Most Underrated Bands

[aTOMiC]

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!

I heartily agree, danlo and dAN. Settlement is tremedous.

1. Runaways
2. Ball And Chain
3. Senses Working Overtime
4. Jason And The Argonauts
5. No Thugs In Our House
6. Yacht Dance
7. All Of A Sudden (It's Too Late)
8. Melt The Guns
9. Leisure
10. It's Nearly Africa
11. Knuckle Down
12. Fly On The Wall
13. Down In The Cockpit
14. English Roundabout
15. Snowman

I particularly like Fly on the Wall and Down In the Cockpit but every track is excellent. IMHO

[dANdeLION]

I wanna wanna know, man
Why, oh why does she treat me like a snowman
HA!

[safetyjedi]

Here's one I'll bet very few have heard of, a band called Klaatu. They were hailed as the new Beatles when they came out 25 years ago, but they were into sci-fi alternative rock. (there really isn't a category for them) Their best album was titled "Hope." You can still find them on ebay and places like that. They never quite caught on here in the US. Anyone else heard of 'em?

[aTOMiC]

One is born and one will die, it's all understood
The bit that's in the middle doesn't count

[[Syl]]

Yep, way off. For some reason, I was thinking of New Empire (and Joy Division by association).

[Lord Mhoram]

Foul,

What does it matter? Musical categorization is subjective and meaningless, IMO. All I'm saying is, I've heard a lot of so-called "progressive rock" bands like Yes, Jethro Tull, et al. and I find Pink Floyd's music to be a cut above, and often in a different style.

[Worm of Despite]

Foul,

What does it matter?

It doesn't, heh. I just like being picky.

Musical categorization is subjective and meaningless, IMO.

Looking at classical music, ones sees it grouped into distinct classes, such as Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc. These categorizations are pretty darn accurate, and they're very helpful, too. It gives a clear timeline throughout the centuries. Without such classification, I'd be pretty lost on musical history. Similarly, rock and roll is very fragmented, and I for one appreciate the organization that categorization brings. That's just me, though. Like I said, I'd be pretty confused without it!

All I'm saying is, I've heard a lot of so-called "progressive rock" bands like Yes, Jethro Tull, et al. and I find Pink Floyd's music to be a cut above, and often in a different style.

Well, prog rock is difficult to define in a single conclusive way. Just as you've noted, there's the fact that most prog bands sound nothing like each other.

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.

Ha! I woulda thought a guy like you who goes on musical journeys with Beethoven's symphonies would certainly not mind journeying through beefy prog albums!

But, a point: a prog solo can be just as focused and substantial as a single, if the artist has something to say (see King Crimson's "Red", which is over five minutes, by the way). And to be sure, prog rock isn't just bunch of mindless jamming and overwrought nuttiness. Floyd, for example, released highly commercial fare that ranks right up there with any tightly-crafted single you can name, such as "Money", "Another Brick in the Wall", "Hey You", "Comfortably Numb", "Time", "Run Like Hell", and on and on.

As an unrelated aside: I find a nagging parallel between the early 20th century reaction to Romanticism and punk’s backlash against prog. It seems whenever the mainstream reaches its zenith of complexity, the next mainstream force will usually be a movement toward simplicity.

[dANdeLION]

Foul, What does it matter? Musical categorization is subjective and meaningless, IMO.

And yet you refuse to give up your opinions on it. Interesting.

[High Lord Tolkien]

How about the Alan Parsons Project?
They seem pretty underrated to me, anyway.

I picked one album up a few years ago because it was $2 and it was great.
So I grabbed a few more and wasn't let down.
Lots of instrumental stuff.

I never hear them on the radio or get any praise.
Of course that could just mean that they stink and I have lousy taste!!

Lately I've been into folk music.

Actually there are a few members here from the Boston area, anyone listen to 91.9 FM?
I wish they had a playlist with the time of day the song played because I never remember what I'm listening to and would love to buy some CDs.

[danlo]

All Chicago Bulls games start with APP! My fav CD is Pyramids--but Tales of Mystery and Imagination (based on Poe) and I Robot are also excellent. I have Turn of a Friendly Card and always enjoy it. Wish I had the above CDs as well as the outstanding Eye in the Sky. I saw them with Yes and they were awesome! What a priviledge (and you know the two world famous CDs Parsons produced right <pop quiz!>) as they don't tour very much

[Lord Mhoram]

dAN,

And yet you refuse to give up your opinions on it. Interesting.

Okay, I'm sensing some aggressiveness from you. Pink Floyd's prog rock if you want them to be. Happy?

Note that I said it's subjective; therefore, I accept that I can consider Pink Floyd to be one genre, and you can consider it another. It's meaningless because no matter what genre you call it, it's all about the music and what you make of it.

[dANdeLION]

I find humor in the thought that you think what I have said is in some way not the absolute truth.

[Lord Mhoram]

dAN,

I find humor in the thought that you think what I have said is in some way not the absolute truth.

I find some humor in the thought that you assume what you say must be the absolute truth.

[danlo]

If you want Absolution go to the Close

[dennisrwood]

how about an underated band member?

Rick Wright : Pink Floyd

Burning Bridges
Us & Them
Wearing the Inside Out
Stay
Great Gig In the Sky
Marooned

and his solo album is fantastic
www.floydianslip.com/discs/brokench.htm

and on the recent David Gilmour live dvd Rick joins the band to perform Breakthrough from that album.

[Worm of Despite]

Oh yeah. Wright's "Broken China" is great stuff.

