Hey folks!

Some context in case you missed it: several weeks ago, I put out a survey asking you what years we should cover in the near future, as well as if we should continue “The Pattern” (backwards through the 80s alternating with forwards through the 00s). You can find the original announcement here and a discussion of the results here. The results, to my mind, indicated a way forward, while at the same time, also indicated that regardless what I decided, I wasn’t going to get 100% satisfaction from you folks. That’s not on you; I should’ve seen that coming. Unfortunately, I’m the kind of person who wants 100% satisfaction and buy-in from everybody, even though that’s impossible. Anyway, after giving it some thought — what do I want to do? What makes sense? Is there anything that needs to be done? — I came up with an answer. It won’t satisfy everyone, but I think it’ll grab a fair share.

Here are the next three years to be covered by the Best Album Brackets, after the current Best Album of 2001 tournament is concluded. (Technically, you already know the first one, unless you’re coming in late.)

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

This is the most anticlimactic shit ever, I’m really sorry.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The next three years will be

1988, then 1977, then 2002.

I’ll now explain my reasoning behind each.

1988: Well, for one, it’s what everyone was expecting a couple months ago, until I brought out the survey, which probably gave some people a panic attack. If I didn’t want to do 1988, it was probably a little too late in the process to change horses midstream anyway. Luckily, I do want to do 1988. Are you kidding? This is where some of my all-time favorite albums live. I was 16 and just got a CD player and had disposable cash; this is a big year for me. There’s some great stuff in 1988, a lot of it I didn’t even put in the above graphic, and I’m finding new-to-me stuff every week. This is going to be a fun one, trust me.

1977: I know this one’s going to be a little controversial. Sorry! But we need to both break the pattern and go older than we have previously, if only to see if doing so is even viable. I think 1977 is a great year for this, as there are tons of big, famous, accessible albums, so even though few of you were even around at this time (I was only 5), it shouldn’t be too much of a culture shock, generally speaking. In fact, there’s so many big, famous, critically-acclaimed albums here that, for me at least, there’s some inherent drama in how the seeding and tournament will shake out. Lots of contenders, not that many seats at the table. There were some people who objected to this year because (and I’ll try to represent the argument to the best of my ability and memory) it’s history, it’s settled, and everything there is to say about these albums has been said. I disagree? Maybe others have written and discussed these album to death, but I haven’t (I’m still discovering most of them) and you, the voters, haven’t. And I want to hear what you have to say, not Christgau or Bangs or whoever the fuck we’re talking about here. I think there are as many things to say about a piece of art as there are people, and based on current match vote totals, that about two hundred people. There’s no reason to bow to received wisdom here; we can make our own wisdom.

2002: Truth time — I initially considered skipping this year. While I’m pretty big on 2004-2006, the 00s overall are not particularly interesting to me. A couple things changed my tune. First, the major one was that I disqualified N*E*R*D’s IN SEARCH OF… from the 2001 tournament, because that version is both different than the re-release in 2002 and difficult to find, and it would be extremely shitty to then not do 2002. (“Ha ha, sorry N*E*R*D! You lived up to your name!”) Furthermore, IN SEARCH OF… got just enough nomination votes to qualify for 2001, but was that because support for it is kind of mid, or because most people consider it to be 2002 and didn’t vote for it? I’d like to know. But another reason: 2002 was going to be YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT’s year. (Some will say, convincingly, that it was supposed to be YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT’s year.) Now that the 500 lb. corn cob isn’t in the room anymore, that leaves a vacuum. Who becomes top dog? Looking at the contenders, I know who I would place money on to get the #1 seed, but taking the whole thing? No idea. This feels like it could be one of those years where the #9 seed comes out of nowhere and goes all the way. I kinda need to know if that’s true. Anyway, while 2002 doesn’t excite me, I felt the same about 2001, and thanks to you folks, I found a ton of new-to-me 2001 albums that I think are great. There’s no reason to believe that 2002 would be any different.

===

Okay, if you count the current 2001 tournament that’s effectively just started, that’s the next two years sorted. (It takes about 6 months to get through a tournament.) What happens after that?

Well… then it might get really interesting.

I’m not sure what, exactly, to do after 2002, but I am leaning heavily towards blowing up The Pattern in some way. I think it’s time for, as the Little River Band once said, a cool change. As I said in the initial survey newsletter, I only have time left on this Earth for a limited number of tournaments — may as well make them ones I’m excited about. Or, if not that, then a system or process that’s exciting.

The suggestions from the survey results break down into two categories: some kind of new Pattern, or just go full random. There’s no consensus for what a new Pattern would look like; there’s as many ideas for a new Pattern as there are survey respondents. Even full random has a number of variants and decisions: Draw it out of a hat? A Wheel of Randomness? And bounded by what years?

(I have one idea for how to pick years, random-yet-not-random, that, to my knowledge, no one suggested. No one suggested it because no one in their right mind would do so. Of course, I’m seriously considering it.)

If there’s a new Pattern, then everyone can rest easy knowing what the next year is, and can prepare accordingly. If a new Pattern isn’t established and we go full random, then I think it will be necessary to announce the year in advance. Right now, I think two tournaments in advance would be about right. (So if we went random after 2002, I would need to have the year picked after 1988 and before 1977.)

What this means is I have approximately 1 ½ years to figure out what the new system is going to be, Pattern or random. That seems like a long time, but it’ll go fast. In the context of Best Album Brackets, it’s a big decision — it will not only determine what years we’ll do, but which ones we won’t.

Anyway, something to talk about.

Thanks,

Kent