Overlooked Classics

[Davey]

We all have them, the handful of albums we love and cherish, the ones that seem nearly perfect...yet hardly ever get a mention from other musicheads. Who knows why, but for some reason they just don't have the universal appeal that some classics do. Or they just don't have the coolness factor. Or whatever, but that doesn't mean we can't call them classics!

So with that in mind, how about naming one of yours?

One I was just listening to is the first Mink DeVille album from 1977. Sometimes called just Mink DeVille, and sometimes (and I think more properly) known as Cabretta, which is how it is titled on the back cover. But no matter what it's called, it is and always has been a classic in my mind. Just 10 songs clocking in at about 35 minutes, yet it is sequenced with the fast and slow songs interspersed so that the flow seems to cycle, kind of an ebb and flow. Still goes by pretty fast, though. I guess it's partly because I like all the songs so much. Nothing to drag it down. Anyway, great album. Willy has a very distinctive and soulful voice and a very tight band working behind him on this one. Add in a well written collection of tunes with a couple well chosen covers and add a top producer and the scene was set. I just checked at the Rock Around The World site and they have a nice interview section with Willy DeVille talking about "The Tale of the Mink" that you can read if you like, but I'll post a short paragraph below which ends with a very telling line, something that seems to characterize a lot of classic albums - that being, the artist really had no idea at the time how good it was, nor exactly where the magic came from. Guess that's why they so often never recreate that greatness again.....

http://www.ratw.com/issues/13/ville.htm

The services of legendary Jack Nitzsche were procured to produce the first Mink DeVille album . . . it was a completely natural choice, as Jack had worked with groups that had provided the soundtrack to Willy's youth -- like The Crystals and The Ronettes: "Jack and I hit it off beautifully. It's a real spiritual relationship. Sometimes it's like looking in a mirror with him . . . it got to the point where I didn't even have to talk, just say, 'Jack . . . ' and he'd say, 'Yeah, I think so . . . ' It was very tight, very magic -- a lot of pressure, but good, positive pressure. It snowballed. There is something in that album that I don't even understand."

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd700/d799/d79945nasi5.jpg


EDIT: Funny thing, I just stopped by the http://www.kingblind.com/ site and in this week's 5th installment of their 100 Essential Albums series is the following from Shannon Mulvaney....

<i><b>Mink Deville - Mink DeVille (or Cabretta)</b>
So much has been written, filmed or photographed on the NY punk scene that it seems sort of a waste of energy to write more. That said I don't feel enough has been said about Mink DeVille's excellent 1977 album. Mixing Latin rhythm, early Springsteen, Velvets, soul and plain old rock n roll may sound like a real bad idea but it works beautifully on this record. The Jack Nitzsche production helps create the perfect summer afternoon record to drink beer by, especially on a stoop in Brooklyn.</i>

[Dave_G]

This album came out in 1986 and would have been placed in the "college" radio section or new wave or maybe even just "rock", but wherever it should be found, the main place is in your cd collection.

I think the song "Even Now" got some airplay.

This album is great. It's 9 songs, each about the same length.

It's basically real clean rock, based on Michael Been's lead bass and lead vocals. He's a left handed Bassist and does lead vocals real well.

It's hard for me to describe the style of the music, it doesn't have any fancy processing or digital trickery or anything like that, more like kind of a harder style of Joe Jackson but without the jazz influence of Joe Jackson, but still rootsy kind of feel and sound.

Actually pretty mellow, not a loud rock record but you still want to turn it up because it's real good.

Dave

[Worf101]

Mandrill was an Afro/Cuban/Rock band outta Brooklyn in the 70's The core of the band were the three Wilson Brothers and their boyhood buddy Claude "Coffee" Cave on keyboards. Between them they played 23 instruments. "Mandrill Is" was and is an amazing album wherein the band goes from funk to soul to latin to hard rock with equal aplomb. To me this album is as good as Santana's "Abraxas" and perhaps a bit better because they music was more eclectic an ALL the members of Mandrill could really SING. I always felt that that was Santana's major weakness...

