Most Underrated Bands

[Worm of Despite]

For me, it's:


1) Procol Harum - If you can listen to "A Salty Dog" (or any of their first four albums, for that matter) and still say "all they ever did was Whiter Shade of Pale", I will slap you. And while everyone familiar with Procol Harum will admit some kind of grudging respect, they weren't the kind of band you did cartwheels over; they kind of seeped into your high esteem by degrees. And yet they performed accessible and intelligent music that somehow touched all the bases: rock, blues, progressive, folk--all at once, and in a more meaningful way than many of their contemporaries and descendents.

2) The Kinks - This band is only known for their #1 fare, such as "You Really Got Me", but people ignore the fact that they had a five-year, six-album burst of creativity that ranks just a notch below the great sustained eruptions of Dylan, Beatles, and the Stones.


If you're a student of intelligent 60s rocks, you're doing yourself a disservice by not exploring these bands. Albums like "A Salty Dog" and "The Village Green Preservation Society" are up there with Abbey Road, Electric Ladyland, you name it. I highly recommend:

Procol Harum albums: "Procol Harum", "Shine On Brightly", "A Salty Dog", "Home", "Broken Barricades", "Procol Harum Live - In Concert With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra"

The Kinks: "The Village Green Preservation Society", "Arthur", "Lola", "Muswell Hillbillies"

[danlo]

Camel (not to be confused ever with Frampton's Camel)

[Menolly]

2) The Kinks - This band is only known for their #1 fare, such as "You Really Got Me", but people ignore the fact that they had a five-year, six-album burst of creativity that ranks just a notch below the great sustained eruptions of Dylan, Beatles, and the Stones.

:::snip:::

The Kinks: "The Village Green Preservation Society", "Arthur", "Lola", "Muswell Hillbillies"

My favorite Kinks album is Preservation, both acts 1 & 2. but, I'm strange that way.

The only problem I have personally with the Kinks, is that as I pulled on to my street after seeing them at The Sunrise Musical Theater in 1981 an ambulance pulled out of my driveway with my Mom in back and my Dad following behind in his car. She died from a long struggle with breast cancer the next day. I was 21 years old, and I sometimes wonder if I should have been home that night, instead of at the concert, even if I did get Ray Davis' autograph at the stage entrance, and a direct comment on my outfit from him since I had gone straight from work and was still in my waitress uniform.

[Lord Mhoram]

Foul,

I too find the Kinks to be underrated - certainly the most underrated of the 60s. As for Procol Harum, I'm not a big prog fan (and no Pink Floyd does NOT qualify as progressive rock).

Another vastly underrated band is Pavement from the 90s. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is one of my favorite albums from that decade. They have many great songs.

[Worm of Despite]

Foul,

I too find the Kinks to be underrated - certainly the most underrated of the 60s. As for Procol Harum, I'm not a big prog fan (and no Pink Floyd does NOT qualify as progressive rock).

Well, I wouldn't write Procol off just because they're progressive. I mean, when they were cutting their first records, there wasn't even a set name for their genre. They hardly sound progressive, anyway. They're a combination of late Beatles and Traffic's mellow British folk. It's all very close in sound to Jethro Tull, but a heck of a lot more interesting (to me, anyway).

I'm not a big prog fan either, and that's saying something. These guys are at least worth a try.

Just get "A Salty Dog" and listen to that whole album, and if you don't like it, okay, then tell me they're not worth it. I don't think you can lose by buying it, because it's truly a masterpiece. They were simply making ornate, intelligent rock, just like the Kinks. Come to think of it, Procol is less progressive than Floyd.

Speaking of Floyd: what do you mean they're not progressive? They have every quality of a progressive band. The harmonic classical rock compositions, the bombastic style, a mellow, texturally-dense production, gospelly backup singers, obscure Orwellian lyrics, concept albums, songs that run into each other, 20-plus-minute-epic-songs, elaborate live shows, crazy album covers. How is that not prog defined?

[dennisrwood]

Badfinger: never got from the shadow of the Beatles in many people's minds. and then two members kill themselves. but listen to their albums.
gorgeous pop songs. straight out rockers. great stuff.

[aTOMiC]

XTC and the fact that you don't know who I'm talking about is and example of the term underrated.

[Warmark]

I Love the Kinks.

[dANdeLION]

Rush. They're NOT in the Rock 'n Roll hall of fame, but KISS is? That's just sick.

Brand X. Not only underrated, but around here at least, almost completely ignored. Same with Spock's Beard and XTC.

