Desert Island Album Game II: Semi Final 2

[Axver]

Please vote for the tracklisting you LIKE THE MOST.

If you are not familiar with the songs, leave your e-mail address and we will help you hear the songs so that you can vote for the tracklist as a whole!

Welcome to the second semi-final of the Interference Desert Island Game II! The premise of this game is that all of the Interferencers have been stranded on a desert island and we can only take up to 160 minutes of music with us (either as a continuous iPod playlist or two 80 minute CDs or any other format of our choosing). The object is to see which forum member can fit the most musical goodness into these 160 minutes.

We now have our first finalist! LemonMacPhisto defeated Lancemc by the clear margin of 22-15. However, this is not the end of the road for Lance: he now progresses to the third place playoff.

In this semi-final, U2VertigoFly meets Axver. The winner progresses to a final against LMP; the loser goes on to challenge Lance for third place. Below, you will find the contestants' tracklistings. If you are unfamiliar with the songs included, we can help you hear them! Just leave your e-mail address.

THE TRACKLISTINGS!

Forum name: U2VertigoFly

U2VF writes: In my playlist I tried to reach to the furthest extents of interference. I wanted to make a playlist that would be generally consisted of well know artists and songs, but sometimes I chose a song that’s not necessarily the artists best or most famous but still well known, this way most people would recognize it but they may not be tired of it be fore they heard it. I kind of got into the theme of Desert Island taking it as not only you’re on and island and that’s the music you had with you, but I tried to convey what you would want to hear based on your feelings if say, your plane crashed on an island. It starts off pretty hard with AC/DC, then it moves on into more 80’s and classic rock that you can work to. Then it goes into some music for desert island ambiance like The Beach Boys and Jimmy Buffett. Then it picks up a little bit with the alternative and a little punk stuff, form there it slows down into more chilled songs Piano Man, Tiny Dancer, and gradually builds to the violins of Eleanor Rigby and finally leaves us off with the band that brought us all to interference, with at beautiful live rendition of Bad. So I hope you all enjoy my playlist.

01. AC/DC - "The Razor’s Edge" – The Razor’s Edge (4:22)
02. Robert Plant & The Strange Sensations - "Mighty Rearranger" – Mighty Rearranger (4:25)
03. The Who - "Baba O’Riley" – Who’s Next (5:08)
04. David Bowie - "Rebel Rebel" – Best of Bowie (4:31)
05. Survivor - "Burning Heart" – Rocky IV (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (3:50)
06. Queen - "Radio Ga Ga" - For Classic Queen (5:49)
07. Bruce Springsteen - "Born In The U.S.A." – Born In The U.S.A. (4:39)
08. Bon Jovi - "Livin’ On A Prayer" – Slippery When Wet (4:09)
09. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Saving Grace" – Highway Companion (3:45)
10. John Mellencamp - "Rain On The Scarecrow" - Scarecrow (3:48)
11. Cream - "Sunshine Of Your Love" – The Cream Of Clapton (4:11)
12. The Police - "Message In A Bottle" – The Police: Every Breath You Take– The Classics (4:51)
13. Yes - "Roundabout" – The Ultimate Yes – 35th Anniversary Collection (8:32)
14. The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up" – Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones (3:34)
15. Chuck Berry - "Johnny B. Goode" – The Anthology (2:44)
16. The Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations" – The Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (3:37)
17. Jimmy Buffett - "Changes Of Latitudes, Changes Of Attitudes" – Meet Me In Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection (3:17)
18. The Knack - "My Sharona" – My Sharona / Good Girls Don’t - Single (4:56)
19. Arcade Fire - "Rebellion(Lies)" – Funeral (5:10)
20. R.E.M. - "What’s The Frequency, Kenneth" – In Time – The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 (4:00)
21. The Clash - "Rock The Casbah" – The Clash: The Singles (3:43)
22. Caesars - "Jerk It Out" – 39 Minuets Of Bliss (In An Otherwise Meaningless World (3:18)
23. Arctic Monkeys - "Fake Tales Of San Francisco" – Five Minuets With The Arctic Monkeys - Single (3:00)
24. The Shins - "Phantom Limb – Wincing The Night Away (4:47)
25. Oasis - "Wonderwall” – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (4:18)
26. The Killers - "Read My Mind” – Sam’s Town (4:06)
27. Elton John- "Tiny Dancer” – Elton John: The Greatest Hits 1970-2002 (6:17)
28. Billy Joel - "Piano Man” – Billy Joel: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2 (5:38)
29. Led Zeppelin - "Stairway To Heaven” – The Best Of Led Zeppelin: The Early Days (8:00)
30. Bob Dylan - "Like A Rolling Stone” – Highway 61 Revisited (6:09)
31. Johnny Cash - "Folsom Prison Blues” – Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (Live) (2:41)
32. Don McLean - "American Pie” – Rearview Mirror (8:28)
33. The Beatles - "Eleanor Rigby” – 1 (2:06)
34. U2 - "Bad (Live)” – Wide Awake In America (4:06)

