[Cyclone]

"Kill 'em All" by Metallica will stomp all over "The Black Album" any day of the week.

 

[bong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riordan and as far as i can remember most of the bong-headed cure collective is rather fond of 'mixed up' - so am i.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefemeister two proud members of Team Bong-Headed Cure Collective (BHCC)

i have not kept up with this thread so i totally missed this part... but thanks guys! i quite like that bit... i think i'll put it in my sig.

but yeah... despite not listening to Mixed Up as often a any other Cure albums, i think it's a great collection of remixes. the Inbetween Days remix is just insane, and the re-recorded remixes of The Walk and A Forest are equally great... so is The Caterpillar. if it was up to me, i would've dropped Lovesong and Fascination Street (since they were released on CD singles already) for Let's Go To Bed (Milk Mix) and Primary (Red Mix), both are as insane as Inbetween Days (Shiver Mix).

anyway... some more overlooked albums.

Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden: my fave Paul DiAnno album, i think it's slightly better than Killers. Phantom of the Opera just kicks ass, and Remember Tomorrow is one of my top ten fave Maiden Songs. everyone loves Brucie and Number of the Beast, but the two DiAnno albums are almost equally good.

The Human League - Secrets: yeah... it's all about the classic 1981 album Dare! for them, but Secrets is almost just as good; the best set of electronic pop the League has done in a loooooong time, with a healthy dose of experimantation mixed in too.

Depeche Mode - Construction Time Again: it's way better than Some Great Reward, and far more influential and innovative. without the leap ahead with Construction Time Again, DM would've never found their way.

U2 - War: eons better than overrated The Joshua Tree, and still better than The Unforgettable Fire.

Public Image Ltd - The Flowers of Romance: if you think Metal Box/Second Edition was inaccessable, The Flowers of Romance will knock your socks off. highly experimental, greatly poetic, extremely sparse, but oh so additive. it's just the fact Metal Box overshadows everything.

 

[Red1]

Quote:

Bjork : Medulla ( the last work over the previous )

Hell yeah, Medulla is right up there with Homogenic. I think once you get past the initial shock of the strange noises and odd vocals on some of the tracks *cough*Ancestors*cough* it is really beautiful.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bong U2 - War: eons better than overrated The Joshua Tree, and still better than The Unforgettable Fire.

that's a good one... i personally think that U2 jumped the shark with The Joshua Tree.

(has the term "jumped the shark" jumped the shark?)

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefemeister Pink Floyd's "Final Cut." It's one of my all time favorite albums, and IMO is better than The Wall. I also like the earlier suggestion of Caravanserai which is an amazing album to listen to with all the lights out and a good glass of scotch.

I'm elated to see some mention of Santana's Caravanserai. Carlos Santana is my main man but many of his albums after the first three are riddled with an inconsistency that showcases incendiary guitar botched with a certain cheesiness that necessitates "picking through the fat to find the meat."

Santana's spiritual experimentation period of 1972-1973 is by far my favorite because it combines jazz fusion with the latin percussion sounds and trademark incendiary Santana guitar licks. Included in the timeframe is Caravanserai, Welcome, Lotus (Live in Japan), and to a lesser extent Love, Devotion, Surrender with John McLaughlin. These albums have hold a more timeless quality than much of Santanas newer work while developing deeper composition than the earlier pop/rock recordings.

Of the albums from this period, my favorite is Welcome, closely followed by the double live album Lotus, both recorded in 1973. While Welcome is certainly guilty of having a few cheesy moments that sound very dated, in my opinion this is the byproduct of experimentation. In the case of Welcome, these few dated moments are far outweighed by the musical quality and general flow of the album. My favorite song on the album is Flame Sky, which is recorded with John McLaughlin. John was a student of the same spiritual leader as Carlos at the time and their musical direction of that period (experimental fusion) is very much likeminded. Flame Sky is one of those songs that envelops and sends chills down the spine.

Caravanserai is also one of my favorites yet I don't think the album flows as well as Welcome. If you are a Santana fan of any period, the double live album Lotus is unlike any other Santana recording. There are plenty of hits from the first three albums like the Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen / Oye Como Va suite, Se a Cabo, Incident at Neshabur, Toussaint L'Overture, etc, all in top form. There are also plenty of tunes from the Caravanserai / Welcome sessions performed with a harder edge than the album versions.

