Underrated Albums?
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Wich albums you think are underrated? I'll start with "New Gold Dream" from Simple Minds. For me is much better than "Once Upon A Time". One of the best I heard from the 80's
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Plenty of McCartney albums but if I should think about somebody else, I can start with.... Love - Four Sail It's the follow-up to the masterpiece "Forever Changes" from 1967, which I think was not a huge hit when it came out but has slowly become a classic. "Four Sail" is somewhat overshadowed by it but has many fine musical moments.
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Elvis Costello's Brutal Youth, released 21 years ago today !!!! and Punch The Clock , George Harrison Gone Troppo, ..Heathen David Bowie , ..(that's Few that come to mind for me)
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Christopher Cross' Another Page.
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Just about everything by Jethro Tull, but particularly Minstrel in the Gallery, Aqualung, and Thick as a Brick. Masterpieces.
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Love Jethro Tull. I think "A Passion Play" is underrated. An album that got so bad criticism when it came out that it supposedly has characterized Ian Anderson's view on it too. It's a huge favorite in my record collection and I consider it a masterpiece on par with the more reputable prog-rock epic "Thick as a Brick". One man's coffeee, is another man's tea... or how it goes, maybe (baby).
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Hendrix Ibsen:
Love Jethro Tull. I think "A Passion Play" is underrated. An album that got so bad criticism when it came out that it supposedly has characterized Ian Anderson's view on it too. It's a huge favorite in my record collection and I consider it a masterpiece on par with the more reputable prog-rock epic "Thick as a Brick". One man's coffeee, is another man's tea... or how it goes, maybe (baby).
Wasn't aware of the bad criticism of A Passion Play. Seems harsh for such a brilliant album. I would include that among my masterpieces as well - no problem. When you think of other bands around at the time, who seem more well known now, there efforts were not half as good as Tull's, yet they seem to have been forgottten over the years.
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Ian Anderson once said that all of his songs are autobiographical. I don't know if he was kidding, but that changes the way I hear Aqualung.
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Sitting on a park bench... Well, I think he seems more like an author to me, observes and writes, it's not that much introspective, I don't think there's a "John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band" in Jethro Tull's discography. But of course, Ian Anderson is a clever songwriter, he could hide fantasies or "inner demons" behind... "Aqualung" for example. Who knows... Except Ian.
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Aqualung the song isn't so bad. It's creepy on the surface, but not so bad deep down. But if Locomotive Breath and Cross Eyed Mary are autobiographical, I'm a little worried.
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I have to admit that the lyrics of Jethro Tull is not something I've dwelled on. It's just part of a whole to me, I think Jethro Tull are musically very strong, it's virtuoso musicianship and Ian Anderson has his characteristic flute. I can sing along to songs but I haven't been analytic with them.
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We definitely need more flute solos in popular music.
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Totally agree. I've always wondered why there aren't more bands or artists with uncharacteristic lead instruments. It's what I immediately loved about folk pop trubadour Joanna Newsom when she appeared on the scene ten years ago, she played the harp, in an unconventional way.
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If I'd choose an underrated album today, I think it would be... Ring of Changes - Barclay James Harvest I've been fond of this band since I was a kid. They were a progressive band of the 70s, but made a transition to more pop influenced music in the 80s. Whenever I read about them, it's like they're considered too pop for the prog-rockers and too prog for the pop/rockers. "Ring of Changes" (1983) is what I may call fluid pop, it's one of the highlights of the 80s for me, but perhaps not defining for the decade. By the way, I think Wix Wickens play keyboard on their 1987 "Face to Face" album, so there you go... a link to this site.
Found a track from the album on youtube, "Waiting for the Right Time", performed on French TV. It's very soft and synthesized, dreamy; -
I forgot yesterday (no I have not forgotten "Yesterday", still not my favorite though...;)) that Norman Smith who engineered the early The Beatles records, actually produced Barclay James Harvest first three or four albums on the Harvest label. It's not only Wix.... Their early music is much more guitar driven and less synth-laden but also features mellotron played by Woolly Wolstenholme who quit the band in 1979 because the new pop style didn't fit with his musical visions. Here is the catchy track "Taking Some Time On" from their 1970 Norman "Hurricane" Smith produced debut album, as found on youtube:
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Snakes And Ladders by Gerry Rafferty is a little gem of an album! Temple Of Low Men by Crowded House is lyrically dark, but is as melodic as you can get too! Other underrated gems are: SHEET MUSIC-10CC THE CARS-THE CARS TURNSTILES-BILLY JOEL PETER GABRIEL 4- PETER GABRIEL WILDFLOWERS-TOM PETTY FACE DANCES-THE WHO LONG DISTANCE VOYAGER-THE MOODY BLUES
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The Dreaming -Kate Bush
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Ben Folds Rockin' the Suburbs.
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BOYCIE:
PETER GABRIEL 4- PETER GABRIEL
Play that one on speakers underwater while you're swimming and the universe will never look the same.
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wingsdgm:
The Dreaming -Kate Bush
Great album. The Sensual World seems to be a forgotten classic nowadays as well - or could we say that about most Kate Bush albums? Are they all overshadowed by the song Wuthering Heights? I love this video from The Red Shoes:
