MattZ

There is something to be said for addition by subtraction, however. And the Ewing Theory for those who read the Sports Guy. I know it sounds like heresy, but sometimes you need a role player to shorten up with two strikes and hit to right field instead of a star who cant do that so instead he swings for the fences and hits a home run once every 15-20 at bats. I understand that the object here is for teams to make money. Its a business. But if the yanks want to win the WS again, they should learn from the 96-2000 teams. Focus more on pitching, pitching, pitching and surround a few stars

This right here. This thread right here. The best thread on VC right now. I am just happy to be a part of it.

I define success in those stores as getting someone (anyone) on the staff to help me without rolling their eyes and making me feel like I am somehow bothering them by asking them to do their job. I say round em all up. But I consider myself as more of a moderate democrat, so that could be why.

Stay classy Sheffield.

more vibes from NYC....

Fair point. Perhaps I took those reviews too literally but people speak in absolute terms about how this album isnt as good as the others. That's all I meant. From a lot of those comments, it seemed as if this was based on 1 or 2 listens. There's nothing wrong with discussing albums immediately. Nothing at all. I think we are all saying the same thing. Although in fairness, if you review records and you write for Pitchfork, then the 5.6 or the 8.2 or the 9.6 rating you give, actually is a pretty final conclusion. Not to say that those reviewers arent listening to albums more than once

... with a little George Harrison thrown in for good measure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyAIRshYC8E

Oh sorry if I was confusing. That comment was directed more to the comments from the other boards that you posted -- not to you. Those people seemed to basing their thoughts on the album after 1 or 2 listens, and that amazes me. I know there is a running joke on this board about "trying again" when it comes to an album (or a drone) that folks dont like. Thats not what I meant either -- I firmly believe that its not about trying harder. Just that 1 or 2 listens seems a little iffy on coming to a final conclusion.

For what it is worth, I am still amazed by (and frankly a little suspicious of) anyone that can listen to an album once or twice and come to a final conclusion about its merits.

I haven't heard the new album, but some of those comments that solace pulled seem disingenuous to me. When Chutes came out, I remember the reviews being pretty good, but lukewarm on the whole (at least at first) -- people that I spoke to at the time seemed to think it was a very good album, but not quite as good as Inverted. So, when these reviews of the new album say that they dont like it as much as Chutes on first listen, well, obviously I dont know what these particular folks thought of Chutes when it came out, but it seems like a bit of revisionist history to me. I think Chutes was a g

Off the top of my head: Oh Yoko Here Comes the Sun

I will remember this the next time I think that I am being too hard on you in this chain. Thats the first back page I have seen. You may have won this battle, but oh yes, I shall return.

Yeah, and there it was fans poking fun at a player. I dont know if you are raising a completely different point or making an analogy. But my issue (which really was more surprise than anything) was that the Cardinals players were showing bad sportsmanship.

I know its mostly sour grapes on my part, but that seems like an awful lot of trash talk/poor sportsmanship when there was absolutely zero bad blood between these teams. Its not like David Wright went and stomped on some big red bird in center field a la T.O. And I think that Pujols had the last laugh with that homer. But I dont think it erased what he said after game 1. Whatever. Its stupid. Its time for the world series and Sunken Treasure tonight on DVD. My feelings weren't hurt. I just thought it was bush league. There's a difference. (and I dont represent all New York s

I was too bummed to read anything in the sports pages or listen to the radio after the NLCS. Just decided to come back to reality and stumbled upon this from an Associated Press article.

Its a shame you guys are leaving us now. This thread was really starting to get interesting.

There was a great article a couple of weeks ago in the New Yorker about this battle and it compared it to the battle of VHS vs. Betamax. Definitely worth a read if you can find it. The point of the article was that, at the end of the day, it doesnt matter which technology is better or which technology is better marketed, because the only thing that matters is which one does the public think will win. People generally hold off buying in these situations until they have reason to believe that one will win. No one wants to end up with the technology that loses and thereby becomes obsolete.

I agree that it will be a footnote... for now. You know that if he gets shelled later in the series, that the conspiracy theorists will be back. Anyone remember Mike Scott in 1986???

Got it. Thanks solace. Very much looking forward to hearing this album when it gets released a gazillion years from now. -- MattZ (aka the last person in the world that waits to listen to albums until they get released)

I still dont get what they changed. Is it just that the songs aren't as poppy as they were on the first two?

Interesting. I have not heard the album and prob won't until it's released. Solace, can you explain why you think there will be (or already is) a divide?

Well, I was in part teasing you for fun (hence the smiley in the post about baseball predictions) and in part continuing my amazement at how you can speak in such absolutes about a game in which nothing is absolute. You seem unable or unwilling to give credit to a team that by all accounts had a pretty darn good season. $100 million payroll or otherwise. And in fairness, by the time they hit the playoffs, the team's payroll was much lower (if you subtract the salaries of the injured players). That being said, I am ready to drop this little sidebar and get back to baseball -- I said it bef

MrRain - you are exactly right. I hate it when my team is picked by all the "experts". (Not that it happens often, mind you). Usually its the curse of death. Just ask Yankee fans. I'm pulling for ya, though.

Back to baseball -- the greatest game in the history of games: I say Detroit in 6.

bobbob would've.