Forum name: Axver

Axver wites: For this tournament, I chose to follow a different route than last time, partly due to the ban on repeating songs and partly due to my own desire not to be thematically repetitive and to look at my submission from a different angle. Accordingly, this compilation leans more towards melodic rock, with the metal element of the last submission almost entirely absent and the prog element viewed a new way, seeking to show the genre is not about soulless excess. The compilation is not designed to present a journey or work towards a specific point, but to provide a broad sampling of different moods and themes within a cohesive whole. It can accordingly be enjoyed in full or dealt with in thematic portions appropriate to the listener's mood. There are moments of hope, of politics, of tenderness, of cynicism, of joy, of regret, and a conclusion of sheer beauty in the form of Porcupine Tree's The Rest Will Flow. I feel that this is accordingly an ideal desert island compilation: the moods someone stranded on such an island would feel are diverse and can be addressed by various segments of the tracklisting, and the full effect provides masterfully crafted musical accompaniment to the experience both of the desert island and life in general.

1. Anathema - "Release" - A Fine Day To Exit (5:47)
2. Marillion - "Kayleigh" (7" edit) - Misplaced Childhood (3:33)
3. Pure Reason Revolution - "Nimos And Tambos" - The Dark Third, US edition (3:44)
4. Muse - "Hysteria" - Absolution (3:47)
5. Rush - "A Passage To Bangkok" - 2112 (3:35)
6. Spock's Beard - "Skin" - Day For Night (4:01)
7. Delays - "Wanderlust" - Faded Seaside Glamour (3:58)
8. Mew - "The Zookeeper's Boy" - And The Glass Handed Kites (4:43)
9. U2 - "Treasure (Whatever Happened To Pete The Chop?)" - New Year's Day single (3:24)
10. Crowded House - "Mean To Me" - Crowded House (3:15)
11. The Chills - "Double Summer" - Soft Bomb (3:13)
12. Dave Dobbyn - "Beside You" - Overnight Success (3:43)
13. Dream Theater - "A Mind Beside Itself III: The Silent Man" - Awake (3:47)
14. Blackfield - "Christenings" - Blackfield II (4:37)
15. Neil Finn - "Last One Standing" - Try Whistling This (3:04)
16. The Go-Betweens - "Streets Of Your Town" - Bellavista Terrace: Best Of The Go-Betweens (3:38)
17. Midnight Oil - "Forgotten Years" - 20,000 Watt RSL (4:22)
18. The Police - "Invisible Sun" - Ghost In The Machine (3:44)
19. The Verve - "A New Decade" - A Northern Soul (4:12)
20. Platypus - "Oh God" - Ice Cycles (4:16)
21. Hum - "Green To Me" - Downward Is Heavenward (3:55)
22. The Devin Townsend Band - "Slow Me Down" - Accelerated Evolution (4:35)
23. Joy Division - "Transmission" - Heart And Soul (3:37)
24. The Clean - "Thumbs Off" - Anthology (2:58)
25. Television - "See No Evil" - Marquee Moon (3:49)
26. The Cure - "Fire In Cairo" - Three Imaginary Boys (3:40)
27. Split Enz - "I Got You" - True Colours (3:30)
28. The Who - "Pinball Wizard" - Tommy (3:01)
29. Pinback - "Prog" - Blue Screen Life (4:02)
30. Orphaned Land - "Building The Ark" - Mabool (5:02)
31. Transatlantic - "We All Need Some Light" - SMPT:e (5:44)
32. REM - "Driver 8" - Fables Of The Reconstruction (3:24)
33. Queen - "Long Away" - A Day At The Races (3:33)
34. Straitjacket Fits - "Sparkle That Shines" - Hail (3:57)
35. Ride - "Vapour Trail" - Nowhere (4:18)
36. The Shadows - "Wonderful Land" - The Final Collection (2:06)
37. The Wonder Stuff - "Caught In My Shadow" - Never Loved Elvis (3:48)
38. Wolverine - "Hiding" - Still (4:14)
39. Nick Drake - "From The Morning" - Pink Moon (2:30)
40. Joe Satriani - "Tears In The Rain" - The Extremist (1:18)
41. Pink Floyd - "Summer '68" - Atom Heart Mother (5:29)
42. Porcupine Tree - "The Rest Will Flow" - Lightbulb Sun (3:24)

