Thank you magnet for keeping a beat on the wrens. the wrens is a family affair for myself, my wife, and fifteen year old daughter. we just listened to the meadowlands in the car last friday. everyone choose sides, and she sends kisses are in my top ten of all time, and i’ve gifted this record to more people that i can afford. charles and band, we’ve waited long enough. radiohead works at a faster pace for effs sake. can hardly wait for some new stuff, and a long overdue visit to florida.
Just when i think i am “with it” when it comes to the best new music of the year, MAGNET does it again and supplies me with a dozen new albums that make me want to start this year over so i can find time to listen to them all. Keep up the great work and i will continue to look forward to late december.
Wow. I love your magazine. I’ve never heard of these guys but the band interview gives a good reason why. They sound great! Also, Magnet, this magazine is great.
Also, This is the only “end list” where I’ve seen Boston Spaceships. Their album rocked and I’m glad to see it on their. Although the Woody Allen comparisons were a little off and made Pollard sound creepy. I would call him rock’s Clint Eastwood.
This is a joke, right? No Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Atlas Sound, Department of Eagles, or The War On Drugs?!? These bands should be in the top ten of your list.
And please, please tell me that someone over there had the foresight to include Instant Orange AND Teenage Filmstars in whatever you call your re-issues of the year section.
I’m a bit shocked that Do You Like Rock Music? by British Sea Power did not make the list. I don’t disagree with any of your other picks, but seriously…did you guys not hear that album?
ms, pretty sure this is a joke. the wrens and magnet are like, supertight. but i reallllly hope this is an ongoing feature cos i got a kick out of it and would love to hear what’s going on with the wrens! theyre too damn quiet.
Definitely not my top 25, and I’m happy for that – shows me that there is still a wealth of music out there that I haven’t heard to reinforce that this year was a great one for music. Wonderful to see Parts & Labor in the list, probably my favorite new find this year. Honorable mention to Tricky’s “Knowle West Boy” and Barry Adamson’s “Back to the Cat.” I was going to say something about My Morning Jacket not being on the list, but I suppose it’s for the best. Well done.
Best wishes from MAGNET to American Princes bassist Luke Hunsicker, who’s recovering from an operation to remove a brain tumor. Our thoughts are with him and his family this holiday.
Having let my Magnet subscription run out a few years back, due to the utter lack of money and the time to read magazines, I just realized how much I loved this particular part of the magazine. (Would a ’section’ be a more accurate definition than ‘part’? Or is “Where’s the street team?” a ‘feature’? Well, English is not my first language, so please buzz off if you think I call it by a wrong name). The bottom line is, I loved it, even when the author trashed my favorite bands.
They say people can’t help laughing when that mean ugly old woman, whatever’s her name, makes nasty comments about the appearance of celebrities arriving to the Oscars ceremony. Regardless of much they like the said celebrities or what they think of that woman, they still laugh at her wisecracks–now _that_ takes talent. I haven’t had a TV in years and stopped caring about Oscars even earlier, but this article reminds me of that pre-Oscar “trashing of idols”–except that it is way more intelligent and deals with a real subject matter. (Who the hell cares what kind of a dress Cameron Diaz was wearing to the Academy Awards? NOT ME.)
Whoever Andrew Earles really is–I remember some people expressing doubts if he was a “real person,” but I believe in you, Andrew!–he is a genius. I can only be thankful that the music I listen to now, the (mostly German) Industrial never registers on the Magnet’s radar. I have to buy stupid “heavy metal” (which I hate) mags for the sake of one single article about my favorite band–for apparently, most people are too dumb to tell the difference between “industrial” and “metal.” And just like the latter kind of music itself, heavy metal magazine writers lack the intelligence to come up with something coherent (let alone funny) when criticizing the bands they don’t like. There is no Andrew Earles there, not even close.
I think I am going to renew my Magnet subscription just for this one section, if nothing else. I have about as much clue of what’s hot in the “indie” world right now as I do about the MTV’s Top 10. But some of the bands I used to listen to in the past seem to still be around; and from what I recall, Magnet had occasionally ventured into (at least the old-time) punk area. AND it has the “Where’s The Street Team.” Totally worth it.
I’d like to thank “eric” for sending out that email about Magnet’s anniversary, which has led me to this page and this decision.
Yes, John Cale’s performance is magnificent. But Susann and the Magical Orchestra’s reading of the song is haunting and heartbreaking in its beauty, simplicity, and poignancy. Well worth a listen and arguably a superior rendition of the song. Look for it on 2006’s “Melody Mountain.”
This is truly a great band,If you don,t own the new album “Rise and Shine” buy it today! these guys have a great retro sound with current scene appeal.
this Album is #1 in my top 10 for 2008.
This is not the first year that Magnet disappoints me. And what is this obsession with Top 20-something lists, end of the year or not? Do we really need another number 1, 2 or 3 record of 2008/7/6/5?
You know that you left so much good music out like you always do at the end of each year. Indie-Alternative music that you champion in your pages has become the new mainstream.
Magnet you have grown old and grey!
I know that this is not on your web-list, but thanks for speaking the truth about Sleater Kinney. It is amazing to me how one group can nail music from the angles of irritating, brashness and straight up hackishness so completely perfectly. When I have the unfortunate experience of hearing them, It always feel like I`m being screamed at by some college freshman that is repeating what she just heard in her feminine studies class as she cheese-grates my knuckles. Why this band appeals to anyone is totally beyond me. Good job Mr. Earles, keep `em coming!
Roger – There can be endless debate about year-end lists, and we do like to hear from everyone about their own favorites. Sure, we probably missed some really good records. Keep the comments coming.
In response to your second point, it simply isn’t true that the music we cover has become mainstream. Perhaps it’s easier to discover and access via the Internet, but by almost any measure (album sales, visibility, tour revenue) the vast majority of bands/artists in MAGNET are dwarfed by the popularity of mainstream artists (Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, Metallica, et al).
ANDREW, THAT IS GREAT NEWS TO THE MUSIC WORLD !. I AM ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST FANS (235 LBS). SERIOUSLY, I HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR CAREER FROM IT’S INCEPTION AND HAVE APPRECIATED KNOWING YOUR GIFTED TALENT IN VOICE, WRITING, FEELING AND INSTRUMENTAL (INCLUDING LEAD GUITAR). AWESOME TALENT, AWESOME PERSON !!!!
YOU ROCK ……………………………
No Glasvegas? I even searched the entire web site, and not a single hit in the results. Amazing, sort of.
Otherwise, I see a lot of music left to discover. Thanks.
I think you owe me a finder’s fee for my letter to the editor, which must have given you the idea for roasting MMJ…ha ha, just kidding. Good job, keep up the good work!
Oh, and huge props to your depiction of Urge Overkill..one of those “dear God, what were they thinking?” bands…
There’s a really good mix of a Mary J. Blige song (”Just Fine”) that features Lil Wayne. He sounds like a guy from The Pharsyde and a little like Lyrics Born. Why such hostility? You can listen and you’re still allowed to like your obscure heroes of indie rock.
Dear editors,
The Sound Check report by Corey duBrowa in the recent 15th anniversary issue was informative and entertaining.I love both bands and their entire body of work.I wanted to add to duBrowa’s story some facts he left out.First, The Beatles wrote one of The Rolling Stones first charting hits “I Wanna Be Your Man”, and small cut-out photos of The Beatles from the Sgt. Pepper album can be seen hidden in the bushes surrounding the Stones on the cover of Their Satanic Majesties Request album, and The Beatles are actually singing back-up vocals on the track “We Love You”.I think that’s it….but for what it’s worth, thought I’d mention those tid-bits of info on the Beatles vs. The Stones history and relationship.Thank you for making a great magazine!
David S. OwenWorthington, OH
hahaha excellent. I always fall asleep when I try to watch The Deer Hunter (I still have never actually gotten through the whole thing), I thought I just didn’t get it, wasn’t sure if I got the band either. Great article.
without a doubt, the walkmen’s “you & me” is the best album of 2008, and of recent years past. i wasn’t a very big fan of them until i heard this album in its entirety. it is 14 beautiful, chromatic tracks (when’s the last time you had a 14-track album without one bad song?); and boy do they know how to end an album- songs 12-14 are a flawless trio. i recommend listening to it only at night, however.
I really enjoyed this issue as well. Its always interesting as a photographer to hear from others who enjoy shooting the same subject. Every shoot has its own storys and memories. These gave the photos a whole new light to me. I especially enjoyed the Elliot Smith/Tom Waits shots.
I love Bob Mould. Can’t wait for his new album… and all the dirty lyrics. The man has always offered his life to his audience, and come to think of it, sex is a huge part of life. I’m glad to know that he thinks we’re worthy of listening to his experiences, in fact. (By the way, Workbook and Bob Mould are far from mediocre…)
Man, I’d vote all day for Vampire Weekend, although the Fleet Foxes is right up there for me and the TV on the Radio was a bit disappointing. I don’t know why the Hold Steady record is listed there – that’s a strong album from beginning to end and really has fallen off the face of the earth since the initial reviews, so I don’t think it’s overrated by any means.
Excellent – thanks Todd! I was not aware of that page. You have 3 choices to listen: a nice pop-up flash player (similar to the one we use to stream music on the MAGNET site), mp3 stream or RealAudio. It doesn’t solve the problem for iPod listeners but I’ll consider it a bonus round to go back and listen to the music portion at the beginning of each show.
I’ve never understood why the Star Maker / Soap Opera material has been so trashed. To my ears many of those songs sound very sincere and heartfelt. Touching songs about being very ordinary.
I’m in Disgrace (from Schoolboys in Disgrace) is a gem – probably based in part on rather painful real-life experience, if I read Ray’s and Dave’s autobiographies right! It was their mistrust of authority figures that generated the primordial ooze that evolved into the Kinks.
There’s lots of good stuff on Sleepwalker and Misfits. I remember being in my late teens – early 20’s (mid-late 70’s) hearing songs from the Sleepwalker album on the radio, at a time when I had struck out on my own and was newly independent. What I heard on the radio at that time made an impression on me and I did not even know I was listening to the Kinks!
Art Lover always pulls at my heart and makes me go arrrrghhh!.
Scattered made a rather nice video – probably one of the final ones by the Kinks.
I love the Kinks so much it’s virtual impossible for me to point to a favorite album or song.
Good list. I would also include:
People in Grey
Have a Cuppa Tea
Can’t Stop the Music
Only Jukebox Music
Holiday (if you can find this from the BBC Sessions, the live version is wonderful)
Last of the Steam Powered Trains
Harry Rag
And I agree w/Susan. It is virtually impossible to point to a favorite. But, my favorite lyric is from The Road, “I got gas in my tank and I still got a way to go.” Keep going, Ray. Keep going.
I always thought, “Did You See His Name”, was perhaps the most overlooked Kinks gem. Ray glides through some of the phrasing in such an elegant way, in contrast to the tragic plight of the guy who nicked a tin of beans. Love it.
I have seen this band grown in so many ways. They are not only in my opinion one of the best bands out there, but they are also the nicest bunch of young men to have ever crossed my threshold. I know that the future holds only great things for them. When the world takes a hard look at how talented they are, watch out……
you guys are dicks, clearly.
Richard Buckner is fantastic.
If you can’t say anything nice, even if you mask it with weak Passive Aggresive rejoinders, don’t say anything at all!
Some overlooked masterpieces include: Close to the Wire, Life after breakfast, Misty Water, Out of the wardrobe, A little bit of emotion, Cliches of the world, The road. I consider these to be masterpieces of songwriting.
Some overlooked masterpieces include: Close to the Wire, Life after breakfast, Misty Water, Out of the wardrobe, A little bit of emotion, Cliches of the world, The road. I consider these to be timeless songs by The Kinks and Ray Davies.
The Kinks have many great “overlooked songs”. For me the main one is “NO MORE LOOKIN BACK” a song that closes the SCHOLLBOYS IN DISGRACE cd. This song, if played by the radio at the time of his release, should have become a “classic” in the same way as “Stairway to Heaven”, “Wont Get Fooled Again” or “Hey Jude” among many others. Also, “Juke Box Music”, “Full Moon”, “Sleepwalker”, “Around the Dial”, “Heart of Gold”, “How are You”, “Daylight”, “Rock and Roll Cities” and many many others.
I didn’t say a lot of that stuff, or it was taken way out of context. oh well. I certainly didn’t say “I live for that kind of stuff” in reference to my old guitar. The voodoo references I made were entirely mis-represented, and Stefan Jecusco is not a guitarist–he is a banjo player. And M Ward co-produced that “Mexico City.” He didn’t co-write it. And “Mexico City” was about Kerouac, not about someone ‘Kerouac-like.’ I didn’t say the first quote–“I don’t give a shit about so much art, because it doesn’t give enough, doesn’t sacrifice enough.” What I said was “I don’t give a shit about art that doesn’t give enough.” Its hard for me to make head or tails of the statement as it was published. In any case, thanks for publishing an article about me.
Your negativity is cold hearted, childish, rude and unnecessary.
Richard Buckner and Robert Pollard are two of the greatest living American songwriters.
American Music Club they should definately play as well.
I believe the reviewer thinks that if your ears don’t bleed after listening to a Bob Mould Album. Sure, the electronic stuff isn’t my bag, but even the more electronic influenced songs play great live! If you haven’t seen Bob live, and get the chance, GO! Last year, he played about 7 Husker Du songs (mostly from Zen Arcade and Candy Apple Gray) and the crowd started slam dancing (some of us are too old to call it a mosh pit)
Crediting the Asteroid #4 with starting “Psychedelphia” is like crediting the Herman’s Hermits with starting the British Invasion. JT, Vibrolux, and the Photon Band were already making great music. The A4 were weak compared to them. And what about the Strapping Fieldhands? If you want to write about “Psychedelphia” (a stupid name, anyway) you need to base your article around those bands, not the wannabes who followed in their footsteps.
First someone said “No More Looking Back” was like “Stairway To Heaven”. I think he means in the way of an anthem like that and “hey Jude”. Well one of the true great anthem’s that our boys did was “Celluloid Heroes”, it is one of the great songs of all times.Others on my list, “One of The Survivors”, “When A solution Comes” and “Flash’s Confession” among many others.
OK, I guess Marah is a hybrid of Philly and other destinations, but with Kids in Philly (among other releases) I would have thought that they had the pedigree to rank highly in this article, certainly more so than a few of the lame ducks that were included.
What an odd topic. We have a few posts by people that have never heard him, but feel the need to slag him (for the sin of ‘lack of indie cred’), and nothing commenting on WHY he’s worthy of such an unsolicited flaming. I actually have heard his ‘hit’ album; half of it being crap, and the other half is funny, flowing and entertaining. Batting .500 certainly puts him in the league of the music Magnet reviews at the very least. Maybe he can sample Pavement or GBV on his next release and become a darling of your mag.
I just thank Earles for his continued skewering of Tom Waits, and his instinct in not getting sucked into losing his load over ‘certified important music’. I enjoy a fair number of the bands he slags, but I also understand that the best way to review music is to actually LISTEN to the stuff, then comment honestly on what your ears and brain took in.
So right about When a Solution Comes. Also I would include Heart of Gold, Scattered, Something better Beginning, See my Friends, Sweet Lady Genevieve,
Get Back in the line, This Time tomorrow, and Long Distance… and about 40 more, if I really thought about it!
Neutral Milk Hotel made something unheard of and i am sure they could pick up right where they left off. Pioneers at the time. I just wish Jeff was more open to the public with his music,
This opens up a whole new can of worms because I have always contested that many of the greatest Kinks tunes were overlooked. Some of the best songwriting and musicianship of The Kinks can be found in these:
Only A Dream
Fancy
Too Much On My Mind
Some Mothers Son
Prince Of The Punks
Little Bit Of Emotion
Around The Dial
Give The People What They Want
Education
Full Moon
Life Goes On
Trust Your Heart
Cliches Of The World (B movie)
Definite Maybe
Working At The Factory
The Road
Welcome To Sleazy Town
Lost And Found
Don’t
Over The Edge
Massive Reductions
Missing Persons
….and dare I say none of them are “greatest hits.” God save The Kinks!
Can’t wait for the new album! Saw the Redwalls in Paris while on vacation in October – great show, and evidently one of Andrew’s last with the band…glad to see he’s back on the horse!
i found the review to be scintillating. for the record, SITA is psychotic (not “neurotic”) and frenetic (not “ranting style that points out the barely controlled rage”). just my two cents.
The Kinks have so many great songs that are overlooked..the best songs to me, almost every song written, are” supersonic rocketship..its a shame-i’m on an island-shes bought a hat like princess marina-sitting in my hotel-ducks on the wall-underneath the neon sign-i’ve gotta go now-i’ve got that feelin’-i go to sleep-days-kingkong-misty water-till death do us part-summers gone-looney balloon-now and then-babies-scattered—–there are soo many that I listen to ..its very distur=bing-GOD SAVE THE KINKS!!!!!
I would pick one underappreciated song from each album:
So Mystifying
Wait Till the Summer Comes Along
The World Keeps Going Round
I’ll Remember
End of the Season
All of My Friends Were There
Drivin’
The Moneygoround
Complicated Life
Look a Little on the Sunnyside
Dreams
You Make it All Worthwhile
The First Time We Fall in Love
Sweet Lady Genevieve
Mirror of Love
On the Outside
Pressure
Better Things
Summer’s Gone
Heart of Gold
Out of the Wardrobe
How Do I Get Close
The Video Shop
The Road
Still Searching
All day and all of the night
money talks
last of the steam powered trains
hatred
Till the end of the day
Top of the pops
Do it again
living on a thin line
I;m not like everybody else
Catch me now I’m falling
Plastic man
Wicked annabella
I can’t imagine trying to write down all of the great songs the Kinks recorded that sailed under the radar. It is simply an impossible task. But I would like to highlight a couple of songs from their later years that is often overlooked, including Looney Balloon, Video Shop, Did Ya and Look Through Any Doorway.
megan brown is a genius.
megan brown is a dangerous, dangerous woman.
her art is hanging at TRITONE… tonite!!!
arrive at 9pm, should you want to see your cats tomorrow…
love,
witchtrialz
Megan has obviously inherited her “talent” from her gifted parents. One would think she would give them some credit. I think that this Vagina music thing might catch-on and is worth exploring.
GB
I was going to post my favorite underappreciated Kinks songs. I read through everyone elses list and realized every song mentioned would be on my list. I guess I’ll just skip my list and say there are way too many songs to list and most are truly under-appreciated.
Jolie — my bad about the inaccuracies re: Stefan’s contribution to the album and Matt’s role on “Mexico City” (and thank you for correcting these points in our forum). But otherwise everything that’s in the story is exactly the way it came out of my tape recorder — for better or worse! All of this said, we love you and your music and hope you won’t hold any of our interpretations (right, wrong, cockeyed) against us.
This is the biggest list of bullshit I have read in long time. Dissing Tom Waits was the first clue. Yet another reason why most music lovers do not consider Magnet a legitimate music publication. The misogynistic Sleater-Kinney comments alone show the misanthropic tendencies of this hack posing as a writer, and obviously sorely musically-challenged. One of the tenants in today’s writing is to avoid sexist language – which Andrew Earles clearly erred among a “list” of other failings in this misinformed piece based on adolescent ranting than on any musical taste.
Andy Andy Andy….where to start? I know you, or at least 50 guys like you.
Your grunge band was no Nirvana – so you set your sites on ska, by the time you had a tuba player to fill out the brass section you wanted to be the next moby and bought some turntables – then the sad realization you suck at music settled in. What better way to get back at an unfair world than to mock those that prevailed where you came up considerably short- most notably those that are females or ‘bleeders’ as you call them. That comment alone makes you sound like a ‘homogeneous pea-brained bartender type’. How many rewrites on your magnetic fields section did you have to go through before composing one with out any homophobic epithets? Sorry you never made it as a musician – journalism isnt looking too good either.
put down your tall soy latte, your “calp your hands say yeah” cd, shave your pubic hair stubble and pull your useless head out of your (favorite place to hang out) ass. you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. if somebody actually paid you to write this, the terrorists have won.
Phil Sheridan and I put the list together. We limited out choices to songs that came out in 1972 or later and tried to pick songs that weren’t on any best-of compilations that the causal (kasual?) Kinks fan would own. We also avoided any songs that charted in the U.S. and agreed to include no more than one song per album. Only songs written by Ray were considered. No songs that made this list (http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2008/06/01/a-well-respected-man-artists-pick-their-favorite-kinks-songs/) were eligible. To address one song a number of you guys mentioned that fit those criteria: “No More Looking Back” is one of my favorite Kinks songs, but we thought it was too well-known to include.
I’ll throw another topic out there: If you could only pick one Kinks song to ever listen to again, what would it be? For me, hands down, it would be “Days,” which is probably my favorite rock ‘n’ roll song of all time. And in typical Kinks fashion, it was never included on a proper album in the U.S. and didn’t chart here. But then again, it’s these kind of things that have always made Ray, Dave and the boys underdogs and so much fun to root for.
I have been a Kinks fan for as long as I remember, but Ray’s most recent solo album has a song (”one more time”) that brings a tear to my ey every time I hear it. It reminds me of days gone by when my father (still living) used to take walks with my younger brother (who was a down syndrome lad and avid Kinks fan). My brother passed away in 2001 from complications after elective surgery. My father is still a Kinks fan because of my brother.
RFTC, great fucking band, sometimes rock ‘n roll just needs to be basic. Give it a listen again. A lot of the progressions that made Jehu great are in there. They were just a ton more direct about it. And in 16 years, they never dissapointed.
SM3, sorry the drug revolution never found it to your rich white burb. Don’t say you didn’t want to go to the party when you were never invited. They might not hold up as well as others but they were the right band for the time, and it was a good time.
JSBX and Heavy Trash, I’ve always enjoyed them both. And Ass Pocket of Whiskey is one of the best go to albums deep in a whiskey buzz. If you can enjoy music without being put off by hype, these guys rock.
S-K, if they were guys dressed like 1980’s Springsteen today, you would be all over this shit. From the sparse The Day I went Away on the first album to some of the straight up rockers on the Woods, these girls always put out something good. Sorry that them being girls is too muck of a schtick for you to get past.
You should have listed Tom Waits first so no one would read any further.
Which Starbucks do you work at? I would like to discuss this further in person.
I’m not sure if these are the 10 Great Overlooked Kinks Songs but I really like them all, apart from “In a Space” which isn’t in my top 200 favorite Kinks song.
My other sugestions: “Big black smoke”, “This is where I belong”, “Sweet lady Genevieve”, “god’s children” ,”How do i get close . “Now and Then” “Long way from home”
I find it hard to believe ‘Celluloid Heroes’ and ‘Im Not Like Everybody Else’ only have one mention each, both songs have real timeless, heart on sleave type lyrics, which is all in all sums up ray davies as a songwriter. These are the two most overlooked Kinks songs in my opinion.
I’m not normally a big fan of rap or hip-hop, but I like the new Lil Wayne CD. As another commenter noted, about half the CD is excellent, the other half a mixed bag. But, the half that is good makes it worth listening to. I borrowed the CD from my 19 year old daughter and she actually thought exactly the same thing.
The kinks have always been the best band for me since 1965 only Ian A comes close to the brothers.All the songs Ray and Dave have written are A1,no doubt wonderful melodies and lyrics. Lets hope that they get back together.
These are my candidates for most overlooked Kinks songs – Moments, Rosemary Rose, Polly, Big Black Smoke, Where O Where is Love, Property, The Road, Scattered. Among the slightly better known but still overlooked songs are Some Mother’s Son, Autumn Almanac, Most Exclusive Residence For Sale, End of the Season. These are great songs.
It’s hard to beleive that after all these years, the British Invasion “Big Four” music is still the best. My favorite overlooked Kinks tunes are:
The London Song-both versions
Too Much On My Mind
That’s All She Wrote (from O.P.L.)
Over My Head (from O.P.L.)
Last of the Steam Powered Trains/Picture Book- Best Video Ever
Something Better Beginning
Rosie Won’t You Please Come Home?
Missing Persons
The Way Love Used To Be
Love Me Till the Sun Shines
Heart of Gold
Big Black Smoke
Music critics still aren’t allowed to appreciate The Dead I see? Gimme a break. It’s not all hippies and patchouli. If you can fawn over groups like Fleet Foxes then you just haven’t given it a chance.
Im also a long time kinks fan (Im 59)……Hey Steve, One more time brought tears to my eyes also – for no reason, just because its a wonderful song………sorry about your brother. I loved the Beatles, but he kinks songs talked to me and meant more to me as the years went by……so many wonderful songs that the general public is unaware of…….two sisters, starstruck, moments, dreams, to the bone, only a dream, scattered, big sky, hundreds more.
It’s hard not to think what a useful idiot he was in supporting an ideology responsible for the murder of tens of millions of innocent people. He can go to hell.
I don’t appreciate the Dead or Fleet Foxes, both overhyped. Dead fans are like bikers dudes, both live under more rules and pretention than us normal folks.
They had a lot of great singles aside “Baby Come Back” including an early 70’s funky soul thing called “Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys” which is work checking out!
Another thing about them was they didn’t have any bass live…I believe it was just three guitars in their early days.
THE WAY LOVE USED TO BE – from the Percy soundtrack.
Easily the most underated and under played Kinks song.
It’s my favourite Kinks song.
I get goose bumps every time I play it.
Let me get this straight. Andrew Earles thinks that 100% of Tom Waits’ output is “contrived … heavy-handed, unsubtle, silly, irritating and grossly overrated?” If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.
The Kinks were groundbreakers when they wrote “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”, a B side of “Sunny Afternoon”. My buddies and I were blown away with the complex rhythm phasing in the background and the first true punk-sounding, defiant anthem. It defines The Kinks and their image as perfectly as it first did 43 years ago! We all know now how influential they were and who was listening very carefully besides us kids.
so long, it’s too late, to much on my mind, Mr. Reporter, Lazy old sun, Misty Water, Berkley Mews, Lavendar Hill, This man he weeps tonight, Powerman, Starstruck (it should have been a big hit), Young and innocent days, Dreams, Complicated life, Lady Genevive, Oh where Oh where is love, Nothing lasts forever, You make it all worthwhile, Headmaster, I’m in disgrace, Education, Life Goes on, Brother, In a foreign land, permanent waves, Black Messiah, Killers eyes, Property, Long Distance, Killing time, Lost and Found, The Road, How Do I get Close, Looney Balloon, Harry Rag, Two sisters, Hatred, Did Ya,, Look through any doorway, Cliches of the world, Australia
Pye era:EVERYbody’S GONNA be HAPPY for its experimental syncopation of drum beat. Amazing..
‘ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE THERE’ ; for I’m playing in a band, I DO feel sympathy and the song’s mention of ‘wearing moustach’ seems to be related later Ray’s DISGUISE on VIDEOs. It’s very curious.
RCA era:’Look a Little on the Sunny side’. This song never fails to cheer me up when I’m down.
After RCA: I believe Ray’s song writing got better and better to Ray’’s ‘working man’s cafe”…
‘ GALLON OF GAS’, ‘ART LOVER’…and… ‘The Road’! what a great song ! MUST for every man in rock band!
Although I prefer the sound of 60s to 70s, I say that Ray’s song writing is still growing up and up. and up.
Could anybody be more ironic than Ray Davies? The MTV videos broke the Kinks into America as superstars … finally.
And finally that stardom broke what made the Kinks so good.
Most Kinks fans understand that what made the band great was their anti-trendiness and thoughful lyrics. They were at their best when they were at their lowest commerical success — singing songs about “Village Greens” and how “Everybody’s a Star.”
One song which I don’t think has been mentioned yet is ‘Where Are They Now’ . To me it sums up perfectly a time and a place. It also never fails to remind me of a time when Rock was all about challenging the Establishment.
Don’t let ‘em getcha down, Earls. You’re pretty fucking right on with most of your comments. I even like a few of the bands you dissed above and I still think your points about them are valid even if I disagree.
Unfortunately, you can’t offer an opinion to most people that differs from theirs without them aggressively telling you what an asshole you are. God forbid you should have your own individual taste and present your thoughts in a caustic, humorous manner. Don’t you know the purpose of the music press is to exist as an extension of record label promo departments?
Typical male response but emotions can get very complicated. Love the interview Bryan didn’t really seem to answer the questions directly. I think he was very creepy in Breakfast on Pluto and could do some wonderful baddies but with his tonque firmly in his cheek ( he has a great comic side I’d say).
Although I’m not too big on hip-hop of today, I do have to admit that after listening to ‘Tha Carter’, I was impressed in how fresh and original it all sounded. I know it’s kinda odd for us indie-rock followers to be listening to such music but I personally like good music no matter in what shape, form or sound it comes in.
Thank you for the kind words about Farm Sanctuary! We loved your show at the State Theater a few months back. It’s not often that we get great bands through Ithaca and we appreciate the love. Poor Neko with her sore throat was a trooper! When you come back to Ithaca for your gig in March, you should stop by our New York Sanctuary. We’re only 40 minutes away…just give us a call and ask for Tricia (I’m the comms director). We’ll arrange a tour so you can meet all the animals you help support!
uhmmm, mostly mediocre with occasional flashes of old brilliance? give me a break, captain opinion! his stuff has never been anything less than fucking genius american folk writing, as good at it’s worst as anything ever released by anyone. sycophantic? maybe, yes. but with good reason!
You’re a complete douche bag. And it’s obvious that Ryan Adams has hurt your feelings. Why don’t you forgive and forget, and quit writing articles in an attempt to belittle him and regain your self-esteem. Again, douche bag.
very seriously entertaining. Lots of hearty laffs. I hadn’t even thought of Magnet for years. Never bought it back then, and I won’t start buying it now (unless I’m flying somewhere), though this Street Team business is good . Glad it’s online
Nice job Andrew.
Dear Ryan (er, “Jacob”) — thank you for the constructive and super-thoughtful criticism/armchair psychiatry session, as ever (I guess this means we’re talking now, right?). You should probably start posting under your given name, though. You know: “Douche bag?” That’s the one.
Its so nice to discover that others recognize the so many overlooked kinks songs. The entire schoolboys in disgrace album is greatness. i think it got a bad rep because it came right after Soap Opera which was pretty bad (with the exception of ‘You make it all Worthwhile’ and ‘Face in the Crowd’). Anyway, a couple songs that are very overlooked and havent been mentioned much are
Trust Your Heart- from the Misfits album.
Living on a Thin Line- from the Word of Mouth album.
and
Mr Big Man- from the Sleepwalker album. Daves guitar playing on this is extremely powerful.
“Pi Lam brothers are more likely to get their exercise biking to Wawa for cigarettes than playing lacrosse, and they’re much more fond of brightly colored American Apparel tees than Abercrombie polos with popped collars. Instead of Natty Light, PBR is their drink of choice.”
excellent article about one of the most sincere and innovative bands or musical families, i have ever had the peasure to witness and they bring their fans into the family fold and show their fans every bit the appreciation that the fans exude to the band! as a fellow NC boy, theres no music that makes me feel more at home no matter where i may be! their music trancends time in a way not a lot of band are able to pull of, because simultaneously their music can span not only decades but centuries and ties the divide in time neatly together in a way that is unbelievably natural! This was a great article about a timeless band, who by the way does it all without a drummer carrying the beat and tempo of the songs! 3 thumbs up!
I’ve seen almost all of these bands live at one time or another, and I would classify them as “bands that were really amazing for a very brief period of time, put out at least one, maybe two, great albums, and then sucked thereafter.”
Even Interpol and Trail of Dead were awesome, for a sec.
I would file shows I have seen by UO, RFTK, and Blues Explosion among the best I have ever seen, but yes they sucked later in their career.
Hi!Guess what.My name is juliana!I love your songs.I am 14 years
old.I just found out that yesterday was your birthday.So,HAPPY
BIRTHDAY!It’s 10:30pm and I go to bed at 11:45pm so I am on my
laptop in my room.My dog wants to play now:so maybe we
should finish up now.Bye!!!!!!!!
Dear Tizzy,
Your article on the Avett Brothers is one of the best I’ve ever read. It was well documented and researched. Interviewing Jim Avett adds an extra layer to the background of why the Avett Brothers are people we would all like to know. You did your homework well. An A plus to you!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Seth last July and meeting Jim and Susan at their farm in nearby Concord with my friend, David Butler, who photographed the farm and the house where Scott, Seth, and Bonnie grew up. It was an afternoon I’ll always treasure. My article was published as a four part series and can be found under Caroleperkins.blogspot.com.
WHAT! Only one mention of, “Harry Rag”? On my list of things to do before I’m pushin’ up the grass… #1 is a “Harry Rag” sing-a-long in Ray’s local pub in north London.
I would be remiss if I didn’t note that Gang of Four’s Dave Allen had directed me to Burial’s “Untrue” — technically a 2007 release in the UK but which came out in 2008 Stateside (an amazingly sublime dubstep “pocket symphony,” as Dave described it in a Tweet to me — he can be reached @Pampelmoose on Twitter). I should also note the mysterious Portland-based lap-hop musician Podington, whose insanely ambitious ten-disc (!!!) release “The Podington Bear Box” also intermittently made an impression on my cerebral cortex from time to time in ‘08.
Don’t you dare blame that loathesome unicorn fad on Bjork! That was entirely inspired by insipid 20 year old scenesters who wanted to move beyond irony on t-shirts and started raping canvases. She had nothing to do with it. Catch up.
Usually when you interview someone and they act like an ass, you write about him as an ass. Just gut reaction. Mostly mediocre with flashes of brilliance is exactly correct. You think playing steel drums is ever acceptable in alt rock, then I guess he is brilliant. Go listen to your dreadful OAR and let a rock critic write about rock music objectively.
GBV will always be my favorite band ever and I agree with everything you’ve said for the most part. The only thing I don’t agree with is King and Caroline. I think it served as an excellent opening for Motor Away when they played the Jon Stewart show. However, the SEEEEELLLLLLLL is a little annoying. So fairly said.
Do the Collapse is a pretty bad album in my opinion but there are some good gems on there. Things that I Will Keep is the best song on that album.
I could never really get into Tonics and Twisted Chasers.
There are many songs that you could add to the underrated section including “Useless Inventions” and “Eureka Signs” which are incredible rockers.
Also, thanks for bringing “Sometimes I Cry” to my attention. I’ve never really given Forever Since Breakfast a good spin but this is definitely a good one!
GBV is by far an underrated and overlooked band in general.
I’m on board with most of the over-rated. I like King And Caroline though.
I might choose Secret Star (especially live) from Earthquake Glue, Jane of the Waking Universe from Mag Earwhig and Dragons Awake from Do the Collapse. I’d also go with Hank’s Little Fingers, but there are like 50 amazing underrated songs on Box. Is that the same Hamburg show where Bob in the middle says something like “Let’s get it together Hamburger!” ???
DANG, I AGREE WITH MOST OF THIS, BUT LOVE “TONICS” AND EVEN “FREAKS”…WHICH IS A GREAT ONE FOR THE UNINITIATED. ONE THING’S FOR SURE, IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN MID-90′S GBV.
“Little Lines” is one of the songs reportedly being reworked for the 3-D musical that Steven Soderbergh is directing of the life of Cleopatra (CLEO! written by ex GBV Jim Greer).
What is with Magnet’s fixation with Guided by Voices? It’s 2009, people! Every issue I get of the magazine, it seems to creak closer and closer to the 90s indie rock version of Goldmine, fawning over records and bands that stopped being new about 15 or 20 years ago. Let it go! (And Wilco isn’t much better, or much more relevant.) I think I’ll quietly let me subscription of six years lapse unless I read a good cover story about a NEW band in the next two issues. You’d think they stopped making indie rock after OK Computer, to read these guys. New flash: there’s some really great stuff out these days.
Hard to disagree with anything you wrote, except with the first few in the underrated part. You could list dozens of underrated GBV songs for the underrated thing and there’d still be more, especially from later-period albums that snobby indie fucks are so quick to dismiss.
Stories Magnet is covering today. Let’s see: Superdrag, the Wrens, Guided by Voices, New Order, don’t forget Nick Cave on the cover of the print issue (also featuring Tom Waits, Pavement, Elliott Smith, etc.) . . . hmm, what do these bands have in common? Give up? I don’t know either, because it’s 2009 and I don’t care about them enough any more to read recently-published articles on them. I’m almost 30 years old, came of age in the 1990s, and even I think this is a little excessive for a once-great magazine. Magnet, please, hire some writers who are under 25, before you go out of business.
Boo to the “Bulldog Skin” dis. First well-recorded example of GBV doing the big-rock greasy swagger thing Uncle Bob had aspired to for years. Thank goodness for the out-of-tune flub during the song’s first line — I like to think that’s Bob way of giving us all a wink, saying, “Yeah, some different players on this record — say hello to the fellas, why don’t ya? — but it’s still me/GBV.”
Good call on Bright Paper Werewolves. I’ve always thought that last line,”they finally got recognized then they left in obscurity and misery.” was eerily prophetic since the “original” band were shit-canned shortly after.
I also firmly agree on Cut-out Witch and Bulldog Skin. Two cringe-inducers. But I vehemently disagree about King and Caroline and Hot Freaks. Worthy classics.
Go ahead Magnet – jump on the ol’ “hot freaks is overrated” bandwagon that started brewing 5 years ago or so. Funny, like Eric and Matt and the rest of you I listened to Bee Thousand the week it came out (college radio DJ) and Hot Freaks was perfect. All this criticism is johnny-come-lately 101; we all loved it in 1994 – and your take on liquor/lick her is a perfect example of an anacronistic ex post facto criticism. I was there on Postal Blowfish in 1995-96-97 and didn’t see any of the criticisms now lodged by GBV enthusiasts. As you well know, at the time it came out and in the context of the rest of the song and album, it was right on. What if the lyric sheet actually said ” She told me lick her; I am a new man” – that doesn’t de facto make it some juvenile lyric. In fact, by having “liquor”, it subjects the song to multiple interpretations, feeling, and imagery. The entire song adn totality of the lyrics in context a classic example of Pollard emotive associative imagery that only now seems suspect because 14 years have passed and the mystery of Bob has been revealed. Magnet’s take only indicates its propsensity for erring on the side of juvenile interpretation and is pretty shallow and short-sighted. And that crack about “people who don’t really get…”. Give me a Fiddlesticking break. Ironically, that preposterous comment is indicative of someone who doesn’t get GBV.
Let’s list out the entire lyric sheet to Hot Freaks and renew this debate.
Yes, the latter parts of Earthquake Glue (see Secret Star) are damn good. You’re way off on King and Caroline (yes, the Jon Stewart performance is proof) as noted above. And to attempt to differentiate Cut-Out Witch “recorded” from Cut Out Witch “live” is like comparing the screenplay for the 400 Blows to the film i.e. it’s a bit absurd to say the song is overrated but the live version kicks arse (which it does; see SXSW 1996 at Liberty Lunch).
Great piece, Magnet. Keep ‘em coming. I love arguing my GBV….
SHAHvee is right. It is UNpossible to come up with just 5 things either way. I would agree with almost everything you disliked with the exception of Tonics. It is not that well known beyond the die hard GBV fans. I would offer up something like Hold On Hope. “There rides the cowboy” make me cringe everytime I hear it.
That being said I would take it over 90% of what is being played today. I love GBV and Bob Pollard.
I agree with a lot, but not all of your selections but whole-heartedly agree that THINGS I WILL KEEP is one of the best GBV songs EVER. Many a morning I wake up with that song in my head, it haunts me…
“Do we really have to hear about Terre’s anti-Bush “underwears”?” I don’t think Tom needs to hear about it either since he can see said “underwears” any damn time he wants to – Terre T being his wife and all.
Thanks for that, Magnet. Good write, Roob. But what would I know…the worst GBV song I ever heard was GLORIOUS! And it’s cool to read about them, too.
SEMPER BOB.
Good call on “Hot Freaks” but “King and Caroline” is the shiz. And there’s plenty better on Under The Bushes then “Bright Paper Wherewolves.” Plus I wouldn’t call “Things I Will Keep” under-rated since it did make an appearance on the best of. Overall okay list, C+.
Uh, the plastic guilt thing – if it’s worth kicking in at all, which is dubious – should have done so when you bought them. And getting rid of them might make things worse: in a collection, they’re at least being used, whereas sitting unsold in a store risks their ending up dumped as landfill.
The unsold ones will make great beer coasters, though.
If you’re going to talk about chord changes, you should know at least a little about music theory. Otherwise, skip it. Not that it matters, but the chords in the 1st section are like a slowed-down version of the Husker Du chorus for “I Apologize”… K&C’s not the greatest song, but I didn’t know it was “overrated”.
Superdrag are probably my favorite band ever. As well as my single biggest self-confessed music-geek influence…I actually shed a tear listening to this one.
Thanks for putting some life back into my cold dead heart boys.
the 3 songs sound amazing. it’s a damn shame these guys couldn’t figure it out and get along. Oh well, that seems to be what happens sometimes with these creative types.
Little Lines, YES!!!! Gillard’s solo always reminded me of a flock of honking geese, but Wayne thought it sounded like a Coltrane horn. Gotta disagree about the K@C, though: Unkie Kev sez if you take the vocal part by iteslf it has the best melody in Bobdom, and I think he may have something there. Plus, one word: Omatic. RULING CLASS!
MattyG,
Please don’t label any Kinks album “bad”. That’s just blasphemous! Soap Opera is one of my all-time favorites. I realize that we all have our favorites and our not-so favorites but I’d never, never, label any Kinks album like that. There are only so many albums out there and as far as I know there aren’t any more Kinks albums “in the works”. Let’s cherrish each and every one of them that “The Boys” put out, favorite or not-so favorite.
Please pop Soap Opera in the player again and give it a good listen, I bet it’s been a while. You may just be surprised. Please re-consider your thoughts and words.
A fellow Kinker, Alma
This article is great fun to read and the comments are too. Nice job. I love Tonics and Twisted Chasers, though. I remember reading that it was Tobin Sprout’s favorite GbV album too.
truly one of the great underrated bands in my library and heart. I saw them a few times in the 90’s, got to speak with Davis for an interview, he was at some bar, he didn’t know where, on the road and it was a great talk. They’re incredible live and I’m getting misty in hopes of them coming to L.A. Looking forward to that and new album. Won’t miss them this time around.
Most underrated GBV song should include “Underwater Explosions” and “Drag Days”, most overrated is an underestimation of any other song they ever recorded…sound bias? I’m from Ohio and grew up in Dayton, so I must favor the hometown dudes…they SPEAK!
hey “DUDE”, you’re this upset over a rock and roll poll?
wah wah. mellow out, babypants.
which one of these bands is related to people who write for Magnet?
Glad to see a lot of GBV discussion here. Come by my song-by-song GBV/Pollard blog, My Impression Now (http://www.tirbd.com/min) to discuss the more than 200 songs I’ve written up this far.
I could make a case for a couple of these bands-like Art DiFuria’s Photons, but the presence of Asteroid #4 sends the ranking through the stratosphere. No disrespect to “Chuckles”, at all/ever, but the best album by a Philly band in 2008 was These Flowers of Ours: A Treasury Of Witchcraft And Devilry.” As brilliantly rendered as *any* psychedelic album since 1966. An all-timer people will still be listening to 20 years hence.
you need to buy these flowers of ours and hear one of the best bands on the planet,forget just philly.. its not just the talent and the versatility..theyve truly tapped into and channell that magical 60s vibe.. as good as almost anybody..
cant believe they dont have abigger followng, but probably glad they dont.. then theyd turn into big-headed assholes and we like them theway they are..hey,are the three 4 tens still around?.. they should be on the lsit..
Heck, it’s Mondo Topless.The problem is that they are more of an export.They tend to play in other cities around America and abroad and their guitar player has produced at least one band on this list.
Despite the lack of any press they play and play and put out records on a good label
If Roob is the foremost authority on Guided by Voices, I am Abraham Lincoln incarnate. The overrated list is just written to be contrary. No chord changes in “King and Caroline”? Christ, what an idiot. And to claim that any lineup with Nate Farley and Tim Tobias could improve a song is ludicrous. Those two were barely capable of holding their respective instruments. I would come back to read the non-GBV Pollard over/underrated songs, but now I doubt if Roob has ever listened to any.
You should check out Niagra Falls and their new album Sequence of Prophets on Honeymoon Music. They’re part of that whole New Age-y, Sun Ra-ish weirdness that Philly excels at. Parker-Spruce
P.S. I miss Need New Body, and Lenola, and the Cream Chargers, and Mile High, and Ty Cobb and 1929.
How in the Sam Hades does Asteroid #4’s album get left off a list of 25?! (Fear of being accused of “hometown favoritism”?) I wouldn’t understand even if your list was limited to the ten best, but a list extended to 25 and leaving them off is flat-out boggling. (You’re not Cubs or Braves announcers so go for it and give this band their due.)
It’s nice to be in the poll and see people voting for us. Thanks (and thanks to valis for the props).
Is A4’s new album *really* the one of the “albums of the decade?” That’s some pretty serious praise. Harms, is that you posting as an A4 fan? I kid, I kid. But seriously, I’ve heard others praise it too. I’ll have to check it out.
I think Like a Fox’s new album is the best thing J. Laughlin has ever done. And really I like *all* these bands.
But I like Pissed Jeans the best. We need more fun like THAT in our clubs!
Boy howdy, you’re right. Indian food is just so darn colorful, to the eyes and the tongue. I am hungry for palak paneer and samosas. If anyone has any, please send them to me at
i was making a joke at harms. i’m not jealous at all of the A4. See the part where I praised Laughlin? and the part where I wrote “I kid, I kid,” and then said I want to check out the album because I’ve heard others praise it? I meant that stuff. Lighten up, baby. I’m in love with you.
and I still have more fun at Pissed Jeans shows than the shows of any of the other bands on this list. But that’s just me.
how anyone can claim to be a expert on gbv and talk smack on “tonics” is beyond me – it is certainly not perfect, but really does have that rough impromptu feel that drew most people to gbv in the first place. i’ll take that record over the last dozen or so records that robert pollard has done with todd tobias (shudder).
re: steve – “Taco, Buffalo, Birddog and Jesus is the most underrated GBV song – hands down.”
seconded – holy smokes, what a fantastic song. i would also throw in “messenger” off the first suitcase collection in terms of under-appreciated tracks.
What! Wilderness’ “(k)now (w)here” not on the 25?! But thanks not making another novelty band like Ween list-worthy! After last year I thought I’d see Tenacious D or Filght of the Conchords topping the list! Also thanks for not giving the nod to Tommy Tutone and The Hold Steady!! I suppose you’ll get my Subscription renewal! As always “Good Job!!”
Sounds like someone is jealous??? The article clearly mentions the photon band…and since you didn’t write the article it is obviously not from your perspective. That said, why don’t you check out the poll and see which philly “wannabes” who “didn’t have anything to do with psychedelphia” are still thriving the most.
u guys heard of cd recyling? theres a great website called Compact Disc Recycling Center of America. the jewel cases and inserts are also recyclable.
tho i’m a big fan of used cd shops, if ur not worried about getting cool classic tunes into the hands of new listeners, cd recycling may be the way to go!
“True Believer” is the best John Davis I’ve heard yet but I never got over the My Bloody Valentine flavor of “Regretfully Yours” … damn good record (they’re all pretty damn fine). Got my fingers crossed that you’ll come down to Texas.
I could definitely agree with some things on here and I can also disagree with many.
Agree: Fresh Threats, End of Not in My Airforce, Standard Gargoyle Decisions, and Superman was a Rocker.
Everything else I disagree with.
No Island is the worst song on TCD.
But I will say that as far as what you say about the new albums I could see the argument. I honestly think that it’s the continuous same production quality of every album. Not that Todd is a bad producer. Not by any means. He’s great. It’s really cool when he makes rougher sounding recordings (Earthquake Glue, Pinball Mars). I dunno, I think Not in my Airforce had the production quality that was perfect for Bob, and it’s hard to find that again.
I wish I could just send Guided By Voices Inc. $75 a year to get everything Pollard produces. It’s gems like “No Island” that keep me holding the torch.
Also, I’m a big Wrens fan and they are playing a show in NY for everyone there, its a KEXP thing, I guess….with Titus Andronicus and Bell and We Were Promised Jet Packs…
as soon as you start trying to delimit what instruments can be allowed into the creative moment you become a lifeless and energy sucking critic whore douche bag with nothing meaningful to say about anything except your own opinion.
(And ryan, if that is you writing as ‘Jacob’, and if it’s true that you’re not going to play with the Cardinals anymore, I’d love a shot at being in your band…)
cheers and peace and yeah, try to get over your little crybaby hurt feelings mr. critic and write something objective.
The last six songs on Not in My Airforce end the album on a deliciously uneasy note, and help to make it feel like an epic concept album that tells a story (what that story is I can’t say) that carries over to the similarly melancholy Waved Out. The obscure Nightwalker track “Firehouse Mountain” would’ve made a great unlisted bonus track, thus adding to the inspired cacophony. But what altered state are you in that most of Normal Happiness isn’t classic GbV-styled songs? “Get a Faceful,” “Supernatural Car Lover,” “Boxing About,” “Tomorrow Will Not Be Another Day,” etc. are flawless songs with memorable hooks and shining examples of why we keep listening.
5. Everything From Normal Happiness To The Crawling Distance (2006-2009
Are you kidding me?
This guy is not even in the top 100 of GBV/Pollard fans.
Blasphemy!
I dont get that arguement about Pollard needing an editor. How hard is it not to listen to something? In other arts (painting, writing, but especially painting) much ofwhat one does is probably not worth thats what makes the great stuff great. Let’em create and you decide what you wanna hear.
i fucking LOVE the song Prom Is Coming…words diminish it’s greatness…Party is cute, but the rest is rach…yr right. I do agree that the newer releases are way too spotty
Can’t say I’m much of a Circus Devils fan or of that Superman Was A Rocker thing, but you’re missing out on some timeless songs when you dismiss “everything” by Robert Pollard from 2006 on (though if that’s the case, why did you put a 2009 song on the Underrated list and also say that the album has other “winners”?) . Who’s out there currently that can say that they’ve written as many good songs as RP in the last four years?
Wow, this “Roob” guy is wildly off base. Maybe a band like the Capstan Shafts would be more his cup of tea? Kind of like Mike Bordick batting .415 for 4 months? Yes, Dean Wells is Mike Bordick.
Too bad Ben Lee hasn’t written or released a good song since the Noise Addict days. Since when does crappy, embarassing soft rock qualify as “enlightened pop”?
Except for the Boston Spaceships album which was great. And what made that album so good was different players besides Tobias. Todd Tobias is a good producer, but his arrangements are just soooooooo bland. The songs too often sound lifeless. The Boston Spaceships album had some real spunk, which is why it works so well. Pollard’s music is at it’s best when it’s coated with a certain amount of sloppiness. I’m looking forward to the next couple of Spaceships releases. Wish they were coming out on a label that actually had some decent distribution though. It’s too bad this band is just kinda being lumped in with the more obscure solo stuff.
I’m still trying to figure out what’s wrong with a “straight job and a mortgage”. If you’re so smitten with those that live on the fringes (albeit with a Rolling Stone expense account), then buy yourself an assload of injectables, a few tons of weapons, a shitty cabin, and a typewriter. Not every nine-to-fiver is a Donald Trump wannabe.
I met evan a couple of summers back. We called him over and he was really friendly and down to earth guy. I wanted to buy a lemonheads tee shirt and he told us to hold on a minute,he came back outside with like ten shirts. We offered to pay for them and he said not to worry. This is a guy who has alot of street credentials. Thanks Evan!
They’re so high in that picture. Song is great though. I actually liked they’re “sloppy” records. “More Parts Per Million” was like swift kick in the ass
Between MELVINS, Harvey Milk, Torche, Boris, Black Mountain, Jay Reatard, Mudhoney, Jucifer, The Apes, Modey Lemon, The Dirtbombs, and The Mars Volta You just couldn’t find anything to love? Try the unsung Human Eye – Fragments of the Universe Nurse. If even that doesn’t do it, I don’t know, not to be rude, but maybe you should consider the possibility that maybe the lack of good music isn’t the problem. maybe it’s your ears.
One must be careful when rating, ranking, or reviewing all things Bob. A song that gets a thumbs down the first few listens, will sneak out of your subconscience one day and will be on repeat play in your noggin’.. And there lies the beauty of Bob’s songs. A lot of them take a few listens before they hit, and that complexity gaurantees that it will be a song that you never get tired of hearing. The new releases? BRIILLIANT!
Semper Bob
Nice list and add – ons by you fellow Kinks fans.. All good choices..
