The most underrated act ...

To me it has to be The Climax Blues Band. Can't remember how many times I saw them but they never let me down, great concerts everytime.

American wise James McMurtry- writes fantastic lyrics.

Lewis Taylor, now rumoured to have largely abandoned professional music and be working as a plumber...

He was brought to my attention on Tony Levin's web site, with T-Lev saying everyone has someone they treasure who nobody else seems to have heard of and for him it's Lewis Taylor. I investigated, and glad I did. The Hacktone Label, which specialises in finding and re-releasing overlooked gems, has a couple of his works available. Stoned is a superb soul album while The Lost Album is one of those difficult to pigeonhole things with elements of soul, pop, rock, prog and more Besides. And he does it practically all himself, multi-tracking the different parts, including layers of vocals).

Well worth checking out, especially if you have a soft spot for soul.

Pete.

Mark Kozelek (solo, or as the songwriter in Red House Painters, or Sun Kil Moon)

'Old Ramon', by Red House Painters is one of my very favorite albums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Ramon). It reminds me a lot of Joni Mitchell's 'Hejira' in it introspective melancholy, and sparse guitar arrangements.

I like a lot of his other releases too, especially his AC/DC and Modest Mouse covers albums (both very gentle and different from the original songs).

Perhaps not as obscure as some artists who might be mentioned in this thread, but his lack of recognition compared with his talent is very disappointing.

If you are looking for something melancholy and melodic, a little Mark Kozelek is very rewarding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Kozelek
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_House_Painters

Steve Forbert has been making beautifully crafted country rock albums for the best part of 30 years now and almost nobody seems to have heard of him. I guess he was cursed by being acclaimed as the "The New Bob Dylan" of the late 70s.

I've got his first 4 albums.
For me it is I Am Kloot.

Led Zeppelin. They received the occasional favourable review but really they were leagues better than the press acknowledged!!

Peter
[silly mood smiley]

Stranger things happen Peter ...

I have just ordered my 1st ever Led Zep record!

Hear hear for Lewis Taylor - didn't realise his musical career had tailed off quite so dramatically. I bought his first album after hearing him interviewed on Kiss in maybe the mid-90s - how radio stations "evolve"!

My votes - Stan Tracey - a legend of British jazz but should be a legend full stop. And someone that I discovered through Stan Tracey - Seb Rochford - in all of his incarnations and notwithstanding a couple of Mercury prize nominations.

Beat Happening! Surely a Hifi lovers' worst nightmare, but they secured the blueprint for the whole independent label scene from the 80's to now. Google them!

Pere Ubu

"Pere Ubu will be looked back on as the most important group to have come out of America in the last decade and a half. Either that or they will be entirely forgotten" (Rolling Stone, cica 1990)

Half Man Half Biscuit

quote:

Jo Ann Kelly

Yes 555, have to agree a fine English field hauler

quote:

Steve Forbert has been making beautifully crafted country rock albums for the best part of 30 years

Tom, I'm in full agreement with this. A regular tunester in the Dawgs kennel

quote:

John Martyn.Yes he has sold records over the years and has a following but IMO never made as big as he should have.

Munch, without a doubt, top of the list. I think Martyn has been just about as famous as he wants to be. Suggest reading his biography 'Some people are crazy' by John Neil Munro for an insight into this wonderful trobled troubador.
Charlie

Most probabably someone I never heard (of).

JohanR

MEATLOAF, with MADONNA on vocals for "Dashboard Light" and PC on drums.

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
MEATLOAF, with MADONNA on vocals for "Dashboard Light" and PC on drums.

Wow Meatloaf, Madonna, Manilow - any recommended albums

Thea Gilmore - the best live concert I have ever attended.

I did forget one of these:-

Basia Bulat - hardly anybody mentions her on this forum and she's absolutely wonderful and she released just about the best debut album of all time

porcupine tree deserve much more credit but steve wilson apparently likes it that way.

quote:

Thanks for the heads up on the book.
But i dont have to read it as i have spent many hours in his company over the years.

Hows the Liver

I believe that Marianne Faithful is very under-rated. She's the nearest thing we have to Edith Piaf, and has a great ability to speak from the depths of her experience.

Hi Bob welcome, keen 1st post.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Ll.:
I believe that Marianne Faithful is very under-rated. She's the nearest thing we have to Edith Piaf, and has a great ability to speak from the depths of her experience.

On one of her album's I've got she speaks in Broken English - a good record though.

Here's three that I think deserve(d) more recognition:

Robert Randolph.

Cowboy.

Graham Parker.

I've heard that Graham Parker is great, but it was just a Rumour