Total runtime: 160:00

UP NEXT: Lancemc vs [this round's loser]

Competition master list.

Competition rules.

Competition format diagram.

Have fun!

 

[Axver]

I feel like Kenya in the semi-finals of the 2003 Cricket World Cup: no-one knows how the hell they made it but somehow the outsider who should have been eliminated much earlier staggered into the final four. I'm still very surprised that after losing my first round, I'm now challenging to get into the final. I'd like to do what Kenya never did and actually make the top two. Maybe I should just close this thread while I have 100% of the votes in my favour, 1-0. Hey, it's a good enough scoreline in soccer.

 

[Screwtape2]

I think Bono's speeches before One have paid off. I vote for Kenya.

 

[Axver]

Also, for those who aren't aware, we're going to run a third installment of this competition, but in the downtime before that edition, we're going to run a mini-tournament, a "Prog Island" of sorts. We'll use this mini-tournament to trial new rules and a new format to see what works and what doesn't.

Feel free to express your interest - I'd ideally like to have eight contestants. Tracklists should focus on progressive rock and/or progressive metal from any era since the genre's birth to today, and should be cohesive works of art that contain a coherent atmosphere. So far, I understand we have five contestants: myself, Screwtape, Liam, GG, and phanan. Anyone else wish to join in?

 

[LemonMelon]

U2VertigoFly for me...if only because, of all the Pink Floyd songs he could have picked, Ax took Summer '68. That's always bugged me.

 

[Axver]

I think Bono's speeches before One have paid off. I vote for Kenya.

By the way, check your e-mail. I sent you the 3/4 of the world's spam that you were missing.

 

[Axver]

U2VertigoFly for me...if only because, of all the Pink Floyd songs he could have picked, Ax took Summer '68. That's always bugged me.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the best song the Floyd ever made, with the possible exclusion of Sorrow. It is melancholic but beautiful; I find it an extremely powerful song.

And did you actually listen to the tracklist to place it in context? Pay attention not only to its musical cohesion with the following track, but also compare and contrast them lyrically. I think they work brilliantly to conclude the whole show. My decision to pair those two songs together and to use them as my tracklist's conclusion was by no means taken lightly.

 

[LemonMelon]

As far as I'm concerned, it's the best song the Floyd ever made, with the possible exclusion of Sorrow. It is melancholic but beautiful; I find it an extremely powerful song.

And did you actually listen to the tracklist to place it in context? Pay attention not only to its musical cohesion with the following track, but also compare and contrast them lyrically. I think they work brilliantly to conclude the whole show. My decision to pair those two songs together and to use them as my tracklist's conclusion was by no means taken lightly.

I'll give you a LOT of credit for cohesion. It fits in very, very well. (From The Morning--->Tears In The Rain is also great) I just wouldn't even put it in my top 50 for Pink Floyd.

 

[LJT]

Voted for Avxer, for cohesion and for introducing me to Mew and Pure Reason Revolution via his plalyist, it has been an odd competition though

 

[phanan]

Axver.

