29 May 2011
The Lux Familiar Cup: Quarter Finals – Match 1
A Country Practice
vs.
Them’s The Vagaries
One of only three survivors from the top ten performers in the qualifying stage, A Country Practice will have surprised nobody by getting this far, and is the flag-bearer now for the entire 90s output of the band. It comes up against Them’s The Vagaries, the second of three songs from Cammell Laird Social Club, which struggled to get by Turned Up Clocked On Laid Off but then brushed aside Paintball’s Coming Home, and may only just be getting into gear.
Result
A Country Practice 137
vs.
Them’s The Vagaries 124
29 Letters Sent:Jump to latest »
Chris The Siteowner
Oh no. As hard a choice – for me – as any in the competition so far. It would have ben a shoo-in for ACP a few weeks ago, but (like many people, it seems), the voting process has made me listen to, re-assess and generally “discover” several songs. “Vagaries” and the sadly-missed “Friday Night” are two songs which have gone up hugely in my estimation this way in recent weeks. I’m going to have to think long and hard.
May 29th, 2011
Jeff Dreadnought
Heads it’s ACP, tails it’s Vagaries
May 29th, 2011
BIG CON
Bank holiday week end and Stevenage out muscle Torquay, Barcelona take Man Utd. apart and A Country Practice lose at home to the much improved Them’s the Vagaries.
I’m afraid I don’t get ACP. Yodelling at the end is a consolation goal but it’s too late by then they’re already three down.
May 29th, 2011
Kingsbeef
Vagaries is a great song but A Country Practice is epic. It touches on everything that make Half Man Half Biscuit an unappreciated genius of a band. Wit and spit, invention and invective. I still prefer Damnation in a straight fight but this is Barca Practice running rings around Vagaries Utd, although 3-1 would be a little unfair on the away side.
May 29th, 2011
Neil G
Them’s The Vagaries is wonderfully enjoyable but it is a lightweight compared to A Country Practice.
May 29th, 2011
Third Rate Les
Much as I admire many of the bits of Country Practice, I just can’t concentrate on it all the way through – it just goes on a bit.
Vagaries – ace intro, a rhythm you can’t shake from your head, a rock solid structure, and lyrical daftness. If the word “lexicographers” has ever appeared in another song, I bet it wasn’t rhymed with “not so octopus”.
Coming after “San Antonio” in the album is like your ace midfilder scoring right from the hapless opposition’s kickoff seconds after he’s just volleyed one in Van Basten-like from the touch line.
May 29th, 2011
littlegrafter
For years if someone had asked me what my favourite biscuit’s song was I would have said ACP, without even thinking. But the whole point of this cup is that it IS making us us all think. And this is now a tough one. ACP, does it go through without thinking? Yes Les (and others) it does go on a bit, and Vagaries is definitely improving its own standing with me thoughout this cup so I’m going to have to refer this to the Ipod for absolute confirmation.
May 29th, 2011
Alexander Nolan
Vagaries has been bouncing its way up my mental league ladder over the last few weeks but it still hasn’t quite done enough to pip ACP.
May 29th, 2011
Alexander Nolan
It does go on a bit, but I used to think that about Thy Damnation Slumbereth Not, which has really forced me to change my view of it recently. It seems to me that all of the ‘long’ Biscuit offerings, when considered properly, reveal themselves to be in fact the perfect length for grappling with the subjects contained therein.
May 29th, 2011
TWO FAT FEET
Glad to see Damnation getting a bit of too-little-too-late recognition.
Like many others it seems, I hadn’t really regarded Vagaries quite as highly as maybe I should have, although I think that may be that it was lost in the forest of fantastic material that is Cammell Laird. The aviaries gag is particularly noteworthy, a bold inclusion given that it comes in the original recording of the song, not as a gag thrown into a live performance of an established favourite.
I must, however, not allow myself to let my opinions of A Country Practice slip despite having identified some (gasp) weak spots in its armour and actually voted against it in the last round. It still sits in my personal top five (exact order never analysed) and so it is once more in favour.
May 29th, 2011
Shirt Man
ACP will get lots of support and has some great bits about opinionated weather forecasters and bitter ex-soap stars, but im plumping for the Vagaries. Any song which mentions lexicographers, spinal curvatures and acknowledges the pleasure of five day tests is a winner for me!
May 29th, 2011
C. L. Murgatroyd
Squid yes, not so octopus. Say no more!
May 29th, 2011
dagenham dave
the weather forecaster line does it for me.
May 29th, 2011
anidlelayabout
I’m tempted to say I’m voting for neither of these and whichever wins will get my support in the next round – but it needs a vote and it needs thinking about.