Special atta-boy goes to the dude recommending London Town.. Very nice live version on Conan back in 1996 or ?? One of my later favs not listed yet is WAR IS OVER from U.K. Jive… Animal Farm from Village Green and I still laugh everytime time I hear the Morning Song ( humming only ) from Preservation Act One.. Money Talks from ACT 2 was great live and the ‘Ol Demon Alcohol was one of the best live songs ever for breaking up a concert audience…
i just wanted to comment on the intervention with janet the alcoholic with the four children. i wanted to talk to her son thomas, and talk to him about what h was saying about giving up on God. God works in such mysterious ways that sometimes you just dont know if he is doing anything.. but he always is. and i just wanted to tell him that he shouldnt lose faith. trust me, i know things can totally seem hopeless..but God will always help you in the way that is best for you. Thomas said that he gave up on praying…you shouldnt do that. God always answers your prayer.. I know that it may seem like it is taking forever..but you just have to have faith and keep praying and God will answer them in the best ways that they can possibly help you
Just read Magnet for the first time last week and was blown away with the content. I feel like an ass that I’m just now discovering the magazine after years of reading crap. I just wanted to post a huge thank you and I will be a subscriber for life. Great job!
You poor Americans…Take it from a country that knows…Ben Lee is one of the most hated “pop” stars in Australia…He is rubbish…Big headed wanker…poor songs and a unjustified tone of authority….Message to Ben…you wouldn’t be a hair on Lou Barlows Ass…Bloody Hippie..
I mean…has anyone ever even heard the noise addict offerings…don’t be fooled…pop punk…what a larf…How about badly played 2 chord teen pop….Ben Lee is a musical oppotunist at best….Just goes to show if you hang around long enough you will eventually be noticed…FYI…he sells about 3 albums a year in his own country so i have no doubt why he’s now inflicting his “style” on the US ..He is about as representative of Australia as Crocadile Dundee…overhyped, overopinionated and overdone..He is openly bagged in the AUS music press and is generally disliked by Australian audiances…constuct….lakee…baggage…Clone…if he never
married a popular american actor he would be frying chips at the local KFC…As the great James Baker once said…”born to be punched”.
Ben Lee is a musical genius at worst, he makes perfect pop songs that have meaning. Yes I admit and he probably would to, that when he was young, and played with noise addict that he was arrogant and because of this he rubbed the press the wrong way and some audiences, but now he has matured and grown as an artist and a person, and he is selling plenty of records and winning plenty of awards!
I beg to differ with your assessment of “99th Dream”. Sure, “Mezcal Head” is great, but Swervedriver was a rare breed that improved on every album. I think “99th Dream” is their best!
I just played the Tim remaster the other night and thought Nowhere is my Home is great! Strange then that I see this article a day later. And, by the way, will everyone stop bashing All Shook Down. It is a great record! Get over it.
disappointing… lyrics are lazy and trite, especially the chorus. I really loved their previous album, even though I usually felt guilty for enjoying it because it was so likable, the lyrics brought some depth to it, made my affection for it okay. If the rest of the album is like this they’re turning more into the hold steady by the minute.
I will trump both of your arguments by saying, to each his own. Arguing about music with a few select friends turns out to be ultimately fruitless, ending with me not listening to “their” music out of spite, and listening to my superb picks even more. I am a huge fan of Bon Iver, and yes, I can see Fritch’s POV. His guitar work is simple power chords, and no, he would not make a living as an operatic tenor. BUT, there IS emotion, there IS affliction. This is not “emo-folk”, that term is just preposterous. At the end of the day, I will keep going back to the likes of Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine and the like. Why? Because I like it. And I will continue to loath pitchfork’s, I mean, Fritch’s flavor of the week bands (though, they get it right sometimes).
Thanks for the excellent overview of the overrated/underrated ‘Mats songs.. You’re right on the money with the ‘overrated’ list and I agree whole-heartedly about the horns almost ruining one of their better songs, “Can’t Hardly Wait”.. I prefer the bootleg version as well – since released on the expanded CD. And “Shooting Dirty Pool”.. talk about lame! It’s hard to believe that it belonged to one of the best ‘Mats records ever… It always sounded WAY too forced… like Bob said “we need a ROCKER dude!”
I slightlly disagree with your underrated list a bit though.. The fellow above me is right on the money with “If Only You Were Lonely.” I also like “Go” from ‘Stink’ a lot too. I’m not a big fan of either ‘Don’t Tell A Soul’ or “All Shook Down” and don’t feel that any tunes should make the underrated list here either. I’m also partial to “Like A Bowling Pin,” they’re drunken spur-of-the-moment anthem from ‘Don’t Sell Or Buy, It’s Crap.” Lastly, “Shifltess When Idle” also comes to mind as a true ‘Mats classic!
So, I went to Colorado for a week to examine snow. Is the new Wrens album out yet? Be careful joking with Mr. Bissell. I understand he’s sensitive, like me.
Peace out, John
Mezcal Head is in my top five favorite albums of all time – thanks for giving it some love!
Incidentally, I’ve seen both Swervedriver and MBV live a few times now and MBV are the harsher, noisier band – no “orchestral comfort” there. Maybe they toned it down a bit for Loveless, but that’s about it. The principal difference for me is in the lyrics. I love both bands, but there’s just more substance in Swervedriver’s songwriting.
Great list! I’ve been singing the praise of TK for years to anyone who would listen and believe he is one of the most underrated songwriters of our time. Can’t wait to hear the new album!
Check out the rockin’ demo of “Raised In The City” on the Remastered “Sorry Ma” CD. The original version, dumped as it is at the end of the LP, allows the riff to be completely buried under the arrangement. The demo version puts the riff right up on top, and it is flawless. May be my favorite Replacements song (this week!).
agreed, re glitter of love. Versus live ranks very high on my list, seen them in boston, providence and buffalo – loud and tight as could be each time. Hey Magnet -what about Small Factory (who played with versus a few times) as a lost classic?
To me, the problem isn’t with the dude-with-the-cabin-album, it’s the people showering praise on him. He’s just a dude who made an album. It baffles me that anyone cares that he made it in a cabin in the woods. So what? Guitar Center will sell you $400 worth of gear and you could do it too. Beyond that, the idea that his music is “honest” is pointless. I can be honest and say: “I just picked my nose”. Honesty is perhaps beside the point. Or, I could ask if he’s so honest, why is he singing in someone else’s voice? I’ve heard him speak. Anyway, if his songs move people, resonate with them, then GREAT. What I’ve heard, though, just isn’t my cup of joe.
I am late convert to these guys, but have loved everything I hear. I missed their surprise show at Burning Man, and now this one. I guess I suck. Thanks for the review Tommy, and congrats on being guest editor! Love Bilito
Great job, Matt! That’s definitely Bob Stinson all over Nowhere Is My Home. The best version of Can’t Hardly Wait I’ve ever heard anywhere is from When The Shit Hits The Fans, though I have no idea why they didn’t keep the Tim version for PTMM. Side B of PTMM could have included the Tim version & Nowhere Is My Home as a replacement for Shooting Dirty Pool (I’ll never get over Westerberg’s guitar tone on that one).
The new Boston Spaceships album is everything I hoped it would be. Just awesome.
It should be noted that Tommy Keene (awesome in his own right) was a member of the Boston Spaceships band when touring last year. Lots of BS love up there.
What’s with the King & Caroline dis? The great thing about Hot Freaks is that it sounds like Guided by Voices NOT sounding like Guided by Voices. You can’t take a pieces away from the puzzle… Big production tended to flatten the differences between the songs but my under-rated gems are: Learning to Hunt – how BEAUTIFUL is this? Not behind the Fighter Jet – sounds like Bob tossed it off when he had 5 minutes to spare, but the rest of us would give up if we wrote a song as good as this. Twilight Campfighter – a melody that soars!
By the way, I only saw GBV twice in 2000 SOBER! They were AND REMAIN the greatest rock band I have EVER SEEN! Also in the “under-rated” catagory. What about songs released by side projects that GBV did live? Alone, stinking & Unafraid is awesome. Ditto, Quicksilver, Far-Out Crops…where does it end? Bob is a genius.
Hmmm… I don’t think that Tim can be “arguably” their greatest record if, as you write, it has three bona-fide klunkers on it (and I agree that they’re klunkers, especially Lay It Down Clown)… those three ruin what’s otherwise a perfect album, only it’s not perfect.. because of those three.
Other thoughts: I don’t think that ANY version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” can be considered overrated simply because the song is just that good. And while the PTMM version may not be the best, it’s amazing in its own right.
Good picks otherwise… For underrated I would add “Asking Me Lies,” “Heyday,” “Raised in The City (especially the demo version!),” and “Buck Hill.”
Overlooked and underrated Mats song: “Go” from the Stink ep. After all the silliness and hardcore overkill of this record, this song, with so much raw emotion and heartache (not to mention some devastating guitar licks from Bob), make this a standout track on a record that is otherwise punk-by-rote.
Like I wrote in the post, it’s definitely not the best song on the record; I don’t like that vocal hook, either. I’m updating the post with a stream of the opening track, “When I Died,” which is really great.
The two guys above are assholes. Fritch is exactly right. “For Emma” is generic, lightweight, and painfully boring. It sounds like it was recorded on a macbook, not on some old tape machine out in the woods. I’m sick of reading reviews that describe the production value as being so rustic and “raw” when this album could have been recorded in a dorm room somewhere. And probably has been. By business majors. The whole “I recorded this alone in the woods” thing is just a gimmick. It is one of the most ordinary things I’ve ever heard.
Excellent list. “Nowhere is My Home” is the greatest Replacements song ever; it has been woefully ignored for too many years. Although “Rock and Roll Ghost” deserves a mention , I think that “Go” would have been a better choice.
This is a band that everyone should see live. Not that the recordings aren’t great. They are. There is just something special about hearing them in person. If you live on the East Coast, you are lucky. They will come around for a show. I recommend you make an evening of it and go see them.
“indie rock” as a qualifier has descended below meaninglessness and now denotes good-looking guitar/synth bands that invariably draw more than 400 people no matter where they perform.
Thank you, sir, for so eloquently saying what I’ve been trying to express for years.
I do like “Lost” a lot though. I feel beneath you.
“Go” is a great choice for underrated tunes, and if I had to pick something off of the last couple of records (which I’ve never much cared for-big surprise), I’d take the modest and charming “One Wink at a Time.”
However, my favorite underrated (or maybe underappreciated) Mats tune might be “Willpower.” It’s one of their first big departures, Chris and Tommy move the spare arrangement along wonderfully, Paul sings the hell out of it, and of course Bob comes crashing in with a typically out-of-this-world solo.
To me, the capitol years’ melodies have been the best sounds to come out of the city for a few years now. Hats off to Magnet on giving them year end props for that last album.
However, as much as I love the Capitol Years, the artist that really gets me excited about philly right now is Kurt Vile, and frankly I’m kind of surprised not to see him on the list, although I guess he is included technically on account of his association with the war on drugs. I thought “Constant Hitmaker” was totally rad, and “Freeway” was the single of the year, from anywhere.
Another band from philly I think is great is Clockcleaner, though I certainly understand if they’re not included in any popularity contest. Babylon Rules was righteous though.
FInally, I want to mention Human Television, though I don’t know if they could technically be labeled a Philly band, and I’m sure they don’t have much Philly support. I thought their last record (from 05 or 06?) was pretty amazing.
One of the best,and probably the most haunting song Paul has ever wrote,is “The Ledge”. The lyrics are just incredible. Go to “Man without Ties” and read the lyrics.
“Attitude” cracks me up every time.”Pool and Dive” is great..gets better every time.”Hey good Lookin’ “(fast outtake) is wonderful.On and on and on guys. Oh, i almost forgot I.O.U. That song makes you go pure air guitar.I use a nine iron though.
“Merry go Round” is,sometimes,a yawn fest.It’s very hard to pick BAD Westerberg songs. “Pleased to Meet Me” is my favorite album. “All Shook Down” is very underrated and “Let it Be” sounds like it was recorded inside a tin can.Great album,don’t get me wrong,but “Gary’s got a Boner” and the Kiss cover diminish the disc just a tad bit.One is silly,the other not written by Paul. i’m tired..got the Nighttime Jitters.
What a great story. That’s awesome that your dad was so supportive of your passion…and of course that you got to see Zeppelin! Totally worth getting yelled at on the way home.
Mould’s album “Modulate” is utterly, breathtakingly brilliant. Whether people realize it or not, whether or not they want to acknowledge it (or would rather hold on to the tired “Mould’s work between Sugar and recently was sub-par” trope), he made a breakthrough album that set the tone for nearly a decade of rock-plus-electronica albums that followed. The “great new sounds” by fill-in-the-blank new-in-the-2000s superstars came after him.
Tommy – I really enjoyed your stint as Guest Editor. Thanks for turning me back on to Dark Shadows and for sharing your concert attending stories. I’m a big fan of your music and have followed your entire career, unfortunately, I don’t have any stories from seeing you live to match the Iggy Pop, Who or Zeppelin stories. As far as I know no cherry pies were smashed into anyone’s chest at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor or St. Andrews in Detroit, although I’m sure some coney islands were being thrown somewhere in the Motor City.
1) Only a true fan would know about, much less love, Nowhere is My Home, one of the best examples of the ‘Mats ragged brilliance. PS: Bob did the solo.
2) Only a late-comer fan would fully exclude songs from “Sorry Ma”, which, as everyone knows, is the best, truest document of the Replacements.
Extra points for giving props to the Shit/Fans version of Can’t Hardly Wait, which has some of the best ‘Mats guitar solos ever recorded.
Just because a song is “popular” does not mean it is not worthwhile. I think that every song has it’s purpose and Creep is sort of like I Want to Hold Your Hand or She Loves You. Great early song but obviously not as accomplished or sophisticated as their later music. To continue the analogy, In Rainbows is much more like a “Revolver” or “Magical Mystery Tour”. As with The Beatles, in order to fully appreciate ALL of Radiohead’s music, one must understand both early and later songs. I agree that Creep is not one of my favorites or Thom’s favorite, but that song did indeed create the fire that drove them to create The Bends, which is an incredible album. Also, listen to Hail to the Thief again….you missed something.
How can there be an article on underrated Radiohead songs without going into the subject of songs the band themselves underrates? Like the cast-aside “How Can You Be Sure” and “Maquilladora”? Also, my blood curdles at the thought that “There, There” is being dismissed along with the rest of the not-as-impressive fare on Hail To The Thief.
As for “Electioneering” not fitting in with the theme of disconnection and alienation, you’re right; I don’t see how a song about glad-handing politicians and globally dominant organizations with Orwellian overtones could possibly fit the concept of the album. Wait, where’s the HTML tag for sarcasm?
When I lived in NYC, I always found that I could walk around the Met for hours with Kid A on repeat ad infinitum. It’s a fantastic backdrop to accompany bustling crowds and visual imagery. It’s a very cinematic record, as displayed in “Vanilla Sky.”
High and Dry is overrated???? come on, it’s a wonderful song that has a very powerful melody. Sorry, but while Radiohead has a talented bunch of artists in their lot, and they make some great stuff, but this song is heads above the crap that everyone goes crazy for in the press. Kid A and the rest were so mind numbing with their lack of melody. In Rainbows has some cool stuff, but better to fall asleep to (and that’s not a bad thing) than to really crank up.
Radiohead, please focus on freakin” melodies and get your head out of the computer. OK Computer was the last record you could hum along to! Gee, that’s the same time you stopped writing SONGS!
Kudos, however, for including Blow Out. Most people follow the band’s cue and hate on the first record for no reason. Glad to know they’re reissuing the Bends in expanded format!
The verse of “High & Dry” nicks the melody from….. some ’70s easy-listening song that I’m always remembering then forgetting for months, then remembering again…. i’ve forgotten it for months now, please help. it’s not ‘girl from impanena’ which keeps getting in the way… it’s…. you know, like burt bacharach, or america, or…. erg… whenever i finally remember the song, i start hating “high & dry” all over again.
by the way, i disagree with these beatles comparisons, album-to-album-wise… even in the thick of the beatles artiest records, there were still grab-bags full of memorable melodies….
you’re dissing The National Anthem??! seriously? I remember playing this for the first time on my little cd player and being blown away. i played Kid A over and over and over. it was all amazing. it confused me that other people didn’t like it. The National Anthem comes in and says quite strongly, ‘hey, we’re going in a different direction.’ it’s an excellent song. i just can’t believe you’re calling it ‘lame’ here.
Hail to the Thief was a great album with songs that seemed immediate. they were pissed off. plus, some great dance songs on there as well.
actually, i don’t agree with much you are saying here, but to each his own. I just hope you can come up with more intelligible adjectives than ‘lame.’ i expect a whole lot more from Magnet.
I got off the train when Kid A came out. I could see that there was much technical merit in what they were doing and it was nice that it got so much recognition, but it left me very cold. Now, I am bemused by noticing at parties how Kid A, Amnesiac, or HTTT only gets called up when the weed comes out. Ugh. There’s a buzz ruined.
“Hail to the thief” sucked, bad….and I don’t care how hip anyone thinks they are by saying they loved that album….it sucked. Try spinning a little Skinny Puppy and it may turn you’re mind back around….unless that isn’t “hip”, “cool” , or “underground” enough … then in that case, watch out….you headed for a short social recognition.
The most underated song by Radiohead is “Air Bag”……hands down.
While I might not agree with 100% you have to say it is far superior to the fan bating that Andrew Earls takes part in, shooting at scared cows might be fun but it does not provide any real insight. At least with this method you do not treat all the band’s matireal with the same broad brush. Oh and Andrew is not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.
Why does everyone pick on “I’ll Buy,” “Dose of Thunder,” and “Lay It Down, Clown”? Sure, “Nowhere Is My Home” and “Can’t Hardly Wait” are both better, but those songs help make the album, in my useless opinion. “I’ll Buy” has some of Bob’s best guitar and a commanding Westerberg vocal, along with a spot-on band performance and a nice bit of grit to it. “Dose of Thunder” and “Lay It Down, Clown” also have these things (plus some great piano and hilarious backing vocals on “Clown”). Oh and both songs are about probably about hard drugs, an aspect of the band that most fans would rather overlook in favor of the soulful stuff and the jokey stuff. Seems many Replacements fans want to lose these songs, but to me, they just give you a fuller picture of the band. Would be very sad if we lost these.
“Everything in its Right Place” is my favorite Radiohead song. I also love everything else on Kid A (except “Motion Picture Soundtrack”) Hail to the Thief is a great record! All of it. I know everyone thinks OK Computer is their masterpiece (and it may be), but it pales next to Kid A, in my opinion. I disagree with the “National Anthem” dis. I mean, yeah, it has a cro-magnon bassline and *gasp* horns, but somehow it totally and convincingly rocks.
I never really bothered with his music when he was alive, he was a friend and I wasn’t that worried. Now I listen to his stuff alot. Miss him. Check his music out. If you love Dylan, Stones, Gram, Faces you’ll love it.
Music For Egon Schiele, Selenography, Systems/Layers, The Sea And The Bells – I would dare not choose a favourite. Suffice to say this band were/are extremely special and I am jealous of anyone who has yet to hear them.
Mr. Slusarenko,
Sorry if I freaked you out at the BS show in Champaign Urbana (IL). I only wanted to help. After sobering up, I now realize how wierd/scary it was to offer to help load the van.
BTW- That was a great show. Thanks for brining IT.
Different from Margot and much better, in my opinion. Pravada is amazing. The songs are expertly crafted: atmospheric, poppy, experimental in all the right ways. I have seen them live several times, and this band is one of the best to come out of the Midwest.
Nice words, Dave! And RVB really is a classic album. You know when people ask about what your Desert Island Discs would be? Well, ‘Robespierre’s…’ is definately one of mine and th first I’d choose every time. I’ve been listening to it for 16 years and it still sounds fresh. A beautiful piece of work. Thank you Nikki & Dave. Peace xx.
I believe it might finally be time to give up everything and just go to work for Bob. I would probably come out ahead in the end. This guy is the equivalent of a musical drug addiction. Except addicts usually wish they hadn’t become addicts. I just overdosed on a blasted planet.
i wouldn’t say their album “i am an elastic firecracker” went nowhere, they had a hit single “i got a girl” that got regular rotation on mtv, but i suppose that might be viewed as nowhere from an indie pedestal, but their next album jesus hits like the atom bomb was incredible, island just promoted that album bad, plus the label was in trouble at the time. the last album is great too and they will always be remembered in texas..
I love the Handsomes. I learn something new with every interview. Bird tears? Oh, and Brett, my Dad says he backed up Robert Oppenheimer when he won the Los Alamos Battle of the Bands in 1946. I’m sure the Gargantuans sounded better though. Oppie kept blowing his amp up.
I love the Takeovers records and Boston Spaceships is a Pollard-fan’s dream. Chris Slusarenko comfortably sits among great Bob collaborators like Tobin Sprout, Doug Gillard, and the Tobias brothers. I can’t wait to see the Ships live again!
HA HA!! Why anyone would take an article seriously that uses not just an out-dated phot but a ridiculously out-dated photo, is inexplicable.
The guy is a hack writer. I doubt if he even believes half of what he wrote. “What light? What crap!” Please. The guy probably likes the song but couldn’t resist a jr. high-level pun. ‘146-minute guitar solo. 71-minute coda’ Again, lazy, easy puns. No wonder the guy likes pop hooks (not that there’s anything wrong with that). “Theologians don’t know nothing about my soul Why would they, blah, blah, blah.” I am sure that the writer knows that Tweedy means that theologians professing to speak for all of us have no idea about us. Again, cheap, sophomoric and easy. “The Wilco message board, Via Chicago, is a creepy kind of place. Have you seen it? The Tweedites who congregate there all think alike. They love Bon Iver. They hate Son Volt. They love She & Him. They hate Son Volt. They love Bonnie “Prince” Billy. They hate Son Volt. And they all hate “Heavy Metal Drummer.” Blah, blah, blah”. Complete BS. I have spent quite a bit of time there and anyone, the writer included, that has spent time there knows that ‘they all think alike and hate SV and Heavy Metal Drummer’ is patently false. In truth, I rarely see SV maligned and when they are, other VCers defend them. Heavy Metal Drummer, from my VC experience, is a beloved concert staple by the majority of VCers. The merits of various bands are debated there daily. But again, it is cheap, lazy and easy to bring up the tired old “ViaChicago is a cult” to get an positive response.
I like the over/under concept and have no problem with honest Wilco criticism. But this article is just bad. Talk about trying to write a hit!
Hate to be Captain Obvious here, but 4 of the 5 good songs were wrote before Jay Bennett got the boot, and 4 of the 5 bad songs are from after…pattern??
why don’t you call this “5 Songs I Like and 5 Songs I Don’t”? what universe do you like in where Impossible Germany, What Light, etc are overrated? i expected this to thought provoking. instead, i found it “cornified!”
I’m going to have to echo the comment made earlier. I have really enjoyed this segment thus far but this writer is way, way off. In what universe can you claim “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “Shot in the Arm” underrated while “Company in my Back” is “a deep unknown cut?!” Oh, you mean that deep unknown cut that’s found on two of the band’s seven proper albums? Here is a band with a treasure trove of b-sides and rarities and this guy is picking songs from its standard set list?
This writer seems to be playing upon a unique curve in trying to incite (not well, mind you) the band’s fans instead of honestly gauging under/overrated Wilco songs, a concept that I would have loved to have seen tackled. Instead we get this idea that this “non-Tweedite” can come in and wow us with a fresh perspective. Just how is someone who isn’t that familiar with the band’s catalogue going to earn any credibility in his/her opinions making claims like this? Wouldn’t a certain sense of expertise regarding the band make something like this worth reading instead of some lame reactionary half-truths?
Heavy Metal Drummer and Hummingbird are equally dumb, but the latter is the superior track. That violin line (or whatever it is) at the end is a very unusual hook, yet it’s great. It’s a great vocal from Tweedy and it’s just plain catchy. People who defend Heavy Metal Drummer always use the “You wouldn’t understand something as indelible as a simple pop tune.” Um, yes we would. Passenger Side is almost retarded, yet irresistable. Wilco have dozens of pop tunes that are stupid when you dig deep, but great to listen to. Unfortunately, Heavy Metal Drummer is not one of these songs. People hate it for a reason: It sucks. Not because they lack a certain appreciation for songs that are “dumb, simple, poppy”. Nobody is being an elitist. It’s just a bad song. Move on, Roob.
PS – I will say that the Pollard/GBV stuff was mostly on the mark. So you’re not always wrong. Just when it comes to the great Hummingbird vs Heavy Metal Drummer. Also, I think Impossible Germany is one of the few gems off the new one, so cut it some slack.
My two cents…
Everything on YHF is overrated.
Via Chicago is a great song. I’m guessing Boob doesn’t like it because he’s listened to it so much. Summerteeth is probably not the Wilco-diehard’s favorite album, but it’s the only one I listen to from beginning to end.
The first 5-6 lines of Misunderstood are poetry.
California Stars (not technically a Wilco song) is still one of their best.
Nice, more shit stir-age. Lets see…Wilco, GBV, my guess for next up on the over/under list would be Pavement. Or perhaps Magnet’s beloved Wrens…one can never get enough Wrens coverage. “Impossible Germany” was a good call on this one, but “Heavy Metal Drummer” is by no means under-rated…that song got lots of love circa the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot days. And seriously, “Company In My Back?” That’s like the 11th best song on that album. I just hope the new album is better than the last one, cuz the last album was kinda like a big sack o’ poo.
All my Wilco friends love Heavy Metal Drummer, and I recall being arm in arm on the verge of tears in concert as we celebrated the memory of the innocence of youth to that song.
Impossible Germany. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost myself in that beautiful guitar solo that ends all too soon for me. Such is life. Gotta admit its humorous that what I find so compelling about a song is precisely what you can’t wait to end!
Via Chicago is indeed the creepiest fan board on the web. 1,000’s of WILCO fans who never heard of the band before 2001. Ever see the pictures on there from when a gang of those goons dressed up like people from Willy Wonka and went to a show at the Vic? YIKES!
i have a feeling each boston spaceships (man, that is one lame band name!) record will surpass the previous one. really looking for to the fall release of zero to 99, and then a brief west coast tour!!
sw
It seems like the writer just threw out a bunch of outrageous comments to get a some responses and prove people read his list. Well it worked. I’ve got only one word to say about his overrated list…WRONG!
If TIM lost (either) “I’ll Buy” or “Dose of Thunder” (take your pick) AS WELL AS “Lay it Down Clown” and subbed it with “Nowhere Is My Home” and “Cant Hardly Wait” there’s no question that it would be the best ‘Mats album ever ever ever ever… wow, gives me the shivers just considerin’ it!
To steal an idea from Chuck Klosterman, here are the five most accurately-rated Mats songs:
1. Can’t Hardly Wait: It’s generally accepted that while the song is genius, and both versions are great, the unreleased Tim version is slightly better. No one really disputes this, and it’s certainly a true statement, so it’s accurately rated
2. We’ll inherit the Earth: For the most part, people think that this song blows. Noone really disagrees on this. Accurately-rated.
3. Bastards of Young: People generally love this song. There’s no asshole at the party trying to drunkenly convince you this tune sucks. We all love it and live by it. Accurately rated.
4. Kick your Door Down: People are generally split down the middle on this, and for good reason: it’s not great, and it doesn’t suck either. So pretty much it’s controversy is well deserved and accurately represented.
5. Fuck School: No one is gonna put this on the top of their list, and it’s pretty obvious that Paul probably wrote it in all of five minutes, yet at the same time, I defy you to find one Mats fan who could live without it. So put it in the “Essential but overshadowed” column and call that sucker accurately rated.
Lets be frank, Bob has always taken a bit of work. The biggest obstacle any fan faces with each new release is the massive body of work preceding it. How hard is it not to compare with the sheer brilliance of what he has done in the past? Personally I’ll continue to plow through ANYTHING by Bob I can get my hands on, knowing that with persistance I’ll find the hidden gems that’ll change my world. For me, he IS the greatest songwriter ever. Of course it’s not a competition though….
It appears as though Wilco fans are a little more rabid than you had thought. These comments remind me of a Star Wars convention or something… settle down fellows! I enjoyed your article and consider myself a Wilco fan. I am glad that you at least gave ‘It’s Just That Simple’ a nod. I have always thought that was a great song, one that is truly underrated.
The photo is wrong for the album you’ve selected. That one is from early 92′ during the record “Bill” I will say, I do look like Carol Channing in that photo by the way. The correct line up photo is in the contents of the CD artwork. Obviously you don’t have it or you would have put it up instead. We’re going to re-release this record on “Good Records” (which was the first release for that label by the way) For two reasons.. It’s Fucking Great! and 2. nobody really knows about it, cause we only printed 2,500 copies. There’s also a song called “Tragaverse” that’s one to behold. Quintessential Tripping Daisy at it’s moments best. I know I’m shameless for boasting my own group so forgive me. I can’t help it, I’m just excited someone has finally noticed this record. Like the feller said in the earlier comment 1998’s “Jesus Hit’s Like The Atom Bomb” IS an incredible record. Another the one that went unnoticed. We were dropped very soon after it’s release. Clearly the best record we EVER
made. It’s definitely our “Odyssey and Oracle” if you will. (god I’m bad) You can even hear hints of Polyphonic Spree pushing to the surface even before the self titled “Tripping Daisy” Thanks again for noticing and allowing me to gush on my own group. Tim
Funny stuff, even if I didnt agree with it. Love Via Chicago but thats a valid critique. Completely disagree with the comments on Impossible Germany. Mountain Bed should be on the top of the underrated list regardless of who wrote it.
Writer is definitely trying to get people riled up, looks like it worked. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if its laughably bad.
You might have written him off (I had!) but the new Pete Doherty album is absolutely sublime. Seriously. It’s like Scott Walker crossed with Joe Strummer crossed with…. something very English but not too much so. I’m from Australia and I love it. And I very much dislike most of Babyshambles and the Libertines bar a handful of tracks. But this Doherty solo is really VERY GOOD.
You might have written him off (I had!) but the new Pete Doherty album is absolutely sublime. Seriously. It’s like Scott Walker crossed with Joe Strummer crossed with…. something very English but not too much so. I’m from Australia and I love it. And I very much dislike most of Babyshambles and the Libertines bar a handful of tracks. But this Doherty solo is really VERY GOOD.
Let’s be honest. It was the mid-90s. We were young and impressionable. We made a record that sounded like a bunch of other records we were listening to at the time. We came clean about it even then, confessing we were products of our record collections. We may have had a knack for hooks, stabby guitars, and experimental decorations, but frankly, Wrecked By Lions is nothing more than a good, middling, indie album.
When the time for my deathbed accounting comes, I’ll put the first (self-titled) and third (Saint The Fire Show) albums I made with Michael Lenzi in the Fire Show at the top of the ledger sheet. But they went more or less unnoticed. They were too weird at the time, too far outside any easily identified and named category.
If someone wants to dig up a couple of albums that were truly lost and quite possibly classics, skip Wrecked By Lions, get a real good shovel, and see if you can unearth copies of The Fire Show and Saint The Fire Show.
-Seth Kim-Cohen (Number One Cup and The Fire Show)
Why bother putting a guy’s name in the headline if the content is just going to be name-calling between somebody who doesn’t really talk about the man in question, and somebody who obviously hasn’t read anything by him?
Western PA is an amazing area to explore as evidenced by the content of this book. It is rare to find a city like Pittsburgh that has the lingering indicators of its past alongside a renewed cultural future. What I mean to say is – try to find these signs around the area and you are sure to have a wonderful time and stumble upon small stores, interesting antiques, and very odd but interesting people.
who the fuck does this asshole think he is??? he plays the bass in a mediocre (at best) rock band that has never had an original idea to begin with. this sounds like a way for mr. dengler to make some more famous friends who in turn will pay him to dj at their birthday parties.
i bumped into dengler at a manhattan bar during interpol’s heyday. i will only say that he was quite the jerk. i recall laughing at his absurd attitude.
the trailer for this film is absolutely hysterical. this is sixth-grade film class material.
I’m not quite sure how one can call AM underrated?? Being from the midwest, to be exact STL, most Wilco fans favorite album was/is AM. Just goes to show my “Box full of Letters,” Passenger Side,” “High,” and others from this album end up making it on the encore list at shows. Also, the fine majority of Wilco fans around here are huge fans of Son Volt as well. I find it hard to believe that any hardcore Uncle Tupelo fans could love one band but not the other.
Hello! I’m a fairly new subscriber. I really enjoy the magazine. Kudos to Phily for having the chops to produce such a high-quality music mag. Here in Chicagoland, there is no equivalent. Anyway, I liked the 15th anniversary issue, with one exception – The Sound Check (Beatles vs. Stones). I was struck by the odd choices of Beatles albums to profile: Sgt Pepper (their most over-rated album); the White Album (brilliant in parts, self-indulgent in others); and Let it Be (their most poorly produced album, if we refer to the Phil Spector abomination; note – I’d advise anyone and everyone to spin the reissued Let it Be Naked version from a couple of years back instead). In my opinion, the “best” Beatles albums are Rubber Soul and Revolver (their mid-period classics), and Abbey Road (their final album – remember that Let it Be was recorded earlier, but released later, than Abbey Road). I also think it is pointless to compare the Beatles and the Stones because they reprsent different musical genres. Although this would likely piss off John Lennon, I think the Beatles were a power-pop/psychadelic band, and the Stones play staight up blues-tinged rock.
Welcome news on the Richard Thompson box, but you do know he already has an excellent 6 cd (if you count the disc you could mail away for) box from Free Reed?
This is a good record, but the other two were way better. They really came into their own on the second album The Practice of Joy Before Death, and the final album Rock Collection is a true lost classic.
Magnet: Stop raiding my CD collection!
I got this as a birthday present from a friend shortly after it came out, and I still play it regularly. Definitely a classic, and I’m surprised more GBV fans don’t get into the Bevis Frond. There is a similar lo-fi aesthetic, along with the classic rock hooks and sweeping melodies.
All subjective IMO. I was in High School when The Smith were putting out these albums and I do mean albums. All these song mean and this band means more to me and those in and around my age group than you could possible understand. to dissect music is a music writer job. I too have done so. but the smith all around for those of us who love them are very special and we all do have our favorites.
This one, I am right on board with. “Back To The Old House” is one of my favorite Smiths tunes. And “Paint A Vulgar Picture” is one of the most prophetic songs in nerd history. Great job this week!
I really, really want to hate to Napoleon Dynamite, and often do, because it is unadulterated propaganda for the twee-ization of America. But the cinematography and costuming are really nice. They’re fun to look at. And the dialogue is not as bad as most indie-teen movies — meaning the 16-year-olds’ conversations don’t mirror the phony-for-adults-and-doubly-phony-for teens annoying quips of Hawkeye and Trapper John from M.A.S.H., as does Superbad, Let’s Get Pregnant, and all those other blabberteen epics. I kinda thought Gummo had a good ear for adolescent verbal enterchanges, also Spheeris’s Suburbia. Maybe I just hung out with really dumb kids in high school.
Also, I thought it was cool to watch a Godzilla movie from the perspective of one of the people he steps on. Cloverfield is a little like HBO-lite, but you could do a lot worse. Showtime, the SCIFI network, etc.
I was once picking up tickets at will call at a DeadCan Dance show at Radio City Music Hall and he was next to me insisting his name should be on the guest list.He was seriously acting like a little bitch.Thats my experience with him.
Girlfriend in a Coma, YES, yes, it is extremely overrated BUT I draw the line there. I will not allow you to debase ‘How Soon Is Now?’ You must apologize immediately for that slight against hu… hu…humanity.
Turning to the facts, on page 85 of Morrissey & Marr: The Sausage Appliance:
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Quote:
With the American dream postponed and his dole money squandered on Patti Smith excursions, Morrissey decided to seek a job. It was to prove one of his biggest mistakes to date. At the end of November, he secured a post with the Civil Service and was so appalled by the suffocating atmosphere and meniality of the tasks shoved before him that he quit within a fortnight. Upon returning to the Civil Centre, he became embroiled in an argument with a disgusted DHSS official who concluded the diatribe with the biting rejoinder, “People like you make me feel sick.” It was a humiliating moment and a woeful insight into the contempt often experienced by the unemployed. More salutary evidence of official disapprobation followed when Morrissey learned that his weekly beneft had been reduced to a paltry £5. His crime had been leaving the unsatisfactory Civil Service job for “no good reason”. He was now in a worse position than if he hadn’t taken the irksome job in the first place.
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Seems to fit quite perfectly with the lyrics of that great Smiths song, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable now”.
And how does this guy know Moz never once got drunk before he wrote that song?
__________________
How Soon Is Now?
it’s a freaking classic, mate. how does one overrate a classic? Oh god, a really good song that got popular and sampled and played and played. well, shit, that means we have to stop liking it now, right? please. so freaking typical.
totally agree. The Wrestler is one of the few movies i have seen this year that i liked better the more i thought about it and as more time passed after having seen it. it’s oddly poetic, subtle and simple. oh, and not wildly contrived…
It reminds me of years gone by, when I was 17, a freshman in highschool, in Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton. After huffing a bag of glue, I found myself in the broom closet with the school’s Armenian janitor. She originally came to this country as a mail order bride, but for whatever reason, that didn’t work out, and at the time she was living with my math teacher who looked like the female version of Bruce Jenner. She was twice my age and had twice as much facial hair, had a grip like a merchant marine, but it was good, and this song was good. Like her tongue, the melody swirled around my ear like a waterlogged piece of sandpaper.
It reminds me of years gone by, when I was 17, a freshman in highschool, in Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton. After huffing a bag of glue, I found myself in the broom closet with the school’s Armenian janitor. She originally came to this country as a mail order bride, but for whatever reason, that didn’t work out, and at the time she was living with my math teacher who looked like the female version of Bruce Jenner. She was twice my age, had twice as much facial hair, had a grip like a merchant marine, but it was good, and this song was good. Like her tongue, the melody swirled around my ear like a waterlogged piece of sandpaper.
Hey Jay! Remember me, Donnie? I used to hook you up with those tapes you liked. You used to sit around for hours, I mean hours (did you even know the time was passing?), watching secret camera footage of people squeezing fruit at grocery stores. First it started with oranges, then grapefruits, but you didn’t stop there did you, Jason? By the time you got to pomagranates and kiwis, you became a different person, and that is when I decided to eject. I just couldn’t contribute to your obsession any longer..
Why isn’t the Smith’s instrumental song “MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING” on anyone’s list?
THAT ONE IS THE MONEY!!!!
OVER RATE THAT AND YOU HAVE UNDERRATED YOUR PSYCHE!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!
Couldn’t agree more on the overrated, but even though they are one one of my favorite band…………..Isn’t ALL there work a bit underrated and dismissed by most?
Out of all the sophmore slump nominees out there, you happened to pick two albums that contain some of the best career material of two of these bands, The Clash and Weezer. You are two albums too pretentious in writing off The Clash right around the peak of Strummer’s musical career. I have never heard anyone denounce those guys before Sandinista! so I will assume that you’re a disciple of the school of Les Bangs by looking for holes in completely awesome albums as an attention seeking imitator of the few music reviewers who actually have good judgment.
Aww, did the big mean boy make fun of the girls? Stupid mean boy who’s just being mean. Look, I like “Dig Me Out” as much as the next man, but S-K needs no hypersensitive fanboys to raise their petticoats in their defense.
So, to whoever wrote “One of the tenants in today’s writing is to avoid sexist language ” — aren’t you done with college yet? In the real world, there isn’t any thought police following you around…you can actually speak of people in Designated Victim Groups with disdain without having a pre-fab frenzy of PC brownshirts descending on you in a frisson of hissing. Please get over yourself.
Enh. I know I’m supposed to like Paul’s Boutique, and I supposed I don’t hate it, but it’s definitely the dust-collector of my Beastie Boys CD’s. I mean, it doesn’t suck as much as To the Five Boroughs, but I just never seem to get that “must listen to PB” feeling. My fault, no doubt.
Hunter Thompson is dead. Becoming so is the most useful thing he could think of doing. This is about the only thing I respect his opnion on. He’s Burroughs for frat boys. Let’s move on.
Morrissey really is a dirty old whore. On top of the shameless pile of compilations, he hasn’t made a decent record since 1994 or so. He was good with Johnny Marr though, until he fucked that up.
I like How Soon Is Now, but I prefer to hear Marr’s jangle and arpeggios. He really was a lovely player.
My favorite Philip Roth novel is The Human Stain. There’s a plot twist (which is more than a twist – it’s the whole basis of the story) that you should not know about going into the book, so try not to spoil it for yourself.
You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby, is hands down one of my very favourite Smiths songs. Totally underrated. Totally agree. An amazing chorus, and a fantastic Marr lick.
You’re Getting Married aka Please Don’t Get Married. There are a few versions floating around, including the one from the recent reissue (I believe they put it on Stink). That’s the most underrated song by the Mats IMHO.
For solo, I’d say Tears Rolling Up My Sleeves is one I’ve never heard live and think is a great one.
I can’t disagree too strongly with the underrated tracks selected, but the reasons for the overrated tracks are quite idiotic. “Because 23 years later, the war is over and the DJs have won” — what has that got to do with the quality of the song? It’s a tremendous cop-out to disparage a song for not accurately prophesying the future, or for something like “logical disconnect,” and I suspect the only reason why the author didn’t have anything more interesting to say about lyrics or melody is because . . . he hasn’t actually got anything interesting to say. Stranger things have happened.
Also, to the guy who said “you know when local radio plays ‘how soon is now’ that it is definately OVER”: if local radio is so OVER why on earth are you listening to it? Just to keep score? Local radio is 99% over in my area (NYC) too and that’s why I don’t listen to it. If the morons responsible for programming it happen to play a decent song every now and then, I’m certainly not going to use that as a reason to decide the song must suck. Letting other people (particularly people you don’t even like!) determine your taste is pretty sad if you’re older than age 14 or so.
recommendations appreciated, mr kasher. you might like george battailes, if you don’t already. “venus in furs”, though not overtly misogynistic, is quite perverse; a simply amazing book. great letterman performance, btw, loved the house horn section jumping in at the end.
Funny, there isn’t a Smiths song I don’t like but one of my least favorites is actually the so-called ‘under-rated’ “You Just Haven’t…” In fact, just this morning, that song was in my head and I was thinking that weird since it’s not one I particularly love..so I find it also interesting so many agree with the assessment. As far as under-rated, I’d include “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” – which was only recorded as a Peel Session, and not for an album or single (even the band under-rated it…or maybe just couldn’t improve upon that version!) Likewise, when it comes to “Back to the Old House”, the Peel Session version is definitely superior to the single version (*because* it highlights Marr’s guitar.) Oddly enough, I just saw Morrissey this past week and the song that probably resonated best (to me) was the somewhat obscure Smiths song “I Keep MIne Hidden” over the solo material and other Smiths songs he chose to play (including “How Soon is Now” which I still love, but could think of many others Smiths songs I’d rather hear him do live before that one.)
While I disagree with your assessment of songs like “The National Anthem”, “Electioneering”, “High and Dry”, etc. I give you kudos for good calls on “Blow Out”, the How Am I Driving EP and, of course, Kid A (which is my favorite Radiohead album). I’d like to offer up some pics (in no particular order), not necessarily of underrated songs, but moreso of lost gems or tracks that you just don’t hear about much, but are nonetheless stellar:
1) “Follow Me Around” – One of those great b-sides that has never seen a proper recording. The version played on Meeting People is Easy, during a soundcheck, is just awesome, especially how it slowly evolves into a full-band jam.
2) “Nude” – One of my only disappointments with In Rainbows is that albums version of “Nude”, another great b-side holdover from the OK Computer era. Great as it is, the In Rainbows version doesn’t reach the greatness of early live recordings (and also found on MPIE) floating around. And unlike the beautifully subdued IR version, Thom sings his ass off on here.
3) “Gagging Order” – Easily the best thing on the Com Lag EP, this is a beautiful, fingerpicked little masterpiece, along the same lines and every bit as good as “True Love Waits”.
4) “A Reminder” – From the aforementioned How Am I Driving EP, this is a wonderful, dark, shuffling track that, while I liked it from the start but not as much as other songs on the EP, over the years has become one of my favorites on HAID?
5) “Thinking About You” – A great, simple acoustic track from Pablo Honey that still gets me. Forever a soundtrack for lost/unrequited love.
6) “Where I End and You Begin” – While I do like Hail to the Thief, I agree that, among their catalog, it is one of their weaker albums full of good ideas that just didn’t live up to what they could have been. “There There” is probably considered the best song on the album, but “WIEAYB” is a soaring rocker propelled by killer bass riffs that just doesn’t get the recognition it should.
7) “Motion Picture Soundtrack” – While this song can seem slight at first, it beautifully opens up in bright vivid colors and, along with tracks like “Videotape” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”, proves that Radiohead really know how to close and album
“Sulk” – On album full of them, the Bends is loaded with great, oversized, arena-ready rockers and “Sulk” is probably one of the best but is sometimes overshadowed by other, better-known tracks.
9) “Let Down” – While this song has a more traditional structure to it than other tracks on OK Computer, sounding more akin to tracks from The Bends, this nevertheless had “single” written all over it with a great build up into an uplifting crescendo that is a standout on an already amazing album.
10) “Worrywort” – From the “Knives Out” single, this is a beautifully chill, sun-drenched song with some sad but ultimately uplifting lyrics that, despite Radiohead’s proclivity for electronics, still (to me anyway) sounds unlike a lot of their stuff for it’s heavy use of them.
Ive never heard such an ignorant article on TBK. Starting it off by comparing them to the White Stripes? Really? They sound nothing like them and hate the comparison. Do all trios sound alike too?
Matt H – Yes, we know it’s a cover. Hence the “makeover” comment. The point is that Morrissey licensed that song to the NFL Network and allowed the cover to happen.
Morrissey has never been able to achieve the greatness of 1988’s Viva Hate. Every album since has not even come close. He should have stuck with Stephen Street. He would have had a very different career.
Come check out Arizona with me tomorrow at the BAAMO show. Free food, free beer, and some kick-ass bands. It will be fun. I know it’s out a bit, but I PROMISE that I will get you back to downtown. Besides, South Congress is awesome and it’s right next to Gueros.
Wednesday, 3/18 – BAAMO party at Yard Dog. Free food, beer, Cuban coffee and cigars.
Where: 1510 S Congress (a short cab ride, but totally worth it!)
6:45 pm Arizona (indie prog-rock band from Brooklyn. ‘heavy mellow’ )
I’d never heard “Girl Least Likely To”. I’m guessing that horrible band The Boy Least Likely To borrowed that? Those wusses make Morrissey look like a gladiator
Matthew, Morrissey did not license EILS to the NFL. Artists have no control who covers their material, it’s called a compulsory license. You think Morrissey/Marr were super psyched to have t.A.T.u cover “How Soon Is Now?”? I disagree with you on “Tomorrow”. “Get Off The Stage”? Really? It’s right down there with “Tony The Pony”. “Girl Least Likely To” seems somewhat less brilliant when you find out it’s a straight-up rip off of The Cookies song “Only to Other People”.
I disagree with almost everything you say – where to start…. I just wonder why your opinion is worth being published at all – it isn’t interesting – well formed or based on any kind of sound judgement – perhaps you would be more suited to working in catering or in a local shop? I suggest you resign now before the inevitable push comes.
i stopped reading at this moronic take:
I simply don’t like Bruce Springsteen. He’s a middling guitar player and sings like he’s trying to pass a kidney stone.
All three are great but without question, Down By the River…, the third is infinitely the best of them, showing the writer turning a significant corner by displaying a firmer conviction of confidence in his voice.
I can’t stand it when these “actors” make albums. They are always crap. This is no different. The singing is awful.
All these wankers do is waste good press space “like Magnet” from the artist that really need it. Stick to acting dude.
That flippant slag of Bruce turn this “debate” into contrived silly time, nothing more constructive. I’m not a Springsteen addict (a fan, at best), but I do realize that comparing journeymen to upstarts is pointless and overdone, as the jury ain’t out yet. I think that a Springsteen versus Mats comparison would have been a lot more fun, as you’d have complete bodies of work to bitch and gripe about. And I agree with the above post, singing like you give a shit is nothing to be ashamed of, and I think that Bruce’s pedigree isn’t the stuff of Michael Bolton. Can we at least agree on that??
I gotta tell ya,as someone who was around to see the birth of The Box Tops AND The Replacements,the Pleased To Meet Me version of Can’t Hardly Wait makes perfect sense.Y’all love Big Star cuz Paul said so,but BET me that he loves The Box Tops just as much.The strings and horns take a fantastic song and turns it into one of the five finest records ever made….by ANYBODY.Hell,even Mr. Chilton went back to this style on Hot Thing.Can’t Hardly Wait is like My girl by The Temptations…I’ll NEVER get sick of hearing it,and it gives me a thrill every time.Thank you Paul!!
Hi corey….peter adams and jeremy messersmith are performing at sxsw peter is at chuggin monkey thursday at 7pm and jeremy messersmith is also on thursday at 5pm at nuno’s.
this is actually great, some of the actors that have made records arent so great, but then again many of the “musicians” that make records are not so great either. wtf, take it for what it is, doesnt matter to me what he did before or after making this song. good music is good music. Thanks Magnet
Correction on my last post – opps – I listed the wrong date Peter Adams at the chuggin monkey at 7pm on SATURDAY and Jeremy Messersmith is 5pm at NUNO’S are both performing Saturday not thursday.
You don’t need 7 people in an indie band. The public needs to know who is the real talent in this band. There can only be 3 at best. Cocteau Twins 101.
Hi Kristin,
I respectably disagree. The singing is garbage to me. That’s my crappy opinion. I am a cocteau twins fan so singing is everything to me. My beef: He’s already a movie star. Does he really need to be a rock star? He will never get real respect as a musician. He’ll just sell his songs to HBO’s Entourage or some new movie he is in or directing. You can’t be both. There was only one Bo Jackson.
I wish the record could have been finished but I guess we’re lucky to have 3 new Cardinal songs. I fell lucky that I got to play these songs at Richard’s Cake Shop gigs. It’s all quite bittersweet really.
Not sure where the Keith Haring business comes into it, but if it has Weimaraners in it, it’s more than likely associated with William Wegman. I watched the video and saw no overt-Haring style represented.
But, kudos on the song selections.
No Replacements songs are really overrated in my opinion so I’ll give you a couple of underrated.
I Hate Music
-At the beginning when someone says “Tape’s Rolling” and Paul says….”So What.”… it cracks me up even after I’ve heard it thousands of times. Also the lyrics “I hate my father/One day I won’t” hints at the brilliance and sophistication that Westerberg will attain as a songwriter in the future and it gives me goose bumps thinking about it.
Nobody
-Start to finish this is just a masterful song lyrically and musically. Some of the greatest and profound lyrics ever penned. The song manages to be alternately humorous and melancholy. Full of anger, indignation and empathy all to a catchy beat. Reminds me of some Elvis Costello songs in that regard. “Knees quake there aint a shotgun in the place/You like the frosting/You just bought the cake/Your eyes can’t fake?/Still in love with nobody/And I won’t tell nobody” And later in the song with the infamous Westerberg howl….”And your still in love with nobody/And I used to be nobody.” It’s a perfect song and very much underrated probably because All Shook Down is somewhat reviled by a lot of Mats fans.
first of all.. you are pretty correct re Acclerate, im sad to say. 2nd – So. Central Rain was beautiful REM at thier best.. classic Buck guitar, yearning lyrics and southern imagery.. and a simple chorus that was very unique at the time. the song that really turned me on the to band forever.. so I dont agree with you there at all. then you go on to talk about some really underrated songs on records you say are complete drivel – it would be more interesting to hear re the great songs that may have been overlooked on good records. By the way.. Around the Sun (the song) is way underrated on a pretty mediocre record.
I strongly disagree with Roob that “So. Central Rain” is merely “mediocre”; though I’ll admit that I’ve probably heard it too many times in my life and am mildly sick of it. I do agree, though, that “Sitting Still” is probably R.E.M.’s best song ever.
While I see the Springsteen comparison, I think sonically the Gaslight Anthem is much closer to the Gin Blossoms than anything Springsteen (or punk, for that matter). Then I again, I like both the Gaslight Anthem and the Gin Blossoms, so what do I know?
It’s amazing how much I agree on pretty much every point. You’ll get the argument that a bad can’t stay the same, they have to evolve. Sadly REM has devolved. They’re just getting old, somewhat inevitable. But that’s the easy explanation I suppose.
Fun list. I’m going to second (third) the others in that I love “So. Central Rain.” I used to play it on repeat, which was hard to do with vinyl. I never loved the “End of the World” lists either, and “Stand” is the song that made me walk away from them. I also agree with the comment that I’d like to hear your list of underrated songs from the GOOD records, as I don’t even know those later records enough to appreciate that those songs are okay given the awful songs surrounding them. They all just sound like bad later era stuff to my inexperienced ears.
