I thought it might be kind of fun to have a little fun and try to determine the best intial release album to receive a perfect 10.0 from Pitchfork.

Before we get started I just want to clarify that I know that P4k has give a lot more 10.0's than this, but these are the only real (I'll get to that in a second) albums that received that score upon inital release. For instance Neutral Milk Hotel's Aeroplane Over the Sea originally was scored an 8.3 before P4k's editors saw the error of their ways and quickly upon re-release gave it the score it so deserved. Futhermore, an album like Wire's Chairs Missing or Pavement's Slanted and Encanted had to be re-released in order to receive their perfect score.

Additionally, I left off several original perfect 10.0s. One is Robert Pollard's Relaxation of the Asshole which simultaneously received a 0.0 and a 10.0. From my understanding (I've never heard the album) the album is more of a stand-up act as opposed to actual one minute pop beauties. I also left off the only EP (to my knowledge) 12 Rod's Gay?, as well as Bob Dylan's The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 because, quite frankly, the former isn't a full album and the latter doesn't fit well with the other albums which are obviously more recent.

Finally, if you'd like to participate, but haven't heard one or several of these albums that is perfectly fine. Obviously just state that the reason why you picked this album over another is because you simply hadn't heard the latter. Post your winner for all three rounds and if you'd like include a short blub about why you chose one album over another.

With that said, I now present to you for better or for worse p4k's perfect 10.0s and the respective matchups.

Pod 1:
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
Vs.
Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin

Pod 2:
Radiohead - OK computer
Vs.
Amon Tobin - Bricolage

Pod 3:
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Vs.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I See a Darkness

Pod 4:
Radiohead - Kid A
Vs.
Walt Mink - El Producto

This is a bit funny, but the only really good album of this, to my ears, is OK Computer. Had Amon Tobin's "Permutation" been there instead of "Bricolage", it would have been two. Granted, I have not listened to Walt Mink or ...And You Will..., but the rest of the albums are only moderately OK. I obviously do not have the same taste as Pitchfork.

I've not heard Tobin or Mink's albums, so I don't think it's appropriate to vote for pods 2 & 4. I will pick for the other two, though.

Winners:
Pod 1: Source Tags & Codes
Pod 2: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

This message has been edited. Last edited by: less_success,

Pod 1: Soft Bulletin. I've only heard a few songs from Source Tags & Codes, and it didn't catch my ear, while Soft Bulletin is my favorite album from one of my favorite bands.

Pod 2: OK Computer. I don't revisit it as much as I did a couple of years ago, but it's still in my top 5 all time.

Pod 3: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Now that a couple of years have passed, I really think I prefer A Ghost is Born, but I still love YHF. I tried to get into BPB, but I've never loved any of his work.

Pod 4: Kid A by default (never listed to El Producto).

Pod 1: Obviously, "The Soft Bulletin", one of the greatest albums of all time.
Source Tags is great too, in my opinion, though a 9.0-9.5 score would have seemed more fitting on Pitchfork's scale.

Pod 2: Well OK Computer is again one of the greatest albums of all time.
I suppose "Bricolage" could be considered one of the best albums of its genre, "electronic-jazz"? Though honestly, I am not a jazz fan, and actually "Permutations" is a more ear-catching album in my opinion.

Pod 3: This is the toughest matchup. I think both of these albums are classics, though perhaps neither as great as "The Soft Bulletin" or "OK Computer". Still, because I am simply too happy for "I See A Darkness" to oft fit my mood, I pick "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot".

Pod 4: In no way did "El Producto" deserve a 10.0, and Kid A trumps its competitor more than any other albums in their respective "pods" do.

Kid A and OK Computer reach the final round, and in a Superman-vs.-Doomsday final bout, Kid A barely breathes one breath longer than OK Computer.

Consolation Round: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot vs. The Soft Bulletin. YHF emerges victorious, but The Soft Bulletin is too happy in general to care.

