(I’ve taken the thread title to mean an underappreciated track, not a track from an underappreciated band. Hope that’s right.)
Off the top of my head, Waiting for the Night by Depeche Mode. Tucked away on Violator, where (perhaps understandably) Enjoy the Silence gets so much attention. But it is a thing of beauty, with Dave’s vocal and the lovely harmonies sitting just right against the melody. And the moment at about 1:25 when the new synth line comes in is just wonderful. WFTN would never work as a single, and maybe not live in a stadium either, but it is a little gem for non-DM fans to uncover.
Very good shout. They do actually have this in the current tour – Dave and Martin walk to the front of the runway so that they are surrounded by the crowd and they sing it together.
I thought it was the other way round – a track from an under appreciated band. Neither ver Mode or Bowie qualify since they are routinely loved to bits here.
I listened to this very track yesterday in the course of my in-depth coverage of the Dubes. It is sensationally good, and equals the Dan at their very best. No, really.
From the much-maligned and misunderstood Michael McDonald years. His *cough* new direction for the Dubes saved the band from residing in the where-are-they-now file. Lowell George gave him and the band a lot of respect for that change, and Steely Dan brought McDonald on tour with them (the Steelyard Sugar Tooth McDan tour – good bootleg available), so that’s three great bands (including the Doobies) who rated him highly. Not the “fans” alas – they couldn’t stand “their” band becoming massively popular with people who hadn’t bought Toulouse Street.
As the resident (self designated) Big Country expert – no, wait – a track from the last album, Driving to Damascus. It has, as most BC albums do, a couple of tracks that lead you to the fast forward button more than the play button. But, as most BC albums do, they have a couple of standouts.
DTD is atypical of most of their output, and hint at a direction Stuart Adamson could have taken, and leave you wondering what might have been. I’ve posted Fragile Thing; it could easily have been See You (feat Eddi Reader), or Your Spirit to Me.
I would go for the “Restless Natives” soundtrack as under appreciated Big Country. Fabulous soundtrack that was a bugger to get hold for years (finally resolved with the Restless Natives & Rarities CD)
The giddy rush of whizzing through the cinematic Scottish landscape on a motorbike still buzzing from a cheeky blag is perhaps the most apt time for those big BC guitars to kick in..
I genuinely think Dressed in Black should be as well known as My Way. It sounds nothing like the other DM songs, it’s nice and short- and has a sumptuous, breathy, velvety feel. Just listen to that harmonium!
The most singular song I know of, not only is it the sole song of theirs I could identify (I have heard others but they didn’t stick) It is also one of the few, if not only, song I know of written in the second person.
“You are going to Rosita to make love to a model from Ohio whose real name you don’t know.” They also describe what I am listening to on the radio as I drive.
It is also a excellent description of certain aspects of life in Los Angeles. The end of the song is back to regular first person viewpoint where he describes what HE is doing in LA.
Stiff Little Fingers – Dead Man Walking
To my (un-educated) ears, this could be the best song The Byrds never wrote
Don’t think it was ever played live
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Happy High
One of the greatest songs from the 80’s that not many people have heard.
“Put glory in your heart and never say die”.
This song by Texas featured Paul Buchanan and I just think it’s wonderful. There is a video of the original version which features Peter Kay, but here is a stripped back version from Abbey Road with Paul Buchanan. I can’t understand why it isn’t a huge song…
Cressida – a Vertigo band from the arse end of the 60s and the early 70s, who produced two fine albums before they went their separate ways after failing to get sufficient traction. They could be represented here by several excellent songs. Melodic, imaginative progressive rock from a bunch of guys with real musical chops, very much in the same territory as Camel.
Here’s their performance of the opening track on their first album, performed at a gig in a dank basement in a tiny Camden venue for their reunion gig at The Underworld, December 2nd 2011, featuring original members Angus Cullen (vocals), Peter Jennings (organ), Kevin MacCarthy (bass) and Iain Clark (drums), plus new recruit Roger Niven (guitar).
@Twang and your correspondent are in the audience, rapidly getting pissed off with the level of audible chatter from the back of the crowd. Given that the band had regrouped for only a handful of gigs 40 years after their recording career, and that the audience was peppered with long time fans and family members, we’d assumed behaviour would have been better. A timely withering snark from Twang made the twat standing behind us shut the f*ck up for most of the gig, thankfully.