 

[phanan]

And let me just say that my Prog Island tracklist is really coming together nicely. 24 seconds short of a full four hours of music, with the Brau-heartattack-inducing figure of just 30 tracks. I've got everything from what I consider to be the first prog song ever made (King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man) to the very latest in prog brilliance (Porcupine Tree's Anesthetize).

My bookends are the same as yours, although I have The Court Of The Crimson King instead.

Tracklists should focus on progressive rock and/or progressive metal from any era since the genre's birth to today, and should be cohesive works of art that contain a coherent atmosphere.

Just a warning that a couple of my selections will probably be considered sub-genres of the progressive movement in the 70's. After all, while progressive rock was the primary form, there were many other great pieces of work that aren't considered rock but are definitely considered progressive. You'll notice which ones they are...

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

wow, i'm gonna have to do some thinking about this one. i'm torn how to vote because these are two of my favourite playlists, along with fitzchivalry's (excluding mine, obviously).

 

[bono_212]

I don't actually know if I can vote this round...these are my two favorite playlists...pretty much have been throughout the entire contest aside from myself and Irishteen....

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

Axver's has much more depth. There are quite a few songs on U2VertigoFly's mix that I like, but there are too many greatest hits-type additions for my tastes.

 

[Lila64]

Wow - close race! I think the timtams got lost in the mail Axver. Sorry bud - it was a tough choice.

As for prog stuff, I'll ask hubby if he's interested. Doubtful, but you never know. Anyone have Grobschnitt on their list? Kayak? early IQ?

 

[Screwtape2]

Just a warning that a couple of my selections will probably be considered sub-genres of the progressive movement in the 70's. After all, while progressive rock was the primary form, there were many other great pieces of work that aren't considered rock but are definitely considered progressive. You'll notice which ones they are...

That's how my playlist is too. It's funny that some people think that all Prog rock sounds like Yes and Pink Floyd.

 

[Axver]

Wow, I can't believe I'm actually still in the lead. 10-9 at this stage. Close rounds are fun for anyone who ISN'T actually competing in the damn thing!

wow, i'm gonna have to do some thinking about this one. i'm torn how to vote because these are two of my favourite playlists, along with fitzchivalry's (excluding mine, obviously).

Go on, you know you want to vote for me. After all, mine's the only one of the two with Split Enz goodness.

Just a warning that a couple of my selections will probably be considered sub-genres of the progressive movement in the 70's. After all, while progressive rock was the primary form, there were many other great pieces of work that aren't considered rock but are definitely considered progressive. You'll notice which ones they are...

That's cool. "Prog", not "rock", is the key word after all.

Really, as long as it fits in with the prog scene, it's permitted, even if it wouldn't be defined as "prog rock" itself. For example, I'd be willing to allow that crazy avantgarde Rock In Opposition stuff - in fact, I nearly included some really demented underground Czech material but it fell victim to the time limit - and I think stuff like psychedelia like early Pink Floyd is close enough to prog to count.

As for prog stuff, I'll ask hubby if he's interested. Doubtful, but you never know. Anyone have Grobschnitt on their list? Kayak? early IQ?

If he wants to compete, he'd be welcome. I don't have the first two, but I do have some IQ. I was originally going to go with one of their earlier songs, but a track from 2004's Dark Matter fit better.

 

[Axver]

That's how my playlist is too. It's funny that some people think that all Prog rock sounds like Yes and Pink Floyd.

I guess that's really the point of this competition, demonstrating that prog is not this bland genre of the stereotypes. The goal of my tracklist is to demonstrate that it's a diverse and beautiful genre that didn't die after the 1970s but actually still has plenty of relevance to a listener in 2007.

 

[Tarvark]

What exactly is progressive music? What definition are you going by? Are we talking Meredith or Thelonious Monk? Henry Cowell or Yes?

I dont think I have the sea legs or inclination to compete in a prog rock sort of thing (to be honest it's just not my cup of tea) but am curious to hear your definitions.

I'm reading a book about cultural manifestations of revolution and revolt and classical musics cropping up all over the place. I could make a play list with that sort of music which is progressive both musically and socially, but would that just be out of place/ a little weird?

 

[Screwtape2]

What exactly is progressive music? What definition are you going by? Are we talking Meredith or Thelonious Monk? Henry Cowell or Yes?

