"The Lux Familiar Cup 2019: Baguette Dilemma Round

The Lux Familiar Cup 2019: Baguette Dilemma Round – Results

Previous: Baguette Dilemma Round – Draw and Voting
Next: Round of 32 – Voting

Ladies and Gentlemen:
the songs which have made the round of 32…

A Country Practice
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
Asparagus Next Left
Bob Wilson – Anchorman
Descent Of The Stiperstones
Dickie Davies Eyes
Eno Collaboration
Evening Of Swing (Has Been Cancelled)
Every Time a Bell Rings
Everything’s AOR
For What Is Chatteris…
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Joy In Leeuwarden (We Are Ready)
Knobheads on Quiz Shows
National Shite Day
Outbreak of Vitas Gerulaitis
Paintball’s Coming Home
Restless Legs
Rock And Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools
Swerving the Checkatrade
Tending The Wrong Grave For 23 Years
Terminus
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
The Trumpton Riots
The Unfortunate Gwatkin
Them’s The Vagaries
Thy Damnation Slumbereth Not
Turned Up Clocked On Laid Off
Twenty Four Hour Garage People
We Built This Village On A Trad Arr Tune
Westward Ho! – Massive Letdown
When The Evening Sun Goes Down

The voting stats for the top 32 above will be withheld until the tournament is over, to avoid influencing the knockout round voting, but here are the stats on the 173 songs which sadly didn’t make it…

		W	L	W%	Skipped
33	Irk The Purists	2277	1334	63.1%	296
34	A Lilac Harry Quinn	2163	1269	63.0%	271
35	Monmore, Hare’s Running	2159	1277	62.8%	410
36	Took Problem Chimp To Ideal Home Show	2271	1347	62.8%	244
37	Surging out of Convalescence	2205	1313	62.7%	339
38	Fuckin’ ‘Ell It’s Fred Titmus	2231	1332	62.6%	203
39	Running Order Squabble Fest	2165	1293	62.6%	333
40	Uffington Wassail	2211	1370	61.7%	342
41	Depressed Beyond Tablets	2184	1363	61.6%	275
42	The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman	2253	1409	61.5%	230
43	Lord Hereford’s Knob	2140	1363	61.1%	264
44	L’Enfer C’Est Les Autres	2104	1341	61.1%	316
45	San Antonio Foam Party	2161	1380	61.0%	414
46	Bad Losers on Yahoo Chess	2154	1380	61.0%	314
47	27 Yards Of Dental Floss	2196	1416	60.8%	304
48	Harsh Times in Umberstone Covert	2143	1385	60.7%	329
49	Look Dad No Tunes	2117	1390	60.4%	398
50	Time Flies By (When You’re A Driver Of A Train)	2117	1402	60.2%	210
51	99% Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd	2159	1451	59.8%	280
52	Tommy Walsh’s Eco House	2059	1385	59.8%	302
53	Fix It So She Dreams Of Me	2076	1406	59.6%	295
54	Man of Constant Sorrow (With a Garage in Constant Use)	2178	1489	59.4%	267
55	Renfield’s Afoot	2023	1428	58.6%	337
56	Bottleneck at Capel Curig	2053	1450	58.6%	353
57	4AD3DCD	2089	1484	58.5%	308
58	The Bane Of Constance	2005	1427	58.4%	370
59	The Referee’s Alphabet	2069	1475	58.4%	300
60	Adam Boyle Has Cast Lad Rock Aside	2143	1531	58.3%	247
61	Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo	2006	1442	58.2%	288
62	Little In The Way Of Sunshine	2048	1475	58.1%	320
63	If I Had Possession Over Pancake Day	1981	1441	57.9%	418
64	Something’s Rotten In The Back of Iceland	1979	1444	57.8%	340
65	Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets	2089	1555	57.3%	285
66	Urge For Offal	1946	1457	57.2%	381
67	She’s In Broadstairs	1941	1454	57.2%	416
68	Upon Westminster Bridge	2020	1546	56.6%	302