I’ve just been going over the lyrics again and if I was being hyper critical, the only weak point in ACP is where he sings “flaming drongos”. I know it relates to the previous line about Home and Away aqnd Neighbours feeding into the news, and it works in context, but when I can’t help but hear the line in isolation and it jars with me.
but the whole fin de seicle feel and the anger of ACP more than makes up for it
Vagaries is just one of HMHBs better songs – the whole song just works for me and the Bass Player really let’s it happen.
The only miniscule fault with this song is the aviaries line – it would have almost stayed on subject as a humorous listing of all his quirks to a loved one, but deviates into a pun at the end.
Damn it all it comes down to a choice between Fin De Seicle Rage vs A quite nice confessional
Raging and waving a fist in the air during this recession I’m almost tempted to let my anger win the day, but I might feel different tomorrow – I have to go food shopping so I might ride to victory on the back of a trolley at the supermarket (although fully clothed)… so thinking of that line might change my vote.
May 29th, 2011
Chief Exec
I called ACP as the winner early doors and have voted for it in every round. Didn’t vote for Vagaries in the Round of 32 but it had already started to make some headway in my all time list. I probably regret that vote now but I guess it hasn’t impacted anything.
Round of 16 was a comfortable Vagaries vote.
Now we’re at the point where I stick the iPod on and shuffle the Quarter Final playlist. I find myself willing Vagaries to play next. At the same time I’d be happy to skip ACP to get there (but I don’t, as there’s no other entry I want to skip to).
Them’s the Vagaries is the song of the day for me, no doubt. The dilemma is whether I’m going to regret that vote if I opt to follow this very current opinion.
Suspect I’ll be making a difficult choice on June 3, after enjoying listening to both of these a lot.
May 30th, 2011
87 & CONFUSED
ACP all the way to the final.
Anyone know where the final’s being held?
Prenton Park?…The roof of the Barbican?….
May 30th, 2011
Dave Cooper
ACP with a last minute winner from Thatcher.
May 30th, 2011
EzekialpunchedDanBrown
A wasted vote, I’m sure but one has to try…
May 30th, 2011
littlegrafter
Listened to both a few times today, and whilst I’m closing in on a decision a couple of things I thought you ought to know…
ACP whilst being the ranty one has a much more laid back delivery than TTV, imagine the delivery of “Bin men thin men” in ACP, that would be fantastic.
Yes, the avaries bit is annoying
The bit when the organ comes in in ACP in about the 3rd verse is just lovely,
That bobbing up and down thing that they do at the proms….Brilliant
Sting singing on the roof of the Barbican, whilst being a horendous thought, is not half as bad as (Hair like) Brian May playing on the roof of Buckingham Palace, just imagine that!
Go with the heart, forget the head, its ACP for me, and may it take with it the spirits of those long ranty ones that fell by the wayside (Uffington, NSD, Thy Damnation) lest we forget…
May 30th, 2011
Steve G
Stick to the facts … I quite like a bit of drizzle …
May 30th, 2011
Lollipop Man Darren
Vagaries for me, not least for acknowledging the pleasure of five day tests.
Also, I have to stick to my principles and I won’t vote for ‘talkies’ regardless of any lyrical brilliance contained therein.
Sorry ACP but I’m rooting for a surprise away win…..
May 30th, 2011
Pete T
Not a fan of ACP at all, so……rooting for the erm, underdog.
May 31st, 2011
RobJ
Has to be the sheepskin noseband kids from Aldershot for me Brian.
May 31st, 2011
alan north
i simply won’t be there.
May 31st, 2011
JohnRivers
I’ve gone for Vagaries. Because it really is best to avoid those ancient pack horse bridges.
May 31st, 2011
Ben Woodcock
I did the multi listen test and I’m afraid Vagaries got it for me.
This leads me to an interesting question – have HMHB just got better with age or is it just that the newer stuff is still fresher to us all ?
May 31st, 2011
Brian Duffin
I’m with Dagenham Dave on the weather forecaster.
Bloody hard choice again though…
Jun 1st, 2011
Chungas Revenge
I voted for both of these tracks in the last round so this is a tough choice (well there are no easy games at this stage of the competition, at the end of the day we’ll take each armageddon as it comes). However, for me, Them’s The Vagaries wins it by a whisker and celebrates by riding to victory down the aisle of the local Tescos…
Jun 2nd, 2011
Dennis Bell - Torquay
Not that I’m complaining you understand but my intended vote for ACP here will undoubtedly result in a TTV win if previous rounds are anything to go by. So far have recorded only marginal success with the more obvious toons from each album in qualifying. In subsequent rounds have backed the wrong horse each time. With that in mind I’ve changed mine – I’m off.
Jun 3rd, 2011
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