Da Worfster

[nobody]

One band that deserved way more exposure in my opinion was Tupelo Chain Sex. Maybe the name gave them a little problem or their lyrics in which they liked to talk about drugs a lot and compare good ol Ronnie to Hitler. Still, musically, they were an extremely eclectic group that blended styles effortlessly. They played reggae, funk, ska, jazz, rock, etc... often within the course of a single song. They featured horns, fiddles, guitars, a variety of percussion, multi-ethnic, multi-generational band of musical adventurers. If they weren't so intent on pissing people off, maybe they would have had a more widespread impact. Anyway, I'll toss out there Spot the Difference LP. Good luck finding a copy. Couldn't find the cover online, so here's alive shot...

<img src="http://www.geekgirlproductions.com/hoho/images/jc_witt11.jpg">

[Mr MidFi]

Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man (1984)
Jamboree (1986)

A fascinating blend of mid-80s jangle-pop and cow-punk from the wilds of Marietta, GA (later Athens)...plus wacky lyrics about mass murderers, bestiality, the 3 stooges, disappeared billionaires, and cowboys in the Congo.

After many years of being unavailable on CD, you can now get both of these classic albums on 1 disc. Some of it sounds kind of dated now, but the songwriting on such classic tracks as Michael Rockefeller, Pray for Rain, Pillow Talk, Trail of Tears, Please Stop Me, and Ghost on the Road is 100% solid.

"Watusi Rodeo" may be my #1 favorite single ever. Certainly top 5.

[Davey]

The Call "Reconciled"
This album came out in 1986 and would have been placed in the "college" radio section or new wave or maybe even just "rock", but wherever it should be found, the main place is in your cd collection.
Hey Dave, per your suggestion I just picked this CD up at the library tonight and will let you know what I think in a few days. Never heard it before -- thanks for the comments :)

[Dusty Chalk]

Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring

Sure, I know there's a whole underground movement espousing the power that is Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, but I've only heard maybe one person agree with me what a gorgeous album The Colour of Spring is. Beautifully written, immaculately produced, and it's got three hit singles -- "Happiness is Easy", "Life's What You Make It", and "Living in Another World". Well, pretty much the rest of the album is just as good. There's a couple of sombre moments with "April 5th" and "Chameleon Day" that predate their later experiments into atmosphere, and the closer, "Time It's Time" is 8 minutes of gorgeous pop. They've long since eschewed their more typical synth-pop roots of "Talk Talk", moving on to a more organic production by this album, and it is with this album that I believe they have hit their creative peak (think of it this way, on the earlier part of the mountain, just before they got to the top, they did this album, and on the other side, shortly after they peaked, they did Spirit of Eden).

"I Don't Believe In You" and "Give It Up" are great songs, too.

Got to pick it up on SACD, but it's only available on expensive import, dagnabit.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

For crying out loud, when is this overlooked classic finally gonna get it's due. ;)

I've mentioned a few of my faves before...(Darling Buds, Screaming Blue Messiahs and others), but for this thread I'll enter a new name...

UB40s - Signing Off.

Never seemed to catch on in the Reggae community, probably because they're not a Jamaican band and soon morphed into a light-weight reggae-pop hybrid, but this album is heavy both lyrically and musically...as far from lightweight as a reggae album could be. Don't really have time to wax eloquent about the album, so I'll cut and paste the very good descriprion at allmusic.com, which says it all much better than I could. Interestingly they only give the album ***, but the review reads like a ***** album.

