The back to normal, lightning walrus reveal

[E.N.]

OK, here we go!
Couple of draws still to separate but otherwise ready

I decided to give everyone 5/5 for the fit as it's subjective, but you'll see later on I had second thoughts about that

All good songs, the worst I have say about any of that they just didn't grab me. We have a very clear winner though! Stay tuned...

[E.N.]

Starting with last and counting down to the best. Someone had to be there, and it's...

Wind of Change by The Scorpions



Fit 5/5

Because going back to work again after so long is like the wind of change. Not to mention the fact that your boss is making you start back to work during storm Dudley!

New 0/5 Afraid not

Song 5/10 It might be overexposure at this point, but I'm afraid this song doesn't do anything for me at all. Well, I quite like the guitar solo, but otherwise it doesn't grab me. Sorry

Butty scores 10pts

[E.N.]

Damn, got all my youtube links wrong...

[E.N.]

Into the top ten

Mad World by Tears For Fears



Fit 5/5 It sure feels like it this morning!

New 0/5 I think you knew that was coming!

Song 6/10 I mean it's a classic, isn't it? I do like it. Its score gets dragged down by the fact I much prefer the Gary Jules cover though!

cee_jay scores 11pts, coming in tenth place

[E.N.]

Next up, Farewell to the Fairground by White Lies



Fit 5/5 "keep on running, there's no place like home" is a little depressing today

New 0/5 sorry! Random story, I got this album before my second skiing trip. One day I went off the side of the piste and fell badly, gave myself a real scare. Couldn't ski again that day so I went back to the lodge, sat in the bath shaking with a bottle of whisky and this album playing. As crazy as it sounds, I love that memory!

Song 7/10 I do really like it, but it suffers a bit from me knowing the album well and preferring other songs on it. Cracking album though, so that's still a compliment

Irish Aris gets 12pts, placing them ninth

[E.N.]

Coming Home, Part II by Skylar Grey



Fit 5/5

"Home", in this case, not just referring to where you live, but metaphorically referring to the place you're supposed to be; the place that feels normal to you. I particularly like the line "let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday", which I think is very appropriate for the last two years

New 2/5 as you said, this is better known from the version by Diddy/Dirty Money. I see Skylar had a writing and singing credit on that. Anyway, kind of knew her name but wouldn't have placed her, so she's new to me

Song 6/10 This one was dropping on repeated listens. It is nice, and it's a good version of those song, but in the end it slightly passes me by.
Scratch that, I've kind of had it stuck in my head today, so I'll bump it up. Though that may just be familiarity!

aaron scores 13pts, coming eighth

[E.N.]

That's Life by David Lee Roth



Fit 5/5 Yep, I guess this is life

New 2/5 Don't think I know this version...?

Song 6.5/10 Well, I'll go out on a limb here and say that's better than the Sinatra version. It's big, it's brash, there's brass. Yeah, it's a good take on an old classic

Deja scores 13.5pts, and comes in seventh place

[E.N.]

At the halfway point, we have Set Adrift on Memory Drift by PM Dawn



Fit 5/5 even though I'm not quite sure where you're coming from

New 1/5 I didn't recognise the name, but obviously I know it when it hits

Song 8/10 There's not much arguing with this, good old school tune, very nice listen

Kol scores 14pts, and finishes sixth

[E.N.]

Into the top five, with Make It Out Alive by Years and Years



Fit 5/5 Yes we did

New 4/5 I know the name, but I'm not sure I've ever listened to them

Song 6/10 OK, out of the gate I know this isn't really my genre. But you know what, the chorus hits and it's pretty good. There's not a lot of variety but then it doesn't overstay its welcome. In the end it's a decent song, just not really for me

ari scores 15pts, coming in fifth

[E.N.]

Here's where I started to get second thoughts about giving everyone 5pts for the fit!

Cardiac Arrest by Madness



Fit 6/5 bonus point for the lyrics! Including "Walking to the bus stop, He's longing for his bed, Waiting with his neighbours, In the rush hour queue"

New 3/5 Obviously I know Madness, but don't know this song

Song 7/10 Well done for the pick, the lyrics are spot on this morning! Overall it's a little Madness-by-numbers but who doesn't like Madness?

osh scores 16pts, earning fourth place

[E.N.]

Into the podium places, and it's a joint second...

Back From The Dead by Halestorm



Fit 5/5

The lyrics and vibe of the song has a re-birth, entering a new dawn after a couple of shitty years feel to it. I also had covid just a few weeks ago and in a couple of weeks time I'm going to see Halestorm at the Olympia, so it also feels apt for those reasons too.

New 5/5 I thought I knew the name but had them down as a Scandi metal band, so I obviously don't actually know them

Song 8/10 No, not Scandi, this is full on, hair up, is it still the 80s rock at the start. This is what I need to wake me up in the morning. The lyrics are a bit ridiculous, but I kinda like that. Overall it's a lot of fun, I like it!

Soapy and Spears score a very healthy 17 points

[E.N.]

Which means our winner is...

Artificial by Martha Tilston



Fit 6/5 I almost went back and docked everyone else points due to this song!

New 5/5 Never heard of her

Song 10/10 the opening guitar picks are nice, I'm optimistic... ah yeah, her voice is great. Nice depressing lyrics for the day that's in it! Just when it needs a bit more, more arrives, is that little violin bursts? Then it goes just slightly crazy to finish. You've pulled this one out of the bag, brilliant tune, clear winner

Wichi gets a slightly ridiculous, but completely deserved 21/20

Edit: I wrote that this morning and I'm slightly less effusive this evening, but I still really like it so I'm sticking with the score

[E.N.]

Congrats to Wichi!

But thanks all, that was fun

Now, I left early and got an express bus. I've not been paying attention, where am I...?

