I definitely like it in any case, it's maybe #1 material on an alternate ranking and I expect to listen to it in the future. But if this is the standout/most popular song from the album, and it's the one that's the most different, then doesn't that mean that people aren't fully appreciating the rest of the album?

Ponyboy: Started low and rose on my list on every re-listen.

-hotdogturtle-- posted...

Immaterial: Is it just me or does this song not match the rest of the album at all? The vibe is completely different than the other 8 songs. I definitely like it in any case, it's maybe #1 material on an alternate ranking and I expect to listen to it in the future. But if this is the standout/most popular song from the album, and it's the one that's the most different, then doesn't that mean that people aren't fully appreciating the rest of the album?

...Yes? But I think that tends to happen a bit, where the song that's different, because it's different, ends up being either the general consensus top or bottom.

One more comment about the album, since I forgot to mention it. This struck me as a piece that's appreciated (and maybe designed?) more as a full album than as a collection of individual songs.

I shouldn't really say "bad", more that I just didn't like those songs. They just sound too off-putting for me. I think they just throw me off since they implement harsh sounds and I really wasn't expecting that. It doesn't sound right to me for now, but historically those are the types of songs that I warm up to the most after several listens.

A big reason why I like finding these unique sounding albums is that the rankings tend to completely change after the 5th listen, and the 10th listen, and the 20th listen, etc. Something new always seems to stick out. So when it comes time to rank the albums, I'll try to remember making a note if those two tracks ended up growing on me.

-hotdogturtle-- posted...

Immaterial: Is it just me or does this song not match the rest of the album at all? The vibe is completely different than the other 8 songs. I definitely like it in any case, it's maybe #1 material on an alternate ranking and I expect to listen to it in the future. But if this is the standout/most popular song from the album, and it's the one that's the most different, then doesn't that mean that people aren't fully appreciating the rest of the album?

For me, Immaterial doesn't work as well without the earlier tracks building up to it. There needs to be a gradual build-up of experiences leading to the rush of euphoria or it all feels rather hollow. Listening to the song by itself doesn't do a lot for me--after all the crying, acceptance, experimentation, and chaotic breakdowns "Immaterial" becomes a tremendous release which contributes to this being my favorite album in the series.

So... while the euphoric song does feel like a pretty easy first place (though which part of the album's journey I personally prefer varies day-to-day), I feel like I love it due to my appreciation for the album as a whole.

1. Immaterial
2. It's Okay to Cry
3. Faceshopping
4. Ponyboy
5. Is It Cold in the Water?
6. Whole New World/Pretend World
7. Pretending
8. Infatuation
9. Not Okay

I still need to think about which of my thoughts to post somewhere they'll be archived two times.

In the meantime, thank you so much for introducing me to this album and for hosting Rank the Tracks all this time, Fool.

Pastel Blues > Born in the U.S.A. > Banjo-Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed

Grant Kirkhope was never a favorite of mine as far as VGM composers go. Some nice arrangements here, but it's absolutely outclassed by the other two albums here. Gotta go with the incredible piano and vocal work from Nina Simone, although I wouldn't mind seeing Springsteen winning either.

1. Immaterial
2. Whole New World/Pretend World
3. It's Okay to Cry
4. Ponyboy
5. Faceshopping
6. Not Okay
7. Is It Cold in the Water?
8. Pretending
9. Infatuation

Absolutely incredible album that's the pinnacle of hyperpop. All 9 tracks are very well-produced and have their own identity while still maintaining cohesion throughout. The harsh synths, and samples and such add so much personality to this album, with Ponyboy, Faceshopping, and Whole New World being amongst my favorites in the album. And Immaterial is obviously the big catchy highlight of the album and it never gets out of my head. Fantastic album with no bad songs.

It's Okay to Cry
Infatuation
Is It Cold in the Water?
Ponyboy
Immaterial
Pretending
Whole New World/Pretend World
Not Okay
Faceshopping

Thanks for nominating this. I really enjoy the top 3 songs I listed (Cry, Cold, Infatuation). Some of the other songs are good and I appreciate that it reminds me of early Nine Inch Nails remix albums with the harsh sounds and trippy ethereal effects. Faceshopping was the only song I just didn't care for.