ROUND ONE: (4) The Clash vs (13) ZZ Top

[Grammar_Police]

I don't want to sound like a music elitist, but I'm familiar with every band in this tourney, and I feel confident that I can rank them fairly accordingly to my tastes... I'm not so sure everyone here can say the same thing.

wait, how does that make sense?

I can rank the bands if I know them or not. I know one (and can tolerate it), therefore, I like it better than the other. this has nothing to do with an esoteric "which is a better band", rather which do you like better.

I like one better than the other by default if I know one and can stand it, but not know the other band.

If you know one band and hate it, but don't know the other, vote for the other or abstain.

[maddash]

I don't want to sound like a music elitist, but I'm familiar with every band in this tourney, and I feel confident that I can rank them fairly accordingly to my tastes... I'm not so sure everyone here can say the same thing.

wait, how does that make sense?

I can rank the bands if I know them or not. I know one (and can tolerate it), therefore, I like it better than the other. this has nothing to do with an esoteric "which is a better band", rather which do you like better.

I like one better than the other by default if I know one and can stand it, but not know the other band.

If you know one band and hate it, but don't know the other, vote for the other or abstain.

So you're saying that if someone gives you two cups of unlabeled beer, you can taste one, not taste the other, and tell me which one you like better?

If you don't know BOTH bands well enough, I think you should abstain.

[Grammar_Police]

I don't want to sound like a music elitist, but I'm familiar with every band in this tourney, and I feel confident that I can rank them fairly accordingly to my tastes... I'm not so sure everyone here can say the same thing.

wait, how does that make sense?

I can rank the bands if I know them or not. I know one (and can tolerate it), therefore, I like it better than the other. this has nothing to do with an esoteric "which is a better band", rather which do you like better.

I like one better than the other by default if I know one and can stand it, but not know the other band.

If you know one band and hate it, but don't know the other, vote for the other or abstain.

So you're saying that if someone gives you two cups of unlabeled beer, you can taste one, not taste the other, and tell me which one you like better?

If you don't know BOTH bands well enough, I think you should abstain.

that's exactly what I'm saying.

I can say AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME I like this one better than I like that one because I have never experienced the other one. Pretty straightforward, IMO.

and i don't agree on your last point.

Remember, it's a very important detail that this poll is NOT about which is better. Forming that opinion without knowing both bands is incorrect, data-free, and without merit. In that case, you should abstain.

[Popeye_Card]

If you don't know BOTH bands well enough, I think you should abstain.

If later on Zeppelin (who I know and love) comes up against the Police (who I know a couple of songs, and I'm fairly certain I don't want to know more), I'm going to vote for Zeppelin because I'm pretty certain they would make my final four no matter who they are up against.

So I think you can vote for one band that you really like over another that you don't really know.

--P--

[maddash]

I don't want to sound like a music elitist, but I'm familiar with every band in this tourney, and I feel confident that I can rank them fairly accordingly to my tastes... I'm not so sure everyone here can say the same thing.

wait, how does that make sense?

I can rank the bands if I know them or not. I know one (and can tolerate it), therefore, I like it better than the other. this has nothing to do with an esoteric "which is a better band", rather which do you like better.

I like one better than the other by default if I know one and can stand it, but not know the other band.

If you know one band and hate it, but don't know the other, vote for the other or abstain.

So you're saying that if someone gives you two cups of unlabeled beer, you can taste one, not taste the other, and tell me which one you like better?

If you don't know BOTH bands well enough, I think you should abstain.

that's exactly what I'm saying.

I can say AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME I like this one better than I like that one because I have never experienced the other one. Pretty straightforward, IMO.

and i don't agree on your last point.

Remember, it's a very important detail that this poll is NOT about which is better. Forming that opinion without knowing both bands is incorrect, data-free, and without merit. In that case, you should abstain.

The question isn't "what band do you like", it's "what band do you like BETTER". That use of "better" at the end requires a ranking, and a fair ranking requires knowledge of both bands.

If the question was "Do you like ZZ Top"... sure, you don't have to know The Clash at all. But that's not the question, the questions is "Do you like ZZ Top more than The Clash". To answer that question fairly, you have to have at least basic knowledge of The Clash to compare the two bands.