I dont think I have the sea legs or inclination to compete in a prog rock sort of thing (to be honest it's just not my cup of tea) but am curious to hear your definitions.

I'm reading a book about cultural manifestations of revolution and revolt and classical musics cropping up all over the place. I could make a play list with that sort of music which is progressive both musically and socially, but would that just be out of place/ a little weird?

First off, it's progressive rock not progressive music. Progressive rock tends to use normal rock instruments. The genre has no clear characteristics other than that it expands on and uses musical elements differently than rock. In short, a prog rock artist is easy identifiable because of a difference in certain things to rock while having many elements of rock. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Axver]

Someone was going to ask "what is progressive music" sooner or later, weren't they?

Despite the ease of stereotypes, prog can be so bloody hard to pin down. Wikipedia can't seem to provide something clear, which is a shame because I was hoping to fall back on someone else's definition. I suppose we're basically looking at the movement spawned by King Crimson's In The Court Of The Crimson King and its sub-genres.

I'm actually quite interested in what you'd make, Tarvark, but by your description, it doesn't really sound as if it would fit. Though maybe it would, given that many prog bands draw strong influences from classical music and infuse their material with classical techniques largely absent from other types of rock.

Well, in any case, to try to provide some context, here's some of the more well-known songs from my provisional tracklist:

Marillion - "Assassing" - Fugazi (7:02)
Rush - "Red Barchetta" - Moving Pictures (6:10)
Pink Floyd - "Sorrow" - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (8:49)
Camel - "Rhayader" - The Snow Goose (3:02)
Split Enz - "Time For A Change" - Second Thoughts (Remastered) (4:04)
Passengers - "Always Forever Now" - Original Soundtracks No. 1 (6:23)

Yes, I'm using Passengers. I swear, a lot of that stuff could fit on atmospheric prog albums. Always Forever Now is not out of place whatsoever on my tracklist, though it does briefly seem weird when Bono's vocals come in.

 

[LMP]

I like U2VertigoFly's list for the most part, but it violates the "No Bon Jovi Rule" so it loses by default

Axver's list is great, there's no question about it, but it would be hard for me to listen to it for the rest of my life on an island, you know? I'd have to be in the mood.

Axver

 

[Screwtape2]

Someone was going to ask "what is progressive music" sooner or later, weren't they?

Despite the ease of stereotypes, prog can be so bloody hard to pin down. Wikipedia can't seem to provide something clear, which is a shame because I was hoping to fall back on someone else's definition. I suppose we're basically looking at the movement spawned by King Crimson's In The Court Of The Crimson King and its sub-genres.

To me Prog can be separated into 5 major categories which sound nothing like the other:

Classical/jazz/folk inspired: Renaissance, Focus, Gentle Giant and Genesis
Metal Prog: ask Axver
Bombastic: Yes, King Crimson, Utopia and Queen
Ambience/Electronic: Brian Eno, Passengers, Alan Parsons, Kraftwerk and ELP
Soundscape: Pink Floyd, Starcastle, Moody Blues and Porcupine Tree

 

[Axver]

I like U2VertigoFly's list for the most part, but it violates the "No Bon Jovi Rule" so it loses by default

I'm surprised anyone could make the semis here with a Bon Jovi song!

To me Prog can be separated into 5 major categories which sound nothing like the other:

Classical/jazz/folk inspired: Renaissance, Focus, Gentle Giant and Genesis
Metal Prog: ask Axver
Bombastic: Yes, King Crimson, Utopia and Queen
Ambience/Electronic: Brian Eno, Passengers, Alan Parsons, Kraftwerk and ELP
Soundscape: Pink Floyd, Starcastle, Moody Blues and Porcupine Tree

I think that's a pretty fair division, though someone like Porcupine Tree would easily cross over into prog metal nowadays, and into ambience in the very early years (i.e. pre-Up The Downstair).

 

[Lila64]

If he wants to compete, he'd be welcome. I don't have the first two, but I do have some IQ. I was originally going to go with one of their earlier songs, but a track from 2004's Dark Matter fit better.

