Band Face Off - Round 29
 

Nirvana are still the kings of grunge as they won the last face off with 15 votes.

Next up: two piano men.

The results so far...
Round 1: Petty defeats Springsteen - 36 to 19
Round 2: Led Zeppelin defeat The Who - 22 to 19
Round 3: Madonna defeats Sheryl Crow/Kate Bush - 24 to 13/10
Round 4: The Beatles defeat Rolling Stones/U2 - 23 to 16/14
Round 5: Guns N Roses defeat Bon Jovi/Metallica - 17 to 13/12
Round 6: Heart defeat Blondie/The Pretenders - 23 to 16/6
Round 7: The Beach Boys defeat The Kinks/The Byrds - 24 to 10/10
Round 8: Johnny Cash defeats Elvis Presley/Roy Orbison - 20 to 19/7
Round 9: Abba defeats The Carpenters - 25 to 15
Round 10: Prince defeats Jimi Hendrix/Lenny Kravitz - 24 to 15/3
Round 11: No Doubt defeat Garbage/Hole - 27 to 11/9
Round 12: Bob Dylan defeats Neil Young - 26 to 25
Round 13: Dolly Parton defeats Emmylou Harris/Linda Ronstadt - 20 to 17/9
Round 14: Marvin Gaye defeats Aretha Franklin/Stevie Wonder/Diana Ross - 14 to 11/10/2
Round 15: David Bowie defeats Lou Reed/Iggy Pop - 38 to 5/2
Round 16: Talking Heads defeat The Clash - 21 to 19
Round 17: Billie Holiday defeats Ella Fitzgerald - 25 to 7
Round 18: The Eagles defeat Lynyrd Skynyrd - 30 to 17
Round 19: The Doors defeat Jefferson Airplane - 22 to 17
Round 20: Elvis Costello defeats Sting - 19 to 13
Round 21: Eurythmics defeat Depeche Mode/New Order - 27 to 7/6
Round 22: Duran Duran defeat Tears For Fears - 21 to 15
Round 23: Tori Amos defeats Alanis Morissette/Jewel - 21 to 11/8
Round 24: REM defeat Coldplay - 34 to 9
Round 25: The White Stripes defeat Beck - 19 to 18
Round 26: Pink Floyd defeat Radiohead - 30 to 9
Round 27: The Killers defeat Franz Ferdinand/Maroon 5 - 15 to 14/5
Round 28: Nirvana defeat Pearl Jam/Soundgarden - 15 to 13/4

Hooray!

Okay, this actually tough for me. Neither of them is one of my favorite artists, but I do have a soft spot for them both. They both tend to get bad raps as cheesy schmaltz factories, but that wasn't always the case. They're both fantastic piano players, and Billy has written some wonderful love/story songs that fall somewhere in between the realms of Jackson Browne and Springsteen - "Captain Jack," "Summer, Highland Falls," "She's Only A Woman" - I mean that's just some great stuff, and light years away from "Uptown Girl." And if you get me drunk enough, I can sing you every single word to "We Didn't Start the Fire."

A lot of Billy's albums suffer from dull or maudlin production, though, and that really compromises some of his songs. Billy never produced anything as epic or grand as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which seems to deliver hit after hit at every listen, insanely catchy melodies and brilliant playing coupled with wonderful stories and lyrical vignettes - though Elton never did write the words.

So this is really hard. And what's the better Disney song: "Why Should I Worry?" or "Can You Feel The Tonight?" Both important questions.

In the end, I think I've got to give it to Elton. Even though he always had someone else penning the words. At his peak, his music was just more dynamic, and even Billy's best albums suffer from boring, MOR production where Elton's best really come alive.

So another tally for Elton, who gets an extra point for not having sold his (not-speficially-written-for-Broadway) songs into a bad Broadway musical... yet.

This is the first one I've participated in for a while. :)

Okay, I can't stand Billy Joel, and I honestly don't think you can compare him to Elton John. He doesn't hold a candle. I went with Elton, and he *better* win! :mad: :nod:

*sigh*
thanks for the 'fix':D

Elton. I like him MUCH more than Billy. :nod:

Definitely Elton John... :nod:

I vote for Elton. Billy Joel drives me NUTS! :]

Elton John for many reasons but mostly for Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.

Am I the first to come forward for Billy? :laugh: I like them both, but Elton rarely pens lyrics. Plus, I love "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant."