And for mentioning “Driver 8,” you win.
Man, I love it too. Bought it when it came out on a whim after hearing it at Discafe La Jolla. Saw Unrest open for the Breeders the year before and was unimpressed. Wish I’d known then.
Ok, I’m with you on Up and Around the Sun, but seriously…don’t you dare try to lump Reveal into those two. People like you are the reason they made Accelerate. Let the band evolve!
Underrated songs from good R.E.M. records:
Automatic–Try Not to Breathe (a fine song and performance)
Out of Time–Endgame (catchy, nice vocals, no lyrics, beach boyish without the OCD of the later stuff)
Green–World Leader Pretend (I’ve always liked this one)
Document–Fireplace (listen to it now and it sounds like a classic R.E.M. rocker)
Life’s Rich Pageant (great album)–Flowers of Guatemala (elegant and beautiful)
Fables (Maybe my Favorite R.E.M.album)–Green Grow the Rushes (classic folk rock with fine guitar parts)
Reckoning (so many fine songs)–Letter Never Sent (never sure of the lyrics to this one, “Heaven is yours” something about catacombs…..)
Murmur (I agree that Sitting Still is great)-West of the Fields
Mostly agree except I also like So Central Rain though there were certainly better songs on the record. I think you also nail Accelerate appropriately. I beg to disagree with one commenter. Accelerate is not the sound of a band evolving.
Great stuff in lists above.
Fables/Pageant are the monsters to watch. Like great paintings they continue to morph years along. Fretless is top with They come and they come and they come/I accept it with a gentle tongue. Star Me is decent. Stipe’s still Stipe all along the way.
I agree with eiight of the thoughts, but disagree with the assessment of South Central Rain and Accelerate. Both are quite good, especially Acclerate. Is it a “returh to form” (what the hell does this mean anyway), I don’t know, but it is quite good.
Of course, everyone agrees that the post-Berry albums don’t measure up toe the four after, but the latter four are still much better than the shi-ite put out today. And they are still an excellent touring band.
I always put the comma after making, so “love-making, a waste of time, sitting still.” But that’s pretty much exactly the way I mumble the words.
Always thought Falls to Climb was about the most underrated late era track ever. Those comments on leave are spot-on. I remember my old CD player having some queue button that would actually skip just the acoustic intro and go straight to the crazy siren, and the fact that somewhere on the record the info was encoded to let that be so easy to do made me kind of sad.
And I’ve always had the sense that Driver 8 lives in the Fall On Me/Country Feedback land of regard, so I’m not sure it could be underrated–it’s just an amazing song.
Hey Bob, Don’t feel bad just because you haven’t accomplished even one of the things this guy has. You can do as many things as you want in life. This is a cool song. I want to hear the whole album now!
You had me at “chimichanga”… would have been my reply had I not stayed with an internet-less SXSW host. We were all fooled a little at first. It was hilarious. Still laughing.
…do yourself a favor and check out the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode on this very movie. i think its from 4th volume of dvd’s they’re released.
until you get a chance to enjoy the whole episode, i hope this little gem will help you pass the time.
All,
Every single R.E.M recording from Chronc Town to Document is classic and not to be fucked with on any level or discussion….end of story.
There are sparse projectiles of tunes that are great since then, and I have to say all of them with Bill Berry on drums are great, and Accerlerate is a peek into what happens when they forget their money and get down to business writing the meaningful art-indie style and force they have always had in them without trying…
While I agree that latter day R.E.M. does not hold a candle to the E.M.I. years, referring to it as “lifeless crap” and a “steaming pile of pig vomit” tells me that you are one of these third graders that refers to everything as either ‘the best thing ever’ or the ‘worst thing ever’ without any ability to accept that certain things can rest on a middle ground. You say that ‘Accelerate’ “sounds like vintage R.E.M. without actually possessing the soul of a vintage R.E.M. record.” Yet you also refer to it as crap. So by that analysis, the only thing that separates vintage R.E.M. from, say, a Right Said Fred record, is this “soul possession.” I’m sorry, I feel that there are many more ingredients contributing to the greatness of early R.E.M. than simply a vague ’soul.’ I’ll accept that post ‘96 R.E.M. may be boring or simply ‘not for you’, but lumping it in with artists that really are ‘crap’ is a bit juvenile.
As a lifelong REM fan, I never really ever, ever thought of Stand or It’s the End of the World As We Know It as “highly rated” songs in the first place. I’m sure most of you would agree. Staples, maybe, but highly rated? Never!
I also think So. Central Rain deserves to be highly rated. Classic beauty.
Really? A lost classic at the ripe old age of 6 years? Don’t get me wrong, I love this album but I think you’ve got to push your cutoff date a bit further back. Maybe a minimum of 10 or 15 years?
I will dare to stick a link here to my just-penned list of underrated Replacements songs. A reunion really is a moot point with all of Westerberg’s great solo albums since, but nostalgia is a tough emotion to fight for all those sorta-grown-up fans. Including moi.
You know what you like Greg, and there’s no harm in that. Other then a few artists (Interpol???) that deserve to be skewered at every turn, there’s certainly no right or wrong in pop land.
Is it me or was this over-rated section lacking in any substantive/quantifiable criticism or acknowledgement on just how these songs were overrated? Seems more just like explanations/historical editorializing
True, commenter Matt, true indeed. And in the ‘underrated’ category, well, if for instance a song never appeared on an album (until a recent rarities collection) it seems like you could argue the song isn’t ‘underrated’, it’s actually UNrated. But Magnet is valiantly pursuing their Over/Under thing. Maybe they should change it to Over/Over: Over-hyped and Overlooked. Hmm.
Ben Neil, no Ben Folds, no, um, Ben Kweller, no, Ben Franklin. erg! Ben Lee. oh that ben. oh. no thanks.
Neil Young needs to slow down a little, do a little more judicious parsing, make us miss him a little more. I’m still catching up with his last 5 (studio) albums, which I now own all of, and there are some real gems within. Pretty good for an old guy.
Some Song is actually a deceptively simple 6-chords and the truth exercise…
nice to get to hear these UNrated songs, despite the wholier-than-though [sic] disposition of the journalist.
My only comment other a mention of Smarty Pants Alert, is
“occasional dalliances with Sondheim (“The Rake’s Song”)”
Sondheim? Is there a typo? That song, the one you get to listen to, is certainly a cool song… but, mostly 2 chords throughout with a pounding rock riff does not a Sondheim dalliance make, despite the lyrical story-telling shenanigans…. maybe if instead of going to music school sondheim went to a party with the stooges?
yea I’m not a fan of this section. After the first couple artists it’s now a cut-and-paste intro. And for Elliott I thought ‘oh no, don’t attempt to stir up some forced controversy on Elliott’. It’s shameful. Maybe I’m too reverent of Elliott. And the fact that he’s gone, this seems disgraceful. Do it to some current narcissistic overpaid artist, not Elliott. By the way, this column’s top 5 are some of my favorite songs. His work was too beautiful and fragile to treat in a column like this.
Horslips’ (the greatest Irish band ever!) 2nd album was titled “The Tain,” and was a full lp song cycle on the legend. They also recorded the greatest con-
cept album ever, “Book of Invasions,” based on another Irish legend.
It is just one reporter’s opinion who gets press. It is a pretty useless section. Jack had a good suggestion. Or a reader’s inactive poll would be more interesting..see what everyone thinks. It may draw ones attention to some new song we missed before..
These types of lists always fail ultimately because there is not enough analysis of why songs are over/under-rated. I also think they might work better with an artist who is a little more mainstream.
Otherwise, you have to spend too much time explaining the history of the underrated songs, since many are obscure (which as others noted makes them unknown or “unrated” more so than “underrated”). And of course the overrated songs always end up being some of the artist’s most popular songs. How could they not? Nobody is going to pick an obscure b-side as an overrated song.
i’ve only been checking out MAGNET online for about a month or so but, with that said, i SOOOOO *LOVE THIS SECTION*! please, please, please, do not change one thing! reading the comments left by these, eh-em, “fans” just cracks me up everytime. first, to everyone who hates this section–why do you KEEP READING IT AGAIN AND AGAIN? you know, i don’t like FOX News and don’t find it informative or very insightful–guess what, i don’t watch FOX news. simple, right? second, with the frantic overhypization and voluminous consumption of any and everything new that seems to be the norm these days, what this column SUCCESSFULLY does is force these “fans” to remember and appreciate music and musicians that they probably haven’t been listening to lately because they just can’t get enough of Black Kids.
lastly if you haven’t already, could you PLEASE do a Sleater-Kinney “over/under”? (god, i almost pissed myself just thinking about the potential for comments on this one!)
What would life be like without Pollard. It took me a while to get into, but now that I am in, I celebrate every new album. I am embarrassed out how excited I get to receive Bob’s new releases… and amazed at how he surpasses my highest expectations every time…. This guy is a living rock icon and no one knows it….yet.
Bourdain is similar to the rest of the casualties that have turned the Food Network into ego bloated tripe (can you eat that??). Even skilled chefs like Flay, with a decent pedegree, have dumbed down their shows to the point where they try to insert the occasional meal as an appetizer (keeping with the pun theme) for their persona. I’ve cooked a boatload of new dishes after watching cooking shows (looks down at bloated waist), but this new breed of rock-lobster stars just makes me want to stick with the old tried-and-true.
Yikes. Come on. Baby Britain’s lyric “You got a look in your eye when you’re saying goodbye like you wanna say hi” is probably just the greatest lyric ever.
seriously; i’d hesitate to say songs like ’son of sam’ or ‘independence day’ are overrated, considering everyone on earth is apparently a humper of elliott’s first 3. no respect! and the underrated songs-were mostly just unheard, as everyone said. ’say yes’ anyone? completely overrated. like number one.
That Human Heat song is actually a cover of a Hiawata! song.
It was one 9(!!) b-sides to the new and FREE Hiawata! single Valley Boys.
Download it here: http://sellout-music.net/hiawata-valley_boys.zip
Hi Tim! ‘Really excited about the fact that this album will be available again! I’ve been looking for it for such a long time. I love Jesus Hits, but ‘never heard The S/T 2000 album. Do you have an idea about when it’s gonna be re-released??
Hey Charles the blurb about the Ramones and Synths reminds me of the cool synths that were on the ” Howling at the Moon ” track on the ramones too tough to die album ….Safe Travels to you guys http://www.myspace.com/menshsounds
I’ve been a fan of Frank/Black/Charles almost since the beginning, and have loved all of his changes. Grand Duchy, though, may take some getting used to, to be perfectly honest. I am much more into the raw rock n’ roll stuff, kinda like what he was saying, where he was more likely to embrace the 60s garage stuff versus the real tidy poppy stuff. And I LOVED Bluefinger and Svn Fngrs (especially Bluefinger, it f-ing ROCKS, and is visceral and passionate and moving as well, and has quickly become an all-time favorite). So anyway, I guess basically what I’m here to say is that while I’m sure I’ll get used to Grand Duchy, being an intensely loyal long-time fan and all, and also being musically diverse in my tastes. But, I just hope he’s also gonna put out some more solo stuff too at some point. He’s NOT a ’stale old guy,’ because if he is, that means I am, and….. oh crap…. haha, well, maybe I am, too. But dude, you’ve been around over twenty years, so ya gotta figure that your oldest fans are starting to get, well, old! Either way, “I’m not ashamed to say I want rock n’ roll.” I even loved the folksy/country stuff from the Catholics or Honeycomb, etc. Just basically love everything the guy has ever done. Like LOVE! Favorite songwriter of all time, hands down. I feel like he’s borrowing shit from my brain or something sometimes, it just grabs me so much. So anyway, remember, there are also fans like me out here, who just love to hear you do your own thing as well, and who are first in line at the record store when you do and have been for years, because you’re the man. Thanks, rock on!
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.” H.S. Thompson
I am really enjoying the tracks I’ve heard from Grand Duchy. The Cure tribute I recently heard is also well done! The guitars and synths used in this project certainly compliment the sweet dark melodic vocals and I find this album relaxing yet stimulating. I learned early on to approach each Black Francis project with fresh ears and have yet to be disappointed. Why settle on one sound?
Polvo’s “Today’s Active Lifestyles” was one of the best albums of the 90s. You should have posted “Sure Shot” or “Tilebreaker” and then tell me that Polvo were simply “reactionary.” The song you posted, “My Kimono” is more interesting musically than the majority of hipster indie rock being produced today, and the song doesn’t even have vocals.
The extent to which “Funeral” may be overrated is nothing compared to how much Magnet underrated it when it came out.
And even if I usually write to disagree, I love you ladies and gentleman for being willing to actually HAVE an opinion.
Peace out.
You are bloody pinky right, dear pop believers. Champagne rose is something to share, before all. Bubbles are a sign of hope and life and of course fertility. They are to be appreciated at their just valeur. The color gives taste. It is like anything relevant in this plan of reality. We are talking about art ain’t we? As a good French immigrant (it had to happen one day) I advise Millesime Bruno Paillard (pink is available, though regular rocks enough). Enjoy Grand Duchy.
JGw
This is the truth…. Tony Bourdian comes from the school of hard knocks… I worked with him for years at The Supperclub near Times Square… His poetic demeanor is from working long hours…. And listening to The Modern Lovers, Curtis Mayfield, and the clash… All while pounding absolute and grapefruit juice and heinkens, while creating perfect food dishes. That man loves to cook… I saw him hold a raw chicken like it was a newborn baby…. I mean fat in a good way…. This guy came from nothing…. All because he is a phenominal writer… Check out his first book, “Bone in the Throat”.
Astral Weeks is the album that reveals the elasticity of music– that a performer can emerge from a pop music idiom to completely transcend them, creating something so unique and so unconstrained by formal concerns as to become a work of art outside of time and tradition.
Seeing the ‘Mats at First Ave in the 80s was truly an experience! Certainly they were extremely lit for all of their shows…and their version of Hello Dolly was hilarious! The most underrated songs by the ‘Mats are INHO:
1. If Only You were Lonely
2. Go
3. Can’t Hardly Wait (Tim version)
4. Kids Don’t Follow
5. Sixteen Blue
6. Here Comes a Regular
I still cannot believe that I used to run into Tommy at Oarfolkjokepus quite often before Pleased to Meet Me…ugh…where did the time go???
I have to say we (my wife and I) love Petits Fours. Now I could be accused of bias as I’ve been a fan of Charles’ music from day one with Pixies and throughout his solo and band career with the Catholics. I do admit I was hoping it would be this good as the last two BF albums (all be they concise) were so amazing they were hard to follow, but Grand Duchy are an altogether different entity deserving of as much attention and praise. I adore Violet’s writing and vocals, a great album and an amazing duo of talent. I do home they come this way on tour
And who died and left you in charge of what’s good and what’s bad?
And why can’t you keep your arrogant and opinionated blather to yourself?
And why not let the rest of us enjoy the music we’re willing to pay for? To be fair, I’m sorry you had to grow up listening to the crap you think is good.
Man, these e mailed Magnet articles are excellent. Love the over/under series and this argument over the merits of a band I never heard of. Seriously, publishing opinions that damn various bands and artists actually promotes interest in their music. It’s like Creem magazine in the early seventies with Lester Bangs and crew skewering rock icons and holding Lou Reed’s feet to the fire. NO offense, but these articles are more entertaining than what is published in the actual Magnet magazine.
Seriously……69 Love Songs is overrated but that unlistenable piece of dreck released by TNV is nowhere to be found? If you can find 10 clunkers per every gem on 69, please give me these lists, for they will be wrong, and I will mock you. Maybe you just want to be a provocateur by placing Spoon and Magnetic Fields on your overrated list. I’ll go along with Arcade Fire and She & Him, however. I just wanted to vent about the soul-crushing experience of listening to TNV again, really.
Also, I renewed my subscription in December and have one magazine to show for it. Are you moving to a semi-annual distribution model?
peter cetera-vocals (Chicago)
brent muscat-guitar (Faster Pussycat)
dave krusen-drums (Candlebox)
brian marshall-bass (Creed)
stevie nick-tambourine (Fleetwood Mac)
will ferrell-cowbell (SNL)
tim harrington – lead vocals
karen o – b vocals
nathan williams – b vocals
kip berman – b vocals
nick zinner – guitar
kickball katy – bass
brian chase – drums
i never thought of “sunny afternoon” as an underrated track as I seem to recall hearing it a lot in public places, and it’s bound to be used in a commercial soon if it hasn’t already. anyway, i think these tracks are better and maybe more underrated:
“She’s Got Everything”
“King Kong”
“20th Century Man”
“Creeping Jean”
“Berkely Mews”
“Sittin’ On My Sofa”
I don’t really know what qualifies something as underrated though.
I still don’t have the pleasure of listening to their last true studio album, “Phobia” – the only album I don’t own by The Kinks. But I did hear the songs from the album on their box set and I was taken back by just how amazing the song “Shattered” is. Truly a contender for underrated song. =]
Check out the cover of “Mindless Child Of Motherhood” by Monkeypox!
Phobia is a great album. It’s eclectic and it has the most Kinks songs of any single album. It was their first album recorded with a 60 minute CD in mind. Like most Kinks albums it has some good material, three or four masterpeices (Shattered is one and then take your pick of the others) and then some quirky stuff that you need to be a fan to appreciate and won’t “get” until you listen a few times.
The title track Phobia is a great rock arrangement and has hilarious lyrics once you realize that it’s a satire on Freudian psychology. In fact, it’s a send up of all of Ray’s “paranoia” lyrics ever written rolled up into one song and then some.
The other highlights are Dave Davies two lead vocals. “It’s Alright” is of the best Kinks songs ever. I love the subtexts: “It’s Alright!” (If you don’t think about it … If you just don’t look at it … etc.) Forget that it a song about environmentalism — it could be a commentary on the human condition in general. And of course, “Close to the Wire” (Dave’s compostion) and “Hatred” are great too. I like a lot of the silly quirky songs on the album simply because they are silly quirky Kinks songs. “Somebody Stole My Car” was annoying at first listen and now I love it. It’s driving rockabilly with social satire on Western economic attitudes.
Phobia was critically acclaimed but didn’t sell well. The Phobia tour had the band playing at their peak live. Then they broke up. The problem with the album is that it sounds like a superior verison of their “post-punk” Low Budget material. But musically and lyrically it’s the best album of that period following three of their worst albums.
The album is an interesting bridge to Ray’s recent solo efforts and most resembles Working Man’s Cafe in some places.
This is a debate without an ending. There are amazing Kinks songs hidden amongst crappy ones – you can look at most of their albums for examples. The Kinks never had a really good producer, ever. UK Jive sounded pretty good at the time and Phobia is sonically the best album (too little too late). So, we need not argue whether one song is overrated or underrated. The band itself has been underrated for 40 years. Ray Davies is one of the greatest songwriters in popular music yet our kids won’t ever know that because no one treasures The Kinks like The Stones, Beatles and The Who.
Personally I think that Some Mother’s Son ( from Arthur), Property (from State of Confusion), Scattered (from Phobia) and Around the Dial (from Give the People) are among the finest lyrics Ray has ever penned
It should also be mentioned that Ray Davies is one of the wonderful performers in the modern rock era-the best I have witnessed. For underrated songs listen to Dave’s, When you were a Child [Think Visual] and Ray’s In a Foreign Land [Misfits], a Jimmy Buffett-type escape song. And lastly, the “Dan is a fan” line in “Rock and Roll Fantasy”is for Dan McClain, aka County Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers, who was President of the Kinks Fan Club, San Diego in 1972.
First off, Celluloid Heroes does not belong on the overrated list, even with the dated wash of synth. It is a classic Kinks track and a brilliant song. And Sunny Afternoon, one of the best (IMO) Kinks songs, is not really underrated. by anyone familar with the Kinks. Come Dancing is an easy target. How about having Magnet readers do these when your “critics” don’t have the depth? “Strangers” is a great pick for underrated. And I would argue that “Get Back in Line” is as well. And “Rock N’ Roll Fantasy” is on my overrated list.
The “London Song” is easily the most under-rated Ray tune of all time. I beleive to this day it would have been a major hit if someone had promoted it. I play that tune at parties and get alot of “what a great song-Who is that? The Kinks were banned from the U.S. and never had the managers or “payola” required to get “airtime” that even the shitty bands got back then. They soldiered on with talent, grit and amazing live shows. My buddies and I had the best times of our lives at Kinks concerts in Buffalo and N.Y.C. w/songs like “Demon Alcohol” and “Lola” w/Ray wearing a dress and staggering around the stage. What a ball-buster!
The live version of “Celluloid Heroes” off “One for the road” is so much better than the studio version. Dave’s lead parts at the beginning and middle are among his guitar work ever. I love how the Kinks re-worked many of their earlier songs when they became an arena rock band in the late ’70s-’80s.
My vote for most underrated Kinks song would be “Gallon of gas” off “Low Budget”. It still holds up, especially last summer when gas was over $4.00 a gallon. Plus, you gotta admit that the notioin of going to your drug dealer for a gallon of gas is, well…(wait for it)… a gas!
I wonder how many times he’s listened to Normal Happiness or Off To Business? He’s WAY off about those if he’s listened to them less than a few times. Those two crept their way to greatness in my rotation–especially Normal Happiness.
Austrailia, how did I mis that one. Now one more thing. Avery never got credit, at least in America for being one of the greatest drummers ever period.
Soap Opera is a classic! Very underrated…In fact the RCA concept period is my favorite. Amazing records! Too many great songs to mention, but Underneath The Neon Sign, Some Mothers Son, Life Goes On, I’m In Disgrace, A Long Way From Home, Life Goes On, 20th Century Man, When Work is Over, Big Sky, and the list goes on and on…..the greatest band ever, total genius!
Most underrated kinks songs for me are: I Need You – Alcohol Live- Only a Dream – To The Bone – Apeman – Big Sky – plus alot more. The kinks in my book are better than the Stones or the Who – the kinks took chances with their music and had more variety than those 2 groups – I started out a Beatles fan in 64 but ended up a dedicated follower of the kinks my whole life – still love the fab 4 but the kinks have me heart and mind.
I must agree with Tim Cooper. “Get Back in the Line” is almost never mentioned. When I was about ten years old, it was that song…not Lola…that fell on my head like a ton of bricks. The depth of that tune was astonishing to me. “Bring You Home Some Wine”…indeed.
I think Did Ya from the EP that came out before Phobia is underrated, also Dead End Street, and agree about catch & me now I am falling, and come dancing. Though Lola is way more overated than Celluloid Heroes will ever be.
Sunny Afternoon is just classic.
God save the Kinks. How about one more tour to go with the box set.
There are so many but a few are Till the end of the day (at least equal to all of the day and all of the night), mr songbird, big sky, Mr Churchill says (inc one of Dave’s best solos ever) , misty water, and Lincoln county.
I think the choices for overrated are pretty good except for Celluloid Heroes. For the life of me I can’t see how that song could be called overrated. The “synths” sound more like piano to me on the original studio version and are done rather tastfully. Perhaps you were thinking about the live version on One For The Road which is much more synth dominated.
As for the underrated, I think they are all great choices. The problem with discussing The Kinks and underrated songs, they have way too many. I could certainly add many to the list, but I’ll limit myself to a handful here. I’ve got to agree with others, Get Back In Line is an incredible Kinks song most people never heard of and is very deserving as the king of the underrated Kinks songs. Others that quickly come to mind; Too Much On My Mind, Sittin In My Hotel, Strangers, Some Mothers Son, Art Lover, No More Looking Back, Gods Children and about 4 songs on Phobia which itself is the most underrated Kinks record.
Twice above the song from Phobia was wrongly named, it’s “Scattered”, not the same as the Stones song, and it is indeed a late period masterpiece. Even though one can name hundeds of underrated songs by the most underrated and underappreciated band in rock history, I will go with;
Lavender Hill
Big Sky
The Way love used to be
Sweet Lady Genevive
Live Life
I Need You
Nothing to Say
Big Sky
Life on the Road
Autumn Almanac
Mr. Pleasant
Berkeley Mews
Around the Dial
and many many more…from Northern California’s biggest fan
It is 40 years since possibly the best Kinks album, Arthur, was released. Over the last couple of years Village Green has received many plaudits, however Arthur has several songs that are much stronger than anything on Village Green – most notable underated track on Arthur being Young and Innocent Days.
Sittin´In My Hotel
Get Back In Line
God´s Children
Next Door Neighbour
This Time Tomorrow
my list (and take the Lola versus…and Muswell H.-albums, if you need more to go with)
And cool down: Time will give Ray and The Kinks all the credit, they deserve.
Rock i s slowly dying these years, transforming into electronical exerecises.
Notes and words will stand. And Ray Davies is a master
Better Days has always been one of my favorite Kinks songs, for obvious reasons. I actually also enjoyed the album that spawned it, minus Destroyer, which just recycled old riffs with a predictable conclusion. I still think that Art Lover and A Little Bit of Abuse stand up well from that album, and don’t warrant the slagging that early 80’s Kinks efforts typically receive. Why this band lives in the shadows of the Brit “greats” of the time (Beatles, Stones, Zep, The Who) is beyond me, as growing up, I always considered them to be on par, if not a little more intense, as lyrically they always seemed to offer a slice of life that I can relate to. And I’m Canadian!!
I think that anyone who’s ever caught Nels Cline in concert (especially with the Geraldine Fibbers) gets a rush out of Impossible Germany. Lyrically it seems like nonsensical shit, but Nels has a unique approach to extended soloing that transcends noodling. I think he rides the “jazz light” fence nicely without ever slipping over it and into lounge music. For me, a good song doesn’t neccessarily have to be cohesive from start to finish. I’d rather have a few nuggets of brilliance mingled in with mediocrity than an “above average” effort with nothing that absolutely floors you.
As I read through the list of songs noted here it makes me want to pull out all my old Kinks cd’s and re-visit these relatively obscure classic non-hits. I’ve always said to young people who have yet to discover the Kinks, start with the most obscure Kinks record and you will be rewarded. In fact, if you started listening to Kinks cd’s in reverse order by sales you couldn’t go wrong. This is what makes the Kinks so different (and special) compared to the Beatles, Stones and Who. All the best stuff these bands did is well known and sold a lot of copies.
from the early period: So long, I go to sleep, Something Better beginning and I need you
From the classic period: Berkley mews, to much on my mind, two sisters, star struck, this is where I belong, strangers, young and innocent days, some mother’s sun, dreams, moments, way love used to be, oklahoma USA, complicated life
from the RCA rock opera stage, Lady Genevieve, Daylight, Oh where oh where is love, mirror of love, you make it all worthwhile, holiday romance, I’m in disgrace, Headmaster,
From the arista years life goes on, stormy sky, misfits, rock and roll fantasy, little bit of emotion, yo yo, art lover, better things, property, Heat of Gold, long distance, do it again, good day,
From the final period lost and found, the Road, how do I get close, Hatred, Scattered, Only a dream, to the bone
my name is james and i am an 33 year old district resident. Iive off benning rd by spingarn high school in which they call kingman park . i have read drama city , king sfish, and i just finished soul circus . i would like to say as an aspiring writer of d.c. life you hits it out the park every time whether your talking bout moco or pg or dc its always like im riding shot gun with your characters . thank you for letting them know about the district instead of telling them about washington
The staggeringly brillant “This strange effect” and the awesome “I go to sleep”. Pop perfection and demos to boot ! When will we get to hear Wilco’s “Sitting in my hotel”?
To me Versus picked up where the Pixies left off. I was a huge fan of this trio back in the day an I still am. They had such great catchy tunes an I loved the fact that they seemed to have a release (LP,EP ,7″) just about every 9 months in the early to mid-nineties. Versus where one of 3 bands that I followed religiously back then. Unwound & Fugazi are the other two. Each have there own unique way in how they presented music but all three bands are equals when it came to releasing great bodies of work.
“I’m plowing my own furrow, and no one else around these days is close” Quotes like this one contribute to the perception by people that Kilbey is arrogant. While I don’t completely agree that “no one else is close”, I do think that Kilbey’s talents are pretty damn special and he deserves to toot his own horn. The shame is that he has to toot it himself and hasn’t been rightly recognized for the extraordinary musical talent that he has while so much crap out there is lauded. Frustrating.
People usually don’t understand Ray, but this writer got it mostly right. While I would submit that the Dave Davies track is alright, the rest of what he listed as under-rated is spot-on. I always thought I was one of the few people who enjoyed Better Things, but the more that The Kinks are written about in modern media, the more I learn that lots of people appreciate that great song.
I would replace Plastic Man with King Kong, the B side of that single. It is a really odd little ditty about the Dr.Strangelove character, and it’s a hoot. I would replace the Mindless Child Of Motherhood with Education off of the Schoolboys in Disgrace album. But all in all, the author did a great job.
I just rediscovered this band about 2 years ago at Christmas. I was shopping at Amazon for relatives and saw Forget Yourself advertised on a page. I clicked on it because I thought the Church had folded up in the 90’s. Long story short, I discovered their huge back catalog and was floored by the beauty and depth of their material. It is one of popular music’s biggest shames that they have been forgotten, for with the exposure that bands with a quarter of their talent have received, I’m convinced that the Church would be in the rock n’ roll pantheon. Nice to see a magazine that noticed them. Thanks
Thanks for the coverage of a great artist (songwriter, author, arranger, producer, painter) and a great band. For those that lost the band after Starfish there is much more great music to discover. There are more than 17 studio albums, off the top of my head
Of Skins And Hearts
The Blurred Crusade
Seance
Sing Songs/Remote Luxury/Persia (3 EP’s combined)
Heyday
Starfish
Gold Afternoon Fix
A Quick Smoke At Spots (B-sides, rarities)
Priest=Aura
Sometime Anywhere
Magician Among The Spirits
Hologram Of Baal
A Box Of Birds (covers album)
After Everything Now This
Parallel Universe
Forget Yourself
Beside Yourself
Uninvited Like The Clouds
Back With Two Beasts
El Momento Descuidado
El Momento Siguinte (this and previous are “unplugged” albums of classics)
Untitled #23
I’m sure that I’ll be corrected but that’s more than 17. Anyway, more Kilbey, Church coverage. I’ll buy!
Arthur, the song, never fails to lift my spirits. It’s from a very emotional and difficult album (try really listening to Shangri La sometime), but Arthur ends the album with one of the strongest declarations of non-romantic love you are likely to ever hear. Thanks for that.
Don’t You Fret hasn’t turned up yet as overlooked but is really a great song in every way. Gentle, raucous, and brewing tea.
The studio version of Alcohol is brilliant, capturing the sound of the Salvation Army on skid row perfectly. What a song.
I’ll finally mention You Still Want Me, their second single and total flop, because it is hilarious that Ray tried to hit the big time with a bouncy stalker song. Listen to the lyrics – the song is so warped! “When you pass me by, you never look my way. But one thing I know, our love is here to stay. Cos you still want me. I know because the smile upon your lips is for me. They were meant for me to kiss. And you were meant to love me darling. I’ll be around when other guys have gone. I’ll tell you once more, I-I still love you so.” Travis Bickle’s national-freaking anthem! And totally overlooked for its 45 year existence.
underrated – Big Black Smoke, This is Where I Belong, Rosemary Rose, Two Sisters, Yo Yo, Scattered, Polly, End of the Season, Lazy Old Sun, Don’t Ever Let Me Go, A Face In the Crowd, Some Mother’s Son, Alcohol, Animal Farm, Good Day, Animal
overrated-SleepWalker, Hatred, Banana Boat Song, Destroyer
Short and sweet.
It is interesting to ponder what would have happened if Starfish had been followed up with P=A. “Here’s one straight from the factory” pretty much sums up GAF.
I know this is an SK interview, but I still think the presence of Tim Powles is a seriously underrated factor in the outstanding quality of their newer releases, evidenced by the fact that he’s on much of their solo efforts as well, playing and mixing.
And I will be very disappointed if “You Remain Unforgiven” is not the title of a song somewhere down the line, if not an ep or album.
The Church have never sounded better. Each new album has been steeped in their unique sound, and yet each one has thrown me for a loop and has never been what I expected. It’s no surprise that their intricately woven soundscapes and deeply poetic lyrics have been overlooked by the vapid mainstream. But that is probably the very thing that set them free. In today’s online world the possibilities have never been better for niche artists to uncompromisingly create the work they dream of, and get it to people who thrive on it.
In terms of solo work, Steve Kilbey is an artist at the peak of his powers. Painkiller is a sonic masterpiece. He’s also a highly regarded poet, painter, and blogger. Anyone who likes his lyrics should check out his Time Being blog http://www.stevekilbey.blogspot.com/
es una gran banda ochentera tuve la oportunidad de verlos en vivo en lima y fue espectacular simplemente, un gran concierto TOB seguramente no habran conquistado muchos mercados que mueven dinero pero lo que si hicieron siempre es hyacer buena musica y en ese aspecto no se descuidaron.
Add these gems to the underrated list :-
Pictures in the sand , Two Sisters,Property,Long Distance,
Heart of Gold,Dont Forget To Dance,Did You See His Name?
Such A Shame,Act Nice And Gentle and the ratherful wonderful Good Day . Give Phobia a break………..Scattered,Hatred ,Drift Away,Still Searching,Only A Dream and Over The Edge all sound like winners to these ears .
I love this song and the only song better than it on Something Else is Waterloo Sunset (IMHO). I saw the Kinks at Springfield Civic Center (Mass ) in December of 1983 and it was one of those old genreal admissions shows and the weather was awful. Snow, freezing rain, windy and brutally cold; we waited in line for the doors to the arean to open for hours and were a mess when we finally made a mad rush to the front of the stage. Ray and the band were impressed and touched at the perserverance of the sold out crowd and so they played at least a half hour longer than they had been on that tour. It was during this show that I first heard Two Sisters live and it blew me away. We were all shmushed together like sardines in a can because that’s what happens at gen admin shows and near me were two girls, whom I didn’t know. Near the end of Two Sisters I look over and one of the girls is actually crying and says to her friend, “This song is about me and my sister.” I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT! To me, that’s what Ray has always done best. Write songs about everyone and for everyone while maybe having no one in particular in mind when he actually wrote the song. This girl was young enough to be Ray’s own daughter and yet a song that was released 14 years earlier could have been written about her and her sister. The man exudes bloody fucking brilliance and takes a second seat to no one; Townshend, McCartney, Lennon, Jagger….no one.
If one Kinks song is really overrated, I think it is “Waterloo sunset”.
“Sunny afternoon” is one of their best and I can’t understand why someone would call it “underrated”? It’s up there with “Dead end street” and “Dedicated follower of fashion” from the same year. What a year 1966 was for pop music!
“Shangri-la” is also heralded as a masterpiece among Kinks fans so I wouldn’t call that one underrated either. Rather it’s a bit overrated to me. The melody is gorgeous in the beginning, but then the messy production ruins the song. Like someone said, Kinks never had a good producer. Shel Talmy produced the first three or four albums, then Ray produced every album himself, which didn’t always turn out so well, especially the 70’s albums could have been even better with a “real” producer.
phoebia is a great, underrated album. as far as underrated songs, i need you, she’s got everything, autumn almanac, sleepwalker, the hard way, do it again, village green, God’s children, livin on a thin line, stormy sky, going solo…..the beatles and beach boys were great, stones and who innovative, but the kinks music and lyrics have consistently been good since the 60s. Their harmonies are underrated, Dave is an excellent backup/harmony singer. Great riffs and hooks to their music. Hope they will do one more tour.
A well-written and thought-provoking list — you won’t get any insults from this Kinks fan. Just a few comments:
I’d have to agree with several above: I never thought of Sunny Afternoon as underrated, I think it’s cited very frequently in articles and such, perhaps more frequently than “Days…”
I also don’t exactly think of “Jukebox Music,” “Catch Me,” and, especially, “Destroyer’ as highly-rated songs, but if you say so…
Good call on “Mindless Child of Motherhood,” although I’d have to agree with Christian above — “Strangers” is even better.
Thanks for giving such a tribute to “Shangri-la” and to the Kinks in general.
Apart from a couple of forgivable duds “Close to the Wire”, “Babies”, “Somebody Stole My Car”, Phobia is a fabulous Kinks collection. Hatred is a pretty amazing song! Cat-fight central… Bitchy,Catty, Cocky, Sly, Puerile, Hilarious- a car crash waiting to happen . Would love to hear Oasis cover this song pronto. The ever prescient Ray Davies is as ever on the ball.
Untitled #23 is indeed the new and current album from The Church. I reckon it’s their best aside from “Back with two Beasts” since “Hologram Of Baal”.
This band mark 30 years next April. Even if you are not a fan of their music some respect must aforded for their longevitiy alone. However i should also point out that if you are not a fan, it’s your loss.
I’m still turning people onto this band’s uniqueness and magnificence.
Keeping the faith, spreading the world. Big Al, Sydney
I keep reading these lists hoping to glean some nuggets of awesomeness I previously overlooked, only to find each one formulaic and boring. Here’s the template in case anyone wants to try the Over/Under Home Game: List the 5 best songs by the band and pontificate why you’re so over them or so much more in-the-know than the general public. (Richard Buckner besting Pavement’s “Here,” really? Really? Maybe he should’ve recorded it then so it could be the best song he ever committed to tape.) Then pick your 5 underrated songs not based on merit or lack thereof (I actually do really like “Gold Soundz” and “Gangsters & Pranksters,” for what it’s worth) but rather based on how much of a true fan it’ll make you sound like. At least Mr. duBrowa was nice enough to give me a handy copy and paste to save me the time of typing “Maybe he should try to be less concerned with being cool and on the cutting edge than performing his job as an objective listener.”
I meant “underrated”
Again, you suck.
“I’m sure this pick will out me as a Luddite-leaning Pavement elitist”
Not really, listen to some of the b-sides mr. elitist. If you had any ears this list would not look like this.
Since my enjoyment of all the pavement albums was/is mostly confined to my house and car, and I never blogged or read too much about them, and never saw them live, I guess this kind of article is lost on me. Like I’m blissfully unaware of these “ratings” where the songs are overrated or underrated. Is there a list somewhere I can reference? Where someone has done some rating? What’s the top-rated Pavement song? Does anyone know? No. It’s not like, “oh it’s Ted Williams he batted .406 in 1946″, and so on, his stats show he’s one of the greatest hitters. Look, if S&E has sold a total of 150K albums, assuming that’s in the US only, that’s like, what, 1/25 of 1 percent of the us population that has it. So, who cares? Change this column to something better. How about: “Pavement: One Fan’s Opinion”, or “5 Thumbs in Either Direction” or “Overexposed/Unnoticed” or “I Know People in This Band So That Makes It Okay” or “Here, Listen to these 10 Songs for Free”, or “Pissing Off Eleven People Weekly” or… oh forget it.
Thanks for hoisting the Church’s flag. For those who only know “Under the Milky Way”, there is SOOO much more to this band, so much material to explore, to my ears it’s not all great, but it is rewarding to sift through and find many many favorites. And you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it.
I agree with mistercharlie, like “Where is the Street Team,” this feature only goal is to piss people off. How punk rock. I first saw Pavement in 1992. I thought then that Pavement “Sold Out” because I saw someone wearing a Red Hot Chilies T-Shirt in the line. Luckily I am no longer a snobby 18 year old, sounds like Corey duBrowa still is. Why waste your time writing about music you don’t like. There is plenty of great music out there that does not get coverage.
This is a pretty solid list. Mistercharlie might be right about “overexposed” being a better handle than “overrated,” especially in the context of “Cut Your Hair,” which still holds up well. But that’s a quibble. I love the inclusion of “Perfume-V.” But is “Debris Slide” really a difficult listen? Compared to “Gold Soundz,” maybe, but it’s clear enough what’s going on musically. Regarding “Frontwards,” the Los Campesinos! cover brings out different qualities of the song, and wonderfully so. It gives a good occasion to revisit the song and assess it from a new perspective (new if only by virtue of the passage of time).
Maybe an alternate approach to the Over/Under feature would be to post the band name a few weeks in advance, let readers submit their lists, then let your pundits comment on the results. I’ve been confused reading a few of the lists now, as I actually thought that the so-called “Unders” were well appreciated pieces of the bands catalogues. Don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit, or your Over/Under endeavor might well end up on readers “Under” list of Magnet’s new (and needed) online component.
Under The Milky Way is only one of many great Church songs. And his solo stuff – the guy is a machine! Looking forward to this collaboration with members of another great Oz band All india radio: http://www.myspace.com/kilbeykennedy
What a pedantic, elitist waste of time. Who exactly was it who underrated those songs, ‘Frontwards’ in particular? And ‘Here’ is overrated because you think it should have had a better arrangement? The other overrated tracks are basically their four most well known songs, how bloody groundbreaking… Seriously the most ill-conceived, subjective and annoying crock of shit I’ve come across in all my years reading Magnet…
Also by using the phrase “Malkmus once told me..” in such a flippant manner you outed yourself as a total wanker…
“I saw alt-country artist Richard Buckner cover “Here” and thought his version a vast improvement on the original, which leads me to believe that while the Cult of Pavement holds this tune close to its heart, a different arrangement might have suited it better.”
OMFG pure blasphemy, you have no clue.
Who the hell is this richard buckner, lol.
Seems like a cool guy with allright taste in music. But you are DEAD WRONG about this being “the year”. Unless you mean the year that the pathetic Chubs go past the century mark in no championship seasons. Hope you enjoy the show in St Louis after the Cards give your Chubbies a nice beat down.
THE CUBS…..A CENTURY OF SUCKING.
Happy Earth Day!!
This list is utterly meaningless, as is this entire under/over feature. Who gives a shit what you or Magnet think about these songs? certainly not your good pal stephen malkmus
How dare you not include “All My Friends” in the underrated list? Now that is the ultimate underrated Pavement song…”Debri Slide” would get full-on sing along treatment at Pavement shows. “All My Friends” didn’t even pop up until the CRCR re-issue and then blew away most of the material on the orginal album. Now that is an underrated song. Plus “Frontwars” and “Gold Soundz” would both most likely show up on a best of disc. The entire overrated list is wack. It’s just like “I hate all these songs cuz they’re kinda popular.” WTF??? “Here,” “Cut Your Hair,” and “Range Life” are all classic Pavement. Hell, the guitar solo/freakout in “Cut Your Hair” is one of the greatest moments of 90’s music by itself. This kind of writing makes me yearn for the rich, critical insight of Pitchfork.
Two under the radar tracks — “Autumn Almanac”, a song that Andy Partridge once said he wished he wrote, and “Did Ya?”, which came out on a five-song EP that was released before Phobia and showed that Ray Davies had one more 1967-ish shot in his gun.
I’d disagree with “Come Dancing” being overrated. Yes, Davies had been nostalgic before, but there is a specificity to the song that makes it pretty evocative and it has a lilting melody that works quite well. And the video is fantastic and drives home the sentimentality, for better or worse.
These are only the opinions of one man, I am as big a fan of Elliott as the rest of you and dont agree with the assumptions I have just read but I do appreciate them.
Elliott Smith is without doubt in my mind the best singer/songwriter who ever lived.
It doesn’t matter if he has good taste in music, he’s still one of the biggest homers ever to speak (root) into a microphone up in the booth. Apparently, he feels some pressure to live up to the Chicago reputation laid down so well by probably the biggest homer ever, “Hawk” Harrelson of the, um, “Good Guys.” (???) (sheesh). Just listen to the way these losers call a home run for the other team (as if they’ve just been informed about a death in the family) and you know where they rank (and I mean rank) in the homer broadcasters hall of shame. Even Harry “Where’s My Budweiser IV?” Caray could get properly excited about an opposing player’s long ball. Vin Scully farts in your general direction, gentlemen.
I’m a Toronto boy, so I need surrogate (read “real”) hockey team to root for. The Canes are young, fun, and well coached, with a smattering of veterans that always go beyond the call of duty at this time of year. Interesting sidebar…. their coach Paul Mauric was run out of Toronto after a few years of the Leafs missing the playoffs. The same “experts” the habitually slagged him are now saying “He’s pretty good, we should get him!!” Ahhh… hindsite.
Here is not overrated…it’s simply one of the best songs of the 90s…Buckner’s take on it is great, but it’s not his song…And props to the person listing “All My Friends”…A top Pavement song, no doubt.
One need only look to the genius of Mr. P, lead singer for the band Desperation Squad, for the original panda head motif. His onstage antics of smearing himself with Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup and rolling around onstage, throwing tortillas out into the audience during the song “Taco Truck” (which has gotten the band kicked out of more than one club and asked never to return,) and verbally abusing hecklers has garnered them a reputation as one tough act to follow. Not many bands want to go on after them, considering the GWAR-like mess
I am not really insulted, though I do really enjoy all of the “overrated” songs mentioned here, but I do have a problem believing the credibility of any connoisseur who dislikes a song simply because of the production values. In fact, I believe Elliott’s continual expansion into studio experimentation was a godsend. I am a listener first, and if I enjoy the details Elliott so lovingly put into a studio version of a song, I can’t really say much about how ‘much better it was live’ or whatever. Similarly, any of his earlier albums or the countless hours of live performances I have copies of are stellar because of the ideas he is presenting, not the quality of the recording. They might sound “rougher” or (as for the live ones) tinny or muddy or sloppy or without backing harmonies, etc., but I cherish them too. I just feel that there’s this weird divide between people who like his “old” stuff and people who like his “new” stuff. I never got the true difference. He’d been known to shelf songs for years, tinker with them, and try them again; it’s not like any of his songs were rushed. They all deserve our careful attention.
And as far as unheard/underrated goes, how about: “Taking a Fall” (*not “How to Take a Fall”), “Come to Me,” “So Many People,” “I Figured You Out,” and straight from Figure Eight: “Color Bars.”
Great article! I can’t get enough of these guys. I know they want to keep a mystery about them but I can’t help reading all of their interview because the things they have to say, particularly Jamie, are things that I can relate too and agree with and can think about and sometimes disagree with. They are just inspiring for me. Last Day of Magic is one of the best things ever written.
This is a good record, but I like Intolerance better. “Negligible” is not the word I would use to describe songs like “All of My Senses” and “The Main” (maybe “intense” or “brilliant” would be appropriate). Either way, Grant needs to release a new album.
I love that Stay Postive is on here, but my favorite song, which I have never seen them play and I feel is totally underrated is “The Cattle and the Creeping Things”
I am a hugh fan so I am trying to go over the overrate list more so then the underrated list. It’s hard to be critical of a band that I really like .I have to say that I liked Stay Positive. I enjoyed a lot of it. I do agree that it is not their best CD but I think I enjoyed it way more then (Matthew Fritch) Slapped Actress is a great song I also like Magizines
I hadn’t checked back and didn’t see you were already planning it when I looked at my email. I had a moment of inflated self-importance today because of it.
Nix “Stap Positive” for “Slapped Actress,” and “Girls Like Status” for “Banging Camp” and you got a great list here. “Banging Camp” is the best Hold Steady song!!!!
I don’t understand. Radiohead, the kinks, and … hold steady? They are a shitty & ridiculous band. Those lyrics are not at all clever. They’re boring. and ordinary. Shame on you!
Hear hear on “Slapped Actress.” Is “Cattle” underrated? NPR did that whole dissection job on it a ways back–a move which seems to point to some degree of regard. But is that giving NPR too much credit?
can’t agree on Cirtus… I’ve had kisses that make Judas seem sincere is a great line.
Totally agree on One For The Cutters, Hoodrat Friend (although its a good song). Sequestered in Memphis isn’t one of their best, but I find it to be a good intro song for classic rock fans getting into the band at first.
The underrated songs are spot on. THERES WARS GOING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE WEST!! Killer Parties is one of their best songs…..
I usually don’t take the bait but to trash “One for the Cutters” is just unacceptable. The song should resonate with anyone who has ever partied in the woods under the stars, has familiy and friends who will never leave their howntowns, and highlights how we’re all in trouble (we’re just too dumb to know it yet). Brilliant.
So this is how a comments section really feels… Sen. Tankerbell, “Banging Camp” is definitely a great song; You could easily swap that out for “Stevie Nix” to represent Separation Sunday. Not changing my mind about “One For The Cutters,” however.
Pavement has always been my favorite band.
Under-
You forgot
“Haunt You Down” & “Black Walls” & “Texas Never Whispers”
thoose are goodies!
And yes I love S.M.
I LOVE GREEN DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love John Vanderslice. My anticipation for his new album is killing me and my vote should count as approximately one greater than the total number of Green Day votes at any given time.
them meat puppet fellers are a hoot … and been pacing themselves the last chunk of years i see … cain’t wait for the next bucket o sonic slop to come upon me in their singular perculatin’ plop
I have to wonder though if Pearl Jam had no say in the Cold Case soundtracking– and that the results are part of a bad licensing deal with SONY. Occasionally I hear their (ten-era) songs as vamp music on football games or morning talk shows.. Both those and the Cold Case thing seem out of character for a band that has only soundtracked films made by their friends (Singles, Chicago Cab, Into The Wild) or documentaries about their own personal politics (Body of War, You Can’t Be Neutral On A Moving Train)…
Then again Vedder has been quoted as saying Pete Townshend was more of a father to him than anyone else– maybe The Who on CSI and that Hummer commercial convinced him to be a bit more lax on their licensing deals. Doubt it though.
I couldn’t stand green day before, but with age they’re getting even worse. i wouldn’t have a problem if they called themselves what they are which is POP not punk in the slightest,
Are all these people 12 years old? Green day sucks! I can’t believe the Meat Puppets got so few votes. Actually, I guess I can. It seems like all people want from music these days is the same old uninspired tripe regurgitated and vomited out in a slightly different package. C’est La Vie
Excellent perspective on the fertile state of the music industry today. I personally wouldn’t have it any other way. Lets hope the entire economy trends that way!
Love the campout! It introduced me to Gram Rabbit, and I’ve never looked back. A thousand thanks for that. Also Ike Reilly. And others. Love it.
the campouts have been a wonderful way to get to know music i would never had heard otherwise. i’ve been absolutely hooked on the music of cvb/cracker since
the opening lines of “jack ruby” on key lime pie. i then had to go find everything i could by these people. if success in the music industry was won by merit, these
guys would be at the top. i do think that musicians should tour to prover their true worth. anyone can be made to sound decent in a studio with a good producer.
how many of today’s “big stars” would have made it at all playing in small cubs?
over the years, i’ve seen the members of these two bands, playing in various combinations. they never disappoint.
Okay, this week’s “news” on this site: James Iha, Against Me, Camper van Beethoven, the Wrens, and now the Clash? Way to stay relevant, Magnet! I would absolutely LOVE to find a well-written magazine that can give me coverage of contemporary music that goes into more depth than Pitchfork et al. That used to be Magnet, until they turned into a 90s version of Classic Rock Magazine.
I’ve always respected David and Crews work and was tickled to death when New Roman Times and Greenland were released. CVB/Cracker have always, to my ear at least, been entertaining. I cant say I didnt like any tune on any album, and that is not the case with most artists. These guys could release anything and I would buy it, the fact they have never abused the fans trust who feel the same way speaks volumes of their integrity as artists. Great job guys, as always, and keep it up..
I agree about “The Call-Up.” Now that is an underrated song. I would also go with “I’m Not Down,” “Listen,” “City of the Dead,” and “Stay Free.” It’s become almost cliche to make fun of “Rock The Casbah.” When this guy grows up a little he’ll realize that this is actually a fantastic song and that if side two of Combat Rock could have matched the greatness of side one it would prolly be considered the bands second best album behind London Calling. And to rag on a great song because your ten year old was exposed to it on Rock Band…oh geez. I’m sure Joe would be okay with kids getting into Clash songs in this fashion. I don’t think he meant for his music to be solely reserved for angry fathers who didn’t want their kids peaking around their CD collection.
In my opinion The first few Clash albums were overrated. Sure, a decent song here and there but nothing that knocked my socks off like X or The Buzzcocks from roughly the same era. I dare say they improved with time. Hit or not, the song “London Calling” was stunning, lived up to the hype finally and stands up to the test of time unlike a lot of their other, self important “Oh see how versatile we are everyone?” triple album crap. “Brand New Cadillac” “I’m Not Down” and “Straight To Hell” were great songs as well but I always felt that The Clash were for the most part just shy of all the hoopla.
The new grizzly bear album is amazing. But green day and jason lytle should be good too. That’s right I like Grizzly Bear and Green Day. Fist yourself music snobbs.
I find the underrated list interesting and credible, but the overrated seems to be stretching a bit for candidates. Rock the Casbah is an obvious choice based on overexposure, but I don’t see anything overrated about a great cover tune (I fought the Law) and a great dance groove (Magnificent Seven). Straight to Hell is definitely an inspired choice for underrated. That would be #1 on my list. Because of that and the fact I like all the underrated choices I will overlook the other more questionable choices for overrated.
