1. Time vs. Wot's... Uh the Deal?
This is dredging up that old "best vs. favorite" argument inside me. Time is one of the most iconic PF songs. By most metrics it's the "better" song here. It's more elaborate, better produced, has a lot more going on with a complex structure. The lyrics are more insightful. But Wots is just more my speed. Maybe I'm too burnt out on DSotM in general and Time in particular, but I love the gentle pleasantness of Wots (despite its terribly clunky title).
2. Bring the Boys Back Home vs. Chapter 24
Like its companion Vera, this was one that really bugged me back in the day but now I have a lot of appreciation for it. It's such an oddball song to be in the middle of this album, but it totally works, and it's strangely moving. However... I love Chapter 24. That loping bassline, the clarinet and bassoon (I think it's clarinet and bassoon, anyway). The only thing is it's a bit repetitive and feels like it could be like 40 seconds shorter. This one is tough, but I vote to Bring the Boys Back Home.
3. Is There Anybody Out There? vs. Paranoid Eyes
I love the calm beauty of ITAOT, and it's one of my favorite sequences in the film. Great guitar pattern by Gilmour. But it's up against some stiff competition. Paranoid Eyes is a fantastic track, with a calm beauty of its own. Some of the production flourishes give me chills. Jeez this one is a hard choice, but I'm going with Eyes.
4. Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1 vs. One of the Few
Fortunately this is an easy choice. I like OotF, but it's pretty slight. As for Brick, I think part 1 is my favorite, love that breezy guitar solo. Definitely Brick.
5. Welcome to the Machine vs. The Fletcher Memorial Home
I love the sonic landscape of Machine, with the weird industrial-sounding synth and pulsing bass contrasted against the bright acoustic guitar. It's a good tune to just get kind of lost in. But the vocals I'm not a big fan of. There's not a lot of them, but they bug me. The vocals on Fletcher are a little whiny-sounding in places, but the lyrics are superb. I get lost in this song too. And it has a great solo. Yeah, it's Fletcher for me, though I fully expect it to get creamed in this matchup.
6. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI–IX) vs. Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert
Wow, we've got a lot of Final Cut in this batch. No contest here, though. Hands is an amusing aside, Shine 6-9 is the conclusion to an epic masterpiece. And it has some of the funkiest music PF ever managed. And I'm a sucker for funk. Easy vote for Shine.
7. Run Like Hell vs. Stop
Length isn't everything, but it's pretty easy to vote against these short little songs. Stop is fine and has a perfect place in context of the album (I like how they implemented it in the film too) but Run Like Hell is one of my favorites. That driving urgency really works. Run Like Hell for me.
8. Goodbye Blue Sky vs. Ibiza Bar
Hmm, I don't hate Ibiza Bar as much as I thought I did. It's a lot less obnoxious than its companion piece, The Nile Song. Still, it's no match for Goodbye Blue Sky, one of the most gorgeous songs PF ever did. Goosebumps happening when I listen to it.