[dennisrwood]

have you seen the Gilmour cd? Rick is outstanding! I wish that Floyd would do another cd, I loved Division Bell and would have liked to hear the continuation from that.

[matrixman]

Ha! I woulda thought a guy like you who goes on musical journeys with Beethoven's symphonies would certainly not mind journeying through beefy prog albums!

I've thought about this, too. I guess it's not such a simple and logical equation, especially when you're dealing with something as subjective and "irrational" as music. The best answer I can come up with is that different musical forms mean different things to me. Just because I enjoy Beethoven's symphonies doesn't mean that, by default, I must somehow like prog rock albums as well. But I'm not saying Beethoven is "superior" to rock music, as I love rock 'n' roll as much as anybody. What I am saying is that I like Beethoven because it's Beethoven, not because of any similarity between his music and prog rock. And if I enjoy prog rock, I'll enjoy it on its own terms, not because I happen to like Beethoven.

And hey, I do enjoy Pink Floyd, thank you very much. Of course, it's perhaps a little telling that my favorite Floyd albums (Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Division Bell) happen to contain strong individual tracks of "hit single" length.

But, a point: a prog solo can be just as focused and substantial as a single, if the artist has something to say (see King Crimson's "Red", which is over five minutes, by the way). And to be sure, prog rock isn't just bunch of mindless jamming and overwrought nuttiness. Floyd, for example, released highly commercial fare that ranks right up there with any tightly-crafted single you can name, such as "Money", "Another Brick in the Wall", "Hey You", "Comfortably Numb", "Time", "Run Like Hell", and on and on.

Yes, and it's probably why I like The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon (and Division Bell) more than Floyd's other albums--or at least I'm willing to sit down and listen to these three albums more so than their other works.

You might be thinking I often don't sit through entire albums, and you'd be right, but it really depends on the album. I don't have a problem listening to the Beatles' Revolver all the way through, heh heh...it's one great song after another! On the other hand, the "concept" album Sgt. Pepper tests my patience. The concept behind that album, as far as I'm concerned, must have been How To Make A Turgid Mess. But then the Fab Four strike back with The White Album, an astounding collection of great individual songs! Is my bias showing?

In terms of current artists, I have no trouble listening to Radiohead's OK Computer or Kid A from beginning to end either. If these albums are considered by connoisseurs to be prog rock or "concept" rock, then hooray, you got me. If not...well, it's still great music to me. Heh heh, these two albums also happen to have strong, tightly focused tracks (IMO).

As an unrelated aside: I find a nagging parallel between the early 20th century reaction to Romanticism and punk’s backlash against prog. It seems whenever the mainstream reaches its zenith of complexity, the next mainstream force will usually be a movement toward simplicity.

Ooh, nice parallel there! Heck, you could write a book on that!

Er...what was the topic again? Oh, underrated bands...

BIG COUNTRY

This band from Scotland at least has a loyal following in the UK, but here in North America they're just known as that one-hit wonder who scored with "In A Big Country." This band was so much more than that one song, a classic though it was. I rank the four albums Big Country made in the 80's among the very best of that decade: The Crossing, Steeltown, The Seer, and Peace In Our Time. Even as the 90's arrived and Big Country was unfairly labelled as just another has-been 80's act, the band kept rolling on. In fact, I regard their 1991 album No Place Like Home as their finest ever. Unfortunately, it's one of those "best albums no one has heard of."

Anyway, that's probably more info than anyone here wanted to know about Big Country. So now you know.

[Worm of Despite]

But I'm not saying Beethoven is "superior" to rock music

Oh, come on now. Yes he is. He pwns rock music and its little girly chord changes.

Just because I enjoy Beethoven's symphonies doesn't mean that, by default, I must somehow like prog rock albums as well.

Heh, well, I didn’t say you “must” or that your reason for liking progressive should be tied with everyone's favorite deaf German. I just saw some musical likeness between the denseness of Mr. Prog and Beethoven’s symphonies, and thought there might be something there you’d like. If not, eh, I’ve still got my stick for bopping.

I guess, to explain where I was coming from: through my observance, I’ve seen a lot of people like stuff that’s similar, and it’s a telling mark. For example, a friend of mine likes mostly glam/art rock (Bowie, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, Eno); he’s sort of big on liking stuff that’s not mainstream. So, when he decided to buy some classical, he went off and got some Mahler, who isn’t exactly the most obvious introduction to classical (but a good choice, in and of itself). I wasn’t surprised, though. Whereas I started with Bach, he jumps into the pool with Mahler. Similarly, someone that likes the harmonic tapestries of “classical rock” might like similar tapestries found in classical music. Eh, it’s just a bunch of logical extensions (at least, I hope they’re logical, heh). Of course, then our personal preferences come in and blast logic all to hell.

The concept behind that album, as far as I'm concerned, must have been How To Make A Turgid Mess. But then the Fab Four strike back with The White Album, an astounding collection of great individual songs! Is my bias showing?

Yeah, I prefer the White Album. But really, Pepper's a bunch of songs too (Lennon said so, anyway, and he's God). The concept is hardly there; I mean, the first two songs have it, and then it goes south, until the last two songs, the "Reprise" and "A Day in the Life". But in between that it was just another Beatles LP of their latest stuff. But yeah, I've definitely heard concept albums with stronger narrative threads, to be sure. Of course, during 67, bands were only just dipping their toes in that territory.

[dANdeLION]

I think Foghat and Wings were underrated.