I am not generally a fan of covers, but the Clash nailed I Fought the Law, not only equalling, but surpassing, the Bobby Fuller Four original. If you were lucky enough to see them perform it live, it was to see a band literally kick themselves (and their audience) into a higher gear. Overrated? Not if you were there.
This had to be written by someone who was too young to be around and doesn’t get the context of the “overrated” songs in question. Or, the writer is old enough, but didn’t learn much along the way.
i’m going to have to agree that this was the best dukes yet. For my money, Vs. (or Five Against One, if you want to get picky) was a far superior album and remains the only unflawed album in the band’s pantheon.
The authors description of Sandinista being a “messy triple album sprawl” and “trudging through clunkers and noise-pastiche experiments” shows he has little or no depth in understanding the uniqueness or headspace that this band was achieving with each piece of music they produced. The album has wonderful continuity and symmetry and is continuing to improve with age. If there was an underrated ALBUM list, I would put this one on top.
The Church has been the most exemplary band in music since 1997-1998. They have released psychedelic and dreamy masterpieces including “Hologram of Baal”, “After Everything Now This”, “Forget Yourself”, “El Momento Siguente”, “Uninvited Like The Clouds” and “Untitled # 23″. Steve Kilbey is music’s most eclectic and dynamic frontman. He’s also a painter, an artist, a blogger, a Yogi, a vegan and an environmentalist.
Sure, Sandinista seems messy with the inclusion of more genres of music than you can find on your entire radio dial, but it’s actually my favorite Clash album for that very reason. You could do an entire under-rated list of songs from that album (starting with Rebel Waltz!) I will admit that “Police on My Back” was the Clash song I took to most when I first bought that album but I’ve longed moved on to the buffet platter of amazing songs that album has to offer.
Thanks to David Lowery and CRACKER/CVB for turning me on to a bunch of cool people, a beautiful part of the country, and some excellent bands that i probably would have not known about if it werent for the Campout.
To Sarge and Glenn Boothe: YOU NAILED IT!!! I agree with you both; kudos for standing up for Sanidnista! It’s not only my favorite Clash album, it’s definitely one of my top 5 albums of all time. I cannot put it briefly into words any better than you 2 did.
This list is RIDICULOUS!!! (And not in a good way.)
How could you possibly call English Civil War overrated? Have you actually listened to the song with an open mind? Or are you letting your son sing The Ants Go Marching over the top of it? This song gets better every time I listen to it!!! And have you heard the live version from the Shea Stadium cd? Check it out and THEN tell me it sounds “average” and “mainstream”! Bollocks I say!
And as much as I love “Straight to Hell”, and agree that is one of Joe’s lyrical masterpieces; I find it laughable that it’s on an underrated list when it is so clearly not. Every book, about Joe/Clash, every article, every review of Combat Rock has touted this song as genius.
I’m disgusted! I am always thrilled when I see The Clash get print, but not like this.
There is nothing I don;t like about this, everything about Ross, everything about your tenure as guest editor, but mostly, THE EAGLES, It’s always about the eagles.
JJ, yes, Sandinista is Top 5 all-time for me as well…and agree, still sounds great today! I also agree with your take on ‘Straight to Hell’ – beyond all the accolades it’s gotten over the years, it’s the foundation for M.I.A. “Paper Planes.” That alone suggests it might not be quite that under-rated. I’d go with ‘Death of a Star” or maybe “Overpowered by Funk” from that album.
concuerdo contigo julio carlos, esta banda es muy pero muy buena, tanto haci que en su concierto en lima tocaron identico a sus discos, tuve la gran oportunidad de conocerlos, me fuy al aeropuerto a esperarlo (yo soy un fan de ellos) y la verdad me parecio magico ese encuentro estaba tan emocionado que hiba a llorar, me tome una foto con david, bobby, oed y peter, tanto asi soy fanatico que tengo una foto con ellos autografiado, bueno la verdad que la musica que hacen ellos es grandiosa no vendera a las masas pero que como tu dices, no se descuidan de hacer buena musica.
David, I love you man and your bands, but I also am a big Rush fan. To put them in the same sentence as those other mediocre Canadian acts is really not fair in the least. Unlike the other acts mentioned there, Rush has never attempted to direct their career towards the mainstream ie. Lowest Common Denominator. They have always made the music they wanted and if people enjoyed it, great, but I would strongly argue they have never tailored their sound to please their audience. Just saying.
Love the new album by the way, and hope to see you guys in Toronto on the 23 of June. And yes, I am Canadian, so i got to defend the boys in Rush!
Hope to make the campout this year, but for sure will catch a couple shows regardless… Cracker is aways excellent live and great new music is just a great added bonus.
I’m a GbV/Pollard fan since ‘95. I think Robert Pollard is the best songwriter that ever lived. I agree with his ‘96 output, it’s f**king amazing. However, even the most dedicated fan knows that Bob dilutes his output. The guy can’t help it. Maybe one of the reasons Pollard is not mentioned up there with Lennon/McCartney but life is not fair. GbV were considered to weird to rise above underground and when they did corporate label assholes decided to boost “Hold on Hope” to single status (not a bad song, but come on: “Finks”, “Flat Beauty” ! etc.).
I don’t like Todd Tobias his contribution at all. I’ll never forget how he f**ked up “I’ll Replace You With Machines”.. And ‘Fiction Man’ is the worst album in the GbV/Pollard canon.. I quit buying Pollard stuff after Normal Happiness (that one was ok). I don’t feel the urge anymore to spend money on his new records where you have to fish out the gems. I’d rather play B1000, Alien Lanes, UTBUTS which were jam-packed with fantastic songs. This is not blasphemy, this is just my opinion.
- Cut-out Witch is a great track on UTBUTS, maybe the intro a littel bit too long
- Tonics is a great album, I agree with skfl “i’ll take that record over the last dozen or so records that robert pollard has done with todd tobias (shudder)”.
Goddamn. Listen to “Is She Ever?”, “Top Chick Silver Chord”, “Optional Bases Opposed”, “158 Years of Beautiful Sex” etc.
- Underrated. Let’s talk about “Finks” and “Bunco Men”. Songs that were tacked away as Japan-only bonus track and in a goddamn suitcase!! These songs are among the best Pollard ever did.
- WHO KNOWS THE SONG “SPEAK LIKE MEN”?? IT’S NOT EVEN IN GBVDB!! What the hell is “Roob’ talkin’ about?
I still listen to the first four Gabriel albums on a fairly regular basis. You can nitpick here and there, but it’s all pretty solid up through Security. I get the criticism of his “tribal” stuff, but I’ll take that over Graceland any day. Thanks for pointing out “Walk Through the Fire,” I never heard of that one.
I’ve been rediscovering the first Genesis LP lately, “From Genesis To Revelation.” The one most everybody (including the band) has disowned. It’s a perfect orchestral pop masterpiece, every song a gem, and the instrumental segues between many of the songs are lovely as well. The best thing Gabriel’s ever been involved with, in my opinion, and would be of interest to fans of The Zombies’ “Odessey and Oracle” and other such orchestral psych pop LPs.
I know next to nothing about the Wrens, but this sounds nearly like harassment. It sounds like they are slow producers, but there could be a myriad of reasons for that, the most likely one is day jobs. If someone was on my band’s *ss like this, I’d be less than cordial. It’s nice that you guys care, but man, maybe back off a bit.
Those first three solo albums were masterpieces. My personal pick for best underated song is “Intruder” from #3. It’s super-creepy and those walloping drums sound awesome.
You can also put Big Time in the overrated column. And Secret World in the underrated column. I think the guy is a genius in many ways and certainly a musical pioneer. It’s a shame we wait every 5 to 7 years to hear anything from him.
Chris, I’m pretty sure these ongoing “Wrens Watch” postings are part of an ongoing joke, which the band members themselves are probably in on. Otherwise, I think the band would never have had any subsequent correspondence with Magnet, nor allowed Magnet’s website to post this new song download.
Perhaps it was a dark period in my psychological history when that song first came out, but ‘dont give up’ had and still has a deep impact on me. And i hate treacly ballads, and wilson philips. occasionally seemingly simple sentiments can be profound, often they are not. but gabriel’s voice is frickin awesome on this track, and the song’s pulse is an odd syncopated SIX, the kind of thing i am always absurdly pleased by when it sneaks past listeners and becomes a hit. i honestly don’t want to love that song but i do.
I got an early copy. It’s his ‘Being There’. A major step up. I like all his stuff, but this one in incredible. A complete album and a welcome surprise.
I got an early copy. It’s his ‘Being There’. A major step up. I like all his stuff, but this one is incredible. A complete album and a welcome surprise.
A couple of issues with this list. First…. isn’t historical context convenient? When these tracks were receiving radio play, many of them were a nice alternative to the schlock that was being served up at the time. I’m aware that radio-hit does not equal ‘cool’, but I think that Gabriel did a decent job of riding the commercial versus artistic fence a well as anyone in those days. Second… I actually thought that the lyric your writer flamed from ‘Don’t Give Up’ was a good line, especially in the context of the song. Ripping on individual snippets of a song can render anything from ‘Louie Louie’ to ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ impotent on closer inspection. On the plus side, Sledgehammer and Steam both bite major ass regardless of context, so good on ya for calling those hunks of tripe out.
First off, I’m a huge Genesis fan (and Gabriel fan second)…so I’m a bit biased. Also, these are always subjective – though fun to ponder. No right or wrong. My perspective (as a ‘professional’ musician/songwriter)…
I never listen to Sledgehammer (except when it’s on radio)…however, it’s a brilliant pop record. An ‘average’ song…but BRILLIANT record. That is why they have 2 Grammy’s for Song of the Year and Record of the Year…2 different things. “Steam”, I agree… a Sledgehammer wanna-be. Rhythm of the Heat…I think for it’s time (way before Paul Simon), was very creative… a stream of consciousness…not a typical song that you can play on piano per se (would sound horrible)… simply a very creative recording.
My personal favs…San Jacinto…Family Snapshot…Humdrum…Here Comes The Flood (agree the acoustic version is MUCH better)…Intruder…In Your Eyes has been done to death, but it might be his best work. (Just because something gets airplay doesn’t automatically make it crap)….Biko…Downside Up….No Self Control.
The Genesis stuff I could rave about for pages…so I’ll spare everyone.
He’s a great artist…sometimes he writes great traditonal songs…other times he writes from a recording perspective…2 very different approaches…2 very different talents. Not everything will always be a gem…especially if you take chances. But I think we all can agree, he’s one of the most original pop/rock artists of our time.
I’m not a big fan of album #2…kinda weak compared to everything else (I think even Peter admitted that). Some nice spots, but overall, poorly produced and half-baked songs….I feel that was his low-point.
I am the proud mother of Jason DiEmilio. I rember at the age of 6 he wanted his first guitar and I bought it for him,and it was all up hill from there what talent,never took a lesson in his short lived life,but he lived his life to the fulliest. I will always rember him in his bedroom practing for hours aftyer hour and became a hero,genius,beautiful human being. I am, proud to say I loved him more than anything in this world,and he left us with his great music. RIP MY BEAUTIFUL SON!!!!!!
Sure, no problem. When I read the first posting a few months ago, I also thought that Magnet was being obnoxiously pushy toward the Wrens. But by the second or third posting, with Wrens member Charles Bissell still sort-of-responding, I figured out that it must be an ongoing improvised joke.
I’m not a fan, but “Games Without Frontiers” is one of the few songs of his that I love. I completely disagree with the comment about the lyrics too. They are the kind of unpretentious, simple, sincere rhyming that is reminiscent of the best nonsense poetry whilst remaining evocative of the theme of the song. That’s impressive, especially the unpretentious part given his other proclivities and that it’s in a song with French in it. Furthermore, you take into account the background of the title and it makes the “It’s a Knockout” line all that much more clever.
Thanks for sharing this memory Cris. This is a GREAT little story. And now we readers know what to try if we’re on the brink of death by moose. A bit of Kirkwood attitude right back at it!
BTW is this a stock moose photo, or is this from your 1979 Alaska trip?
I’m from L.A., and I actually think they play a Lil’ Wayne song everytime Manny Ramirez comes to bat, at his request, so I guess I’ve heard him in :20 second bursts. That’s one good thing about Manny being suspended: no Lil’ Wayne for the next 50 games.
there’s always room for a ross in this world. don’t ever let a baseball land in his yard. i only hope the glands get back together soon….hey ross, so get with it.
The New album is awesome! Listen to it straight through, when you’re hanging out, relaxing, looking for a little something to cheer the ears up. These guys know how to write some great songs. For further discussion on album see: http://bravenewworks.com/?p=46
Aww, haha. This makes me think of my old cat Blackie (poor thing, RIP). He lived to be 13, and was me and my brother’s first pet and the coolest cat around. Viva Horky!
Subscribers who are signed up to receive our weekly newsletter did. If you want to be added, let us know. We can also email you a link to the Other Girls song.
In the last 12 years I’ve been consistently coming back to Horsedrawn Wishes, always surprised to verify its endurance. It’s a bit overproduced, but that may be the core element of its appeal, it sounds unreal hence timeless. A perfect example of this is Ribbon Fat.
Oh god, that vaginal and anal pear thing makes me wanna hide in a cave. Anything about old timey torture devices usually gives me the willies, but that book sounds interesting…
Editor Cris, I’m enjoying the hell out of your posts here — wish these were more than guest spots! When they come to an end, I guess I’ll have to dust off that copy of Gulag Archipelago that’s been sitting unread on the shelf for about a decade. More, please! Love, yer pal Laura
The 2 guys above pushing for “Banging Camp” are right–it might be their best song. It’s certainly one of the tightest and it contains my favorite HS lyric (”I grew up in denial and went to school in Massachusetts”).
I think you guys nailed the Underrated section, 5 out of 5 great picks. I’m just a little disappointed by the implication that “Death or Glory” isn’t everyone else’s favorite Clash song too.
I don’t hear the second coming of Love and Theft in Together Through Life. I hear Nashville Skyline for the adopted musical style, Planet Waves for the seemingly effortless production, and John Wesley Harding for the deceptively simple song writing.
I miss his liner notes too. “(give me a thousand acres of tractable land & all the gang members that exist & you’ll see the Authentic alternative lifestyle, the Agrarian one)”
Ain’t Talkin’ alone makes Modern Times much more than “so so”.
Go Magnet for covering a deserving band that all of their snobby readers will frown at. Very punk rock. The writer missed “Going to Pasalacqua” in the underrated songs category.
All these reviewers that are praising TTL…could it be they actually do like the record alot as I do? Could it be that maybe, just maybe this isnt a case of blind idolatry but genuine good feelings for the sound…people (whether they are reviewers or not) do like and yes love music for reasons other than blind allegiance. So you and the Guardian reviewer think that the ONLY reason anyone could like this or give it great praise is through some artificial reasoning runnin through their weak little minds? Give me break.
I don’t know if Together Through Time is one of my favorite Dylan records, but it is one of my favorite blues records. I only wish Doug Sahm, who wafts like a ghost within most of these tunes, were around to hear it.
Paul Metsa, Minneapolis, MN USA
Wes has one of the most luminous minds in popular music, so its nice to see him stirring up the Dylan pot. In his short review he perfectly summarizes how I have felt about Dylan’s live shows and studio releases since 03 or 04. In any event, it will be interesting to see how things evolve with Dylan, because I’d bet even that old frock length coat will get itchy after a while…
I’m sorry I just don’t think Green Day is that good or especially deserving of a list like this. I don’t really care. Probably many of us don’t really care.
Deer Tick will be a household name. The fact that Magnet hasn’t figured that out yet is a testament to how out of touch your writers are, though I’m sure you’ll be ready and waiting with pen in hand the next time Pitchfork gives the next boring useless indie band a 8.worthless.
‘Walking Contradiction’ to me is one of their best songs and ‘Kerplunk!’ is way better then ‘39/smooth’. I would say however, that I agree that ‘FOD’ is well underated.
i think green day is just underrated most of the time, mainly by disgruntled old fans who think that green day sux now b/c they’re actually better now than ever, which doesnt make alot of sense to me but whatever, this was a great list, but good riddance time of your life can never be overrated, that song is awesome, long live green day! best band of this generation
Jesus of Surburbia ~=
a)
b) bryan adams “summer of ‘69″
c) “everything’s alright” from J.C. Superstar
d)
e) the alarm “68 guns”
f) big country “close action”
and along with that kinks “picture book” opener rip-off on “Warning”, this is the kind of stuff, intentional or not, that just bugs the be-jeezus out of me. it’s just that the above references are so familiar to me my brain keeps a ticker running through itself “rip off…. rip off…. rip off….” nothing this blatantly derivative should be considered a masterpiece. BUT, although i’m not a big fan of green day, i like ‘em okay and think they’ve got some nice riffs and nice melodies, and bless any band that is allowed to keep making records over a long (10+ yrs) period of time. But who the f was that additional guitar player on stage with them on SNL? cheaters.
I would have included rubber ring and well I wonder on the underrated list and HSIN is not overrated it’s just overplayed. Another overrated song is What Difference Does it Make.
Wes, this is a very lazy, superficial review of Together Through Life. Don’t you see anything below the surface? Do you think that reviewing Dylan like he’s a ‘pop singer’ (which you do here) does him justice? The Guardian review you mention was pathetic self-serving smartarse drivel, written by someone who just just does not even TRY to understand Dylan’s work and is more interested in worshipping his own arse hole. A Dylan album (even a comparitively ‘light’ one like TTL) has layers upon layers which gradually reveal itself asa you live with it. As someone with the gall to name yourself after one of Dylan’s greatest works one would think you’d know this. And maybe you should go and listen to Modern Times again. And again. And again.
And…., again. Thing is, Wes, Dylan’s work just isn’t that EASY. He’s not a ‘pop singer’. ‘Modern Times’ is one of his most major works. ‘Ain’t Talkin’, ‘Nettie Moore’, ‘Workingman’s Blues’, ‘When The Deal Goes Down’ and ‘Thunder On The Mountain’ are songs that live with anything he wrote in the 60s and 70s. They stand way way way above work of most of today’s songwriters. But they are not EASY …. You could hardly call them ’so so’ ….All you have to do is LISTEN and THINK. Fact is, people will be listening to Dylan’s stuff in hundreds of years time when virtually all his contemporaries have been forgotten. As for TTL, you barely skim the surface. Do you expect anyone to take you seriously? I mean, it’s like someone reviewing Shakespeare’s latest play in a few casual sentences. Yeah, man, ‘The Tempest’, hey that’s alright but he’s just remaking ‘Hamlet’ again…..
I rarely respond to blogs, but for some reason the stench of arrogance hit me in the face. It’s not you in particular JWH to whom I’m responding. It’s alll the wanna be’s and never did anything of artistic substance or cultural significance. Like the music – hate the music – be indifferant to the music, but who the hell do you think you are! Are you so small within yourself that you must judge others to feel better about yourself. I have no pretentions in this way. I’m a simple guy who enjoys the new records as much as the old ones. I grow old with him. I skip songs I don’t like. I suggest you do the same and save your judgements for the mirror. If we lesser forms of life than you enjoy or appreciate the new work we have differant tastes than you and your kind not lesser ones. Get over yourselves!
I don’t see how walking contradiction is overrated, its lyrics are magically ironic, how could you not love that? I agree with all the underrated songs. 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is overall underrated. Warning (the album) too. And “Homecoming” I think is absolutely brilliant. It tells a nice story that I’ve never gotten tired of.
As a young Greendayologist and lifelong fan under 31, I love it when old people dissect their songs and tell *me the references. And sound really bitter.
I love the overrated/underrated list, especially Jesus Of Suburbia–which I have on a ten inch record.
Wow I really disagree with the Overrated!
How in the hell does it not include Brain Stew?! Good Riddance very well might register high on the list of most overplayed songs but to include on a list of overrated songs is just pure ignorance and pretention. In a world where bands, particularly pop-punk bands and music in general, is lyrically SO literal, BJA’s abstract, metaphorical lyrics, with the band’s robust arangement…you very well may be, and probably are, sick of hearing Good Riddance, but there is no denying that it is one the all-time greatest songs in pop music. The fact that it is a huge departure from their typical sound (yet still fits cohesively with the album) only amplifies that.
However, I am totally with you on Walking Contradiction and Welcome To Paradise. As for Kerplunk, and while I agree that they did fuck up the mix, but the album is too damn good to be considered overrated! I pretty much agree with all of ther underrated list, but just a question…what the hell is Brain Stew doing missing on the overrated list?!
With American Idiot, I am dumbfounded that you can call this masterpiece overrated. That entire album is one of the very few albums which can be listened to over and over again and never lose its poignancy. Maybe the country has moved on to the Obama administration, but we certainly have not forgotten the atrocities of the Bush era. The album/song have themes of isolation and disenfranchisement that are relevant in any age, only exacerbated by being set in the confusion and fear of Bush’s America. To say something about a certain song on American Idiot is much like talking about a certain scene from a movie…it needs to be viewed and analyzed as a whole. The album has a certain duality….It is a postcard in time, yet is also timeless, and will certainly be every bit as listened to and beloved fifty years from now as albums such as Sgt Pepper and Quadrophenia are today, many years after their release and initial popularity — without ever seeming dated.
It also shouldn’t be forgotten what Green Day did with this album. They opened up a national dialogue that people were too afraid to speak openly about before American Idiot. Remember just a year before the album’s release when the Dixie Chicks (who’s brilliant follow-up album The Long Way Around very much deserved its 5 Grammys!) were Jihadists? (Who would’ve thought that in a day and age with all these phony corporate “artists” trying to label themselves as “punk” while not knowing a thing about the concept, that the Dixie Chicks, of all people, would become my modern punk heroes?! lol) Yes, Bush bashing did become the cool thing to do, which is particularly irritating when done by people who have no idea what they’re talking about, however, to question the impact this song and this album had on the country, look not at the 14 million copies it sold, but the nation’s opinion on our president. In 2002 and 2003, before American Idiot, Bush’s approval ratings were, on average, in the above 65-75% range. Late 2004 is what started his downward spiral of public opinion, which eventually sunk to less than 30% — the lowest of any president in the history of the United States! Is that necessarily because of Green Day? No. But they sure as hell contributed through their music, through metaphor, and through sheer ballsiness and fearlessness in opening the country’s eyes, and inspiring people like myself, who at the time, had no political opinions, knowledge, or involvement, into realizing that this is too important to just be blase about.
1039 is much better than kerplunk
in fact, kerplunk is my least favorite green day album
and my favorite song of theirs is “only of you”
with its quite complex solo, it should be in the underrated category
oh and green day totally ripped off “pulling teeth” from 7 seconds “punk rock teeth”
“So you and the Guardian reviewer think that the ONLY reason anyone could like this or give it great praise is through some artificial reasoning runnin through their weak little minds?” Spot on, Jonnyra. In the Guardian: “Bob Dylan’s music is being suffocated by all the hype, says Alexis Petridis”. Not true. Maybe some “critics” are being suffocated by newspapers. But in Mr. Dylan’s own words: “I don’t write songs to critics. “
I’d trade “Warning” for “Waiting” in the under and raise you an Insomniac. Easily the most overlooked in their discography and a personal favorite: I have a rejected book treatment to prove it.
You get close, but overall… No (disclaimer. I still like the overrated songs, they are just overrated by others)
here:
Overrated:
1. Good Riddance (of course)
2. Boulevard (overplayed, overvalued, good song on a great album, but overplayed)
3. Basketcase (for those of you who hail this as the greatest green day song ever, no, not even close)
4. When I come around (one of my least favorite dookie songs, compared to longview, burnout, even songs like coming clean)
5. Waiting ( Warning is a great, underrated album, but this song was one of my least favorites from the folky, original cd that changed green day’s career)
Underrated
1. Jesus of Suburbia ( Probably the best green day song until recently, its length keeps it underrated)
2. Walking Contradiction ( Really amazing lyrics, descriptive of an entire generation)
3. Going to Pasalacqua (Probably started their career with this song, but noooobody knows it other than we the obsessed)
4. The album Warning (lyrically, the start of the new and superior Green Day, and had the smallest fan following of any album post-dookie)
5. Burnout (Amazing song, from an amazing album, overshadowed by the Dookie singles)
I think this is a profoundly interesting debate / phenomenon. There is nothing “wrong” about loving this album. Nevertheless, it’s hard to deny the premise that, if one doesn’t know Dylan, one isn’t likely to stop in one’s tracks to listen to this.
Yet Dylan is worth revering, studying, and enjoying. And there isn’t any comparable music out there, and hasn’t ever been. Sure, there has and always will be comparably GOOD
Most importantly, the point that, respectfully, I think this review (and the Guardian) misses is that we are damn lucky that Bob Dylan, at age 70, is making and releasing this music — i.e., music to which we can at least close our eyes and smile. (I rather doubt that he needed R. Hunter do do so; I suspect he did so for his own enjoyment / satisfaction.) I think it is this that is generating the hyperbole and exuberant reviews — even if the reviewers don’t stop to understand, admit, and/or say this.
They should. Bob Dylan is releasing new music that can be enjoyed, or disliked, and always discussed. Sad to say, that won’t be the case for much longer.
i can’t understand why people doin that shit,
only for entertainmet or what the hell i don’t know..
why i should rate some green day classics (best & worst) and then be proud of it.. that’s shit…
Underrated:
1. Redundant
2. 2000 Light Years Away
3. Jesus of Suburbia
4. Deadbeat Holiday
5. Warning
I almost put Worry Rock because it has one of the greatest lines in any Green Day song, a perfect line to end a song about a very rocky patch in a marriage: “Promise me no dead end streets and I’ll guarantee we’ll have the road.”
Overrated:
1. Wake Me Up When September Ends
2. None of their other big hits or singles are overrated IMHO
3.
4.
5.
I disagree about Good Riddance. It is heard an awful lot and familiarity breeds contempt, but it’s an undeniably great song.
I don’t agree with this list at all. And yes, Green Day are a very derivative band musically, but they come from a very derivative genre. Anyway, I don’t listen to them for their ability to breakdown musical boundaries – I listen to them because they can write catchy ditties.
And it totally blows my mind that people don’t like Kerplunk! It’s such a masterpiece. Christie Road is hands down their most underrated song of all time. In fact…
Overrated:
5) Good Riddance
4) American Idiot
3) Warning
2) Minority
1) Basket Case
Underrated:
5) Church on Sunday
4) Castaway
3) Scattered
2) Going to Pasalcqua
1) Christie Road
Oh, and I agree with Mark Severin, and mistercharlie, the guy was Jason White, he’s been playing with them since 2000 – he was even offered a spot in the band but refused.
i don’t think welcome to paradise is over rated. just my personal opinion but i think thats one of their best songs. i consider it timeless. as for jesus of suburbia i think thats a great song and i completely agree that it’s under rated. just cause it doesn’t sound like there old stuff doesn’t mean it’s a bad song. i think more people should appreciate their musical talent.
I guess some people have a lot of time on their hands if they are doing things like this. Green Day are the greastest punk band in the world and always will be. none of their songs are overrated or underrated. they just make awesome songs. i love em!!! ;-D
This over/under thing is stupid. It just depends on the people’s likes and dislikes. Someone will say Brain Stew was underrated, someone won’t and there’ll be a huge internet fight about it. Nothing is over or underrated… Just listen to the songs and don’t write these stupid lists, for god’s sake.
i think all there songs r gooood…. but i think warning is overrated not underrated… and y was there foxboro hottubs songs…. that not green day…. its a side band….. the guy cheated…..
>.<
Just to repeat: of course there is nothing wrong with enjoying Together Through Life. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying anything, and there is every reason to enjoy this particular record. But if it weren’t made by Bob Dylan, and rather by some relative unknown, would people find such depth and brilliance in it? Of course not. And do we all have to agree about everything anyway (ie that Modern Times is fantastic)? No, we don’t.
I was just trying to think a few thoughts beyond the basic fact of my enjoyment and open up a general debate that takes for granted all the generalisations (see Chris’ comments above). That Dylan has become a cultural icon of a stature that dwarfs the actual impact of the music he has been making recently is, I think, indisputable. The spectacle of some of the live shows – like the powerfully mediocre Brooklyn Bandshell show last summer (and I’ve seen him twice since then) – confirms that people are happy just to see him rather than to have him actually entertain them. The lyrics, since they are more or less inaudible live, can only be enjoyed if you know them by heart – as so many of us do.
As for Doug Sahm, not only do I wish he were around to hear “Together Through Life,” I wish he’d been around to *make* it. I can’t stop listening to my Sir Douglas Quintet “Complete Mercury Recordings”.
“Bob Dylan is releasing new music that can be enjoyed, or disliked, and always discussed. Sad to say, that won’t be the case for much longer.”
Amen. Though they were probably saying that in 1981 too!
Chris Gregory: claiming too much for Dylan does him a worse disservice than modest praise. Some Dylan songs, simply, are “easy”. If you think “Shake Shake Mama” (which is awesome) is “difficult” to understand, then you are overcomplicating a wonderfully simple song. And I have to say: Bob Dylan is, far more clearly than he is anything else, a pop singer. He may be other things as well, but we can surely all agree that he is a singer of popular song.
I am very disappointed that Boulevard of Broken Dreams wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the overrated!
I cannot STAND to listen to that song anymore, it sounds nothing like green day and is so whiny! haha. I think I’m gonna get shot for saying that.
But I agree with most of what has been said, American Idiot is also definitely overrated. Although I do love walking contradiction, mostly because I love the video though I think.
Scattered, homecoming (which is just as good as Jesus of Suburbia if not better), JAR, going to pasalaqua and countless others are all underrated.
I think Green Day in general are underrated by many fans of “alternative” music. I’m sick of being looked at like I’m an idiot because my favourite band is so darn popular. If that massive contradiction makes any sense.
Good job on the list and explanations and all that though! =]
I’ve been reading Dylan’s Chronicles Vol. 1; the man himself is highly critical of certain work of his own, and goes on and on about having lost his sense of how to connect to himself, his music and his audience for years. With a long and varied career like his, it seems reasonable to me that he misses the mark now and again. A review like this at least gets us to think through the assumption that he’s only able to hit bulls-eyes and evaluate the music differently, even if we totally disagree…or not. I must admit the anyone who can sneer like Dylan did on the cover of Highway 61 seems infallible to me, and that’s just unfair.
These are amazing comments/points of view. I love what amounts to a TRUE fan forum — it must be obvious that I really love this band and wait’ll you guys see my live review of the Bowery Ballroom gig (going up on the site ASAP). Thanks for all the input and enthusiasm — I’ve had a great time hearing from everyone.
Thank you to Chris Gregory for helping to expose the petty and petulant iconoclasm that we hear often in Dylan’s detractors. It seems easy to distinguish between the weak reviews that are simply the result of one or two careless listening sessions, and then that ugly urge to be the one who reveals the tricks of Dylan’s appeal to his endlessly gullible followers. The possibility that Bob Dylan may simply be able to provide with peculiar reliability such great pleasure to his audience, at a high level of intelligence and wit and feeling that is not self-consciously intellectual or portentous, seems quite objectionable to some people. That this pleasure has to be *bought* with attention and openness and a willingness to be moved and delighted and amused–maybe this is a lot of work.
Sing it, Bob. And thanks for giving us this music so soon after Tell Tale Signs.
American Idiot is overrated because of Obama’s ascension? The song is a strong and in your face reflection of the times, and while many ‘political artists’ turtled through the Bush years, these guys charted a new course for their band and fans. As far as Spoon’s “Don’t Make Me a Target” being more ‘clever’, well…. maybe. But Bush was a larger than life American Idiot, and deserved to be dealt with using a steamroller, not a scalpel. I’m glad that Green Day got their point across without adopting a faux intellectualism, which clearly isn’t their forte.
Wow, just read Maureen Coulter’s review of the Shins, and couldn’t narrow down which of her well-turned and creative phrases I wanted to praise. One doesn’t even have to know who she is writing about to totally dig her writing style. I would read your review of the local 2nd-graders’ Spring Concert as played on recorders – you’re THAT GOOD!
in response to “mistercharlie” about cheating on SNL by having another guitar player.. that’s Jason White. He’s in the band for live performances… just wondering how thats “cheating”?
Seconds on Slapped Actress–Finn’s finest moment as a lyricist. That song is wrapped around itself so tightly, and it’s one of Koob’s best riffs, IMHO.
Also–The Hold Steady are a band that loves their fans; that does everything they can to fight cynicism, exclusion, and elitism at their shows; and has no problem with letting anyone into the party. In the world of indie rock, that makes them far from boring and very, very far from ordinary.
Your guys are arguing is ridiculous, it’s saying “Hey which Picasso is the best?!” They are all individual songs that are amazing in style and lyrics. I would have to argue albums, each album embodies a different set of feeling. Either/Or would have to be my most favorite because the lyrics are beautiful for one, and it’s calm and mellow; much like his other stuff, of course.
I think an overrated album that too many want to purchase first is ‘From a Basement on the Hill’ it’s great but his older stuff is beautiful to my ears. At least it seems to be the one most kids buy these days where I live, in Portland, Oregon (name drop).
I’ll stop right there because I could analyze every song down to a T. I’d like to invite you to stop by my myspace page and listen to my originals and my Tributes to Elliott Smith with covers from the album Either/Or.
Hello Vincent,
I do not have a definite date of release. But it will happen hopefully in the next year or so. You will definitely know when it happens, I will be blowing my horn all around the planet so the people will know. We’re going to add some materials that will make it a little more special than it already is.
Thank You for your love of “Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb”
Tim
Have to say, it’s impossible for me to overrate or underrate any of GD’s songs as I pretty much think they are all amazing.
Taking a bit of time to warm to some of the tracks on the new album but I’m getting there.
As for Walking Contradiction being overrated, that’s a crock. Insomniac is Billie Joe’s second best album lyrically, second to Nimrod that is, which is the bomb, and Walking Contradiction has some of the best lyrics ever penned to my mind. “Call it as I see it even if I was born deaf blind and dumb” awesome.
And I agree that the production quality of Kerplunk isn’t the best, but that’s why it’s so easy to love. That and the fantastic songmanship on every track.
i’d just like to say that i’ve been a huge fan of Green Day for over 5 years now and there are going to be some bands you like and others you don’t; as well as songs. I don’t think you should trash much of Green Day’s songs because their an inspirational band unlike some other bands out there. Billie Joe writes all of his lyrics and their orginal. So what if you don’t like some of there songs, but in my opinion most of their songs are some of the best songs out there. Espically their American Idiot album.
I couldn’t help but laugh (a little) when your concert-attending Magnet staffer stated that “…by making a band that can easily sell out 50,000-seat stadiums around the world accessible to contest winners and fan-club members at small venues, the folks at Warners are cleverly cementing the myth of Green Day as The People’s Band….” Yeah, that seems so…uh…punk. When you’ve basically just conceded that the band and their label are calculating enough to organize an “exclusive” show for fan-club members (”Shit, I’m a bigger fan-club fan than THAT asshole over there.”) and contest winners (”Wow, these guys are GREAT! They’re definitely getting my vote for best new band.”) in order to ascend even higher in the pantheon of rock gods (besides, I thought U2 was The People’s Band(tm)), you’ve instantly removed all credibility (and, please, I’m not talking about “cred,” whatever that is) by pretending that the band is slugging it out like all those unsung bands praying 15 or 20 people will actually show up to the gig (and not leave before their set is over). Green Day is huge. Anyone who crawls out from under their rock even once in a blue moon to turn on their radio or TV set already knows this. And that’s perfectly okay…to be huge. But let’s not get carried away and make it sound like they are down in the trenches fighting to keep alive the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. The kicker is when it’s pointed out that “Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool and the handful of friends who serve as the expanded lineup for Green Day’s upcoming tour played their new album and a set of choice encores as though their very lives depended on it.” Have you been to that many bad rock shows that, in comparison, this kind of an effort seems exceptional? Wow.
Because I cannot improve upon perfection, I feel compelled to quote David Berman of the Silver Jews (from his song “Tenneesee”): “Punk rock died when the first kid said, ‘Punk’s not dead…punk’s not dead.’” Yep. Sounds about right to me.
Watched and listened to Monsieur Cohen at the grand Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre earlier this month. It’s hard to erase the image of the 75 year old Cohen skipping off stage after each encore. An amazing night, aptly described by Mr. Harding.
There were, and still are – the BEST. Fleetwood Mac does everything first class, they always did, and they always will. I went to every show in LA as they began and ended their long tours in the 70s and 80s You always knew that no matter how weary of travel and constant touring they might be, you were on for an excellent show with EVERYTHING top notch: Vocals, instruments, lighting, sound – always the best production possible, with that real life pathos, grit and style evident . I was thrilled to see that nothing had changed, only gotten better with the years!
Of all their concerts I’ve been to, this was the most pleasurable..the warmth and passion is there, stronger than ever. I am so glad they decided to tour again, glad for them that they are able to put aside their personal differences for the better good that is the legendary Fleetwood Mac and share with us once again the magic. Thank you Mick, John, Lindsey, and our High Priestess Stevie! It was a powerful, magical evening!
Hmm…this ‘System’ business could come in handy – thanks for the tip! Always fun to have something actually of interest from the world of pop culture to spread back to the horse racing masses (indeed, to all several dozen of them).
Im very glad that they put Foxboro Hottubs in the underrated list. This is one of the reasons why green day is such a great band; they can play such a wide variety of musical styles while still maintaining their own unique sound. “The Pedestrian” is one of my favorite green day songs. I would deffinetly put Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Holiday on the overrated list. Both of these songs have been played on the radio and on MTV way to many times. I agree with Welcome to Paradise as well, it doesnt fit in with the rest of the songs on Dookie. As for the underrated list, im happy to see the album Warning as #1. However, I would put Homecoming instead of Jesus of Suburbia. In my opinion, other underrated songs are Only of You, Paper Lanterns, She, Armatage Shanks, Scattered, and Redundant.
Finally after many years of wanting to see them I was able to watch them in SJ on the 21st. My husband surprised me with tickets even though I told him before we couldn’t afford them. I am glad we broke down and bought them. I will never forget this great event. I am even going to frame my ticket stubs and t shirt I bought. They are better than the younger bands. This is talent and real music.
No offense to the guest editors or anything, but this music you have dubbed “pirate music” does not rule. And the reason this genre has received a horrible rap is because it’s largely terrible music, remembered these days purely for the ridiculous get-ups (even in their own time solely for the benefit of the MTV generation) and for the kitschy ’80s-music cheese factor that will forever – FOREVER – be attached to it. Does anyone really play this music these days without irony? Another dead giveaway that it’s pretty crappy music: it sounded good to me when I was 10 years old. I don’t need to horrify any sensitive types out there by mentioning what other bands sounded good to me when I was 10.
Please stop this instant in your attempts to revive this justifiably dead genre.
P.S. No one should ever play “slap-bass” with a straight face.
You kidding? That would imply people have actually heard of that record in the first place! That entire album is a f*&%ing masterpiece! truly beyond belief…
I’m not sure where it officially rates in the eyes of Costello fans, but a non-hit that packs a lot of punch is Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, off the Spike album. Mind you it sits next to Veronica on that album, so it’s easy to look underrated based on the company it’s keeping.
While not all of E.C.’s forrays into disparate musical styles have been triumphant, he is without doubt the ballsiest songwriter(and most talented) in the world for taking those chances. By slamming Imperial Bedroom,(arguably one of his best albums ever),you have exposed your self for a tin-eared suckfish to be sure… balls to you daddy!!
I have to say, rather unbelievable. If this had been a deliberate hatchet job like Street Team, which can be delicious vicious fun, well OK then. But this is hack work under the guise of serious music journalism (though, yes, I understand it’s subjective opinion; still asks a certain amount of intergrity). Barely know where to start. I can agree with the ‘Alison’ choice, no problem (though the US single version, which added on some syrupy subtle strings, was an improvement in that it made the song into it baldly was: a odd little pop torch song of its times). ‘Pump It Up,’ OK, though again in the context of its time it was a legitimate adrenaline booster (& does the guy have to be literate every damn song? Umm, let’s talk Dylan, even at his peak). & ‘Veronica’ is indeed fluff though has a damnably hummable wormhole melody. But it’s the assessment of Imperial Bedroom that is stupefying. Other than Brutal Youth, it’s the last great Costello album. I don’t know a Costello fan that doesn’t marvel at that record. ‘Beyond Belief’ (fittingly, in the context of this rant) needs to be listened to again by Ms Tartanella. At the time of its release, I was as huge a fan of Costello as one could be. Believed him to possess songwriting nous unparalleled by any of his peers & close to rivalling Lennon/McCartney (which is why his output since the mid-90s is so crushing. Every new album, I read the reviews – “return to form’ the usual lure – and every time, the sigh of disappointment for once was). And I HATED Imperial Bedroom. Could not believe it was so opaque, over-produced et cetera. About the 4th, maybe 5th listen, it came down on me like an avalanche. Yes it’s more baroque than anything before or since, but it transcends that first impression and rewards time after time after time. THEN, to scroll down to the ‘underated,’ and 4 out of 5 are fairly recent, indeed my breath is taken. Should that have been the intention, well done. If, on the other hand, Ms. Tarantello has no tongue in either cheek, then ‘gobsmacked’ is the only response. Seems to me one could almost spin the wheel at random over those first 6 albums (yes Almost Blue was a conceit, though Trust is another argument waiting to happen) and happen upon underrated gems aplenty (Riot Act, Possession, just off the top of my head) As I said, the last time I received a Costello album with unvarnished enthusiasm upon first listen was Brutal Youth, which, as stated in the Rocking Horse Road inclusion, WAS a true ‘return to form,’ with the songwriting matching the energy. Usually this RTF nonsense is only in reference to new wavey energy while glossing over the pedestrian, sludgey content of the songs themselves; All This Useless Beauty was hailed as such. Delivery Man. So will the next one be. And of course I’ll dutifully, hopefully, with my 30+ years ago memories hopping me up with possibility, seek it out & listen to it, then walk away with my nostalgia drooping like the sad shadow it undoubtedly is. But this particular edition of Over/Under, which don’t get me wrong, I love this feature, feels to me like one of those interviews with an edgy new songwriter/musician/bandleader that slags off the Beatles with an impudent sneer, thinking it’s SO very iconoclastic when it’s little but underinformed prattle. But then geez, hell do I know, I’m 53. Whatever perspective I bring to this is probably undermined by my calcifying brain and incipient dementia. So hey, thanks at least for getting my blood up….deftkantian
Sure is a list inspired to draw ire. Imperial Bedroom is over rated by whom, exactly? Ok, so the songs are slower and it actually has some singing on it instead of wall to wall sneer. That’s not a bad thing, nor is it over rated. Sleep of the Just, for example, likely belongs on the underrated list. Don’t blame Mighty Like a Rose on IMperial Bedroom, blame Mighty Like a Rose.
On the other hand, I agree that 45 and much of When I Was Cruel are underrated
I don’t care that much about the other over-rated songs, but Imperial Bedroom is over-rated? Most people don’t know what Imperial Bedroom is so that is reason number 1 against it being on there. Reason number 2 is that it is a great album that never gets old no matter how many times I listen to it.
Like most of the best albums by anyone, it may take a while to grow on you so whoever wrote this review probably hasn’t heard it more than a couple times. If they have heard it many times, I’d like to hear a song by song review of why they don’t like them. It’s funny that they include Tears Before Bedtime as an over-rated song. Great song that nobody knows.
with such a large catalog of releases, Elvis warrants 2 over/under lists. What we’ve got here is unsatisfying and rings hollow. Alison is an easy target, and there’s nothing wrong with a vicious hate song anyway. Every Day I Write the Book should be on the list. And the underrated list sucks, other than including Party Girl. What about Green Shirt, Shot With His Own Gun, Night Rally, Radio Sweetheart,, Secondary Modern?
I’m not the hugest Costello fan but I love Imperial Bedroom…and actually clicked this link in hopes to find my favorite Costello song “Beyond Belief” on the under-rated list…instead the whole album is panned. Ouch.
I don’t know, but it makes me sad that I didn’t get on the GBV train until much later in their career. Awesome stuff, psyched about the new collection!
This was a ground breaking performance that tocuhed every page of AC’s diverse catalogue. The crowd was amazingly energetic and engaged in the show. Hey Jud, that wind you felt on your brow was the whole concpet of this band (their music, the performance and the culture of this event) flying over your head!!!!!!!!!
Loving this track, I recently got the latest album for £2.99 And a free EP with the GZA track on from the site using this code ‘200 000 000 000′ Anyone else get the code from their gigs? The ep is ace!
Dear Emily Tartanella: this is a provocative article, challenging long-established opinions of Costello’s work. That’s great. However, you misquoted the lyrics of “Accidents Will Happen” in your critique. This diminishes your argument about the song.
Awesome. They always talk about Cookie Monster vocals on this stuff, but how do they do that? I’m asking seriously. That’s awesome. I think my two-year-old would really be all over this. Does Children’s Television Workshop get royalties for this? Awesome.
“Sing it, Bob. And thanks for giving us this music so soon after Tell Tale Signs.”
Do you actually think Dylan is reading this? Or you regularly talk to him one-to-one? Either way: slightly frightening.
I just realized that the one song sample you have is some weird, off rhythm remix that was probably the first thing you found on youtube….
This very well could be the worst concert review ever
Elvis can only be compared to himself. If you are discussing his work, you can only compare his successful with his own less successful. The breadth, longevity, quantity, and, yes, quality, of his work in the years since My Aim Is True (1977) stands with a handful of great contemporaries, including Dylan, Springsteen, Byrne, Gabriel, Waits, and Bowie. In examining his risktaking career, “successful” vs “disappointing” might apply, but over or underrated has absolutely no meaning when talking about Elvis Costello.
Major leagues gets my vote along with Spit on a Stranger as most underrated Pavement songs. Hell, the whole Terror Twilight is underrated. I’m really surprised it makes the overrated list, do you remember 1999 when like – everyone hated this song? So now it’s overrated? It was a fantastic, melancholy and melodic song then and it still is now!
I can agree with Imperial Bedroom being overrated. Some critics went wild about it, but to me it’s not one of his best albums.
As most underrated – or maybe just over-looked – I’d definitely say Blood & Chocolate.
Thanks for the article Peter. The road life was an amazing journey of 10 years and will always influence me, and thrill people at the bars when I’m telling stories. The things I had seen and the talent I got to socialize with were astounding, and great to be a part of the db’s legacy.
Keep rockin’, and creating. Jimmy, Rocketman
Agree completely about Afterglow. Gorgeous atmospheric and layered keyboards and Phil’s voice never did sound stronger. In fact, while I love the live versions, his voice pales in those considerably when compared to the studio version. Still my favorite song by Genesis.
No mention of “Cuckoo Cocoon?” That’s a fantastic track. Though, I do tend to agree that TLLDOB is overrated. That said, I really only listen to the live version from the Genesis Archives, Vol.1: 1967-1975 which I think is far superior to the studio renderings.
I think “Watcher of the Skies,” “Wardrobe” and “Squonk” are classics, but what do I know. The rhythm tracks on the first two alone are brilliant, managing to be catchy and “prog” at the same time.
This might be the most accurate over/under I’ve read yet. I do have a soft spot in my heart for “Squonk”, though. Without “Squonk” who knows if “Los Endos” would have ended up so good?
On the underrated front, I think I have to throw my hat in the ring for “Can-Utility & The Coastliners.” Though I may be a bit biased for (almost) all things “Foxtrot.” The groom’s cake at my wedding was a vinyl copy of “Foxtrot!”
Thanks for giving Genesis some attention – something most online mags are far too full of themselves to do. I do have an issue with calling the entire album of “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” It’s a bit of a cop-out in that you yourself point out that there are some great songs on the album. I completely agree it should have been a single album, but then again, most single albums might make better EPs. Choosing an entire album as overrated detracts from the great songs on it and is a bit lazy in my opinion. As for some underrated tracks, how about “Between the Sour and the Sweet” from their first album, “From Genesis to Revelation” which is notoriously hard to find, or “The Knife” which predates both Collins and Hackett on the “Trespass” album. As for overrated, I agree on your number one choice, although I might include “Supper’s Ready” would easily fit on that list; as sacriligeous as it may be, the track is far too long and is not the masterpiece many fans think it is. That doesn’t mean it isn’t terrific, just overregarded and isn’t that what the criteria should be?
Bill B, I’m right there with you with “Coastliners”! It’s like a five-song epic in 3 minutes, and plenty of goosebump chords and powerful drumming. I’d also like to mention the haunting “Me and Sarah Jane” off of Abacab, which uses the drum machine they were known for effectively by layering several different feels over the whole song and has a raw and other times sublime Phil vocal. Also I feel were overlooked (and even more underrated): Man Of Our Times, One For The Vine, much of the “And Then There Were Three” and “Tresspass” albums, and the BRILLIANT “Twilight Alehouse. Left off Overrated: Most of the Abacab album (with exception mentioned previously) , and The Cinema Show (the album version – it’s esentially an excuse for an odd-meter keyboard solo).
it’s weird how you could say “home by the sea” is one of the absolute best of the non-gabriel era, and elsewhere say about the same album “Genesis had turned completely into a Collins turdball hitmaking machine”. I guess “home by the sea” is a delightful turdball.
Anyway. Watcher of the skies is rad, not just the intro. and Wardrobe is a bore.
Re: Lamb Lies Down: I might agree with your entry if you said “the 2nd half of” rather than “all of”. I find myself playing disc 1 much more often than disc 2. Disc 1 is awesome. I start to get antsy around “The Lamia”.
Thanks for a prog blurb. Often my indie rock friends’ eyes glaze over when I mention being into prog. Like it’s not okay to like Death Cab for Cutie and King Crimson?
I also dislike the pop stuff that started really springing up in the ’80s, but the ’70s had their share of kinda slow-paced melodic stuff like “follow you follow me” (with its unbearable falsetto “la la la”s at the end), not mentioned here. being at a couple of genesis shows in the ’80s was a strange thing, with completely different types of cheers springing up for the “old stuff” vs. “illegal alien” or whatever.
Sweet, limping jeezuz…Genesis?!?! Magnet?? Not only is this Rolling Stone territory, this has gotta be the most laughably pretentious, clunky, horse-@#$! band of all time. My comments give them more credit than they deserve merely by reminding people that they exist. Next to them the Moody Blues ROCK and the Grateful Dead are the epitome of tight song writing and musical restraint.
In all honesty, Genesis with Peter Gabriel, the talent of each individual member, as well as the classic albums the band has made are totally sleeping classics. If you mention The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or Selling England by the Pound (my all time favorite album) to your average joe, he will more than likely tell you that he has never heard of the albums, but surely has heard of how good Gabriel was with the band and then laugh about “I Can’t Dance”. Kinda on the same boat as the Peter Green era of Fleetwood Mac.
Also, Phil Collins is too damn good of a musician to have his music laughed at which I know that most people who make fun of him as well as his era in Genesis know that he is an excellent singer and songwriter just don’t want to admit to their guilty pleasure. His drumming is by far overlooked as well. Fantastic drummer who does not get the attention he deserves.
One last thing…. any one who has not heard the first 3 Peter Gabriel self titled albums are also missing out!
Note: they did put out an album in 2005 called “in space”. only if you expect it to absolutely suck to high heaven will you be pleasantly surprised on some of the tracks.
Part of the griping about lack of sales for “power pop” is that many of its proponents just don’t write good songs. They have all the trappings, stylistically, of the music they’re inspired by or are trying to emulate (The Who Sells Out, or #1 Record, or whatever), with “vintage” gear, good drum fills or harmonies, but the songs just aren’t there, both melodically or lyrically. The truth is, in any genre, it’s hard to write a great song. And in a world where folks want to put themselves in a narrow Power Pop box, they often end up sounding like freshman college songwriting project submissions.
Not, of course, that a “great” song (it’s all subjective of course) is a prerequisite for a hit. Matthew Sweet said it best: maybe you should be a musician/songwriter because you HAVE TO, because you are compelled to, not because you want to.
And maybe, by the way, another problem isn’t the music, it’s the packaging, the label. I didn’t, for instance, hear anybody calling those coupla gigantic singles from that band Jet “power pop” songs, or crowing of a power pop revival, even though they could have.
“the most laughably pretentious, clunky, horse-@#$! band of all time.” Man, it’s like Genesis slept with his sister or something. For me, at least, I’m glad Magnet doesn’t narrow their focus so much that all they see is their own nose, like this dude. There’s probably hundreds of pretentious indie rock bands that would be in his acceptable domain for what Magnet should be allowed to write about, anyway. The obvious would be Decemberists, right? Would Mars Volta count? Or Antony?
Some of the albums I might go for alternatives. It seems that most of these bands made at least 2 really good albums. For example, the db’s “Like This”, Big Star’s Radio City, Knack’s But the Little Girls Understand etc.