So ubiquitous is UB40's grip on the pop-reggae market today, that it will be difficult for younger fans to comprehend just how their arrival shook up the British musical scene. They appeared just as Two Tone had peaked and was beginning it's slide towards oblivion. Not that it mattered, few but the foolish would try to shoehorn the band into that suit. However, the group were no more comfortable within the UK reggae axis of Steel Pulse, Aswad and Matumbi, and not merely because you can't have four bands in an axis. Their rhythms may have been reggae based, their music Jamaican inspired, but UB40 had such an original take on the genre that all comparisons were moot. Even their attack on the singles chart was unusual, as they smacked three double A-sided singles into the Top Ten in swift succession. By rights, the second 45 should have acted as a taster for their album — it didn't, coming several months too soon, while the third should have been a spin- off — it wasn't, boasting two new songs entirely. Regardless, both sides of their debut single — the roots rocking indictment of politicians refusal to relieve famine on "Food for Thought" and the dreamy tribute to Martin Luther "King" were included, as well as their phenomenal cover of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" off their second single. The new material was equally strong. The moody roots fired "Tyler," which kicks off the set, is a potent condemnation of the US judicial system, while it's stellar dub "25%" appears later in the set. The smoky Far Eastern flavored "Burden" explores the dual tugs of national pride and shame over Britain's oppressive past (and present). If that was a thoughtful number, "Little by Little" was a blatant call for class warfare. Of course, Ali Campbell never raised his voice, he didn't need to, his words were his sword, and the creamier and sweeter his delivery, the deeper they cut. Today, the group have moved far from their radical past, but there's no mistaking their militancy here. The music was just as revolutionary, their sound unlike anything else on either island. From deep dubs shot through with jazzy sax, to the bright and breezy instrumental "12 Bar" with its splendid loose groove, that is transmuted later in the set to the jazzier and smokier "Adella," "Food" slams into the dance clubs, "King" floats to the heavens. It's hard to believe this is the same UB40 that topped the UK charts with the likes of "Red Red Wine" and "I've Got You Babe"." Their fire was dampened quickly, but on Signing Off it blazed high. Still accessible to the pop market, but so edgy, that even those that are sure there's nothing about the group to admire will change their tune instantly. A timeless masterpiece — Jo-Ann Greene

[-Jar-]

SIGNING OFF is so freaking good. Good one to bring up in this thread. Definately a landmark album of my "musical transition & discovery" period during college. Right along side GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER....

-jar

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Grat song, great album, that!

Funny you should mention Signing Off as important in your "musical transition". Same for me. I credit hearing "Signing Off" along with "Marcus Garvey" and soundtracks for both "The Harder They Come" and "Rockers" for really turning me from a fringe reggae fan, ("Do I like reggae?, sure, Bob Marley is cool"). To a FAN. But Signing Off gets the bulk of the credit.

You and I seem to have a few of those "transitional" albums in common.

BTW, I have a few of your comps for which I seem to have mislaid the tracklists, you think you can help?

Jar's Reggae, Summer '02
Nuclear Cocktails
April Flowers

Thanks

[-Jar-]

BTW, I have a few of your comps for which I seem to have mislaid the tracklists, you think you can help?

Jar's Reggae, Summer '02
Nuclear Cocktails
April Flowers

Thanks

sure here ya go (these lead to Art of the Mix where I have 'em all listed, btw)

<a href="http://www.artofthemix.com/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=25625">April Flowers</a>

<a href=http://www.artofthemix.com/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=27836>Jar’s Summer Reggae 2002 Disc 1</a>

<a href=http://www.artofthemix.com/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=27837>Jar’s Summer Reggae 2002 Disc 2</a>

<a href=http://www.artofthemix.com/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=27838>Jar’s Summer Reggae 2002 Disc 3</a>

<a href=http://www.artofthemix.com/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=41874>Nuclear Coctails</a>

-jar

[Lifes-A-Blast]

I agree with you on this one . A well exucuted jem . 75% of which is hit material!!
OY OY OY

[3-LockBox]

With so many different genres of music, I'm amazed that any of you could keep it to one release. I know I can't.

