h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Many bands and artists have an album which is reckoned to be their masterpiece. Some bands that have been around for a long while may even have two or three of these.

But at the opposite end of the scale, there are those albums which you think are unjustly ignored. I'll cite two, from two of my favourite bands:

Queen - Hot Space. This is a really good album, containing not just the No. 1 "Under Pressure" but also the vastly underrated "Las Parablas De Amor", as well as a load of good album tracks, and the (for them, at the time) more experimental (for them, at the time) songs like "Back Chat" and "Body Language".

Eurythmics - 1984 (For The Love Of Big Brother). A soundtrack to the 1985 film, which, due to various contractual wrangles, was never actually used for the film. But the songs on it are brilliant, including "Sexcrime 1984", "Julia", and "For The Love Of Big Brother".

So, what are your favourite unjustly neglected albums?

RF

Most people would agree that Cannibal Corpse's finest moment was either 'Butchered at Birth' or 'Tomb of the Mutilated', but I've always had a soft spot for 'The Wretched Spawn'.

Randy Newman - Little Criminals

New Gold Dream by Simple Minds. I think sometimes that their later, shite, albums obscure the fact that they were actually quite good for a bit.

Also Kid A by Radiohead. Yeah, maybe some of the tunes are lacking a bit in melody, but there are some fab songs on it. And Zooropa by U2. It doesn't have the 'name' of the Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby but it's really rather spiffy.

And of course, Exile on Main Street by the Stones *was* underrated on release, but of course it's absolutely bloody fantastic. Just shows what critics know, eh?

In approximately reverse chronological order:

One From The Modern - Ocean Colour Scene
Neo Wave - Silver Sun
Savage Garden - Savage Garden
Leisure - Blur
Volume 1 - Travelling Wilburys
Knocking At Your Back Door - Deep Purple
Making Movies - Dire Straits
Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full Of Blues
Breakfast In America - Supertramp
Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Willy & The Poor Boys - Creedence Clearwater Revival

and, despite the fact that they invariably get critically slated, I do enjoy listening to albums of cover versions:

Reload - Tom Jones et al
Golddiggas, Headnodders & Pholk Songs - Beautiful South

B

Making Movies *underrated*!!1!

On which planet?

How many albums did the Travelling Wilburys make for Volume 1 to be underrated?

RF

The Wilburys made 2 albums - but the first is so vastly superior to the better known second that it almost seems as though it's by a different band. Just my opinion.

My favourite underrated album is Do it Yourself by The Seahorses. (one or more of the disbanded Stone Roses)

And Swagger by the renamed G.U.N. And in fact Taking on the World by them... a most underrated band.

>> The Wilburys made 2 albums <<

I was kinda aiming this thread at bands with a substantial catalogue.

I mean, I think Here We Stand is underrated, compared to Costello Music. But as the band in question have only released 2 albums, it's not really a good comparison.

RF

I get what you mean, but still. Generally the Wilburys as a band are underrated.

Tom Petty is another - huge output, not many people listen to that one that came out after Damn The Torpedoes - which is pretty good (the one after Damn the Torpedoes - that one is truly fantastic)

>>Most people would agree that Cannibal Corpse's finest moment was either 'Butchered at Birth' or 'Tomb of the Mutilated', but I've always had a soft spot for 'The Wretched Spawn'.

Wicked child Icy.

Pixies purists maintain that Surfer Rosa and Doolittle were their best, and they are great albums, but I have always loved Trompe Le Monde and Bossanova for the wig-out surf vibe, maybe it's a space thing.

Beck at his most mordant is fabulous - Mutations and Sea Change.

Verve, before the forced inclusion of 'The' - their first, A Storm In Heaven, and A Northern Soul. Their best song was their debut single Gravity Grave, which never appeared on an album. But songs like So It Goes and History are classics.

While we're talking about underrated things - Quote Unquote's on! Yay!

"My favourite underrated album is Do it Yourself by The Seahorses. (one or more of the disbanded Stone Roses)"

That'd be the mercurial John Squire.

On the Roses theme, I think that 6 minute feedback intro aside, "Second Coming" is a truly ace album.

Not underrated (402/448 5 star reviews at Amazon), but more or less missed by me somehow for a long time, "Who's Next" by The Who. I've always been a big fan of "Tommy", but "Next" is right up there. IMHO.

'beggars banquet' by the rolling stones

'planet waves' by bob dylan

'amused to death' by roger waters

'The Dreaming' by Kate Bush. There's some lovely barking mad stuff on it.

The Offspring by The Offspring. Lots of people miss it. First album, has the Offspring sound but it has the raw naive edge of adolescence. Lovely!

I'm also rather partial to everything Richard Cheese has put out. He and his band are generally underrated and it shouldn't be allowed!!!