69	It’s Cliched to be Cynical at Christmas	2011	1571	56.1%	272
70	Alehouse Futsal	1916	1528	55.6%	323
71	Sealclubbing	1937	1545	55.6%	318
72	Gubba Look-a-likes	2003	1602	55.6%	375
73	Mod. Diff. Vdiff. Hard Severe	1937	1560	55.4%	342
74	Vatican Broadside	1904	1549	55.1%	291
75	Friday Night And The Gates Are Low	1884	1543	55.0%	439
76	God Gave Us Life	1961	1609	54.9%	283
77	Hedley Verityesque	1742	1432	54.9%	465
78	Used To Be In Evil Gazebo	1882	1578	54.4%	408
79	Totnes Bickering Fair	1855	1559	54.3%	345
80	This Leaden Pall	1820	1547	54.1%	373
81	P.R.S. Yearbook – Quick, The Drawbridge	1832	1572	53.8%	445
82	It Makes The Room Look Bigger	1838	1586	53.7%	358
83	Prag Vec at the Melkweg	1817	1583	53.4%	429
84	What Made Colombia Famous…	1866	1632	53.3%	299
85	Ode To Joyce	1927	1703	53.1%	255
86	Old Age Killed My Teenage Bride	1872	1665	52.9%	362
87	CORGI Registered Friends	1843	1641	52.9%	403
88	Bad Review	1745	1573	52.6%	453
89	The Best Things In Life	1738	1594	52.2%	406
90	I was a teenage armchair Honved fan	1782	1645	52.0%	395
91	Paradise Lost (You’re The Reason Why)	1762	1641	51.8%	472
92	Bladderwrack Allowance	1772	1673	51.4%	393
93	Baguette Dilemma For The Booker Prize Guy	1841	1756	51.2%	297
94	Stuck Up A Hornbeam	1790	1717	51.0%	393
95	Improv Workshop Mimeshow Gobshite	1716	1647	51.0%	477
96	Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be with Jesus	1731	1675	50.8%	360
97	Left Lyrics In The Practice Room	1721	1667	50.8%	414
98	Mathematically Safe	1720	1686	50.5%	379
99	Twydale’s Lament	1698	1680	50.3%	400
100	With Goth On Our Side	1777	1760	50.2%	337
101	Mate of the Bloke	1707	1714	49.9%	386
102	The Announcement	1748	1766	49.7%	352
103	RSVP	1715	1756	49.4%	372
104	The Coroner’s Footnote	1722	1773	49.3%	344
105	Give Us Bubblewrap	1668	1735	49.0%	410
106	My Outstretched Arms	1645	1712	49.0%	403
107	The Len Ganley Stance	1695	1777	48.8%	314
108	Fear My Wraith	1628	1712	48.7%	437
109	Petty Sessions	1629	1722	48.6%	411
110	Lark Descending	1642	1745	48.5%	391
111	Letters Sent	1626	1731	48.4%	426
112	Reflections in A Flat	1640	1791	47.8%	432
113	I Went To A Wedding…	1694	1858	47.7%	384
114	Fun Day in the Park	1587	1751	47.5%	411
115	I Love You Because (You Look Like Jim Reeves)	1661	1833	47.5%	350
116	Tyrolean Knockabout	1539	1715	47.3%	479
117	Emerging From Gorse	1631	1818	47.3%	405
118	Footprints	1550	1735	47.2%	466
119	Floreat Inertia	1544	1735	47.1%	475
120	Venus in Flares	1617	1824	47.0%	403
121	I Hate Nerys Hughes (From The Heart)	1603	1819	46.8%	311
122	Mileage Chart	1627	1862	46.6%	432
123	King of Hi-Vis	1622	1858	46.6%	401
124	Keeping Two Chevrons Apart	1612	1850	46.6%	406
125	Four Skinny Indie Kids	1587	1822	46.6%	422
126	A Shropshire Lad	1603	1844	46.5%	478
127	Breaking News	1536	1790	46.2%	486
128	Secret Gig	1546	1803	46.2%	517
129	Yipps (My Baby Got The)	1511	1766	46.1%	502
130	The Ballad of Climie Fisher	1589	1869	46.0%	423
131	This One’s For Now	1572	1850	45.9%	376
132	Tour Jacket with Detachable Sleeves	1540	1818	45.9%	411
133	Whit Week Malarkey	1516	1799	45.7%	548
134	I Left My Heart In Papworth General	1581	1900	45.4%	368
135	Ordinary to Enschede	1501	1822	45.2%	470
136	Albert Hammond Bootleg	1531	1868	45.0%	411
137	Blood on the Quad	1493	1849	44.7%	437
138	1966 And All That	1499	1861	44.6%	447
139	Our Tune	1490	1855	44.5%	488
140	Mars Ultras, You’ll Never Make The Station	1500	1886	44.3%	494