<b>Lindsay Buckingham</b>:<i>Out Of The Cradle</i> I know, I know...many people here are probably burned out on Fleetwood Mac, and its members. I know so few people that have ever listened to it, and considering how spotty his other solo efforts have been, maybe I can't blame them. Ever the perfectionist, his studio talents and musicianship are in perfect harmony on this, his last solo album to date. Even though it went mostly unnoticed, this album ranks up there among some the great pop/rock albums of all time, like Gerry Rafferty's <i>City To City</i> and...

<b>David And David</b>: <i>Boomtown</i> It did have one major radio hit, and maybe there's a dee-jay or two who still play songs from the album, but this one is vastly under appreciated by mainstream listeners. This is very ironic given that Baerwald and Ricketts (last names) have contributed heavily (seperately or together) on other artists material over the course of the '80s, artists who enjoyed great success. This release, their only performance collaberation, plays like a late '80s version of the Eagles' <i>Hotel California</i>. It's infectious pop/rock with dark, brooding undercurrents is enough to make Jackson Browne jealous.

<i>The Wild, The Innocent, and The 'E' St. Shuffle</i>: Sure, <b>Bruce Sprinsteen</b> would go on to become an icon, but this jem of album woulda made me a lifelong fan of his, had I heard it long ago. I just happened to be at a neighbor's house playing cards and he had this on his carousel player. I borrowed it for a few days, then I bought it within weeks. Of course, this was the last album made with David Sancious at the helm, just before his and Springsteen's falling out. No songs from this album made it to Springsteen's greatest hits CD from the early '90s, even though most fans consider it his best work ever.

<i>Masque</i>: For most people, their familiarity with <b>Kansas</b> begins with <i>Leftoverture</i>, but <i>Masque</i> slipped in under the radar and save for a few diehard fans, most haven't heard this masterpiece, which is every bit as good as the band's next two releases.

<b>Captain Beyond</b>: <i>Sufficiently Breathless</i>- This band was a supergroup of sorts, formed in the early '70s by former Iron Butterfly and Deep purple members. They only made three albums, the best ones being the first two with Rod Evens (from Deep Purple), which were a mixture of psychadelia, blues and progressive structures. As good as anything from most groups of the day, you'll never see any of this group's songs on a '70s comp or classic rock comp, yet its readily comparable to groups like Black Sabbath, early Steve Miller, Santana, or even Alman Brothers. While this band's first release (self titled) is more in the vein of prog rock, the second release <i>Sufficiently Breathless</i> is more psychadelic-blues oriented and is a showcase for both musicianship and song writing and its amazing that they never 'caught on'.

And pick <u>any</u> <b>XTC</b> album over the last two decades. I'll sit through just about any banal awards show or Hall of Fame show that finally recognizes this group's brilliance.

[Stone]

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc300/c368/c36870a03dp.jpg

RIYL: The Chameleons and other similar sounding 80s bands.

[Mr MidFi]

OK, 3LB, I'll pick an XTC...Oranges and Lemons. A lot of folks love Skylarking, English Settlement, Black Sea, etc. And they are all outstanding works too. But I don't believe O&L gets its due. There's just so much going on in there.

(And, once again, I'll sing the praises of the oft-overlooked Infidels album by Bob Dylan, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi, the overlooked REM gem.)

[tentoze]

This album came out in 1986 and would have been placed in the "college" radio section or new wave or maybe even just "rock", but wherever it should be found, the main place is in your cd collection.

I think the song "Even Now" got some airplay.

This album is great. It's 9 songs, each about the same length.

It's basically real clean rock, based on Michael Been's lead bass and lead vocals. He's a left handed Bassist and does lead vocals real well.

It's hard for me to describe the style of the music, it doesn't have any fancy processing or digital trickery or anything like that, more like kind of a harder style of Joe Jackson but without the jazz influence of Joe Jackson, but still rootsy kind of feel and sound.

Actually pretty mellow, not a loud rock record but you still want to turn it up because it's real good.

