Round 6 Murderers

[rayge]

A Coil - Ostia (The Death of Pasolini)



B Johnny Cash - 25 Minutes to go

[Deleted]

Really digging on A. Really like the instrumentation. Kinda reminiscent of a Banshees/Cure (or Dave Greenfield) track with orchestrating and other influences. Like it. Not so keen on the vocals, a touch Marc Almond (though I was converted to some of his chanson) but OK. They do go with the music and the song so fair enough.

Never did buy into the Johnny Cash man in black friend to the prisoner (or whatever) that schtick was. Just not my thing. I played the track ... poor taste.

A

[Crunchy Col]

A is absolute toss. Sorry

I like Cash when he's playful. This is hardly his best, but it's an easy win here

B

[Deleted]

Great song off a great album..Vote A

[toomanyhatz]

A is indeed nicely orchestrated, but the voice is actually a deal-breaker for me. Other than Ian Curtis (sometimes) I just don't find the doomy-crooner thing very appealing.

In this case I'm on a totally different wavelength from thang - I've always bought in to the whole 'Man in Black' ethos*, and B is an involving song with the kind of dark humor I appreciate.

*Although I don't deny it's a 'shtick' to some degree - the most time Johnny ever spent in a real prison was overnight in a drunk tank. If 'authenticity' matters on this subject, better to turn to Merle Haggard, who's also a great singer and songwriter, and did actual hard time.

[DarknessFish]

A's a contender for my all-time favourite song, everything about it is absolute perfection. I wouldn't choose something like this in a cup, because it means far too much to me to see it trampled down.

Cash has some force of personality, but it's not my cup of Joe.

A

[Deleted]

That's why I purposefully chose a theme instead of a genre.

[osgood]

I had read about Coil on BCB and here but never listened to them. I expected something unlistenable, but this was almost ok (or maybe coming from the Esplendor Geométrico vs Zappa tie has lowered my threshold)

In any case it's far from one of my fave Johnny Cash moments. I just learned that the song is not his but Shel Silverstein's, but Cash version in front of that audience brings some dark humour that makes the performance special.

B

[Sneelock]

B because it rules the world!
Johnny Cash is like the Grand Canyon. it doesn't matter if you like him or not. you still gotta drive around him.
As original as anybody who ever came down the pike. Me, I swallowed that whole "Man in Black" thing hook, line & sinker. I mean, look at his timing! He was "giving a voice to the oppressed" at a time when they really needed one. even if it was nothing more than posturing I still think he's ten feet tall.

[fange]

Maybe it's just me, but A seems to have a distinct musical whiff of progressive rock to it, the laconic post-punk/post-rock vocals notwithstanding. It's ok, but not really something i'd search out. B is brief and enjoyable, even if it's not a personal fave.


B

[Deleted]

I was pretty damning on A when it appeared a few years ago, however I wouldn't say it's without merit. Instrumentally it does build a strong atmosphere, the problem is with that flat, lifeless vocal and the dirgey vocal melody. It just sinks the whole thing for me.
B is okay, though not that interesting for me.

B

[oleandermedian]

Both good in their own way. I haven't looked at hwo the voting is going but I've a feeling B will be prevailing, which is a pity for A. So

A

[rayge]

I don't have any problem with John Balance's voice – at least he's not David Tibet – while the more I hear of Sleazy the more I think he's some kind of genius. Enjoyed this more than I did any of PPP's movies

With one or two exceptions, I always kind of grudgingly admired Cash rather than actually liked him, saw him as the spare change in the Million Dollar Quartet. I think this is one of the weakest things I ever heard from him

A, easily

[neige]

I find the boom-tchika countdown in poor taste too.

As has been said, A's orchestration is fab, nice violins and all.

[~ / % ? *]

A