141	Rod Hull Is Alive – Why?	1468	1848	44.3%	514
142	Excavating Rita	1525	1930	44.1%	478
143	Blue Badge Abuser	1521	1928	44.1%	412
144	Turn A Blind Eye	1488	1906	43.8%	461
145	Deep House Victims Minibus Appeal	1449	1885	43.5%	491
146	David Wainwright’s Feet	1390	1814	43.4%	556
147	Sensitive Outsider	1387	1895	42.3%	497
148	Even Men With Steel Hearts	1400	1915	42.2%	570
149	Jarg Armani	1370	1933	41.5%	502
150	Sponsoring the Moshpits	1432	2023	41.4%	444
151	Whiteness Thy Name Is Meltonian	1349	1907	41.4%	601
152	Reasons To Be Miserable (Part 10)	1409	1996	41.4%	490
153	Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes	1379	1965	41.2%	409
154	CAMRA Man	1301	1910	40.5%	488
155	Emergency Locksmith	1345	1981	40.4%	476
156	Bogus Official	1339	1979	40.4%	461
157	He Who Would Valium Take	1337	1982	40.3%	480
158	D’Ye Ken Ted Moult?	1321	1990	39.9%	436
159	On Passing Lilac Urine	1298	1984	39.5%	532
160	Hair Like Brian May Blues	1327	2080	38.9%	417
161	Song of Encouragement for the Orme Ascent	1277	2033	38.6%	548
162	On The ’Roids	1277	2049	38.4%	412
163	M-6-ster	1261	2054	38.0%	504
164	Architecture and Morality Ted and Alice	1297	2113	38.0%	514
165	Quality Janitor	1237	2036	37.8%	571
166	New York Skiffle	1266	2099	37.6%	488
167	Let’s Not	1196	2005	37.4%	622
168	Numanoid Hang-glide	1180	1988	37.2%	657
169	Third Track Main Camera Four Minutes	1152	1973	36.9%	580
170	See That My Bike’s Kept Clean	1212	2098	36.6%	510
171	Styx Gig (Seen By My Mates Coming Out Of A)	1194	2076	36.5%	460
172	Malayan Jelutong	1129	2000	36.1%	584
173	Arthur’s Farm	1174	2113	35.7%	506
174	Girlfriend’s Finished With Him	1128	2109	34.8%	585
175	Doreen	1106	2077	34.7%	531
176	You’re Hard	1155	2186	34.6%	500
177	Fretwork Homework	1117	2170	34.0%	571
178	Soft Verges	1095	2128	34.0%	613
179	On Finding The Studio Banjo	1143	2237	33.8%	438
180	Nove on the Sly	1072	2145	33.3%	609
181	Moody Chops	1060	2198	32.5%	634
182	Ready Steady Goa	1050	2217	32.1%	561
183	I, Trog	1015	2163	31.9%	621
184	On Reaching The Wensum	996	2162	31.5%	534
185	Christian Rock Concert	1064	2350	31.2%	528
186	Worried Man Blues	1020	2278	30.9%	495
187	False Grit	999	2296	30.3%	555
188	ITMA	945	2173	30.3%	590
189	Get Kramer	979	2321	29.7%	550
190	Epiphany	931	2279	29.0%	603
191	Ecclesiastical Perks	959	2350	29.0%	644
192	Children of Apocalyptic Techstep	927	2306	28.7%	609
193	Multitude	822	2332	26.1%	645
194	Faithlift	811	2322	25.9%	686
195	Mr Cave’s a Window Cleaner Now	812	2347	25.7%	640
196	£24.99 From Argos	808	2345	25.6%	633
197	Split Single With Happy Lounge Labelmates	787	2293	25.6%	694
198	Busy Little Market Town	803	2461	24.6%	476
199	Carry On Cremating	774	2435	24.1%	632
200	Stavanger Töestub	787	2592	23.3%	527
201	Song For Europe	628	2478	20.2%	671
202	13 Eurogoths Floating In The Dead Sea	608	2697	18.4%	531
203	Theme Tune For Something Or Other	482	2797	14.7%	526
204	Visitor for Mr Edmonds	303	2967	9.3%	531
205	Slight Reprise	222	3014	6.9%	578

Overall, there were 350,372 matches with results, and 41,578 skipped ties. This compares to just under 200,000 in total last time, so almost double the vote. More stats to follow, as well as news of the Round of 32. But for now, over to you…

Letters Sent (61)

Skip to the most recent comment

Embrace the margin
Oof. 4 or 5 of my top, top players missing, but that’s a fine selection.