Dave
Dave,

I happened to remember yr post when I was in the used vinyl store at lunch today and picked up a pristine copy of this one for $.99- haven't listened to it yet, but the album cover alone was worth a buck.........


:D

[Worf101]

I just found a re-issue of this album and have been spinning it for the last couple of hours.

From 1969, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions overlooked gem:
"The Young Mod's Forgotten Story"

The second album released on Mayfield's own "Curtom" label (something else Curtis did before many other Black Soul artists, hell he may even have been the first to do it) this disk remains his most overtly political work with the Impressions. He left the group soon after it's release and in many way it's a fitting parting gesture. The album, released years before Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?", while not musicially superior, is just as groundbreaking in it's departure from Curtis' early works.

Tunes like the title track which talks of American youth's struggle to find sense in a world at war with itself are combined with other's of equal power. "Choice of Colors" brings up a question never asked in popular music up until that time, "if you could choose your color which would you choose? If there were no day or night, which would you prefer to like?" The album ends with a blast of protofunk in 'Mighty Mighty Spade and Whitey" wherein Curtis tell's the hater's on BOTH sides to forget the hate and get together for the common good.

This album was not a thematic masterpiece like "What's Goin' On" because Curtis couldn't make an album without numerous sweet love songs that, while excellent, detract from what could've been a stunning statement on race relations in America. Mayfield eventually penned such a masterpiece about life in the drug drenched inner city with his "Superfly" soundtrack some 3 years later. While not a "masterpiece" "The Young Mod's Forgotten Story" is certainly an overlooked classic in my book.

Da Worfster :cool:

[jasn]

Hey Worf! Have you heard anything by this new kid Van Hunt? I caught a track on a streaming station and I had to go look him up on AMG immediatley. He seems to be getting a lot of buzz.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDCASS70311071017030993&sql=Ajm6dtratklmx

You can check out some samples on Amazon too, but from the full track I heard I can tell they don't him justice.

[Stone]

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c464/c464185e362.jpg

[Chip_B]

The overlooked albums we could collectively name would probably fill a room. Some that come to mind (in no particular order):

<b>Silk Torpedo - Pretty Things. </b>When PT resurfaced on Swan Song, they did so with this great, but sadly overlooked rocker. The tunes were universally solid: strong lyrics, infectious hooks, and energy to burn.

<b>Third Annual Pipe Dream - Atlanta Rhythm Section. </b>Most ARS fans note Dog Days as a favorite, but 3rd APD was my introduction to the band and I think it's easily their best. It matches the best Southern Rock of the time and covered (beautifully) a lot of territory that Marshall Tucker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws, and others didn't touch. Guitarist Barry Bailey deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with better known Southern string-benders like Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Hughie Thomasson, Billy Jones, and Toy Caldwell.

<b>Stacked Deck - Amazing Rhythm Aces. </b>The album enjoyed some minor acclaim for '3rd Rate Romance' and 'Amazing Grace (Used to be Her Favorite Song)', but the whole record is superb. 'The Ella B', 'Life's Railway to Heaven', and 'Who Will the Next Fool Be' are as good or better than the songs they're known for.

<b>Tons of Sobs - Free. </b>Tons of Sobs was Free's first and proved that there was definitely life before Fire and Water. Whereas Paul Kossoff's guitar is strangely muted on F&W, it's front and center throughout Tons of Sobs. ToS is also a much 'harder' album focused on Bluesy rockers and features some of Paul Rodgers' best vocals.

<b>Metamorphosis - Iron Butterfly. </b>Most people turn their noses up at the very mention of Iron Butterfly, and those that do are probably unaware of this amazing piece of vintage psychedelia. Mike Pinera (Blues Image) and El Rhino (who joined Captain Beyond soon after) combine to great effect. 'Soldier in Our Town' features an outstanding Doug Ingle vocal and 'Butterfly Bleu' is 14 minutes of strangeness that is better heard than described.