Again, with the beer analogy. You can fairly say that you like beer A without tasting beer B. You can't fairly say you like beer A "better" than beer B, because you DON'T know if you like beer A better than beer B.

[Fat Strat]

If you don't know BOTH bands well enough, I think you should abstain.

While parts of your argument have some validity, I don't think it applies very well to me and to this matchup. I was the one (along with Popeye) who argued ZZ Top into this competition. I'm very familiar with their music, the genre they represent, and the impact that they have had on musical culture.

From what I've heard of the Clash (before I voted I knew London Calling, listened to every song on the matchup page, and heard anything they might have been played on the radio or MTV in the 80's), there's no way I would change my vote, even if I listened to every song on every album that they've produced.

Unless the Clash is a serious blues/rock band featuring one of the best guitarists of the 80's they aren't going to top ZZ.

At least not for me. But, understand. I'm a blues/rock electric guitarist. Who would you expect me to vote for?

There have been other matchups where I wasn't familiar with either band or one of the bands and I abstained from voting. This one doesn't fit the mold.

[Grammar_Police]

The question isn't "what band do you like", it's "what band do you like BETTER". That use of "better" at the end requires a ranking, and a fair ranking requires knowledge of both bands.

If the question was "Do you like ZZ Top"... sure, you don't have to know The Clash at all. But that's not the question, the questions is "Do you like ZZ Top more than The Clash". To answer that question fairly, you have to have at least basic knowledge of The Clash to compare the two bands.

Again, with the beer analogy. You can fairly say that you like beer A without tasting beer B. You can't fairly say you like beer A "better" than beer B, because you DON'T know if you like beer A better than beer B.

Yes, yes, you can.

Lemme show you this way:

Both entities start at 0 on a liking scale.
I experience 1 entity.
That entity moves to 10 on the liking scale.
At this point, I like 1 more than the other.

That's where we're at.

[Popeye_Card]

Plus the reason for having the links to songs/videos is to help familiarize people with bands that they might not know much.

--P--

[maddash]

The question isn't "what band do you like", it's "what band do you like BETTER". That use of "better" at the end requires a ranking, and a fair ranking requires knowledge of both bands.

If the question was "Do you like ZZ Top"... sure, you don't have to know The Clash at all. But that's not the question, the questions is "Do you like ZZ Top more than The Clash". To answer that question fairly, you have to have at least basic knowledge of The Clash to compare the two bands.

Again, with the beer analogy. You can fairly say that you like beer A without tasting beer B. You can't fairly say you like beer A "better" than beer B, because you DON'T know if you like beer A better than beer B.

Yes, yes, you can.

Lemme show you this way:

Both entities start at 0 on a liking scale.
I experience 1 entity.
That entity moves to 10 on the liking scale.
At this point, I like 1 more than the other.

That's where we're at.

Where does the other entity rank on that scale? Because if it's anything other than N/A, you're just making up a number based on nothing.

And honestly, how fair is it to rank 10 verses N/A.

[Grammar_Police]

The question isn't "what band do you like", it's "what band do you like BETTER". That use of "better" at the end requires a ranking, and a fair ranking requires knowledge of both bands.

If the question was "Do you like ZZ Top"... sure, you don't have to know The Clash at all. But that's not the question, the questions is "Do you like ZZ Top more than The Clash". To answer that question fairly, you have to have at least basic knowledge of The Clash to compare the two bands.

Again, with the beer analogy. You can fairly say that you like beer A without tasting beer B. You can't fairly say you like beer A "better" than beer B, because you DON'T know if you like beer A better than beer B.

Yes, yes, you can.

Lemme show you this way:

Both entities start at 0 on a liking scale.
I experience 1 entity.
That entity moves to 10 on the liking scale.
At this point, I like 1 more than the other.

That's where we're at.

Where does the other entity rank on that scale? Because if it's anything other than N/A, you're just making up a number based on nothing.

And honestly, how fair is it to rank 10 verses N/A.

its still at 0. they both started there. otherwise, they both start at N/A.