A quibble perhaps, but one would seriously have to consider putting a Romantics record on here, and my personal list would absolutely have to include the first Jellyfish album, Lemonheads It’s a Shame about Ray, and Especially for you, from the Smithereens. I believe legend has it that EFY was one of two albums that Nirvana listened too repeatedly before they recorded Nevermind.
The great thing about lists like these, from someone who really knows the genre, is that it gives me a few new albums I’ll have to check out.
nice one on You Might Recall – always liked that song. I thought Like It Or Not from Abacab was pretty good too.
But I also have to take exception with your call on The Lamb – that record gets better and better for me over time! I might be a nerd but I would have loved to have seen that tour.
Totally agree on I Know What I Like and Squonk being overrated. However, Watcher is great and while the second half of Lamb is a bit unfocused, it’s still pretty clearly the best prog rock concept album ever.
As for underrated, I would cite “Just a Job to Do” and “Abacab” (even though I think they were both singles) along with pretty much all of the “And Then There Were Three…” album (particularly Undertow and Snowblind).
Definitely Rhett Miller. I’ve been a long time fan and after hearing the first single and reading a few reviews its clear that he has a great album on his hands with this one. I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks for this list! The band lost me after Abacab. It’s like the band turned their backs on everthing that made them awe-inspiring. “Can-Utility”, yes! Yes, the “Watcher” intro is unbelievable, but so is the rest of it — 6/4, I believe? For those who think they had no power, listen to the first live album. Espcially “Musical Box” and “Hogweed”. Spot on with most of the list, though. I wouldn’t consider “More Fool Me” underrated — I just wouldn’t consider it. Not moved one way or the other by it. I’d take “Harlequin” over it. I too like bits of “..and Then There Were Three”, as it really stands apart from everything else they’ve done.
I too have listened to this literally hundreds of times. It’s an instant classic and one that needs to be distributed to every nook and cranny of the world. There’s something so timeless about the songs, production, and the whole feel of the album. I’m looking forward to a re-release of this album with the press that it deserves. Thanks Holsapple for getting this out there. I hope people give this record a chance and Max Indian can do a full blow tour.
Phil didn’t quit Genesis till 1996. That’s a bit more than 13 years after 1973.
There are some VERY underrated songs on Calling All Stations that you’ve completely overlooked, giving only small jabs at Congo and not discussing anything else, even Ray Wilson’s involvement.
I play guitar in a Smiths tribute band and I agree with Glenn about this night has opened my eyes being well underrated. The song is shockingly good and is a classic and anyone who can listen to it without it sending a chill down their spine needs to have a word with themselves! On the same note another well underrated song is that joke isn’t funny anymore, listen to that and tell me it doesn’t do something to you!
check us out at http://www.myspace.com/thesmiffsmusic
I could not agree more! It does my heart good to read your comments about Carter Gaj and Max Indian, and the comparisons you make. Coming from someone of your reputation and credibility, your praise carries even more value. Nice writeup, Peter!
The fifth word in “Sledgehammer” is “steam” (“You could have a steam train”), and I’m not sure what that means, but for the first time in Gabriel’s career, he seemed to be in a rut, copying himself, striving a little too hard for commercial success.
Okay, it’s one thing to have an opinion (which is how I take the whole Over/Under thing, nothing more and nothing less), but if you can’t figure out the, ahem, thrust of *that* lyric, that takes most of the air out of the rest of your critique PDQ, I’d say.
Love Power Pop. ‘Couldn’t I Just Tell You’ by Todd Rundgren is an Essential Power Pop listen in my book. Cheap Trick has some great Power Pop songs as well, and Badfinger just to name a few, if they haven’t already been mentioned. Love this post, Steve.
Oh of course, The Nazz song ‘Open My Eyes’ could also be the Best Ever Power Pop song as well, in my opinion.
thanks for sharing and showing off your extensive knowledge of some elliott smith songs. everyone, this guy was at one of elliott smith’s early shows. it’s mentioned twice in this article. twice. holy jesus of mercy.
These guys are fucking awesome (Durham Rocks) live and deserve all of the press they can get. They are just one of a handful of unique bands from The NC Triangle making waves right now. Indie Hip Hop upstarts, Big Hell are also a band to keep up with as they are fresh in ways you could not imagine. The Red Collar are buzzing around the country representing Durham to the fullest. Pink flag, The Dry Heathens, and so on and so on.
What a horrible contrivance…. This journalist has got no business in music critique. Go back to playing Xbox and snorting coke. The top 5 most “underrated” songs reviews were pure, untreated sewage! Get a life you egomaniac.
I have one of these (thanks Amy!). The coolest thing about the Flip is the simplicity of it: a big red button that you push to record/stop, it runs on two AA batteries and the USB connector swivels out of the side (no cords). It doesn’t do anything fancy, but that’s fine with me.
A little hard to understand what you’re saying: Case said he didn’t want to work with Lee again, or is Lee unavailable? And if Case doesn’t want to work with Lee, doesn’t that deserve a followup question . . . why?
These lists are sort of becoming pointless. Before looking at the list, I knew Lips Like Sugar would be #1 for overrated because it’s the only Echo song I could think of off the top of my head, which may be one more than most people. I may know a few other songs, but not their titles. If a person knows all five “overrated” songs, then they probably know a lot about music and don’t need to be told what is overrated. Maybe just stick to underrated.
I have to say that this list is fairly decent. the overrated all deserve their place, (even Mac would probably admit Killing Moon is overrated, mostly because of his own hype), and I can buy the arguments for the under. And I agree that Heaven Up Here is the most underrated (and I think the best) album of their cannon.
For the lack of anything else to say you’ve slammed the bands most popular and enduring songs while trumpeting other, slightly more obscure ones that fans would know about already. This kind of writing is exactly what makes Magnet a ridiculous waste of time; Pointless pieces written with sole purpose of eliciting some kind of response, any kind of response. It’s the journalistic equivalent of shit-flavored cotton candy. Not only does it taste terrible but the ingredients have no nutritional value.
First off, Albini is entitled to his opinion, I like his producing, just don’t always agree w/ his opinions. What’s great about power pop is that the torch is still being carried by many who were approached for the article, check out:
Yo La Tengo- Drug Test
Spoon- Beast & Dragon Adored or Anything You Want
Art Brut- Emily Kane
I think are the current reigning power pop group-
New Pornographers- Twin Cinema or Broken Beads or my favorite song of the year so far, A.C. Newman’s There Are Maybe 10 or 12….
The pairing of Paul Collins and John Wicks performing INSIDE a record store happens this Saturday Night at THE RECORD COLLECTOR STORE in colonial Bordentown NJ (Exit 7 of the NJ Turnpike) Saturday June 13th. 7:30 PM Doors with Todd Ellis from NJ 80’s Power Pop Icons SMART REMARKS – Showtime at 8 PM. $ 10 with PLENTY of seats at the door the night of the event. Not only see Three Power pop legends, but shop for rare vinyl at the same time. One Million Records are in the building – all for sale !
More info – http://WWW.THE-RECORD-COLLECTOR.COM</
2653 Comments
uh, Jim Wilbur is the band’s second guitarist; Laura Ballance is the bass player.
I think Pete Buck is known for his membership in another band besides Tuatara. Hindu Love Gods, maybe?
Tom, you are correct, sir. We fixed the mistake. Thanks!
Thank you magnet for keeping a beat on the wrens. the wrens is a family affair for myself, my wife, and fifteen year old daughter. we just listened to the meadowlands in the car last friday. everyone choose sides, and she sends kisses are in my top ten of all time, and i’ve gifted this record to more people that i can afford. charles and band, we’ve waited long enough. radiohead works at a faster pace for effs sake. can hardly wait for some new stuff, and a long overdue visit to florida.
Just when i think i am “with it” when it comes to the best new music of the year, MAGNET does it again and supplies me with a dozen new albums that make me want to start this year over so i can find time to listen to them all. Keep up the great work and i will continue to look forward to late december.
Wow. I love your magazine. I’ve never heard of these guys but the band interview gives a good reason why. They sound great! Also, Magnet, this magazine is great.
Also, This is the only “end list” where I’ve seen Boston Spaceships. Their album rocked and I’m glad to see it on their. Although the Woody Allen comparisons were a little off and made Pollard sound creepy. I would call him rock’s Clint Eastwood.
This is a joke, right? No Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Atlas Sound, Department of Eagles, or The War On Drugs?!? These bands should be in the top ten of your list.
And please, please tell me that someone over there had the foresight to include Instant Orange AND Teenage Filmstars in whatever you call your re-issues of the year section.
Don’t piss the guy off. What’s the point of that? Meadowlands is a great album. If and when they decide to put out another… that’s their business.
I’m a bit shocked that Do You Like Rock Music? by British Sea Power did not make the list. I don’t disagree with any of your other picks, but seriously…did you guys not hear that album?
ms, pretty sure this is a joke. the wrens and magnet are like, supertight. but i reallllly hope this is an ongoing feature cos i got a kick out of it and would love to hear what’s going on with the wrens! theyre too damn quiet.
Definitely not my top 25, and I’m happy for that – shows me that there is still a wealth of music out there that I haven’t heard to reinforce that this year was a great one for music. Wonderful to see Parts & Labor in the list, probably my favorite new find this year. Honorable mention to Tricky’s “Knowle West Boy” and Barry Adamson’s “Back to the Cat.” I was going to say something about My Morning Jacket not being on the list, but I suppose it’s for the best. Well done.
cool guys! great to see such a humble group with such a deserving record–will definitely stick with them over the years
finally! a year-end review that actually has substance, not just words to fill a quota.
“a movement with guts and real ideas that aren’t a warmed-over retelling of mainstream pop culture from 20 years ago.”—exactly what we’re waiting for.
from now i’m keeping an eye out for your future articles.
I wonder why Robert Pollard isn’t on this? I kid. I kid.
Best wishes from MAGNET to American Princes bassist Luke Hunsicker, who’s recovering from an operation to remove a brain tumor. Our thoughts are with him and his family this holiday.
http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/rockcandy/2008/12/princes_update.aspx
Nice to see Dr. Dog and R.E.M. included here. Kudos! Surprised to not see Fleet Foxes, Deerhunter and Beach House. All worthy.
Having let my Magnet subscription run out a few years back, due to the utter lack of money and the time to read magazines, I just realized how much I loved this particular part of the magazine. (Would a ’section’ be a more accurate definition than ‘part’? Or is “Where’s the street team?” a ‘feature’? Well, English is not my first language, so please buzz off if you think I call it by a wrong name). The bottom line is, I loved it, even when the author trashed my favorite bands.
They say people can’t help laughing when that mean ugly old woman, whatever’s her name, makes nasty comments about the appearance of celebrities arriving to the Oscars ceremony. Regardless of much they like the said celebrities or what they think of that woman, they still laugh at her wisecracks–now _that_ takes talent. I haven’t had a TV in years and stopped caring about Oscars even earlier, but this article reminds me of that pre-Oscar “trashing of idols”–except that it is way more intelligent and deals with a real subject matter. (Who the hell cares what kind of a dress Cameron Diaz was wearing to the Academy Awards? NOT ME.)
Whoever Andrew Earles really is–I remember some people expressing doubts if he was a “real person,” but I believe in you, Andrew!–he is a genius. I can only be thankful that the music I listen to now, the (mostly German) Industrial never registers on the Magnet’s radar. I have to buy stupid “heavy metal” (which I hate) mags for the sake of one single article about my favorite band–for apparently, most people are too dumb to tell the difference between “industrial” and “metal.” And just like the latter kind of music itself, heavy metal magazine writers lack the intelligence to come up with something coherent (let alone funny) when criticizing the bands they don’t like. There is no Andrew Earles there, not even close.
I think I am going to renew my Magnet subscription just for this one section, if nothing else. I have about as much clue of what’s hot in the “indie” world right now as I do about the MTV’s Top 10. But some of the bands I used to listen to in the past seem to still be around; and from what I recall, Magnet had occasionally ventured into (at least the old-time) punk area. AND it has the “Where’s The Street Team.” Totally worth it.
I’d like to thank “eric” for sending out that email about Magnet’s anniversary, which has led me to this page and this decision.
I love M. Ward but I found She and Him to be so so booooring Blech
I have seen these guys live… they are the real deal!
And I never will!
Um…(cough)….why isn’t Chinese Democracy an option?
Yes, John Cale’s performance is magnificent. But Susann and the Magical Orchestra’s reading of the song is haunting and heartbreaking in its beauty, simplicity, and poignancy. Well worth a listen and arguably a superior rendition of the song. Look for it on 2006’s “Melody Mountain.”
This is truly a great band,If you don,t own the new album “Rise and Shine” buy it today! these guys have a great retro sound with current scene appeal.
this Album is #1 in my top 10 for 2008.
This is not the first year that Magnet disappoints me. And what is this obsession with Top 20-something lists, end of the year or not? Do we really need another number 1, 2 or 3 record of 2008/7/6/5?
You know that you left so much good music out like you always do at the end of each year. Indie-Alternative music that you champion in your pages has become the new mainstream.
Magnet you have grown old and grey!
Roger Rahal
Hamburg
Germany
This is great. They should finish the damn album and then we can all go to White Castle on Route 17.
Thanks for your kind words and consideration!
Steady on,
Charlie Pickett
I know that this is not on your web-list, but thanks for speaking the truth about Sleater Kinney. It is amazing to me how one group can nail music from the angles of irritating, brashness and straight up hackishness so completely perfectly. When I have the unfortunate experience of hearing them, It always feel like I`m being screamed at by some college freshman that is repeating what she just heard in her feminine studies class as she cheese-grates my knuckles. Why this band appeals to anyone is totally beyond me. Good job Mr. Earles, keep `em coming!
Is he related to Lil Bow Wow?
Roger – There can be endless debate about year-end lists, and we do like to hear from everyone about their own favorites. Sure, we probably missed some really good records. Keep the comments coming.
In response to your second point, it simply isn’t true that the music we cover has become mainstream. Perhaps it’s easier to discover and access via the Internet, but by almost any measure (album sales, visibility, tour revenue) the vast majority of bands/artists in MAGNET are dwarfed by the popularity of mainstream artists (Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, Metallica, et al).
Check out Lisa’s contribution to The Bigtop soundtrack, too.
I’d rather gouge out my eyes and shove bowling pins in my eye sockets!
ANDREW, THAT IS GREAT NEWS TO THE MUSIC WORLD !. I AM ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST FANS (235 LBS). SERIOUSLY, I HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR CAREER FROM IT’S INCEPTION AND HAVE APPRECIATED KNOWING YOUR GIFTED TALENT IN VOICE, WRITING, FEELING AND INSTRUMENTAL (INCLUDING LEAD GUITAR). AWESOME TALENT, AWESOME PERSON !!!!
YOU ROCK ……………………………
No Glasvegas? I even searched the entire web site, and not a single hit in the results. Amazing, sort of.
Otherwise, I see a lot of music left to discover. Thanks.
No Glasvegas? I even searched the entire web site, and not a single hit in the results. Amazing, sort of.
Otherwise, I see a lot of music left to discover. Thanks.
I think you owe me a finder’s fee for my letter to the editor, which must have given you the idea for roasting MMJ…ha ha, just kidding. Good job, keep up the good work!
Oh, and huge props to your depiction of Urge Overkill..one of those “dear God, what were they thinking?” bands…
She and Him boring?! That’s bloody blasphemy! (wink)
some of the tunes are depressing, but c’mon, dontcha like “Why do you let me stay here?” or “This is not a test”??
Besides, Zooey is pretty smokin’ hot, IMHO.
There’s a really good mix of a Mary J. Blige song (”Just Fine”) that features Lil Wayne. He sounds like a guy from The Pharsyde and a little like Lyrics Born. Why such hostility? You can listen and you’re still allowed to like your obscure heroes of indie rock.
am I crazy or didn’t Jason Falkner and Eric Matthews both have albums in 2008?
Doi!
Dear editors,
The Sound Check report by Corey duBrowa in the recent 15th anniversary issue was informative and entertaining.I love both bands and their entire body of work.I wanted to add to duBrowa’s story some facts he left out.First, The Beatles wrote one of The Rolling Stones first charting hits “I Wanna Be Your Man”, and small cut-out photos of The Beatles from the Sgt. Pepper album can be seen hidden in the bushes surrounding the Stones on the cover of Their Satanic Majesties Request album, and The Beatles are actually singing back-up vocals on the track “We Love You”.I think that’s it….but for what it’s worth, thought I’d mention those tid-bits of info on the Beatles vs. The Stones history and relationship.Thank you for making a great magazine!
David S. OwenWorthington, OH
PS: My renewal check is in the mail this week.
The Moondoggies – Don’t Be A Stranger
hahaha excellent. I always fall asleep when I try to watch The Deer Hunter (I still have never actually gotten through the whole thing), I thought I just didn’t get it, wasn’t sure if I got the band either. Great article.
I think I enjoyed the web outtakes more than the ones that you printed. I think you could have made a whole issue of just photos.
I think it was kind of an overrated year.
Kez Ra — “Wouldn’t you Like to Know”
without a doubt, the walkmen’s “you & me” is the best album of 2008, and of recent years past. i wasn’t a very big fan of them until i heard this album in its entirety. it is 14 beautiful, chromatic tracks (when’s the last time you had a 14-track album without one bad song?); and boy do they know how to end an album- songs 12-14 are a flawless trio. i recommend listening to it only at night, however.
I really enjoyed this issue as well. Its always interesting as a photographer to hear from others who enjoy shooting the same subject. Every shoot has its own storys and memories. These gave the photos a whole new light to me. I especially enjoyed the Elliot Smith/Tom Waits shots.
Kyle Johnson in seattle
kjphotos.com
right on! what a great article…..hope to see more TK news in Magnet.
thanks, larryt
I love Bob Mould. Can’t wait for his new album… and all the dirty lyrics. The man has always offered his life to his audience, and come to think of it, sex is a huge part of life. I’m glad to know that he thinks we’re worthy of listening to his experiences, in fact. (By the way, Workbook and Bob Mould are far from mediocre…)
Man, I’d vote all day for Vampire Weekend, although the Fleet Foxes is right up there for me and the TV on the Radio was a bit disappointing. I don’t know why the Hold Steady record is listed there – that’s a strong album from beginning to end and really has fallen off the face of the earth since the initial reviews, so I don’t think it’s overrated by any means.
Christmas in January!!! this is better than a new president.
Glenside is actually 2 miles from Philadelphia. Can’t wait to check out the show!
The Last Dog & Pony Show is an excellent album (except for 1 song).
You can listen to the whole show, audio and all, online:
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/bs
Excellent – thanks Todd! I was not aware of that page. You have 3 choices to listen: a nice pop-up flash player (similar to the one we use to stream music on the MAGNET site), mp3 stream or RealAudio. It doesn’t solve the problem for iPod listeners but I’ll consider it a bonus round to go back and listen to the music portion at the beginning of each show.
I’ve never understood why the Star Maker / Soap Opera material has been so trashed. To my ears many of those songs sound very sincere and heartfelt. Touching songs about being very ordinary.
I’m in Disgrace (from Schoolboys in Disgrace) is a gem – probably based in part on rather painful real-life experience, if I read Ray’s and Dave’s autobiographies right! It was their mistrust of authority figures that generated the primordial ooze that evolved into the Kinks.
There’s lots of good stuff on Sleepwalker and Misfits. I remember being in my late teens – early 20’s (mid-late 70’s) hearing songs from the Sleepwalker album on the radio, at a time when I had struck out on my own and was newly independent. What I heard on the radio at that time made an impression on me and I did not even know I was listening to the Kinks!
Art Lover always pulls at my heart and makes me go arrrrghhh!.
Scattered made a rather nice video – probably one of the final ones by the Kinks.
I love the Kinks so much it’s virtual impossible for me to point to a favorite album or song.
keep stoking those neutral milk hotel reunion show fires. i’ve already commited myself should on materialize:
http://notpaul.com/event/29/neutral-milk-hotel-nyc-reunion
should be a very solid lineup without them.
Good list. I would also include:
People in Grey
Have a Cuppa Tea
Can’t Stop the Music
Only Jukebox Music
Holiday (if you can find this from the BBC Sessions, the live version is wonderful)
Last of the Steam Powered Trains
Harry Rag
And I agree w/Susan. It is virtually impossible to point to a favorite. But, my favorite lyric is from The Road, “I got gas in my tank and I still got a way to go.” Keep going, Ray. Keep going.
I always thought, “Did You See His Name”, was perhaps the most overlooked Kinks gem. Ray glides through some of the phrasing in such an elegant way, in contrast to the tragic plight of the guy who nicked a tin of beans. Love it.
I have seen this band grown in so many ways. They are not only in my opinion one of the best bands out there, but they are also the nicest bunch of young men to have ever crossed my threshold. I know that the future holds only great things for them. When the world takes a hard look at how talented they are, watch out……
you guys are dicks, clearly.
Richard Buckner is fantastic.
If you can’t say anything nice, even if you mask it with weak Passive Aggresive rejoinders, don’t say anything at all!
Two of the most overlooked songs are “No More Looking Back” & “Sitting in the Midday Sun”
Robert Pollard sucks. Guided by Voices was great, but that was a long time ago.
Wake up and smell the cow dung.
Some overlooked masterpieces include: Close to the Wire, Life after breakfast, Misty Water, Out of the wardrobe, A little bit of emotion, Cliches of the world, The road. I consider these to be masterpieces of songwriting.
Some overlooked masterpieces include: Close to the Wire, Life after breakfast, Misty Water, Out of the wardrobe, A little bit of emotion, Cliches of the world, The road. I consider these to be timeless songs by The Kinks and Ray Davies.
The Kinks have many great “overlooked songs”. For me the main one is “NO MORE LOOKIN BACK” a song that closes the SCHOLLBOYS IN DISGRACE cd. This song, if played by the radio at the time of his release, should have become a “classic” in the same way as “Stairway to Heaven”, “Wont Get Fooled Again” or “Hey Jude” among many others. Also, “Juke Box Music”, “Full Moon”, “Sleepwalker”, “Around the Dial”, “Heart of Gold”, “How are You”, “Daylight”, “Rock and Roll Cities” and many many others.
I didn’t say a lot of that stuff, or it was taken way out of context. oh well. I certainly didn’t say “I live for that kind of stuff” in reference to my old guitar. The voodoo references I made were entirely mis-represented, and Stefan Jecusco is not a guitarist–he is a banjo player. And M Ward co-produced that “Mexico City.” He didn’t co-write it. And “Mexico City” was about Kerouac, not about someone ‘Kerouac-like.’ I didn’t say the first quote–“I don’t give a shit about so much art, because it doesn’t give enough, doesn’t sacrifice enough.” What I said was “I don’t give a shit about art that doesn’t give enough.” Its hard for me to make head or tails of the statement as it was published. In any case, thanks for publishing an article about me.
Your negativity is cold hearted, childish, rude and unnecessary.
Richard Buckner and Robert Pollard are two of the greatest living American songwriters.
American Music Club they should definately play as well.
Why isn’t anyone defending Erectus Monotone?
I believe the reviewer thinks that if your ears don’t bleed after listening to a Bob Mould Album. Sure, the electronic stuff isn’t my bag, but even the more electronic influenced songs play great live! If you haven’t seen Bob live, and get the chance, GO! Last year, he played about 7 Husker Du songs (mostly from Zen Arcade and Candy Apple Gray) and the crowd started slam dancing (some of us are too old to call it a mosh pit)
I’m psyched for the new album!
Crediting the Asteroid #4 with starting “Psychedelphia” is like crediting the Herman’s Hermits with starting the British Invasion. JT, Vibrolux, and the Photon Band were already making great music. The A4 were weak compared to them. And what about the Strapping Fieldhands? If you want to write about “Psychedelphia” (a stupid name, anyway) you need to base your article around those bands, not the wannabes who followed in their footsteps.
First someone said “No More Looking Back” was like “Stairway To Heaven”. I think he means in the way of an anthem like that and “hey Jude”. Well one of the true great anthem’s that our boys did was “Celluloid Heroes”, it is one of the great songs of all times.Others on my list, “One of The Survivors”, “When A solution Comes” and “Flash’s Confession” among many others.
OK, I guess Marah is a hybrid of Philly and other destinations, but with Kids in Philly (among other releases) I would have thought that they had the pedigree to rank highly in this article, certainly more so than a few of the lame ducks that were included.
Check back in tomorrow, and you will read why Marah didn’t get its own profile.
What an odd topic. We have a few posts by people that have never heard him, but feel the need to slag him (for the sin of ‘lack of indie cred’), and nothing commenting on WHY he’s worthy of such an unsolicited flaming. I actually have heard his ‘hit’ album; half of it being crap, and the other half is funny, flowing and entertaining. Batting .500 certainly puts him in the league of the music Magnet reviews at the very least. Maybe he can sample Pavement or GBV on his next release and become a darling of your mag.
I just thank Earles for his continued skewering of Tom Waits, and his instinct in not getting sucked into losing his load over ‘certified important music’. I enjoy a fair number of the bands he slags, but I also understand that the best way to review music is to actually LISTEN to the stuff, then comment honestly on what your ears and brain took in.
So right about When a Solution Comes. Also I would include Heart of Gold, Scattered, Something better Beginning, See my Friends, Sweet Lady Genevieve,
Get Back in the line, This Time tomorrow, and Long Distance… and about 40 more, if I really thought about it!
jud-
thanks for the review, creative writing must be passionate for you.
try giving it another listen.
peace
Neutral Milk Hotel made something unheard of and i am sure they could pick up right where they left off. Pioneers at the time. I just wish Jeff was more open to the public with his music,
I think “Something better beginning” should very well be on this list of the finest of songs in pop music.
This opens up a whole new can of worms because I have always contested that many of the greatest Kinks tunes were overlooked. Some of the best songwriting and musicianship of The Kinks can be found in these:
Only A Dream
Fancy
Too Much On My Mind
Some Mothers Son
Prince Of The Punks
Little Bit Of Emotion
Around The Dial
Give The People What They Want
Education
Full Moon
Life Goes On
Trust Your Heart
Cliches Of The World (B movie)
Definite Maybe
Working At The Factory
The Road
Welcome To Sleazy Town
Lost And Found
Don’t
Over The Edge
Massive Reductions
Missing Persons
….and dare I say none of them are “greatest hits.” God save The Kinks!
Can’t wait for the new album! Saw the Redwalls in Paris while on vacation in October – great show, and evidently one of Andrew’s last with the band…glad to see he’s back on the horse!
i found the review to be scintillating. for the record, SITA is psychotic (not “neurotic”) and frenetic (not “ranting style that points out the barely controlled rage”). just my two cents.
The Kinks have so many great songs that are overlooked..the best songs to me, almost every song written, are” supersonic rocketship..its a shame-i’m on an island-shes bought a hat like princess marina-sitting in my hotel-ducks on the wall-underneath the neon sign-i’ve gotta go now-i’ve got that feelin’-i go to sleep-days-kingkong-misty water-till death do us part-summers gone-looney balloon-now and then-babies-scattered—–there are soo many that I listen to ..its very distur=bing-GOD SAVE THE KINKS!!!!!
I would pick one underappreciated song from each album:
So Mystifying
Wait Till the Summer Comes Along
The World Keeps Going Round
I’ll Remember
End of the Season
All of My Friends Were There
Drivin’
The Moneygoround
Complicated Life
Look a Little on the Sunnyside
Dreams
You Make it All Worthwhile
The First Time We Fall in Love
Sweet Lady Genevieve
Mirror of Love
On the Outside
Pressure
Better Things
Summer’s Gone
Heart of Gold
Out of the Wardrobe
How Do I Get Close
The Video Shop
The Road
Still Searching
This list leaves out dozens of my favorites
This is an awesome list. All top notch deep cuts and no filler. So when will this list be published in a magazine?
It’s online only.
My favorites:
All day and all of the night
money talks
last of the steam powered trains
hatred
Till the end of the day
Top of the pops
Do it again
living on a thin line
I;m not like everybody else
Catch me now I’m falling
Plastic man
Wicked annabella
It is rock N roll with lyrics that make sense
I can’t imagine trying to write down all of the great songs the Kinks recorded that sailed under the radar. It is simply an impossible task. But I would like to highlight a couple of songs from their later years that is often overlooked, including Looney Balloon, Video Shop, Did Ya and Look Through Any Doorway.
Ray and Dave rock!
megan brown is a genius.
megan brown is a dangerous, dangerous woman.
her art is hanging at TRITONE… tonite!!!
arrive at 9pm, should you want to see your cats tomorrow…
love,
witchtrialz
spending warm summer days indoors
Megan has obviously inherited her “talent” from her gifted parents. One would think she would give them some credit. I think that this Vagina music thing might catch-on and is worth exploring.
GB
No list is complete without Gods Children.
I was going to post my favorite underappreciated Kinks songs. I read through everyone elses list and realized every song mentioned would be on my list. I guess I’ll just skip my list and say there are way too many songs to list and most are truly under-appreciated.
Jolie — my bad about the inaccuracies re: Stefan’s contribution to the album and Matt’s role on “Mexico City” (and thank you for correcting these points in our forum). But otherwise everything that’s in the story is exactly the way it came out of my tape recorder — for better or worse! All of this said, we love you and your music and hope you won’t hold any of our interpretations (right, wrong, cockeyed) against us.
This is the biggest list of bullshit I have read in long time. Dissing Tom Waits was the first clue. Yet another reason why most music lovers do not consider Magnet a legitimate music publication. The misogynistic Sleater-Kinney comments alone show the misanthropic tendencies of this hack posing as a writer, and obviously sorely musically-challenged. One of the tenants in today’s writing is to avoid sexist language – which Andrew Earles clearly erred among a “list” of other failings in this misinformed piece based on adolescent ranting than on any musical taste.
dissing RFTC, the Whigs, Spacemen 3, QUEENS!!!!, trail of dead and TOM WAITS?
SERIOUSLY????
who doens’t like queens of the fucking stone age…. you’re a tool, get a new job.
Andy Andy Andy….where to start? I know you, or at least 50 guys like you.
Your grunge band was no Nirvana – so you set your sites on ska, by the time you had a tuba player to fill out the brass section you wanted to be the next moby and bought some turntables – then the sad realization you suck at music settled in. What better way to get back at an unfair world than to mock those that prevailed where you came up considerably short- most notably those that are females or ‘bleeders’ as you call them. That comment alone makes you sound like a ‘homogeneous pea-brained bartender type’. How many rewrites on your magnetic fields section did you have to go through before composing one with out any homophobic epithets? Sorry you never made it as a musician – journalism isnt looking too good either.
put down your tall soy latte, your “calp your hands say yeah” cd, shave your pubic hair stubble and pull your useless head out of your (favorite place to hang out) ass. you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. if somebody actually paid you to write this, the terrorists have won.
Phil Sheridan and I put the list together. We limited out choices to songs that came out in 1972 or later and tried to pick songs that weren’t on any best-of compilations that the causal (kasual?) Kinks fan would own. We also avoided any songs that charted in the U.S. and agreed to include no more than one song per album. Only songs written by Ray were considered. No songs that made this list (http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2008/06/01/a-well-respected-man-artists-pick-their-favorite-kinks-songs/) were eligible. To address one song a number of you guys mentioned that fit those criteria: “No More Looking Back” is one of my favorite Kinks songs, but we thought it was too well-known to include.
I’ll throw another topic out there: If you could only pick one Kinks song to ever listen to again, what would it be? For me, hands down, it would be “Days,” which is probably my favorite rock ‘n’ roll song of all time. And in typical Kinks fashion, it was never included on a proper album in the U.S. and didn’t chart here. But then again, it’s these kind of things that have always made Ray, Dave and the boys underdogs and so much fun to root for.
you have no idea…
I have been a Kinks fan for as long as I remember, but Ray’s most recent solo album has a song (”one more time”) that brings a tear to my ey every time I hear it. It reminds me of days gone by when my father (still living) used to take walks with my younger brother (who was a down syndrome lad and avid Kinks fan). My brother passed away in 2001 from complications after elective surgery. My father is still a Kinks fan because of my brother.
Only one Kinks song to be able to listen to again…. Wow. I guess for me it would have to be Victoria.
RFTC, great fucking band, sometimes rock ‘n roll just needs to be basic. Give it a listen again. A lot of the progressions that made Jehu great are in there. They were just a ton more direct about it. And in 16 years, they never dissapointed.
SM3, sorry the drug revolution never found it to your rich white burb. Don’t say you didn’t want to go to the party when you were never invited. They might not hold up as well as others but they were the right band for the time, and it was a good time.
JSBX and Heavy Trash, I’ve always enjoyed them both. And Ass Pocket of Whiskey is one of the best go to albums deep in a whiskey buzz. If you can enjoy music without being put off by hype, these guys rock.
S-K, if they were guys dressed like 1980’s Springsteen today, you would be all over this shit. From the sparse The Day I went Away on the first album to some of the straight up rockers on the Woods, these girls always put out something good. Sorry that them being girls is too muck of a schtick for you to get past.
You should have listed Tom Waits first so no one would read any further.
Which Starbucks do you work at? I would like to discuss this further in person.
Dude !
The whole “Schoolboy’s in disgrace”album is great! One of there best albums!
Andrew, your comments about Rocket From The Crypt made me cry :’(
I’m not sure if these are the 10 Great Overlooked Kinks Songs but I really like them all, apart from “In a Space” which isn’t in my top 200 favorite Kinks song.
My other sugestions: “Big black smoke”, “This is where I belong”, “Sweet lady Genevieve”, “god’s children” ,”How do i get close . “Now and Then” “Long way from home”
I find it hard to believe ‘Celluloid Heroes’ and ‘Im Not Like Everybody Else’ only have one mention each, both songs have real timeless, heart on sleave type lyrics, which is all in all sums up ray davies as a songwriter. These are the two most overlooked Kinks songs in my opinion.
I’m not normally a big fan of rap or hip-hop, but I like the new Lil Wayne CD. As another commenter noted, about half the CD is excellent, the other half a mixed bag. But, the half that is good makes it worth listening to. I borrowed the CD from my 19 year old daughter and she actually thought exactly the same thing.
The kinks have always been the best band for me since 1965 only Ian A comes close to the brothers.All the songs Ray and Dave have written are A1,no doubt wonderful melodies and lyrics. Lets hope that they get back together.
These are my candidates for most overlooked Kinks songs – Moments, Rosemary Rose, Polly, Big Black Smoke, Where O Where is Love, Property, The Road, Scattered. Among the slightly better known but still overlooked songs are Some Mother’s Son, Autumn Almanac, Most Exclusive Residence For Sale, End of the Season. These are great songs.
It’s hard to beleive that after all these years, the British Invasion “Big Four” music is still the best. My favorite overlooked Kinks tunes are:
The London Song-both versions
Too Much On My Mind
That’s All She Wrote (from O.P.L.)
Over My Head (from O.P.L.)
Last of the Steam Powered Trains/Picture Book- Best Video Ever
Something Better Beginning
Rosie Won’t You Please Come Home?
Missing Persons
The Way Love Used To Be
Love Me Till the Sun Shines
Heart of Gold
Big Black Smoke
Why not pick take one more chance by Dave Davies that song is so beutiful Dave is a great songwriter,he is one of the best
The living Daylights, anyone ?
James Bond theme for the 1987 movie of the same name ?
Comment above is in reference to naming another a-ha song. Good call, Claudia.
Music critics still aren’t allowed to appreciate The Dead I see? Gimme a break. It’s not all hippies and patchouli. If you can fawn over groups like Fleet Foxes then you just haven’t given it a chance.
Im also a long time kinks fan (Im 59)……Hey Steve, One more time brought tears to my eyes also – for no reason, just because its a wonderful song………sorry about your brother. I loved the Beatles, but he kinks songs talked to me and meant more to me as the years went by……so many wonderful songs that the general public is unaware of…….two sisters, starstruck, moments, dreams, to the bone, only a dream, scattered, big sky, hundreds more.
It’s hard not to think what a useful idiot he was in supporting an ideology responsible for the murder of tens of millions of innocent people. He can go to hell.
Live Life (the UK Version)
Days
Life Goes On
No More Looking Back
Oklahoma USA
Imaginations Real (Dave Davies)
I don’t appreciate the Dead or Fleet Foxes, both overhyped. Dead fans are like bikers dudes, both live under more rules and pretention than us normal folks.
kelly still sings with neko!
Hi Cyndi! Thanks – correction has been made.
Andrew Earles is a real person. Here’s his blog: failedpilot.com
They had a lot of great singles aside “Baby Come Back” including an early 70’s funky soul thing called “Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys” which is work checking out!
Another thing about them was they didn’t have any bass live…I believe it was just three guitars in their early days.
THE WAY LOVE USED TO BE – from the Percy soundtrack.
Easily the most underated and under played Kinks song.
It’s my favourite Kinks song.
I get goose bumps every time I play it.
Let me get this straight. Andrew Earles thinks that 100% of Tom Waits’ output is “contrived … heavy-handed, unsubtle, silly, irritating and grossly overrated?” If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.
Song #44 is available free from http://www.christiankiefer.com/obamasong/44 Obama (Someone to Wake)mp3
Grab it!
Christian
The Kinks were groundbreakers when they wrote “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”, a B side of “Sunny Afternoon”. My buddies and I were blown away with the complex rhythm phasing in the background and the first true punk-sounding, defiant anthem. It defines The Kinks and their image as perfectly as it first did 43 years ago! We all know now how influential they were and who was listening very carefully besides us kids.
so long, it’s too late, to much on my mind, Mr. Reporter, Lazy old sun, Misty Water, Berkley Mews, Lavendar Hill, This man he weeps tonight, Powerman, Starstruck (it should have been a big hit), Young and innocent days, Dreams, Complicated life, Lady Genevive, Oh where Oh where is love, Nothing lasts forever, You make it all worthwhile, Headmaster, I’m in disgrace, Education, Life Goes on, Brother, In a foreign land, permanent waves, Black Messiah, Killers eyes, Property, Long Distance, Killing time, Lost and Found, The Road, How Do I get Close, Looney Balloon, Harry Rag, Two sisters, Hatred, Did Ya,, Look through any doorway, Cliches of the world, Australia
Pye era:EVERYbody’S GONNA be HAPPY for its experimental syncopation of drum beat. Amazing..
‘ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE THERE’ ; for I’m playing in a band, I DO feel sympathy and the song’s mention of ‘wearing moustach’ seems to be related later Ray’s DISGUISE on VIDEOs. It’s very curious.
RCA era:’Look a Little on the Sunny side’. This song never fails to cheer me up when I’m down.
After RCA: I believe Ray’s song writing got better and better to Ray’’s ‘working man’s cafe”…
‘ GALLON OF GAS’, ‘ART LOVER’…and… ‘The Road’! what a great song ! MUST for every man in rock band!
Although I prefer the sound of 60s to 70s, I say that Ray’s song writing is still growing up and up. and up.
Nice plug for your website Andy…I mean Bill.
Could anybody be more ironic than Ray Davies? The MTV videos broke the Kinks into America as superstars … finally.
And finally that stardom broke what made the Kinks so good.
Most Kinks fans understand that what made the band great was their anti-trendiness and thoughful lyrics. They were at their best when they were at their lowest commerical success — singing songs about “Village Greens” and how “Everybody’s a Star.”
One song which I don’t think has been mentioned yet is ‘Where Are They Now’ . To me it sums up perfectly a time and a place. It also never fails to remind me of a time when Rock was all about challenging the Establishment.
Don’t let ‘em getcha down, Earls. You’re pretty fucking right on with most of your comments. I even like a few of the bands you dissed above and I still think your points about them are valid even if I disagree.
Unfortunately, you can’t offer an opinion to most people that differs from theirs without them aggressively telling you what an asshole you are. God forbid you should have your own individual taste and present your thoughts in a caustic, humorous manner. Don’t you know the purpose of the music press is to exist as an extension of record label promo departments?
Typical male response but emotions can get very complicated. Love the interview Bryan didn’t really seem to answer the questions directly. I think he was very creepy in Breakfast on Pluto and could do some wonderful baddies but with his tonque firmly in his cheek ( he has a great comic side I’d say).
Although I’m not too big on hip-hop of today, I do have to admit that after listening to ‘Tha Carter’, I was impressed in how fresh and original it all sounded. I know it’s kinda odd for us indie-rock followers to be listening to such music but I personally like good music no matter in what shape, form or sound it comes in.
NIce list Corey! Would the Flying Lotus count as an “break/beats electronic dance” album? I would’ve included that one.
Thank you for the kind words about Farm Sanctuary! We loved your show at the State Theater a few months back. It’s not often that we get great bands through Ithaca and we appreciate the love. Poor Neko with her sore throat was a trooper! When you come back to Ithaca for your gig in March, you should stop by our New York Sanctuary. We’re only 40 minutes away…just give us a call and ask for Tricia (I’m the comms director). We’ll arrange a tour so you can meet all the animals you help support!
How in the world did he not get an Oscar nomination? Criminal.
The Oscar voting system is so confusing (http://www.variety.com/VR1117998897.html), but it kind of explains how he didn’t get one. He deserved it, though.
Seriously, they are not very good.
Actually, Jason spoke to Jud Cost, not me.
hah! funny.
uhmmm, mostly mediocre with occasional flashes of old brilliance? give me a break, captain opinion! his stuff has never been anything less than fucking genius american folk writing, as good at it’s worst as anything ever released by anyone. sycophantic? maybe, yes. but with good reason!
Dear Corey duBrowa,
You’re a complete douche bag. And it’s obvious that Ryan Adams has hurt your feelings. Why don’t you forgive and forget, and quit writing articles in an attempt to belittle him and regain your self-esteem. Again, douche bag.
Sincerely,
Jacob
very seriously entertaining. Lots of hearty laffs. I hadn’t even thought of Magnet for years. Never bought it back then, and I won’t start buying it now (unless I’m flying somewhere), though this Street Team business is good . Glad it’s online
Nice job Andrew.
Dear Ryan (er, “Jacob”) — thank you for the constructive and super-thoughtful criticism/armchair psychiatry session, as ever (I guess this means we’re talking now, right?). You should probably start posting under your given name, though. You know: “Douche bag?” That’s the one.
It’s really them! It’s really new! It’s really good!
Maybe if we all stop paying attention, they will go away.
What a woman…
Its so nice to discover that others recognize the so many overlooked kinks songs. The entire schoolboys in disgrace album is greatness. i think it got a bad rep because it came right after Soap Opera which was pretty bad (with the exception of ‘You make it all Worthwhile’ and ‘Face in the Crowd’). Anyway, a couple songs that are very overlooked and havent been mentioned much are
Trust Your Heart- from the Misfits album.
Living on a Thin Line- from the Word of Mouth album.
and
Mr Big Man- from the Sleepwalker album. Daves guitar playing on this is extremely powerful.
“Pi Lam brothers are more likely to get their exercise biking to Wawa for cigarettes than playing lacrosse, and they’re much more fond of brightly colored American Apparel tees than Abercrombie polos with popped collars. Instead of Natty Light, PBR is their drink of choice.”
Well-done.
excellent article about one of the most sincere and innovative bands or musical families, i have ever had the peasure to witness and they bring their fans into the family fold and show their fans every bit the appreciation that the fans exude to the band! as a fellow NC boy, theres no music that makes me feel more at home no matter where i may be! their music trancends time in a way not a lot of band are able to pull of, because simultaneously their music can span not only decades but centuries and ties the divide in time neatly together in a way that is unbelievably natural! This was a great article about a timeless band, who by the way does it all without a drummer carrying the beat and tempo of the songs! 3 thumbs up!
I’ve seen almost all of these bands live at one time or another, and I would classify them as “bands that were really amazing for a very brief period of time, put out at least one, maybe two, great albums, and then sucked thereafter.”
Even Interpol and Trail of Dead were awesome, for a sec.
I would file shows I have seen by UO, RFTK, and Blues Explosion among the best I have ever seen, but yes they sucked later in their career.
Hi!Guess what.My name is juliana!I love your songs.I am 14 years
old.I just found out that yesterday was your birthday.So,HAPPY
BIRTHDAY!It’s 10:30pm and I go to bed at 11:45pm so I am on my
laptop in my room.My dog wants to play now:so maybe we
should finish up now.Bye!!!!!!!!
Here’s the long version!
http://www.recidivism.org/2009/01/bun_fun.html
Best Philly band. Hands down.
Dear Tizzy,
Your article on the Avett Brothers is one of the best I’ve ever read. It was well documented and researched. Interviewing Jim Avett adds an extra layer to the background of why the Avett Brothers are people we would all like to know. You did your homework well. An A plus to you!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Seth last July and meeting Jim and Susan at their farm in nearby Concord with my friend, David Butler, who photographed the farm and the house where Scott, Seth, and Bonnie grew up. It was an afternoon I’ll always treasure. My article was published as a four part series and can be found under Caroleperkins.blogspot.com.
WHAT! Only one mention of, “Harry Rag”? On my list of things to do before I’m pushin’ up the grass… #1 is a “Harry Rag” sing-a-long in Ray’s local pub in north London.
You must have searched the closets long and hard to find a Magnet writer that was aware of Bruce’s existence.
See also:
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/01/18/bruce-springsteen-did-more-this-month-than-you-will-do-all-year/
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2008/12/31/what-january-album-are-you-most-looking-forward-to/
I would be remiss if I didn’t note that Gang of Four’s Dave Allen had directed me to Burial’s “Untrue” — technically a 2007 release in the UK but which came out in 2008 Stateside (an amazingly sublime dubstep “pocket symphony,” as Dave described it in a Tweet to me — he can be reached @Pampelmoose on Twitter). I should also note the mysterious Portland-based lap-hop musician Podington, whose insanely ambitious ten-disc (!!!) release “The Podington Bear Box” also intermittently made an impression on my cerebral cortex from time to time in ‘08.
10 others kinks
Alcohol (live)
Missing persons
foreign land
national health
moments
gods children
did ya
add it up
back to front
video shop
what the fuck? isn’t there already a “recap” at recidivism.org? except the recidivism one is actually funny.
Don’t you dare blame that loathesome unicorn fad on Bjork! That was entirely inspired by insipid 20 year old scenesters who wanted to move beyond irony on t-shirts and started raping canvases. She had nothing to do with it. Catch up.
What about “I Don’t Like Mondays”?
i like this song!
See this week’s post:
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/02/02/listening-to-the-best-show-12009-episode/
Recidivism.org is the best. But do multiple perspectives blow your mind? The Internet might not be the place for you.
Usually when you interview someone and they act like an ass, you write about him as an ass. Just gut reaction. Mostly mediocre with flashes of brilliance is exactly correct. You think playing steel drums is ever acceptable in alt rock, then I guess he is brilliant. Go listen to your dreadful OAR and let a rock critic write about rock music objectively.
dammit Roob. You’d better get on board with Tonics. It rules.
King And Caroline has many, many chord changes you tin eared fuckface.
Otherwise I’m pretty much in agreement.
GBV will always be my favorite band ever and I agree with everything you’ve said for the most part. The only thing I don’t agree with is King and Caroline. I think it served as an excellent opening for Motor Away when they played the Jon Stewart show. However, the SEEEEELLLLLLLL is a little annoying. So fairly said.
Do the Collapse is a pretty bad album in my opinion but there are some good gems on there. Things that I Will Keep is the best song on that album.
I could never really get into Tonics and Twisted Chasers.
There are many songs that you could add to the underrated section including “Useless Inventions” and “Eureka Signs” which are incredible rockers.
Also, thanks for bringing “Sometimes I Cry” to my attention. I’ve never really given Forever Since Breakfast a good spin but this is definitely a good one!
GBV is by far an underrated and overlooked band in general.
I’m on board with most of the over-rated. I like King And Caroline though.
I might choose Secret Star (especially live) from Earthquake Glue, Jane of the Waking Universe from Mag Earwhig and Dragons Awake from Do the Collapse. I’d also go with Hank’s Little Fingers, but there are like 50 amazing underrated songs on Box. Is that the same Hamburg show where Bob in the middle says something like “Let’s get it together Hamburger!” ???
“king & caroline” is definitely one of the most beautiful songs i’ve ever heard. underrated if anything! also heed’s right about tonics.
Tonics and King & Caroline? no way!
It’s UNpossible to list FIVE of anything, good or bad, with Pollard.
That being said, V. Nice Try
starts off kind of dodgey but swings in a nice over-amped psych waltz-y way, approaching lift-off half-way in. not bad, glad yr back, guys.
DANG, I AGREE WITH MOST OF THIS, BUT LOVE “TONICS” AND EVEN “FREAKS”…WHICH IS A GREAT ONE FOR THE UNINITIATED. ONE THING’S FOR SURE, IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN MID-90′S GBV.
P.S. EARTHQUAKE GLUE BITES
“Little Lines” is one of the songs reportedly being reworked for the 3-D musical that Steven Soderbergh is directing of the life of Cleopatra (CLEO! written by ex GBV Jim Greer).
There are a bunch of overrated GBV songs, but I disagree about King and Caroline. It’s the type of gem on Alien Lanes that makes it great.
I love Guided By Voices. What a great little band!
What is with Magnet’s fixation with Guided by Voices? It’s 2009, people! Every issue I get of the magazine, it seems to creak closer and closer to the 90s indie rock version of Goldmine, fawning over records and bands that stopped being new about 15 or 20 years ago. Let it go! (And Wilco isn’t much better, or much more relevant.) I think I’ll quietly let me subscription of six years lapse unless I read a good cover story about a NEW band in the next two issues. You’d think they stopped making indie rock after OK Computer, to read these guys. New flash: there’s some really great stuff out these days.
Hard to disagree with anything you wrote, except with the first few in the underrated part. You could list dozens of underrated GBV songs for the underrated thing and there’d still be more, especially from later-period albums that snobby indie fucks are so quick to dismiss.
Stories Magnet is covering today. Let’s see: Superdrag, the Wrens, Guided by Voices, New Order, don’t forget Nick Cave on the cover of the print issue (also featuring Tom Waits, Pavement, Elliott Smith, etc.) . . . hmm, what do these bands have in common? Give up? I don’t know either, because it’s 2009 and I don’t care about them enough any more to read recently-published articles on them. I’m almost 30 years old, came of age in the 1990s, and even I think this is a little excessive for a once-great magazine. Magnet, please, hire some writers who are under 25, before you go out of business.
Boo to the “Bulldog Skin” dis. First well-recorded example of GBV doing the big-rock greasy swagger thing Uncle Bob had aspired to for years. Thank goodness for the out-of-tune flub during the song’s first line — I like to think that’s Bob way of giving us all a wink, saying, “Yeah, some different players on this record — say hello to the fellas, why don’t ya? — but it’s still me/GBV.”
Good call on Bright Paper Werewolves. I’ve always thought that last line,”they finally got recognized then they left in obscurity and misery.” was eerily prophetic since the “original” band were shit-canned shortly after.
I also firmly agree on Cut-out Witch and Bulldog Skin. Two cringe-inducers. But I vehemently disagree about King and Caroline and Hot Freaks. Worthy classics.
Go ahead Magnet – jump on the ol’ “hot freaks is overrated” bandwagon that started brewing 5 years ago or so. Funny, like Eric and Matt and the rest of you I listened to Bee Thousand the week it came out (college radio DJ) and Hot Freaks was perfect. All this criticism is johnny-come-lately 101; we all loved it in 1994 – and your take on liquor/lick her is a perfect example of an anacronistic ex post facto criticism. I was there on Postal Blowfish in 1995-96-97 and didn’t see any of the criticisms now lodged by GBV enthusiasts. As you well know, at the time it came out and in the context of the rest of the song and album, it was right on. What if the lyric sheet actually said ” She told me lick her; I am a new man” – that doesn’t de facto make it some juvenile lyric. In fact, by having “liquor”, it subjects the song to multiple interpretations, feeling, and imagery. The entire song adn totality of the lyrics in context a classic example of Pollard emotive associative imagery that only now seems suspect because 14 years have passed and the mystery of Bob has been revealed. Magnet’s take only indicates its propsensity for erring on the side of juvenile interpretation and is pretty shallow and short-sighted. And that crack about “people who don’t really get…”. Give me a Fiddlesticking break. Ironically, that preposterous comment is indicative of someone who doesn’t get GBV.
Let’s list out the entire lyric sheet to Hot Freaks and renew this debate.
Yes, the latter parts of Earthquake Glue (see Secret Star) are damn good. You’re way off on King and Caroline (yes, the Jon Stewart performance is proof) as noted above. And to attempt to differentiate Cut-Out Witch “recorded” from Cut Out Witch “live” is like comparing the screenplay for the 400 Blows to the film i.e. it’s a bit absurd to say the song is overrated but the live version kicks arse (which it does; see SXSW 1996 at Liberty Lunch).
Great piece, Magnet. Keep ‘em coming. I love arguing my GBV….