<b>Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac.</b> Mac was a great Blues-Rock band back when Peter Green was fronting them. Then Play On was Green at his peak and the supporting cast (Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan in addition to McVie and Fleetwood) certainly didn't hurt. Far from the be-all, end-all, 'Oh Well' is just one of several great songs. 'Show Biz Blues', 'Coming Your Way', 'Although the Sun is Shining', and the 'Rattlesnake Shake'/Searching for Madge'/Fighting for Madge' medley make this album much more than a one-trick pony.

If I was picking just one great, overlooked tune, I'd have to say <b>'Birth, School, Work, Death' by the Godfathers</b>. Not many bands can reduce a life to four words and hold your attention in the process.

Guadalcanal Diary's 'Jamboree', Kansas' 'Masque' (a personal favorite), and David and David's 'Boomtown' which were mentioned earlier, are also excellent picks.

-Chip

[Davey]

<b>Silk Torpedo - Pretty Things. </b>When PT resurfaced on Swan Song, they did so with this great, but sadly overlooked rocker. The tunes were universally solid: strong lyrics, infectious hooks, and energy to burn.
Hmmm, that's the only one on your list that I have and "classic" isn't the first thought that comes to my mind :)

Hehehe, I guess it was overlooked by me though, since I didn't pick up the LP until sometime back in the early 90s when I was looking for as much Pretty Things vinyl as I could find. Love the earlier 60s stuff, but guess you probably had to be there for that Led Zep supported release. Just didn't really do anything for me, but probably didn't give it much of a chance. Need to make a mental note to give it another good listen when I'm reunited with my LP collection. Do you like it more or less than the SF Sorrow/Parachute phase? I have the later Real Pretty twofer LP set that combines those two albums and really like it, but it's much more along the lines of the early Who psychedelic type stuff. And how are the recent CD remasters of those classics? Looks like they have a few bonus tracks. A little dated now, but probably no more so than the same era Who and Beatles and Floyd stuff. Probably should've started a separate Pretty Things appreciation thread since I doubt many will see it down here, especially at the end of the week :)

[mad rhetorik]

<b>Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac.</b> Mac was a great Blues-Rock band back when Peter Green was fronting them. Then Play On was Green at his peak and the supporting cast (Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan in addition to McVie and Fleetwood) certainly didn't hurt. Far from the be-all, end-all, 'Oh Well' is just one of several great songs. 'Show Biz Blues', 'Coming Your Way', 'Although the Sun is Shining', and the 'Rattlesnake Shake'/Searching for Madge'/Fighting for Madge' medley make this album much more than a one-trick pony.

Amen. Peter Green was perhaps one of the finest blues/rock crossover artists, and he rarely gets more than a footnote while Eric Clapton (meh) takes up half the chapter. While I enjoy the Buckingham/Nicks pop incarnation as well, there was something really special going on in the Green/Kirwan/Spencer years. I would have mentioned this album, but you beat me to it. ; P

I have several picks for underrated classics:

The Who: <b>The Who Sell Out</b>
Only "I Can See For Miles" qualified as a genuine hit from here. Too bad, because I rank this among the band's best material. This album began Townshend's infatuation with combining rock with opera. However, unlike their later albums their sense of humor is still intact, and the goofy fake advertising jingles and double entendres ("Mary Ann With The Shaky Hands") make this an extremely fun listen. It also contains one of their only genuinely psychedelic songs with "Armenia City In The Sky." Ten to one, I'd rather listen to this than <b>Tommy</b> or <b>Who's Next</b>.

The Pixies: <b>Bossanova</b>
Pixies fans seem to grade this one lower than <b>Surfer Rosa</b> or <b>Doolittle</b>, but for the life of me I could never figure out why. I mean, it's got "Rock Music," "Velouria," "Alison," "Dig For Fire," "The Happening" <b>(!!!!!!)</b> and "Is She Weird" on it, for chrissakes! Nothing second-string about this album (that would be reserved for parts of <b>Trompe Le Monde</b> and Frank Black's hit-and-miss solo career).

