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GREAT UNDER-KNOWN ROCK ALBUMS
- Thread starter Lowbrow
- Start date
Good call, great album. My brother turned me on to it back in 1970 and have had the vinyl since then plus a CD put out in the 90s. Might be the best US blues-rock album of all time and yes I'd rate it over anything by the Allmans, it's that good.
My personal pick would be Hollywood Dream by Thunderclap Newman, Pete Townshend played bass and produced.
A few I HIGHLY recommend:
the Pink Fairies - Kings of Oblivion (1973)
Genesis* - In the Beginning (1968)
the Pretty Things - Parachute (1969)
*the US band, not the famous UK band (all the more confusing because there was an early Genesis [UK] song called "In the Beginning").
the Pink Fairies - Kings of Oblivion (1973)
Genesis* - In the Beginning (1968)
the Pretty Things - Parachute (1969)
*the US band, not the famous UK band (all the more confusing because there was an early Genesis [UK] song called "In the Beginning").
Anything by Guitar Wolf, the greatest and loudest band on Earth. No distortion is too much distortion.
I saw a double bill of Guitar Wolf and Teengenerate in the '90s and I gotta say that the amazing Teengenerate made the Wolf look like a slapped puppy.
But, we're talking albums here...
Here are some that I feel are under-known to most mainstream audiences and where I'm from. Breakdown by some genres:
Indie:
José González - In Our Nature
Fleet Foxes - Self Titled
Elliott Smith - Figure 8
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
Post-rock:
God is an Astronaut - All is Violent, All is Bright
Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Sigur Ros - ( )
Explosions in the Sky - Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever
J-pop / J-rock(mainly under-known to a western audience):
Ayumi Hamasaki - A Song for XX
Utada Hikaru - Heart Station
Yui - Can't Buy My Love
The Black Mages - Darkness and Starlight
Indie:
José González - In Our Nature
Fleet Foxes - Self Titled
Elliott Smith - Figure 8
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
Post-rock:
God is an Astronaut - All is Violent, All is Bright
Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Sigur Ros - ( )
Explosions in the Sky - Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever
J-pop / J-rock(mainly under-known to a western audience):
Ayumi Hamasaki - A Song for XX
Utada Hikaru - Heart Station
Yui - Can't Buy My Love
The Black Mages - Darkness and Starlight
bongomania
Commercial User
Population II (self-titled), featuring guitar god Randy Holden later of Blue Cheer.
They held the record for world's loudest band for a little while, and it was only two guys, the guitarist and the drummer. They toured with a wall of twenty Sunn fridge-sized cabinets, and those cabs were all operational, not dummies the way later heavy metal acts did for their onstage walls.
Rocking album, too.
They held the record for world's loudest band for a little while, and it was only two guys, the guitarist and the drummer. They toured with a wall of twenty Sunn fridge-sized cabinets, and those cabs were all operational, not dummies the way later heavy metal acts did for their onstage walls.
Rocking album, too.
Off the top of my head and underrated In the United States:
Tears for Fears--Raoul and the Kings of Spain
Crowded House--Woodface and Together Alone
Neil Finn--One Nil and just about anything
The Church--80's and 90's stuff
KISS--Hotter than Hell (marginal, I know but if you take away the KISS fans, it is mostly unknown)
The Cruel Sea--The Honeymoon is over
Collective Soul--Dosage
Tears for Fears--Raoul and the Kings of Spain
Crowded House--Woodface and Together Alone
Neil Finn--One Nil and just about anything
The Church--80's and 90's stuff
KISS--Hotter than Hell (marginal, I know but if you take away the KISS fans, it is mostly unknown)
The Cruel Sea--The Honeymoon is over
Collective Soul--Dosage
For those with harder tastes, Helmet's "In The Meantime" cannot be overlooked. "Betty" was quite good as well.
For garage rock, the New Bomb Turks' debut, "!!Destroy Oh Boy!!" is eponymous.
I''m just getting into stoner rock, and Fu Manchu's most recent album, "We Must Obey" is sickeningly bass heavy. I love it. And Kyuss' "Blues for the Red Sun" also must be heard.
They both have drummer Brant Bjork, the man I would say is primarily responsible for shaping Stoner/Desert Rock. His style of playing is very, very unique. It takes some getting used to for everyone that's used to hearing a drummer ride the hi hat (and even longer to get used to playing with it), but it really is genius. Oh, and don't bother listening without a subwoofer.
Edit: I can't in good conscience post without mentioning my two favorite bands, which are underappreciated. Listen to The Misfits "Legacy of Brutality" and witness a major influence on the Psychobilly scene. Listen to Fugazi's "Repeater" and simply be amazed.
For garage rock, the New Bomb Turks' debut, "!!Destroy Oh Boy!!" is eponymous.
I''m just getting into stoner rock, and Fu Manchu's most recent album, "We Must Obey" is sickeningly bass heavy. I love it. And Kyuss' "Blues for the Red Sun" also must be heard.
They both have drummer Brant Bjork, the man I would say is primarily responsible for shaping Stoner/Desert Rock. His style of playing is very, very unique. It takes some getting used to for everyone that's used to hearing a drummer ride the hi hat (and even longer to get used to playing with it), but it really is genius. Oh, and don't bother listening without a subwoofer.
Edit: I can't in good conscience post without mentioning my two favorite bands, which are underappreciated. Listen to The Misfits "Legacy of Brutality" and witness a major influence on the Psychobilly scene. Listen to Fugazi's "Repeater" and simply be amazed.
"Its 5 o'clock somwhere" and "Ain't life grand" - Slashs' Snakepit
Anything by The Vines or The Datsuns
Anything by The Vines or The Datsuns
"A Partial Print" by Tiger Lou. No one seems to know about the BAND, much less the new album, but the thing is a masterpiece. Even the obligatory slow-burning ballad absolutely cooks by the end of it.
Busboys-Minimum Wage Rock and Roll:Too bad all they are known for now is the movie soundtrack stuff they did.Easily the worst of their music.
love these dudes.
These guys are pure reckless energy with a hint of danger - way ahead of their time. Love me some Sonics!
I'll submit The Beat's eponymous debut - Paul Collins' version, not the English version. Power pop at its finest.
