Red Mosquito

Let the Records Play vs. God’s Dice vs. River Cross

I think Gods' Dice is one of the more boring songs in the catalog. It's always just been a yawn inducing by the numbers second track, and the run of Breakerfall-Gods' Dice -Evacuation is maybe the weakest three song opening run in the catalog (as much as I love MYM, Lightning Bolt gets off to a pretty sluggsih start)

Let the Records Play is a lot of dirty sleezy fun, with better lyrics and a nice barroom fuzzy groove to it. It's a quality song.


River Cross is not a song I listen to very often, and that's by design (similar to Everybody Hurts). Almost every time I do, I find it really moving, and it is indelibly linked to the early months of the COVID lockdown for me. On the right day it moves me to tears. Some incredibly powerful moments, and the way the lyrics in the second part of each pairing just glide over each other gives me chills.

Drifting off in the undertow
Can't spot a figure on dry land
And afterthoughts of safety
When in truth, none to be had
None to be had

Wide awake through this deepest night
Still waiting on the sun
As the hours seem to multiply
Find a star to soldier on
Living beneath a lion's paw
Knowing nothing can be tamed
Can be tamed

While the government thrives on discontent
And there's no such thing as clear
Proselytizing and profitizing
As our will all but just disappears
Folded over, forced in a choke hold
Outnumbered and held down
And all these talk of rapture
Look around at the promise now


and the switch from can't hold me down to can't hold us down just brings it all together. fantastic song.

I am doing this. I probably prefer Gods’ Dice, but the hate for LTRP is bogus, especially if they chose Stone to sing it. Big crunchy riff, Stone solo, very awkward Vedder delivery that turns it into into a sort of 60s poppy song. It doesn’t work in all the right ways folks. You are all wrong.

liebzz wrote:I am doing this. I probably prefer Gods’ Dice, but the hate for LTRP is bogus, especially if they chose Stone to sing it. Big crunchy riff, Stone solo, very awkward Vedder delivery that turns it into into a sort of 60s poppy song. It doesn’t work in all the right ways folks. You are all wrong.

I thought just me and maybe Spenno understood this. This and My Father's Son are the only two LB songs I give a shit about.

LTRP is a great tune.

tragabigzanda wrote:

liebzz wrote:I am doing this. I probably prefer Gods’ Dice, but the hate for LTRP is bogus, especially if they chose Stone to sing it. Big crunchy riff, Stone solo, very awkward Vedder delivery that turns it into into a sort of 60s poppy song. It doesn’t work in all the right ways folks. You are all wrong.

I thought just me and maybe Spenno understood this. This and My Father's Son are the only two LB songs I give a shit about.

Yes!

(I'm still voting for Gods' Dice.)

Easiest one so far

Gods’ Dice all day, every day.

going with River Cross over God's Dice.

I thing RC is the best track on Gigaton and it gets my vote here pretty easily.

Higgs wrote:I thing RC is the best track on Gigaton

This feels like a lonely road

I guess I ought to give "Let the Records Play" another run-through some time, since it's getting some string support here. Last I recall, it wasn't a song I had much enjoyment with. "River Cross" can be powerful at the right moment, especially the ending, but it really needs a proper setting for appreciation. "Gods' Dice" seems slight at first glance, but it's high energy and short duration belie a song that sounds musically rich and complex, at least to my ears. I especially enjoy the subtle harmonies at the end of the verse lines and the excellent bridge. It's my choice in this match.

I just listened to the trio here, and I'm not sure why Let the Records Play lands so wrong for me; I like the verse riff, particularly Stone's slide up the fretboard to punctuate the end of the progression. And I theoretically like the change into the chorus, but something really rubs me wrong. Maybe it's the arrangement, or it could be Eddie's melody there.

I like River Cross, and it serves as a great ending to Gigaton, but I'm going with God's Dice. I agree with the last post; the song almost makes a point of not drawing attention to itself with its brevity, and the fact that it's one of a number of a high-tempo, punk-influenced songs to open Binaural (it seems like the start of that record is meant to emulate their live shows, where they'd stack a run of fast songs in a row near the start of the gig).

But there's a lot of great stuff going on in here; this listen, I really keyed into Jeff, who's doing some cool stuff on the verses. The song's always sneakily been one of my favorite Matt performances on record, and I love how he's attacking the song in its last chorus where some drummers might be content to coast on the song's momentum. Coupled with that fantastic bridge that suspends in midair for a moment before crashing back into the song, and it's a track where you can enjoy it just as a fast number, but can also get a lot out of it if you want.

Gods’ Dice, not God’s Dice. Really fun energetic song. Gets my vote.

Gods dice is top 10 PJ for me. Fun to try play on bass / drums / guitar and cool lyrics

I don’t have anything positive to say about the other two.

Anders wrote:Gods’ Dice, not God’s Dice.

Stip has never gotten this right. He never will. And that's okay. At this point it's endearing to me.

LTRP is the best of the three. But it doesn't stand a chance in this fight so I changed my vote to River Cross.

Gods' Dice has grown on me over the years for sure but it's still pretty low in my rankings.

epilogue wrote:LTRP is a great tune.

Totally dig it

epilogue wrote:

Anders wrote:Gods’ Dice, not God’s Dice.

Stip has never gotten this right. He never will. And that's okay. At this point it's endearing to me.

A song has to earn proper punctuation

LTRP has never made it past its first match up. Gods' Dice has only beaten Dissident and Parachutes, in separate years, before bombing out in the second round. River Cross lost to Ghost in the first round last year.

Basically, this is a match up of absolute no-chancers.