What are some of your favorite, forgotten albums that have stood the test of time?
Submitted by PeterGibbons.
This post will take some time. I like the question and I've got to think about it. Let's start with The The:
I remember I was watching 120 minutes with Kennedy and they had an interview with Matt, the guy who is The The. At the time I was just discovering alternative music and when they cut to "Dogs of Lust", I was completely OBSESSED with the song. I had to own the CD, and to this day when I play it, I have to listen to the whole thing. I also have a few other The The CDs. If you want to check out his stuff and you have a Myspace account, he's got some downloads for free! Yeah, for FREE!
To our right, we've got Siousxie and the Banshee's. I often think, perhaps mistakenly that she doesn't get a lot of play, she isn't very hyped, there isn't as big a deal made for her as for other older punk acts and it's a shame. Her lyrics are sometimes dark and deep, her covers are fun and fresh. She's a preformer who knows who she is, isn't afraid of very much, doesn't have a lot to hide... Her interviews are my favorite interviews in music. She's also distinctively attractive. I love the complexity of some of her lyrics and her constant state of evolution. I've had peepshow, it was stolen a few times. I have a few other of her cds as well. Twice upon a time is a great collection of her jems from mid career (as banshees) to 90s
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I sometimes think Triphop was a genre that didn't have the apex it deserved. It's still around, some tunes surface, but when all is said and done -- I don't think there's enough. Along with Portishead, who did pretty well during this time, there's the Sneaker Pimps. As far as I'm concerned, this is the only Sneaker Pimps cd. When they brushed off Kelli Ali and moved on without her, I felt a bit betrayed and upset. She had something about her, a muse like quality, that made that band stand out. Lyrics that came from this adorable vixen mesmerized me, I wanted to meet her, buy her a drink and make her my friend. Since they parted from her, neither group has really been the same. Kelli's stuff is alright, their stuff is okay. If the guy who felt he was missing out on his dream wanted to do this the right way, he should have shared it with Kelli or did a "side" project, like any other wise band would do. I also like her for picking a fight with Marilyn Manson... At that time, it was a pretty ballsy thing to do.
Have you ever heard of Fluke? Unless you're into eletronic/techno/dance, chances are you might have! Fluke is one of those acts that produces phenominal and interesting tracks. Atom Bomb was the first track that got me into their music and got me DEEPER into electronic music. I chose their "hits" cd because if any of you felt compelled to give any of these artists a shot, might as well sample their career. Along with "Fluke", the members of this band are responsible for Syntax, 2-Bit Pie and probably a load of other electronic acts with kick ass beats, and unique lyrics. They're a lot of fun. They deserve attention.
A few months after I got this CD I think one of their tracks was on one fo the Austin Powers soundtracks and it's another band that kinda slipped through the cracks here in America. They're lyrics are playful and original. The lead singer has a fun voice and great announciation and play with the lyrics. They also have a track that's pretty good on the Lost in Space soundtrack, aptly called "Lost in Space".
VAST is another band that's been featured here and there. If you're a fan of Angel, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff, you've heard VAST (Jon Crosby's) music. The first album is my favorite, it's harder than the aforementioned albums, it's something that goes well with one of my determined moods (determined to work, exercise, ect.) Some of the songs are a bit dark, but in a way I haven't encountered previous to this. The second cd, never really grabbed me, so i don't own it, but the third is a return to form (to a lesser degree, but still). Jon Crosby is a very talented musician/songwriter.
When I was a kid, I heard Beds are Burning and was addicted to Midnight Oil ever since. I have many of their cds, but I attribute my love for Midnight Oil to Diesel and Dust! I remember when MTV was still pretty new and when they actually played music. My sisters also liked this band, so we'd keep it on whenever one of their videos came on. They're big in Australia, but here, unfortunately, not as big. Every CD is a winner.
This is another band from 'down under' I like, particularly this cd. A friend of mine from Australia told me about them, I bought the cd, forgot about it, some years later, I rediscovered it and was blown away by it.
Every Massive attack CD deserved more attention then it got. I still love and play 'em all the time.
Suzanne Vega... I love her SO MUCH. I blame my sister, who bought Solitude Standing, ever since, I've bought most of her cd's and even tracks that appeared on soundtracks and compilations. 99.9F degrees is one of my favorites, it is a lot of fun to listen to, great lyrics, great voice. She deserved a lot more attention than a lot of the other artists that recieved it. What's cool is that Tom's Diner, one of her tracks previous to this is one of the most remixed songs ever recorded. The last person to remix it is Dangermouse, of Gnarls Barkley. He remixed it to samples of 50 cent's breakthough track at the club (I think).
I think I spoke too soon when I said Atom Bomb was the track that got me hooked on Electronic music... Sunscreem's high energy got my attention and I still love listening to this cd.
I had a friend that worked at a "Record Town". She had a friend who was a DJ, who told her about this cd to her, who recommended it to me. The samples are a lot of fun, ranging from Dune to some odd B movies. It's very addicting, old, yet still fun stuff.
As you all can tell. I could go on and on forever. I can't really think of one cd or album that stood the test of time, there are so many I like, so many that I still love listening to. I have a pretty big collection, I stopped counting cd's years ago. I'm sure, since napster, there are people who've got 40 times the amount I've got. Thing is, I own all of these. If you're really interested in more of my tastes, they're all over this blog! :)