7 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
A surprisingly large crossover with the Baguette Dilemma Round from four years ago, I think. There are 4 ‘new entries’ in the last 32 (songs from Creative Hub which weren’t in the running last time), and 4 oldies which have risen into the knockout stages: Paintball’s Coming Home (last time: 35); Joy In Leeuwarden (41); Dickie Davies Eyes (42); and Eno Collaboration (45).
The 8 songs which made the last 32 four years ago but didn’t manage it this time are The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman (was previously 16); Running Order Squabble Fest (17); Depressed Beyond Tablets (23); Irk The Purists (26); Fix It So She Dreams Of Me (27); Lord Hereford’s Knob (28); Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets (30); and Adam Boyle Has Cast Lad Rock Aside (31).
7 July 2019
featureless tv producer steve
No “Fix It So She Dreams Of Me”? Malfeasance on an epic scale. I’m utterly gutted. Not sure I’ll even be able to summon the energy to care about the subsequent rounds now…
7 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
I’m just as gutted over that one, Steve. And also for Surging (37). If only we had VAR.
7 July 2019
featureless tv producer steve
Yeah, “Surging” is a favourite of mine as well, CtSO. Was hoping it would make the cut.
A deeper look is causing even more dismay. Not that I expected them in the 32, but “Left Lyrics” way down at 97? And “Jarg Armani” at 149? Oof. I gotta go lie down.
7 July 2019
I, problem chimp
No ‘Harsh Times…’?
This competition is dead to me…
7 July 2019
Pooplby
I know. Apart from being personal favourites, I thought Umberstone and Surging were bound to make the cut.
7 July 2019
paul F
Song of Encouragement for the Orme Ascent 161! Never has Super Hans’s view of “people” seemed so relevant.
7 July 2019
transit full of keith
My faith in the future of democracy has been sorely tested lately, but ‘Swerving the Checkatrade’ lording it over ‘Umberstone Covert’ may well be the last straw.
8 July 2019
Pirx the purist
Equally “shocked…and stunned” (spot the reference) that Harsh Times never made the cut.
8 July 2019
Gipton Teenager
Does This Leaden Paul get the Golden Tie for the best Luxtaposition (that really should be in the dictionary )namely Dickie Davies Eyes -Lord Hereford’s Knob?
8 July 2019
Gipton Teenager
Come to think of it Victoria Coren had a show on TV -Balderdash and Piffle if memory serves -where she tried to get new words admitted into the OED. I’m sure there are better minds than mine on here who could come up with a suitable definition. Imagine – a HMHB inspired addition to the English language!
8 July 2019
Chigley Skin
“Geraldine, Geraldine, it’s just a song contest – nobody caaaaares…”
But yeah, seriously. Harsh Times In The Lux Familiar Cup.
8 July 2019
Jodrell banksy
The low rankings for M6ster and Milage Chart are two of my biggest shocks – and surely I alone voted up Harsh Times at Umberstone Covert at least 2000 times!
8 July 2019
Lord leominster
My voting, although not on a massive scale, was definitely biased towards Creative Hub. From others’ comments I thought Harsh Times might well have been a contender for the top spot.
As for Luxtapositions my favourite was Shit Arm, Bad Tatoo, Restless Legs but I would be pleased to support Lord Hereford’s Knob being eyed by DD.
8 July 2019
Lord leominster
Tattoo
8 July 2019
warden hodges
The brilliant ‘Soft Verges’ nosedives again…
8 July 2019
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Also surprised that Harsh Times didn’t make it, and disappointed but less surprised that Fix It didn’t. However, very very happy that Terminus is there, and surprised but pleased that TDSN made it through. Roll on the “Round of 32” or whatever format CtSO devises for the next stage!
