Greece and Italy battle for the last semi-final place. Listen to the tracks, vote in the poll, click below the cut for analysis, comment and previews.
How to vote: Just pick the track you like best! Please don’t download the tracks unless you intend to vote. This poll will close at lunchtime on Tuesday 17th.
Greece v Italy: Which track do you prefer? [ballot]
- Italy: Caparezza 60%
- Greece: Helena Paparizou 40%
Total Voters: 25
Poll closes: 17 Jun 2008 @ 12:46
Loading ...GREECE: Helena Paparizou – “Gigolo”
The manager says: “A winner of the less prestigious Eurovision Cup, Helena’s career has flagged slightly since her attempted move to foreign leagues. But with the right support she still oozes pop class and “Gigolo” shows her at her pacy best. Stand or fall, we think we’ll deliver a game the neutral can enjoy.”
Our analyst says: Greece are playing a straightforward pop game here, a side with a great deal of pace and a very high workrate. Good enough for Eurovision certainly – but will it be enough at this level?
ITALY: Caparezza – “Vengo Della Luna”
The manager says: “Our footballing compatriots were humiliated earlier this week by a Dutch team evidently eager to avenge the beating we dished out in the first round of this tournament. When this great nation hurts, it hurts as one, other nations do not, so it doesn’t matter if we give their players a bit of kick in the process. It’s all in the game, mind, a bit of aggression will enable our forward line to show their real flair. It is with this that we bring you the crown prince of Italian hip-hop. The finals have not seen hair like this since Carlos Valderrama’s failed Pop World Cup troupe of 1994. Jump!”
Our analyst says: This Italy side are physical but rarely dirty – their midfield has technique to go with the power. There’s a suspicion their tactics will devolve into knocking it forward to the big lad as the game progresses, but if direct play wins them the game their fans will hardly be complaining.
Coming Next: THE SEMI FINALS: Both semi-finals will be next Thursday – the Greek and Italian Pop Authorities have complained about the possible lack of preparation time but FIPA has overruled their concerns, so a feast of pop awaits as the winner of their game faces France or Russia at the same time as the Group A rematch of Switzerland and Portugal. Can the Swiss continue their run to the final (inspired perhaps by the unfortunate demise of their footballing counterparts?)
Close match, the Greeks potentially being undone by their cleverness, the Italians potentially being undone by their lack of cleverness. The deep tones of the Italian guitars give the Italians depth, the high tones of the Greek horns help the Greeks attain peaks. (/facile comparisons)
Greece: Hah, goes “I’m the bom diggy-diggy bom diggy-diggy” not as a hook but just as an off-hand reference. Self-consciously throwing the kitchen sink into the pot, w/ horn blasts, string instrumentalists that sound like they’ve listened to Duane Eddy, who sounded like he’d listened to these guys’ grandparents, “heys” on the upbeat – all these styles would make this top-heavy if there weren’t energy and a singer with lung power.
Italy: Dark guitar beauty, but riding on top we find a rapper rather than a death growler or a gothic ice queen. Like the Poles last week, the Italians are at home rapping in their own language rather than trying to attempt Americanisms. The singing near the end is a drag, though. There are resources of beauty in the guitar crunch, which the track doesn’t take enough advantage of. At the start this makes me feel more than the Greeks do, but will that be enough?
After a few more listens, the Italian emotion gets my vote, just barely.
Holy crap! Match of the QFs no question.
I thought Greece would coast to victory after hearing Helena, but then the Italians wheel out a rock-rap ditty about coming from the Moon. Complete with “roger, Houston” FX. Gol!
word. it’s the greece
Cor this is tough. Greece is Xenomania backing, though not sure I quite like the singing as much as I should. Italy on the other hand rap really nicely, but whilst the backing is a touch generic it does have some spooky sounds.
May need to toss a coin. With tracks of this standard around the semi-s should be TOUGH!
I think all the tracks in the quarters have been at least good and several great – France, Poland, Portugal and if I wasn’t up against it I’d have voted for this Italy track against most opposition too.
Oh, and there’s less than 24 hours left to vote in this game.
Elena is my favourite artist ever!
How could I vote against her,
Gigolo wan’t the best choice for a song though.
I would have preferred Mambo or Yparxei Logos if you wanted a ballad.
Well, it was neck and neck yesterday afternoon but Italy got 6 out of the last 7 votes cast – which translates to a magnificent late goal sending Greece home. If I had to lose, I’m happy to lose against a side who, for me, have played the best football of the tournament – I’m now tipping Italy to beat France in the semis and go all the way.
I never expected to win this one! For what it’s worth I thought the Greece track was by some distance the best so far, if I had not been biased I would probably have voted for it over my own.
Results here seem to have been displaced by the semifinal match. Also, back in your group round standings, you’ve only awarded Sweden two points where they earned three.
poll restored. naughty Tom.