Band Bracket Part 11: SHOWDOWN

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Well here it is

 

Poll 29:

Pink Floyd - 12

Iron Maiden - 11

 

Pink Floyd advances

 

Poll 30:

Led Zeppelin - 16

Queen - 7

 

Led Zeppelin advances

[Nova Carmina]

Oh, let me take you there . . .

[Entre_Perpetuo]

This is really tough for me.

 

On one hand, Dark Side Of The Moon, Animals, and The Wall are all absolutely essential albums to me, desert island discs, especially the first two. On the other hand, Floyd has released very little else I care anywhere near as deeply about. That brings me to Zep, who in my opinion have a much more consistent catalogue. The albums I don't care for as much tend grow on me, and there's one more absolutely essential album from them for me than PF.  But the numbers don't tell the whole story, there's a level on which Zeppelin never reach Floyd's visceral connectivity. Where Floyd might actually give you a new perspective on life or society or mental health, Zeppelin are more likely to give you a new perspective on how many ways Robert Plant can say he's In The Mood, or his deep fascination with Tolkien.  Now, this isn't necessarily a fair argument to make. Not all rock lyricism is meant to be poetry, and not all bands are meant to be serious all the time. There is a very valid argument that Floyd are TOO serious TOO much of the time, and they don't know how to have fun.  Zeppelin never had this problem, and it made their slightly more serious or sensitive songs stand out as a result.  Both were reportedly incredible live, though Zeppelin were known to go off the rails where Floyd would be so perfectionistic it caused Waters to psychoanalyze his relationship with live performance by writing a rock opera about it... then making their biggest live show ever out of it... that he still lives off of touring a version of to this day. Man. The pros and cons here are total opposites, and somehow I don't know what I prefer. 

 

This is Led Zeppelin II vs. Dark Side Of The Moon for me. Zoso vs. Animals. I'd toss in PG vs. The Wall but I do think The Wall takes that for me pretty easily, but then Floyd don't have another record I think competes with HotH (I'm not the biggest fan of WYWH, it's good, but it's more seriously flawed than it's often given credit for).

 

 

[goose]

Zep, Queen

[zepphead]

No real thought required here for me - Zeppelin, Queen.

[Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios]

Zep by a mile 

 

On the other hand ..

Queen & Maiden I just can’t bring myself to pick one over the other ! 

[Entre_Perpetuo]

II think I can confidently fall this one.

 

LED ZEPPELIN is the victor!!!

 

 

I’m actually surprised it wasn’t even close for Floyd. I couldn’t bring myself to choose personally. But I’m happy either way, and I feel validated having predicted Zep would win from the start. It was some years ago we last did this kind of multi band elimination poll and LZ won out back then too. 

[Entre_Perpetuo]

And it would appear Queen will take the bronze over Maiden, though it’s still pretty close.