8 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Some voter data:
• There were 1745 different IP addresses recorded (let’s assume they’re separate people), compared to just over 1000 last time.
• 99 people voted once.
• 56 people voted over 1000 times.
• 10 people voted over 5000 times.
• 2 people voted over 15000 times. I’ve had a look at these, and there’s no pattern of concerted voting against any particular song from either of them. As you’d expect, they have their favourites, but their votes made no difference to songs getting into the final 32 or not; indeed, they had niche tastes, and their biggest impact was to get Uffington up from about 60 to 40, and Gubba up from about 90 to 72. So I didn’t think it necessary to make any adjustments, and I hope that’s OK with everyone else.
• The first match was a win for Shite Day, the 391950th and final match a win for Ecclesiastical Perks.
8 July 2019
Steve Blackmore
Quite a few surprises but a great list nevertheless. What was the top song though? Is there a clear cut favourite?
8 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
@GWA: Also insanely pleased about Terminus, which was at 34 with just a few hours to go. It was as close at the 32nd/33rd place spot as anywhere else in the list – another 7 votes for Purists would have got it into the next round.
8 July 2019
Steve Blackmore
I guess a lot will depend on the draw.
8 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
@Steve: As last time, I won’t publish the voting stats for the top 32 until the tournament is over, to avoid influencing the knockout round voting (a note has now been added to that effect above), although it’s a fair bet that the differences from four years ago will not be dramatic. There is one song in the top 10 which wasn’t anywhere near it last time though.
8 July 2019
Steve Blackmore
Thanks CtSO can’t wait for the draw. Am as addicted to this as i am red wine and fags. Shame about Umberstone though.
8 July 2019
Compton Mofo
Thanks for the update, CtSO. Can’t wait for the draw. Live from Bangkok at 4:06, I expect. I’ll be wide awake.
8 July 2019
NEIL SHIDE
We need another go at this, people obviously didn’t know what they were voting for. #TheBiscuitsVote
8 July 2019
Paul f
Great to hear that somebody shares my huge love of Uffington.
Maybe if I had committed to the voting in a similar manner it might have ended up in the knockout stages. But ultimately it’s a bit pointless, as any song delivered by an individual or two into the second round is unlikely to get beyond it.
8 July 2019
transit full of keith
Of the new songs, ‘Terminus’, ‘Knobheads’ and ‘Every Time a Bell Rings’ clearly deserve their berths, but ‘Checkatrade’ over ‘Umberstone’ (and ‘Mod. Diff’ for that matter) is a shocker. ‘Them’s the Vagaries’ is the biggest surprise, how did that happen?
I’m a bit baffled by the undying popularity of ‘Bob Wilson’ and ‘Evening Sun’. I prefer bottom-25 choices ‘Get Kramer’, ‘Multitude’, ‘Nove on the Sly’ and ‘£24.99 from Argos’ to either of them, so I suppose I must’ve been knocked on the head as a child or something. I don’t think ‘Uffington’ or ‘Gubba Look-a-Likes’ count as ‘niche’ tastes, the stonking performance of the latter in Cambridge in 2016 counts as my most delirious Biscuit live moment.
8 July 2019
This leaden paul
Draw to take place in the baguette aisle of Tesco, time TBA.
8 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
I’ve put a plan of how the draw could be done on the Round of 32 Voting page here. All comments welcome.
8 July 2019
the donkey centre half
Can’t believe how unpopular False Grit is as it was my favourite song from UFO.
Very pleased to see Terminus in there as it is great song and also to see Checkatrade make it through.
To those who have expressed surprise at the new songs doing so well, I think it is a reflection that the last album was the best for a long time and showed a more mature sound.
8 July 2019
Dennis Bell from Torquay
Dear CtSO,
Not sure if you’ve noticed this, but you spelled ‘Swerving the Checktrade’ (as it is spelled in the album) as ‘Checktrade’. Are we at risk of the Check-a-Trade having a go at us?
8 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
I’m very confused now.
8 July 2019
Dennis Bell from Torquay
Apologies! I meant to say your spelled ‘Checktrade’ as ‘Checkatrade’ but it autocorrected to the álbum spelling.
