{Spoiler}Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons - "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGFToiLtXroGuysGood choice. This is a song you can’t go wrong with (in another round perhaps). No reason whatsoever to have any hate for this one as a song in itself. This could lock you a pretty solid slot in the judging for this category … IF the following comment doesn’t come into play. I’m assuming this is a Jersey Boys reference (can’t think of any other musicals earlier than that that would have featured it), and I will say the only detriment to this pick is that it is *sorta* cheating the category a bit. It’s really not a song designed for a musical; it’s simply a song so good that a musical picked it up. Yeah, not sure what to do with this little number just yet.
Guys and Dolls - "Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7kzsZreG0oClassic! This is when musicals were musicals and men were … well, they were in ‘em. I’m really glad you went with this gem. Whoever nominated this category better put their money where their showtunes are, because this is precisely what the category asks for. No skirting around the category for this player. You shall be rewarded … at least from me.
Jesus Christ Superstar - "Superstar"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvVr2uks0C8Overrated and overstated. Another clear cut case of Andrew Lloyd Webber trying way too hard, and a select group of followers falling for it. The vocalists are tremendous, don’t get me wrong (heh, see what I did there?). This musical could have been so wonderful, but I can never get the pretentiousness of Webber out of my head and just imagining himself fawning all over his own work. This musical—like so many of Webber’s works—could have been so much more wonderful with a bit of attention to the storyline here and a letting-off-of-the-trigger-finger on the novelty there.
Legally Blonde the Musical - "Bend and Snap"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtJ18jrrQaINot bad, not bad at all. This, however, is more of a case of a selection that doesn’t quite stack up to some of the others. And as bad as I dislike Andrew Lloyd Webber at times, the Jesus Christ Superstar pick just packs a bigger punch as a musical number than this one.
Monty Python's Spamalot - "Knights Of The Round Table"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAUkAMJBBZsThe female vocalist in this one (I think it’s that girl from Grey’s Anatomy—believe it or not, I was seriously just discussing ‘Calliope’ today, and I don’t even watch the show) really helps make it. This is bubbling with the stuff musicals are made of. I understand if musicals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s hard to deny that this is straight up musical.
1. Guys and Dolls - "Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat"
2. Monty Python's Spamalot - "Knights Of The Round Table"
3. Jesus Christ Superstar - "Superstar"
4. Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons - "Can't Take My Eyes off You"
5. Legally Blonde the Musical - "Bend and Snap"
Falco - "Rock Me Amadeus"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRoDfURLxUsAt first, I laughed. Then, I said, “Are you serious?” And then, I realized you were. I’m not one of the Internet fanboys of this one. I never got how this became such an Internet icon of a song. It’s just a matter of taste on this one, I guess. I mean, I can see *traces* of its appeal, but I’m just saying that it doesn’t really sit with me as “greatest ever” like I always hear so many people claim. Maybe my opinion of the song carries some slight backlash with it, because I know it’s still a fun little song. I will say, though, that that video makes a strong case for bumping the song up a bit. It’s pretty darn entertaining. It’s a darn fine video.
Kenji Otsuki - "Hito Toshite Jiku ga Bureteiru"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOgo8-ncw-kOnly one real comment I have for this one: ah yes, the Japanese and anime/manga. Well, maybe one more comment: I’m totally writing a paper someday about how this series is the anti-Voltaire’s Candide. I seriously think there’s some influence there. (Unless that’s already considered largely true, in which case I’m just late to the party.)
Kyu Sakamoto - "Sukiyaki (Ue O Muite Aruko)”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0IGfaCR0jEFor a long time, I thought this was a cover to an American song at the time. I was wrong. That’s a pretty iconic song right there. I’m pretty surprised by the choice. Good job.
V6 - "Change the World"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYmhahmjorMIt’s wonderland indeed. I totally marked for this. And I don’t have any good reason as to why. I think it’s just such an incredible contrast to the other songs we have in the round; that may be a majority of its effect. I dogged some Korean boy band pop in a previous game, so I probably should go the same route here, but this has much more impact and “pop” to it for me. I could see this as being a totally polarizing pick among the judges. I swear, this song is already getting in my head and sticking there.
Zaz - "Le Long De La Route"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYVSNidNar8This is just a case of a song I don’t already know not really resonating with me on a first listen. I wouldn’t say I hated it. It just didn’t push any of my buttons.
1. V6 - "Change the World"
2. Falco - "Rock Me Amadeus"
3. Kyu Sakamoto - "Sukiyaki (Ue O Muite Aruko)”
4. Kenji Otsuki - "Hito Toshite Jiku ga Bureteiru"
5. Zaz - "Le Long De La Route"
Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUO_5EALZoMYou’re a funny guy. I don’t think this selection even needs a comment. It speaks entirely for itself and the category it represents.
Just Jack- "The Day I Died"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdVaLDui1g4This one just got outclassed by some better choices in my opinion. Nothing wrong with the pick, but for the most part, I just really really dug the other choices.
Aram Khachaturian – “Sabre Dance”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg3l3r_DRIA very welcome piece to the competition. I wondered if someone might eventually go the route of classical/modern classical. This is a great composition. I love the pick.
Supertramp - "Take The Long Way Home"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nvT3_iSaHUI feel like a broken record when I keep saying “good pick” to songs. But this really is another one. I like the connection to the theme, plus it’s just an all around good song. The video was pretty unique to the song too. Good thought went into it.
Rush - "Tom Sawyer"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsKBIBJj-4MFirst, I just wanna say run (don’t walk) to find a copy of the movie Adventures in Power. Second, I say this song fit nicely into the round. I just preferred a few of the other choices more. I know it’s blasphemy, but Rush isn’t fully my cup of tea.
1. Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
2. Aram Khachaturian – “Sabre Dance”
3. Supertramp - "Take The Long Way Home"
4. Rush - "Tom Sawyer"
5. Just Jack- "The Day I Died"
Beastie Boys - "Sabotage"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UECrap! This edition of the game is stealing picks from me left and right. Here is yet another song I was going to use in the next edition that I played. I love it. I’ll have to take the video into consideration, given the requirements of the round, but there’s no way this can go near the bottom.
Plan B - "Prayin'"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=axfD-IqmTZg&ob=av2elI liked the video. I’ve heard the song, but never seen this video. I don’t know how it will measure up with some of the others, but I felt it was solid.
Robert Palmer - "Addicted To Love"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vEI have no idea why the video is so effective. As much as I like it personally, I’m going to have to take some others into consideration for possibly a better overall presentation. I’m not sure what I’m doing with this song just yet.
TRUSTcompany - "Running From Me"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZjf6vyrC4AI think a few more listens for me and this song would go up in value. It’s totally fine as it is, but I’m just leaning toward the other selections I’ve seen thus far. Spoiler alert: PKS will have a violent reaction to the freaky factor in this video.
Wings - "Band On The Run"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBX2dySWGewThis song took a long time to grow on me. I always liked pieces of it, but I thought it was a little too disjointed at times. Now that I’ve pieced it together in my head, it’s a gem. The video works well with it, and I dug the overall presentation.
1. Beastie Boys - "Sabotage"
2. Wings - "Band On The Run"
3. Robert Palmer - "Addicted To Love"
4. Plan B - "Prayin'"
5. TRUSTcompany - "Running From Me"