Armed Forces Survivor - Results

[kosi559]

Armed Forces Survivor - Results

The winner is... Accidents Will Happen. ... .... Wow. I was not expecting this to happen given how iconic of a song Oliver's Army is, but I'll accept it. They're both great tracks, even though I do prefer Oliver's Army.

I may be gone for a longer period of time because I will be running another Survivor, but I'll try to get back to you relatively soon.

RESULTS


Rank Song Votes Percentage
13th Sunday's Best 18/71 25.4%
12th Moods for Moderns 15/61 24.6%
11th Chemistry Class 15/48 31.3%
10th Senior Service 14/65 21.5%
10th Busy Bodies 14/65 21.5%
8th Big Boys 25/57 43.9%
7th Goon Squad 23/67 34.3%
6th Two Little Hitlers 24/61 39.3%
5th Party Girl 24/67 35.8%
4th Green Shirt 24/53 45.3%
3rd (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? 33/54 61.1%
2nd Oliver's Army 35/58 60.3%
1st Accidents Will Happen 23/58 39.7%
WINNERS


Album Song Votes Percentage
My Aim is True (U.S.) Watching the Detectives 51/145 35.2%
My Aim is True (U.K.) (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes n/a n/a
This Year's Model (Illegitimate) This Year's Girl 23/47 49.9%
Armed Forces Accidents Will Happen 23/58 39.7%
Get Happy!! King Horse 21/54 38.9%
Imperial Bedroom Beyond Belief 28/62 45.2%

[Neil.]

I voted for Accidents to win but it was such a close run thing. Both fantastic songs. I went with Accidents cos it's got that heartbreaking mood, deeply sad yet somehow uplifting melody. And there's just something about that chorus that's magical - I never tire of this song.

[Fishfinger king]

Accidents for me too - and I didn't think it was too hard a decision. I've always felt that whilst Oliver's Army is good, it's a song for the general public whilst Accidents Will Happen is for the EC connoisseur. I may be being a bit of an Elvis snob though!!

[jardine]

Well, I find that Accidents sounds worse without all those other songs crowding around it, and that each one that got excised weakened what was left behind.

"Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:—
We murder to dissect."

Differently put, I get the game, but, really, I'm quite glad that we don't have to actually chose between these songs. There is no actual contest between them. Sure I prefer this or that on this listening or that, and that preference sways and wafts and never needs to light, never needs to come to the point where it banishes.

Sorry, I feel like a spoilsport. Johan Huizinga said that the cheat is a much more noble figure than the spoilsport, because the cheat honours the integrity of the game and doesn't call its bluff ["it's just a game, you know?"], but rather maintains the spell of the game and simply takes advantage of it.

[sulky lad]

Well, I find that Accidents sounds worse without all those other songs crowding around it, and that each one that got excised weakened what was left behind.

"Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:—
We murder to dissect."

Differently put, I get the game, but, really, I'm quite glad that we don't have to actually chose between these songs. There is no actual contest between them. Sure I prefer this or that on this listening or that, and that preference sways and wafts and never needs to light, never needs to come to the point where it banishes.

Sorry, I feel like a spoilsport. Johan Huizinga said that the cheat is a much more noble figure than the spoilsport, because the cheat honours the integrity of the game and doesn't call its bluff ["it's just a game, you know?"], but rather maintains the spell of the game and simply takes advantage of it.

I get it entirely Jardine - it's a bit of fun but lets not be too highbrow about it. it doesn't really matter. Elvis is never going to re-issue Armed Forces (for example) with Wednesday Week substituting for Sunday's Best or anything other track, they're of their time and nowhere was this borne out more than the recent changes to the lyrics of Oliver's Army when the "n" word was finally excised for good. At the time of release it seemed like a great lyric with the implication that there were white people that were as equally as put upon as Afro-Caribbeans but nowadays the use of this word in any context isn't appropriate or excusable. There again I'm a middle -aged white middle class wealthy person so I'm probably the least sensitive person to debate that topic. As to the survivor game - it might be different if I were asked which sole LP would you take on your desert island - to which i'd reply I'd be concerned about sand getting into the grooves and ruining my cartridge on my turntable ( assuming it survived the shipwreck) so could my island be closer to the Arctic Circle( say near Sweden) rather than the equator.
Finally, with regards to the cheat/spoilsport dichotomy, are you a Man.Utd fan ?

[WindUpWorld]

Accidents deserved clear winner - it is an unimpeachable and timeless song in a way Oliver’s Army isn’t quite, admittedly by a hair’s breadth. Thanks so much for organising Survivor, looking forward to the next when it comes.

[Neil.]

I know polls like this are not necessarily everyone's cup of tea, but I don't find them a negative thing, they're a poll about what's best from an amazing list of songs, rather than an assassination of the unapproved songs. As an unashamed Elvis geek, I am happy to see them continue as kind of day by day countdown thriller to see where the land lies. I really like these polls!