Here at TAP, I’m always asking opinions. Usually, it has to do with things that we like a lot, Often, it has to do with a particular band. At times, we discuss the values of our music, how we listen to it, and a host of other things.
Every once in a while, I seem to find an album that I think is brilliant, butr seems to not gain the same accolades that other albums from the same band gets. For an example, I find Trilogy by ELP to be better in most ways than any other album that they did. But a lot of ELP fans tend to disagree.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Ignored Album post. My current uprooting has gotten in the way of quite a bit, it has. But, as I thought of this, I decided to put it out there and see what you have in mind for an underrated album.
I find Wishbone Four from Wishbone Ash to be an underrated album. Filled with great songs, Wishbone Four took a step away from the potential trap of being a slave to the Argus style (which I loved). But they felt a need to take a stab at straight ahead rock and roll, and I think they knocked it out of the park. “Ballad of the Beacon”, “Doctor”, “Rock and Roll Widow”, the stunning “No Easy Road”, and “Sing Out The Song”. I do recognize the heaviness and length of “Everybody Needs A Friend” but ohhh what a song it is. Track for track, Wishbone Four might be Wishbone Ash’s finest unrecognized moment.
You get the idea. With so many bands out there, and so many great albums, especially under-appreciated works, I’m quite curious to hear your selections of underrated classics.
Deep Purple -Fireball
Overshadowed by its followup, Machine Head, this is the first great album from the Mach II lineup. “Anyone’s Daughter” and “No One Came” ended each album side with humorous tunes, and from start to finish, the remainder rocked as hard as anything they ever did. For several reasons, it’s not a favorite with most of the band, but from a fan’s perspective, it’s a great album that hasn’t dated a bit.
THE FIRST GREAT ALBUM FROM MARK II WAS, IN ROCK (SPEED KING, BLOODSUCKER, CHILD IN TIME, FLIGHT OF THE RAT, INTO THE FIRE, LIVING WRECK, AND HARD LOVIN’ MAN)!!! ..( IT’S MARK, NOT MACH )…MY FAVORITE FROM FIREBALL IS FOOLS
Al Kooper – “I Stand Alone”
All sorts of musical styles – a man ahead of his time and a VERY under appreciated album.
Aldo Nova – Subject… Aldo Nova
He followed his debut with the brilliant concept album.
Triumph – Thunder Seven
The “Time Suite” on side 2 is some of the most powerful, yet passionate music you’ll ever hear.
Asia – Astra
Steve Howe may have been gone, but their third album features John Wetton’s most powerful vocals.
Electric Light Orchestra – Time
ELO’s masterpiece
Heather Nova – Siren
The very definition of “all killer, no filler
Marry Me Jane – Marry Me Jane
Quite possibly the only debut album to ever be used as the sole soundtrack to a motion picture.
Poco – Legacy
20 years later, the original lineup of Poco finally release an album.
Queensrÿche – Rage For Order
One of the best progressive metal albums of all-time.
Bob Seger amp; Silver Bullet Band – Like a Rock. Their greatest studio album (IMO). Always surprised that it didn’t do better on the charts. Besides the 2 singles (American Storm amp; Like a Rock) every other song is great (my favs are Miami amp; The Ring). Great under appreciated album.
Also
Chris Isaak – We’ve Got Tonight. Really thought this disc would really give him more exposure. Chris is really an under-appreciated artist.
Is anyone else having a problem viewing comments?
Matt,
When I click the link to an article it doesn’t come up like it used to. The comments used to come up right below the article and I could scroll through them.
Now I see two tabs – “Related Posts” and “Comments”.
If I select the “Comments” tab the comments come up but I can only see the first screen’s worth of comments. I can’t scroll down to see them all.
Just thought I’d let you know. This is happening at both my work computer and home computer so I don’t think it’s something different on my end.
BTW, this started happening about (maybe) ten days ago.
Queen – The Works. This album was overlooked in the States, probably because “Radio Ga Ga” and “I Want to Break Free” were issued as singles. However, songs like “Tear It Up”, “Hammer to Fall” and “Machines” which rocked the hardest. “It’s a Hard Life” and “Man On the Prowl” remind me of The Game album. “Keep Passing the Open Windows” was a stellar piece. The closing “Is This the World We Created?” was a superb acoustic closer.
Pink Floyd – Animals
This is their underrated album although Roger Waters began to clamp down on David Gilmour and Rick Wright’s contributions. The highlight of the album was “Dogs”. “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” was also another winner as was “Sheep”. Only gripe is “Pigs On the Wing” should have been one song (like on the 8 track) but nevermind. The songs when played on the 1977 tour were superb.
