Cory's Top Five Underrated Albums
Today I wanted to do some more fun stuff, so I thought about really reaching into the depths of popular music to bring out something unique. That unique thing (hopefully) is distinguishing our different views about fame in the music world. My thought is, in terms of our perception, why do some albums become "classics" and some don't?
Obviously, it's a combination of factors - like quality, influence and impact, how well it was promoted, the concept of "right-place-right-time." But some are just weirdly forgotten about, usually when facing other more popular albums. While all the albums I wanted to list did make a splash in their day, by now they have been kind of left by the wayside. One thing I guarantee: once you check them out, you'll understand my griping and ask "why didn't these become household essentials?" See for yourself below (in chronological order):
For metal heads, the album is one of the greatest of the genre, and certainly in the top ten of most influential metal albums of all time. Still, not many can name more Ace of Spades tracks than the ridiculously popular title track. While the song does represent the legacy of Motörhead more than any other, the rest of the album features exceptionally strong songwriting for as early as it was released. The semi-popular "(We Are) The Road Crew" and the slow-and-heavy "The Chase is Better than the Catch" are notably good, but so is pretty much 90% of the album. The songs just feel like they belong together - no one gripes about the song-to-song similarity because Ace of Spades just has such a great and important sound.
A couple minor rock 'n' roll excesses like aggressive sexualization (particularly in "Jailbait" which certainly seems weird but not out of the ordinary considering many other excessive rock lyricists) cannot keep the album from still being a smashing success. As great as it is, the standout aspect of Ace of Spades is just how heavy it is. For its time, Motörhead beats out classics like Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, and even Black Sabbath for its sheer heaviness; listeners today are still in awe of the loud, in-your-face momentum of opener "Ace of Spades", but the rest somehow keeps the ball rolling, and to this day the results are shocking.
Some people say Use Your Illusion is supposed to be one giant album. While that certainly seems the case given Axl Rose's overblown tendencies, Vol. 1 is still the better of the two (the albums came out on the same day, why for any artistic reason was it not just one two-disc release?). In any case, the album is still a knockout overload of music, shadowed by the immense weight of classic rock radio staples like "November Rain" and their cover of "Live and Let Die".
The band really gets to spread their wings, and it is so much fun despite high levels of filler. Rose contributes the epics of "November" and closer "Coma"; Izzy Stradlin makes his mark with bluesy songwriting and lead vocals on three tracks; the band brings in many more guests on both writing and performance, including a strange guest spot from Alice Cooper and Shannon Hoon on "The Garden". We get one of the last great power ballads in "Don't Cry" transitioning to the blistering metal "Perfect Crime." There are lots of weak moments, but every track has something worth talking about, which is definitely not the case for any other over 75-minute album.
Obviously, it's a combination of factors - like quality, influence and impact, how well it was promoted, the concept of "right-place-right-time." But some are just weirdly forgotten about, usually when facing other more popular albums. While all the albums I wanted to list did make a splash in their day, by now they have been kind of left by the wayside. One thing I guarantee: once you check them out, you'll understand my griping and ask "why didn't these become household essentials?" See for yourself below (in chronological order):
#1: The Kinks - Face to Face (1966)
This first truly essential Kinks release is well remembered for breakthrough hit "Sunny Afternoon," if at all. In spite of this, it is perhaps the greatest collection of '60s pop songs of all time. Unlike the considerably higher praised Beatles records which always contain some filler, not one track on Face to Face seems flat or purposeless. The songwriting of Ray Davies is exceptionally refined, with enough balance of unhinged emotion to distinguish it from the more subdued approach on later Kinks albums. The contrast of cynical, sarcastic lyrics about the English upper class with a lively and playful vibe makes Face to Face stand out even further.
Face to Face ended up as a record-low chart performance for the band, as the album and its singles were already on the declining end of the British Invasion in the US. "Sunny Afternoon" was the last US hit for the Kinks' 1960s releases, peaking at #14. As the US turned its back on the British Invasion sound, the Kinks became of great national importance with the following Something Else (1967), turning away from the popular psychedelic trend to create something truly unique for its time. Over the next decades, Face to Face has remained criminally overlooked, though it so effectively taps into the mainstream, the traditional, and the pure genius of Davies.
Face to Face ended up as a record-low chart performance for the band, as the album and its singles were already on the declining end of the British Invasion in the US. "Sunny Afternoon" was the last US hit for the Kinks' 1960s releases, peaking at #14. As the US turned its back on the British Invasion sound, the Kinks became of great national importance with the following Something Else (1967), turning away from the popular psychedelic trend to create something truly unique for its time. Over the next decades, Face to Face has remained criminally overlooked, though it so effectively taps into the mainstream, the traditional, and the pure genius of Davies.
