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Underrated Musicians

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Goaldeje

The Legend
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
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Location
Waynesboro, VA
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James Madison
I'm listening to the Beach Boys right now, really enjoying their stuff. And it hits me that they never get the same acclaim or recognition the Beatles do (which is probably fair), instead, they seem to get dismissed as "fun, flaky" music.

Listen to God Only Knows sometime. IIRC, Sir Paul McCartney once said it was a perfect song, or something like that. Just absolutely beautiful. In My Room is pretty amazing as well.

So what musicians/bands do you like that don't seem to get the respect they deserve?
 
I think the Beach Boys (who I love btw...) were much more a 'niche' group than the Beatles whose style encompassed lots of different sounds. Not that you can't immediately identify the unmistakable sound of either group, but the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson really had a unique sound that perhaps not everyone dug or connected with. That, and you weren't going to want to date one of the Beach Boys after seeing them :) Don't minimize that aspect of the two bands.
 
Those that know me, know well that I am absolutely enamored with Brandi Carlile. I've seen her in concert multiple times - and she is absolutely incredible. Very few folks are familiar with her. I took Brother Om to a show last year and converted him.
 
Oh, I agree about the niche music thing. I just don't think they get the respect they deserve. There are a number of musically remarkable songs they produced. Their harmonies are entrancing, truly beautiful.

At the risk of being branded emo :), I would throw out the Counting Crows as well, though more for their lyric writing. Really great stories there, imo.
 
I don't think Alison Krauss gets the credit she deserves. She has won more Grammy's than anyone, I believe. She has an angelic voice. I love her. So she should be the most popular musician of all time!
 
The Beach Boys are fun, flaky music, but they are genuinely gifted musicians and songwriters too. I figured out a while back that most people that joke them have never really tried to give them a chance.

The artists that immediately came to mind when I saw the thread title were Fleetwood Mac, Procol Harum and Meatloaf.

1. Fleetwood Mac has obviously been plenty successful just like the Beach Boys, but they never seem to get the respect they should. Musically, they are up there in the top 10 for pure musical talent. Lindsey Buckingham is one of those guitarists a lot of people leave off of their greatest guitarists of all time lists, but I put him right up there with Jimi in his abilities to do what most others can't. Their songs were good even before Stevie Nicks, but she brought a phenomenal voice and absolutely epic songwriting ability to the table. Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands a lot of people either don't admit to liking, or "forget" they like them, and they're much better than that.

2. Procol Harum probably get overlooked a lot just because they're British, but they are not only very musically gifted, but their music has the best timing of any band I've ever listened to. They know exactly the perfect time to hit each note, and when to let it linger. In my opinion, A Whiter Shade Of Pale is one of the greatest songs ever written. If you can listen to that song and hate it, you have no soul.

3. Meatloaf is fat and crazy. Or at least he was. His image is probably 100% responsible for holding him back and having nobody take him seriously, but the man is a musical and lyrical genius. I always loved when guys like him and Freddie Mercury brought theatrics into rock, because it always took it to another level to see someone so passionate and over the top.
 
Goaldeje said:
At the risk of being branded emo :), I would throw out the Counting Crows as well, though more for their lyric writing. Really great stories there, imo.
Click to expand...
Good call. I personally loved just about everything they did, but I have found I am in the very slim minority that thinks Recovering the Satellites was their best album.

I just realized I am a complete idiot for not immediately naming my all time favorite artist - Neil Young. If you've never been to one of his concerts, I promise you it's an experience almost no other artist can put you through. My wife hated him until I took her to see him and she saw how gifted he is. He's ugly and can't sing for ****, but his voice is perfect for his songs.

I went to see him here about 10 years ago, and he was expected to play for about an hour and a half. three hours later, at 11 at night, the sound was cut mid song. After staff came out on the stage and turned the lights on (it was outside at the VB amphitheater) he came back out, the power was restored, the lights were dim, and he explained to us that the city ordinance was saying he had to be shut down because of the sound curfew. Rather than abide by the ordinance, he pumped up the crowd and said they can send him a bill for the fine. The crowd went nuts, and he played until nearly midnight before the police showed up and told him he had to cut it off.

It was an epic moment. He was given a chance to do one more song, and he played a 17 minute rendition of Like A Hurricane as the crowd sat quietly looking mesmerized until he finished. Hands down the best show I have ever witnessed.
 