Well, when you iron out all the details, parameters, etc., let me know and I'll ask him. He took out a giant stack of CDs, but said that it might be too difficult. Perhaps it depends on the timeframe, etc. It could be very time consuming, not like he doesn't have the time. Though he should be helping me with work

 

[phanan]

To me Prog can be separated into 5 major categories which sound nothing like the other:

Very true, and that's one of the challenges with this. Trying to make a mix that pulls those different sounds together. Obviously, today's neo-progsters have a different sound from classic prog, and in my preliminary stages of trying to sequence this thing together, I'm finding it difficult to make a good mix without it sounding too jarring from one song to the other.

But I'll make it work.

 

[BonosLil'Pal94]

Kenny

 

[bono_212]

To me Prog can be separated into 5 major categories which sound nothing like the other:

Classical/jazz/folk inspired: Renaissance, Focus, Gentle Giant and Genesis
Metal Prog: ask Axver
Bombastic: Yes, King Crimson, Utopia and Queen
Ambience/Electronic: Brian Eno, Passengers, Alan Parsons, Kraftwerk and ELP
Soundscape: Pink Floyd, Starcastle, Moody Blues and Porcupine Tree

Thank God, I didn't want to ask, but I was super confused because people always told me that Genesis/Peter Gabriel were prog rock but neither you or Axver has mentioned either once, so I thought maybe whoever told me that was an idiot.....

 

[GibsonGirl]

As for prog stuff, I'll ask hubby if he's interested. Doubtful, but you never know. Anyone have Grobschnitt on their list? Kayak? early IQ?

I have Kayak on my list. "And I don't know if it's you I'm looking for, I'm only trying to find a reason for it all." Yes, they were blatant Yes ripoffs (made even funnier by the fact that I'm following their song with a Yes song), but they wrote some fantastic work.

I'm also finding it hard to bridge the gap between 70s prog and the more modern prog of today. Anyone who knows me knows that 70s prog is my thing, but there are some essential tracks from the last ten years that I simply can't ignore. I think I've found a fairly good transition song, however, that ties both sounds together. Another problem I'm finding is that I'm struggling to keep songs under ten minutes. I want to include as many artists as I can, but I often just prefer their longer songs. So far, I have six songs that breach the ten minute mark...it's enough to give some people in B&C a hernia. I might have to break up my killer ending. One song is 11:45 and the other is 10:45. It's no problem for me to listen to two long songs back to back, especially when I love them so much, but others might get bored.

 

[Axver]

Just thinking about Screwtape's five subsections of prog, I think it would be fair to add in a sixth, as I think a number of bands in this grouping really don't fit in any of the five categories.

6. Neo-prog: While some use "neo-prog" to refer to just about anything post-seventies, I'm using it here to refer to the "second wave" of prog that arose in the eighties at the hands of groups such as Marillion, IQ, and Pendragon. It really infused prog with some structural sensibilities derived from more popular music *cough*Marillion'sKayleigh*cough* and heightened the prominence of synethesisers in a way not seen in any other style of prog.

Well, when you iron out all the details, parameters, etc., let me know and I'll ask him. He took out a giant stack of CDs, but said that it might be too difficult. Perhaps it depends on the timeframe, etc. It could be very time consuming, not like he doesn't have the time. Though he should be helping me with work

I'd be very interested to see what he'd submit. I'll probably start the rules/sign-up thread after the final of this tournament, so in about 5-6 days. If I were him, I'd give myself a goal or objective for the tracklist to help narrow down selections. Personally, when I realised I had 6.5 hours of songs, I decided prog metal wasn't the way I wished to go, so I cut it and focused on the development of a more sweeping atmosphere than is possible with the intensity of bands such as Dark Suns and Hammers Of Misfortune.

Thank God, I didn't want to ask, but I was super confused because people always told me that Genesis/Peter Gabriel were prog rock but neither you or Axver has mentioned either once, so I thought maybe whoever told me that was an idiot.....

Heh, no, Genesis was very much one of the big prog bands of their time. I have a couple of their albums and they've done some fine work, but nothing I've massively fallen in love with. I'm glad I have The Lamb Lies Down and Selling England By The Pound, but it's a rare day when I'll pick them over, say, Porcupine Tree or Marillion or Pure Reason Revolution.