Underrated

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by BZync, Jun 24, 2002.

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  1. BZync

    BZync Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Hi all. I've read with interest the threads on the overrated. I wonder who you think are the underrated artists?

    I'll start with an underrated vocalist - Micky Dolenz. In my opinion, if he were lead vocalist with any other band of the sixties, he'd be remembered as one of the best.

    Your thoughts?

    (BTW - this is my first new thread. Yay!)
     
  2. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Mickey Dolenz!? Wow, never have seen anyone post that name on a forum before! But, I agree with you 100%- I'm a Monkee's fan, I'll admit it, and he was/is a very good & under-rated rock vocalist. A few years ago, there was a band called Kula Shaker and there was one review at the time that mentioned Christian Mills' vocal style was sometimes similar to Mickey Dolenz', so I bought that CD and, sure enough, there were some songs on there that did sound like Mickey Dolenz in a "serious" rock band. A great. under-rated/overlooked rock single was The Monkees' "Porpoise Song" with Mickey singing lead. :cool:
     
  3. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Dr. Hook is definitely underrated. While the songs they are remembered for are mainly their Capitol top 40/AC radio hits, their Columbia material is arguably the best period of the band and is the period they shown the world their talent, even though they covered many Shel Silverstein songs during the Columbia period plus the Columbia material fits their image much better than their Capitol material yet their Capitol years did feature many timeless ballads such as "Only Sixteen" and many others.
     
  4. BZync

    BZync Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Yes, Porpoise Song is wonderful & should have been a big hit. Wasn't that a Carole King penned tune?

    I just rented Vanilla Sky and was very surprised to hear the Porpoise Song fading in and out during a murder scene. Wild.
     
  5. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Porpoise Song

    I just checked All Music Guide, it was penned by Gerry Goffin & Carole King. I'll take notice in Vanilla Sky whenever I see it- that does sound wild.
     
  6. joelee

    joelee Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Houston
    I really like Mickey's voice also. Mike Nesmith said he always preferred Davy's voice(??) but then again he let Micky sing his own Mary, Mary.
    Another underrated singer and band" Mark Lindsay of the Raiders.
    Like Mickey if he was given a fluff song it sucked but did he ever have a great RnR voice. Check out "Let Me".

    Joe
     
  7. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Heck, I love the Monkees. Reminds me of a good time (in my life), and of course great songs.

    I thought Mickey and Mike had great voices (still do, actually).

    All the girls loved the Davey songs, so naturally I didn't back then..:p
     
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  8. lsupro

    lsupro King of Ignorers

    Location:
    Rocklin, CA
    Uriah Heep?

    April Wine?
    Procol Harum?
    Gerry Rafferty?
    Gary Wright?
    Lou Reed?
     
  9. Paul K

    Paul K Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Everybody!

    "Randy Scouse Git" is a neglected masterpiece from 1967. Thus proving that Mickey (although not a prolific writer) may have blown his almost whole load on one of the most haunting pieces that has ever been recorded. The tympani of doom, the scat singing in minor. The two parts of the song coming together for the finale. (I know, others are gonna argue about "Some Velvet Morning" at this juncture - great song, but not as evocative in the nightmarish sense - even if this one is talking about being at a party with the "four kings of EMI" and his future wife)

    And c'mon - "Steppin' Stone" !! There is a reason The Pistols covered this one. (not to mention The Flys scathing version on Deram a coupla years later)

    "For Pete's Sake" - evocative, great vocal, with cool wailing at the end - took me years to come out of the stupor of listening to it to learn what Peter was actually playing as the main figure.


    Yeah! Check out the article on "Head" in the June issue of MOJO
     
  10. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Cheap Trick

    These guys have been at it a long time, recording & touring since the mid-70's and Rick Nielsen is one heck of an under-rated lead guitarist, as is Bun E. Carlos a terrific but highly under-rated drummer. The same is true for both Robin Zander's vocal work and Tom Peterson's fluid bass-playing. Robin's been belting out those classic Trick tunes for a quarter-century and sounds the same as he ever did! Hail Cheap Trick!! Nice thread.

    Recommended listens:

    At Budokan
    In Color
    Heaven Tonight
    Cheap Trick (s/t '97 album)
    Silver (2-disc set)
    Music for Hangovers (an awesome performance, but I think the engineer must have had a hangover- this recording doesn't do the show justice)

    ;)
     
  11. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Just to change the pace a bit, I'll nominate Chaka Khan as being underrated.
     
  12. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Don Covay ("Mercy Mercy", "See Saw", "Sookie Sookie", etc.)
     
  13. Jimbo

    Jimbo Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Zero/Zero Island
    Steve Forbert
    Thin Lizzy

    Many people might consider both of these choices one-hit wonders. There's far more to Forbert than "Romeo's Tune" and far more to Lizzy than "The Boys are Back in Town."
     
  14. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    My favorite was "I Was Checkin' Out, She Was Checking In". Brilliant sonwriter, he was.
     
  15. Jeffrey

    Jeffrey Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    South Texas
    John Gorka
     
  16. njwiv

    njwiv Senior Member

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Underrated artist -- The Band (at least by the general public)

    I'd also nominate Mike Smith of the DC5 as an underrated vocalist.

    Jay
     
  17. dwmann

    dwmann Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Houston TX
    Mickey Newbury (If I keep plugging him here enough, maybe people will pick up on him.)

    Leonard Cohen ( Although he almost becomes successful periodically.)