[DejaBoo]

Thanks fro running this EN,
...was fun to listen to all the great song choices too!

Wow wichi, very touching song, well done!

[Kol]

Congrats @Wichita Lineman and thanks for the game @E.N.

Will have a listen to some of these tomorrow. Hope you made it home okay!

[E.N.]

Hope you made it home okay!

Not quite, but nearly

[RSOAPS]

Into the podium places, and it's a joint second...

Back From The Dead by Halestorm



Fit 5/5

The lyrics and vibe of the song has a re-birth, entering a new dawn after a couple of shitty years feel to it. I also had covid just a few weeks ago and in a couple of weeks time I'm going to see Halestorm at the Olympia, so it also feels apt for those reasons too.

New 5/5 I thought I knew the name but had them down as a Scandi metal band, so I obviously don't actually know them

Song 8/10 No, not Scandi, this is full on, hair up, is it still the 80s rock at the start. This is what I need to wake me up in the morning. The lyrics are a bit ridiculous, but I kinda like that. Overall it's a lot of fun, I like it!

Soapy and Spears score a very healthy 17 points

I did for a moment think when I was submitting this one... "wouldn't surprise me at all if Spears also went for this one" as I know she enjoys a bit of Halestorm... And then when you mentioned there was a duplicate song E.N., I would've put down money on it being this song and @Spears being the other submitter...  

Didn't think it'd pull a 5/5 on newness, so very happy with joined 2nd...

And can't wait to see them live on the 4th of March!

Fair play on the quick turnaround reveal @E.N., and congrats @Wichita Lineman on the win.

[cee_jay]

Into the top ten

Mad World by Tears For Fears



Fit 5/5 It sure feels like it this morning!

New 0/5 I think you knew that was coming!

Song 6/10 I mean it's a classic, isn't it? I do like it. Its score gets dragged down by the fact I much prefer the Gary Jules cover though!

cee_jay scores 11pts, coming in tenth place

Gary Jules cover is better??? BLASPHEMY!!

[E.N.]

Gary Jules cover is better??? BLASPHEMY!!

Had a feeling you might say that

[ari101]

@Kol thanks for that nostalgic choice, really enjoyed that.

Glad you enjoyed all the songs and very happy with my 5th place.

Congrats to everyone for coming up with good choices, even if they wouldn't be my cuppa tea!

[Spears]

awh look at us @Rachel Stevens on a Pogo Stick bagging second place together! Woohoo Well done to us 
Chuffed with that because I wasn't sure if the song would be to E.N's taste and I was too tired to even give a reason for my submission.
Song is only 5months out so I would'nt expect anything less than full marks for newness  



Sorry I missed the reveal @E.N. but looks like theres some good submission there. I'll have a proper listen tomorow evenimg. 
But on a quick flick, I'd say @Irish Aris and @osh's submission were good choices based on what I would have thought was your own style of music. 

Thanks for running @E.N. Was a great idea to play a quick game for your journey today

Congrats on bagging the top spot too @Wichita Lineman 

[E.N.]

But on a quick flick, I'd say @Irish Aris and @osh's submission were good choices based on what I would have thought was your own style of music

Yeah, if I'm honest the scoring system is too weighted to new music because that got scored from 0-5 whereas realistically the song is only marked from about 4-10 because I don't like slating anyone's pick. That counted against both of them, maybe slightly unfairly

[Spears]

Yeah, if I'm honest the scoring system is too weighted to be music because they get scored from 0-5 whereas realistically the song is only marked from about 4-10 herbage I don't like slating anyone's pick. That counted against both of them, maybe slightly unfairly

Ah don't worry about the scoring, I doubt either of them will mind themselves. It's just a game and a bit of fun 

[aaronjennings]

Thanks for the game EN, hopefully it made your journey to and from work a little more enjoyable

Congratulations on the win, Wichita

I'll have to set some time aside later on to listen to all the entries

[ari101]

I thought the New Music score was a great incentive to get people to enter what might be new music to you. Maybe it skews the scoring but if the aim was to help discover some new stuff it probably worked quite well?

[ShaneU]

The first Walrus in forever and I miss it, typical

[osh]

The first Walrus in forever and I miss it, typical

Whatya mean? Sure there's about 8 on the go

[Wichita Lineman]

@E.N. great idea to run this quickie and I'm delighted with the win. 

As soon as I read the criteria I knew the song I had to use. Didnt even have to think about it. As a long suffering commuter for many many years this song just calls out to me. The music is great too. 

Martha thanks you too 

[osh]

Glad the song was knew to you EN, wasn't expecting that.

Well done Wichita, gonna give some listens now.

[E.N.]

Martha thanks you too 

I listened to a few more of hers afterwards and found "Songs That Make Sophie Fizz"

Our daughter is called Sophie, and at 3½ is just getting into music, so that was a really cool song. It also mentions going back to Bristol which is where I used to live, and where me and my wife met

[Butty Brennan]

Last place! What a swizz  
You know there is a theory that Wind of Change was written by the CIA and passed on to the Scorpions to try to make young Soviet rock fans revolt and end the cold war.
There is a podcast all about it that I've been meaning to listen to for ages.
And well done Wichita I will listen to them all later. Happy commuting EN.

[E.N.]

Last place! What a swizz  

Ah, sorry Butty!
Someone has to fill that slot and I'm afraid that song falls in the bad bit of the venn diagram of songs I know but don't particularly like. Not that I dislike it, it just doesn't do anything for me

Imagine how much quicker the cold war could have ended if they'd picked a good song

[Butty Brennan]

Imagine how much quicker the cold war could have ended if they'd picked a good song

[osh]

That reminds me of this gem

[jp liz v1]

Well Done @Wichita Lineman good walrus @E.N.