Jul 062010
UPDATES:
Jamaica to face England in Finals!
England progresses to finals.
Four teams remain in the semi-final round of the Rock Town Hall World Cup of Rock ‘n Roll!
You know the drill by now. There will be no ties, so coaches: have a third strike ready. You will pick up with the rosters you used to end the first round of play. Remember: any artist substituted for in Round 1 or 2 is now OUT of play.
Coaches can submit their opening two strikes in the Comments section. If you want to play your hand close to the vest and/or would like to submit mp3s for me to post, please send them to the Commissioner: mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com.
Tuesday, July 5
USA v Jamaica
Ireland v England
It’s time to leave it all on the pitch!
So play will kick off later today, when coaches have entered their strikes, and run through tomorrow, if necessary. Then we’ll play the finals on Thursday-Friday!
Team England is reviewing its semi-final strikes and will post its selections sometime later this morning.
Oh, sure — I’m supposed to send YOU the songs with which I hope to defeat YOUR team!
Why don’t we agree on a time of day when we both do a big reveal instead?
Yours dubiously,
HVB
How ’bout you wait until I post my songs FIRST? I have not been picking songs in response to what I see from others, but I can understand you worrying that I might. And who knows, I might! 🙂
Man, I wish I could use that postscript for my work emails, HVB.
Yours dubiously,
Mock
ENGLAND SUBMITS ITS SEMI-FINALS STRIKES!
England Coach Mr. Moderator sent us the following note:
We’ll be there this afternoon! For now, we’re letting the team sleep off the long weekend.
Ireland’s in a difficult place. Real underdogs at this level of the tournament, they realize they need to bring their “A” game to get past the semis. But what’ll be left if the team gives its all today? Hmm…
Oh, well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Ireland is counting on Team England to get all fancy and over-think things. Ireland has made the decision to come straight at England with everything they’ve got. Fortune favors the brave!
First, midfielder Phil Lynott charges straight at the goal, bowling over defenders left and right, throwing elbows and grabbing jerseys. England’s coach screams, “PENALTY!,” but the ref sees nothing. Lynott draws back his left foot and thunders one straight at the goalie’s chest. The impact knocks the keeper back a few precious feet, and it’s GOAL for Ireland, thanks to: “The Boys Are Back In Town.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmPhJkdTwU&feature=related
Before Team England can catch its breath, the Undertones seize the opportunity to confound and delight, racing towards the goal, only to stop at the last second and flick the ball backwards to Feargal Sharkey. Sharkey takes a split-second to size up the goalie. There’s fear in his eyes. Feargal looks left, turns on the ball, and chips it in… to the right. England is caught flat-footed by: “Teenage Kicks.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oskM5XD_Yc4&feature=related
Northern Ireland is not considered part of the “Republic of Ireland”. Shouldn’t Teenage Kicks (or any Unidertones sing) be considered ineligible?
andyr, we’ve long moved past concerns over The Undertones’ eligibility. Don’t look for a cop-out opportunity. Consider the strikes presently on the pitch and, if you must, consider the implications of Ireland moving forward in this tournament without their strongest strikes.
Andy, where were you when I needed you?
I was trying to take the high road, after being denied a fourth artist and dealing with shillelagh law in the knockout round, but I suspect the retroactive decision will be that Ireland is the whole island, no matter what the United Kingdom thinks, just as Wales and Scotland got to have their own identity despite their being part of Great Britain. Even so, I was happy enough not to deal with Stiff Little Fingers either. Belfast could kick Stockholm’s ass.
I’m not a soccer fan in the least (it needs to be more like my true love, Hockey)but maybe I’d weigh in on an England-USA final
I do have to say it will be nearly impossible to beat England with Satisfaction and Pump it Up. I love Teenage Kicks but it alone can’t beat either song.
The Boys Are Back In Town? Feh. Is there really a place called Dino’s Bar and Grill in Ireland? Who are they trying to be? Springsteen?
UK wins in penalty time, which will have to happen since The Boys Are Back In Town takes so long.
Don’t you think the idea of an England-Ireland confrontation in the semifinals is explosive enough? Must you drag 600 years of conflict and hatred into The Beautiful Game? Haven’t you been listening to the RTH Pledge Of Neutrality before every match? Why you gotta bring that up NOW?
HVB
England and Ireland have a real barn burner undway. The final outcome may come down to whether we buy ‘The Boys Are Back’ as a masterpiece. How much is the song’s greatness dependent on how bad the rest of Thin Lizzy’s catalogue is? I think a good deal. For that reason I’m giving England the edge.
“Teenage Kicks” roars out, catching Mick and the boys flatfooted as it rips into the net. Mick yells “But we released ‘Some Girls’ that same year! Doesn’t that count for something?” Meanwhile, Keith stares at the sky like a dinosaur who just felt an earthshaking thud and sees the sky going black. There’s no satisfaction in suddenly realizing you’ve been made redundant. Meanwhile Elvis Costello and the Attractions just point and laugh at Thin Lizzy ripping off Jim Croce’s shtick, passing the ball around a helpless Phil Lynott before tucking the ball neatly into the goal. It’s a draw. Bring on the shootout!