Kinks are a bit underrated too, but at least they got enough radio play to make me aware of them.

[danlo]

Brand X is killer! Morrocan Roll is one of the coolest CDs I own!

[aTOMiC]

Rush. They're NOT in the Rock 'n Roll hall of fame, but KISS is? That's just sick.

Don't get me started on KISS.

Yes RUSH certainly deserves to be in the HOF. Maybe when they've ceased to be relevant and original they will be included. As long as they are still producing new and exciting music they probably wont be seriously considered for induction.

I heard several KISS songs the other day and it reminded me just how clumsy the band's songs were. If I didn't know better I'd would have thought I was listening to SWEET or some other sub par bubble gum pop band from the 70s. KISS's image never matched the music they produced IMHO. But fans they have aplenty and I won't gainsay their tastes. One of them is my wife.

[dANdeLION]

and no Pink Floyd does NOT qualify as progressive rock

Not only is Pink Floyd prog, but they are one of the three most popular prog bands of all time, along with Yes and Genesis. Do a google search and you'll see what I'm talking about.

[[Syl]]

I know who you're talking about, Tom. Early electronica. Didn't the singer die in England... suicide or something else ugly?

Personally, I say Clutch. Or Dredg. Ten years ago, I would've said Tool, but that's definately not the case these days.

[Lord Mhoram]

Foul,

I would consider Pink Floyd to be more art rock than prog rock.

[Edge]

Magna Carta

British prog-rock/folk band, featuring a singer (Chris Simpson) with a five-octave singing range, and occasional keyboard contributions by Rick Wakeman.

Anyone into prog needs to take a listen to their album 'Lord Of The Ages'. Trust me, it'll blow your mind.

[Worm of Despite]

Foul,

I would consider Pink Floyd to be more art rock than prog rock.

Well, it's a case of both. Art rock is a sub-genre of rock, in which progressive is a style. Other styles that may fit within the art rock umbrella include: Post Punk, New Wave, Krautrock, Industrial, Electronic Rock, Experimental Rock, Avant Rock, Space Rock. I'd say Brian Eno is the best example of pure art rock.

But I digress. Pink Floyd were a lot of things. I would agree with you that they had elements of art rock, but that doesn't mean they can't also be psychedelic or progressive, which they most characteristically were.

Art rock did reach its commercial height with the popularity of the aforementioned "progressive rock" bands, such as King Crimson, Yes, and especially Pink Floyd, whose mix of jazz and blues influences, smooth psychedelic soundscapes, and anti-establishment lyrics proved to be just as influential and commercially viable as any "mainstream" music. After the punk revolution of the late '70s put simplicity back in style, and as openly philosophical bands like Pink Floyd drifted toward the mainstream with hit singles and more commercial productions, their "art rock" designation fell away, and a new breed of artists with influences in noisy punk and minimalist electronic music took their place on the cutting edge of "art rock."

[dANdeLION]

I know who you're talking about, Tom. Early electronica. Didn't the singer die in England... suicide or something else ugly?

Electronica? Dead singer? You're way off, Syl. XTC's singer, Andy Partridge, is alive and well. XTC was one of the better New Wave bands of the early eighties, and they still produce cds, even though they quit performing live 20 years ago due to Partridge's major stage fright problem.

Oh, and in recent news, Pink Floyd is STILL considered prog.

[danlo]

Electronica? Kraftwerk and Gary Numann? Thursday I don't care about you... XTC is great-whats the name of the green album with the rune-ish horse on it? I must have it! <btw...Trent Reznor of NIN was just awarded 2.9 million dollars in rights from his old manager>

[matrixman]

After the punk revolution of the late '70s put simplicity back in style, and as openly philosophical bands like Pink Floyd drifted toward the mainstream with hit singles and more commercial productions, their "art rock" designation fell away...

I think this highlights the schism in attitude between the prog rock audience and the "hit singles" audience. Whereas prog rock fans want an album experience and seem disdainful of hit songs, more "mainstream" rock fans like me generally favor strong singles over album-length listening. To me, a well-constructed 3 or 4-minute single is more important than a 4-minute prog instrumental solo. This is certainly a big reason why, for example, The Police ranks higher in my musical universe than Pink Floyd, though I of course have the utmost respect for Floyd's musicianship and as conceptual album artists.

[dANdeLION]

XTC is great-whats the name of the green album with the rune-ish horse on it? I must have it!

green......ahh, English Settlement. Excellent album!