Pod 1:
My favorite album vs. the one I found hugely overrated. Soft Bulletin wins ezmode.

Pod 2:
Haven't heard (of, even) Bricolage, but I have a hard time imagining it's better than OK Computer.

Pod 3:
This is actually a decent matchup, they're the two most similar I imagine. But call me crazy I couldn't get that into YHF. I See A Darkness remains one of my favorites, top 50 maybe. Ding ding.

Pod 4:
I haven't heard El Producto and I haven't heard Kid A in a while, but I remember thinking it was criminally overrated so I'll go with the benefit of the doubt and say Walt Mink. On a side note, Pitchfork's review of Kid A is maybe the most pretentious piece of writing I've ever read.

Of the ones I've heard:
1) The Soft Bulletin
2) I See A Darkness
3) OK Computer
4) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
5) Kid A
6) Source Tags & Codes

In order of preference.

edit: nvm

This is an interesting topic Vypa. I thought about this long enough and came up with my decisions. Pod 3 is ferociously competitive. It is like that 8 vs. 9 game in the first round of the NCAA tournament where it truly is a coin flip. Except here they would be near the top, the loser wont even make the consolation match but boy is it good.

Pod 1 goes to The Flaming Lips for obvious reasons including musicianship, melody, lyrics and beautiful compositions.
Pod 2 goes to OK Computer for only being the best album of the 1990s.
Pod 3 goes to Wilco by a hair, slimmest of margins. A tough one because both have that dark undercurrent and both do it so well. Let's move on before I change my mind again.
Pod 4 goes to Kid A for only being the best album of the 00s--so far.

So I guess that you wanted Pod 1 winner to play Pod 2 and Pod 3 winner play Pod 4. For the first one, I will take OK Computer simply because of its historical importance--although there are countless other reasons.
For the second one, give me Kid A partly because some of its influences are felt on Wilco's classic 2002 album.

Championship goes to OK Computer, because well, it is not only the best album of 1990s, but the best one between 1990-present--in my opinion. Consolation game goes to Wilco by a hair. Eh nevermind, that one is a tie.

Pod 1:
Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin

Pod 2:
Radiohead - OK computer

Pod 3:
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I See a Darkness

Pod 4:
Radiohead - Kid A

Man, I can't believe how much people don't like Source Tags & Codes. That album is fantastic. I think I'm the only person who's voted for it over The Soft Bulletin

Seriously, some of you guys who didn't vote for it should try to take another listen. I think it's probably top ten of the 00's so far.

Pod 1
Pretty even matchup. Soft Bullentin's first three tracks are about as good as it gets, however, the momentum slows down on "Slow Motion", "What is Light", and "The Observer". It picks right back up again with "Waitin for Superman", "The Gash", and "Suddenly Everything has Changed". If finishes very strong as well.

Source Tags & Codes, however, slips up only once the whole album, imo. "Homage" deviates from the album's motif of shimmering, layered guitars and in doing so comes a little too punky for my liking.. Other than that, however, you would be hard pressed to find a track on the album that on it's own couldn't be the lead single. From the first moments when Conrad Keely curtly screams, "It Was There That I Saw You", you know you've got a winner. Followed up with epic tracks like "Baudelair", "Heart In the Hand of the Matter", and "Relative Ways" it's pretty safe to say you've got a perfect 10.

Winner: Source Tags & Codes

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vypa,

Pod 2
Let's face it; this is the biggest mismatch of all the pods. This is like a 16 seed vs. a 1 seed. Just like in basketball, a 16 has never upset a 1, and sorry folks, but it ain't happening here either. OK Computer....well what hasn't been said about it???? Nothing, seriously, nothing. Personal favorites include "Karma Police", "Electioneering", and "Climbing Up the Walls", but let's face it, they're all really damn good.

Bricolage on the other hand had some dull moments. While I find Tobin's jazz/ambient/dance/sample fusion to be highly inovated and pretty damn ingenious, I find it to be a little difficult and a little boring. Back in the days when Pitchfork was Ryan Schreiber, it/he seemed to be a little loose handing out scores, and this album seems to be a casualty of it/his capricousness. Come on, listen to this album, and then really contemplate whether it deserves a perfect 10!?! More power to you if you can, however, I can't.

Winner: OK Computer

Pod 3
As others have pointed out, this is probably the toughest pod. I See a Darkness is undoubtly Oldham's crown jewel. None of the songs are going to pick you up, bitch-slap you around the room, and leave you dazed and confused, but you may (if in the the right or wrong? frame of mind) find yourself with disheveled hair weeping the corner of a dark room. This is one of those albums that it where it would almost feel sacreligious to not listen to it in it's entirety and not devote your full attention.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is just a beast of an album. Tweedy's defining moment thus far. It's an album built around Tweedy's emotions (depression, love, intrigue, etc.) and the music, almost better than the words, convey his thoughts. I mean, what kind of song is "Radio Cures"? All it is a bass drum, a lightly strummed acoustic guitar, and the softest organ you'll ever hear...but what it is is a killer f*cking sonng about love and loss. From the Lennon inspired "Reservations" to the modern day protest song of "War on War" to the insanely catchy, gorgeous "Jesus, etc" this album doesn't miss a beat (how cliche!).

Winner: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Pod 4
OK, if the OK Computer/Bricolage match up was a 1 vs. 16, then Kid A/El Producto is a 2 vs. 15. And let me tell you, El Producto is no Hampton or Weber State. While John Kimbrough (lead guitarist of Walt Mink) unleashes some six string napalm on songs such as "Overgrown" and "Little Sister" and "Stood Up" and does some geat accoustic work on songs such "Settled" and "#246" the album really never holds together like a perfect 10 should. Also Kinmbrough's vocals, at times, remind of Kermit the Frog from those Muppets movies. Listen to "Love In the Dakota" and tell that his voice isn't straight from a Muppets movie. Unfortunately, El Producto seems to be the recipient of another of Schreiber's personal "favorite" 10's.

Kid A, on the other hand, is probably my second favorite album ever. This is the music of the future or the music of heaven. It has to be one ofthe two. There is no other way to explain. It's hard to believe that mere mortals crafted an album this sublime. It would be too indulgent of me to list personal favorites, and it would be silly to differentiate from one song to another. Let it be suffice to say that the only that thing that hedges this album's score is the scale by which it is being evaluated. 11/10, here.

Winner: Kid A

You're gonna be tearing your hair out trying to choose between YHF and Kid A, bud.

Good luck.

When it comes down to it I would take Yoshimi over soft bulletin because it works better as an album, its cohesive and is more effective in building a mood. Where as soft bulletin is a fascinating collection of music, bursting with ideas, but at times is just, well silly.

I'll have to check out and you will know us by the trail of the dead, amon tobin, bonnie prince billy and walt mink (never heard of).

As for Ok computer and kid a, they are so good I feel like crying from the happiness.

quote:

As for Ok computer and kid a, they are so good I feel like crying from the happiness.

Amen to that.

Pod 1:
The Soft Bulletin - Favorite album ever

Pod 2:
OK Computer - Second favorite

Pod 3:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Fantastic

Pod 4:
Kid A - Not unbelievable, but still triumphant

quote:

Originally posted by Vypa:

Pod 1:
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
Vs.
Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin

Pod 2:
Radiohead - OK computer
Vs.
Amon Tobin - Bricolage

Pod 3:
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Vs.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I See a Darkness

Pod 4:
Radiohead - Kid A
Vs.
Walt Mink - El Producto

This is cool. I had thought about starting a March Madness thread, too. And by the way, you should check out the book Bracketology which does brackets for everything. Anyway, I'll play along:

Soft Bulletin
OK Computer
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Kid A

SB vs. OKC
Soft Bulletin wins in double overtime

YHF vs KA
Kid A wins going away

SB vs KA
Soft Bulletin wins at the buzzer.