The nominees for Best Classic Al Album (i.e., those released pre-PPF) are, in alphabetical order:
Love Chronicles -- One half of The Early Years double disk and featuring the 18-minute title track in which Al expounds on his love life in infamous detail (quick, Al fans: what rhymes with 'plucking'?), this album finished third among studio releases in the Classic Album race. Why are we spilling the beans now? Because you *know* it didn't win if you paid any attention at all to the Classic Song Top Ten, in which virtually everything was from ZERO or ORANGE. So there.
Orange -- Despite being pummeled in the Worst Album race, Al's album about The Relationship From Hell ran very strongly among a certain element of voters -- perhaps those who themselves have endured a Relationship From Hell. ORANGE features some stylish, emotionally charged ballads led by Classic Song champ 'The News From Spain'. Perhaps the most polarizing issue among the denizens of the ASML is what they think of this album.
Zero She Flies -- A curious collection of quirky instrumentals and quirkier folk songs that together make up an oddly endearing album. ZERO features a Dylan-meets-Arrested Development title track, a strange but catchy song played on a single guitar string, four instrumentals (or near misses), Al's first historical essay, and perennial Classic Song contender 'Gethsemene Again'. So what's 'brag in Bedlam'?
May I have the envelope please? Thank you. And the winnner is....
ORANGE easily holds off ZERO SHE FLIES to win the Best Classic Al Album award. It will be interesting to see how TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN fares in the 1996 poll, when all of us have heard it. Our copy is still on the boat somewhere between South Jersey and Great Britain.
1994 ASML "BEST OF AL" POLL -- CLASSIC ALBUMS
-------VOTES------- ----POINTS----
# ALBUM #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 WO VOTES POS NEG TOT
1. Orange 2 1 2 3 5 4 13 59 -8 51
2. Zero She Flies 2 0 0 0 4 0 6 28 0 28
3. The Early Years 0 2 0 1 1 0 4 19 0 19
4. To Whom It May Concern 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 15 0 15
5. Love Chronicles 0 1 2 1 0 3 4 20 -6 14
6. Bedsitter Images 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 -4 -4
Pollster's notes: Those of you who invested your life savings in BEDSITTER IMAGES albums in an attempt to corner the market are advised to stick with mutual funds. All of THE EARLY YEARS votes were for the double album set that includes LOVE CHRONICLES, but even by combining their votes LC wouldn't finish anywhere close to ORANGE. -NS