Unfair, meanstom! You need to judge the songs *on the pitch right now* — not the crappy stuff left on the studio floor. Or should we hold EC to task for “Mighty Like a Rose”? I’ll wager the piles of kaka steaming behind the backs of the Stones and Elvis Costello dwarf the meager lump Thin Lizzy has to hide.
Tell it to the Malaysian referee hrrundivbakshi. I’m judging the songs on the pitch, and I judge ‘The Boys Are Back’ as inferior to the other three songs in play. It’s a masterpiece in the meagre Thin Lizzy catalogue and a strong song in its own right but when heard on the pitch among its titanic teammate and its equally titanic opponents it’s nothing more than what andyr and his hockey mates might call a ‘mucker and grinder’.
It seems to me that the carefree Teenage Kicks is more menacing in sound than the gang that Lynott is talk-singing about who is coming to town to kick ass. This disconnect makes TBABIT sound wimpy and excessively chordy, although in a different setting this would no doubt be impressive, here the thrown away verses seem a big lazy and signify little that connects with me viscerally. I bet the ref gave out a yellow card for excessive use of dual guitar solos as well. Given your earilier fouls against Sweden, perhaps you had to play a man down.
While I do not esteem Satisfaction as the Mod does, it still retains a number of great features and that muddy 60s production that keeps it mysterious after hundreds of listenings, along with iconic riff, woody guitar bits in the verses, and the encouraging idea that even Mick Jagger couldn’t pick up every girl he wanted.
Pump It Up has the EC wordplay that many decry, but I enjoy, and of course that bumpy bass thing that goes coolly quirky in the middle eight or whatever you call that part.
I would rate Satisfaction as the best number and Teenage Kicks even with Pump It Up at best. Thin Lizzy can’t match either.
Team Jamaica has submitted its strikes and looks forward to a spirited match with Team USA!
Team England appreciates the support we’ve been given early in this match. At halftime, as players leave the pitch, note their subtle acknowledgments of the crowd. Ireland is giving us a real good fight, but I agree with some of the points mockcarr, meantstom, and others have made. I’m curious to hear what more of you think before turning this one over to the judges.
With the Undertones featuring so prominently in Ireland’s attach, I’ve pulled out that first album and once again tried to figure out where the love for them comes from. Satisfaction is an annihilating blow, blocking either of Ireland’s shots easily, and Elvis slips one in easily with one of his coolest songs. Looks like England 2, Ireland 0 to me.
Maybe Rory Gallagher could have taken out Elvis. I don’t know, but it’s a moot point now.
JAMAICA-USA MATCH KICKS OFF!
Team Jamaica’s coach bostonhistorian enters the following strikes:
Team USA’s 2000 Man counters with the following:
Just getting to England v Ireland. This is nearly a battle of the best known songs from all 4 groups.
I think the Boys Are Back can go toe to toe with Satisfaction and you could argue that the Lizzy song is better known today (no thanks to the Toy Story movies). The main riffs are comparable as well; Kieth has said the Satisfaction riff was meant to sound like R&B horns (as in Otis’ version) and the harmonic guitars in the Boys sounds like an old Celtic part.
Teenage Kicks is the 1st think I think of with the Undertones. Great song but kind of similar to a lot of what was happening in 79. Pump It Up is from the same period and there just seems to be more going on with the Attractions with the busy bass and droning organ work.
This is a tie with the Stones edging Lizzy and Elvis knocking out the ‘Tones. Bring on the 3rd shots.
Sorry, Irish lads, but I think the English are Trouble(s). I love Teenage Kicks, but Pump It Up is a better song: the addition of the Vox organ makes it for me (Pump It Up? Organ?). And despite not loving the Stones, I think Satisfaction has that iconic guitar hook that kicks some skinny British ass.
It’s the World Cup, and Mick Jagger is there!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-10-best-pictures-of-mick-jagger-at-the-world-c
I’m digging the USA-Jamaica showdown. Unlike the ball’s-out power surge of the England-Ireland match, this one includes some subtle numbers. I LOVE “Presssure Drop” and “Love Me Tender.” We’ll see how the other combatents play out.
Mick looks more and more like Ian McKellan every day.
I rather hear the Boy Are Back In Town than any of the other three songs. But my feelings about the Undertones are well documented. I have to give the nod to the UK but I’m not particularly impressed with their offerings. I do really care about iconic songs per se. I really don’t think the UK could do better than their opening salvo of Rocks Off/And your Bird Can Sing.
Jamaica, hands down. That could be one of the best double shots I’ve seen all tournament.
The US selections are classics, good songs and all, but just kind of hum drum.
