Because it's a better song

Which is the better track?

  • Soul Collector — Bloodbath

    Votes: 2 22.2%

  • The Heart Collector — Nevermore

    Votes: 5 55.6%

  • *****

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Castles In The Air — Stratovarius

    Votes: 6 66.7%

  • Burn — Iggy & The Stooges

    Votes: 3 33.3%
  • Total voters
    9
I love those upbeat parts with these catchy bass patterns in the Porcupine track. Gets my vote. Driver's Seat rules.
 
Wow. I'm the only vote for Bleak? Jeez. It's a far better song than the Porcupine Tree one (if we want to get into that whole "we should respect the strict voting rules of the game" argument") and Steven Wilson's chorus duet with Mikael is incredibly catchy. The PT song is good (waaaaay better than anything I've heard off the first 3 albums), the metal riffs are cool, and Mikael's jazzy blues solo is tasty, but Bleak is more cohesive and more dynamic. PT has way too slow of a build.

Also, I really don't like either of the second pair, but I'll go with the less annoying one featuring a better set of teeth - Driver's Seat.
 
I'm already biased because Bleak is perhaps my favorite Opeth song, certainly in the top 3. Looking forward to checking out some modern PT I haven't yet heard though.
 
First pair was surprisingly difficult. I went in fully expecting to vote Opeth, but ended up appreciating Porcupine Tree more on this particular match. Second pair I've never heard of, but on first listen Driver's Seat stood out more.
 
Never heard (of) Driver's Seat, Brigs? Amazing. Such a recognizable infectious tune.

It was a hit in the Netherlands and comes back every year in the Top 2000 (annual marathon radio program, that plays the 2000 most popular songs of all time, from Christmas through New Year's Eve.).
 
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I can often find a soft spot for a hooky pop rock song, probably because I grew up in the golden era of that type of music.
Loved both songs in the latter match-up when they were one-hit wonders when I was about 13 (surprised and happy to hear Driver's Seat endures in the Netherlands).

Ah Leah works much better if you turn off the video and put on the headphones. Great '70s studio polish — that vocal layering over that rock-steady bottom and I love that chord sequence.
But the clear winner is Driver's Seat. Again, great studio polish, layers of music and a driving beat, but this one has tastier flourishes — the keyboard swirls, the background vocals and a sweet pair of atmospheric outro solos.
 
Is it just me or is the opening of Bleak highly reminiscent of Bruce's Cyclops?
I would like the beginning better with clean vocals. The music under it is good, powerful, clean and cold.
The part with the clean vocals get better, the calm mid-section is good and the heavy instrumental really good.
It's a song that I'm pretty sure I'll like more with more listenings.

Arriving Somewhere is my favourite Porcupine Tree epic.
Disagree strongly that Bleak is a far better song. Arriving has a great slow build and your patience pays off.
I think it is the more cohesive and dynamic ong.
 
I don't really like growling vocals (someone on this forum hates it when they are called "Cookie Monster" vocals, but I think that is an apt comparison). I overlook that vocal style at times with Opeth, because the music is just so damn good, which is the case with Bleak. The Porcupine Tree track bored me through the first half, though the guitar bit in the middle caught my interest temporarily. But the riffs in Bleak simply blow it away. I think Steven Wilson is a godsend in the studio with more skilled songwriters' material (see Opeth, Jethro Tull). But I've never really found his own material to be very strong, and this song is no exception.

In the second matchup, I remember both songs, and "Ah Leah" stands out to me. Mckindog is right: it works better without the "Buddy Holly meets Melania Trump" video. The video for Driver's Seat is much more entertaining, solely due to the guy in the fur collared jacket in the background, whose unintentional comedy rating is off the charts.
 
Going with Bleak in the first pair, because it's...Well it's fucking Bleak. Arriving Somewhere is a haunting track, the slow instrumental parts have an eerie, beautiful vibe. But I'm not a massive fan of the heavier section.

Thought the Ah Leah was bland, nothing remarkable that stayed with me. Driver's Seat has a better feel so went with that one.
 
Forostar said:
Never heard (of) Driver's Seat, Brigs? Amazing. Such a recognizable infectious tune.

It was a hit in the Netherlands and comes back every year in the Top 2000 (annual marathon radio program, that plays the 2000 most popular songs of all time, from Christmas through New Year's Eve.).
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Never even heard of the band, actually.
 
It took me decades before I knew the band name (or even the name of the song). But the tune itself... heard it often.
 
Nah, that one's completely passed me by. It's not the kind of kitsch stereotype-of-a-decade song that ends up in the 'best 70s' or 'best 80s' kind of rundowns we get here.
 
It was a big hit in the States, Australia and the Netherlands in 1980. And it kept coming back. When it was used in a Pioneer car audio commercial, in 1991...
... it was re-released and got to number one again out here. And since 1999 it appeared in the Top 2000 I talked about.
 
Stardust said:
Hey, @mckindog! Do you take song requests now that it's clear that your idea took off?
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Flash is right. I was thinking I'd play it quiet on the requests because I didn't really want to be flooded with a bunch at once and clutter the thread up with suggestions.
But if you, or anyone else, has something in mind feel free to PM them to me.
 
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