Jul 10, 2018
11:16:03am
11:16:03am
Thomas Dolby: A nerd among geeks, Thomas Dolby is the true sonic scientist of this group. His songs are high-concept experiments, ranging from mainstream to inaccessible, and he spends as much time on collaborations and in the classroom as he does on his own albums.
-vs-
Howard Jones: All three of these artists shunned the spotlight, but the biggest chart topper, Howard Jones, is the anti-rock star, eschewing controversy, living quietly, and writing uplifting songs. It's not for nothing that BYUtv featured him in an episode of "The Song That Changed My Life".
-vs-
Nik Kershaw: Of this trio of English synth-pop singer/songwriters, Nik Kershaw may be the one most likely to be called a one-hit wonder by Americans. That's a shame, considering the intelligence of his writing. In fact, he's the one whose albums I'm most likely to listen to all the way through.
Round 1:
Thomas Dolby takes the first round with "She Blinded Me With Science", as persistent but more interesting than Howard Jones' "No One Is To Blame", and as inescapable but less wearying than Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good".
Watch this video on YouTube
Round 2:
Thomas Dolby hits hard with "Hyperactive", but Nik Kershaw overwhelms him with the mysterious charm of "The Riddle". Only then does Howard Jones sweep in to take the round with "Pearl in the Shell".
Watch this video on YouTube
Round 3:
Thomas Dolby is still doing his proto-steampunk mad scientist thing in "One of Our Submarines", Howard Jones gets dramatic in "The Prisoner", but Nike Kerhsaw takes the round with the deeply ironic "Wide Boy".
Watch this video on YouTube
Extra Innings
• Thomas Dolby started strong with "Europa & The Pirate Twins" and "Windpower", but his two best songs ("Close But No Cigar"--which featured Eddie Van Halen--and "I Love You Goodbye") sadly aren't eligible for consideration here since they came out in 1992.
• Many might prefer Howard Jones' more pop-friendly hits (and mullets) like "Things Can Only Get Better", "Life in One Day", and "Everlasting Love", but I like the pioneering "New Song".
• In addition to a fabulous mullet, Nik Kershaw fans can point to "Don Quixote", "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", and "Nobody Knows". He also has the best deep tracks, like "Cloak and Dagger" and "Wild Horses".
-vs-
Howard Jones: All three of these artists shunned the spotlight, but the biggest chart topper, Howard Jones, is the anti-rock star, eschewing controversy, living quietly, and writing uplifting songs. It's not for nothing that BYUtv featured him in an episode of "The Song That Changed My Life".
-vs-
Nik Kershaw: Of this trio of English synth-pop singer/songwriters, Nik Kershaw may be the one most likely to be called a one-hit wonder by Americans. That's a shame, considering the intelligence of his writing. In fact, he's the one whose albums I'm most likely to listen to all the way through.
Round 1:
Thomas Dolby takes the first round with "She Blinded Me With Science", as persistent but more interesting than Howard Jones' "No One Is To Blame", and as inescapable but less wearying than Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good".
Watch this video on YouTube
Round 2:
Thomas Dolby hits hard with "Hyperactive", but Nik Kershaw overwhelms him with the mysterious charm of "The Riddle". Only then does Howard Jones sweep in to take the round with "Pearl in the Shell".
Watch this video on YouTube
Round 3:
Thomas Dolby is still doing his proto-steampunk mad scientist thing in "One of Our Submarines", Howard Jones gets dramatic in "The Prisoner", but Nike Kerhsaw takes the round with the deeply ironic "Wide Boy".
Watch this video on YouTube
Extra Innings
• Thomas Dolby started strong with "Europa & The Pirate Twins" and "Windpower", but his two best songs ("Close But No Cigar"--which featured Eddie Van Halen--and "I Love You Goodbye") sadly aren't eligible for consideration here since they came out in 1992.
• Many might prefer Howard Jones' more pop-friendly hits (and mullets) like "Things Can Only Get Better", "Life in One Day", and "Everlasting Love", but I like the pioneering "New Song".
• In addition to a fabulous mullet, Nik Kershaw fans can point to "Don Quixote", "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", and "Nobody Knows". He also has the best deep tracks, like "Cloak and Dagger" and "Wild Horses".
- Bio page
- panguitch
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2014
- Last login
- Oct 2, 2023
- Total posts
- 2,929 (1 FO)
Children:
POLL: 80s Deathmatch: Guns N' Roses vs. Metallica vs. Mötley Crüe (panguitch, Jul 11, 2018 at 11:21am)
Other Related Threads:
POLL: Deathmatch: Which is the best song about laundry? (panguitch, Nov 26, 2019 at 1:36pm)
When listening to music, does an off-putting vocalist (Doctor Rosenrosen, May 31, 2019 at 1:11pm)
Woah. Woah! Nobody loves Morrissey more than I do. But... (panguitch, May 31, 2019 at 12:35pm)
POLL: Morrissey vs. Bjork: Which awful singer is best? (panguitch, May 31, 2019 at 11:31am)
POLL: POLL: Teen Melodrama Deathmatch: Offspring vs. Therapy? (panguitch, May 24, 2019 at 12:01pm)
POLL: Deathmatch: CHVRCHES vs. Purity Ring (panguitch, Aug 13, 2018 at 5:28pm)
POLL: 80s Deathmatch: Peter Gabriel vs. Peter Murphy (panguitch, Jul 17, 2018 at 12:33pm)
POLL: 80s Deathmatch: Eurythmics vs. Propaganda vs. Yaz (panguitch, Jul 12, 2018 at 2:14pm)
Messages
Time
