People have suggested it, and I’m happy to organise it, but I’m not sure about a Lux Familiar Cup for albums – I don’t think we’d get a better ranking than we have through analysing the constituent songs’ performances in the conventional cup, as Pirx The Purist did after the last one. On a related note though, I’ve been wondering for a long time about trying to put together the best review in the world (…ever!) for each album, especially since Temporary Fandoms on Facebook had such a good go last year. Any thoughts on how we might write that (collectively?) would be welcome.
21 June 2022
Chris The Siteowner
Here are those album rankings that Pirx The Purist did after the 2019 Lux Familiar Cup, in case you haven’t clicked the link:
Achtung
Creative Hub
Cammell Laird
90 Bisodol
Back In The DHSS
CSI
Urge
Trouble
McIntyre
Voyage
Back Again
This Leaden Pall
non-album
Four Lads
Godcore
21 June 2022
Chris The Siteowner
…and here’s a version worked out on a slightly different basis after the 2015 tournament:
Cammell Laird
Achtung
CSI
90 Bisodol
Urge
Back Again
McIntyre
Trouble
Saucy Haulage Ballads
Voyage
This Leaden Pall
Back In The DHSS
Four Lads
Editor’s Recommendation
Godcore
21 June 2022
FEATURELESS TV PRODUCER STEVE
Okay, I’ll go first. Here are my rankings, including the EPs (i.e., everything from the Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project’s “Browse The Lyrics” page, excluding And Some Fell On Stony Ground).
1. Cammell Laird Social Club 2. CSI: Ambleside 3. Achtung Bono
4. 90 Bisodol (Crimond) 5. The Voltarol Years 6. Saucy Haulage Ballads 7. Creative Hub 8. Editor’s Recommendation 9. Some Call It Godcore 10. Urge For Offal 11. Back Again In The DHSS 12. Look Dad No Tunes 13. ACD 14. Trouble Over Bridgwater 15. McIntyre, Treadmore And Davitt 16. Back In The DHSS 17. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road 18. This Leaden Pall 19. Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral 20. Eno Collaboration
The extra hard return is intentional. For me, the first three stand clearly above the rest. I can argue (even with myself) about what order those three should be in, but for me they are clearly the top three HMHB releases. Fourth place is malleable, and distant.
I look forward to robust debate.
22 June 2022
third rate les
Was pondering this question as I drove my step-daughter back from Cornwall at the weekend and listened to, amongst other things, Cammell Laird.
It’s a great album in that it has a handful of absolute belters, and Stavanger Toestub as a closer (which she thought was brilliant), but as an album I’m no longer so sure – the less (pause) song-based songs are a bit weak and it’s hard not to skip them.
My trouble is that if I devised a scoring system, its only purpose would be to illustrate why Creative Hub is the best album by anyone ever, by miles and miles, although it’s Achtung Bono that I’d want at my funeral. But trying to ignore that, a scoring system really needs to assess the songs that might not make your top 10 but are still far more than just filler. I think that’s the key. 1. How many must-have top-ten belters? 2. How many still make you laugh, gasp in admiration, or cry? 3. Any delightfully weird ones about, say, Eurogoths, that still make you scratch your head in puzzled delight? 4. How many skippable ones? Minus one for each 5. Any that make you wince slightly (there are one or two)? Minus two for each
Then make a percentage from each one, or something like that. Paul F can probably help me there…
22 June 2022
floreat ultonia
1. 90 Bisodol (Crimond) 2. Trouble Over Bridgwater 3. Back Again In The DHSS 4. Achtung Bono 5. Cammell Laird Social Club 6. The Voltarol Years 7. McIntyre, Treadmore And Davitt 8. Urge For Offal 9. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road 10. This Leaden Pall 11. Creative Hub 12. Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral 13. Some Call It Godcore 14. Back In The DHSS 15 CSI: Ambleside
25 June 2022
The harbinger of nothing
I’m not usually one for ranking things, but I came across this and thought I’d have a go. I suspect mine will be rather different to most…
On the basis that I cannot rank an EP alongside an album, purely for the length discrepancy, I’m including Stony Ground instead, as it’s how I tend to listen to them anyway. Similarly, I’m also going with ACD rather than Back Again. Plus I’m using FTVP Steve’s extra hard return.
1. 90 Bisodol 2. Urge For Offal 3. CSI Ambleside 4. Creative Hub 5. Achtung Bono 6. Cammell Laird 7. Bottom of the Road 8. Stony Ground 9. Leaden Pall 10. Godcore 11. Bridgwater 12. Four Lads 13. ACD 14. Back in the DHSS 15. Voltarol
16. McIntyre
I hope that one day Voltarol will climb my rankings, but it hasn’t happened yet.
29 June 2022
BOBBY SVARC
My top 5
Achtung Bono This Leaden Pall 90 Bisodol (Crimond) Urge For Offal McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt
29 June 2022
Bad loser
After a few days spent playing CDs to see if vital extra points could be won and lost, here are the rankings from Bad Loser’s jury.
Creative Hub Achtung Bono Voltarol Cammell Laird M, T & D Back In The DHSS (Includes Trumpton Riots EP) CSI Ambleside Urge For Offal Back Again In The DHSS 90 Bisodol Four Lads Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road This Leaden Pall Bridgewater Godcore
Interesting to see some hugely differing lists on here.