Stray by Aztec Camera but in its solo acoustic form. I think it’s the best song that Roddy Frame has ever written. It passed me by on the album of the same name because of the dreadful 80s production.
I’ve always felt It Ain’t Easy by Bowie deserved much more recognition.
A short and simple cover of an okay-nothing-special song, stuck onto Ziggy Stardust to fill it out a bit, it’s easily overlooked. Especially next to all the other fantastic songs on that album. But it’s actually one of my favourites, a strident song with a great arrangement and Bowie at the height of his histrionic vocal phase.
I now think I might have misunderstood the intention of this thread. I thought it was artists who were properly appreciated and lauded, but who had a song or two in their library that wasn’t perhaps appreciated as much as it should be? That’s how I read the thread title anyway! 🙂 I suppose how you interpret the intention of the thread depends on what you think of Camel – I quite like them and thought they were quite popular. But now I’m confused. So I’ll just be quiet now. 🙂
Wild Life as we know is a very under rated album. I happen to think the title track should be revered as a McCartney show closing, much loved classic. Steven C from Nothing Is Real put me on to this version. ** Makes me want to revisit McCartney again.
Fashion – You in the night
That’s quite good! 😎👍😎
(I’ve taken the thread title to mean an underappreciated track, not a track from an underappreciated band. Hope that’s right.)
Off the top of my head, Waiting for the Night by Depeche Mode. Tucked away on Violator, where (perhaps understandably) Enjoy the Silence gets so much attention. But it is a thing of beauty, with Dave’s vocal and the lovely harmonies sitting just right against the melody. And the moment at about 1:25 when the new synth line comes in is just wonderful. WFTN would never work as a single, and maybe not live in a stadium either, but it is a little gem for non-DM fans to uncover.
Very good shout. They do actually have this in the current tour – Dave and Martin walk to the front of the runway so that they are surrounded by the crowd and they sing it together.
I remember them playing it at the NEC on the Violator tour. Brilliant night and probably their best album
I thought it was the other way round – a track from an under appreciated band. Neither ver Mode or Bowie qualify since they are routinely loved to bits here.
The under appeciated title track of an under appreciated album. Personally ….I love it
I listened to this very track yesterday in the course of my in-depth coverage of the Dubes. It is sensationally good, and equals the Dan at their very best. No, really.
This bloody AI again….
What was it? I got the “black screen of unavailability” – although, from HP’s comment, I guess it’s the Doobies?
Livin’ on the Fault Line
From the much-maligned and misunderstood Michael McDonald years. His *cough* new direction for the Dubes saved the band from residing in the where-are-they-now file. Lowell George gave him and the band a lot of respect for that change, and Steely Dan brought McDonald on tour with them (the Steelyard Sugar Tooth McDan tour – good bootleg available), so that’s three great bands (including the Doobies) who rated him highly. Not the “fans” alas – they couldn’t stand “their” band becoming massively popular with people who hadn’t bought Toulouse Street.
As the resident (self designated) Big Country expert – no, wait – a track from the last album, Driving to Damascus. It has, as most BC albums do, a couple of tracks that lead you to the fast forward button more than the play button. But, as most BC albums do, they have a couple of standouts.
DTD is atypical of most of their output, and hint at a direction Stuart Adamson could have taken, and leave you wondering what might have been. I’ve posted Fragile Thing; it could easily have been See You (feat Eddi Reader), or Your Spirit to Me.
Driving To Damascus is about to get a 4 CD deluxe issue from the wallet emptiers at Cherry Red
Well, that’s not good news in the slightest.
I would go for the “Restless Natives” soundtrack as under appreciated Big Country. Fabulous soundtrack that was a bugger to get hold for years (finally resolved with the Restless Natives & Rarities CD)
The giddy rush of whizzing through the cinematic Scottish landscape on a motorbike still buzzing from a cheeky blag is perhaps the most apt time for those big BC guitars to kick in..
I genuinely think Dressed in Black should be as well known as My Way. It sounds nothing like the other DM songs, it’s nice and short- and has a sumptuous, breathy, velvety feel. Just listen to that harmonium!
Screenwriters Blues by Soul Coughing
The most singular song I know of, not only is it the sole song of theirs I could identify (I have heard others but they didn’t stick) It is also one of the few, if not only, song I know of written in the second person.
