[gsmacleod]

We now have two champions; Small Town Bringdown from the EP and New Orleans is Sinking from Up To Here. We are going to move on to their second full length release, Road Apples!

As before, choose the song you think is the weakest on the album. After 48 hours, the three songs with the most votes will be eliminated and we'll do round two.

In order for a song to be removed, it must receive at least 10% of the total votes in a round.

Happy voting!

Note - voting will end Sunday at 8:12am Eastern.

Shane

[Killer Whale Tank]

'Born in the Water' gets my vote, for the reasons I tried to articulate in the 'Road Apples' thread. Looks like I'm not alone!! :thumb:

[Moof_Milker]

While you made solid points about Born In The Water, given the choice to listen to it or Bring It All Back, I'll take Born In The Water every time. So Bring It All Back gets my vote. Easy first round choice for me.

[carebread]

While you made solid points about Born In The Water, given the choice to listen to it or Bring It All Back, I'll take Born In The Water every time. So Bring It All Back gets my vote. Easy first round choice for me.

Bring It All Back is my favourite on the album! :what

[potsie]

I’m surprised by the lack of love for Bring it All Back. I love the slow smolder burn of the opening which eventually progresses into a full melt solo by Baker. This is the first song that for me evokes an image of Gord in the midst of the creative process, trying to pull an ever-so-elusive song out of the musical ether. He re-visited this idea, indirectly and directly (e.g Minneapolis Hotel Room) throughout the Coke Machine Glow poetry book.

The first image that catches my attention in this regard is “spider-web alphabets” which I envision to be a description of notes strung on a musical staff of sheet music. He’s studying the notes, “It’s gotta be here”, but can’t quite pull the song together. He’s spent time on a piano “carving” the ivory keys, trying to get the song to reveal its “form”. However, it’s “quiet” in the room, the only sound his heartbeat, a signifier of his failure. Because if an artist can hear their heartbeat during the creative process, things are at a standstill. “Who wants to hear their heartbeat?”…no musician does.

Can you bring it all back to me? Will this latest creation bring back my confidence as a writer? Or will this process just continue to “bring me down”?

[potsie]

So Bring It All Back gets my vote. Easy first round choice for me.

C'mon! It wasn't that *easy* was it? You never contemplated On the Verge or Gems (nice groove, but not much going on lyrically)? I want to imagine that you at least spent 2-3 minutes deliberating this before sending Bring it All Back to the trash heap!

[Moof_Milker]

Well, the selection was quick...the songs were picked...in order. And Bring It All Back was left in the water and was kicked off my pant leg as I waited for Round 2.

C'mon! It wasn't that *easy* was it? You never contemplated On the Verge or Gems (nice groove, but not much going on lyrically)? I want to imagine that you at least spent 2-3 minutes deliberating this before sending Bring it All Back to the trash heap!

I prefer On The Verge's rapid-fire intensity and Gems' groove is one of my favs from the boys. Don't get me wrong, Bring It All Back is very good tune...but I long ago decided it was my least favorite on a cover-to-cover amazing record. Your analysis of the lyrics is excellent, btw. You're starting to make me feel bad for having to pull the trigger.

[potsie]

Well, the selection was quick...the songs were picked...in order. And Bring It All Back was left in the water and was kicked off my pant leg as I waited for Round 2.

Ah ha ha! Nice... Although now I have this image of Bring it All Back as the woman in the dress at the end of the Nautical video, sinking to the murky depths, and it's making me sad!

I prefer On The Verge's rapid-fire intensity and Gems' groove is one of my favs from the boys.

I can't argue with that. They are both great tunes. I voted for Born in the Water, because it's my clear least favourite on the album. After this round what's left will be of such high quality that I could vote blindfolded.

[Tomacco]

"On the Verge" is the weakest IMO. But if that song, "Bring It Al Back" or "Born in the Water" are the weak links of the album, that's a good sign. This is my favorite Hip album for a reason.

[chancellor]

wow. No love for Born in the water.

I picked Gems, to me, it sounds like an incomplete song, I always wanted more from the song.

[FourPistols]

Okay, Road Apples is terrific.

Three Pistols is one of my all time faves. When they played this at Toronto #3, I was in heaven.

Fiddlers Green...wow.

Not getting all the dislike for Born in the Water.

I dig it.

"I can speak my mother tongue."

It's a great little rave up with plenty of attitude.

[gsmacleod]

I voted Born in the Water; not that I dislike it but to me, it isn't quite as strong as everything else on the album. In fact, I really like the song and it was really hard to vote for anything on this album (harder than UTH for sure).

Like UTH, I really can't imagine this album without the full compliment of songs; just a great piece of work beginning to end.

Shane

[direwolf74]

I also voted Born in the Water, even though I don't believe there are any weak tracks on this album whatsoever. But if you're holding a gun to my head, I guess it's that one.

[Tthip]

All albums and all songs I'm torn. I find myself debating between album versions and live versions.
I am totally voting through this process on album versions.
It's strange.
There are many songs that I love the album version and hate the live version.
Also, there are many songs I love the live version and hate the album version.
Hates a strong word, but, you get it.