8 July 2019
Dennis Bell from Torquay
*you
My phone keyboard is a disaster. I’ll stop talking now.
8 July 2019
The harbinger of nothing
Where to start with that then?
I’m baffled at the popularity of Descent of the Stiperstones. Not because I don’t like it but because it’s really not an obvious choice. Many more obvious choices fell by the wayside.
Fuckin’ ‘Ell It’s Not Fred Titmus! Can’t believe it!
Shit Arm only at 61?! Less popular than Stiperstones? If you’d told me to bet on that beforehand I might have just lost my house. (Although maybe not because it did make the cut last time, and clearly I would have checked the form guide before changing my name to Archie.)
Sad to see some of my very favourites so low down… Faithlift, ITMA, Ready Steady Goa, Brian May… None of them in the top 159.
And I’m surprised* that anyone would vote against Lord Hereford’s Knob. For anything.
But… There are some pleasant surprises. I’m glad to see Thy Damnation, Westward Ho! and Knobheads make the cut.
Roll on the Round of 32! CtSO, have you considered making it a World Cup-style group round? 3 points for a win (over 60% of the vote), 1 point for a draw (40%-60%), 0 for a loss (less than 40%)?
*Before you write in… I’m not really. I do understand that other people have different opinions to mine!
9 July 2019
The harbinger of nothing
Since no-one’s mentioned album / EP stats…
Back in the DHSS: 0
Trumpton Riots EP: 2
Back Again: 1
McIntyre etc.: 2
This Leaden Pall: 1
Godcore: 0
Voyage to the Bottom: 2
Four Lads: 1
Trouble Over Bridgwater: 1
Editor’s Recommendation: 1
Cammell Laird: 4
Saucy Haulage Ballads: 1
Achtung Bono: 5
CSI Ambleside: 2
90 Bisodol: 3
Urge for Offal: 2
Fuckin’ Hedge: 4
That’s a fairly even split, really.
9 July 2019
The harbinger of nothing
If there’s one thing that the voting taught me, it’s that I have about 3 favourites on every single album. Apart from one, which rarely picked up any votes.
9 July 2019
featureless tv producer steve
Thanks for the breakdown, Harbinger of Nothing (may we call you HON?), but my depression only deepens.
Godcore with a big fat 0. Mind, it’s not like I was really expecting anything from Godcore to actually make the Final 32, but jeeeeeeze. A little arithmetic tells me Godcore songs finished in average 157th place. Sigh. Long, sad sigh. Steel Hearts at 148? Moshpits at 150? Trog at 183? 183, people? Where is the love for the mad sideys? Has anyone else even listened to this album? So very, very sad.
O Godcore, my dear little offbeat collection of quirky delights, am I the only one who loves you?
9 July 2019
Ferenc Puskas to you
Big fan of Godcore here, FTVP Steve. Fretwork, Styx Gig and particularly Friday Night are played often in the Puskas house.
9 July 2019
LUX INFERIOR
With a band this special, there’s barely anything by way of ‘filler’ material, so of course there are going to be several works of genius way down the list. However…
• TLP – possibly the album that’s the most unerringly brilliant throughout – only 1 in the final 32! Whiteness @ 151?!
• Trumpton Riots EP – it’s not all about the title track. 1966 @138?! A&M, T&A @164??!!
• Godcore – fully agree with previous comments. Where is the love? Are some folk not aware of this LP? Highest placing 75?! Wraith, Styx, Friday Night & Trog is as good a four song run as you’ll find anywhere in the canon.
• Girlfriend’s Finished With Him…174? Crying emoji thing here.
I’m fronting the TUCOLO campaign for the knockout stages.
9 July 2019
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
I have a theory about the comparative lack of love for Godcore and the other albums from around that period (TLP/Voyage/Four Lads etc) though I admit I’ve absolutely no evidence to back it up.
Other than those who’ve stuck with the band through thick and thin over the years, people generally remember them from the mid 80s “heyday” (DHSS, Trumpton Riots etc) or were introduced/came back to them by hearing them on 6 Music, particularly with JDOG the poster child for the Save 6 Music campaign. So for many Achtung Bono was their entry point and they may have continued to follow them through the new material, but perhaps been less likely to go back into the earlier albums. I’ll be honest and say that although I was a big fan of the band when they first emerged (I still have the cassette version of Back Again in the DHSS somewhere) they went off my radar until Cammell Laird Social Club and I am definitely less familiar with the 1990s/early 2000s albums.
