Albums that Don't Get Enough Love

[bloop]

REM - "Monster"
OK, not their best album, but it doesn't deserve at least 5 reserved spots in the bargain bins.  "What's the Frequency Kenneth" is one of my favorite REM songs ever.

U2 - "POP"
So unfairly slighted, it isn't even funny.  This is a great album, truth be told.

Radiohead - "Amnesiac"
Consistently thought of as Kid A's retarded little brother.  Not true.  The songs on "Amnesiac" are on par with Kid A's.  It's only weakness next to the previous is that it doesn't flow as well...jerking the user around, but they do this on purpose anyway.

Weezer - "Pinkerton"
Another good, emotionally relevant album ignored by the public when it was released.  Now, it's considered influential on a style that pretty much blows wholly - emo.  It isn't "Pinkerton"s fault . . . a lot of good songs here that only bear a passing resemblance to that mostly unlistenable style.

The Smashing Pumpkins - "Adore"
Lose drummer - use drum loops - watch fairweather fans drop you like a hot rice krispy treat.  Never mind that "For Martha" and "Behold the Nightmare" together, are the most impressively personal, emotional songs in SP's entire catalog.  The teen pissiness that dominates much of the Pumpkins previous material is absent, and that's a good thing.

[frommetoyou]

Amen on Pop. That's actually my favorite album.

Lisa Marie Presley's debut, To Whom It May Concern, actually got some pretty great reviews, but it's annoying that the public won't give it a chance. Granted, I haven't heard many 2003 albums yet, but this is my personal favorite thus far. The girl's got talent.

Tunnel of Love....one of The Boss' best album, often passed over.

[Josh]

REM - "Monster"
OK, not their best album, but it doesn't deserve at least 5 reserved spots in the bargain bins. "What's the Frequency Kenneth" is one of my favorite REM songs ever.

YES! Monster is a solid 4-star disc, in my opinion, and I agree with you about "Kenneth." Fantastic song. I would add New Adventures in Hi Fi to the list, as well, by the way.

U2 - "POP"
So unfairly slighted, it isn't even funny. This is a great album, truth be told.

It falls just barely short of Masterpiece status, in my mind. A Top 10 favorite of mine.

Others:

Anything by Over the Rhine and The Innocence Mission, the two best-kept secrets of American music.

Bob Dylan- Oh Mercy
Think of Dylan's "Christian" albums. Now add in tact, poetry, and good songs. That's what Oh Mercy is like. One of my Top 5 favorite Dylan albums... and the man's got, like, 40, so Top 5 is pretty darn good.

U2- Rattle and Hum
Very misunderstood, though not as much so as Pop.

[bloop]

Yeah, I agree with you, Josh, about "Pop".  I said "great", but I didn't mean that it's some kind of "masterpiece".  It's just a lot of what is said about it is just so...wrong.

[Guest]

Dishwalla's And You Think You Know What Life's About

Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing

Heather Miller's Send Me an Angel

Collective Soul's Disciplined Breakdown

[bloop]

I thought of more:

REM - "Reveal"

Pink Floyd - "Animals" (better than Dark Side IMO, but not as good as WYWH)

Radiohead - OK Computer...just kidding.

Everything The Flaming Lips did in the 90s.  More ignored than maligned, so perhaps this would be better in its own thread of artists that deserve to be more well-known, but whatever.  At least "Beverly Hills 90210" knew that they rock   =D  [_[

Ben Folds Five - "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Mesner".  "Narcolepsy" is a heckuva song.

The Beach Boys - "Pet Sounds" (when it was released, it didn't exactly sell like crazy - but past wrongs have clearly been set to rights today)

[Josh]

REM - "Reveal"

Oh, without a doubt. As I've mentioned before, I think it's their best work.

[DvChWi]

Pink Floyd - "Animals" (better than Dark Side IMO, but not as good as WYWH)

 

I've never heard anything from it but "Sheep".  Hoe does it sound, musically?  Closer to Dark Side, or WWYH?  Pink Floyd was certainly a quirky band, but they had some great songs.  But now we're way off topic.   Oh well, underrated album....lets see.....hmmm...Sixpence None The Richer's This Beautiful Mess.   Not many people have even heard it, but its very solid, in my opinion.   Almost reaches my ideal of perfection at a few points, but just for an instant.  

[Guest]

Duncan Shiek

[Josh]

A couple more: All This Useless Beauty and When I was Cruel, both by Elvis Costello.

[JupiterCrash17]

Downward is Heavenward by Hum, Jupiter by Cave In, Secaucas and The Meadowlands by The Wrens, There is Nothing Left to Lose by the Foo Fighters,The Rising Tide by Sunny Day Real Estate.

well, some of these are probably critically acclaimed, but definitely not as much as they should be IMO.