    Marianne Faithful (The new CD is particularly haunting.)

    Townes Van Zandt (Although he's had a little more attention since he died.)

    Most under-rated album of all time: BERLIN by Lou Reed. Probably the most beautifully disturbing record I've ever heard.
     
  18. SculptorD5

    SculptorD5 Senior Member

    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    I'll put in 3 of my favourite artists.

    The first two have never had any of their studio albums even released on CD! <not counting "greatest hits" cds>
    One of my fave female vocalists is Helen Reddy. I had an opportunity to see her in concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center last summer. She is spectacular, her voice was as strong as ever.
    For a male artist I'm choosing Tim Curry. His 3 albums were very unique to say the least. They were all released on A&M, and well done in my opinion.

    My fav underrated artist/band, is Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees. She's the queen of punk IMO. I get very angry when books and TV shows often give far too much credit to Blondie, when Siouxsie was right there with the Sex Pistols in the days of Punk.
    I saw here in April in SF, looking great, and I just bought tickets to see her in Hollywood on 11 August .
     
  19. Ripple

    Ripple New Member

    Location:
    CT
    As far as groups are concerned, I'd nominate Blue Rodeo as being underrated. They're obscure to Americans since they're Canadian. I'm not as fond of their earlier stuff, which was generally louder, and the recordings were compressed with crappy soundstaging. "Five Days In July," from 1993 is their best both musically and production-wise. It was recorded in superb analog on a farm in Ontario. The drummer used brushes instead of sticks for the album and it had a very positive effect. That the album is only available on CD is a bummer - it has a great album cover that would look great on an LP jacket. Although the CD has excellent sound, LP would be even better. Very competent musicianship and engineering throughout. They have a first-rate website:

    http://www.bluerodeo.com

    I'd also nominate Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star as being an underrated vocalist. With the right songs, she's addictive and unique.

    Ripple
     
  20. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    All of the following should rule the world but somehow, um, don't:

    Country pop division - Rosanne Cash (steered away from Nashville, made her best music, but country fan base seems to have deserted), Allison Moorer (her sister Shelby Lynne gets all the attention), and Steve Earle (is still on his hot streak)

    Classic pop division - perenially ignored Marshall Crenshaw

    Jazz-lite division - Diana Krall

    Chicano/tex-mex/Hispanic/roots division - Los Lobos, Raul Malo

    Post U2 Pre Grunge rock division - Mike Scott/Waterboys

    Sixties pop division - Zombies, post Pet Sounds Beach Boys, Turtles, the Association

    Female guitar-slingin' blues mama division - Sue Foley

    Memphis soul blues division - Joe Louis Walker

    Big 5 W's Chicago Blues division - Wolf, Williamson, Walter, and Wells (all somewhat delegated to M. Waters shadow)

    Motown division - Velvelettes (shoulda been at the Supremes level) and Marvellettes (same)
     
  21. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Ike & Tina Turner

    I think my underrated artist would have to be Ike & Tina Turner. Tina was a versatile soul singer before she became a pop icon, and Ike may be the most underappreciated guitarist/songwriter/producer in rock 'n roll history.

    Unfortunately, Ike & Tina's music has become a sort of preamble to the crossover smash of Tina's solo career, which shot into the stratosphere with the success of PRIVATE DANCER, her autobiography, and the film made from it.

    Also, Ike & Tina recorded prolifically for a number of labels, and their catalog is dispersed among dozens of budget compilations with little rhyme or reason, and a lot of overlap. If only an enterprising reissue label could sort through the tangle of licenses and masters and issue a solid complete studio recordings compilation. Bear Family? Rhino? Steve's new label? Please?

    In the meantime, ABSOLUTELY THE BEST (Hip-O) will have to do as the best available domestic anthology. If you can find it, the Australian import, EVERY GREAT SINGLE 1960-1974 (Aim), features a better selection. LIVE AND DANGEROUS (Fuel 2000) and THE IKE & TINA TURNER SHOW VOLS. 1 & 2 (One Way) document their legendary stage shows, but from what I've read the audio is only half of it!
     
  22. Joseph

    Joseph Senior Member

    Kelly Willis - the voice of an angel with a great band. Kind of country rock.
    Check out her latest called "What I Deserve" on Ryko.
     
  23. peterC

    peterC Aussie Addict

    Location:
    sydney
    Two great artists who are so underrated that they are probably not rated at all:

    englishman Brian Protheroe and canadian Ellen McIllwaine.


    As for artists who are well rated, but based on record sales, still far underated, I agree with post-pet sounds Beach Boys and also Procol Harum, but for me the number one most underrated group has got to be

    THE KINKS!

    Those classic late 60s albums sold next to nothing at the time of release. What a tragedy!
     
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  24. wes

    wes Senior Member

    I'll go with Pete Ham from Badfinger

    -Wes
     
  25. mikenyc

    mikenyc New Member

    Location:
    NYC Metro Area
    As for Mickey Newberry...sadly overlooked, and in need for an official remastering project. I picked up a multi-CD box set of all of his early albums...apparently self-produced as the Elektra labels were airbrushed off...and it was astounding.

    I realized there was something special about Mickey Dolenz when I heard his vocals for a long version of "Goin' Down" on the Tv show. As stream of consciousness and trippy, as the lyrics were, the whole idea of a "scat" Monkey's tune, was ahead of it's time. Something you'd expect from Michael...if anyone.
     
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