I love seeing Clinton high-fiving in some of those shots with Jagger. What a party boy! Is there any other President you’d rather party with than Clinton? And did anyone else notice the chubby guy to Jagger’s left, in many of the photos, the one who looks like he could be John C. Reilly’s younger brother?
I’m there with cdm. Jamaica’s double shots on goal are great.
I can’t make a reasoned judgment on England/Ireland, because to me Satisfaction needs that acoustic guitar. Some of my ancestors are black Irish, but I can’t really deal with The Boys Are Back In Town (where were they? why are they back? will they leave again if we ask nicely?).
Teenage Kicks is great, but kind of one-dimensional. I’d call it for England by an ankle (EC’s posturing in that video still blows my mind). The breakdown in Pump It Up at around 1:25 — no drum solo, just the basic unadorned rhythm — is simply beyond anything the Undertones can imagine.
ENGLAND DEFEATS IRELAND; ALL EYES TURN TO JAMAICA-USA
Two sub-perfect choices by Team America yield a tie: “Stir It Up” crushes “Love Me Tender,” but “Pressure Drop” just *barely* succumbs to “Roll Over Beethoven.” This is almost an upset, but it needs to go into overtime.
Jamaica could not have fielded a better twosome than this pair. Pressure Drop is my favorite reggae song, hands down. And Stir It Up hit right this morning. I recall that any time I’ve heard this song covered (here in the US or in the islands) no one gets the tempo right.
Puzzling moves by the USA. Chuck Berry is great off the bench; he schooled everyone on how it is done. But replacing Dylan, who never played his best shots? And the Elvis tune is a skittering shot off the side of the foot. Big El can dig into a ballad like nobody’s business (Are You Lonesome Tonight, perhaps?) but Love Me Tender never reaches the peak for me.
So, Scratch Perry may not be on the Jamaican squad but they still can be called the Upsetters.
Also, my entry on Eng / Ire is a mess but I agree fully with the result.
I’m of mixed feelings about the semi-finals. This is a harsh charge to make, but I’ve felt like England has been dogging it the entire tournament, forcing The Attractions to do a lot of the grunt work, while Lennon and McCartney have been coasting a bit. Leaving The Who on the bench just to pull them out for the Final Round seems like a perfect summation of the arrogance of Team England throughout this tournament.
Ireland, meanwhile, went all out this round. England should be in the finals, but this victory over the Irish – who admittedly tainted things earlier with their shameful double interview round – feels strangely hollow.
On the other side, Jamaica has scraped by but, like Ireland, has gone guns blazing into the semifinals. Pressure Drop is a winner, and Toots & The Maytals have officially played their way onto the Cup’s Dream Team with the Young Brothers.
America hasn’t been phoning it in like the English, but I do get the sense that this US team simply isn’t built for tournament play. They remind me of the 2004 US Men’s Olympic Basketball team. The best players available? Yes. All the talent in the world, too. But never a cohesive front, never a true team. Somewhere, John Fogerty seethes. But of course, somewhere, John Fogerty always seethes.
So, while the US has put forth a potent attack, I would not be completely shocked to see a massive Jamaican upset here, sending the The Reggae Boyz to be served up to England in the finals.
I have to say I’m a little disturbed with the Reggae Town Hall going on here. I will likely be the only vote against Jamaica by the looks of this. I think if you can seriously vote against Roll Over Beethoven, we need to rename this event.
mockcarr said: “I think if you can seriously vote against Roll Over Beethoven, we need to rename this event.”
mockcarr is 100% correct.
“Reggae Town Hall.” That’s funny.
USA! USA! USA!
Team England is amused by charges that it’s been “dogging it” through the tournament. The years of preparation that our artists put into this tournament cannot be denied. We can understand the perception that we’re so loaded that we could play our “best” strikes at each round and win a series of matches 3-nil, but as you saw in the stunning rejection of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” for Team USA, no artist can just throw his or her gear on the pitch and expect to win.
Our mission is to WIN this tournament, not put on the greatest show on turf. Should we win it all, believe me, our players will put on the All-Star Jam of All-Star Jams. For now we shall not look ahead to anything but our next match. The songs we select will be wholly dependent on our competition. We look forward to facing the victor of the USA-Jamaica match. Thank you.
USA’s in a fight for its tournament life. Let’s give this match another hour or so and then see where we are. Gotta hand it to bostonhistorian for progressing so far and taking the lead in this match with such a relatively narrow scope of talent. This is definitely a team based around a strong system.
JAMAICA UPSETS USA, WILL FACE ENGLAND IN FINALS!
Congratulations, Bostonhistorian. You know your audience well. I figured I was taking a chance with a slow Elvis song, but it’s a big part of his legacy, and quite frankly, I like it.
I can see The Hall’s nitpicks with Jailhouse Rock, but Roll Over Beethoven blows every reggae song ever written out of the water in a nuclear fashion. Get your faces out of the bong, guys!