#2: Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
For every genre, there always seems to be one album you can draw back to that defines all subsequent releases of that style. To me, post-punk owes this to Marquee Moon. Frankly, the genre would not be the same without it (despite Television only being mentioned once on the "post-punk" Wikipedia page). This startling debut, coming out of the New York punk scene, is a full-on rocker all the way, but with an air of sophistication and ambition in the extended instrumental sections of songs like the title track. With well-written dynamic songs and a distinguished musical proficiency, the album does not really have a bad song (as I'm sure I'll say multiple times on this post).
Drawing from the avant-garde punk of fellow NYers The Velvet Underground, Television strip away the blues-influenced grooves and leave only energetic garage rock. Even so, the production is very clean despite its intensity, matching their young but admirable talent. Marquee Moon hits every aspect just right in the balance - opener "See No Evil" is equal parts brazen punk and deceptive difficulty, while "Venus" finds the balance between subdued and unhinged while bordering on Beat Generation poetry in the lyrics. And of course, we get the masterful over 10-minute title track, with both intricate composition and improv jamming, truly making a song unlike any before. A shocking statement to say considering not many reading this post will even have heard much about Television. Or more likely, nothing at all.
Drawing from the avant-garde punk of fellow NYers The Velvet Underground, Television strip away the blues-influenced grooves and leave only energetic garage rock. Even so, the production is very clean despite its intensity, matching their young but admirable talent. Marquee Moon hits every aspect just right in the balance - opener "See No Evil" is equal parts brazen punk and deceptive difficulty, while "Venus" finds the balance between subdued and unhinged while bordering on Beat Generation poetry in the lyrics. And of course, we get the masterful over 10-minute title track, with both intricate composition and improv jamming, truly making a song unlike any before. A shocking statement to say considering not many reading this post will even have heard much about Television. Or more likely, nothing at all.
#3: Motörhead - Ace of Spades (1980)
A couple minor rock 'n' roll excesses like aggressive sexualization (particularly in "Jailbait" which certainly seems weird but not out of the ordinary considering many other excessive rock lyricists) cannot keep the album from still being a smashing success. As great as it is, the standout aspect of Ace of Spades is just how heavy it is. For its time, Motörhead beats out classics like Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, and even Black Sabbath for its sheer heaviness; listeners today are still in awe of the loud, in-your-face momentum of opener "Ace of Spades", but the rest somehow keeps the ball rolling, and to this day the results are shocking.
#4: Guns 'n' Roses - Use Your Illusion, Vol. 1 (1991)
Some people say Use Your Illusion is supposed to be one giant album. While that certainly seems the case given Axl Rose's overblown tendencies, Vol. 1 is still the better of the two (the albums came out on the same day, why for any artistic reason was it not just one two-disc release?). In any case, the album is still a knockout overload of music, shadowed by the immense weight of classic rock radio staples like "November Rain" and their cover of "Live and Let Die".
The band really gets to spread their wings, and it is so much fun despite high levels of filler. Rose contributes the epics of "November" and closer "Coma"; Izzy Stradlin makes his mark with bluesy songwriting and lead vocals on three tracks; the band brings in many more guests on both writing and performance, including a strange guest spot from Alice Cooper and Shannon Hoon on "The Garden". We get one of the last great power ballads in "Don't Cry" transitioning to the blistering metal "Perfect Crime." There are lots of weak moments, but every track has something worth talking about, which is definitely not the case for any other over 75-minute album.
#5. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)
Even though this is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the 2000s, I decided to put it on here because QOTSA seems to be losing their original audience with each new release. In their increasingly more tame direction, many have forgotten the raw power behind Songs for the Deaf. Bringing in Dave Grohl on drums always seems to revitalize a band; each song is a powerful statement of heavy but usually melodic rock. While drifting from the catchy melodies of songs like "No One Knows", "First It Giveth", and "Go with the Flow" to elements of hardcore and sludge in almost every song, the album also follows a loose concept of a tuning radio dial driving along the California Desert. This balance of heavy, melodic, and experimental concept elevates the album to a high point in the band's career as well as rock history.
For better or worse, Queens of the Stone Age has changed a lot since 2002. Close collaborator Nick Oliveri was fired from the band shortly after, and co-lead singer has not sung with the band for many years either. Since the beginning, there has been nothing to reign in the ambitions of Josh Homme, and while the band has remained extremely popular, their music is not as iconic as it used to be. There is still a lot to love, but the band has moved away from pushing forward with their music. Homme is comfortable where the band is at, and his original fans have either held on blindly or given up. The new fans are content with Homme's modern rock niche, but I doubt the band will be able to blend their sound on the same level of crossover genius as Songs for the Deaf ever again.
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