This is hard. However many songs I like from EJ, he equally bugs.
Actually, I could probably say that about BJ too.
At one point, I think the only song I ever listened to was "Candle in the Wind" -
and for some reason when I broke up w/my first boyfriend, I incessantly thought of "I guess that's why they call it the blues" which is strange b/c I barely knew, and didn't like the song before that.
but - I, too, could sing all the words to "We Didn't Start the Fire". "Piano Man" is beautiful and sad, and oh, shoot - "For the Longest Time" - it's gross, but I love it. "Only the Good Die Young" and "Uptown Girl" are really fun and cheesy.
Now that Jqym reminded me of "She's Always a Woman" my heart is going soft for BJ.
Well, I guess Elton has more, but BJ is giving me a warm feeling. (hehe)
Yep, I'll pick Billy Joel. Poor guy. :laugh:
Plus, I hate Crocodile Rock sooooo much. It makes me want to stab myself. But with something serrated! For added Stabbiness!!! I can saw and stab!!! 20 % more scraping technology!!

Billy Joel here.:nod:

Name the karaoke bar, baby. Let's do this thang.

Yes. And then we will do "We Built This City".

I'll start tipping off the talent scouts. They won't want to miss this.

I have 3 label heads who said they would "drop by". We're on our way, bay bee!!!

Just so we're clear, the marquees will read "Jyqm, featuring Amber," right?

:laugh: No, seriously, :laugh:
People will be like "Jih-quim?" "Jickem?" "???"

Yeah, that's fine. Everyone always pays more attention to the girl anyway. Start planning the specific way you will bitch when someone asks me to do a solo album. Or when the paparazzi ignores you, even though you are standing right next to me. "I MADE her what she is!!!!"

Where do I get my ticket..:)

Round 29
 

Another tough choice on this round. I'm not particularly fond of either piano player, but they both have amazing songs and careers. So now I start thinking who has the edge here for me. BJ has some unforgettable tunes like My Life, Big Shot, Just The Way You Are, You May Be Right, New York State of Mind and of course It's Still Rock and Roll To Me. His newer stuff, like EJ, I can not stand.
When I think of EJ, I think of Nikita, I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Sad Songs, Your Song, Daniel, Little Jeannie, and always loved I'm Still Standing. His early stage theatrics was kinda funny in a clownish way and I never took him that seriously growing up.

So with all this in mind...I'm voting the Billy Joel.

Look, when the karaoke bar first called and asked us to perform, they only wanted me! They said that their old regular - Fat Andy, who used to sing "Closing Time" by Supersonic at the end of the night every Saturday - couldn't stand up under his own power anymore so they needed somebody else to take his place. And I said sure, but can Amber come along too? And they were all like, "I don't know, man, we really don't need another chick, we already got this one girl who comes in and does this 'Bette Davis Eyes'-'Walking After Midnight' medley," and I was all like, "Hey, Amber comes too or it's no deal," and then they were like, "Fine fine, geez, don't be such a hard-on, man," so if it weren't for me you wouldn't even be on the bill!

:lol:

Who works so that you can even go to the karaoke bar?? Who buys your drinks? Who slaves away at the restaurant while you sit at home practicing your "choreography"?

God, I hate them both. But I hate Billy Joel even more. So, here's to you, Elton.

Look, just stop being difficult! You're such a diva! This is worse than the time you stormed out of the bar just because I threw the "Songs Listed by Artist" book at you.

Lindsey - Stevie......

knock it off.

:lol:

oh ya... I voted EJ....

Just as a suggestion, a couple of rap stars the next round?

Nevertheless - we do sound great on the harmonies in "We Built This City".:xoxo:

elton. for tiny dancer. although his don't stop is to kill for. I mean hang him for. In the largest tree one can find.

This was a hard one. I do love Billy Joel (I'm from Long Island and everyone from LI loves Billy Joel, I think), but Goodbye Yellow Brick Road pretty much IS my childhood. So many good songs. So, even though Elton wasn't the songwriter, I'm giving him my vote.

Billy Joel! All the way...

I with with Mr. John.


The outfits. The music. He is a legend.

Feh. I hate Billy Joel with a passion that burns hotter than a thousand suns.

while I love both of them, I went with Elton. It takes me back to my childhood...(hmm..maybe I should have voted for Billy *L* ) nevertheless.....my mother loves Mr. John, so that's good enough for me :D

OMG - you mentioned only 2 great songs in the Elton list (Daniel and Your Song). The rest are garbage. They are his Rooms On Fire, Blue Denim, Maybe Love and SIAB. But bigger hits. How odd.

For these alone, Elton qualifies as one of the greatest composers to ever sashay across the face of this planet. One of the biggest bitches, okay, sure. But still, one the greatest composers. Ever.