The Resonant Frequency #57: Perfect World POLL - "Perfect songs are hard to find; here are 12 to start with."

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Mark Richardson published one of his Resonant Frequency columns for Pitchfork a couple weeks ago that focused on perfect songs. Perhaps you've read it. If not, then help yourself; it's a great read. So Mark talked about what he thinks makes a perfect song, then gave 12 of his own suggestions. His 12 perfect songs -- I agree with some of them, others not so much. You probably feel the same way. This is the thread where we vote on which is the most perfect song from his column, then discuss it.

Poll Results

Option	Votes
The Jackson 5: "I Want You Back"	2
Jürgen Paape: "So Weit Wie Noch Nie"	2
Michael Jackson: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"	2
Aphex Twin: "Flim"	1
Fleetwood Mac: "Never Going Back Again"	1
Prince: "I Wanna Be Your Lover"	1
Jim O'Rourke: "94 the Long Way"	1
Tommy James & the Shondells: "Crimson & Clover"	1
Dwight Twilley: "Looking For The Magic"	0
Brian Eno and John Cale: "Lay My Love"	0
Nina Simone: "The Twelfth of Never" (Live at Carnegie Hall)	0
Herbert: "So Now"	0

― stephen, Saturday, 31 May 2008 22:16 (seventeen years ago)

no one likes the poll, huh :(

― stephen, Sunday, 1 June 2008 17:02 (seventeen years ago)

I think we talked about this on the Jim O'Rourke thread because "94 the Long Way" has been scientifically proven to be the most perfect of perfect songs.

― Bill in Chicago, Sunday, 1 June 2008 18:38 (seventeen years ago)

this kind of exercise betrays craven desperation

― Just got offed, Sunday, 1 June 2008 18:56 (seventeen years ago)

whose?

― gff, Sunday, 1 June 2008 18:59 (seventeen years ago)

I vote for "Hey Ya"

― Dom Passantino, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:02 (seventeen years ago)

gff, setting out to determine "12 perfect songs" isn't an insightful, perceptive exploration of musical structure, it's a thoroughly subjective, musically classist means of getting some cheap web hits. i'm sure that each individual poster here has their own idea of which songs they think approach some sort of perfection, but they don't all get to dress it up as a pitchfork feature

― Just got offed, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:23 (seventeen years ago)

also his choices are REALLY fucking mundane :p

― Just got offed, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:24 (seventeen years ago)

it's a thoroughly subjective, musically classist means of getting some cheap web hits

ie 'criticism'

― gff, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:44 (seventeen years ago)

I take it you would prefer a list of a dozen "perfect" Mansun songs, Louis?

― stephen, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:45 (seventeen years ago)

no a list of songs by one artist would piss me off more, also one of the reasons i like mansun so much is because the songs AREN'T perfect, they're knotty, twisty, full of surprises, adventurous...they don't conform to a canonist pop structure of "perfection".

i can think of so so so many online criticism pieces i've seen that actually attempt to discuss music in a fresh, open-minded manner, yet what i see here is the precise opposite of this. there's no joy in this sort of criticism.

― Just got offed, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:50 (seventeen years ago)

ILM has been real boring for a long time now. I'm off to bump some of the more interesting older threads.

― Just got offed, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:53 (seventeen years ago)

DUDE STOP THAT'S A BANNING OFFENCE NOW

― Noodle Vague, Sunday, 1 June 2008 20:17 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― ILX System, Friday, 6 June 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― ILX System, Saturday, 7 June 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.