Unpopular Gems

[zeke]

We all know everything about certain popular bands from the 60s/70s. I sometimes like to dig in rare items to find missed gems. Anyone like to explore rather unknown bands like me? I would like to suggest a few albums which I think you people might enjoy:

1968 - ill wind - flashes
1969 - white noise - an electric storm
1970 - the nice - five bridges suite
1971 - colonel bagshot - oh what a lovely war
1974 - kayak - kayak II

[willie]

Hi, again, Zeke.

Ill Wind, that I think you introduced me to, is just about one of my favourite LP's.

Just imagine what they could have been...

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

The list of obscure bands I know and love could go on and on, but heres a list of the best, and their best(or only) album.Some of them are very heavy though.

Andromeda - Andromeda(1969)
Camel - Mirage(1973) - Not that obscure, but I only have this one album and no one ever mentions them.
Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You(1970) - all of their other stuff is good and differant too.
Warhorse - Warhorse(1970) - formed by first Deep Purple bassist Nick Simper.
May Blitz - May Blitz(1970)
Bang - Bang(1970)
Clear Blue Sky - Clear Blue Sky(1971)
Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond(1972) - Members of Deep Purple and Iron Butterfly.
Wild Turkey - Battle Hymn(1971) - formed by Jethro Tull bassist Glenn Cornick.
Dust - Hard Attack(1972)
Hard Stuff - Bulletproof(1972)
The Attack - Never really had an album, U.K Acid-Mod band.They have CDs out of their demos.
Crazy World of Arthur Brown - S/T(1968) - Did the song 'Fire'.Does "I Am The God of Hellfire!" ring any bells?
Bachdenkel - Lemmings(1973)
The Five Day Week Straw People(1968)
Aardvark - Aardvark(1970)

[zeke]

I have pretty much all Camel albums, one of the best bands ever and they are still making music. Mirage is indeed one of the most interesting pieces in their discography. I like progressive rock more than all other 60s/70s music. King Crimson, Eloy, Camel, Yes, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull etc ..

[jimmie ray]

You guys should take over a radio station, that would be refreshing! You have my blessing to slit the throats of any DJs here on Long Island, beers on me afterwards...

[babson]

Emerson Lake & Palmer - Big White Bird Album cover
For anti-war stuff
Asylum Choir II - Leon Russell - Mark Benno
The Real Donovan -

[redrabid]

Progressive Rock? ELP, Camel? Yes, Supertramp! Dreadful music, that was to be a dead end for rock/pop music. Pink Floyd: The first album was glorious. The last decent album they released was Umma Gumma (I am probably one of the few people who like the studio side of that album). But the PF album I like best is "Soundtrack from the film "More": "On our trip to Cirrus Minor...". Ahh, eat your heart out, Paul K.! American music in the early 70s was much more interesting: Little Feat, Bonny Rait, Randy Newman.

[Susan Butcher]

"More" has a strange atmosphere to it, and because of this I like it better overall than "Ummagumma" or "Saucerful". I'm almost convinced I can hear the ghost of Syd Barrett singing on "Cirrus Minor".

As for my other unpopular gems, I've already mentioned a few. "A Mouth in the Clouds" by The Group Image is the most Jeffersonian.

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

Progressive Rock? ELP, Camel? Yes, Supertramp! Dreadful music, that was to be a dead end for rock/pop music.

Okay Sid Vicious.I know its a matter of opinion, but are you seriously going to criticise those bands?"Dreadful"!No, Disco was dreadful.Country in the 1970s was dreadful.Pop was the only end of pop music, and record companies were the end of rock music.ELP can be very annoying sometimes, but Greg Lake wrote some great songs with them.Im glad you didnt mention Jethro Tull, or this thread would have been war.War God damnit! "American music in the early 70s was much more interesting", Ha!

But, thats all my opinion, everybody has there own musical tastes.I just had to comment, dont take it seriously.

[redrabid]

War? Don"t tempt me. I like a good verbal fight. But I have to admit that I do own a Jethro Tull album. The first one with the stand up sleave.

[jimmie ray]

Progressive Rock? ELP, Camel? Yes, Supertramp! Dreadful music, that was to be a dead end for rock/pop music. Pink Floyd: The first album was glorious. The last decent album they released was Umma Gumma (I am probably one of the few people who like the studio side of that album). But the PF album I like best is "Soundtrack from the film "More": "On our trip to Cirrus Minor...". Ahh, eat your heart out, Paul K.! American music in the early 70s was much more interesting: Little Feat, Bonny Rait, Randy Newman.

You must judge music purely from a lyrical standpoint? I find almost any song can be broken down to reveal the words as redundant, silly, or meaningless - in all honesty. The level of musicianship, however, is very evident with each group's member, and how they interact. I've heard Randy Newman is a great songwriter, but I wouldn't know it, since there is no worthwhile instrumentation involved in his versions of his songs.

[redrabid]

I am afraid that I don't understand you, Jimmy Ray. No worthwhile instrumentation? Did you ever hear one of his (preferably early 70s) albums? The best musicians wanted to play on Randy Newman's records. Take for instance "12 Songs": Ry Cooder, Jim Gordon, Clarence White. Fabulous songs performed by great musicians. An excellent record that surpasses any prog rock album.

But here is another unknown gem: Mallard "In A Different Climate". Mallard was formed by ex Captain Beefheart musicians.

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

Have you heard every prog rock album?I imagine you have heard a couple, but I cant say something surpasses any album of an entire genre before having heard every album within that genre.Its silly.
Anyway I agree with jimmie ray, lyrics are very important, but when I listen to music I focus on how good the band is, how good musicians they are.And if the musicians in the band are not that good, or, there is no band, chances are they are not in my music collection.And the first Jethro Tull album is good, but nowhere near their best.You actually might like them because they didnt really get that "proggy", except on a few albums.They always had the perfect mix of folk, classical and jazz with rock.

And, two forgotten jems: Gun, and their two albums, 'Gun' and 'Gunsight'.Great British '60s acid rock.

[willie]

...horses for courses.

That's a philosophy, not a band.

[redrabid]

"12 Songs" and "Sail Away" by Randy Newman are among the very best American Pop/Rock albums of the 70s. Very, very good songs played by the best musicians LA had to offer. Usually I don't care much about lyrics, but Newman's ironic, sarcastic lyrics add to the ultimate pleasure. And there was so much more to enjoy in American music of that time: Little Feat (that voice of Lowell George), Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt (so much better in the 70s than in the 80/90s), Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder (Talking Book), Marvin Gay, to name just a few. Compared to these artists progrock groups sound to me lifeless and boring. Thank God, most of these bands were swept away by Punk. For me good music is about tunes and vocals. I prefer a good composition over good musicianship.

Two gems from the early 70s:
The Raspberries "Starting Over". Slightly over the top Powerpop.
Millie Jackson "Caught Up". Awesome vocals and yes, stunning playing by the musicians.