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Nice. Neil Young is a good call. My second roommate in college LOVED Meatloaf; I hated my roommate, so therefore I never hated Meatloaf. I will say the Dr. Pepper commercial a couple of years ago with his song was great. Almost as good as the recent Burger King commercials. Or not.

I'll throw out the Allman Brothers Band too. One of my favorites, and one of the best concerts I've been to.

And El, I love Alison Krauss too, good call.
 
My boy Garrett Dutton, aka G Love is amazing, but never quite "broke out" like others have.

JJ Grey & Mofro are a band from Jacksonville I love.
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Goaldeje said:
I'll throw out the Allman Brothers Band too. One of my favorites, and one of the best concerts I've been to.

And El, I love Alison Krauss too, good call.
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I would like to attach my name to these thoughts.
 
Rikard Sjoblom - He sings for a prog band named Beardfish. They sound like their out of the '70's and it works really well. His voice takes some getting used to, but he has massive talent. Here is a Beardfish song:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8scSSfXY7M[/media]

He has another band named Gungfly. He writes, plays, and records 99% of the instruments on the albums. Here is a Gungfly song:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kLdtpp04fI[/media]


Steven Wilson - Frontman of Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, solo work, No Man, Bass Communion and others. He also produces and mixes albums. Not all of his work is fantastic, but I am enamored with PT and his Solo work. He is currently remastering the King Crimson back catalog. Here are a couple of his songs (two songs is not really fair to him because he has so many faces):

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DevSBj_iF4A[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeTvsGkQdJc[/media]


Mikael Akerfeldt - Opeth - One of the nicest voices out there:[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UQCqvkWdAs[/media]


Guitarist Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0wN5uZ8Tr4[/media]

Just heard these guys today, amazing stuff, they are called Yugen: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6R0cIijPkQ[/media]


Anyways, no one I know really likes my music. As a musician, it makes it hard to find people with similar interests.
 
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The singer for Beardfish and Gungfly (as well as some of the music) brings Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull to mind. I like it :)

I also dug the Yugen track. Love the 'layered' sound... I'm digging this thread in general.

A band I caught as an opening act recently, Ivan and Alyosha....I really liked them. Here's one of their nice ones...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NseWdc7paEQ[/media]
 
During the time I was growing up and into the later teen years, there were a lot of one hit wonders. That's true of any era in music, but it seemed to be in much higher numbers in the 60s and 70s. Heck, even the Captain and Tenille (not a fan) took their one song of fame to a TV series for a couple of years.

Two of my favorites were "regional" type bands. Lake was a popular group in the 1970s and 80s. They performed throughout the southeast and gained a cult-like following. The Robbin Thompson Band had similar appeal in the same region. I really thought Thompson was on the fast path to success, but they still had some good times and their music was solid.
 
[media]http://www.bgobsession.com/jhj/Robbin_Thompson_-_Candyapple_Red_-_3.mp3[/media]
 
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIFTwEf3v4M&feature=relmfu[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqPStjkBspg[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRKrqDmxd9Y[/media]
 
If you have any trouble 'grabbing it', lemme know. Thought you might like that. Every UVa boy has it tucked away somewhere. I always wonder if Robbin Thompson kicks himself. He was an original member of Springsteen's first major band, Steel Mill....oh what could have been. Gotta be a Pete Best feel for him...
 
I know. But I'm glad that he has had success with RTB over the years. Speaking of UVA, I heard he did the anthem at a game back in the late '80s - never have been able to confirm it. I caught one concert when Bruce Hornsby was with the band one evening - before he hit the big time.
 
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Elephant said:
Omniscient, my fiance performed at Prog Day down in North Carolina Labor Day 2 years ago. She was featured with the band Deluge Grander.

http://s727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/Michael_Inman/Progday%202009/Progday%202009%20-%20Deluge%20Grander/
Click to expand...


That is awesome! Is she on the albums, or just live support? I am checking out their songs on youtube and so far I like it.

Also, I agree that Allison Krauss is great. Typically, I do not like country/bluegrass, but I can listen to her.

I almost forgot one of my favorites: Devin Townsend. This guy does everything from extreme metal to ambient. Here are a few of his lighter songs:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u81zmQrib9g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u81zmQrib9g[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsaz39Gelzo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsaz39Gelzo[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNaJ3WN1DE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNaJ3WN1DE[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m2JTtu4uGU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m2JTtu4uGU[/media]
 
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