Overlooked Albums

[Schwenck]

With the very kind permission of Victor Meldrew, who originated a very popular thread of influential albums, I am starting a new thread on overlooked albums. Here are the rules:

• Post the cover
• Only one album per performer or band
• Add some words on why it is worth listening to, if you wish, not required
• Only one post per day
• Albums must be fairly unsuccessful, major chart hits do not qualify.

No limit on the number of posts, but they must really good albums that never really made it, commercially, but are worth listening to, or that you really like and think the rest of us should hear.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's entries, and thanks again to Victor Meldrew for coming up with this format.

[Schwenck]

To kick off this new thread, I am nominating 'Chemistry' by Semisonic:




Their last album had been a reasonable success. This one got a five star review in Q magazine, which is why I bought it. (Q did not give 5 stars very often). And it turned out to be a great album. Wonderful! And not just for wrinklies like me, our teenage daughter loved it too, Even now, much older, it's still the first thing she will play when she comes round our house.

But it bombed. Bombed so badly, that Band just gave up and split up. Very sad.
When Q reviewed their 'successes and failures' of the decade, this was a failure as Q had given it 5 stars, but it hadn't sold, hadn't got into the charts. This is nonsense on the part of Q, as it was a brilliant album when they gave it 5 stars, and it is still a brilliant album now. Highly recommended to anyone who likes rock music.

A little taste of it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgCVR2pjXc0
(hope that this YouTube link is allowed)

[70sbuff]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PD2Q7TXmvU

Picked up the instrument later than most, yet mastered a number of elements and structure, to a degree that others are still trying to figure him out, to emulate. Self taught, listened to Charlie Christian records. Worked as a welder early on.

[Schwenck]

I was dithering about my second pick, until I found on Amazon you can buy both at a bargain price! So get the double album of 'Blue Aconite' and 'The Dark Gift of Time', as they are both brilliant albums that were completely overlooked. Collister's voice is just amazing: see how low she can go in 'Harvest for the World', but she can still hit the highs on the same song. Great selection of songs, great band plus superlative singing from Christine.

[Schwenck]

What I would really like to post here is Richard Thompson's 'Henry the Human Fly'. It is brilliant, except in just one respect. The songs were great, the players fine, but the problem was Thompsons' vocals. They do not make the grade for most people. Thompson fans love this LP, as we have become adjusted to the vocals and love the songs, but most people are turned off. This album is often alleged to be the lowest selling LP ever issued by Warner Bros.

So, instead, we will put forward it's successor, the magnificent 'I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight'. A triumph that is still not very well known. The songs are even better than 'Henry'. The vocals have been sorted due to most of them being sung by the glorious Linda Thompson (recently married to Richard) and a much better Richard vocal (possibly Linda helped him on this) on his tracks. This is a stunning album, and should be much better known. There is no bad track on it. Do yourself a favour and get a copy.
Incidentally, these albums set the standard for nearly all Richard Thompson albums to have generally appalling covers, and there was worse to come.

[Schwenck]

Freedom and Rain was a collaboration between two leading lights of the English Folk scene, June Tabor and the Oysterband. The album they produced is brilliant Folk-Rock, mostly at high energy, this album charges along. They cover traditional songs, modern songwriters like Si Kahn, Richard Thompson, Shane McGowan, John Tams and Billy Bragg. They even cover the Velvet Underground. Bootlegs from the supporting tour also have fantastic versions of 'Wheels on Fire' and 'White Rabbit'.

20 years later, they recombined to produce a follow up, but this is the one to get first.
Individually, both June Tabor and The Oysterband have made loads of great albums.
A few recommendations.

June Tabor:
Rosa Mundi
Against the Streams
Apples

Oysterband:
Wild Blue Yonder
Trawler
Step Outside

[bigtrain45]

This came out in 1968 and I think that of their 4 albums this is the best. I love all the songs on it, and though it did get to #28 on the Billboard charts, I think it counts as underrated. One of the members, Jay Ferguson, is doing tv and movie scores still.

[Schwenck]

Originally Posted by bigtrain45

This came out in 1968 and I think that of their 4 albums this is the best. I love all the songs on it, and though it did get to #28 on the Billboard charts, I think it counts as underrated. One of the members, Jay Ferguson, is doing tv and movie scores still.

While it crept into the bottom of the charts, it isn't the album everyone thinks of when you say "a Spirit Album", so I think this qualifies. I shall have to have a listen to it.

[sandhunter]

Buckingham/Nicks if you wondered how an slightly famous English blues band ever changed their style and became famous , then this album is for you as its not over produced like a lot of music is from famous bands , this album is considered their audition tape for joining Fleetwood Mac even though it never had much commercial success from 1973 here is the beautiful Stevie Nicks who by the way is from the Sonoran Desert and whats his name Lindsey Buckingham

[dereknclive]

Originally Posted by Schwenck

Freedom and Rain was a collaboration between two leading lights of the English Folk scene, June Tabor and the Oysterband.

Thanks for this. I think that's Dungeness Nuclear Power Station in the background -- I'm spending my Covid-19 isolation in Hastings, about 15 miles to the west. It's a trivial point compared to the music, of course!