[frommetoyou]

There is Nothing Left to Lose by the Foo Fighters

With you on that one. There's not one mediocre track on there.

[Guest]

We seem to be talking about two different groups of albums: those that are unfairly maligned and misunderstood, and those that are simply ignored for no good reason. I'll take a shot at both categories.

Albums that are misunderstood:

Pray - Rebecca St. James.

It never fails to astonish me how people who like the rest of her uninspiring discography can fail to grasp the value of this album. No, it's not amazingly original. But it is a solid record, especially by the standards of late 90's CCM. (We've come a long way in the last five years.) The ethereal euro-pop fits her vocal style, and the artistry here -- both lyrically and musically -- is a clear notch above, say, the cliche-laden, made-for hookery of Transform.

Sixpence None The Richer - I'm Not Typing All That Out Again (But I Just Typed Something Longer To Tell You So).

This album isn't underrated, but it is misunderstood by some people. "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes," the two songs everyone knows about, are two of the lesser songs to be found here. They aren't bad songs at all -- "Kiss Me," in particular, is really quite good for a successful top 40 single, in my opinion -- but they draw attention away from the merrits of the album as a whole. I know some people have decided not to get the cd because those songs, while enjoyable, sounded like they would wear out faster than Rosie O'Donnel's elastic waistband. My experience was just the opposite: this album took a while to grow on me. I think it would grow on some people who may have initially dismissed it, if they gave it a chance.

Satellite - P.O.D.

Some people actually regard this as a sell-out album. That is true only in the sense that it actually did sell out. I'm not really a fan of their music, but the fact that Satellite enjoyed mainstream success is a triumph for Christian music, because P.O.D. did not in any way abandon their evangelical message. In fact, I think songs like "Youth Of The Nation," "The Messenjah," and "Portrait," feature some truely inspired lyrics. These guys have done a lot to spread the good news.

A few albums that shouldn't be ignored:

Good Dog, Bad Dog - Over The Rhine. The mother of all underappreciated albums, so consistently breathtaking that you should exercise caution at high altitude. Every song is a masterpiece.

Films For Radio - Over The Rhine. What can you say about this band? They might not produce much platinum, but they sure do have the Midas touch: everything they make is pure gold. Films is a little more experimental than Good Dog, but doesn't flow as smoothly. While it features a wealth of excellent songs, it is not as memorable as an album, imo. Nevertheless, OtR albums are measured on a scale from "great" to "magnificent," and this one falls somewhere in the middle.

Patience - Over The Rhine. Overlooked even by the band's fans, Patience sounds a little dated in places, and definitely falls on the "great" side of the spectrum. However, Lindford's lyrical pen is razor sharp as always, and several tracks -- notably "How Does It Feel (To Be On My Mind)," "Rhapsodie," and "Grey Monologue" -- are unforgettable. I love Over The Rhine. Go get all their albums. Moving on....

Wide Eyed - Nichole Nordeman. This is still her best work, imo. "Wide Eyed," "Burnin'," and "River God," are truely provocative songs.

It's Hard To Find A Friend - Pedro The Lion. Music so insightfully complex that it sounds simple and sticks in your brain. This album is relaxing, not because it is empty or carefree, but because it's heavy subject matter comes across in such a peacefully contemplative way. This would be a good cd for your unsaved friends.

The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips. On first listen, it sounds comically overdramatic. By the third listen, you'll be hooked for life.

The Kindest Days - Aaron Sprinkle. Deep, personal lyrics set to mostly-accoustic indy style rock. Aaron sprinkle is great: you won't just like his music, you'll like him.

Carry Us Through - Sarah Masen. quirky folk music that, without being hard at all, can be just as intense as your favorite prog-rock band. Sarah's vulnerable, passionate voice portrays almost as much character as her outstanding lyrics.

Kaleidoscope Superior - Earthsuit. Hard to describe; easy to appreciate. Rap, rock, jazz, techno, and probably a few genre's I've never heard of, all wrapped up in a unique, engaging, and tasty musical gumbo. None of these songs sound like anything else I've ever heard. None of them even sound like each other, but they still belong together. Earthsuit is one of the most promising new bands around; give them a listen, you won't be disappointed.

Honorable mention:

Open Sky - Iona (they'd be much higher, but I think they're actually fairly well regarded within their genre)
Shimmer - Luna Halo
Coming To Life - The Normals
Fan Dance - Sam Phillips
Falling Forward - Margaret Becker
Anybody Out There? - Burlap To Cashmire
Leave Here A Stranger - Starflyer 59
Paige - Paige

[bloop]

RE:  "Animals" by Pink Floyd - I think it's closer to "Wish You Were Here" than to Dark Side...the songs are a bit more sprawling...big, breathing entities.  From what I've heard, when it came out, every critic on the planet was so eager to say that they know all about Orwell's "Animal Farm"...silly critics.