Vastly Underrated Al***s

Posted by: Kevin-W on 16 May 2003

OK chaps - I presume that no women (they are quite sensible creatures who use their time constructively) inhabit this forum - here's a new one for you.

We all know those dullard critics' lists of the Top 100 Best Albums Of All Time Ever. We all know they're dominated by the same stuff - Revolver, Pet Sounds, What's Going On, etc etc.

But what about those albums that are stunningly, awesomely good, which are massively underrated, which never get on those lists?

Rules:
1. You are allowed a max of five choices
2. No Beatles
3. Use your imagination
4. No Sting or Police records please
5. That's it

Here are my five:

1 ULTRAMARINE - Every Man & Woman Is A Star (1990)
best album of the early 90s, a brilliant fusion of English folk, psychedelia and whimsy coupled with the latest development in techno)

2. SCOTT WALKER - Scott 3 (1969)
Scott 4 has the critical and cult kudos, 'cause it was a flop at the time; but Scott 3 has the songs: Copenhagen, Big Louise, 30 Century Man, It's Raining Today etc etc

3. CAN - Future Days (1973)
The real roots of ambient music

4. PINK FLOYD - Ummagumma (1969)
Just coz nobody listens to it today doesn't mean it's not good. The Floyd's best-ever music is on the live album and even the studio album has its moments (I know it's self indulgent and "a bunch of middle-class poshos trying to be avant-garde in their Sunday best" but it's great). Oddly enough, the Floyd's most optimistic album (there's two concepts which aren't usually seen in close proximity: Pink Floyd and optimism)

5. THE DURUTTI COLUMN - The Return Of The Durutti Column (1979)
Massively underrated guitarist makes oddly soothing and milkily erotic record with genius producer in the punk comedown. Still sounds stunning, still unique. And it comes in a sandpaper sleeve.

Kevin
Posted on: 19 May 2003 by ClaudeP
quote:
Originally posted by paul atkinson:
Claude:
Is this a good first buy?

cheers, Paul


Paul:

Definitely yes... if you don't mind the Canadian French language and can put a hand on it.
Posted on: 19 May 2003 by Kevin-W
Jeremy

A very underrated Kraftwerk album is their third (after "Kraftwerk" and "Kraftwerk 2"), "Ralf & Florian" - the second side is particularly fine, as it contains Tanzmusik and Ananas Symphonie. Long deleted, and never officially issued on CD, I only have a battered original and a dodgy semi-legal 90s repressing...

A number of the songs on "R&F", Tanzmusik, Tongebirge, and Kristallo formed a meaty part of the 'Werk's live set from 1973 to 1976.

Of the currently available KW albums, "Radioactivity" is also very underrated.

Kevin
Posted on: 19 May 2003 by Not For Me
Weaving several threads together....

The Justin Timberlake live show on TV last night had a great section where a Dj played a sequence of breaks from Kraftwerk - I recognised Numbers, Trans Europe Express, It's more fun to compute etc. Justin also did a passable bit of human beatbox over the top.

I of course am only interested in the music, but the wife wanted to see him dance about.

DS

ITC - Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body. (I didn't ask for the free bedroom poster of Justin when I bought it)
Posted on: 19 May 2003 by sideshowbob
I don't know how anyone can say Kraftwerk are underrated, in the electronica world everybody and their dog regards them (rightly) as godlike geniuses and namechecks them as an influence.

I'd say Coltrane's "Crescent". It's up there with his greatest records IMO, but always gets overlooked. And four others I can't think of right now...

-- Ian
Posted on: 21 May 2003 by Stephen Bennett
Oh there are so many....

There's not been time for newer stuff to be underrated so here's a few older ones.

Returning Jesus by NoMan. Their best, most acessable album. Drifts effortlessly from ambient to song based material.

OvO by Peter Gabriel et al. Dismissed as not a 'proper' album, it has many guest voaclists including Liz Fraiser, Richie Havens and Paul Buchanan from Blue Nile. Has two of my favorite Gabriel songs, Father Son and Downside Up.

Tales from Topographic Oceans by Yes. Look- this is seminal stuff, innovative daring contemporary even by modern standards. There'd be no Godspeed or Sigur Ros without this. Wonderful stuff.

24 years on hunger by EG & Alice. Wonderful songs and unusual arrangements. Full of atmosphere.

Thomas Dolby - His entire career.

Regards

Stephen
Posted on: 21 May 2003 by Pete
Some notes on the two Floyd records suggested... the band themselves think that AHM and the studio sides of Ummagumma are pretty frightful old cobblers, and for the most part I agree. Grantchester Meadows is good, Summer '68 good and Fat Old Sun fair but the rest is, well... shall we say "a partial success"? I'd say Final Cut is the most underrated PF album, the last time Roger had a coherent concept that was directly addressed rather than dealing in overblown metaphors. Quite a bit of the music is rather samey but at least DG can still set it alight when need be, and it's much less samey than, say, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (which is crap).

The Bedhaed/Transactions de Novo album I thought was okay, but nothing more. I listened to it, but never found myself drawn back to it. Gave it to Tony in the end, who seems to agree with Matthew rather than me IIRC.

Following on from Sailin' Shoes, Little Feat's "Down on the Farm" is usually panned out of sight, but I really like it...

As for Thomas Dolby, picked up a collection a couple of weeks ago and really like it. She Blinded Me With Science, or more particularly the good Dr. Pike exclaiming "Science!" at frequent intervals was my earworm most of last week...

Pete.
Posted on: 21 May 2003 by matthewr
Pete is correct -- both Tony and I have much better taste than him.

Thomas Dolby popularised the headset microphone for which he should never be forgiven.

Matthew
Posted on: 21 May 2003 by ajalden
All of David Sylvain's work and Sparklehorse I had the pleasure of seeing Sylvain play at the Hammersmith Appolo last year and was amazed how he can capture his studio albums so well in a live concert.
Posted on: 23 May 2003 by Brian OReilly
quote:
Originally posted by Kevin-W:


But what about those albums that are stunningly, awesomely good, which are massively underrated, which never get on those lists?


2. SCOTT WALKER - Scott 3 (1969)
Scott 4 has the critical and cult kudos, 'cause it was a flop at the time; but Scott 3 has the songs: Copenhagen, Big Louise, 30 Century Man, It's Raining Today etc etc


Kevin


It's a tricky question.........

1. I own Scott 3 and 4 but have not yet played them. I nominate TILT.I just think this is stunning - it's hard to describe.....

2.Robbie Robertson Somebody has already mentioned his first or second album - both great but still conventional rock. With Music for the Native Americans he looked back into his origins and combined American Indian music with contemporary rock - really impressive work. Greetings from the Underworld of Red Boy took this a stage further, mixing traditional music with more modern/dance/experimental beats.

3.Diesel Park West / John Butler anything really. DPW are IMHO the best guitar band to come out of England. JB's solo work ("The Loyal Serpent" and "Worthless Bastard Rock")is also superb.

4.Horse glasgow band fronted by a singer with an incredible voice (er, a bit like Cleo Laine...) that swoops and soars etc. Backed by talented band. Somewhat "Wine Bar" type of style but still fantastic. Albums are "God's Home Movie" and "The Same Sky". Their/her last album is dreadfull.

5.Honeycrack- Prozaic. The future of Britpop, one superb album and then they split.

regards,

Brian OReilly