We’ve all got our own underrated albums. They’re the records we listen to and like, despite their being unknown or unappreciated by people around us. We might be into Squarepusher or Aphex Twin while everyone else listens to Skrillex, or we might just be into any obscure artist that nobody’s heard of, for whatever reasons. This happens a lot to me; although my tastes aren’t the most obscure, it’s still hard for me to talk about music I love when I’m the only one in the circle who’s heard (or even heard of) it.
I’ll give you a list of 6 relatively obscure albums, all of which rank among my personal favorites and, I think, deserve more recognition.
6 Underrated Albums
John Martyn: One World
John Martyn is a “musician’s musician.” He made friends with the likes of Phil Collins, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton, but never became a big star himself, not even after his death in 2009. He never needed to, though. His music is too mellow to thrill most people, but if you’re not looking to be thrilled, it works very well. One World has got to be one of the chill-est albums ever made, laid-back and easy to listen to but never boring. “Dealer” and “Smiling Stranger” are surprisingly funky for a folk artist, “Dancing” predates an entire decade of soft rock with its echo-heavy guitar, and “Small Hours” (recorded on a lake at night) is pure ambient beauty. A mellow album, but a good one.
Clube da Esquina: Clube da Esquina
I can’t expect anyone to have heard of this, seeing as it’s a Brazilian release from 1972. It’s fantastic, though. The Clube da Esquina was less a band and more a group of Brazilian musicians who shared an interest in American and British rock and pop, and melded these influences with traditional folk and bossa nova, with some classical, jazz, and progressive on the side. This double album has 21 songs but no real filler; whether the songs are sung by Lô Borges or by beautiful tenor Milton Nascimento, they always sound fresh and interesting. They do wear their influences on their sleeves, but it’s not like they don’t measure up. Brian Wilson would be proud of “Nuvem Cigana,” “Trem de Doido” rocks as hard as Hendrix, and the outro of “Um Gosto de Sol” sounds just like it came out of an unreleased Beatles track. Telling that it didn’t.
Marianne Faithfull: Broken English
Marianne Faithfull is most famous for being Mick Jagger’s lover, but she actually had a decent singing career on her own, even as her voice faded. She made Broken English while it was fading, but thankfully, the material, along with the New Wave-inspired production, matches the voice perfectly. She sounds world-weary and frustrated, if not defeated, and she gives extra weight to songs like “Guilt,” “Brain Drain,” and “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” (a minor hit, and a definite highlight). “Witches’ Song” is one of my longtime favorite songs, and I don’t even know exactly why; anyway, the synths and acoustic guitars mesh well. As if that wasn’t enough, the album closes on “Why D’ya Do It?” which has to be one of the meanest, nastiest, and most outrageous breakup songs ever, complete with four-letter words and a sax solo. An odd album, and not always “pleasant” to hear, but always engaging.
The Beach Boys: Holland
No doubt that Brian Wilson was the most talented and creative member of the Beach Boys; the band hit their peak with his leadership and couldn’t hope to match it again without him. Still, that’s no reason to write off the albums that came after his breakdown. Surf’s Up has some standout songs, even if it’s patchy overall, and Sunflower comes close to being a masterpiece. Holland is a little bit of both; it’s still patchy, but not noticeably so, and it does have some standout songs. “Sail on Sailor” (a rare Beach Boys song sung by a black member) is catchy and affecting at the same time, “California” is just really catchy, “Steamboat” sounds like proto-industrial music, and “Leaving this Town” funks things up a bit. The real standout is “The Trader,” Carl Wilson’s two-part song about the Indians, bolstered by awesome backing vocals and a strong lead performance, harsh in the first part and sensitive in the second. This album has nostalgic value for me – I heard “Sail on Sailor” a lot when I was young – so it might be hard to get others to see why it means so much to me. Still, the quality here should be obvious to see.
Bruce Cockburn: Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws
Yes, I know it’s Christian music, from a Canadian with a very unfortunate name. This is the kind of Christian music I can dig, though; Cockburn’s religious lyrics are introverted and subtle rather than overbearing, and they don’t overwhelm the music. This album’s mellow too, but Cockburn makes it interesting with his acoustic guitar playing (which is quite good) and incorporation of folk, jazz, pop, and even reggae. The arrangements are very tasteful too, if that’s your cup of tea. Most people only know Cockburn for “Wondering Where the Lions Are” (admittedly a fine song), and maybe not even that, so this album isn’t heard much nowadays. I think it merits at least one listen, though.
Mercury Rev: Deserter’s Songs
If you’re not into orchestral music or high-pitched male vocals, stay away from this one. If that doesn’t matter to you, step right in. Deserter’s Songs sounds like a little like a melancholy, resigned version of The Soft Bulletin (which was made around the same time, and produced by the same person), but more than that, it’s just a beautiful record, with simple but effective songs brought to their peak by complex and well-written arrangements. Two songs are kind of weak, but there are so many great songs that they’re easy to forgive. My personal favorite is “Opus 40,” a descending-chords melody with hints of the Beatles and the Band (Levon Helm even plays on it) and a whistling outro that’s pure Mercury Rev. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.
