What band(s) did you stupidly overlook for decades?

I walked into a Wherehouse record store back just after The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway came out (1972 or so). My sister was dating a guy there and he told me I needed that album. I bought it. It was my first exposure to genesis and I was hooked.

I saw them in Concert at the Paramount in Seattle around 1980 and was completely blown away. There was one objectionable part. At the end of "suppers ready", when they are singing the lines around "This is the supper of the mighty one. King of kings, Lord of Lords...", a gaggle of about ten topless bar dancers came on stage, buck naked, and spread out across the front of the stage and did their dance routines. I wasn't even a Christian at the time and that was very off-putting.

 

Eagles. I saw them as "country", which I hated at the time. Then I saw their DVD of the austrailian show and was blown away.

Also, I just saw a documentary about Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell album. I avoided his album because of the title. It sounded "satanic" at the time. I ddin't get it. Amazing album.

 

Probably Siouxsie and the Banshees. I used to think they were some hamfisted, bonehead punk band.

 

Solo and Manassas Stephen Stills. Figured CSN(Y) was where it was at with Stephen … did I miss out for many years on some great albums.

 

Blue Öyster Cult. Lots of styles and flavor to their music.

Great example, "Before the Kiss...."

 

Great question. It’s only recently that I’ve got into The Grateful Dead. A friend mentioned them one day, and I realised that apart from Truckin’ I knew nothing about them.
Another fantastic band that I totally missed is Grand Funk Railroad. I absolutely love their stuff.
I also never listened to any jazz. Always thought it too ‘snobby’. I’ve been listening to and collecting jazz on vinyl for about a year, and found some superb albums

 

queen. still not listening

 

ELO.

 

Ever see Xanadu? Terribly awful really no good movie, but they do some nice stuff. AND ONJ is always cute.

 

I was pretty oblivious to the Elevators even after the Nuggets appearance. Wasn't until I picked up Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye on cassette that I caught the bug. The Lyres' version of "We Sell Soul" knocked me out, as did the Judybats' "She Lives in a Time of Her Own." Well worth it for a kind of updated Elevator music comp.

BTW there was a documentary on Roky where he basically got his head un-effed-up through diet and yoga. Don't know how legit it is but he definitely seems to be living in this universe/dimension, which I suppose is a good thing for him.

 

I am still overlooking Mott The Hoople. I think I need to out that right.

I've only just caught up with Foghat. What a great band!

 

the pixies....I don't know what I was thinking ignoring them at the time...

 

You are and it’s ok. Just remember to remind yourself as you buy more and more stuff it’s ok.

 

If you want to hear the band before Bowie helped point them in a more commercial direction, check out Mental Train now in stock again.

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll give it a blast.

 

There’s a few of these artists that I’ve ‘discovered’ over the last few years, and I’ve always been disappointed that I waited so long. Todd Rundgren, Roxy Music, Jimmy Buffett, Ry Cooder... I’m currently deep in a Roxy Music obsession...

 

Savoy Brown

The only album I ever heard was "Hellbound Train" back in 1974 in college in a friends dorm room.

Just got into them about 10 years ago when I saw them live in a small tavern here in Massachusetts. I am obsessed with their first 11 albums 1967-1973 "Shake Down" thru "Boogie Brothers". Bought all 11albums on vinyl and CD. Amazing music and underrated band from the Golden era of rock IMHO.

 

Jimmy Eat World.

 

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Initially I was a bit put off by Cave's appearance and his preoccupation with morbid subject matter -- to the point that I didn't seek out his music. But thankfully I finally did!

 

I Was Born In 1961 And I Missed One Of My Favorites Now.

RORY GALLAGHER

His First 6 Albums Are Absolute Stunning.

 

Mahavishnu Orchestra Mk 1 - I've been a McLaughlin fan for 30 years but I was reluctant to experience the power of MO Mk 1 (even though I was a fan of Mk 2 and even Mk 3!).

Shakti - more McLaughlin avoidance on my part.

Mwandishi - I avoided them because I knew that the music was quite challenging and sometimes unsettling.

 

Motorhead.

It took seeing the Lemmy documentary to really get into them.

Big Country:

I always loved "In A Big Country," but never played much of anything else. That changed recently

 

‘The Crossing’ is really a magnificent piece of work

 

The Clash - still haven't heard them.

 

It's funny I discovered Rundgren, Cooder and Roxy early in my life (the 70's) but put Rundgren on hold because I had a college roommate who was a HUGE Rundgren fan and had everything by him. I heard him all the time to the point where, afterwards, I didn't need to hear him for a while but gradually got back into him after about a decade of not hearing him. Same with Neil Young, CSN and CSN&Y (and Stephen Stills as well) as he was HUGE fans of all of those.

Picking up the boxed set was a nice chance to rediscover Todd (I had purchased the essential albums albums prior to this on vinyl then, later, CD). It's weird how things work.

Roxy I followed from 1973 on (I picked up the debut after the second album. I heard "The Bogus Man" and "Do The Strand" played in store and that clinched it for me)all the way to the end, then the reunion, then the end again and another reunion. The 2004-2011 shows were great- full of energy and fire something that had been missing from the "Avalon" tour and most of Ferry's solo shows.