9 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Good statting, @HON. If we compare to 2015, the albums/EPs for the top 32 are:
Back In The DHSS/Trumpton: (no change)
Back Again in the DHSS: (no change)
McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt: (–1)
This Leaden Pall: (no change)
Some Call It Godcore: (no change)
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road: (+1)
Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral: (no change)
Trouble Over Bridgwater: (–1)
Editor’s Recommendation: (no change)
Cammell Laird Social Club: (no change)
Saucy Haulage Ballads: (no change)
Achtung Bono: (–1)
CSI: Ambleside: (–1)
90 Bisodol (Crimond): (no change)
Urge For Offal: (–1)
Creative Hub: (+4)
In general then, people kept their long-term favourites, and it was songs from more recent albums which gave way to the very latest ones.
@GWA: I’m sure you’re right. I’d love to find out what the album sales have been over the years. I’d bet the 1990s albums were the ones with the lowest sales, and which seem to be getting the least support.
9 July 2019
Laura Morgan
Some great songs in there but, like many, disappointed by the puzzling low scoring of Godcore. To add to Gwok’s theory I have one of my own. It doesn’t help that they rarely play any of the songs live. I shouted a couple of times from the front for Sensitive Outsider in the past and Nigel looked at me askance. Is it because this wasn’t a great time in Nigel’s life and was going through his Used to be in Evil Gazebo period that he doesn’t have fond memories of the album? Great last 32 though I would have been happier with a last 64 as so many great songs missed the cut. Brilliant work Chris.
9 July 2019
Sera69
Well… another reason to forgo standard democracy and declare for benign dictatorship. As if i needed yet another reason to despair in a voting process. …Shite really coming to the surface :/
9 July 2019
daveu
“Look dad no tunes” and “Fix it so she dreams of me” must have had some difficult ties to have ended up in 49th and 53rd respectively. I was expecting them both to be last 16 if not QF material.
9 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Although there could be several reasons for skipping making a decision in a Baguette Dilemma Round tie, it’s likely that the number of skips indicates how well known each song/album is. So I took a look, and in order from most skips on average to fewest, the albums go:
ACD*
Peel Sessions**
Some Call It Godcore
Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral
This Leaden Pall
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road
McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt
And Some Fell On Stony Ground
Back Again in the DHSS
Trouble Over Bridgwater
Cammell Laird Social Club
Urge For Offal
90 Bisodol (Crimond)
Back In The DHSS
No-One Cares About Your Creative Hub
CSI: Ambleside
Achtung Bono
*Just Carry On Cremating
** Epiphany, Mars, Mr. Cave
I think that backs up the idea that the 90s albums are the least well-known amongst voters, and the recent albums and the first one are the best-known.
9 July 2019
Intheshadowoflilly
Gutted over Harsh Times & Joyce not making it through.
9 July 2019
Pirx The Purist
Taking the ones which didn’t make the 32 and creating a co-efficient per album, the surprising thing (in the light of what others have said already) is that it isn’t Godcore which comes out worst.
(The co-efficient is the total number of points for the tracks on each album divided by the number of tracks; not counting in either case, of course, the ones which qualified for the last 32). I’ve used the original track listings of ‘Back’ and ‘Back Again’ rather than the ‘ACD’ one:
Creative Hub 124.56
Achtung 121.44
90 Bisodol 120.11
Back In 117.45
CSI 115.73
Cammell Laird 115.44
Trouble 99.33
Urge 96.36
Back Again 85.29
Voyage 83.83
McIntyre 82.50
Leaden Pall 74.79
non-album 51.42
Godcore 49.17
Four Lads 39.00
This is skewed a bit by the number of tracks from each album which did get through the qualifying round. The final rankings will no doubt show a change in one or two positions.
It seems to back up CtSO’s impression that we are a combination of old nostalgics and rampant neophiliacs with not a lot inbetween.
9 July 2019
INJURED BUZZARD
Split single… at 197 ??? Have you included the postal votes?