I’ll give you a list of 6 relatively obscure albums, all of which rank among my personal favorites and, I think, deserve more recognition.
6 Underrated Albums
John Martyn: One World
John Martyn is a “musician’s musician.” He made friends with the likes of Phil Collins, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton, but never became a big star himself, not even after his death in 2009. He never needed to, though. His music is too mellow to thrill most people, but if you’re not looking to be thrilled, it works very well. One World has got to be one of the chill-est albums ever made, laid-back and easy to listen to but never boring. “Dealer” and “Smiling Stranger” are surprisingly funky for a folk artist, “Dancing” predates an entire decade of soft rock with its echo-heavy guitar, and “Small Hours” (recorded on a lake at night) is pure ambient beauty. A mellow album, but a good one.
Clube da Esquina: Clube da Esquina
I can’t expect anyone to have heard of this, seeing as it’s a Brazilian release from 1972. It’s fantastic, though. The Clube da Esquina was less a band and more a group of Brazilian musicians who shared an interest in American and British rock and pop, and melded these influences with traditional folk and bossa nova, with some classical, jazz, and progressive on the side. This double album has 21 songs but no real filler; whether the songs are sung by Lô Borges or by beautiful tenor Milton Nascimento, they always sound fresh and interesting. They do wear their influences on their sleeves, but it’s not like they don’t measure up. Brian Wilson would be proud of “Nuvem Cigana,” “Trem de Doido” rocks as hard as Hendrix, and the outro of “Um Gosto de Sol” sounds just like it came out of an unreleased Beatles track. Telling that it didn’t.
Marianne Faithfull: Broken English
Marianne Faithfull is most famous for being Mick Jagger’s lover, but she actually had a decent singing career on her own, even as her voice faded. She made Broken English while it was fading, but thankfully, the material, along with the New Wave-inspired production, matches the voice perfectly. She sounds world-weary and frustrated, if not defeated, and she gives extra weight to songs like “Guilt,” “Brain Drain,” and “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” (a minor hit, and a definite highlight). “Witches’ Song” is one of my longtime favorite songs, and I don’t even know exactly why; anyway, the synths and acoustic guitars mesh well. As if that wasn’t enough, the album closes on “Why D’ya Do It?” which has to be one of the meanest, nastiest, and most outrageous breakup songs ever, complete with four-letter words and a sax solo. An odd album, and not always “pleasant” to hear, but always engaging.
The Beach Boys: Holland
No doubt that Brian Wilson was the most talented and creative member of the Beach Boys; the band hit their peak with his leadership and couldn’t hope to match it again without him. Still, that’s no reason to write off the albums that came after his breakdown. Surf’s Up has some standout songs, even if it’s patchy overall, and Sunflower comes close to being a masterpiece. Holland is a little bit of both; it’s still patchy, but not noticeably so, and it does have some standout songs. “Sail on Sailor” (a rare Beach Boys song sung by a black member) is catchy and affecting at the same time, “California” is just really catchy, “Steamboat” sounds like proto-industrial music, and “Leaving this Town” funks things up a bit. The real standout is “The Trader,” Carl Wilson’s two-part song about the Indians, bolstered by awesome backing vocals and a strong lead performance, harsh in the first part and sensitive in the second. This album has nostalgic value for me – I heard “Sail on Sailor” a lot when I was young – so it might be hard to get others to see why it means so much to me. Still, the quality here should be obvious to see.
Bruce Cockburn: Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws
Yes, I know it’s Christian music, from a Canadian with a very unfortunate name. This is the kind of Christian music I can dig, though; Cockburn’s religious lyrics are introverted and subtle rather than overbearing, and they don’t overwhelm the music. This album’s mellow too, but Cockburn makes it interesting with his acoustic guitar playing (which is quite good) and incorporation of folk, jazz, pop, and even reggae. The arrangements are very tasteful too, if that’s your cup of tea. Most people only know Cockburn for “Wondering Where the Lions Are” (admittedly a fine song), and maybe not even that, so this album isn’t heard much nowadays. I think it merits at least one listen, though.
Mercury Rev: Deserter’s Songs
If you’re not into orchestral music or high-pitched male vocals, stay away from this one. If that doesn’t matter to you, step right in. Deserter’s Songs sounds like a little like a melancholy, resigned version of The Soft Bulletin (which was made around the same time, and produced by the same person), but more than that, it’s just a beautiful record, with simple but effective songs brought to their peak by complex and well-written arrangements. Two songs are kind of weak, but there are so many great songs that they’re easy to forgive. My personal favorite is “Opus 40,” a descending-chords melody with hints of the Beatles and the Band (Levon Helm even plays on it) and a whistling outro that’s pure Mercury Rev. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.