The Ramones: <b>End Of The Century</b>
I guess this is a very controversial release among Ramones fans, given Phil Spector's hand in producing it. I think this album is great, though. "Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio," "Chinese Rock," and "Danny Says" are all great songs, overproduced or not. At least this album sounds <i>different</i>, a feat rarely established with Ramones releases.

AC/DC: <b>Powerage</b>
See above paragraph, last sentence. This album sounds different from any other AC/DC album, it's more bluesy and doesn't rehash the same three chords over and over. Angus Young calls this his favorite AC/DC album. "Rock 'N' Roll Damnation" and "Sin City" are favorites from this, and Bon's voice is at his laconic, witty best.

John Coltrane: <b>Crescent</b>
This one is ALWAYS overlooked in the shadow of <b>A Love Supreme</b>. Qualifies, IMO, as the best album released with the Jones/Garrison/McCoy quartet--it's less noisy and more laidback and graceful than other Coltrane work from this period. "Wise One" is a showcase of extreme beauty.

Joe Pass: <b>Virtuoso</b>
I'm pretty sure this guy is one of the forgotten greats of jazz guitar. Excellent guitar tone, incredible dexterity, Pass is just freakin' amazing. Why he gets so little press compared to Wes Montogomery just baffles me. Only a few jazzheads I've met acknowledge his existence.

A Tribe Called Quest: <b>People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm</b>
After buying <b>The Low End Theory</b> and loving the hell out of it, I decided to check out this debut release and <b>Midnight Marauders</b>. While <b>Marauders</b> was good, <b>Paths Of Rhythm</b> is even better. I'd even go so far as to say this is better than <b>The Low End Theory</b> in some ways. "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo" and "Bonita Applebum" get my white arse shakin'.

I'm sure there's a few more I've forgotten (how ironic). : P

[-Jar-]

AC/DC: <b>Powerage</b>
See above paragraph, last sentence. This album sounds different from any other AC/DC album, it's more bluesy and doesn't rehash the same three chords over and over. Angus Young calls this his favorite AC/DC album. "Rock 'N' Roll Damnation" and "Sin City" are favorites from this, and Bon's voice is at his laconic, witty best.



Amen brother. POWERAGE is the last hurah and final chapter for the rough, gritty, 70's AC/DC sound before Mutt Lange got ahold of them. Though I do love HIGHWAY TO HELL, POWERAGE just grabs me, it's more visceral. It wasn't my favorite back then, but I'd say, yea, it's probably my favorite now. Very close to LET THERE BE ROCK anyways. I always loved "Downpayment Blues" and "Sin City" - but "Kicked in the Teeth" and "Up to My Neck In You" just rock the house.. it's amazing how these two songs have come back after over 20 years of being a fan to become new favorites of mine.

-jar

[Chip_B]

Hmmm, that's the only one on your list that I have and "classic" isn't the first thought that comes to my mind :)

Hehehe, I guess it was overlooked by me though, since I didn't pick up the LP until sometime back in the early 90s when I was looking for as much Pretty Things vinyl as I could find. Love the earlier 60s stuff, but guess you probably had to be there for that Led Zep supported release. Just didn't really do anything for me, but probably didn't give it much of a chance. Need to make a mental note to give it another good listen when I'm reunited with my LP collection. Do you like it more or less than the SF Sorrow/Parachute phase? I have the later Real Pretty twofer LP set that combines those two albums and really like it, but it's much more along the lines of the early Who psychedelic type stuff. And how are the recent CD remasters of those classics? Looks like they have a few bonus tracks. A little dated now, but probably no more so than the same era Who and Beatles and Floyd stuff. Probably should've started a separate Pretty Things appreciation thread since I doubt many will see it down here, especially at the end of the week :)
One man's classic is another man's crap, I s'pose. I liked it from the very first listen, especially 'Bridge of God' (<i>"building his bridge to the sky....teaching the granite to fly"</i>), the title cut, 'Dream/Joey', 'Belfast Cowboys', 'LANTA', 'Maybe You Tried', 'Come Home Momma'...I like pretty much the whole album. I also like the early PT and was around in the sixties when they got a little airplay now and then. I don't have SF Sorrow, but I've got Parachute and Get a Buzz/Best of the Fontana Years which includes stuff from SF Sorrow. The sixties version of the band was completely different from the seventies version, so to me it's like comparing apples and oranges. Nonetheless, I thought the original PT were outstanding; I used 'Rosalyn' and 'Sickle Clowns' on my 60s comps. And for the record, the Beatles <i>never</i> sound dated to me. http://forums.audioreview.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[Chip_B]

