Rate-a-Waite

Thanks to Igniter David Ketels for compiling all of this information!
(David's personal comments are included here.)

All songs were rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score.

1/ Suicide Life (a consistently high scorer with eight perfect 10's and no lower than a 7) With a score of 213.8 it rates the favourite track on the album - BUT BY THE BAREST OF MARGINS 1.05 points over #2. Average score of 8.90.

2/ When You Were Mine (obviously an excellent choice as 1st single) Polled a total of 212.75 points which at 8.86 average approval rating just missed being first favourite. Six perfect 10's and a low of 6.

3/ Let's Get Out Of Here comes in at number 3. Total points 206.96. Three perfect scores and no lower than a 7. Average score of 8.62.

4/ Bluebird Cafe received a mixed bag of reviews but had five perfect scores and a low of two 6's. Still, a steady performer overall with 204 points. Average score of 8.50.

5/ Have You Seen Her My Friend comes in fifth. 197.25 points with five perfect 10's give it an overall average score of 8.21.

6/ Show Me How To Love You is next and was just eclipsed by HYSHMF. Three perfect 10's helped it to 196.35 points. So it missed out on the 5th spot by less than 1 point. Average score of 8.18.

7/ Valentine came next by less than 1.5 points over the sixth placed song. It had an amazing eight perfect 10's but some very low scores of 3's. Eight perfect 10's equals Suicide Life with the most perfect scores. 195 points. Average score of 8.12.

8/ Imaginary Girl polled a total of 187.25 points. Two perfect 10's and a low of 4.5. Average score of 7.80.

9/ I-95 which got a perfect score all the way down to a 1. 179.3 points. Average score of 7.47.

10/ Just Like A Woman This cover received very mixed reviews. Three perfect 10's but some 5's and 4's. 175 points. Average score of 7.29.

11/ All I Want For Christmas John's favourite song sadly got relegated to very much last position. Seems the cocaine reference didn't go down too well with a lot of respondents. 148.5 points. Average score of 6.18.

Overall the album scored 2116.15 points (88.17 divided by 11 tracks) and an average rating of 80.15%.

We had a total of fifteen respondents who rated Temple Bar. It is my suspicion however that these numbers were stacked by lovers of Temple Bar who helped this great album over the line to beat WYWM (80.15% vs. 83% approval). But good on them!! It still doesn't top When You Were Mine for me, though!

1/ Our favourite track is Price Of My Tears. Eight perfect 10's from 15 respondents is testimony to its ranking 140.5 votes/150. Average score of 9.36.

2/ Downtown is next. Also eight perfect 10's. 138 votes. Average score of 9.20.

3/ In God's Shadow comes third. Six perfect scores. 137 points just sees it edged out by Downtown. Average score of 9.13.

4/ The Glittering Prize was just edged out by "In God's Shadow" by only 1 point. This scored 136 points. Average score of 9.06.

5/ How Did I Get By Without You. Consider this...the gap between first and fifth place is only 5 points!! One-third of a point per person...so any of these first five songs could have ended up being number one. So by the barest of margins--one half of one point--sees the single rate 135.5 points. Average score of 9.03.

7/ Ain't No Sunshine. Covers don't seem to rank as high as JW originals, but this one statistically higher than "Just Like A Woman" from WYWM. 124.5 points. Average score of 8.30.

9/ Someone Like You. Maybe covers aren't the way to go?? 115.5 points. Average score of 7.70.

10/ I'm So Lonesome. Sadly, there has to be a last place. This one was given the thumbs down by Igniters. 64.5 points. Average score of 4.30.

Overall the album scored 1245 points from fifteen respondents for an average rating of 83% approval. "I'm So Lonesome" really hurt this album's overall score. If this track was not on here, this album would have checked in with a 87.4% approval rating and would be our third favourite album overall. But as it is, it is our fifth favourite John Waite album overall. Still, not bad!

1/ Straight To Your Heart - This unanimously won our favourite song on Backlash. It polled 190.5 votes to see it a runaway winner by some 14.5 votes. At 9.07 average it is little wonder this was the chosen single. History shows that a lack of airplay is enough to signal the end of a sensational track. An amazing eleven perfect scores (out of twenty-one raters) really signals this is one of the strongest tracks ever that John has been associated with. But a 6 and a 6.5 vote in this democracy that is Ignition shows that it is not everybody's favourite.

2/ Pray For Rain - As suspected, this track was up there and ranked second with an aggregate of 176 votes. This rates 8.38 on average and had four perfect 10's out of 21. On the low side, it got down to a 5 and a couple of 6's.

3/ Time Stood Still - This came in a third thanks to seven perfect scores. (But it did get a 5 and numerous 7's.) 170.5 total votes averages out to an approval rating of 8.12.

4/ Make Love Last - beats "Time Alone With You" by one half of a point with 162.5 points and 7.73 on average. Four perfect 10's but a lot of 5's and 6's.

5/ Time Alone With You comes in fifth out of 10 songs that make up Backlash. It surprised me as I gave it a 5. Another respondent also gave it a 5, but like the "Friends of 'I-95,'" the "Time Alone" devotees saw it edge up there with three perfect 10's. Just pipped by one half a point on 162 points and an average of 7.71.