SHAHvee is right. It is UNpossible to come up with just 5 things either way. I would agree with almost everything you disliked with the exception of Tonics. It is not that well known beyond the die hard GBV fans. I would offer up something like Hold On Hope. “There rides the cowboy” make me cringe everytime I hear it.
That being said I would take it over 90% of what is being played today. I love GBV and Bob Pollard.
I agree with a lot, but not all of your selections but whole-heartedly agree that THINGS I WILL KEEP is one of the best GBV songs EVER. Many a morning I wake up with that song in my head, it haunts me…
gbv were never a good band and were only ever rated by drunken fratboys anyhoo. all gbv songs are overrated unless your drunk
“Do we really have to hear about Terre’s anti-Bush “underwears”?” I don’t think Tom needs to hear about it either since he can see said “underwears” any damn time he wants to – Terre T being his wife and all.
How do you post those little mp3 players for each song?
p.s. nice GBV words
I ask you again, please never fire this guy.
Thank you.
Thanks for that, Magnet. Good write, Roob. But what would I know…the worst GBV song I ever heard was GLORIOUS! And it’s cool to read about them, too.
SEMPER BOB.
Good call on “Hot Freaks” but “King and Caroline” is the shiz. And there’s plenty better on Under The Bushes then “Bright Paper Wherewolves.” Plus I wouldn’t call “Things I Will Keep” under-rated since it did make an appearance on the best of. Overall okay list, C+.
Taco, Buffalo, Birddog and Jesus is the most underrated GBV song – hands down.
Uh, the plastic guilt thing – if it’s worth kicking in at all, which is dubious – should have done so when you bought them. And getting rid of them might make things worse: in a collection, they’re at least being used, whereas sitting unsold in a store risks their ending up dumped as landfill.
The unsold ones will make great beer coasters, though.
If you’re going to talk about chord changes, you should know at least a little about music theory. Otherwise, skip it. Not that it matters, but the chords in the 1st section are like a slowed-down version of the Husker Du chorus for “I Apologize”… K&C’s not the greatest song, but I didn’t know it was “overrated”.
It’s okay to like “Hot Freaks” AND still “get” what GBV was “all about”.
i agree with a lot of this, roob. nice going. it took balls to come up with just 5.
i do love me some live *cut-out witch* though.
I’m also with Magnet on that one: In The Valley of Dying Stars is an overlooked masterpiece of power pop.
Superdrag are probably my favorite band ever. As well as my single biggest self-confessed music-geek influence…I actually shed a tear listening to this one.
Thanks for putting some life back into my cold dead heart boys.
- Cary Miller.
the 3 songs sound amazing. it’s a damn shame these guys couldn’t figure it out and get along. Oh well, that seems to be what happens sometimes with these creative types.
I’m partial to Head Trip, meself, but then every Davis-penned project is lovely in its own way. Can’t wait for the latest.
Little Lines, YES!!!! Gillard’s solo always reminded me of a flock of honking geese, but Wayne thought it sounded like a Coltrane horn. Gotta disagree about the K@C, though: Unkie Kev sez if you take the vocal part by iteslf it has the best melody in Bobdom, and I think he may have something there. Plus, one word: Omatic. RULING CLASS!
His girlfriend, Jillian Barberie, is going to be very upset!
MattyG,
Please don’t label any Kinks album “bad”. That’s just blasphemous! Soap Opera is one of my all-time favorites. I realize that we all have our favorites and our not-so favorites but I’d never, never, label any Kinks album like that. There are only so many albums out there and as far as I know there aren’t any more Kinks albums “in the works”. Let’s cherrish each and every one of them that “The Boys” put out, favorite or not-so favorite.
Please pop Soap Opera in the player again and give it a good listen, I bet it’s been a while. You may just be surprised. Please re-consider your thoughts and words.
A fellow Kinker, Alma
This article is great fun to read and the comments are too. Nice job. I love Tonics and Twisted Chasers, though. I remember reading that it was Tobin Sprout’s favorite GbV album too.
truly one of the great underrated bands in my library and heart. I saw them a few times in the 90’s, got to speak with Davis for an interview, he was at some bar, he didn’t know where, on the road and it was a great talk. They’re incredible live and I’m getting misty in hopes of them coming to L.A. Looking forward to that and new album. Won’t miss them this time around.
Most underrated GBV song should include “Underwater Explosions” and “Drag Days”, most overrated is an underestimation of any other song they ever recorded…sound bias? I’m from Ohio and grew up in Dayton, so I must favor the hometown dudes…they SPEAK!
Pattern is Movement, that is.
What about The Loved Ones? I guess they’re not indie rock enough to be on the list…but still the best.
The nepotism on this list is AMAZING.
Also, lists are STUPID.
ALSO, also, Indie Rock Sux.
hey “DUDE”, you’re this upset over a rock and roll poll?
wah wah. mellow out, babypants.
which one of these bands is related to people who write for Magnet?
get a life.
Where’s My Golden Arm. Best Philly record of 2008. If you haven’t heard it yet, you need to.
Really.
Glad to see a lot of GBV discussion here. Come by my song-by-song GBV/Pollard blog, My Impression Now (http://www.tirbd.com/min) to discuss the more than 200 songs I’ve written up this far.
Wicked awesome.
Like a Fox’s new record, the album with the arm on the cover, is a great listen.
I could make a case for a couple of these bands-like Art DiFuria’s Photons, but the presence of Asteroid #4 sends the ranking through the stratosphere. No disrespect to “Chuckles”, at all/ever, but the best album by a Philly band in 2008 was These Flowers of Ours: A Treasury Of Witchcraft And Devilry.” As brilliantly rendered as *any* psychedelic album since 1966. An all-timer people will still be listening to 20 years hence.
Totally concur that Hot Freak and Cut-Out Witch weaken great albums. King and Caroline is a fantastic song though. I could take or leave Bulldog Skin.
you need to buy these flowers of ours and hear one of the best bands on the planet,forget just philly.. its not just the talent and the versatility..theyve truly tapped into and channell that magical 60s vibe.. as good as almost anybody..
cant believe they dont have abigger followng, but probably glad they dont.. then theyd turn into big-headed assholes and we like them theway they are..hey,are the three 4 tens still around?.. they should be on the lsit..
Heck, it’s Mondo Topless.The problem is that they are more of an export.They tend to play in other cities around America and abroad and their guitar player has produced at least one band on this list.
Despite the lack of any press they play and play and put out records on a good label
These Flowers Of Ours by A#4 iis one of the albums of the decade!!
But don’t just stop at listening to that their first album , Introducing, is a Psychedelic masterpiece.
This band are smoking right now and hopefully on the way to the success they richly deserve
Keep The Faith!!
If Roob is the foremost authority on Guided by Voices, I am Abraham Lincoln incarnate. The overrated list is just written to be contrary. No chord changes in “King and Caroline”? Christ, what an idiot. And to claim that any lineup with Nate Farley and Tim Tobias could improve a song is ludicrous. Those two were barely capable of holding their respective instruments. I would come back to read the non-GBV Pollard over/underrated songs, but now I doubt if Roob has ever listened to any.
You should check out Niagra Falls and their new album Sequence of Prophets on Honeymoon Music. They’re part of that whole New Age-y, Sun Ra-ish weirdness that Philly excels at. Parker-Spruce
P.S. I miss Need New Body, and Lenola, and the Cream Chargers, and Mile High, and Ty Cobb and 1929.
How in the Sam Hades does Asteroid #4’s album get left off a list of 25?! (Fear of being accused of “hometown favoritism”?) I wouldn’t understand even if your list was limited to the ten best, but a list extended to 25 and leaving them off is flat-out boggling. (You’re not Cubs or Braves announcers so go for it and give this band their due.)
It’s nice to be in the poll and see people voting for us. Thanks (and thanks to valis for the props).
Is A4’s new album *really* the one of the “albums of the decade?” That’s some pretty serious praise. Harms, is that you posting as an A4 fan? I kid, I kid. But seriously, I’ve heard others praise it too. I’ll have to check it out.
I think Like a Fox’s new album is the best thing J. Laughlin has ever done. And really I like *all* these bands.
But I like Pissed Jeans the best. We need more fun like THAT in our clubs!
Boy howdy, you’re right. Indian food is just so darn colorful, to the eyes and the tongue. I am hungry for palak paneer and samosas. If anyone has any, please send them to me at
P.O. Box 9,000,000,
Anytown, USA,
12345-6789
why don’t you *listen* to something before judging it?! or is that just from *jealousy*? anyone can piss their pants.
bobo…you probably misunderstood.
i was making a joke at harms. i’m not jealous at all of the A4. See the part where I praised Laughlin? and the part where I wrote “I kid, I kid,” and then said I want to check out the album because I’ve heard others praise it? I meant that stuff. Lighten up, baby. I’m in love with you.
and I still have more fun at Pissed Jeans shows than the shows of any of the other bands on this list. But that’s just me.
Don’t get mad…I’m just sayin’.
how anyone can claim to be a expert on gbv and talk smack on “tonics” is beyond me – it is certainly not perfect, but really does have that rough impromptu feel that drew most people to gbv in the first place. i’ll take that record over the last dozen or so records that robert pollard has done with todd tobias (shudder).
re: steve – “Taco, Buffalo, Birddog and Jesus is the most underrated GBV song – hands down.”
seconded – holy smokes, what a fantastic song. i would also throw in “messenger” off the first suitcase collection in terms of under-appreciated tracks.
What! Wilderness’ “(k)now (w)here” not on the 25?! But thanks not making another novelty band like Ween list-worthy! After last year I thought I’d see Tenacious D or Filght of the Conchords topping the list! Also thanks for not giving the nod to Tommy Tutone and The Hold Steady!! I suppose you’ll get my Subscription renewal! As always “Good Job!!”
ha! good on them
can’t wait to much longer for this album. will be sweet for sure.
glad they’re sticking it to tha pirats
may i say again, ha
… could teach the kids a thing or two.
B
Tommy Keene’s LP, is most looking forward to!
Sounds like someone is jealous??? The article clearly mentions the photon band…and since you didn’t write the article it is obviously not from your perspective. That said, why don’t you check out the poll and see which philly “wannabes” who “didn’t have anything to do with psychedelphia” are still thriving the most.
“some class joint.” “burrito king.”
Capitol Years is best!
u guys heard of cd recyling? theres a great website called Compact Disc Recycling Center of America. the jewel cases and inserts are also recyclable.
tho i’m a big fan of used cd shops, if ur not worried about getting cool classic tunes into the hands of new listeners, cd recycling may be the way to go!
“True Believer” is the best John Davis I’ve heard yet but I never got over the My Bloody Valentine flavor of “Regretfully Yours” … damn good record (they’re all pretty damn fine). Got my fingers crossed that you’ll come down to Texas.
unsubscribe
I could definitely agree with some things on here and I can also disagree with many.
Agree: Fresh Threats, End of Not in My Airforce, Standard Gargoyle Decisions, and Superman was a Rocker.
Everything else I disagree with.
No Island is the worst song on TCD.
But I will say that as far as what you say about the new albums I could see the argument. I honestly think that it’s the continuous same production quality of every album. Not that Todd is a bad producer. Not by any means. He’s great. It’s really cool when he makes rougher sounding recordings (Earthquake Glue, Pinball Mars). I dunno, I think Not in my Airforce had the production quality that was perfect for Bob, and it’s hard to find that again.
Do Something Real is not my favorite Pollard song but Subspace Bio? ?? you are insane.
I wish I could just send Guided By Voices Inc. $75 a year to get everything Pollard produces. It’s gems like “No Island” that keep me holding the torch.
Also, I’m a big Wrens fan and they are playing a show in NY for everyone there, its a KEXP thing, I guess….with Titus Andronicus and Bell and We Were Promised Jet Packs…
I’m going.
i guess this means i’m old… past my prime … victim of nostalgia … , but i <3 this! More lost classics, please.
as soon as you start trying to delimit what instruments can be allowed into the creative moment you become a lifeless and energy sucking critic whore douche bag with nothing meaningful to say about anything except your own opinion.
(And ryan, if that is you writing as ‘Jacob’, and if it’s true that you’re not going to play with the Cardinals anymore, I’d love a shot at being in your band…)
cheers and peace and yeah, try to get over your little crybaby hurt feelings mr. critic and write something objective.
The last six songs on Not in My Airforce end the album on a deliciously uneasy note, and help to make it feel like an epic concept album that tells a story (what that story is I can’t say) that carries over to the similarly melancholy Waved Out. The obscure Nightwalker track “Firehouse Mountain” would’ve made a great unlisted bonus track, thus adding to the inspired cacophony. But what altered state are you in that most of Normal Happiness isn’t classic GbV-styled songs? “Get a Faceful,” “Supernatural Car Lover,” “Boxing About,” “Tomorrow Will Not Be Another Day,” etc. are flawless songs with memorable hooks and shining examples of why we keep listening.
5. Everything From Normal Happiness To The Crawling Distance (2006-2009
Are you kidding me?
This guy is not even in the top 100 of GBV/Pollard fans.
Blasphemy!
I dont get that arguement about Pollard needing an editor. How hard is it not to listen to something? In other arts (painting, writing, but especially painting) much ofwhat one does is probably not worth thats what makes the great stuff great. Let’em create and you decide what you wanna hear.
People who don’t like Normal Happiness can blow me forever.
i fucking LOVE the song Prom Is Coming…words diminish it’s greatness…Party is cute, but the rest is rach…yr right. I do agree that the newer releases are way too spotty
Can’t say I’m much of a Circus Devils fan or of that Superman Was A Rocker thing, but you’re missing out on some timeless songs when you dismiss “everything” by Robert Pollard from 2006 on (though if that’s the case, why did you put a 2009 song on the Underrated list and also say that the album has other “winners”?) . Who’s out there currently that can say that they’ve written as many good songs as RP in the last four years?
Dunno how it’s rated, but it’s AWESOME. Great Guitar solo by Mr. Gillard.
Two sublime RP underdogs – “Roofers Union Fight Song” and “Picking Seeds From My Skull”.
Wow, this “Roob” guy is wildly off base. Maybe a band like the Capstan Shafts would be more his cup of tea? Kind of like Mike Bordick batting .415 for 4 months? Yes, Dean Wells is Mike Bordick.
Too bad Ben Lee hasn’t written or released a good song since the Noise Addict days. Since when does crappy, embarassing soft rock qualify as “enlightened pop”?
I just wish they would have spent more time on the subject. the cr*p about those 1991 bands…. bleh.
I rate Sgt. Disco along with Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. it’s essential!
Your point would be better served if Mike Bordick had ever hit. 400 in any month of his career (he didn’t), let alone four four months in one season.
Except for the Boston Spaceships album which was great. And what made that album so good was different players besides Tobias. Todd Tobias is a good producer, but his arrangements are just soooooooo bland. The songs too often sound lifeless. The Boston Spaceships album had some real spunk, which is why it works so well. Pollard’s music is at it’s best when it’s coated with a certain amount of sloppiness. I’m looking forward to the next couple of Spaceships releases. Wish they were coming out on a label that actually had some decent distribution though. It’s too bad this band is just kinda being lumped in with the more obscure solo stuff.
I’m still trying to figure out what’s wrong with a “straight job and a mortgage”. If you’re so smitten with those that live on the fringes (albeit with a Rolling Stone expense account), then buy yourself an assload of injectables, a few tons of weapons, a shitty cabin, and a typewriter. Not every nine-to-fiver is a Donald Trump wannabe.
Great article! I’m sure there are alot of people out there who agree with you about the recent solo albums.
The thing is, who is going to tell Bob Pollard what to do? The man is a genius. He’ll do what he wants.
“No Island” is a super tite jam.
“Imaginary Queen Anne” is the best track on the album though…just sayin’.
…but then again I am not sure I have had nor will have a prime. This little column RAWKSSZ! Nicely done.
I met evan a couple of summers back. We called him over and he was really friendly and down to earth guy. I wanted to buy a lemonheads tee shirt and he told us to hold on a minute,he came back outside with like ten shirts. We offered to pay for them and he said not to worry. This is a guy who has alot of street credentials. Thanks Evan!
“Tall Buildings” is the very best.
So you’re saying Ben Lee hasn’t written one good song in the last 14 years of his very successful music career? He should be fired!
- two sisters
- Rosie won’t you please come home
- Lavender hill
I like Boston.
it sucks
SUCKS
Nahhh….Doesn’t “suck” but I wonder if the singer realizes how much he sounds like Weird Al Yankovic (check the vocals starting at around :37).
They’re so high in that picture. Song is great though. I actually liked they’re “sloppy” records. “More Parts Per Million” was like swift kick in the ass
Between MELVINS, Harvey Milk, Torche, Boris, Black Mountain, Jay Reatard, Mudhoney, Jucifer, The Apes, Modey Lemon, The Dirtbombs, and The Mars Volta You just couldn’t find anything to love? Try the unsung Human Eye – Fragments of the Universe Nurse. If even that doesn’t do it, I don’t know, not to be rude, but maybe you should consider the possibility that maybe the lack of good music isn’t the problem. maybe it’s your ears.
One must be careful when rating, ranking, or reviewing all things Bob. A song that gets a thumbs down the first few listens, will sneak out of your subconscience one day and will be on repeat play in your noggin’.. And there lies the beauty of Bob’s songs. A lot of them take a few listens before they hit, and that complexity gaurantees that it will be a song that you never get tired of hearing. The new releases? BRIILLIANT!
Semper Bob
Nice list and add – ons by you fellow Kinks fans.. All good choices..
Special atta-boy goes to the dude recommending London Town.. Very nice live version on Conan back in 1996 or ?? One of my later favs not listed yet is WAR IS OVER from U.K. Jive… Animal Farm from Village Green and I still laugh everytime time I hear the Morning Song ( humming only ) from Preservation Act One.. Money Talks from ACT 2 was great live and the ‘Ol Demon Alcohol was one of the best live songs ever for breaking up a concert audience…
Stormy Sky from sleepwalker…beautiful song
i just wanted to comment on the intervention with janet the alcoholic with the four children. i wanted to talk to her son thomas, and talk to him about what h was saying about giving up on God. God works in such mysterious ways that sometimes you just dont know if he is doing anything.. but he always is. and i just wanted to tell him that he shouldnt lose faith. trust me, i know things can totally seem hopeless..but God will always help you in the way that is best for you. Thomas said that he gave up on praying…you shouldnt do that. God always answers your prayer.. I know that it may seem like it is taking forever..but you just have to have faith and keep praying and God will answer them in the best ways that they can possibly help you
Over
When She Turns 50
Barricade
Deathtrot And Warlock Riding A Rooster
A Portrait Destroyed By Fire
Bulldog Skin
Under
How Loft I Am?
Captain’s Dead
Pendulum
The Tumblers
Hey Spaceman
Ben Lee is a God damn genius
Horrors Of Toledo http://www.myspace.com/horrorsoftoledo and The Family Shocks http://www.myspace.com./thefamilyshocks on Vamped Records http://www.myspace.com/vampedrecords
Just read Magnet for the first time last week and was blown away with the content. I feel like an ass that I’m just now discovering the magazine after years of reading crap. I just wanted to post a huge thank you and I will be a subscriber for life. Great job!
You poor Americans…Take it from a country that knows…Ben Lee is one of the most hated “pop” stars in Australia…He is rubbish…Big headed wanker…poor songs and a unjustified tone of authority….Message to Ben…you wouldn’t be a hair on Lou Barlows Ass…Bloody Hippie..
I mean…has anyone ever even heard the noise addict offerings…don’t be fooled…pop punk…what a larf…How about badly played 2 chord teen pop….Ben Lee is a musical oppotunist at best….Just goes to show if you hang around long enough you will eventually be noticed…FYI…he sells about 3 albums a year in his own country so i have no doubt why he’s now inflicting his “style” on the US ..He is about as representative of Australia as Crocadile Dundee…overhyped, overopinionated and overdone..He is openly bagged in the AUS music press and is generally disliked by Australian audiances…constuct….lakee…baggage…Clone…if he never
married a popular american actor he would be frying chips at the local KFC…As the great James Baker once said…”born to be punched”.
Hey Roob…your a Noob…GBV rule…don’t you forget it..
how we can have no mention of Turd Puppet is beyond me?!
Ben Lee is a musical genius at worst, he makes perfect pop songs that have meaning. Yes I admit and he probably would to, that when he was young, and played with noise addict that he was arrogant and because of this he rubbed the press the wrong way and some audiences, but now he has matured and grown as an artist and a person, and he is selling plenty of records and winning plenty of awards!
Ben Lee is one of the most respected musicians in the industry by all of his peers.
Bor-Dick!!!!!
The Kinks were “overlooked”, period.
At least in America.
anks for the buckner guys. I was indeed one of the offended.
a good amends always heals a nasty affront, especially when blood is not involved!
Thanks for letting the world know what they might be missing out on! The reissues make Mezcal Head sound better than ever imagined.
I’m pretty sure Bob played the solo on “Nowhere Is My Home”. It’s very much his style.
I beg to differ with your assessment of “99th Dream”. Sure, “Mezcal Head” is great, but Swervedriver was a rare breed that improved on every album. I think “99th Dream” is their best!
I love “Waitress In The Sky” and think it is totally underrated. One of the funniest songs ever recorded and an absolute classic IMHO!
I just played the Tim remaster the other night and thought Nowhere is my Home is great! Strange then that I see this article a day later. And, by the way, will everyone stop bashing All Shook Down. It is a great record! Get over it.
disappointing… lyrics are lazy and trite, especially the chorus. I really loved their previous album, even though I usually felt guilty for enjoying it because it was so likable, the lyrics brought some depth to it, made my affection for it okay. If the rest of the album is like this they’re turning more into the hold steady by the minute.
Most UNDERrated ‘Mats song….. “If Only You Were Lonely”.
I will trump both of your arguments by saying, to each his own. Arguing about music with a few select friends turns out to be ultimately fruitless, ending with me not listening to “their” music out of spite, and listening to my superb picks even more. I am a huge fan of Bon Iver, and yes, I can see Fritch’s POV. His guitar work is simple power chords, and no, he would not make a living as an operatic tenor. BUT, there IS emotion, there IS affliction. This is not “emo-folk”, that term is just preposterous. At the end of the day, I will keep going back to the likes of Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine and the like. Why? Because I like it. And I will continue to loath pitchfork’s, I mean, Fritch’s flavor of the week bands (though, they get it right sometimes).
Thanks for the excellent overview of the overrated/underrated ‘Mats songs.. You’re right on the money with the ‘overrated’ list and I agree whole-heartedly about the horns almost ruining one of their better songs, “Can’t Hardly Wait”.. I prefer the bootleg version as well – since released on the expanded CD. And “Shooting Dirty Pool”.. talk about lame! It’s hard to believe that it belonged to one of the best ‘Mats records ever… It always sounded WAY too forced… like Bob said “we need a ROCKER dude!”
I slightlly disagree with your underrated list a bit though.. The fellow above me is right on the money with “If Only You Were Lonely.” I also like “Go” from ‘Stink’ a lot too. I’m not a big fan of either ‘Don’t Tell A Soul’ or “All Shook Down” and don’t feel that any tunes should make the underrated list here either. I’m also partial to “Like A Bowling Pin,” they’re drunken spur-of-the-moment anthem from ‘Don’t Sell Or Buy, It’s Crap.” Lastly, “Shifltess When Idle” also comes to mind as a true ‘Mats classic!
this is great. nice to hear stuff that’s not the latest hyped mess – just good music.
This is a cool record. Not as good as The Stars Are Insane overall, but I still rank “Glitter of Love” as one of the best indie rock songs ever.
So, I went to Colorado for a week to examine snow. Is the new Wrens album out yet? Be careful joking with Mr. Bissell. I understand he’s sensitive, like me.
Peace out, John
Mezcal Head is in my top five favorite albums of all time – thanks for giving it some love!
Incidentally, I’ve seen both Swervedriver and MBV live a few times now and MBV are the harsher, noisier band – no “orchestral comfort” there. Maybe they toned it down a bit for Loveless, but that’s about it. The principal difference for me is in the lyrics. I love both bands, but there’s just more substance in Swervedriver’s songwriting.
Great list! I’ve been singing the praise of TK for years to anyone who would listen and believe he is one of the most underrated songwriters of our time. Can’t wait to hear the new album!
I used to listen to this album all the fucking time. Thanks for reminding me about it!
first time i knew about Swervedriver was this Mezcal Head album. how i was amazed, shocked, and intrigued with their music! a hidden gem at its best!!
Check out the rockin’ demo of “Raised In The City” on the Remastered “Sorry Ma” CD. The original version, dumped as it is at the end of the LP, allows the riff to be completely buried under the arrangement. The demo version puts the riff right up on top, and it is flawless. May be my favorite Replacements song (this week!).
agreed, re glitter of love. Versus live ranks very high on my list, seen them in boston, providence and buffalo – loud and tight as could be each time. Hey Magnet -what about Small Factory (who played with versus a few times) as a lost classic?
To me, the problem isn’t with the dude-with-the-cabin-album, it’s the people showering praise on him. He’s just a dude who made an album. It baffles me that anyone cares that he made it in a cabin in the woods. So what? Guitar Center will sell you $400 worth of gear and you could do it too. Beyond that, the idea that his music is “honest” is pointless. I can be honest and say: “I just picked my nose”. Honesty is perhaps beside the point. Or, I could ask if he’s so honest, why is he singing in someone else’s voice? I’ve heard him speak. Anyway, if his songs move people, resonate with them, then GREAT. What I’ve heard, though, just isn’t my cup of joe.
Maybe Grant Hart should have been in the Ramones. Nonetheless, I sure wish the Huskers would have survived longer.
“…will tide over film fans who love nothing more than wallowing in 90 minutes of NEGATIVITY…”
Not unlike reading this article. If your goal is to convince your readers to hang themselves…good job.
Please, put the dictionary down and step away from the keyboard.
Good article, man. And here I thought I was “Rock ‘N’ Ghost”’s only fan for all these years.
I am late convert to these guys, but have loved everything I hear. I missed their surprise show at Burning Man, and now this one. I guess I suck. Thanks for the review Tommy, and congrats on being guest editor! Love Bilito
Great job, Matt! That’s definitely Bob Stinson all over Nowhere Is My Home. The best version of Can’t Hardly Wait I’ve ever heard anywhere is from When The Shit Hits The Fans, though I have no idea why they didn’t keep the Tim version for PTMM. Side B of PTMM could have included the Tim version & Nowhere Is My Home as a replacement for Shooting Dirty Pool (I’ll never get over Westerberg’s guitar tone on that one).
The new Boston Spaceships album is everything I hoped it would be. Just awesome.
It should be noted that Tommy Keene (awesome in his own right) was a member of the Boston Spaceships band when touring last year. Lots of BS love up there.
What’s with the King & Caroline dis? The great thing about Hot Freaks is that it sounds like Guided by Voices NOT sounding like Guided by Voices. You can’t take a pieces away from the puzzle… Big production tended to flatten the differences between the songs but my under-rated gems are: Learning to Hunt – how BEAUTIFUL is this? Not behind the Fighter Jet – sounds like Bob tossed it off when he had 5 minutes to spare, but the rest of us would give up if we wrote a song as good as this. Twilight Campfighter – a melody that soars!
By the way, I only saw GBV twice in 2000 SOBER! They were AND REMAIN the greatest rock band I have EVER SEEN! Also in the “under-rated” catagory. What about songs released by side projects that GBV did live? Alone, stinking & Unafraid is awesome. Ditto, Quicksilver, Far-Out Crops…where does it end? Bob is a genius.
There was a great 12episode series revival in 1991 with Ben Cross
One of my favorite albums ever!
Hmmm… I don’t think that Tim can be “arguably” their greatest record if, as you write, it has three bona-fide klunkers on it (and I agree that they’re klunkers, especially Lay It Down Clown)… those three ruin what’s otherwise a perfect album, only it’s not perfect.. because of those three.
Other thoughts: I don’t think that ANY version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” can be considered overrated simply because the song is just that good. And while the PTMM version may not be the best, it’s amazing in its own right.
Good picks otherwise… For underrated I would add “Asking Me Lies,” “Heyday,” “Raised in The City (especially the demo version!),” and “Buck Hill.”
Overlooked and underrated Mats song: “Go” from the Stink ep. After all the silliness and hardcore overkill of this record, this song, with so much raw emotion and heartache (not to mention some devastating guitar licks from Bob), make this a standout track on a record that is otherwise punk-by-rote.
Nice picks. Good prelude to listening to your new CD. You should tour with Robyn Hitchcock … and play Colorado.
Like I wrote in the post, it’s definitely not the best song on the record; I don’t like that vocal hook, either. I’m updating the post with a stream of the opening track, “When I Died,” which is really great.
The two guys above are assholes. Fritch is exactly right. “For Emma” is generic, lightweight, and painfully boring. It sounds like it was recorded on a macbook, not on some old tape machine out in the woods. I’m sick of reading reviews that describe the production value as being so rustic and “raw” when this album could have been recorded in a dorm room somewhere. And probably has been. By business majors. The whole “I recorded this alone in the woods” thing is just a gimmick. It is one of the most ordinary things I’ve ever heard.
Northern Exposure? Seriously??
I forgot to mention how annoying it is that every vocal part on the record is made up of several layers of overdubs. So lame. ok im done.
Here’s the original Hootenanny album art. Art = Theft
http://www.wirz.de/music/antholog/grafik/hoot24.jpg
The most OVERrated Mats tune?
“Talent Show” … get it?
Excellent list. “Nowhere is My Home” is the greatest Replacements song ever; it has been woefully ignored for too many years. Although “Rock and Roll Ghost” deserves a mention , I think that “Go” would have been a better choice.
This is a band that everyone should see live. Not that the recordings aren’t great. They are. There is just something special about hearing them in person. If you live on the East Coast, you are lucky. They will come around for a show. I recommend you make an evening of it and go see them.
“indie rock” as a qualifier has descended below meaninglessness and now denotes good-looking guitar/synth bands that invariably draw more than 400 people no matter where they perform.
Thank you, sir, for so eloquently saying what I’ve been trying to express for years.
I do like “Lost” a lot though. I feel beneath you.
What about Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue ?
Polly is the most underrated Kinks song (and it is from their Pye golden era). Then, Berkeley mews and It’s too late. All extraordinary songs.
“Go” is a great choice for underrated tunes, and if I had to pick something off of the last couple of records (which I’ve never much cared for-big surprise), I’d take the modest and charming “One Wink at a Time.”
However, my favorite underrated (or maybe underappreciated) Mats tune might be “Willpower.” It’s one of their first big departures, Chris and Tommy move the spare arrangement along wonderfully, Paul sings the hell out of it, and of course Bob comes crashing in with a typically out-of-this-world solo.
I, too had the 16 album (bought it in the cutout section). LOVE “Hello New York”.
Never heard ‘Sundown’, but I can see you covering it. was it a ‘b’ side or something? I don’t remember it from ‘They Only Come Out At Night’….
What kind of mixed up, off-th-wall list is this? American princes? COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
really enjotyng these guest editor weeks, and Tommy’s especially. Great tune…I’m getting the Keene Bros record asap. Way to bring out the best in Bob.
To me, the capitol years’ melodies have been the best sounds to come out of the city for a few years now. Hats off to Magnet on giving them year end props for that last album.
However, as much as I love the Capitol Years, the artist that really gets me excited about philly right now is Kurt Vile, and frankly I’m kind of surprised not to see him on the list, although I guess he is included technically on account of his association with the war on drugs. I thought “Constant Hitmaker” was totally rad, and “Freeway” was the single of the year, from anywhere.
Another band from philly I think is great is Clockcleaner, though I certainly understand if they’re not included in any popularity contest. Babylon Rules was righteous though.
FInally, I want to mention Human Television, though I don’t know if they could technically be labeled a Philly band, and I’m sure they don’t have much Philly support. I thought their last record (from 05 or 06?) was pretty amazing.
One of the best,and probably the most haunting song Paul has ever wrote,is “The Ledge”. The lyrics are just incredible. Go to “Man without Ties” and read the lyrics.
“Attitude” cracks me up every time.”Pool and Dive” is great..gets better every time.”Hey good Lookin’ “(fast outtake) is wonderful.On and on and on guys. Oh, i almost forgot I.O.U. That song makes you go pure air guitar.I use a nine iron though.
“Merry go Round” is,sometimes,a yawn fest.It’s very hard to pick BAD Westerberg songs. “Pleased to Meet Me” is my favorite album. “All Shook Down” is very underrated and “Let it Be” sounds like it was recorded inside a tin can.Great album,don’t get me wrong,but “Gary’s got a Boner” and the Kiss cover diminish the disc just a tad bit.One is silly,the other not written by Paul. i’m tired..got the Nighttime Jitters.
Zero to 99. Awesome.
What a great story. That’s awesome that your dad was so supportive of your passion…and of course that you got to see Zeppelin! Totally worth getting yelled at on the way home.
Dig the music in the bar scene above! Sounds like Herb Alpert, but probably not the real band. I’ve never seen Dark Shadows, but I am intrigued now…
Mould’s album “Modulate” is utterly, breathtakingly brilliant. Whether people realize it or not, whether or not they want to acknowledge it (or would rather hold on to the tired “Mould’s work between Sugar and recently was sub-par” trope), he made a breakthrough album that set the tone for nearly a decade of rock-plus-electronica albums that followed. The “great new sounds” by fill-in-the-blank new-in-the-2000s superstars came after him.
Tommy – I really enjoyed your stint as Guest Editor. Thanks for turning me back on to Dark Shadows and for sharing your concert attending stories. I’m a big fan of your music and have followed your entire career, unfortunately, I don’t have any stories from seeing you live to match the Iggy Pop, Who or Zeppelin stories. As far as I know no cherry pies were smashed into anyone’s chest at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor or St. Andrews in Detroit, although I’m sure some coney islands were being thrown somewhere in the Motor City.
ist definitely underrated.
all shook down, the nothing for all version, is definitely underrated. that´s what i wanted to say
wow, you are all a bunch of tools, especially that bootyluva guy.
Wow, you folks nailed the top categories. I had Viola Davis and Meryl Streep.
And though I thought Penn would win, Rourke was robbed.
ha great
can’t wait for planets are blasted and zero to 99!
robespierre’s velvet basement IS the best albun ever made !!!!!!
robespierre’s velvet basement IS the best album ever made !!!!!!
People are Leaving = all-time greatest under-rated Pollard tune.
Yep! Robespierre’s Velvet Basement up there as one of the best.
how could “hail to the thief” be called overrated? near as I can tell, I’m the only one in the world who liked it!
Two dead giveaways here:
1) Only a true fan would know about, much less love, Nowhere is My Home, one of the best examples of the ‘Mats ragged brilliance. PS: Bob did the solo.
2) Only a late-comer fan would fully exclude songs from “Sorry Ma”, which, as everyone knows, is the best, truest document of the Replacements.
Extra points for giving props to the Shit/Fans version of Can’t Hardly Wait, which has some of the best ‘Mats guitar solos ever recorded.
Just because a song is “popular” does not mean it is not worthwhile. I think that every song has it’s purpose and Creep is sort of like I Want to Hold Your Hand or She Loves You. Great early song but obviously not as accomplished or sophisticated as their later music. To continue the analogy, In Rainbows is much more like a “Revolver” or “Magical Mystery Tour”. As with The Beatles, in order to fully appreciate ALL of Radiohead’s music, one must understand both early and later songs. I agree that Creep is not one of my favorites or Thom’s favorite, but that song did indeed create the fire that drove them to create The Bends, which is an incredible album. Also, listen to Hail to the Thief again….you missed something.
How can there be an article on underrated Radiohead songs without going into the subject of songs the band themselves underrates? Like the cast-aside “How Can You Be Sure” and “Maquilladora”? Also, my blood curdles at the thought that “There, There” is being dismissed along with the rest of the not-as-impressive fare on Hail To The Thief.
As for “Electioneering” not fitting in with the theme of disconnection and alienation, you’re right; I don’t see how a song about glad-handing politicians and globally dominant organizations with Orwellian overtones could possibly fit the concept of the album. Wait, where’s the HTML tag for sarcasm?
When I lived in NYC, I always found that I could walk around the Met for hours with Kid A on repeat ad infinitum. It’s a fantastic backdrop to accompany bustling crowds and visual imagery. It’s a very cinematic record, as displayed in “Vanilla Sky.”
High and Dry is overrated???? come on, it’s a wonderful song that has a very powerful melody. Sorry, but while Radiohead has a talented bunch of artists in their lot, and they make some great stuff, but this song is heads above the crap that everyone goes crazy for in the press. Kid A and the rest were so mind numbing with their lack of melody. In Rainbows has some cool stuff, but better to fall asleep to (and that’s not a bad thing) than to really crank up.
Radiohead, please focus on freakin” melodies and get your head out of the computer. OK Computer was the last record you could hum along to! Gee, that’s the same time you stopped writing SONGS!
Kudos, however, for including Blow Out. Most people follow the band’s cue and hate on the first record for no reason. Glad to know they’re reissuing the Bends in expanded format!
Haven’t listened to this in years, but “World of Blue” was a tiny masterpiece.
While we’re talking about really slow music, might I suggest Year After Year by Idaho for a future “lost classic” entry?
I’ll throw out a few more underrated songs:
- let down
- I might be wrong
- a punchup at a wedding
- jigsaw falling into place
The verse of “High & Dry” nicks the melody from….. some ’70s easy-listening song that I’m always remembering then forgetting for months, then remembering again…. i’ve forgotten it for months now, please help. it’s not ‘girl from impanena’ which keeps getting in the way… it’s…. you know, like burt bacharach, or america, or…. erg… whenever i finally remember the song, i start hating “high & dry” all over again.
by the way, i disagree with these beatles comparisons, album-to-album-wise… even in the thick of the beatles artiest records, there were still grab-bags full of memorable melodies….
you’re dissing The National Anthem??! seriously? I remember playing this for the first time on my little cd player and being blown away. i played Kid A over and over and over. it was all amazing. it confused me that other people didn’t like it. The National Anthem comes in and says quite strongly, ‘hey, we’re going in a different direction.’ it’s an excellent song. i just can’t believe you’re calling it ‘lame’ here.
Hail to the Thief was a great album with songs that seemed immediate. they were pissed off. plus, some great dance songs on there as well.
actually, i don’t agree with much you are saying here, but to each his own. I just hope you can come up with more intelligible adjectives than ‘lame.’ i expect a whole lot more from Magnet.
I got off the train when Kid A came out. I could see that there was much technical merit in what they were doing and it was nice that it got so much recognition, but it left me very cold. Now, I am bemused by noticing at parties how Kid A, Amnesiac, or HTTT only gets called up when the weed comes out. Ugh. There’s a buzz ruined.
“Hail to the thief” sucked, bad….and I don’t care how hip anyone thinks they are by saying they loved that album….it sucked. Try spinning a little Skinny Puppy and it may turn you’re mind back around….unless that isn’t “hip”, “cool” , or “underground” enough … then in that case, watch out….you headed for a short social recognition.
The most underated song by Radiohead is “Air Bag”……hands down.
“Step away from the dictionary” ???
He took down Tom Waits! Bravo!
The Go is the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked. That song title couldn’t be more appropriate.
I grew up on Milwaukee’s East Side and hitting up Atomic was what we did. It’s like we didn’t have a choice. I can’t believe it’ll be gone.
If you want a little context, check out a piece my radio station (radiomilwaukee.org) produced from audio collected at their farewell party:
http://unifiedmilwaukee2.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/be-heard-atomic-records-closing/
While I might not agree with 100% you have to say it is far superior to the fan bating that Andrew Earls takes part in, shooting at scared cows might be fun but it does not provide any real insight. At least with this method you do not treat all the band’s matireal with the same broad brush. Oh and Andrew is not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.
‘How Can You Be Sure?’ is Radiohead’s best song.
Would you believe I don’t currently have “Tim” on my iPod? That’ll change today as I sit here listening to Stinson shredding.
Why does everyone pick on “I’ll Buy,” “Dose of Thunder,” and “Lay It Down, Clown”? Sure, “Nowhere Is My Home” and “Can’t Hardly Wait” are both better, but those songs help make the album, in my useless opinion. “I’ll Buy” has some of Bob’s best guitar and a commanding Westerberg vocal, along with a spot-on band performance and a nice bit of grit to it. “Dose of Thunder” and “Lay It Down, Clown” also have these things (plus some great piano and hilarious backing vocals on “Clown”). Oh and both songs are about probably about hard drugs, an aspect of the band that most fans would rather overlook in favor of the soulful stuff and the jokey stuff. Seems many Replacements fans want to lose these songs, but to me, they just give you a fuller picture of the band. Would be very sad if we lost these.
“Everything in its Right Place” is my favorite Radiohead song. I also love everything else on Kid A (except “Motion Picture Soundtrack”) Hail to the Thief is a great record! All of it. I know everyone thinks OK Computer is their masterpiece (and it may be), but it pales next to Kid A, in my opinion. I disagree with the “National Anthem” dis. I mean, yeah, it has a cro-magnon bassline and *gasp* horns, but somehow it totally and convincingly rocks.
I really enjoyed this cut and look forward to hearing more. This is the type of music that helps me be engrossed in my work while painting.
I never really bothered with his music when he was alive, he was a friend and I wasn’t that worried. Now I listen to his stuff alot. Miss him. Check his music out. If you love Dylan, Stones, Gram, Faces you’ll love it.
Music For Egon Schiele, Selenography, Systems/Layers, The Sea And The Bells – I would dare not choose a favourite. Suffice to say this band were/are extremely special and I am jealous of anyone who has yet to hear them.
Mr. Slusarenko,
Sorry if I freaked you out at the BS show in Champaign Urbana (IL). I only wanted to help. After sobering up, I now realize how wierd/scary it was to offer to help load the van.
BTW- That was a great show. Thanks for brining IT.
great track! Thanks for posting. Sounds nothing like Margot but that’s ok with me
Different from Margot and much better, in my opinion. Pravada is amazing. The songs are expertly crafted: atmospheric, poppy, experimental in all the right ways. I have seen them live several times, and this band is one of the best to come out of the Midwest.
Portland!
Way underrated
Nice words, Dave! And RVB really is a classic album. You know when people ask about what your Desert Island Discs would be? Well, ‘Robespierre’s…’ is definately one of mine and th first I’d choose every time. I’ve been listening to it for 16 years and it still sounds fresh. A beautiful piece of work. Thank you Nikki & Dave. Peace xx.
Wow, what a beautiful song. My girlfriend loves Roberts but I’ve never listened much. This will now change. Thanks, Brett.
Does he have a penis tattooed between his eyes? That’s what it looks like to me.
Wrens Watch is the best thing musically on the web right now. Just classic.
I believe it might finally be time to give up everything and just go to work for Bob. I would probably come out ahead in the end. This guy is the equivalent of a musical drug addiction. Except addicts usually wish they hadn’t become addicts. I just overdosed on a blasted planet.
i wouldn’t say their album “i am an elastic firecracker” went nowhere, they had a hit single “i got a girl” that got regular rotation on mtv, but i suppose that might be viewed as nowhere from an indie pedestal, but their next album jesus hits like the atom bomb was incredible, island just promoted that album bad, plus the label was in trouble at the time. the last album is great too and they will always be remembered in texas..
where the hell is IKE???!!!!
thank you!
wonderful article. i enjoyed it very much.
I love the Handsomes. I learn something new with every interview. Bird tears? Oh, and Brett, my Dad says he backed up Robert Oppenheimer when he won the Los Alamos Battle of the Bands in 1946. I’m sure the Gargantuans sounded better though. Oppie kept blowing his amp up.
Bah, whatevs.
I love the Takeovers records and Boston Spaceships is a Pollard-fan’s dream. Chris Slusarenko comfortably sits among great Bob collaborators like Tobin Sprout, Doug Gillard, and the Tobias brothers. I can’t wait to see the Ships live again!
what crap is hilarious.
HA HA!! Why anyone would take an article seriously that uses not just an out-dated phot but a ridiculously out-dated photo, is inexplicable.
The guy is a hack writer. I doubt if he even believes half of what he wrote. “What light? What crap!” Please. The guy probably likes the song but couldn’t resist a jr. high-level pun. ‘146-minute guitar solo. 71-minute coda’ Again, lazy, easy puns. No wonder the guy likes pop hooks (not that there’s anything wrong with that). “Theologians don’t know nothing about my soul Why would they, blah, blah, blah.” I am sure that the writer knows that Tweedy means that theologians professing to speak for all of us have no idea about us. Again, cheap, sophomoric and easy. “The Wilco message board, Via Chicago, is a creepy kind of place. Have you seen it? The Tweedites who congregate there all think alike. They love Bon Iver. They hate Son Volt. They love She & Him. They hate Son Volt. They love Bonnie “Prince” Billy. They hate Son Volt. And they all hate “Heavy Metal Drummer.” Blah, blah, blah”. Complete BS. I have spent quite a bit of time there and anyone, the writer included, that has spent time there knows that ‘they all think alike and hate SV and Heavy Metal Drummer’ is patently false. In truth, I rarely see SV maligned and when they are, other VCers defend them. Heavy Metal Drummer, from my VC experience, is a beloved concert staple by the majority of VCers. The merits of various bands are debated there daily. But again, it is cheap, lazy and easy to bring up the tired old “ViaChicago is a cult” to get an positive response.
I like the over/under concept and have no problem with honest Wilco criticism. But this article is just bad. Talk about trying to write a hit!
Chris, thanks for proving my point. I’m sure you think that Will Ferrell movies are hilarious.
Hate to be Captain Obvious here, but 4 of the 5 good songs were wrote before Jay Bennett got the boot, and 4 of the 5 bad songs are from after…pattern??
Could use an updated photo with the article.
Best opening line of a wilco song – “when you’re back in your old neighborhood/the cigarettes taste so good…”
The ashtray line comes close second. Time for a smoke break.
why don’t you call this “5 Songs I Like and 5 Songs I Don’t”? what universe do you like in where Impossible Germany, What Light, etc are overrated? i expected this to thought provoking. instead, i found it “cornified!”
I’m going to have to echo the comment made earlier. I have really enjoyed this segment thus far but this writer is way, way off. In what universe can you claim “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “Shot in the Arm” underrated while “Company in my Back” is “a deep unknown cut?!” Oh, you mean that deep unknown cut that’s found on two of the band’s seven proper albums? Here is a band with a treasure trove of b-sides and rarities and this guy is picking songs from its standard set list?
This writer seems to be playing upon a unique curve in trying to incite (not well, mind you) the band’s fans instead of honestly gauging under/overrated Wilco songs, a concept that I would have loved to have seen tackled. Instead we get this idea that this “non-Tweedite” can come in and wow us with a fresh perspective. Just how is someone who isn’t that familiar with the band’s catalogue going to earn any credibility in his/her opinions making claims like this? Wouldn’t a certain sense of expertise regarding the band make something like this worth reading instead of some lame reactionary half-truths?
I just started listening to Wilco, but I love Shot in the Arm and if it isn’t a popular song it damn well should be!
Also, I don’t think impossible germany’s as good of a song as people are putting it to me.
Your comments about “Via Chicago” are simply wrong.
Most on ViaChicago are Son Volt fans. Shows and albums by Son Volt are discussed, if you would have actually done your research.
Opinion on HMD is mixed on ViaChicago, but all Wilco fans love it live. Maybe you haven’t attended a show before, I don’t know.
That being said, in the future, make sure to do your research before making broad generalizations.
Heavy Metal Drummer and Hummingbird are equally dumb, but the latter is the superior track. That violin line (or whatever it is) at the end is a very unusual hook, yet it’s great. It’s a great vocal from Tweedy and it’s just plain catchy. People who defend Heavy Metal Drummer always use the “You wouldn’t understand something as indelible as a simple pop tune.” Um, yes we would. Passenger Side is almost retarded, yet irresistable. Wilco have dozens of pop tunes that are stupid when you dig deep, but great to listen to. Unfortunately, Heavy Metal Drummer is not one of these songs. People hate it for a reason: It sucks. Not because they lack a certain appreciation for songs that are “dumb, simple, poppy”. Nobody is being an elitist. It’s just a bad song. Move on, Roob.
PS – I will say that the Pollard/GBV stuff was mostly on the mark. So you’re not always wrong. Just when it comes to the great Hummingbird vs Heavy Metal Drummer. Also, I think Impossible Germany is one of the few gems off the new one, so cut it some slack.
It may not the best article of all time…but who cares?
It really is, just all about the music.
My two cents…
Everything on YHF is overrated.
Via Chicago is a great song. I’m guessing Boob doesn’t like it because he’s listened to it so much. Summerteeth is probably not the Wilco-diehard’s favorite album, but it’s the only one I listen to from beginning to end.
The first 5-6 lines of Misunderstood are poetry.
California Stars (not technically a Wilco song) is still one of their best.
Nice, more shit stir-age. Lets see…Wilco, GBV, my guess for next up on the over/under list would be Pavement. Or perhaps Magnet’s beloved Wrens…one can never get enough Wrens coverage. “Impossible Germany” was a good call on this one, but “Heavy Metal Drummer” is by no means under-rated…that song got lots of love circa the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot days. And seriously, “Company In My Back?” That’s like the 11th best song on that album. I just hope the new album is better than the last one, cuz the last album was kinda like a big sack o’ poo.
All my Wilco friends love Heavy Metal Drummer, and I recall being arm in arm on the verge of tears in concert as we celebrated the memory of the innocence of youth to that song.
no super furry animals? soory, but they kinda beat the shit out of anyone on that list. decemberest & pb&j are second & 3rd, though
’side with the seeds’ should be on the underrated list…perfect example of why they need Nels in the band.
Impossible Germany. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost myself in that beautiful guitar solo that ends all too soon for me. Such is life. Gotta admit its humorous that what I find so compelling about a song is precisely what you can’t wait to end!
Most underrated Wilco tracks are:
The WHOLE of “A.M.”. All of it.
-G.
Via Chicago is indeed the creepiest fan board on the web. 1,000’s of WILCO fans who never heard of the band before 2001. Ever see the pictures on there from when a gang of those goons dressed up like people from Willy Wonka and went to a show at the Vic? YIKES!
Saying all of that, this ‘article’ sucked.
i have a feeling each boston spaceships (man, that is one lame band name!) record will surpass the previous one. really looking for to the fall release of zero to 99, and then a brief west coast tour!!
sw
It seems like the writer just threw out a bunch of outrageous comments to get a some responses and prove people read his list. Well it worked. I’ve got only one word to say about his overrated list…WRONG!
That new Superdrag album will blow …
the competition out of the water. Industry Giants, oh yes!
amazing! thank you
If TIM lost (either) “I’ll Buy” or “Dose of Thunder” (take your pick) AS WELL AS “Lay it Down Clown” and subbed it with “Nowhere Is My Home” and “Cant Hardly Wait” there’s no question that it would be the best ‘Mats album ever ever ever ever… wow, gives me the shivers just considerin’ it!
there is so much RAWK in the Superdrag album, when the people open the cd, faces will melt away like Raiders Of The Lost Arc. i promise
To steal an idea from Chuck Klosterman, here are the five most accurately-rated Mats songs:
1. Can’t Hardly Wait: It’s generally accepted that while the song is genius, and both versions are great, the unreleased Tim version is slightly better. No one really disputes this, and it’s certainly a true statement, so it’s accurately rated
2. We’ll inherit the Earth: For the most part, people think that this song blows. Noone really disagrees on this. Accurately-rated.
3. Bastards of Young: People generally love this song. There’s no asshole at the party trying to drunkenly convince you this tune sucks. We all love it and live by it. Accurately rated.
4. Kick your Door Down: People are generally split down the middle on this, and for good reason: it’s not great, and it doesn’t suck either. So pretty much it’s controversy is well deserved and accurately represented.
5. Fuck School: No one is gonna put this on the top of their list, and it’s pretty obvious that Paul probably wrote it in all of five minutes, yet at the same time, I defy you to find one Mats fan who could live without it. So put it in the “Essential but overshadowed” column and call that sucker accurately rated.
VC is legit.
Lets be frank, Bob has always taken a bit of work. The biggest obstacle any fan faces with each new release is the massive body of work preceding it. How hard is it not to compare with the sheer brilliance of what he has done in the past? Personally I’ll continue to plow through ANYTHING by Bob I can get my hands on, knowing that with persistance I’ll find the hidden gems that’ll change my world. For me, he IS the greatest songwriter ever. Of course it’s not a competition though….
SUPERDRAG RETURNS!!!
AND PWNS ALL!!