Amen. Peter Green was perhaps one of the finest blues/rock crossover artists, and he rarely gets more than a footnote while Eric Clapton (meh) takes up half the chapter. While I enjoy the Buckingham/Nicks pop incarnation as well, there was something really special going on in the Green/Kirwan/Spencer years. I would have mentioned this album, but you beat me to it. ; P
I like most of Fleetwood Mac's later stuff too: Kiln House (mostly Kirwan's influence), Future Games, Bare Trees (Bob Welsh and Christine Perfect), Mystery to Me (Welsh), and most of the Buckingham/Nicks albums. Can't say that I care much for the stuff that came between Mystery to Me and Fleetwood Mac though. When Green and Spencer (and later Kirwan) dominated their sound, they morphed from playing straight up Blues to a hybrid Blues/rock/pop. After Green and Spencer left, Kirwan (whose music was more pop oriented to begin with) and then Welsh and Perfect just continued down the path that eventually led to the collaboration with Nicks and Buckingham. Ultimately though, they never did a better album than Then Play On--at least as I see it.

[Davey]

One man's classic is another man's crap, I s'pose.
Well, there are a few shades of grey between classic and piece of crap, but guess I did sound kind of dismissive. Sorry. I just don't remember much about the album and so it surprised me to see you thought it that good, but obviously I need to listen to it more. Wouldn't be the first time I missed something obvious and it's always fun to see some Pretty Things love around here, regardless of the context :)

[Whooptee]

I kept meaning to post to this thread. Lots of good picks from everybody. I had a reply partially typed the day this thread started and I got to doing something else and forgot all about it and never got around to it again. Anyway, short and sweet. My pick for overlooked classic is something by one of my favorite bands ever, Thin White Rope. Which album though is a toughie. I really like their live album, The One That Got Away. And Moonhead and In the Spanish Cave are both excellent. But I'd probably go with Sack Full of Silver. Ah, screw it! They're all overlooked classics. Take your pick.

John

[Lifes-A-Blast]

It is amazing that this band never got the radio air play in the late 60's mid 70's untill 1974's issue of Silk Torpedo. I was introduced to this band in 1972 and have always liked them from their early R&B roots aka real bad boys (worse than the Rolling Uglies) to the psyadellic daze of 1967. flower power in the air.... I have all the German Reissues on Snapper and the bonus tracks are hard to beat . fills the gaps in from the time between record albums. Actually I have Parachute on vinyl on the Rare Earth label..
I have friends who swear by silk torpedo & I will play them some of the earlier material and they will say: That's the Pretty Things!! Wow!.. One last note the story behind S.F.Sorrow is quite amazing . While an EMI band the group recorded this jem at the same time Sgt.Peckers (Beatles) & Piper at the Gates (Floyd) in the same Abbey Road studios during the off times it wasn't be used. In the liner notes it is noted that of the 3 releases EMI did this was the ONLY ONE NOT MIXED IN STEREO!! I guess rank has its priviages.the other 2 did have stereo mixes released.These guys made more of an impact in England and Europe more that here in N. America. But still a favorite to this day