6/ Savage Blue - 158.5 points and ranking 6 out of 10. At 7.54 average Deb's 1 did it no favours, Ozzie's 10 help it a bunch!! So there you go...from a 1 to a 10. Go figure!

7/ So This Is Eden The beginning of the end of the band we knew and loved as Bad English was not universally loved. A low of 4 from moi and Deb (which goes to show we know what we're talking about, Deb!) to a 9.5 high from Greg Roberts in Sydney. The song accumulated 153 points to average 7.28.

8/ Rebel Say A Prayer comes in at number 8. It was mainly hated or loved. (Will Elizabeth, who rated this one a "10," ever forgive her pal Margaret for rating it a "1"???) From 1's and 2's all the way up to three perfect scores. 146 points sees it average at 6.95.

9/ Life At The Top - well folks, we're kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel now. These last two fought out a tough battle for the lemon award on Backlash. This one beats "DOTEOTW" by one solitary point. 133 total points gives this one a 6.33 but it still got some respectable votes like three 9's but 2's and 4's don't help.

10/ Dancing Off The Edge Of The World - in every contest there has to be winners and losers. This one got copped it in the neck and, sadly, I must report that it ranks down the bottom with 132 votes and suffers the ignominy of being ranked as our least favourite on 6.28 average. Twos and 3's but a high of 9.5 (sorry Cyndi - you tried, but failed to get this one off the bottom).

A total of twenty respondents kindly gave their time and thoughts to this one--and what a result!!! One half of one point separate the first and second favourite songs - which over twenty individual responses is quite amazing I think. Read on!

1/ Forget Me Not - This is rated our favourite track from BEST ("Bad English Self Titled"). But it literally scraped home by the barest of margins. A solid 7 perfect 10's and no less than 2 7's is testimony to the undeniable fact that it is a powerful tune and a solid choice as the first ever Bad English single. 178 out of 200 possible points at 8.90 average.

2/ Ghost In Your Heart - So-o-o-o close to the top ranked song off BEST at 177.5 out of 200. And nine perfect 10's!!! It is obvious, though that some don't seem to like it as much as others given the fact that 5.5, 6 and 6.5 crept in there. So it failed by a half a point and averaged 8.87.

3/ Price Of Love - The much loved 3rd single got six perfect 10's and lows of 6 from KaroSan and Kevin Scott--does that have something to do with the KS's in their names??? Oo-oo-oo-oo-h! 171 solid points out of 200 ranks it #3 at an average of 8.55.

4/ Possession - This had to rank up here in my estimation and was only one point behind "Price Of Love." 170 out of 200 gives it an 8.50 with 6 perfect 10's and a low of 5!!

5/ Restless Ones came in at 5. (A surprise for me--obviously not for others--perhaps I should give it a re-listen.) Five perfect scores but at least my 5 out of 10 wasn't the worst it got. It got a caning with a 3 in there. 166.5 out of 200 gets it an average of 8.32.

6/ Don't Walk Away was a crediable sixth place considering it had some poor performers around the back end of the album. It was only "loved to death" twice (by Wouter and Doug) ...and so many really personal reflections in the ratings by a lot of you - thanks for sharing your innermost feelings...it did get another 3 in there as its low point. This just got pipped by a half a point by "Restless Ones" with 166. Avg. 8.30.

7/ When I See You Smile - This smash # 1 single got held back in the end by some average votes - I confess I am guilty of this with a 4 (gulp!). But 5 and 6 also figured - still four perfect 10's got this one 164.5 out of 200 and saw it come in at #7 out of 13. It averaged 8.22.

8/ Tough Times Don't Last - The very next track came in next. Four perfect 10's and some ordinary 5's and 6's saw it rate very closely in all aspects to "WISYS." 162.5 points sees it average at 8.12.

9/ It was a tie for equal 9th - Rockin' Horse and Best Of What I've Got - couldn't separate them on 151.5 out of 200. "Rockin' Horse" wins on a countback due to its amazing five perfect 10's (whereas "BOWIG" got just 1). Some thought "Rockin' Horse" was a little on the nose though - 3, 4 and 5.5 are just not flattering marks in anyone's estimation! They weren't so scathing about "Best Of What I've Got" which scored no less than 6's. They both averaged 7.57.

11/ Heaven Is A 4 Letter Word came in at 11th - but it was a long way ahead of the two tracks that were unanimously given the thumbs down by Ignition at positions 12 and 13. In fact, "Heaven" wasn't too far behind the two above with only one point separating it. 150.5 out of 200 is as close to a "three-quarters good" song as you'll get. Its average is 7.52.

12/ Commonly referred to as the filler tracks on Best, Ready When You Are came in at 12 (and a long way back from the pack) with only 119.5 points out of 200. Cyndi loved it--sadly, no one else shared your view--3's, 4's, 5's and 6's abounded. Its average is 5.97.

13/ Filler part 2 (aka Laydown) fared a lot worse--it is the only song on BEST that no one loved enough to give it a 10. It can only boast two 8's and plenty of low votes. 114 out of 200 is just above a half good song in our estimation and averages out at 5.70.

So, a total of 2043 votes divided by 20 gives 102.15. The album does indeed edge out Backlash and finally rated at 78.57%.

The above was compiled by David Ketels.
David met John for the first time in January of 1998.
Follow this link to see the picture and read the story

Rate-a-Waite (ratings)

Rate-a-Waite
(ratings)