“You are going to Rosita to make love to a model from Ohio whose real name you don’t know.” They also describe what I am listening to on the radio as I drive.
It is also a excellent description of certain aspects of life in Los Angeles. The end of the song is back to regular first person viewpoint where he describes what HE is doing in LA.
I have never heard another song like it. It did not chart anywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XjK–Ljl6Q
Stiff Little Fingers – Dead Man Walking
To my (un-educated) ears, this could be the best song The Byrds never wrote
Don’t think it was ever played live
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Happy High
One of the greatest songs from the 80’s that not many people have heard.
“Put glory in your heart and never say die”.
This song by Texas featured Paul Buchanan and I just think it’s wonderful. There is a video of the original version which features Peter Kay, but here is a stripped back version from Abbey Road with Paul Buchanan. I can’t understand why it isn’t a huge song…
That song is now stuck in my head, and I think will be the for most of the day – never heard that version. Bit good that …
Cressida – a Vertigo band from the arse end of the 60s and the early 70s, who produced two fine albums before they went their separate ways after failing to get sufficient traction. They could be represented here by several excellent songs. Melodic, imaginative progressive rock from a bunch of guys with real musical chops, very much in the same territory as Camel.
Here’s their performance of the opening track on their first album, performed at a gig in a dank basement in a tiny Camden venue for their reunion gig at The Underworld, December 2nd 2011, featuring original members Angus Cullen (vocals), Peter Jennings (organ), Kevin MacCarthy (bass) and Iain Clark (drums), plus new recruit Roger Niven (guitar).
@Twang and your correspondent are in the audience, rapidly getting pissed off with the level of audible chatter from the back of the crowd. Given that the band had regrouped for only a handful of gigs 40 years after their recording career, and that the audience was peppered with long time fans and family members, we’d assumed behaviour would have been better. A timely withering snark from Twang made the twat standing behind us shut the f*ck up for most of the gig, thankfully.
Stray by Aztec Camera but in its solo acoustic form. I think it’s the best song that Roddy Frame has ever written. It passed me by on the album of the same name because of the dreadful 80s production.
I’ve always felt It Ain’t Easy by Bowie deserved much more recognition.
A short and simple cover of an okay-nothing-special song, stuck onto Ziggy Stardust to fill it out a bit, it’s easily overlooked. Especially next to all the other fantastic songs on that album. But it’s actually one of my favourites, a strident song with a great arrangement and Bowie at the height of his histrionic vocal phase.
See above. Bowie, under appreciated? Tigger has a near heart attack. Pens 2000 words on “Heathen”. Feels better.
Stick this on while you’re at it.
Bowie? Overrated. OOAA
I agree. OO very much AA though. See also Beatles.
The Rolling Stones are underrated though.
I now think I might have misunderstood the intention of this thread. I thought it was artists who were properly appreciated and lauded, but who had a song or two in their library that wasn’t perhaps appreciated as much as it should be? That’s how I read the thread title anyway! 🙂 I suppose how you interpret the intention of the thread depends on what you think of Camel – I quite like them and thought they were quite popular. But now I’m confused. So I’ll just be quiet now. 🙂
We call upon the author to explain! @uncle-wheaty
It Ain’t Easy, is it?
Arthur, you correctly describe it as I intended i.e. an under appreciated track from a well loved band.
I think Camel are superb – but I wouldn’t have classed them as popular in the greater scheme of things.
On reflection, not sure if that helps, Arthur…
They had four top 30 albums between 1975-78 and Nude was a top 40 album in 1981 so I beg bro differ on this one.
The working assumption is the Feat were gone when Lowell died. Not true, as this clip amply shows.
PS I saw this lineup with Bonnie Raitt on BVs!
Rather than the ubiquitous I Get Knocked Down, I always preferred this, which contrary to people’s memories, was also top 30:
An album generally marked down and a track rarely mentioned.
And just looking at that- that is one weird album cover.
I can’t work out if that album cover is genius or horrific. It seems to exist in some kind of quantum existence between the two.
Wild Life as we know is a very under rated album. I happen to think the title track should be revered as a McCartney show closing, much loved classic. Steven C from Nothing Is Real put me on to this version. ** Makes me want to revisit McCartney again.
** It doesn’t
Hedging my bets, here’s my favourite under-appreciated track by my favourite under-appreciated band.
This band gets some love on here – but this is an under-rated tune from an under-rated album…IMHO…