Genesis – Wind and Wuthering
This album gets overshadowed by alot of the other albums. Mike Rutherford wasn’t as fond of this as A Trick of the Tail. Tony Banks loves this album. “One for the Vine”, “Eleventh Earl of Mar”, “Unquiet Slumbers/In That Quiet Earth/Afterglow” all make this album great.
While Queen, after Sheer Heart Attack, didn’t do much for me, your Genesis and Pink Floyd choices are dead on!
Queen II
Ha ha. Animals is my favorite PF album (even though I’d say I revere TDSOTM more). If that album is underated it’s only because it is competing with Meddle, TDSOTM, WYWH and The Wall.
I feel Motley Crue’s “Generation Swine” is underated amongst crue fans. Most hate it. I feel it’s second only to “Dr Feelgood”.
Most Queensryche fans hated Operation Mindcrime 2, I think it’s great.
Black Sabbath’s “Sabotage” isn’t one most Sabbath fans mention but I love it (that one kind of falls in the “Animals” category, tough competition).
As for Queen the last great album for me was “Jazz”, after that they kind of veered away from my tastes (I do have The Game on dvd-a though).
And I know Matt will agree with me on this one… Judas Priest’s “Sin After Sin”. Personally “Unleashed In The East” is my favorite but SAS is 2nd.
I also think “Tormato” by Yes is a great album that all but die-hard Yes fans would dismiss.
Bill, you’re absolutely right on that. Sin After Sin was the best. I also agree with you on Tormato. Not their best, but not as bad as it’s made out to be.
Sin After Sin and then Sad Wings of Destiny
THE LAST GREAT QUEEN ALBUM WAS THE JAZZ (THE LAST “NO SYNTHESIZERS” )
Agree: Wishbone Four is a collection of GREAT songs but somehow it doesn’t quite work as an album. It’s not helped by flat production unambitious artwork either nor that everybody expected another Argus! That said, Doctor, Ballad of the Beacon, Rock n Roll Widow, Sorrel Everybody Needs a Friend are just fantastic songs in a variety of styles underlining just what an eccentic, unconventional band Wishbone Ash is.
Accepted!
“Caress of Steel” by Rush was ravaged by critics and almost cost them their recording contract (2112 was their last chance to make a successful album and fortunately it indeed did become their critical and commercial breakthrough) It’s generally overlooked by fans as well. I like it though and never understood why its not more embraced by fans as it was the progenitor to the highly regarded “2112”, “A Farewell to Kings” and “Hemispheres”. IMO if it has a failing it just that they hadn’t yet perfected the “formula” of the heavier prog elements vs. the more generally accessible material. In that sense, I can understand why the critics hated it (although I’m sure a lot of the hate stemmed from the critics still not yet knowing what to make of them)
“To Our Children’s Children’s Children” by The Moody Blues. IMO, the finest album they ever produced. But again, mostly overlooked by non hard core fans. This is partly due to the fact that the album did not produce any hit singles (so very little of it was ever really played on radio or appeared on the approx. 10,000 greatest hits compilations that have been released over the years) and also since this album was by far the heaviest with regards to overdubbing and other studio trickery it was nearly impossible to faithfully replicate the material on stage (realizing they had they had somewhat painted themselves into a corner, their subsequent album “A Question of Balance” was conceptualized as a “Back to Basics” record that relied much less on studio effects and could easily be played live. Indeed this album produced “Question” which, with the exception of “Nights in White Satin” is their most recognized hit). If you have multi-channel SACD playback capability, I would highly recommend tracking down the SACD release of this album.
Some decent choices for Genesis. I’d also offer “Trespass”. No Phil Collins yet at that point, and certainly the band was still very much finding their way, but it does have nice material on it and shouldn’t be overlooked.
“A Momentary Lapse of Reason” by Pink Floyd. David Gilmour’s “Pink Floyd in name only (Nick Mason is credited as a member but apparently hardly played on the album, and Rick Wright was brought back but only as a hired player at that point….he would be reinstated as a full member of Floyd for “The Division Bell” though) answer to the Waters “Pink Floyd in name only” “The Final Cut”. Not a great album, and Waters writing is missed, but it was a step back in the right direction to the Pink Floyd sound. Waters may have had the rhetorical proficiency that Gilmour’s material lacked, but frankly, Waters post Floyd work was usually pretty dull musically IMO.