Academy of the Underrated

[SwampThing]

[quote][i]Originally posted by egg-roger[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>The Chameleons are up there too.
[/quote]

Chameleons are tops on my list of underrated.
[/quote]

Yes!

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[coop41]

[quote][i]Originally posted by bigwavedave[/i]
<br>A few bands whose "hit" single seemed to obscure the fact that they made really great overall records: Dream Academy, The Church, Translater, Wire Train, Big Country.
[/quote]

Wire Train was hugely underrated!

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[Frau_Blucher]

New Order! [}:)]

It sounds stupid, but in some ways I think it's true. It's easy to discount them as light poppy fluff. And please, there's not THAT many around here that elevate them. In fact they get quite a lot of bashing. That's all fine. I totally understand it. It's just pop. Bernard is often atrociously weak on vocals. Hooky's a bit gimmicky with his silly low-slung bass isn't he? Stephen's a good drummer...I guess. Gillian...her contribution has always been a bit fuzzy. Their albums are full of throwaway songs IMHO, and none rate in my personal top 10. They sure could have toured some f&*king more. It's all very strange.

But at least two or three times an album and every couple to few years, they whip out some crackling great numbers. Their beat is unnaturally uplifting and insidious...in a good way I mean. To me. Of course. Bernard's an underrated lyricist...no, seriously, heh. His simple words belie an understated incisiveness, an almost existential emotive quaility, ala Steinbeck perhaps? Hooky's got some of the most signature basslines in the history of pop. Stephen absolutely rocks in concert, and Gillian's 'boards and samples helped launch a whole generation of club music. They survived and flourished after the death of their lead singer. Did The Doors? Would the Police?

They did it their way...a completely indie way. They lost all their money in The Hacienda but created a legend as well. They allowed Peter Saville to imprint an unparalleled stylistic signature on their image and album covers that no one has ever replicated. Jonathan Demme directed their Perfect Kiss video for chrissakes! There's a Phoenix-like history about them. They're slackers. Likely not great musicians. Imperfect...and that's probably what allows people to embrace them. Some people. What are you gonna do, rave about a mainstream money-machine like U2? Or always celebrate the exceedingly obscure? Sure, sometimes, why not. But some people are gonna gravitate to a rock-&-roll mythology that's been going on for nearly 30 years now...and some people aren't.

[birdmadgirl]

[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by egg-roger[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>The Chameleons are up there too.
[/quote]

Chameleons are tops on my list of underrated.
[/quote]

[b]Ditto. [/b]

I would also add Concrete Blonde to the list. "Joey" was their hit but they had many other great songs.
[/quote]

Ooooh! Good one! "Joey" and to a lesser extent, "Caroline" get singled out, but Concrete Blonde has so much more great stuff.

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`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>

[SwampThing]

[quote]They did it their way...a completely indie way.[/quote] No kidding. And their American deal was through "Qwest". Now that shows a lack of repect from American labels if that's the best they could mustard. Something tells me you know the story behind that, fill us in please.

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[Bitter Almonds]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>New Order! [}:)]

It sounds stupid, but in some ways I think it's true. It's easy to discount them as light poppy fluff. And please, there's not THAT many around here that elevate them. In fact they get quite a lot of bashing. That's all fine. I totally understand it. It's just pop. Bernard is often atrociously weak on vocals. Hooky's a bit gimmicky with his silly low-slung bass isn't he? Stephen's a good drummer...I guess. Gillian...her contribution has always been a bit fuzzy. Their albums are full of throwaway songs IMHO, and none rate in my personal top 10. They sure could have toured some f&*king more. It's all very strange.

But at least two or three times an album and every couple to few years, they whip out some crackling great numbers. Their beat is unnaturally uplifting and insidious...in a good way I mean. To me. Of course. Bernard's an underrated lyricist...no, seriously, heh. His simple words belie an understated incisiveness, an almost existential emotive quaility, ala Steinbeck perhaps? Hooky's got some of the most signature basslines in the history of pop. Stephen absolutely rocks in concert, and Gillian's 'boards and samples helped launch a whole generation of club music. They survived and flourished after the death of their lead singer. Did The Doors? Would the Police?

They did it their way...a completely indie way. They lost all their money in The Hacienda but created a legend as well. They allowed Peter Saville to imprint an unparalleled stylistic signature on their image and album covers that no one has ever replicated. Jonathan Demme directed their Perfect Kiss video for chrissakes! There's a Phoenix-like history about them. They're slackers. Likely not great musicians. Imperfect...and that's probably what allows people to embrace them. Some people. What are you gonna do, rave about a mainstream money-machine like U2? Or always celebrate the exceedingly obscure? Sure, sometimes, why not. But some people are gonna gravitate to a rock-&-roll mythology that's been going on for nearly 30 years now...and some people aren't.
[/quote]

I'm still going with The Durutti Column![}:)]

[egg-roger]

another nominee:

China Crisis

[SwampThing]

[quote][i]Originally posted by egg-roger[/i]
<br>another nominee:

China Crisis
[/quote]
They were so hard to catagorize, what type of radio station would play them? They were on the light side, so they didn't fit in on the typical modern rock station.

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[rotator]

[b]The Housemartins

[Rokkr]

The Reds
The Reels
The Headboys
Interview
Scars
Modern Eon
The Proof
The Brains

All are bands that didn't make near enough recordings due to lack of interest on the part of the public.

[Opera Prima]

I would add to the list:

B-movie and The Comsat Angels (again)
Scary Thieves
It's Immaterial
New Musik
Strange Advance
Blue Zoo
The Armoury Show
A drop in the gray

BTW XXX, what's that of The Durutti Column?, I thought it was Durruti [:)]

[Bitter Almonds]

Vini Reilly took it from that name, but he slightly modified it to "The Durutti Column". It is a very underrated band[;)]

[Mechi]

[quote][i]Originally posted by rotator[/i]
<br>[b]The Housemartins
[/quote]

Yes, especially in this site.

Haven't seen any Housemartins thread since I'm here.


What brings me to....

Best Housemartins songs thread. [;)][:D]

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~myirwin/JD_Montage2.jpg">

[Spachehog]

Jon Astley is underrated. His Jane's Getting Serious, IMHO, never really recieved much airplay.

[hutter]

Another vote for Oingo Boingo.