Friday Random 10: Shuffle vs. Genius

I haven't done this in like 100 million years and I figure that while I'm on a posting roll I might as well keep on going. I don't know why, but I suddenly feel the urge to resurrect my blog and I know I've made promises like this before but I really am going to start blogging here more often. I really want to and I'm going to make it stick this time. (If you couldn't tell I'm trying to convince myself more than anyone else). This is the first time I'm going to post a random ten on my new computer so it's going to look a little different since I have much easier screen capping abilities and I won't have to use the ridiculous and counter intuitive method I've used in t he past to post the song lists. Also, I don't really have all my music on my iTunes yet so keep that in mind. Anyway, here are the lists:

Starting Song: Rancid - Maxwell Murder





























Track by track comparisons after the jump.

Miss World vs. Ring Of Fire: I really do love both of these songs but I love Miss World (and most of Live Through This) more than just about anything. I do think Social D does an amazing version of covering a classic song but yea, like I said, I just love Miss World a little bit more. Round one goes to shuffle.

Sick on You vs. White Riot: This is such an easy one. It's definitely White Riot. Sick on You is ok. It's from a MOJO comp of like punk predecessors and I like the kind of cute halfhearted Ain't We Got Fun reprise at the end but if it hadn't come up as part of this feature I probably would have skipped it. Genius gets this round.

Junkie Slip vs. Beat on the Brat: I do like Junkie Slip. I want to start out saying that. I love Sandinista! I'm glad it's as long and ridiculous and weird as it is. Junkie Slip is, of course, not one of my favorite Sandinista! songs but it's also not one of my least favorite. I don't want my preference of Beat on the Brat to imply that I don't like either Junkie Slip or Sandinista! So with that out of the way Genius pulls ahead.

Greased Lightning vs. New Dark Ages: There are only a few Bad Religion songs that I like and New Dark Ages, a song I got as part of an iTunes bundle for using Ticketmaster, isn't one of them. I guess there was a point in my life, High School, where I thought I should really like Bad Religion but that was just posturing. I don't actually like them that much. Infected, Atomic Garden and 21st Century Digital Boy are pretty good songs but other than that I'm not really a fan. Less Than Jake's cover of Greased Lightning is also something that I liked a lot more towards the end of High School than I do now but it's still pretty fun and I wouldn't skip it if it came up on a non-blog related shuffle so Shuffle ties it up again in this round.

Every Little Bit Hurts vs. Armatage Shanks: Even though I hate having Clash songs lose at Shuffle vs. Genius, if Genius had picked a better song by Green Day it may have won. Armatage Shanks is just pretty forgettable. Also I really do like Every Little Bit Hurts, even though it does get a decent amount of flak from Clash fans. Sure it's a little whiny and maybe a little silly too, but whatever, I like it and too bad.

Main Title vs. Fall Back Down: This one is kind of hard because Fall Back Down is probably one of my least favorite Rancid songs and while I love the Once More With Feeling Soundtrack, the Main Title Music is just an upbeat instrumental version of the regular Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme song. I'm going to go with Fall Back Down just because it is a little more exciting and I feel like I'd be more likely to listen to it on a regular basis. So, even though shuffle pulled ahead last round Genius tied it back up again.

The Sound of the Sinners vs. Pretty Vacant: Sound of Sinners, definitely! Not just because it's rapture appropriate but it is just amazing and one of my favorite Sandinista! songs. Joe Strummer acting the part of manic preacher singing about the floods of God juxtaposed against tablets of Valium is fantastic. It's passionate and urgent and wry all at the same time. Pretty Vacant is definitely top three Sex Pistols songs but I just love Sound of Sinners more. Point for shuffle.

Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine vs. Marie Marie: I do like Ronson's version of the Bob Dylan song, even though I'm sure some think it's blasphemous. I kind of agree with his musical philosophy of putting horns on everything even though that maybe indicates that I have bad taste. I don't care. BUT I like the Buddy Holly cover better. It's a faster, harsher but still really simple version of the original and it's fun to dance to. Genius ties it up again.

This Song Has No Effect On You vs. Career Opportunities (demo): TIEBREAKER. Which is kind of unfair because I'm obviously picking the Clash over the local band. Maybe I wouldn't have 10 years ago but I am now. It's kind of a shame because I feel like This Song Has No Effect On You is one of the ASOB songs that has kind of held up for me over the years but there's no way, whatsoever that it's better than just about any clash song. Although I am annoyed that so much Clash came up, most of it was on shuffle, weirdly enough, so I can't hold it against genius in this case.

Genius won at the last minute, 5-4 and pulls further ahead of Shuffle with a score of 4-2. I'm kind of annoyed that there wasn't much diversity in either list (I'm currently getting a more interesting mix of songs while listening to iTunes). Shuffle behaved a bit like Genius, which is maybe why it lost. Shuffle shouldn't have tried to beat Genius at its own game.