9 July 2019
BAD LOSER
I would’ve expected fellow Biscuiteers to be amongst the more enlightened electorate you would expect to find, but I am surprised by some of the results. No Dean Friedman, Look Dad No Tunes, Dental Floss, Umberstone Covert, Bane of Constance or Yahoo Chess. I’m aghast. The suggestion that the magnificent ‘Terminus’ only just sneaked home gives me little hope for its chances.
Stiperstones is a shock. Admittedly, ‘The Crazy World of Arthur Brownlow’ is a great line but it seems like far too much work setting it up. Possibly the most disappointing early round results since Italt knocked out Brazil in 1982.
9 July 2019
Jeff parr
So unfortunate that Lord Hereford’s Knob fell out
10 July 2019
dr desperate
” ‘A psephologist is a man who knows about elections,’ I said, stumbling a little over the last word and taking off my glasses.”
(‘Girl, 20’, Kingsley Amis)
10 July 2019
Irk The Purists
I am actually very pleased that one of my personal favourites came in at #204 “Visitor for Mr Edmonds” i.e. second to last.
I know that it’s instrumental (sort of) but it is one of their out right funniest songs. Guess it takes all sorts.
Less happy that “Irk The Purists” just got beaten out – another of my all time favourites.
Just plain surprised that “Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets” isn’t higher.
Oh well!
11 July 2019
IRK THE PURISTS
By the way I mentioned to repeat, Brilliant work Chris (and I mean it).
11 July 2019
Lord leominster
#54 Irk
I am very fond of last placed Slight Reprise. I know that I voted for it more than once. Gubba Lookalikes is one of my favourite songs, anyway, but I like songs that have a ‘proper’ ending. A fade-out always feels like a cop-out to me. So to hear a few more bars of that wonderful riff followed by the true ending feels like free bonus to me. If that’s HMHB’s worst it says an awful lot about the entire catalogue.
11 July 2019
brumbiscuit
…Throws toys out of pram because A Lilac Harry Quinn didn’t manage to scrape through, harrumph…
11 July 2019
The harbinger of nothing
@FTVP Steve:
I too love Godcore. My favourite live HMHB recording is also from that time. Fear My Wraith and Faithlift would feature strongly in my last 32. I even love Song For Europe. It certainly wouldn’t be the bottom non-instrumental on my list.
P.S. Yep, you can call me HON. If a tyrannical loon ever tries to blast us all to probable bits and you were concerned about my wellbeing (or if I just lose the plot), you could ask the immortal question: “You OK, HON?”
11 July 2019
One of Cornell’s men
Was Michel Platini involved here?
12 July 2019
The Shark
Bozo Johnson as Prime Minister is hard to fathom. Trump becoming US President equally. Bob Wilson anchorman, sure. But none of them come close to the riddle that is Floreat Inertia not making the top 100. As the late Graham Taylor would have undoubtedly said, “what sort of thing is going on here?”
8 August 2019
Overgrown heDge
Prix the Purist did sterling work on ranking the albums by co-efficient, but with the top 32 rankings now available, this can be revised. I’ve crudely totted up the ranking scores, then divided by the number of tracks, lowest score wins. However, I’ve discounted….
– throwaway filler tracks such as Reprise and Edmonds, wonderful though they are, as unfair weighting
– all songs not on the 14 official albums
– only included the 10 tracks on the original DHSS/DHSS Again albums and discarded the rest.
– rounded up to whole numbers
– this leaves the ranking as…..
1- Achtung (59)
2- Hedge (64)
3- Cammell (67)
4- Bisodol (68)
5- CSI (77)
6- Trouble (85)
7- DHSS (86)
8- Urge (88)
9- DHSS Again (90)
10- McIntyre (102)
11- Voyage (109)
12- Leaden (119)
13- 4 Lads (156)
14- Godcore (157)
Fascinating how the bottom 5 are all the 90s albums……This Leaden Pall would easily make my top 5.
Also quite incredible how a “vintage” band has all their 21st century albums at the top. If you look at album rankings for virtually any other group there is little love for the “new stuff “.
Maybe it’s time for an Album LF Cup (14 + Stony + sundry non-league unreleased = 16) to sort this out once and for all!
3 May 2021

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