My scoring system to a little while to work out and I think it produced the right results for me. Maybe Godcore could’ve finished above Bridgewater as it is more consistent. If there is such a thing as being ‘Bottom heavy’ then Bridgewater is it. There are only 6 songs given minus scores and 3 are on this album: Look Dad and Paintball score well and keep it off the bottom.
Chris The Siteowner
People have suggested it, and I’m happy to organise it, but I’m not sure about a Lux Familiar Cup for albums – I don’t think we’d get a better ranking than we have through analysing the constituent songs’ performances in the conventional cup, as Pirx The Purist did after the last one. On a related note though, I’ve been wondering for a long time about trying to put together the best review in the world (…ever!) for each album, especially since Temporary Fandoms on Facebook had such a good go last year. Any thoughts on how we might write that (collectively?) would be welcome.
21 June 2022
Chris The Siteowner
Here are those album rankings that Pirx The Purist did after the 2019 Lux Familiar Cup, in case you haven’t clicked the link:
21 June 2022
Chris The Siteowner
…and here’s a version worked out on a slightly different basis after the 2015 tournament:
21 June 2022
FEATURELESS TV PRODUCER STEVE
Okay, I’ll go first. Here are my rankings, including the EPs (i.e., everything from the Half Man Half Biscuit Lyrics Project’s “Browse The Lyrics” page, excluding And Some Fell On Stony Ground).
1. Cammell Laird Social Club
2. CSI: Ambleside
3. Achtung Bono
4. 90 Bisodol (Crimond)
5. The Voltarol Years
6. Saucy Haulage Ballads
7. Creative Hub
8. Editor’s Recommendation
9. Some Call It Godcore
10. Urge For Offal
11. Back Again In The DHSS
12. Look Dad No Tunes
13. ACD
14. Trouble Over Bridgwater
15. McIntyre, Treadmore And Davitt
16. Back In The DHSS
17. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road
18. This Leaden Pall
19. Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral
20. Eno Collaboration
The extra hard return is intentional. For me, the first three stand clearly above the rest. I can argue (even with myself) about what order those three should be in, but for me they are clearly the top three HMHB releases. Fourth place is malleable, and distant.
I look forward to robust debate.
22 June 2022
third rate les
Was pondering this question as I drove my step-daughter back from Cornwall at the weekend and listened to, amongst other things, Cammell Laird.
It’s a great album in that it has a handful of absolute belters, and Stavanger Toestub as a closer (which she thought was brilliant), but as an album I’m no longer so sure – the less (pause) song-based songs are a bit weak and it’s hard not to skip them.
My trouble is that if I devised a scoring system, its only purpose would be to illustrate why Creative Hub is the best album by anyone ever, by miles and miles, although it’s Achtung Bono that I’d want at my funeral. But trying to ignore that, a scoring system really needs to assess the songs that might not make your top 10 but are still far more than just filler. I think that’s the key.
1. How many must-have top-ten belters?
2. How many still make you laugh, gasp in admiration, or cry?
3. Any delightfully weird ones about, say, Eurogoths, that still make you scratch your head in puzzled delight?
4. How many skippable ones? Minus one for each
5. Any that make you wince slightly (there are one or two)? Minus two for each
Then make a percentage from each one, or something like that. Paul F can probably help me there…
22 June 2022
floreat ultonia
1. 90 Bisodol (Crimond)
2. Trouble Over Bridgwater
3. Back Again In The DHSS
4. Achtung Bono
5. Cammell Laird Social Club
6. The Voltarol Years
7. McIntyre, Treadmore And Davitt
8. Urge For Offal
9. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road
10. This Leaden Pall
11. Creative Hub
12. Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral
13. Some Call It Godcore
14. Back In The DHSS
15 CSI: Ambleside
25 June 2022
The harbinger of nothing
I’m not usually one for ranking things, but I came across this and thought I’d have a go. I suspect mine will be rather different to most…
On the basis that I cannot rank an EP alongside an album, purely for the length discrepancy, I’m including Stony Ground instead, as it’s how I tend to listen to them anyway. Similarly, I’m also going with ACD rather than Back Again. Plus I’m using FTVP Steve’s extra hard return.
1. 90 Bisodol
2. Urge For Offal
3. CSI Ambleside
4. Creative Hub
5. Achtung Bono
6. Cammell Laird
7. Bottom of the Road
8. Stony Ground
9. Leaden Pall
10. Godcore
11. Bridgwater
12. Four Lads
13. ACD
14. Back in the DHSS
15. Voltarol
16. McIntyre
I hope that one day Voltarol will climb my rankings, but it hasn’t happened yet.
29 June 2022
BOBBY SVARC
My top 5
Achtung Bono
This Leaden Pall
90 Bisodol (Crimond)
Urge For Offal
McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt
29 June 2022
Bad loser
After a few days spent playing CDs to see if vital extra points could be won and lost, here are the rankings from Bad Loser’s jury.
Creative Hub
Achtung Bono
Voltarol
Cammell Laird
M, T & D
Back In The DHSS (Includes Trumpton Riots EP)
CSI Ambleside
Urge For Offal
Back Again In The DHSS
90 Bisodol
Four Lads
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road
This Leaden Pall
Bridgewater
Godcore
Interesting to see some hugely differing lists on here.
My scoring system to a little while to work out and I think it produced the right results for me. Maybe Godcore could’ve finished above Bridgewater as it is more consistent. If there is such a thing as being ‘Bottom heavy’ then Bridgewater is it. There are only 6 songs given minus scores and 3 are on this album: Look Dad and Paintball score well and keep it off the bottom.
29 June 2022