The somewhat recent remasters of Caravanserai and Welcome are sonically excellent and the bonus track "Mantra" on Welcome (previously only available as a live version on Lotus) is a "welcome" addition.

 

[eroom1369]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Routa Also Down's II is IMO very good album and quite often overlooked by Pantera fans and other metalheads.

I think Down's NOLA, is one of the best metal albums of the 90's. No doubt about it.

Hum-Downward is Heavenward

Lamb of God-New American Gospel

Echo and the Bunnymen-Porcupine

Soundgarden-Louder Than Love

Nevermore-Dreaming Neon Black

 

[PsychoZX]

To me it would have to be Pink Floyd - Meddle. Gets no where near the attention that DSOTM gets but is a much better album IMO. That not to say DSOTM is a bad album though.

 

[mkmelt]

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound is often overshadowed by The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. The title song of Lamb is very good, but Selling England By The Pound is the better album.

Al Stewart - Past, Present, & Future. This 1973 release predates The Year Of The Cat by several years. Year Of The Cat was a much bigger commercial success, while PP&F is not nearly as well known. That is too bad. PP&F contains several noteworthy songs including Old Admirals, Roads to Moscow, and especially Nostradamus an amazing song that you will almost certainly never hear on the radio as it lasts 9 minuntes and 46 seconds. PP&F is definitely worth seeking out if only to hear Nostradamus.

 

[bong]

for Echo and the Bunnymen i would definitely choose "Heaven Up Here" over "Ocean Rain." every critic always love "Ocean Rain" to death, but for me "Heaven Up Here" is their most sincere, their most artistic album they've ever made.

 

[sno1man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bong for Echo and the Bunnymen i would definitely choose "Heaven Up Here" over "Ocean Rain." every critic always love "Ocean Rain" to death, but for me "Heaven Up Here" is their most sincere, their most artistic album they've ever made.

I strongly agree. It's one of the few albums I have that I always want to hear start to finish. It also has the most consistent feel

 

[Beatl?Maniac]

The Beatles' Revolver is far superior to the much acclaimed Sgt Pepper imo.

 

[cpw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masonjar being a big REM fan of the early years, I've tried several times to get into NEW ADVENTURES but I just don't get it. They started "changing" with GREEN and by AUTOMATIC the morph was complete. I just don't "get" that magical feeling when listening to anything after OUT OF TIME. When I listen to the music of their first 10 years, I just get this feeling like it's designed for my brain.. with their newer stuff, I just don't get that feeling. It's interesting to hear so many folks love HI-FI. Maybe I'll have to give it yet another try..

Yeah, I love the early REM as well. It's very much music "of a time" for me as I was in college and in France (in college) for a year I was mainly listening to Chronic Town, Murmur and Reckoning, then the year I returned from France, Fables. I've bought many of their albums since then but don't know if I like 'em any better.
As far as underrated albums by my faves:
Zappa-One Size Fits All
Stones- Some Girls
Zeppelin- Houses of the Holy
Coltrane- Burrell & Coltrane
Wes Montgomery - Full House
Yes- Tormato
Hendrix- Axis: Bold As Love
These are just off the top of my head. I rarely find the most popular album ends up being my favorite.
Some of 'em...
Astral weeks by Van Morrison is generally well regarded and I love it. (for example)
CPW

 

[DeeJayBump]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Also, ... Tracey Chapman "Matters of the Heart" over "New Beginnings" or "Crossroads"

+1. Matters Of The Heart is my favorite as well. And to think, I found it in the bargain CD bin for $7 several years ago. For that matter, outside of Give Me One Reason and Fast Car, Tracy is under-rated.

 

[chronoso]

i'm actually surprised this one hasn't been mentioned yet:

The Beach Boys - Holland (good luck finding it on cd..)

 

[rhythmdevils]

Van Morrison -- Blowin' your Mind --&-- No Guru No Method No Teacher

Doc Watson -- Memories

Dire Straits -- Dire Straits (vs Brothers in Arms, which sucks IMO)

Talking Heads -- More Songs About Buildings and Food

Radiohead -- The Bends

Bob Marley -- Uprising

The Congos -- Congo Ashanti