Albums that are generally overlooked but that you think are ‘classics’

Redlester

ICBM said:

Reverend said:

Aphrodite's Child - 666

Fantastic album.

Demis Roussos!!!

Yes indeed.  Now you're talking. Aegean Sea- what a track! 

And The Four Horsemen: A great, great rocker. 

Demis Roussos. Great singer. I shall done my kaftan and smoke a big fat stogie in honour of the this record. 

Redlester

Let's hear it for Peggy Suicide by Julian Cope. I think it captures the zeitgeist around the very early 90s perfectly: the growing eco-consciousness; the clumsy death of Thatcherism and its mutation into something more covert but in some ways more selfish and rapacious; retro rock stylings; dance/ alternative culture. 

All that and some knockout tunes. 

octatonic

yocky said:

Mansun - Six

A friend of mine did the album art for that.
Great album.

RobDavies

Metallica - St Anger.   I prefer this to any of their output since ....Justice.  I quite like the
snare sound, too. 

Judas Priest - Turbo.   80’s pop/metal perfection, and Turbo Lover is just the right tempo for the cross trainer in the gym. 

JAYJO

Philly_Q said:

JAYJO said:

Gerry Rafferty   Night Owl
Blondie  Autoamerican
The Specials  More Specials
Bob Dylan Slow traim coming
The Beatles  live at the Hollywood bowl

All from 1979-80, just coincidence or was that a significant time for you? 

I started buying albums around that time, or just before - I had Slow Train Coming (that was his Christian phase, wasn't it?) and I often contemplated buying Night Owl, but never did.  Then I got into hard rock and metal and that's pretty much where I stayed.

The Beatles Hollywood bowl was played  on a ghetto blaster on summer nights in the park. At a time i was learning to play guitar and visitng the Beatles Museum before the Mathew street revamp around 82-83.
Loved the Beatles and was thrilled to hear live recordings and preferred this to the Star club hamburg etc.
The Beatles Museum would have footage of the Beatles playing daily with clips from Shea Stadium etc and for me it was Magical. .. Night Owl is a Great album and i would recommend it. Autoamerican was not rated as highly as Parallel lines or Eat to the Beat but i think its a good album. I loved the Specials and the first Album was amazing. More Specials just took a few more listens. was devestated by The Fun boy 3  lol.
When i first read about Dylans Christian Phase I though nah cant be doing with that. But Having heard Slow Train Coming AND I also think Shot Of Love is a great Album.

JAYJO

oops

Teyeplayer

Mojave 3 - Spoon and Rafter

Reverend

A few more

Masters Of Reality - s/t
Raging Slab - Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert
New Kingdom - Paradise Don't Come Cheap
Kinghorse - s/t
Ashbury - Endless Skies (although anyone who knows anything knows this is one the all time greats)

scrumhalf

Split - The Groundhogs. One of the best albums of the 70s.

On The Boards - Taste. If you like Taste, you have taste.

Philly_Q

Reverend said:

A few more

Masters Of Reality - s/t
Raging Slab - Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert
New Kingdom - Paradise Don't Come Cheap
Kinghorse - s/t
Ashbury - Endless Skies (although anyone who knows anything knows this is one the all time greats)

I really should've thought of the Masters of Reality Blue Garden album, it's probably in my all-time top 10.  I like their other stuff too, but it was never quite as good.

Raging Slab yes, but I preferred the self-titled first (major label) album.

Ashbury - I have definitely listened to that album but embarrassingly I can't remember what it was like....

Boromedic

In terms of whole albums, Permission To Land by The Darkness. Yes it might have arrived a decade or two late (not!) but fuck me, even if you aren't a fan, side A or the first 6 tracks are absolute barn burners, equal to or better than the best hard rock songs.

For me the whole album is amazing, they've made tracks as good as the best here since, but it's untouchable as an LP. Better than Appetite, Dr Feelgood, etc.  

strumjoughlamps

Boromedic said:

In terms of whole albums, Permission To Land by The Darkness. Yes it might have arrived a decade or two late (not!) but fuck me, even if you aren't a fan, side A or the first 6 tracks are absolute barn burners, equal to or better than the best hard rock songs.

For me the whole album is amazing, they've made tracks as good as the best here since, but it's untouchable as an LP. Better than Appetite, Dr Feelgood, etc.  

Wasn't an overlooked album was it?

Boromedic

I'd say it is, most people think The Darkness are one hit wonders or a joke band, they certainly don't consider the album a classic. 

Given some of the bollox I've seen written in this thread and the other classic albums one (imho). I think it fits well in overlooked LPs, there certainly isn't that much love on here for them, or so it's seemed over the years.

Philly_Q

Boromedic said:

I'd say it is, most people think The Darkness are one hit wonders or a joke band, they certainly don't consider the album a classic. 

Given some of the bollox I've seen written in this thread and the other classic albums one (imho). I think it fits well in overlooked LPs, there certainly isn't that much love on here for them, or so it's seemed over the years.

I see your point, it's become overlooked.  But that's their fault for making a shockingly bad second album and Justin turning into the type of fucked up "rock star" he originally seemed to be mocking.

I do love Permission to Land, by the way, it's a great album.  But I haven't listened to it for years because I got so hacked off with what they did subsequently. 

Boromedic

One Way Ticket has a couple of great songs on it, but yes Justin's descent into drug addiction and all the other stuff took the edge off. Check out their reunion albums if you haven't, they're awesome too and Justin has sorted his addictions and issues out now and is back to his best. 

richardhomer

Grace & Danger - John Martyn. The earlier, more acoustic-based albums are the ones that seem to get the most attention - but on this, he was writing and singing at the top of his game.

phil_b

Redlester

richardhomer said:

Grace & Danger - John Martyn. The earlier, more acoustic-based albums are the ones that seem to get the most attention - but on this, he was writing and singing at the top of his game.

@richardhomer ;I agree with this. I think it's his most consistent record in some respects for overall mood. 

It's a close run thing with Solid Air, however. 

Put it this way: if you said Solid Air was the extent to which he pushed to the fullest his explorations in traditional songwriting and explorations of acoustic musical forms, then Grace and Danger is the best example of how far and hard he would push his vocal ability, and his gift for wringing as much powerful sorrow as he could out of music. 

Put the two together and you have an extraordinarily powerful musician. 

stratology

Sunday All Over The World - Kneeling at the Shrine
- some of Robert Fripp's best playing with Toyah's dramatic singing...

Adrian Belew - Desire Caught by the Tail

Joe Diorio/Robben Ford - Minor Elegance
- fantastic, inspired playing by both Ford and Diorio, incredible fretless bass by Gary Willis, and some of the best drumming Peter Erskine ever did...

Leo Kottke - Burnt Lips

Tori Amos - Scarlett's Hidden Treasures
- this was an extra CD with the Welcome to Sunny Florida DVD - great, unfiltered, emotional playing...

Redlester

Teyeplayer said:

koneguitarist said:

Criminally underrated band, especially the earlier albums Deliverin’ and picking up the pieces, but Crazy eyes, is great as well. Most only know Rose of Cimmaron which is a great album, but I love Richie Furay’s voice

Agreed, Richie Furay is a great singer and cracking songwriter. Always seems strange that he didn’t do as well as Stills and Young.

And you beat me to it on the Souther, Hillman, Furay band.

I’ve also a soft spot for Manassas and Stills II.  

@teyeplayer Now Mannassas I've only heard once, but IIRC there's a track with a pedal steel put through a Leslie. Incredible sound!