I’m a-waiting for Adam Franklin’s “Spent Bullets” which comes out all the way in the future on the last and 31st day of March – yep yep
It appears as though Wilco fans are a little more rabid than you had thought. These comments remind me of a Star Wars convention or something… settle down fellows! I enjoyed your article and consider myself a Wilco fan. I am glad that you at least gave ‘It’s Just That Simple’ a nod. I have always thought that was a great song, one that is truly underrated.
dcarter: you sound like you’d be fun to hang out with. then again, i already have hung out with you and well, not so fun.
The photo is wrong for the album you’ve selected. That one is from early 92′ during the record “Bill” I will say, I do look like Carol Channing in that photo by the way. The correct line up photo is in the contents of the CD artwork. Obviously you don’t have it or you would have put it up instead. We’re going to re-release this record on “Good Records” (which was the first release for that label by the way) For two reasons.. It’s Fucking Great! and 2. nobody really knows about it, cause we only printed 2,500 copies. There’s also a song called “Tragaverse” that’s one to behold. Quintessential Tripping Daisy at it’s moments best. I know I’m shameless for boasting my own group so forgive me. I can’t help it, I’m just excited someone has finally noticed this record. Like the feller said in the earlier comment 1998’s “Jesus Hit’s Like The Atom Bomb” IS an incredible record. Another the one that went unnoticed. We were dropped very soon after it’s release. Clearly the best record we EVER
made. It’s definitely our “Odyssey and Oracle” if you will. (god I’m bad) You can even hear hints of Polyphonic Spree pushing to the surface even before the self titled “Tripping Daisy” Thanks again for noticing and allowing me to gush on my own group. Tim
Funny stuff, even if I didnt agree with it. Love Via Chicago but thats a valid critique. Completely disagree with the comments on Impossible Germany. Mountain Bed should be on the top of the underrated list regardless of who wrote it.
Writer is definitely trying to get people riled up, looks like it worked. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if its laughably bad.
You might have written him off (I had!) but the new Pete Doherty album is absolutely sublime. Seriously. It’s like Scott Walker crossed with Joe Strummer crossed with…. something very English but not too much so. I’m from Australia and I love it. And I very much dislike most of Babyshambles and the Libertines bar a handful of tracks. But this Doherty solo is really VERY GOOD.
What a surprise!!
You might have written him off (I had!) but the new Pete Doherty album is absolutely sublime. Seriously. It’s like Scott Walker crossed with Joe Strummer crossed with…. something very English but not too much so. I’m from Australia and I love it. And I very much dislike most of Babyshambles and the Libertines bar a handful of tracks. But this Doherty solo is really VERY GOOD.
What a surprise!!
Jealous, much? Rewind, get some love and happiness going for yourself, then listen to Impossible Germany again!
i wonder what you thought of the new Brown Submarine bathroom at the Turf Club… good times, Tommy!
Let’s be honest. It was the mid-90s. We were young and impressionable. We made a record that sounded like a bunch of other records we were listening to at the time. We came clean about it even then, confessing we were products of our record collections. We may have had a knack for hooks, stabby guitars, and experimental decorations, but frankly, Wrecked By Lions is nothing more than a good, middling, indie album.
When the time for my deathbed accounting comes, I’ll put the first (self-titled) and third (Saint The Fire Show) albums I made with Michael Lenzi in the Fire Show at the top of the ledger sheet. But they went more or less unnoticed. They were too weird at the time, too far outside any easily identified and named category.
If someone wants to dig up a couple of albums that were truly lost and quite possibly classics, skip Wrecked By Lions, get a real good shovel, and see if you can unearth copies of The Fire Show and Saint The Fire Show.
-Seth Kim-Cohen (Number One Cup and The Fire Show)
As Sam Powers said, “I Can’t Wait” for Industry Giants.
Why bother putting a guy’s name in the headline if the content is just going to be name-calling between somebody who doesn’t really talk about the man in question, and somebody who obviously hasn’t read anything by him?
Did I miss the truly exciting part of the song?
Great book, I highly recommend!
Not real comment
“When I Died” is fantastic. Can’t wait for this album.
CURSIVE! GREAT band, and the new album is very great!
Possible the best release of 2009.
Western PA is an amazing area to explore as evidenced by the content of this book. It is rare to find a city like Pittsburgh that has the lingering indicators of its past alongside a renewed cultural future. What I mean to say is – try to find these signs around the area and you are sure to have a wonderful time and stumble upon small stores, interesting antiques, and very odd but interesting people.
Tom Waits is terrible. You are not alone in thinking this.
On the other hand, whether or not I think their last few records were that good, that Sleater-Kinney crack is a little, uh, iffy.
who the fuck does this asshole think he is??? he plays the bass in a mediocre (at best) rock band that has never had an original idea to begin with. this sounds like a way for mr. dengler to make some more famous friends who in turn will pay him to dj at their birthday parties.
i bumped into dengler at a manhattan bar during interpol’s heyday. i will only say that he was quite the jerk. i recall laughing at his absurd attitude.
the trailer for this film is absolutely hysterical. this is sixth-grade film class material.
I’m not quite sure how one can call AM underrated?? Being from the midwest, to be exact STL, most Wilco fans favorite album was/is AM. Just goes to show my “Box full of Letters,” Passenger Side,” “High,” and others from this album end up making it on the encore list at shows. Also, the fine majority of Wilco fans around here are huge fans of Son Volt as well. I find it hard to believe that any hardcore Uncle Tupelo fans could love one band but not the other.
Metric just launched their new online store for the release of Fantasies. Check it out here: https://killthe8.com/metric/pages/796/index.html
Can’t Wait to hear the new album!
Hello! I’m a fairly new subscriber. I really enjoy the magazine. Kudos to Phily for having the chops to produce such a high-quality music mag. Here in Chicagoland, there is no equivalent. Anyway, I liked the 15th anniversary issue, with one exception – The Sound Check (Beatles vs. Stones). I was struck by the odd choices of Beatles albums to profile: Sgt Pepper (their most over-rated album); the White Album (brilliant in parts, self-indulgent in others); and Let it Be (their most poorly produced album, if we refer to the Phil Spector abomination; note – I’d advise anyone and everyone to spin the reissued Let it Be Naked version from a couple of years back instead). In my opinion, the “best” Beatles albums are Rubber Soul and Revolver (their mid-period classics), and Abbey Road (their final album – remember that Let it Be was recorded earlier, but released later, than Abbey Road). I also think it is pointless to compare the Beatles and the Stones because they reprsent different musical genres. Although this would likely piss off John Lennon, I think the Beatles were a power-pop/psychadelic band, and the Stones play staight up blues-tinged rock.
Welcome news on the Richard Thompson box, but you do know he already has an excellent 6 cd (if you count the disc you could mail away for) box from Free Reed?
How Soon Is Now is a masterpiece. End of story.
Well, maybe it is!
Both lyrical masterpieces and, sadly, they didn’t make the underrated list – criminal!
This is a good record, but the other two were way better. They really came into their own on the second album The Practice of Joy Before Death, and the final album Rock Collection is a true lost classic.
Magnet: Stop raiding my CD collection!
I got this as a birthday present from a friend shortly after it came out, and I still play it regularly. Definitely a classic, and I’m surprised more GBV fans don’t get into the Bevis Frond. There is a similar lo-fi aesthetic, along with the classic rock hooks and sweeping melodies.
what happend to “this charming man”
you know when local radio plays “how soon is now” that it is definately OVER.
So happy to see “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” on that list!
what happend to “this charming man”
you kow when local radio plays “how soon is now” that it is definately OVER.
All subjective IMO. I was in High School when The Smith were putting out these albums and I do mean albums. All these song mean and this band means more to me and those in and around my age group than you could possible understand. to dissect music is a music writer job. I too have done so. but the smith all around for those of us who love them are very special and we all do have our favorites.
Cemetery Gates and I Won’t Share You…both lyrical masterpieces and, sadly, they didn’t make the underrated list – criminal!
This one, I am right on board with. “Back To The Old House” is one of my favorite Smiths tunes. And “Paint A Vulgar Picture” is one of the most prophetic songs in nerd history. Great job this week!
Seriously Carlos, yer not that famous, chill out
I really, really want to hate to Napoleon Dynamite, and often do, because it is unadulterated propaganda for the twee-ization of America. But the cinematography and costuming are really nice. They’re fun to look at. And the dialogue is not as bad as most indie-teen movies — meaning the 16-year-olds’ conversations don’t mirror the phony-for-adults-and-doubly-phony-for teens annoying quips of Hawkeye and Trapper John from M.A.S.H., as does Superbad, Let’s Get Pregnant, and all those other blabberteen epics. I kinda thought Gummo had a good ear for adolescent verbal enterchanges, also Spheeris’s Suburbia. Maybe I just hung out with really dumb kids in high school.
Also, I thought it was cool to watch a Godzilla movie from the perspective of one of the people he steps on. Cloverfield is a little like HBO-lite, but you could do a lot worse. Showtime, the SCIFI network, etc.
“Smilers” is good but “The Forgotten Arm” is fantastic. The latter is among the best records released in the past decade.
I was once picking up tickets at will call at a DeadCan Dance show at Radio City Music Hall and he was next to me insisting his name should be on the guest list.He was seriously acting like a little bitch.Thats my experience with him.
Girlfriend in a Coma, YES, yes, it is extremely overrated BUT I draw the line there. I will not allow you to debase ‘How Soon Is Now?’ You must apologize immediately for that slight against hu… hu…humanity.
Turning to the facts, on page 85 of Morrissey & Marr: The Sausage Appliance:
====
Quote:
With the American dream postponed and his dole money squandered on Patti Smith excursions, Morrissey decided to seek a job. It was to prove one of his biggest mistakes to date. At the end of November, he secured a post with the Civil Service and was so appalled by the suffocating atmosphere and meniality of the tasks shoved before him that he quit within a fortnight. Upon returning to the Civil Centre, he became embroiled in an argument with a disgusted DHSS official who concluded the diatribe with the biting rejoinder, “People like you make me feel sick.” It was a humiliating moment and a woeful insight into the contempt often experienced by the unemployed. More salutary evidence of official disapprobation followed when Morrissey learned that his weekly beneft had been reduced to a paltry £5. His crime had been leaving the unsatisfactory Civil Service job for “no good reason”. He was now in a worse position than if he hadn’t taken the irksome job in the first place.
====
Seems to fit quite perfectly with the lyrics of that great Smiths song, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable now”.
And how does this guy know Moz never once got drunk before he wrote that song?
__________________
Panic is overrated? hmmmm…
How Soon Is Now?
it’s a freaking classic, mate. how does one overrate a classic? Oh god, a really good song that got popular and sampled and played and played. well, shit, that means we have to stop liking it now, right? please. so freaking typical.
totally agree. The Wrestler is one of the few movies i have seen this year that i liked better the more i thought about it and as more time passed after having seen it. it’s oddly poetic, subtle and simple. oh, and not wildly contrived…
It reminds me of years gone by, when I was 17, a freshman in highschool, in Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton. After huffing a bag of glue, I found myself in the broom closet with the school’s Armenian janitor. She originally came to this country as a mail order bride, but for whatever reason, that didn’t work out, and at the time she was living with my math teacher who looked like the female version of Bruce Jenner. She was twice my age and had twice as much facial hair, had a grip like a merchant marine, but it was good, and this song was good. Like her tongue, the melody swirled around my ear like a waterlogged piece of sandpaper.
It reminds me of years gone by, when I was 17, a freshman in highschool, in Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton. After huffing a bag of glue, I found myself in the broom closet with the school’s Armenian janitor. She originally came to this country as a mail order bride, but for whatever reason, that didn’t work out, and at the time she was living with my math teacher who looked like the female version of Bruce Jenner. She was twice my age, had twice as much facial hair, had a grip like a merchant marine, but it was good, and this song was good. Like her tongue, the melody swirled around my ear like a waterlogged piece of sandpaper.
P.S. F U Kewpie!!!
Hey Jay! Remember me, Donnie? I used to hook you up with those tapes you liked. You used to sit around for hours, I mean hours (did you even know the time was passing?), watching secret camera footage of people squeezing fruit at grocery stores. First it started with oranges, then grapefruits, but you didn’t stop there did you, Jason? By the time you got to pomagranates and kiwis, you became a different person, and that is when I decided to eject. I just couldn’t contribute to your obsession any longer..
BULL SHIT!
Why isn’t the Smith’s instrumental song “MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING” on anyone’s list?
THAT ONE IS THE MONEY!!!!
OVER RATE THAT AND YOU HAVE UNDERRATED YOUR PSYCHE!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!
Ah, great read! Thanks for sharing. I hope the screenplay writing goes well for you too Tim!
Couldn’t agree more on the overrated, but even though they are one one of my favorite band…………..Isn’t ALL there work a bit underrated and dismissed by most?
I just read John Updike’s short story A&P in class and I really enjoyed it. I’ll have to check out Rabbit, Run.
I always thought that “Taking A Ride” was pretty underrated. What a crash bang of a lead off track.
Out of all the sophmore slump nominees out there, you happened to pick two albums that contain some of the best career material of two of these bands, The Clash and Weezer. You are two albums too pretentious in writing off The Clash right around the peak of Strummer’s musical career. I have never heard anyone denounce those guys before Sandinista! so I will assume that you’re a disciple of the school of Les Bangs by looking for holes in completely awesome albums as an attention seeking imitator of the few music reviewers who actually have good judgment.
Aww, did the big mean boy make fun of the girls? Stupid mean boy who’s just being mean. Look, I like “Dig Me Out” as much as the next man, but S-K needs no hypersensitive fanboys to raise their petticoats in their defense.
So, to whoever wrote “One of the tenants in today’s writing is to avoid sexist language ” — aren’t you done with college yet? In the real world, there isn’t any thought police following you around…you can actually speak of people in Designated Victim Groups with disdain without having a pre-fab frenzy of PC brownshirts descending on you in a frisson of hissing. Please get over yourself.
I just get so mad when this dude makes fun of stuff that I like! It makes me GRRANGRY! Also, I’m 13 years old and have never touched a girl…
Enh. I know I’m supposed to like Paul’s Boutique, and I supposed I don’t hate it, but it’s definitely the dust-collector of my Beastie Boys CD’s. I mean, it doesn’t suck as much as To the Five Boroughs, but I just never seem to get that “must listen to PB” feeling. My fault, no doubt.
Hunter Thompson is dead. Becoming so is the most useful thing he could think of doing. This is about the only thing I respect his opnion on. He’s Burroughs for frat boys. Let’s move on.
Don’t forget one of the greatest bands ever out of Austin, The Gourds. And then there’s Centro-matic and The Drams from Denton.
I think the most underrated Wilco song is “Poor Places” and the most overrated Wilco song is “I’m The Man Who Loves You”.
Poor Places is such a great song. I think the deepest song that Tweedy has ever written is On And On And On.
Morrissey really is a dirty old whore. On top of the shameless pile of compilations, he hasn’t made a decent record since 1994 or so. He was good with Johnny Marr though, until he fucked that up.
I like How Soon Is Now, but I prefer to hear Marr’s jangle and arpeggios. He really was a lovely player.
glad to see “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby”, get some love and respect, it’s one of my all time favourites
Roth is not misogynst. So you’re off the hook there. Happy go lucky however….REALLY IS.
Top Chick Silver Chord, Is She Ever?, Ha Ha Man and Knock ‘em Flying are all great songs on Tonics And Twisted Chasers.
What about Boys Don’t Cry??? Seriously, that’s like the best Smiths song ever!!! Love you Moz!
Photo by John Sturdy Photographic http://www.johnsturdy.com
My favorite Philip Roth novel is The Human Stain. There’s a plot twist (which is more than a twist – it’s the whole basis of the story) that you should not know about going into the book, so try not to spoil it for yourself.
It’s radio DJs he was singing about, not turntablists. In 2009 there are few less irrelevant jobs than radio DJ.
You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby, is hands down one of my very favourite Smiths songs. Totally underrated. Totally agree. An amazing chorus, and a fantastic Marr lick.
You’re Getting Married aka Please Don’t Get Married. There are a few versions floating around, including the one from the recent reissue (I believe they put it on Stink). That’s the most underrated song by the Mats IMHO.
For solo, I’d say Tears Rolling Up My Sleeves is one I’ve never heard live and think is a great one.
For the good laugh I had reading this article. Definitely a nominee for any comedy award.
I can’t disagree too strongly with the underrated tracks selected, but the reasons for the overrated tracks are quite idiotic. “Because 23 years later, the war is over and the DJs have won” — what has that got to do with the quality of the song? It’s a tremendous cop-out to disparage a song for not accurately prophesying the future, or for something like “logical disconnect,” and I suspect the only reason why the author didn’t have anything more interesting to say about lyrics or melody is because . . . he hasn’t actually got anything interesting to say. Stranger things have happened.
Also, to the guy who said “you know when local radio plays ‘how soon is now’ that it is definately OVER”: if local radio is so OVER why on earth are you listening to it? Just to keep score? Local radio is 99% over in my area (NYC) too and that’s why I don’t listen to it. If the morons responsible for programming it happen to play a decent song every now and then, I’m certainly not going to use that as a reason to decide the song must suck. Letting other people (particularly people you don’t even like!) determine your taste is pretty sad if you’re older than age 14 or so.
recommendations appreciated, mr kasher. you might like george battailes, if you don’t already. “venus in furs”, though not overtly misogynistic, is quite perverse; a simply amazing book. great letterman performance, btw, loved the house horn section jumping in at the end.
ive been on a Pollard binge for almost a whole year now…not in my airforce is currently rocking me.
Funny, there isn’t a Smiths song I don’t like but one of my least favorites is actually the so-called ‘under-rated’ “You Just Haven’t…” In fact, just this morning, that song was in my head and I was thinking that weird since it’s not one I particularly love..so I find it also interesting so many agree with the assessment. As far as under-rated, I’d include “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” – which was only recorded as a Peel Session, and not for an album or single (even the band under-rated it…or maybe just couldn’t improve upon that version!) Likewise, when it comes to “Back to the Old House”, the Peel Session version is definitely superior to the single version (*because* it highlights Marr’s guitar.) Oddly enough, I just saw Morrissey this past week and the song that probably resonated best (to me) was the somewhat obscure Smiths song “I Keep MIne Hidden” over the solo material and other Smiths songs he chose to play (including “How Soon is Now” which I still love, but could think of many others Smiths songs I’d rather hear him do live before that one.)
love the War on Drugs! (but I’d like to see Kurt Vile on this list too…)
I love,love,love this Cd!!! I play it everyday. I am not kidding. I love every song on it!
Great song, great cd, great band!
Anyone who resents “Gary’s Got A Boner” either does not understand this band or first hear the Mats after Bob left…damn you.
One of the best live bands I have ever seen. I wish I could see them play again.
The New Disk is awesome. Mitch Easter is brilliant!!!
yes. this band deserves its day in the sun!
That girls gone is one of the best songs ever. Secret Swingers is in my top 10
While I disagree with your assessment of songs like “The National Anthem”, “Electioneering”, “High and Dry”, etc. I give you kudos for good calls on “Blow Out”, the How Am I Driving EP and, of course, Kid A (which is my favorite Radiohead album). I’d like to offer up some pics (in no particular order), not necessarily of underrated songs, but moreso of lost gems or tracks that you just don’t hear about much, but are nonetheless stellar:
1) “Follow Me Around” – One of those great b-sides that has never seen a proper recording. The version played on Meeting People is Easy, during a soundcheck, is just awesome, especially how it slowly evolves into a full-band jam.
2) “Nude” – One of my only disappointments with In Rainbows is that albums version of “Nude”, another great b-side holdover from the OK Computer era. Great as it is, the In Rainbows version doesn’t reach the greatness of early live recordings (and also found on MPIE) floating around. And unlike the beautifully subdued IR version, Thom sings his ass off on here.
3) “Gagging Order” – Easily the best thing on the Com Lag EP, this is a beautiful, fingerpicked little masterpiece, along the same lines and every bit as good as “True Love Waits”.
4) “A Reminder” – From the aforementioned How Am I Driving EP, this is a wonderful, dark, shuffling track that, while I liked it from the start but not as much as other songs on the EP, over the years has become one of my favorites on HAID?
5) “Thinking About You” – A great, simple acoustic track from Pablo Honey that still gets me. Forever a soundtrack for lost/unrequited love.
6) “Where I End and You Begin” – While I do like Hail to the Thief, I agree that, among their catalog, it is one of their weaker albums full of good ideas that just didn’t live up to what they could have been. “There There” is probably considered the best song on the album, but “WIEAYB” is a soaring rocker propelled by killer bass riffs that just doesn’t get the recognition it should.
7) “Motion Picture Soundtrack” – While this song can seem slight at first, it beautifully opens up in bright vivid colors and, along with tracks like “Videotape” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”, proves that Radiohead really know how to close and album
9) “Let Down” – While this song has a more traditional structure to it than other tracks on OK Computer, sounding more akin to tracks from The Bends, this nevertheless had “single” written all over it with a great build up into an uplifting crescendo that is a standout on an already amazing album.
10) “Worrywort” – From the “Knives Out” single, this is a beautifully chill, sun-drenched song with some sad but ultimately uplifting lyrics that, despite Radiohead’s proclivity for electronics, still (to me anyway) sounds unlike a lot of their stuff for it’s heavy use of them.
Ive never heard such an ignorant article on TBK. Starting it off by comparing them to the White Stripes? Really? They sound nothing like them and hate the comparison. Do all trios sound alike too?
Thanks! I have a new favorite band!
I mentioned this to you guys before, but the NFL Network version of “Sunday” is a cover.
I also think Maladjusted is an under-rated album…
Matt H – Yes, we know it’s a cover. Hence the “makeover” comment. The point is that Morrissey licensed that song to the NFL Network and allowed the cover to happen.
Morrissey has never been able to achieve the greatness of 1988’s Viva Hate. Every album since has not even come close. He should have stuck with Stephen Street. He would have had a very different career.
Mitch,
Come check out Arizona with me tomorrow at the BAAMO show. Free food, free beer, and some kick-ass bands. It will be fun. I know it’s out a bit, but I PROMISE that I will get you back to downtown. Besides, South Congress is awesome and it’s right next to Gueros.
Wednesday, 3/18 – BAAMO party at Yard Dog. Free food, beer, Cuban coffee and cigars.
Where: 1510 S Congress (a short cab ride, but totally worth it!)
6:45 pm Arizona (indie prog-rock band from Brooklyn. ‘heavy mellow’ )
Email me.
Crissa
Music Allies
I’d never heard “Girl Least Likely To”. I’m guessing that horrible band The Boy Least Likely To borrowed that? Those wusses make Morrissey look like a gladiator
Given the byline, I didn’t read anything past that.
no “bengali in platforms”… hhmmm something seems amiss…
rachel grimes is currently playing in King’s Daughters & Sons, who are shaping up to be rather excellent. check it: http://www.myspace.com/kingsdaughtersandsons
the band’s debut album is due this year (2009). rachel also has a solo album entitled “Book of Leaves” due soon.
Matthew, Morrissey did not license EILS to the NFL. Artists have no control who covers their material, it’s called a compulsory license. You think Morrissey/Marr were super psyched to have t.A.T.u cover “How Soon Is Now?”? I disagree with you on “Tomorrow”. “Get Off The Stage”? Really? It’s right down there with “Tony The Pony”. “Girl Least Likely To” seems somewhat less brilliant when you find out it’s a straight-up rip off of The Cookies song “Only to Other People”.
I disagree with almost everything you say – where to start…. I just wonder why your opinion is worth being published at all – it isn’t interesting – well formed or based on any kind of sound judgement – perhaps you would be more suited to working in catering or in a local shop? I suggest you resign now before the inevitable push comes.
I’d add “Lifetime for the Mavericks” off of the Go Back Snowball album with Mac from Superchunk as one of the all-time greats.
i stopped reading at this moronic take:
I simply don’t like Bruce Springsteen. He’s a middling guitar player and sings like he’s trying to pass a kidney stone.
All three are great but without question, Down By the River…, the third is infinitely the best of them, showing the writer turning a significant corner by displaying a firmer conviction of confidence in his voice.
I can’t stand it when these “actors” make albums. They are always crap. This is no different. The singing is awful.
All these wankers do is waste good press space “like Magnet” from the artist that really need it. Stick to acting dude.
That flippant slag of Bruce turn this “debate” into contrived silly time, nothing more constructive. I’m not a Springsteen addict (a fan, at best), but I do realize that comparing journeymen to upstarts is pointless and overdone, as the jury ain’t out yet. I think that a Springsteen versus Mats comparison would have been a lot more fun, as you’d have complete bodies of work to bitch and gripe about. And I agree with the above post, singing like you give a shit is nothing to be ashamed of, and I think that Bruce’s pedigree isn’t the stuff of Michael Bolton. Can we at least agree on that??
I gotta tell ya,as someone who was around to see the birth of The Box Tops AND The Replacements,the Pleased To Meet Me version of Can’t Hardly Wait makes perfect sense.Y’all love Big Star cuz Paul said so,but BET me that he loves The Box Tops just as much.The strings and horns take a fantastic song and turns it into one of the five finest records ever made….by ANYBODY.Hell,even Mr. Chilton went back to this style on Hot Thing.Can’t Hardly Wait is like My girl by The Temptations…I’ll NEVER get sick of hearing it,and it gives me a thrill every time.Thank you Paul!!
Hi Bob. So if he sticks to acting then does he get to have the quotes around “actors” removed?
Hi corey….peter adams and jeremy messersmith are performing at sxsw peter is at chuggin monkey thursday at 7pm and jeremy messersmith is also on thursday at 5pm at nuno’s.
this is actually great, some of the actors that have made records arent so great, but then again many of the “musicians” that make records are not so great either. wtf, take it for what it is, doesnt matter to me what he did before or after making this song. good music is good music. Thanks Magnet
Correction on my last post – opps – I listed the wrong date Peter Adams at the chuggin monkey at 7pm on SATURDAY and Jeremy Messersmith is 5pm at NUNO’S are both performing Saturday not thursday.
You don’t need 7 people in an indie band. The public needs to know who is the real talent in this band. There can only be 3 at best. Cocteau Twins 101.
this was hilar! esp the steampunk part, and the interns parts. not interns’ parts.
1. This clip can be found on the Rykodisk reissue of the first album. I suppose it’s only a matter of time before they ask YouTube to take it down.
2. The phasing on the drums was entirely Target Video’s idea. I had nothing to do with it.
Hi Kristin,
I respectably disagree. The singing is garbage to me. That’s my crappy opinion. I am a cocteau twins fan so singing is everything to me. My beef: He’s already a movie star. Does he really need to be a rock star? He will never get real respect as a musician. He’ll just sell his songs to HBO’s Entourage or some new movie he is in or directing. You can’t be both. There was only one Bo Jackson.
I wish the record could have been finished but I guess we’re lucky to have 3 new Cardinal songs. I fell lucky that I got to play these songs at Richard’s Cake Shop gigs. It’s all quite bittersweet really.
& a scoop : klimperei is – slowly – working with daevid allen !!!!!! tagada !!!!
see :
http://klimperei.blogspot.com/2006/11/projects-works-in-progress.html
Not sure where the Keith Haring business comes into it, but if it has Weimaraners in it, it’s more than likely associated with William Wegman. I watched the video and saw no overt-Haring style represented.
But, kudos on the song selections.
Who cares about a cliché?
Who cares about the taste of others?
Make up your own mind.
I liked their show and I like their record.
Yet another band that I’ve discovered so far after the fact. Awesome.
You just keep getting better and better, guys!
sounds good bob. maybe you and the cocteau twins should get a room.
No Replacements songs are really overrated in my opinion so I’ll give you a couple of underrated.
I Hate Music
-At the beginning when someone says “Tape’s Rolling” and Paul says….”So What.”… it cracks me up even after I’ve heard it thousands of times. Also the lyrics “I hate my father/One day I won’t” hints at the brilliance and sophistication that Westerberg will attain as a songwriter in the future and it gives me goose bumps thinking about it.
Nobody
-Start to finish this is just a masterful song lyrically and musically. Some of the greatest and profound lyrics ever penned. The song manages to be alternately humorous and melancholy. Full of anger, indignation and empathy all to a catchy beat. Reminds me of some Elvis Costello songs in that regard. “Knees quake there aint a shotgun in the place/You like the frosting/You just bought the cake/Your eyes can’t fake?/Still in love with nobody/And I won’t tell nobody” And later in the song with the infamous Westerberg howl….”And your still in love with nobody/And I used to be nobody.” It’s a perfect song and very much underrated probably because All Shook Down is somewhat reviled by a lot of Mats fans.
I still love this record.
first of all.. you are pretty correct re Acclerate, im sad to say. 2nd – So. Central Rain was beautiful REM at thier best.. classic Buck guitar, yearning lyrics and southern imagery.. and a simple chorus that was very unique at the time. the song that really turned me on the to band forever.. so I dont agree with you there at all. then you go on to talk about some really underrated songs on records you say are complete drivel – it would be more interesting to hear re the great songs that may have been overlooked on good records. By the way.. Around the Sun (the song) is way underrated on a pretty mediocre record.
I strongly disagree with Roob that “So. Central Rain” is merely “mediocre”; though I’ll admit that I’ve probably heard it too many times in my life and am mildly sick of it. I do agree, though, that “Sitting Still” is probably R.E.M.’s best song ever.
Very Nice. Bring on the Cosmos/Spaceships Tour!
I’m with Ryan- these guys sound like complete cartoons.
While I see the Springsteen comparison, I think sonically the Gaslight Anthem is much closer to the Gin Blossoms than anything Springsteen (or punk, for that matter). Then I again, I like both the Gaslight Anthem and the Gin Blossoms, so what do I know?
I picked up this album after reading the Magnet article pictured above and loved it. Thanks for the reminder that it’s overdue for a listen.
It’s amazing how much I agree on pretty much every point. You’ll get the argument that a bad can’t stay the same, they have to evolve. Sadly REM has devolved. They’re just getting old, somewhat inevitable. But that’s the easy explanation I suppose.
sounds like joy to me.
I thought everyone was like me and still listened to this album about once a month. Glad to see you bringing it back.
Fun list. I’m going to second (third) the others in that I love “So. Central Rain.” I used to play it on repeat, which was hard to do with vinyl. I never loved the “End of the World” lists either, and “Stand” is the song that made me walk away from them. I also agree with the comment that I’d like to hear your list of underrated songs from the GOOD records, as I don’t even know those later records enough to appreciate that those songs are okay given the awful songs surrounding them. They all just sound like bad later era stuff to my inexperienced ears.
And for mentioning “Driver 8,” you win.
Man, I love it too. Bought it when it came out on a whim after hearing it at Discafe La Jolla. Saw Unrest open for the Breeders the year before and was unimpressed. Wish I’d known then.
This is pretty sweet. Great to hear Richard Davies again. Can’t wait for this one
Fables Of The Reconstruction is the most underrated R.E.M. record…
YES!
My faveorite band is Avenged Sevenfold
Ok, I’m with you on Up and Around the Sun, but seriously…don’t you dare try to lump Reveal into those two. People like you are the reason they made Accelerate. Let the band evolve!
Underrated songs from good R.E.M. records:
Automatic–Try Not to Breathe (a fine song and performance)
Out of Time–Endgame (catchy, nice vocals, no lyrics, beach boyish without the OCD of the later stuff)
Green–World Leader Pretend (I’ve always liked this one)
Document–Fireplace (listen to it now and it sounds like a classic R.E.M. rocker)
Life’s Rich Pageant (great album)–Flowers of Guatemala (elegant and beautiful)
Fables (Maybe my Favorite R.E.M.album)–Green Grow the Rushes (classic folk rock with fine guitar parts)
Reckoning (so many fine songs)–Letter Never Sent (never sure of the lyrics to this one, “Heaven is yours” something about catacombs…..)
Murmur (I agree that Sitting Still is great)-West of the Fields
Mostly agree except I also like So Central Rain though there were certainly better songs on the record. I think you also nail Accelerate appropriately. I beg to disagree with one commenter. Accelerate is not the sound of a band evolving.
hmmm…fucking with a band’s group dynamics during the already hectic bullshit of SXSW. pretty cool…wait, no, that’s actually really uncool.
i was ready to get pissed at this crap, but … yeah, pretty spot on
Great stuff in lists above.
Fables/Pageant are the monsters to watch. Like great paintings they continue to morph years along. Fretless is top with They come and they come and they come/I accept it with a gentle tongue. Star Me is decent. Stipe’s still Stipe all along the way.
I agree with eiight of the thoughts, but disagree with the assessment of South Central Rain and Accelerate. Both are quite good, especially Acclerate. Is it a “returh to form” (what the hell does this mean anyway), I don’t know, but it is quite good.
Of course, everyone agrees that the post-Berry albums don’t measure up toe the four after, but the latter four are still much better than the shi-ite put out today. And they are still an excellent touring band.
My .02
Up to buy, Katie buys a kitchen size, but not mae Anne
Setting trap for love, making a waste of time, sitting still
I always put the comma after making, so “love-making, a waste of time, sitting still.” But that’s pretty much exactly the way I mumble the words.
Always thought Falls to Climb was about the most underrated late era track ever. Those comments on leave are spot-on. I remember my old CD player having some queue button that would actually skip just the acoustic intro and go straight to the crazy siren, and the fact that somewhere on the record the info was encoded to let that be so easy to do made me kind of sad.
And I’ve always had the sense that Driver 8 lives in the Fall On Me/Country Feedback land of regard, so I’m not sure it could be underrated–it’s just an amazing song.
Hey Bob, Don’t feel bad just because you haven’t accomplished even one of the things this guy has. You can do as many things as you want in life. This is a cool song. I want to hear the whole album now!
Up to par and Katie bar the kitchen door, but not me in . . . ??????
You had me at “chimichanga”… would have been my reply had I not stayed with an internet-less SXSW host. We were all fooled a little at first. It was hilarious. Still laughing.
…do yourself a favor and check out the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode on this very movie. i think its from 4th volume of dvd’s they’re released.
until you get a chance to enjoy the whole episode, i hope this little gem will help you pass the time.
just go here…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hws16jiT5ZA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2Fvideosearch%3Fhl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox%2Da%26rls%3Dorg%2Emozilla%3Aen%2DUS%3Aofficial%26hs%3DifK%26q%3Dmystery%2Bscience%2Btheatre%26um%3D1%26ie%3DUTF%2D8%26ei%3D3OPKSZT4EuGrtge49oTlCQ%26sa%3DX%26oi%3Dvideo%5Fresult%5Fgroup%26resnum%3D4%26ct%3Dtitle%23q%3Dmystery%2Bscience%2Btheatre%2Bgirl%2Bin%2Bgold%2Bboots%26hl%3Den%26emb%3D0%26client%3Dfirefox%2Da&feature=player_embedded
All,
Every single R.E.M recording from Chronc Town to Document is classic and not to be fucked with on any level or discussion….end of story.
There are sparse projectiles of tunes that are great since then, and I have to say all of them with Bill Berry on drums are great, and Accerlerate is a peek into what happens when they forget their money and get down to business writing the meaningful art-indie style and force they have always had in them without trying…
the very existance of this article is evidence that Gone Glimmering is in fact the lost classic. [/nerd]
I still don’t understand why these guys aren’t huge. Great song.
well played matt frank in the tank…
While I agree that latter day R.E.M. does not hold a candle to the E.M.I. years, referring to it as “lifeless crap” and a “steaming pile of pig vomit” tells me that you are one of these third graders that refers to everything as either ‘the best thing ever’ or the ‘worst thing ever’ without any ability to accept that certain things can rest on a middle ground. You say that ‘Accelerate’ “sounds like vintage R.E.M. without actually possessing the soul of a vintage R.E.M. record.” Yet you also refer to it as crap. So by that analysis, the only thing that separates vintage R.E.M. from, say, a Right Said Fred record, is this “soul possession.” I’m sorry, I feel that there are many more ingredients contributing to the greatness of early R.E.M. than simply a vague ’soul.’ I’ll accept that post ‘96 R.E.M. may be boring or simply ‘not for you’, but lumping it in with artists that really are ‘crap’ is a bit juvenile.
As a lifelong REM fan, I never really ever, ever thought of Stand or It’s the End of the World As We Know It as “highly rated” songs in the first place. I’m sure most of you would agree. Staples, maybe, but highly rated? Never!
I also think So. Central Rain deserves to be highly rated. Classic beauty.
Really? A lost classic at the ripe old age of 6 years? Don’t get me wrong, I love this album but I think you’ve got to push your cutoff date a bit further back. Maybe a minimum of 10 or 15 years?
I will dare to stick a link here to my just-penned list of underrated Replacements songs. A reunion really is a moot point with all of Westerberg’s great solo albums since, but nostalgia is a tough emotion to fight for all those sorta-grown-up fans. Including moi.
You know what you like Greg, and there’s no harm in that. Other then a few artists (Interpol???) that deserve to be skewered at every turn, there’s certainly no right or wrong in pop land.
He is thee best.
Is it me or was this over-rated section lacking in any substantive/quantifiable criticism or acknowledgement on just how these songs were overrated? Seems more just like explanations/historical editorializing
This album still sounds brilliant today. These guys were ahead of their time, and they need to reform and play some shows in the U.S.
In a world of fake, real sometimes hurts.
GREAT STUFF, Tommy!!
I love this list and think this should be a ‘regular thang’. It would be interesting to see lists from other musicians.
Carry on…
This is great because it is diverse and has some standards through out the decades. I do miss and want the ability to listen to the songs…
True, commenter Matt, true indeed. And in the ‘underrated’ category, well, if for instance a song never appeared on an album (until a recent rarities collection) it seems like you could argue the song isn’t ‘underrated’, it’s actually UNrated. But Magnet is valiantly pursuing their Over/Under thing. Maybe they should change it to Over/Over: Over-hyped and Overlooked. Hmm.
Ben Neil, no Ben Folds, no, um, Ben Kweller, no, Ben Franklin. erg! Ben Lee. oh that ben. oh. no thanks.
Neil Young needs to slow down a little, do a little more judicious parsing, make us miss him a little more. I’m still catching up with his last 5 (studio) albums, which I now own all of, and there are some real gems within. Pretty good for an old guy.
Some Song is actually a deceptively simple 6-chords and the truth exercise…
nice to get to hear these UNrated songs, despite the wholier-than-though [sic] disposition of the journalist.
My only comment other a mention of Smarty Pants Alert, is
“occasional dalliances with Sondheim (“The Rake’s Song”)”
Sondheim? Is there a typo? That song, the one you get to listen to, is certainly a cool song… but, mostly 2 chords throughout with a pounding rock riff does not a Sondheim dalliance make, despite the lyrical story-telling shenanigans…. maybe if instead of going to music school sondheim went to a party with the stooges?
yea I’m not a fan of this section. After the first couple artists it’s now a cut-and-paste intro. And for Elliott I thought ‘oh no, don’t attempt to stir up some forced controversy on Elliott’. It’s shameful. Maybe I’m too reverent of Elliott. And the fact that he’s gone, this seems disgraceful. Do it to some current narcissistic overpaid artist, not Elliott. By the way, this column’s top 5 are some of my favorite songs. His work was too beautiful and fragile to treat in a column like this.
Horslips’ (the greatest Irish band ever!) 2nd album was titled “The Tain,” and was a full lp song cycle on the legend. They also recorded the greatest con-
cept album ever, “Book of Invasions,” based on another Irish legend.
Coincidentally, the most overrated are some of his most successful/popular. Get over it loser.
All Things Bob (Circus Devils, Robert Pollard, Boston Spaceships, etc.)
is
All I Need.
I too do not like this format, or its purpose for that matter. Maybe just a feature for an “underrated” album would suffice. My two cents.
…. You don’t Have King’s Crossing as a list of underrated.
THIS LIST FAILS.
“Overrated Elliott Smith”: the ultimate oxymoron. Tsk to Magnet for pushing such a sad, forced concept. Tsk, I say!
It is just one reporter’s opinion who gets press. It is a pretty useless section. Jack had a good suggestion. Or a reader’s inactive poll would be more interesting..see what everyone thinks. It may draw ones attention to some new song we missed before..
Fact check: “Pretty (Ugly Before)” was not a posthumous release. It was put out as a single by Suicide Squeeze while Smith was still very much alive.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Pretty (Ugly Before) released as a 7″ prior to his death?
These types of lists always fail ultimately because there is not enough analysis of why songs are over/under-rated. I also think they might work better with an artist who is a little more mainstream.
Otherwise, you have to spend too much time explaining the history of the underrated songs, since many are obscure (which as others noted makes them unknown or “unrated” more so than “underrated”). And of course the overrated songs always end up being some of the artist’s most popular songs. How could they not? Nobody is going to pick an obscure b-side as an overrated song.
i’ve only been checking out MAGNET online for about a month or so but, with that said, i SOOOOO *LOVE THIS SECTION*! please, please, please, do not change one thing! reading the comments left by these, eh-em, “fans” just cracks me up everytime. first, to everyone who hates this section–why do you KEEP READING IT AGAIN AND AGAIN? you know, i don’t like FOX News and don’t find it informative or very insightful–guess what, i don’t watch FOX news. simple, right? second, with the frantic overhypization and voluminous consumption of any and everything new that seems to be the norm these days, what this column SUCCESSFULLY does is force these “fans” to remember and appreciate music and musicians that they probably haven’t been listening to lately because they just can’t get enough of Black Kids.
lastly if you haven’t already, could you PLEASE do a Sleater-Kinney “over/under”? (god, i almost pissed myself just thinking about the potential for comments on this one!)
I’ve listened this at least a dozen times now. Great contrast between the swaggering vocals and the stutterstep riffs. Beautiful stuff.
What would life be like without Pollard. It took me a while to get into, but now that I am in, I celebrate every new album. I am embarrassed out how excited I get to receive Bob’s new releases… and amazed at how he surpasses my highest expectations every time…. This guy is a living rock icon and no one knows it….yet.
Bourdain is similar to the rest of the casualties that have turned the Food Network into ego bloated tripe (can you eat that??). Even skilled chefs like Flay, with a decent pedegree, have dumbed down their shows to the point where they try to insert the occasional meal as an appetizer (keeping with the pun theme) for their persona. I’ve cooked a boatload of new dishes after watching cooking shows (looks down at bloated waist), but this new breed of rock-lobster stars just makes me want to stick with the old tried-and-true.
Thanks for a great playlist from a great author.
Btw, there’s a typo in the last song: It’s Il Ritorno Di Ringo, not Retorno.
Ciao!
Willy T. Koch
Norway
Yikes. Come on. Baby Britain’s lyric “You got a look in your eye when you’re saying goodbye like you wanna say hi” is probably just the greatest lyric ever.
You guys only get tighter and tighter….keep it together and “keep on truckin”
mp3 at 3pm is actually quite clever.
kudos =)
suchafuckinggoodsong
Kitschchao were the best, killer punk philly deal circa 93. RIP Tristan… Tristan also did vocals on the first Doomed To Obscurity CD… He is missed.
seriously; i’d hesitate to say songs like ’son of sam’ or ‘independence day’ are overrated, considering everyone on earth is apparently a humper of elliott’s first 3. no respect! and the underrated songs-were mostly just unheard, as everyone said. ’say yes’ anyone? completely overrated. like number one.
That Human Heat song is actually a cover of a Hiawata! song.
It was one 9(!!) b-sides to the new and FREE Hiawata! single Valley Boys.
Download it here:
http://sellout-music.net/hiawata-valley_boys.zip
Hi Tim! ‘Really excited about the fact that this album will be available again! I’ve been looking for it for such a long time. I love Jesus Hits, but ‘never heard The S/T 2000 album. Do you have an idea about when it’s gonna be re-released??
Hey Charles the blurb about the Ramones and Synths reminds me of the cool synths that were on the ” Howling at the Moon ” track on the ramones too tough to die album ….Safe Travels to you guys
http://www.myspace.com/menshsounds
I’ve been a fan of Frank/Black/Charles almost since the beginning, and have loved all of his changes. Grand Duchy, though, may take some getting used to, to be perfectly honest. I am much more into the raw rock n’ roll stuff, kinda like what he was saying, where he was more likely to embrace the 60s garage stuff versus the real tidy poppy stuff. And I LOVED Bluefinger and Svn Fngrs (especially Bluefinger, it f-ing ROCKS, and is visceral and passionate and moving as well, and has quickly become an all-time favorite). So anyway, I guess basically what I’m here to say is that while I’m sure I’ll get used to Grand Duchy, being an intensely loyal long-time fan and all, and also being musically diverse in my tastes. But, I just hope he’s also gonna put out some more solo stuff too at some point. He’s NOT a ’stale old guy,’ because if he is, that means I am, and….. oh crap…. haha, well, maybe I am, too. But dude, you’ve been around over twenty years, so ya gotta figure that your oldest fans are starting to get, well, old! Either way, “I’m not ashamed to say I want rock n’ roll.” I even loved the folksy/country stuff from the Catholics or Honeycomb, etc. Just basically love everything the guy has ever done. Like LOVE! Favorite songwriter of all time, hands down. I feel like he’s borrowing shit from my brain or something sometimes, it just grabs me so much. So anyway, remember, there are also fans like me out here, who just love to hear you do your own thing as well, and who are first in line at the record store when you do and have been for years, because you’re the man. Thanks, rock on!
Sucky indie rock bitter wankery. The Spoon and Arcade Fire albums eat the underrated list for breakfast.
This was a great album. Good live shows around this time period as well. He lost me with Point. I guess I was partial to the mutated shoegazer rock.
Incidentally, “Star Fruits Surf Rider” was also the name of an early Primal Scream song from the 80s. Discuss.
Huzzah for Tenement Halls!
I always thought Girls Can Tell was the overrated one, and A Series of Sneaks was the underrated one.
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.” H.S. Thompson
Spoon…snore. Did anyone else think that their last album sounded like Billy Joel?
I am really enjoying the tracks I’ve heard from Grand Duchy. The Cure tribute I recently heard is also well done! The guitars and synths used in this project certainly compliment the sweet dark melodic vocals and I find this album relaxing yet stimulating. I learned early on to approach each Black Francis project with fresh ears and have yet to be disappointed. Why settle on one sound?
Polvo’s “Today’s Active Lifestyles” was one of the best albums of the 90s. You should have posted “Sure Shot” or “Tilebreaker” and then tell me that Polvo were simply “reactionary.” The song you posted, “My Kimono” is more interesting musically than the majority of hipster indie rock being produced today, and the song doesn’t even have vocals.
What a fucking joke.
Hey Magnet, are you owned by Pitchfork now?
Netflix doesn’t carry this title. Boo!
Kill the Moonlight = perfect rock album
http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a2505951feb0076011feb6a5be20030
The extent to which “Funeral” may be overrated is nothing compared to how much Magnet underrated it when it came out.
And even if I usually write to disagree, I love you ladies and gentleman for being willing to actually HAVE an opinion.
Peace out.
love the tenement halls
what the hell ever happened to them?
awesome show! And Ben’s lucky he polished his moves, otherwise that Steve guy would have stolen the show!
You are bloody pinky right, dear pop believers. Champagne rose is something to share, before all. Bubbles are a sign of hope and life and of course fertility. They are to be appreciated at their just valeur. The color gives taste. It is like anything relevant in this plan of reality. We are talking about art ain’t we? As a good French immigrant (it had to happen one day) I advise Millesime Bruno Paillard (pink is available, though regular rocks enough). Enjoy Grand Duchy.
JGw
Oh, they said: ‘King and Queen of Siam’ sounds like a good song from the Cars…
This is the truth…. Tony Bourdian comes from the school of hard knocks… I worked with him for years at The Supperclub near Times Square… His poetic demeanor is from working long hours…. And listening to The Modern Lovers, Curtis Mayfield, and the clash… All while pounding absolute and grapefruit juice and heinkens, while creating perfect food dishes. That man loves to cook… I saw him hold a raw chicken like it was a newborn baby…. I mean fat in a good way…. This guy came from nothing…. All because he is a phenominal writer… Check out his first book, “Bone in the Throat”.
Here’s the link to the Ellsworth Kelly painting:
http://collection.centrepompidou.fr/mediaNavigart/plein/4F/45/4F45106.JPG
I love you Mick!!!!
Astral Weeks is the album that reveals the elasticity of music– that a performer can emerge from a pop music idiom to completely transcend them, creating something so unique and so unconstrained by formal concerns as to become a work of art outside of time and tradition.
Seeing the ‘Mats at First Ave in the 80s was truly an experience! Certainly they were extremely lit for all of their shows…and their version of Hello Dolly was hilarious! The most underrated songs by the ‘Mats are INHO:
1. If Only You were Lonely
2. Go
3. Can’t Hardly Wait (Tim version)
4. Kids Don’t Follow
5. Sixteen Blue
6. Here Comes a Regular
I still cannot believe that I used to run into Tommy at Oarfolkjokepus quite often before Pleased to Meet Me…ugh…where did the time go???
I have to say we (my wife and I) love Petits Fours. Now I could be accused of bias as I’ve been a fan of Charles’ music from day one with Pixies and throughout his solo and band career with the Catholics. I do admit I was hoping it would be this good as the last two BF albums (all be they concise) were so amazing they were hard to follow, but Grand Duchy are an altogether different entity deserving of as much attention and praise. I adore Violet’s writing and vocals, a great album and an amazing duo of talent. I do home they come this way on tour
And who died and left you in charge of what’s good and what’s bad?
And why can’t you keep your arrogant and opinionated blather to yourself?
And why not let the rest of us enjoy the music we’re willing to pay for? To be fair, I’m sorry you had to grow up listening to the crap you think is good.
Man, these e mailed Magnet articles are excellent. Love the over/under series and this argument over the merits of a band I never heard of. Seriously, publishing opinions that damn various bands and artists actually promotes interest in their music. It’s like Creem magazine in the early seventies with Lester Bangs and crew skewering rock icons and holding Lou Reed’s feet to the fire. NO offense, but these articles are more entertaining than what is published in the actual Magnet magazine.
Seriously……69 Love Songs is overrated but that unlistenable piece of dreck released by TNV is nowhere to be found? If you can find 10 clunkers per every gem on 69, please give me these lists, for they will be wrong, and I will mock you. Maybe you just want to be a provocateur by placing Spoon and Magnetic Fields on your overrated list. I’ll go along with Arcade Fire and She & Him, however. I just wanted to vent about the soul-crushing experience of listening to TNV again, really.
Also, I renewed my subscription in December and have one magazine to show for it. Are you moving to a semi-annual distribution model?
the thermals are the best local band out right now! love the new album and all the old ones too.
Fred Durst – Vocals (Limp Bizkit)
Keanu Reeves – Bass (Dogstar)
Tom DeLonge – Guitar (blink-182)
Pete Best – Drums (Beatles original drummer)
peter cetera-vocals (Chicago)
brent muscat-guitar (Faster Pussycat)
dave krusen-drums (Candlebox)
brian marshall-bass (Creed)
stevie nick-tambourine (Fleetwood Mac)
will ferrell-cowbell (SNL)
Love “Better Things.” Best late-period Kinks tune.
Joel Gion – tambourine (Brian Jonestown Massacre)
GE Smith – guitar (Saturday Night Live Band)
A bag of fun size Snickers
tim harrington – lead vocals
karen o – b vocals
nathan williams – b vocals
kip berman – b vocals
nick zinner – guitar
kickball katy – bass
brian chase – drums
i call them pitchfoot
Stevie Nicks would definitely be in Wiccanfoot.
Dave Davies’ “Strangers”–my favorite Kinks tune and a masterpiece. On the Lola album.
i never thought of “sunny afternoon” as an underrated track as I seem to recall hearing it a lot in public places, and it’s bound to be used in a commercial soon if it hasn’t already. anyway, i think these tracks are better and maybe more underrated:
“She’s Got Everything”
“King Kong”
“20th Century Man”
“Creeping Jean”
“Berkely Mews”
“Sittin’ On My Sofa”
I don’t really know what qualifies something as underrated though.
I still don’t have the pleasure of listening to their last true studio album, “Phobia” – the only album I don’t own by The Kinks. But I did hear the songs from the album on their box set and I was taken back by just how amazing the song “Shattered” is. Truly a contender for underrated song. =]
Check out the cover of “Mindless Child Of Motherhood” by Monkeypox!
the kinks made records in the seventies? who knew – i thought they broke up after “something else…” – oh wait, i just wish they did.
The Kinks did some awesome stuff in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, among a lot of crap. Check out our list from last year of 10 Great Overlooked Kinks songs: http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2008/06/01/10-great-overlooked-kinks-songs/
Roger,
Phobia is a great album. It’s eclectic and it has the most Kinks songs of any single album. It was their first album recorded with a 60 minute CD in mind. Like most Kinks albums it has some good material, three or four masterpeices (Shattered is one and then take your pick of the others) and then some quirky stuff that you need to be a fan to appreciate and won’t “get” until you listen a few times.
The title track Phobia is a great rock arrangement and has hilarious lyrics once you realize that it’s a satire on Freudian psychology. In fact, it’s a send up of all of Ray’s “paranoia” lyrics ever written rolled up into one song and then some.
The other highlights are Dave Davies two lead vocals. “It’s Alright” is of the best Kinks songs ever. I love the subtexts: “It’s Alright!” (If you don’t think about it … If you just don’t look at it … etc.) Forget that it a song about environmentalism — it could be a commentary on the human condition in general. And of course, “Close to the Wire” (Dave’s compostion) and “Hatred” are great too. I like a lot of the silly quirky songs on the album simply because they are silly quirky Kinks songs. “Somebody Stole My Car” was annoying at first listen and now I love it. It’s driving rockabilly with social satire on Western economic attitudes.
Phobia was critically acclaimed but didn’t sell well. The Phobia tour had the band playing at their peak live. Then they broke up. The problem with the album is that it sounds like a superior verison of their “post-punk” Low Budget material. But musically and lyrically it’s the best album of that period following three of their worst albums.
The album is an interesting bridge to Ray’s recent solo efforts and most resembles Working Man’s Cafe in some places.
This is a debate without an ending. There are amazing Kinks songs hidden amongst crappy ones – you can look at most of their albums for examples. The Kinks never had a really good producer, ever. UK Jive sounded pretty good at the time and Phobia is sonically the best album (too little too late). So, we need not argue whether one song is overrated or underrated. The band itself has been underrated for 40 years. Ray Davies is one of the greatest songwriters in popular music yet our kids won’t ever know that because no one treasures The Kinks like The Stones, Beatles and The Who.
Personally I think that Some Mother’s Son ( from Arthur), Property (from State of Confusion), Scattered (from Phobia) and Around the Dial (from Give the People) are among the finest lyrics Ray has ever penned
It should also be mentioned that Ray Davies is one of the wonderful performers in the modern rock era-the best I have witnessed. For underrated songs listen to Dave’s, When you were a Child [Think Visual] and Ray’s In a Foreign Land [Misfits], a Jimmy Buffett-type escape song. And lastly, the “Dan is a fan” line in “Rock and Roll Fantasy”is for Dan McClain, aka County Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers, who was President of the Kinks Fan Club, San Diego in 1972.
First off, Celluloid Heroes does not belong on the overrated list, even with the dated wash of synth. It is a classic Kinks track and a brilliant song. And Sunny Afternoon, one of the best (IMO) Kinks songs, is not really underrated. by anyone familar with the Kinks. Come Dancing is an easy target. How about having Magnet readers do these when your “critics” don’t have the depth? “Strangers” is a great pick for underrated. And I would argue that “Get Back in Line” is as well. And “Rock N’ Roll Fantasy” is on my overrated list.
The “London Song” is easily the most under-rated Ray tune of all time. I beleive to this day it would have been a major hit if someone had promoted it. I play that tune at parties and get alot of “what a great song-Who is that? The Kinks were banned from the U.S. and never had the managers or “payola” required to get “airtime” that even the shitty bands got back then. They soldiered on with talent, grit and amazing live shows. My buddies and I had the best times of our lives at Kinks concerts in Buffalo and N.Y.C. w/songs like “Demon Alcohol” and “Lola” w/Ray wearing a dress and staggering around the stage. What a ball-buster!
U2 jr.
Madonna-lead guitar
Kip Winger-Bass
Meg White-drums
Dude from Cake-vocals
Roob-Over/Under List
The live version of “Celluloid Heroes” off “One for the road” is so much better than the studio version. Dave’s lead parts at the beginning and middle are among his guitar work ever. I love how the Kinks re-worked many of their earlier songs when they became an arena rock band in the late ’70s-’80s.
My vote for most underrated Kinks song would be “Gallon of gas” off “Low Budget”. It still holds up, especially last summer when gas was over $4.00 a gallon. Plus, you gotta admit that the notioin of going to your drug dealer for a gallon of gas is, well…(wait for it)… a gas!
I wonder how many times he’s listened to Normal Happiness or Off To Business? He’s WAY off about those if he’s listened to them less than a few times. Those two crept their way to greatness in my rotation–especially Normal Happiness.
Austrailia, how did I mis that one. Now one more thing. Avery never got credit, at least in America for being one of the greatest drummers ever period.
Soap Opera is a classic! Very underrated…In fact the RCA concept period is my favorite. Amazing records! Too many great songs to mention, but Underneath The Neon Sign, Some Mothers Son, Life Goes On, I’m In Disgrace, A Long Way From Home, Life Goes On, 20th Century Man, When Work is Over, Big Sky, and the list goes on and on…..the greatest band ever, total genius!
It is the coolest site,keep so!
Most underrated kinks songs for me are: I Need You – Alcohol Live- Only a Dream – To The Bone – Apeman – Big Sky – plus alot more. The kinks in my book are better than the Stones or the Who – the kinks took chances with their music and had more variety than those 2 groups – I started out a Beatles fan in 64 but ended up a dedicated follower of the kinks my whole life – still love the fab 4 but the kinks have me heart and mind.
I must agree with Tim Cooper. “Get Back in the Line” is almost never mentioned. When I was about ten years old, it was that song…not Lola…that fell on my head like a ton of bricks. The depth of that tune was astonishing to me. “Bring You Home Some Wine”…indeed.
I think Did Ya from the EP that came out before Phobia is underrated, also Dead End Street, and agree about catch & me now I am falling, and come dancing. Though Lola is way more overated than Celluloid Heroes will ever be.
Sunny Afternoon is just classic.
God save the Kinks. How about one more tour to go with the box set.
There are so many but a few are Till the end of the day (at least equal to all of the day and all of the night), mr songbird, big sky, Mr Churchill says (inc one of Dave’s best solos ever) , misty water, and Lincoln county.
oh and just cos its catchy Have a Cuppa tea
I think the choices for overrated are pretty good except for Celluloid Heroes. For the life of me I can’t see how that song could be called overrated. The “synths” sound more like piano to me on the original studio version and are done rather tastfully. Perhaps you were thinking about the live version on One For The Road which is much more synth dominated.
As for the underrated, I think they are all great choices. The problem with discussing The Kinks and underrated songs, they have way too many. I could certainly add many to the list, but I’ll limit myself to a handful here. I’ve got to agree with others, Get Back In Line is an incredible Kinks song most people never heard of and is very deserving as the king of the underrated Kinks songs. Others that quickly come to mind; Too Much On My Mind, Sittin In My Hotel, Strangers, Some Mothers Son, Art Lover, No More Looking Back, Gods Children and about 4 songs on Phobia which itself is the most underrated Kinks record.
Twice above the song from Phobia was wrongly named, it’s “Scattered”, not the same as the Stones song, and it is indeed a late period masterpiece. Even though one can name hundeds of underrated songs by the most underrated and underappreciated band in rock history, I will go with;
Lavender Hill
Big Sky
The Way love used to be
Sweet Lady Genevive
Live Life
I Need You
Nothing to Say
Big Sky
Life on the Road
Autumn Almanac
Mr. Pleasant
Berkeley Mews
Around the Dial
and many many more…from Northern California’s biggest fan
Remarkable as it is, you can only underrate Waterloo Sunset.
It is 40 years since possibly the best Kinks album, Arthur, was released. Over the last couple of years Village Green has received many plaudits, however Arthur has several songs that are much stronger than anything on Village Green – most notable underated track on Arthur being Young and Innocent Days.
Sittin´In My Hotel
Get Back In Line
God´s Children
Next Door Neighbour
This Time Tomorrow
my list (and take the Lola versus…and Muswell H.-albums, if you need more to go with)
And cool down: Time will give Ray and The Kinks all the credit, they deserve.
Rock i s slowly dying these years, transforming into electronical exerecises.
Notes and words will stand. And Ray Davies is a master
Better Days has always been one of my favorite Kinks songs, for obvious reasons. I actually also enjoyed the album that spawned it, minus Destroyer, which just recycled old riffs with a predictable conclusion. I still think that Art Lover and A Little Bit of Abuse stand up well from that album, and don’t warrant the slagging that early 80’s Kinks efforts typically receive. Why this band lives in the shadows of the Brit “greats” of the time (Beatles, Stones, Zep, The Who) is beyond me, as growing up, I always considered them to be on par, if not a little more intense, as lyrically they always seemed to offer a slice of life that I can relate to. And I’m Canadian!!
I think that anyone who’s ever caught Nels Cline in concert (especially with the Geraldine Fibbers) gets a rush out of Impossible Germany. Lyrically it seems like nonsensical shit, but Nels has a unique approach to extended soloing that transcends noodling. I think he rides the “jazz light” fence nicely without ever slipping over it and into lounge music. For me, a good song doesn’t neccessarily have to be cohesive from start to finish. I’d rather have a few nuggets of brilliance mingled in with mediocrity than an “above average” effort with nothing that absolutely floors you.
As I read through the list of songs noted here it makes me want to pull out all my old Kinks cd’s and re-visit these relatively obscure classic non-hits. I’ve always said to young people who have yet to discover the Kinks, start with the most obscure Kinks record and you will be rewarded. In fact, if you started listening to Kinks cd’s in reverse order by sales you couldn’t go wrong. This is what makes the Kinks so different (and special) compared to the Beatles, Stones and Who. All the best stuff these bands did is well known and sold a lot of copies.
Thanks for the recommendation! Bergman is overrated when it comes to camping.
Some good questions but you still remain unforgiven! HAH HAH! Classic…
from the early period: So long, I go to sleep, Something Better beginning and I need you
From the classic period: Berkley mews, to much on my mind, two sisters, star struck, this is where I belong, strangers, young and innocent days, some mother’s sun, dreams, moments, way love used to be, oklahoma USA, complicated life
from the RCA rock opera stage, Lady Genevieve, Daylight, Oh where oh where is love, mirror of love, you make it all worthwhile, holiday romance, I’m in disgrace, Headmaster,
From the arista years life goes on, stormy sky, misfits, rock and roll fantasy, little bit of emotion, yo yo, art lover, better things, property, Heat of Gold, long distance, do it again, good day,
From the final period lost and found, the Road, how do I get close, Hatred, Scattered, Only a dream, to the bone
my name is james and i am an 33 year old district resident. Iive off benning rd by spingarn high school in which they call kingman park . i have read drama city , king sfish, and i just finished soul circus . i would like to say as an aspiring writer of d.c. life you hits it out the park every time whether your talking bout moco or pg or dc its always like im riding shot gun with your characters . thank you for letting them know about the district instead of telling them about washington
also iver read the turn around in which i know your talking about ken gar i used to live there when i was young , love those stories
The staggeringly brillant “This strange effect” and the awesome “I go to sleep”. Pop perfection and demos to boot ! When will we get to hear Wilco’s “Sitting in my hotel”?
To me Versus picked up where the Pixies left off. I was a huge fan of this trio back in the day an I still am. They had such great catchy tunes an I loved the fact that they seemed to have a release (LP,EP ,7″) just about every 9 months in the early to mid-nineties. Versus where one of 3 bands that I followed religiously back then. Unwound & Fugazi are the other two. Each have there own unique way in how they presented music but all three bands are equals when it came to releasing great bodies of work.
very fascinating stuff, stu.
Hang on there a minute, aren’t those the harmonies of Rasa Davies twisting around Ray’s lead vocals in “Shangri-La”?
“I’m plowing my own furrow, and no one else around these days is close” Quotes like this one contribute to the perception by people that Kilbey is arrogant. While I don’t completely agree that “no one else is close”, I do think that Kilbey’s talents are pretty damn special and he deserves to toot his own horn. The shame is that he has to toot it himself and hasn’t been rightly recognized for the extraordinary musical talent that he has while so much crap out there is lauded. Frustrating.
People usually don’t understand Ray, but this writer got it mostly right. While I would submit that the Dave Davies track is alright, the rest of what he listed as under-rated is spot-on. I always thought I was one of the few people who enjoyed Better Things, but the more that The Kinks are written about in modern media, the more I learn that lots of people appreciate that great song.
I would replace Plastic Man with King Kong, the B side of that single. It is a really odd little ditty about the Dr.Strangelove character, and it’s a hoot. I would replace the Mindless Child Of Motherhood with Education off of the Schoolboys in Disgrace album. But all in all, the author did a great job.
I just rediscovered this band about 2 years ago at Christmas. I was shopping at Amazon for relatives and saw Forget Yourself advertised on a page. I clicked on it because I thought the Church had folded up in the 90’s. Long story short, I discovered their huge back catalog and was floored by the beauty and depth of their material. It is one of popular music’s biggest shames that they have been forgotten, for with the exposure that bands with a quarter of their talent have received, I’m convinced that the Church would be in the rock n’ roll pantheon. Nice to see a magazine that noticed them. Thanks
Thanks for the coverage of a great artist (songwriter, author, arranger, producer, painter) and a great band. For those that lost the band after Starfish there is much more great music to discover. There are more than 17 studio albums, off the top of my head
Of Skins And Hearts
The Blurred Crusade
Seance
Sing Songs/Remote Luxury/Persia (3 EP’s combined)
Heyday
Starfish
Gold Afternoon Fix
A Quick Smoke At Spots (B-sides, rarities)
Priest=Aura
Sometime Anywhere
Magician Among The Spirits
Hologram Of Baal
A Box Of Birds (covers album)
After Everything Now This
Parallel Universe
Forget Yourself
Beside Yourself
Uninvited Like The Clouds
Back With Two Beasts
El Momento Descuidado
El Momento Siguinte (this and previous are “unplugged” albums of classics)
Untitled #23
I’m sure that I’ll be corrected but that’s more than 17. Anyway, more Kilbey, Church coverage. I’ll buy!
Arthur, the song, never fails to lift my spirits. It’s from a very emotional and difficult album (try really listening to Shangri La sometime), but Arthur ends the album with one of the strongest declarations of non-romantic love you are likely to ever hear. Thanks for that.
Don’t You Fret hasn’t turned up yet as overlooked but is really a great song in every way. Gentle, raucous, and brewing tea.
The studio version of Alcohol is brilliant, capturing the sound of the Salvation Army on skid row perfectly. What a song.
I’ll finally mention You Still Want Me, their second single and total flop, because it is hilarious that Ray tried to hit the big time with a bouncy stalker song. Listen to the lyrics – the song is so warped! “When you pass me by, you never look my way. But one thing I know, our love is here to stay. Cos you still want me. I know because the smile upon your lips is for me. They were meant for me to kiss. And you were meant to love me darling. I’ll be around when other guys have gone. I’ll tell you once more, I-I still love you so.” Travis Bickle’s national-freaking anthem! And totally overlooked for its 45 year existence.
underrated – Big Black Smoke, This is Where I Belong, Rosemary Rose, Two Sisters, Yo Yo, Scattered, Polly, End of the Season, Lazy Old Sun, Don’t Ever Let Me Go, A Face In the Crowd, Some Mother’s Son, Alcohol, Animal Farm, Good Day, Animal
overrated-SleepWalker, Hatred, Banana Boat Song, Destroyer
Short and sweet.
It is interesting to ponder what would have happened if Starfish had been followed up with P=A. “Here’s one straight from the factory” pretty much sums up GAF.
I know this is an SK interview, but I still think the presence of Tim Powles is a seriously underrated factor in the outstanding quality of their newer releases, evidenced by the fact that he’s on much of their solo efforts as well, playing and mixing.
And I will be very disappointed if “You Remain Unforgiven” is not the title of a song somewhere down the line, if not an ep or album.
The Church have never sounded better. Each new album has been steeped in their unique sound, and yet each one has thrown me for a loop and has never been what I expected. It’s no surprise that their intricately woven soundscapes and deeply poetic lyrics have been overlooked by the vapid mainstream. But that is probably the very thing that set them free. In today’s online world the possibilities have never been better for niche artists to uncompromisingly create the work they dream of, and get it to people who thrive on it.
In terms of solo work, Steve Kilbey is an artist at the peak of his powers. Painkiller is a sonic masterpiece. He’s also a highly regarded poet, painter, and blogger. Anyone who likes his lyrics should check out his Time Being blog http://www.stevekilbey.blogspot.com/
Here’s to another couple decades of The Church!
es una gran banda ochentera tuve la oportunidad de verlos en vivo en lima y fue espectacular simplemente, un gran concierto TOB seguramente no habran conquistado muchos mercados que mueven dinero pero lo que si hicieron siempre es hyacer buena musica y en ese aspecto no se descuidaron.
You suck man. You don´t have it. So Wrong. The most overrated songs you chose are some of the best he has written. The word is bond. James Bond.
Add these gems to the underrated list :-
Pictures in the sand , Two Sisters,Property,Long Distance,
Heart of Gold,Dont Forget To Dance,Did You See His Name?
Such A Shame,Act Nice And Gentle and the ratherful wonderful Good Day . Give Phobia a break………..Scattered,Hatred ,Drift Away,Still Searching,Only A Dream and Over The Edge all sound like winners to these ears .
I love this song and the only song better than it on Something Else is Waterloo Sunset (IMHO). I saw the Kinks at Springfield Civic Center (Mass ) in December of 1983 and it was one of those old genreal admissions shows and the weather was awful. Snow, freezing rain, windy and brutally cold; we waited in line for the doors to the arean to open for hours and were a mess when we finally made a mad rush to the front of the stage. Ray and the band were impressed and touched at the perserverance of the sold out crowd and so they played at least a half hour longer than they had been on that tour. It was during this show that I first heard Two Sisters live and it blew me away. We were all shmushed together like sardines in a can because that’s what happens at gen admin shows and near me were two girls, whom I didn’t know. Near the end of Two Sisters I look over and one of the girls is actually crying and says to her friend, “This song is about me and my sister.” I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT! To me, that’s what Ray has always done best. Write songs about everyone and for everyone while maybe having no one in particular in mind when he actually wrote the song. This girl was young enough to be Ray’s own daughter and yet a song that was released 14 years earlier could have been written about her and her sister. The man exudes bloody fucking brilliance and takes a second seat to no one; Townshend, McCartney, Lennon, Jagger….no one.
Thank you for the days Ray…God Save The Kinks!
If one Kinks song is really overrated, I think it is “Waterloo sunset”.
“Sunny afternoon” is one of their best and I can’t understand why someone would call it “underrated”? It’s up there with “Dead end street” and “Dedicated follower of fashion” from the same year. What a year 1966 was for pop music!
“Shangri-la” is also heralded as a masterpiece among Kinks fans so I wouldn’t call that one underrated either. Rather it’s a bit overrated to me. The melody is gorgeous in the beginning, but then the messy production ruins the song. Like someone said, Kinks never had a good producer. Shel Talmy produced the first three or four albums, then Ray produced every album himself, which didn’t always turn out so well, especially the 70’s albums could have been even better with a “real” producer.
phoebia is a great, underrated album. as far as underrated songs, i need you, she’s got everything, autumn almanac, sleepwalker, the hard way, do it again, village green, God’s children, livin on a thin line, stormy sky, going solo…..the beatles and beach boys were great, stones and who innovative, but the kinks music and lyrics have consistently been good since the 60s. Their harmonies are underrated, Dave is an excellent backup/harmony singer. Great riffs and hooks to their music. Hope they will do one more tour.
A well-written and thought-provoking list — you won’t get any insults from this Kinks fan. Just a few comments:
I’d have to agree with several above: I never thought of Sunny Afternoon as underrated, I think it’s cited very frequently in articles and such, perhaps more frequently than “Days…”
I also don’t exactly think of “Jukebox Music,” “Catch Me,” and, especially, “Destroyer’ as highly-rated songs, but if you say so…
Good call on “Mindless Child of Motherhood,” although I’d have to agree with Christian above — “Strangers” is even better.
Thanks for giving such a tribute to “Shangri-la” and to the Kinks in general.
Apart from a couple of forgivable duds “Close to the Wire”, “Babies”, “Somebody Stole My Car”, Phobia is a fabulous Kinks collection. Hatred is a pretty amazing song! Cat-fight central… Bitchy,Catty, Cocky, Sly, Puerile, Hilarious- a car crash waiting to happen . Would love to hear Oasis cover this song pronto. The ever prescient Ray Davies is as ever on the ball.
Untitled #23 is indeed the new and current album from The Church. I reckon it’s their best aside from “Back with two Beasts” since “Hologram Of Baal”.
This band mark 30 years next April. Even if you are not a fan of their music some respect must aforded for their longevitiy alone. However i should also point out that if you are not a fan, it’s your loss.
I’m still turning people onto this band’s uniqueness and magnificence.
Keeping the faith, spreading the world. Big Al, Sydney
simply sublime, esp the troy tate version sans harmonica
great job rush limbaugh…, even if you had some valid point to make, your delivery makes people wanna vomit.
steve kilbey is hands down the most talented songwriter today
and the church is the best band. they have created their own universe.
can we get a put up your dukes on The Hold Steady PLEASE!?
In the “under” column I’d add “Best Friend’s Arm” – jazzy, scatty, spazzy weirdness, with just enough shambolic guitar melody that I can groove to it.
I keep reading these lists hoping to glean some nuggets of awesomeness I previously overlooked, only to find each one formulaic and boring. Here’s the template in case anyone wants to try the Over/Under Home Game: List the 5 best songs by the band and pontificate why you’re so over them or so much more in-the-know than the general public. (Richard Buckner besting Pavement’s “Here,” really? Really? Maybe he should’ve recorded it then so it could be the best song he ever committed to tape.) Then pick your 5 underrated songs not based on merit or lack thereof (I actually do really like “Gold Soundz” and “Gangsters & Pranksters,” for what it’s worth) but rather based on how much of a true fan it’ll make you sound like. At least Mr. duBrowa was nice enough to give me a handy copy and paste to save me the time of typing “Maybe he should try to be less concerned with being cool and on the cutting edge than performing his job as an objective listener.”
you just hate ranglife cause rolling stone said it was a great song haha
Terrible, terrible list. Gold soundz is not overrated, it is one of the better known Pavement songs, it even has a freaking music video.
You suck.
Would you settle for a Hold Steady Over/Under? Coming next week…
I meant “underrated”
Again, you suck.
“I’m sure this pick will out me as a Luddite-leaning Pavement elitist”
Not really, listen to some of the b-sides mr. elitist. If you had any ears this list would not look like this.
Since my enjoyment of all the pavement albums was/is mostly confined to my house and car, and I never blogged or read too much about them, and never saw them live, I guess this kind of article is lost on me. Like I’m blissfully unaware of these “ratings” where the songs are overrated or underrated. Is there a list somewhere I can reference? Where someone has done some rating? What’s the top-rated Pavement song? Does anyone know? No. It’s not like, “oh it’s Ted Williams he batted .406 in 1946″, and so on, his stats show he’s one of the greatest hitters. Look, if S&E has sold a total of 150K albums, assuming that’s in the US only, that’s like, what, 1/25 of 1 percent of the us population that has it. So, who cares? Change this column to something better. How about: “Pavement: One Fan’s Opinion”, or “5 Thumbs in Either Direction” or “Overexposed/Unnoticed” or “I Know People in This Band So That Makes It Okay” or “Here, Listen to these 10 Songs for Free”, or “Pissing Off Eleven People Weekly” or… oh forget it.
Funny, this is the first one I really, really agree with. Either way, it’s good to hear these songs. Debris Slide!
Thanks for hoisting the Church’s flag. For those who only know “Under the Milky Way”, there is SOOO much more to this band, so much material to explore, to my ears it’s not all great, but it is rewarding to sift through and find many many favorites. And you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it.
I agree with mistercharlie, like “Where is the Street Team,” this feature only goal is to piss people off. How punk rock. I first saw Pavement in 1992. I thought then that Pavement “Sold Out” because I saw someone wearing a Red Hot Chilies T-Shirt in the line. Luckily I am no longer a snobby 18 year old, sounds like Corey duBrowa still is. Why waste your time writing about music you don’t like. There is plenty of great music out there that does not get coverage.
This is a pretty solid list. Mistercharlie might be right about “overexposed” being a better handle than “overrated,” especially in the context of “Cut Your Hair,” which still holds up well. But that’s a quibble. I love the inclusion of “Perfume-V.” But is “Debris Slide” really a difficult listen? Compared to “Gold Soundz,” maybe, but it’s clear enough what’s going on musically. Regarding “Frontwards,” the Los Campesinos! cover brings out different qualities of the song, and wonderfully so. It gives a good occasion to revisit the song and assess it from a new perspective (new if only by virtue of the passage of time).
Reminds me of the band that sang the opening theme to Pete and Pete, Polaris.
Maybe an alternate approach to the Over/Under feature would be to post the band name a few weeks in advance, let readers submit their lists, then let your pundits comment on the results. I’ve been confused reading a few of the lists now, as I actually thought that the so-called “Unders” were well appreciated pieces of the bands catalogues. Don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit, or your Over/Under endeavor might well end up on readers “Under” list of Magnet’s new (and needed) online component.
Under The Milky Way is only one of many great Church songs. And his solo stuff – the guy is a machine! Looking forward to this collaboration with members of another great Oz band All india radio: http://www.myspace.com/kilbeykennedy
You guys are a bunch of idiots. You’re so not even close.
Overrated:
“Carrot Rope”
“Rattled By The Rush”
“Stereo”
“Summer Babe”
“Unfair”
Underrated:
“Ann Don’t Cry”
“Gold Soundz”
“Grounded”
“Zurich Is Stained”
“Transport Is Arranged”
there…
terrible
GOLD SOUNDZ is not underrated. WTH, it has a MUSIC VIDEO recorded for it and is one of the most well known songs.
What a pedantic, elitist waste of time. Who exactly was it who underrated those songs, ‘Frontwards’ in particular? And ‘Here’ is overrated because you think it should have had a better arrangement? The other overrated tracks are basically their four most well known songs, how bloody groundbreaking… Seriously the most ill-conceived, subjective and annoying crock of shit I’ve come across in all my years reading Magnet…
Also by using the phrase “Malkmus once told me..” in such a flippant manner you outed yourself as a total wanker…
“I saw alt-country artist Richard Buckner cover “Here” and thought his version a vast improvement on the original, which leads me to believe that while the Cult of Pavement holds this tune close to its heart, a different arrangement might have suited it better.”
OMFG pure blasphemy, you have no clue.
Who the hell is this richard buckner, lol.
Watched it last night, it was great performance except the guitars were drowning out the vocals a bit. Apart from that I enjoyed it!
Scary cool great pastoral song.
Seems like a cool guy with allright taste in music. But you are DEAD WRONG about this being “the year”. Unless you mean the year that the pathetic Chubs go past the century mark in no championship seasons. Hope you enjoy the show in St Louis after the Cards give your Chubbies a nice beat down.
THE CUBS…..A CENTURY OF SUCKING.
Happy Earth Day!!
This list is utterly meaningless, as is this entire under/over feature. Who gives a shit what you or Magnet think about these songs? certainly not your good pal stephen malkmus
How dare you not include “All My Friends” in the underrated list? Now that is the ultimate underrated Pavement song…”Debri Slide” would get full-on sing along treatment at Pavement shows. “All My Friends” didn’t even pop up until the CRCR re-issue and then blew away most of the material on the orginal album. Now that is an underrated song. Plus “Frontwars” and “Gold Soundz” would both most likely show up on a best of disc. The entire overrated list is wack. It’s just like “I hate all these songs cuz they’re kinda popular.” WTF??? “Here,” “Cut Your Hair,” and “Range Life” are all classic Pavement. Hell, the guitar solo/freakout in “Cut Your Hair” is one of the greatest moments of 90’s music by itself. This kind of writing makes me yearn for the rich, critical insight of Pitchfork.
Two under the radar tracks — “Autumn Almanac”, a song that Andy Partridge once said he wished he wrote, and “Did Ya?”, which came out on a five-song EP that was released before Phobia and showed that Ray Davies had one more 1967-ish shot in his gun.
I’d disagree with “Come Dancing” being overrated. Yes, Davies had been nostalgic before, but there is a specificity to the song that makes it pretty evocative and it has a lilting melody that works quite well. And the video is fantastic and drives home the sentimentality, for better or worse.
These are only the opinions of one man, I am as big a fan of Elliott as the rest of you and dont agree with the assumptions I have just read but I do appreciate them.
Elliott Smith is without doubt in my mind the best singer/songwriter who ever lived.
It doesn’t matter if he has good taste in music, he’s still one of the biggest homers ever to speak (root) into a microphone up in the booth. Apparently, he feels some pressure to live up to the Chicago reputation laid down so well by probably the biggest homer ever, “Hawk” Harrelson of the, um, “Good Guys.” (???) (sheesh). Just listen to the way these losers call a home run for the other team (as if they’ve just been informed about a death in the family) and you know where they rank (and I mean rank) in the homer broadcasters hall of shame. Even Harry “Where’s My Budweiser IV?” Caray could get properly excited about an opposing player’s long ball. Vin Scully farts in your general direction, gentlemen.
i agree with taffy.
This article is like the story about the guy who sold leather pants.
I’m a Toronto boy, so I need surrogate (read “real”) hockey team to root for. The Canes are young, fun, and well coached, with a smattering of veterans that always go beyond the call of duty at this time of year. Interesting sidebar…. their coach Paul Mauric was run out of Toronto after a few years of the Leafs missing the playoffs. The same “experts” the habitually slagged him are now saying “He’s pretty good, we should get him!!” Ahhh… hindsite.
Here is not overrated…it’s simply one of the best songs of the 90s…Buckner’s take on it is great, but it’s not his song…And props to the person listing “All My Friends”…A top Pavement song, no doubt.
One need only look to the genius of Mr. P, lead singer for the band Desperation Squad, for the original panda head motif. His onstage antics of smearing himself with Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup and rolling around onstage, throwing tortillas out into the audience during the song “Taco Truck” (which has gotten the band kicked out of more than one club and asked never to return,) and verbally abusing hecklers has garnered them a reputation as one tough act to follow. Not many bands want to go on after them, considering the GWAR-like mess
I am not really insulted, though I do really enjoy all of the “overrated” songs mentioned here, but I do have a problem believing the credibility of any connoisseur who dislikes a song simply because of the production values. In fact, I believe Elliott’s continual expansion into studio experimentation was a godsend. I am a listener first, and if I enjoy the details Elliott so lovingly put into a studio version of a song, I can’t really say much about how ‘much better it was live’ or whatever. Similarly, any of his earlier albums or the countless hours of live performances I have copies of are stellar because of the ideas he is presenting, not the quality of the recording. They might sound “rougher” or (as for the live ones) tinny or muddy or sloppy or without backing harmonies, etc., but I cherish them too. I just feel that there’s this weird divide between people who like his “old” stuff and people who like his “new” stuff. I never got the true difference. He’d been known to shelf songs for years, tinker with them, and try them again; it’s not like any of his songs were rushed. They all deserve our careful attention.
And as far as unheard/underrated goes, how about: “Taking a Fall” (*not “How to Take a Fall”), “Come to Me,” “So Many People,” “I Figured You Out,” and straight from Figure Eight: “Color Bars.”
The Lily’s and The Situation were awesome too.
“The Day After Saint Paddy’s Day Massacre” is the best band in the Philly metro area right now.
I think they play Mojo13 on June 5th.
Great article! I can’t get enough of these guys. I know they want to keep a mystery about them but I can’t help reading all of their interview because the things they have to say, particularly Jamie, are things that I can relate too and agree with and can think about and sometimes disagree with. They are just inspiring for me. Last Day of Magic is one of the best things ever written.
Cheers
Hey I agree with one for once! Thanks for not giving this one to duBrowa!
This is a good record, but I like Intolerance better. “Negligible” is not the word I would use to describe songs like “All of My Senses” and “The Main” (maybe “intense” or “brilliant” would be appropriate). Either way, Grant needs to release a new album.
All of The Hold Steady’s songs are overrated.
I love that Stay Postive is on here, but my favorite song, which I have never seen them play and I feel is totally underrated is “The Cattle and the Creeping Things”
I am a hugh fan so I am trying to go over the overrate list more so then the underrated list. It’s hard to be critical of a band that I really like .I have to say that I liked Stay Positive. I enjoyed a lot of it. I do agree that it is not their best CD but I think I enjoyed it way more then (Matthew Fritch) Slapped Actress is a great song I also like Magizines
one for the cutter is not just the worst hold steady song, but one of the worst songs i’ve heard in a while.
stevie nix is a badass song, however
Totally agree with “One for the cutters”-
I’ve always said they should rename that “Time to hit the bar for another beer” when they play it live.
sniffing at crystal in cute little cars
getting nailed against dumpsters behind townie bars
whyd they let FInn’s harshest lyric get overshadowed that damned ‘orrid harpsichord!?!
I hadn’t checked back and didn’t see you were already planning it when I looked at my email. I had a moment of inflated self-importance today because of it.
Nix “Stap Positive” for “Slapped Actress,” and “Girls Like Status” for “Banging Camp” and you got a great list here. “Banging Camp” is the best Hold Steady song!!!!
I don’t understand. Radiohead, the kinks, and … hold steady? They are a shitty & ridiculous band. Those lyrics are not at all clever. They’re boring. and ordinary. Shame on you!
Best band EVER!
Hear hear on “Slapped Actress.” Is “Cattle” underrated? NPR did that whole dissection job on it a ways back–a move which seems to point to some degree of regard. But is that giving NPR too much credit?
Anyone for “Positive Jam?”
I nominate “First Night” as an underrated song.
can’t agree on Cirtus… I’ve had kisses that make Judas seem sincere is a great line.
Totally agree on One For The Cutters, Hoodrat Friend (although its a good song). Sequestered in Memphis isn’t one of their best, but I find it to be a good intro song for classic rock fans getting into the band at first.
The underrated songs are spot on. THERES WARS GOING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE WEST!! Killer Parties is one of their best songs…..
I usually don’t take the bait but to trash “One for the Cutters” is just unacceptable. The song should resonate with anyone who has ever partied in the woods under the stars, has familiy and friends who will never leave their howntowns, and highlights how we’re all in trouble (we’re just too dumb to know it yet). Brilliant.
So this is how a comments section really feels… Sen. Tankerbell, “Banging Camp” is definitely a great song; You could easily swap that out for “Stevie Nix” to represent Separation Sunday. Not changing my mind about “One For The Cutters,” however.
Pavement has always been my favorite band.
Under-
You forgot
“Haunt You Down” & “Black Walls” & “Texas Never Whispers”
thoose are goodies!
And yes I love S.M.
This band has been SO good for SO long. Can’t wait to hear this next record.
the lilys still ARE awesome!
I am most excited about the John Vanderslice “Romanian Names” album.
Charles mentioned the BHH in a magazine interview.
Pretty soon lists like this will say that “Say Yes” and “Waltz #2″ are overrated and that “Kiwi Maddog 20/20″ is the only song worth listening to.
Green Day!
i loved this “dukes”, best one so far.
……amazing.
that is all.
Of course Green Day!!!
green day!!!!!! they already have 50% of the votes
GREEN DAY ALL THE WAY!!!!!!
GREEN DAY! GREEN DAY! GREEN DAY!
green day? really?
how come you can only vote for one? I would say phoenix and jason lytle: tied.
GO GREEN DAY!!! XD yay!!!! ^.^
GREEEEEEEEEN DAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!
ONLY GREEN DAY!!!!!!!!!!
NOTHING ELSE!!!!!!!!!
NEVER!!!!!!!
I LOVE GREEN DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GREEN DAY ALL THE WAY!!!!
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE ALBUM!!!
GONNA BE AWESOME!
omg GO GREEN DAY I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Green Day. Nobody else.
It’s been so long… and now they’re back!!
feels like i’m dreaming;)))))
Green Day totally!
They have 72% of the votes already (387 votes) XD
I’m sooo happy!
Can’t wait too see them in July WOOT!!
How is Geen Day a “Real Music Alternative”?
yay green day…
I love John Vanderslice. My anticipation for his new album is killing me and my vote should count as approximately one greater than the total number of Green Day votes at any given time.
green day ofcourse!
Green Day own. They rule all… =]
green day!!!!!
GREEN DAY DUH!!! WHO WOULDN’T VOTE FOR THEM?? THEIR THE BEST. KNOW UR ENEMY RULES!!!
GGGGGRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNN DDDDDDAAAAAAYYYY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GREEN DAY !!!!!!
them meat puppet fellers are a hoot … and been pacing themselves the last chunk of years i see … cain’t wait for the next bucket o sonic slop to come upon me in their singular perculatin’ plop
Can’t wait for the BREAKDOWN! Long time comin’ fo sho!
GREEN DAY KICKS ASS!
GREEN DAY OF COURSE…BEST ACTUAL BAND
Green Day!!!!
Green Day!!! May 15 won’t come soon enough haha
It would have to be Green Day, really..
Topping American Idiot is going to be next impossible for them.
Also, Iggy Pop should be interesting.
lol, u think green day has this in the bag???? FUCK YEAH! go green day!
Green Day for sure =) Everyones waiting for the Breakdown!
It already has 81% of the votes. Go Green Day!
Green Day already have 994 of 1213 votes hahahaha
GREEN DAY RULE!!!!!!!!!
greenday all the waaaaaaaaaaay =D
green day <3 <3
GREEN DAY RULE!!! 82% of the votes!!! can’t wait for may 15!!!
Green Day!! their new album is going to rock….Go Green Day…I love you guys!!!
MEAT PUPPETS!!! meat puppets new album is also released on orange coloured splash vinyl! ‘NUFF SAID!
wow…this makes me kinda sad for a moment today. green day..REALLY?!!?!?! what about the meat puppets?!?! WAY BETTER. faaaa sho’.
Yeah, this was pretty great. Thanks.
I have to wonder though if Pearl Jam had no say in the Cold Case soundtracking– and that the results are part of a bad licensing deal with SONY. Occasionally I hear their (ten-era) songs as vamp music on football games or morning talk shows.. Both those and the Cold Case thing seem out of character for a band that has only soundtracked films made by their friends (Singles, Chicago Cab, Into The Wild) or documentaries about their own personal politics (Body of War, You Can’t Be Neutral On A Moving Train)…
Then again Vedder has been quoted as saying Pete Townshend was more of a father to him than anyone else– maybe The Who on CSI and that Hummer commercial convinced him to be a bit more lax on their licensing deals. Doubt it though.
green day. definately.
There’s nobody better than Steve Earle…Never will be..
GREEN DAY!!
obviamente ja! los espero
wolfgang amadeus mozart by phoenix
top of the top
really incredible
GREEN DAY!!!..!! Best band on the planet!! Missed you soo much.. Go Green Day!! <3
guys obviously green day , this record would be the best of the year and maybe of the decade!!!
GREEN DAY the best band ever !!!
that’s obvious! GREEN DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
rock on guys
I couldn’t stand green day before, but with age they’re getting even worse. i wouldn’t have a problem if they called themselves what they are which is POP not punk in the slightest,
Go Meat Puppets for this list.
i love it
Are all these people 12 years old? Green day sucks! I can’t believe the Meat Puppets got so few votes. Actually, I guess I can. It seems like all people want from music these days is the same old uninspired tripe regurgitated and vomited out in a slightly different package. C’est La Vie
green day forever and ever
Shame on you. Green Day were still sucking their moms teet when The Meat Puppets were making real Punk!
This is by FAR the best Replacements album. It is VERY underrated.
Hootenanny in E…. That was cut off…
always thought ’stay positive’, the song, was kinda weak.
i have to vehemently disagree with chicago, though. that song is the truth.
and the last line is a reference to a dylan lyric
“An’ he just smoked my eyelids
An’ punched my cigarette.”
Longevity has always been the true measure of an artist’s worth, not CD sales. So I’d say it feels good…..
Love David and hope the new album is a huge successful!
http://trueendeavorsblog.com/2009/02/10/live-music-photos-the-long-weekend/
Excellent perspective on the fertile state of the music industry today. I personally wouldn’t have it any other way. Lets hope the entire economy trends that way!
Love the campout! It introduced me to Gram Rabbit, and I’ve never looked back. A thousand thanks for that. Also Ike Reilly. And others. Love it.
Green Day c’mon more-0-the same
The Meat Puppets all the way!!!!
I was way into the first Matt Suggs album, Golden Days Before They End.
Glad someone else made the Spoon – Billy Joel connection.
Iggy rocks! Stole the show at the Road recovery show May 1 in NYC reports Rolling Stone
the campouts have been a wonderful way to get to know music i would never had heard otherwise. i’ve been absolutely hooked on the music of cvb/cracker since
the opening lines of “jack ruby” on key lime pie. i then had to go find everything i could by these people. if success in the music industry was won by merit, these
guys would be at the top. i do think that musicians should tour to prover their true worth. anyone can be made to sound decent in a studio with a good producer.
how many of today’s “big stars” would have made it at all playing in small cubs?
over the years, i’ve seen the members of these two bands, playing in various combinations. they never disappoint.
Why would a green day fan read magnet??? get a subscription to tiger beat.
If I wasnt me …I would have voted for greenDay
Okay, this week’s “news” on this site: James Iha, Against Me, Camper van Beethoven, the Wrens, and now the Clash? Way to stay relevant, Magnet! I would absolutely LOVE to find a well-written magazine that can give me coverage of contemporary music that goes into more depth than Pitchfork et al. That used to be Magnet, until they turned into a 90s version of Classic Rock Magazine.
What about “The Call Up”? It is definitely the most underrated clash song.
I’ve always respected David and Crews work and was tickled to death when New Roman Times and Greenland were released. CVB/Cracker have always, to my ear at least, been entertaining. I cant say I didnt like any tune on any album, and that is not the case with most artists. These guys could release anything and I would buy it, the fact they have never abused the fans trust who feel the same way speaks volumes of their integrity as artists. Great job guys, as always, and keep it up..
I agree about “The Call-Up.” Now that is an underrated song. I would also go with “I’m Not Down,” “Listen,” “City of the Dead,” and “Stay Free.” It’s become almost cliche to make fun of “Rock The Casbah.” When this guy grows up a little he’ll realize that this is actually a fantastic song and that if side two of Combat Rock could have matched the greatness of side one it would prolly be considered the bands second best album behind London Calling. And to rag on a great song because your ten year old was exposed to it on Rock Band…oh geez. I’m sure Joe would be okay with kids getting into Clash songs in this fashion. I don’t think he meant for his music to be solely reserved for angry fathers who didn’t want their kids peaking around their CD collection.
In my opinion The first few Clash albums were overrated. Sure, a decent song here and there but nothing that knocked my socks off like X or The Buzzcocks from roughly the same era. I dare say they improved with time. Hit or not, the song “London Calling” was stunning, lived up to the hype finally and stands up to the test of time unlike a lot of their other, self important “Oh see how versatile we are everyone?” triple album crap. “Brand New Cadillac” “I’m Not Down” and “Straight To Hell” were great songs as well but I always felt that The Clash were for the most part just shy of all the hoopla.
Paul Thomson is not an Englishman. He’s Scottish. Get it RIGHT.
Tie Between Iggy and The Meat Puppets. Meat Puppets is definitely going to be great, but an Iggy Pop “Jazz” album sounds really interesting.
Green Day!
The new grizzly bear album is amazing. But green day and jason lytle should be good too. That’s right I like Grizzly Bear and Green Day. Fist yourself music snobbs.
I find the underrated list interesting and credible, but the overrated seems to be stretching a bit for candidates. Rock the Casbah is an obvious choice based on overexposure, but I don’t see anything overrated about a great cover tune (I fought the Law) and a great dance groove (Magnificent Seven). Straight to Hell is definitely an inspired choice for underrated. That would be #1 on my list. Because of that and the fact I like all the underrated choices I will overlook the other more questionable choices for overrated.
I am not generally a fan of covers, but the Clash nailed I Fought the Law, not only equalling, but surpassing, the Bobby Fuller Four original. If you were lucky enough to see them perform it live, it was to see a band literally kick themselves (and their audience) into a higher gear. Overrated? Not if you were there.
somebody is jaleous!(RICK)
AND IM 26
This had to be written by someone who was too young to be around and doesn’t get the context of the “overrated” songs in question. Or, the writer is old enough, but didn’t learn much along the way.
Do agree about Death or Glory, of course.
Green Day. No doubt about it
Pressure Drop obscure? Death or Glory underrated? Whose ratings are you reacting to? This list is preposterous.
i’m going to have to agree that this was the best dukes yet. For my money, Vs. (or Five Against One, if you want to get picky) was a far superior album and remains the only unflawed album in the band’s pantheon.
The authors description of Sandinista being a “messy triple album sprawl” and “trudging through clunkers and noise-pastiche experiments” shows he has little or no depth in understanding the uniqueness or headspace that this band was achieving with each piece of music they produced. The album has wonderful continuity and symmetry and is continuing to improve with age. If there was an underrated ALBUM list, I would put this one on top.
Thanks to you, and your campouts, Pioneertown is now our happiest place on earth!
The Church has been the most exemplary band in music since 1997-1998. They have released psychedelic and dreamy masterpieces including “Hologram of Baal”, “After Everything Now This”, “Forget Yourself”, “El Momento Siguente”, “Uninvited Like The Clouds” and “Untitled # 23″. Steve Kilbey is music’s most eclectic and dynamic frontman. He’s also a painter, an artist, a blogger, a Yogi, a vegan and an environmentalist.
I like TEN a lot and I think that it is one of the best records in the 90’s.
Thanks – it’s been corrected. Our fact-checker was out to lunch, wolfing down a Big Buford.
Sure, Sandinista seems messy with the inclusion of more genres of music than you can find on your entire radio dial, but it’s actually my favorite Clash album for that very reason. You could do an entire under-rated list of songs from that album (starting with Rebel Waltz!) I will admit that “Police on My Back” was the Clash song I took to most when I first bought that album but I’ve longed moved on to the buffet platter of amazing songs that album has to offer.
Thanks to David Lowery and CRACKER/CVB for turning me on to a bunch of cool people, a beautiful part of the country, and some excellent bands that i probably would have not known about if it werent for the Campout.
Been to all 5 Camp-Outs and Pi-town RAWKS!
Pappy and Harriet’s, Robin and Linda, and all the staff,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
To Sarge and Glenn Boothe: YOU NAILED IT!!! I agree with you both; kudos for standing up for Sanidnista! It’s not only my favorite Clash album, it’s definitely one of my top 5 albums of all time. I cannot put it briefly into words any better than you 2 did.
This list is RIDICULOUS!!! (And not in a good way.)
How could you possibly call English Civil War overrated? Have you actually listened to the song with an open mind? Or are you letting your son sing The Ants Go Marching over the top of it? This song gets better every time I listen to it!!! And have you heard the live version from the Shea Stadium cd? Check it out and THEN tell me it sounds “average” and “mainstream”! Bollocks I say!
And as much as I love “Straight to Hell”, and agree that is one of Joe’s lyrical masterpieces; I find it laughable that it’s on an underrated list when it is so clearly not. Every book, about Joe/Clash, every article, every review of Combat Rock has touted this song as genius.
I’m disgusted! I am always thrilled when I see The Clash get print, but not like this.
Green Day album is coming out very soon!!! Iam very happy about it!!!!! I’ve been waiting for this moment a long time.
There is nothing I don;t like about this, everything about Ross, everything about your tenure as guest editor, but mostly, THE EAGLES, It’s always about the eagles.
Thank to you David, for sharing this great ‘bowl of stars’ with us, along with music of enduring strength and beauty.
been waitin 5 long years for the greatstest band ever,, Billie, Mike and Tre all the way
You nailed it, yo !
JJ, yes, Sandinista is Top 5 all-time for me as well…and agree, still sounds great today! I also agree with your take on ‘Straight to Hell’ – beyond all the accolades it’s gotten over the years, it’s the foundation for M.I.A. “Paper Planes.” That alone suggests it might not be quite that under-rated. I’d go with ‘Death of a Star” or maybe “Overpowered by Funk” from that album.
“Death is a Star” – caught that as soon as I hit post comment.
I HATE the fucking Eagles!
concuerdo contigo julio carlos, esta banda es muy pero muy buena, tanto haci que en su concierto en lima tocaron identico a sus discos, tuve la gran oportunidad de conocerlos, me fuy al aeropuerto a esperarlo (yo soy un fan de ellos) y la verdad me parecio magico ese encuentro estaba tan emocionado que hiba a llorar, me tome una foto con david, bobby, oed y peter, tanto asi soy fanatico que tengo una foto con ellos autografiado, bueno la verdad que la musica que hacen ellos es grandiosa no vendera a las masas pero que como tu dices, no se descuidan de hacer buena musica.
i’m not sure ross would like being compared to a clerk from high fidelity…just a guess. but you gotta love you some shapiro. lord loves a working man.
David, I love you man and your bands, but I also am a big Rush fan. To put them in the same sentence as those other mediocre Canadian acts is really not fair in the least. Unlike the other acts mentioned there, Rush has never attempted to direct their career towards the mainstream ie. Lowest Common Denominator. They have always made the music they wanted and if people enjoyed it, great, but I would strongly argue they have never tailored their sound to please their audience. Just saying.
Love the new album by the way, and hope to see you guys in Toronto on the 23 of June. And yes, I am Canadian, so i got to defend the boys in Rush!
The record is actually out this tuesday, May 12th
Hope to make the campout this year, but for sure will catch a couple shows regardless… Cracker is aways excellent live and great new music is just a great added bonus.
if I am a casual Clash fan but my two favourite songs of theirs are “Straight to Hell” and “Janie Jones”…then they are not under-rated.
I’m a GbV/Pollard fan since ‘95. I think Robert Pollard is the best songwriter that ever lived. I agree with his ‘96 output, it’s f**king amazing. However, even the most dedicated fan knows that Bob dilutes his output. The guy can’t help it. Maybe one of the reasons Pollard is not mentioned up there with Lennon/McCartney but life is not fair. GbV were considered to weird to rise above underground and when they did corporate label assholes decided to boost “Hold on Hope” to single status (not a bad song, but come on: “Finks”, “Flat Beauty” ! etc.).
I don’t like Todd Tobias his contribution at all. I’ll never forget how he f**ked up “I’ll Replace You With Machines”.. And ‘Fiction Man’ is the worst album in the GbV/Pollard canon.. I quit buying Pollard stuff after Normal Happiness (that one was ok). I don’t feel the urge anymore to spend money on his new records where you have to fish out the gems. I’d rather play B1000, Alien Lanes, UTBUTS which were jam-packed with fantastic songs. This is not blasphemy, this is just my opinion.
The Peace Creeps
I’ll be seeing them at Doc Watson’s tomorrow night, in fact.
- Cut-out Witch is a great track on UTBUTS, maybe the intro a littel bit too long
- Tonics is a great album, I agree with skfl “i’ll take that record over the last dozen or so records that robert pollard has done with todd tobias (shudder)”.
Goddamn. Listen to “Is She Ever?”, “Top Chick Silver Chord”, “Optional Bases Opposed”, “158 Years of Beautiful Sex” etc.
- Underrated. Let’s talk about “Finks” and “Bunco Men”. Songs that were tacked away as Japan-only bonus track and in a goddamn suitcase!! These songs are among the best Pollard ever did.
- WHO KNOWS THE SONG “SPEAK LIKE MEN”?? IT’S NOT EVEN IN GBVDB!! What the hell is “Roob’ talkin’ about?
What is Cris’ job as guest editor? Does it me we can send him suggetions for articles and reviews, or is it just an honorary title?
Editor Cris (he makes us call him that) is picking a number of the things we are covering this week. I don’t think he’s taking suggestions.
It’s been so long since I listened to any Gabriel, but I always loved “Family Snapshot” and “Humdrum.”
“Sledgehammer” isn’t overrated, it’s just bad. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking, “I waited this long for THAT?”
Amen to “Here Comes the Flood” – brilliant beyond words.
Wouldn’t “Jane” rhyme with “again” if you were from Chobham, Surrey?
I like the list. But I don’t see that particular complaint as being fair?
Bought a few albums on the strength of this comp. – a lost classic indeed. RIP Jason.
I still listen to the first four Gabriel albums on a fairly regular basis. You can nitpick here and there, but it’s all pretty solid up through Security. I get the criticism of his “tribal” stuff, but I’ll take that over Graceland any day. Thanks for pointing out “Walk Through the Fire,” I never heard of that one.
I’ve been rediscovering the first Genesis LP lately, “From Genesis To Revelation.” The one most everybody (including the band) has disowned. It’s a perfect orchestral pop masterpiece, every song a gem, and the instrumental segues between many of the songs are lovely as well. The best thing Gabriel’s ever been involved with, in my opinion, and would be of interest to fans of The Zombies’ “Odessey and Oracle” and other such orchestral psych pop LPs.
I know next to nothing about the Wrens, but this sounds nearly like harassment. It sounds like they are slow producers, but there could be a myriad of reasons for that, the most likely one is day jobs. If someone was on my band’s *ss like this, I’d be less than cordial. It’s nice that you guys care, but man, maybe back off a bit.
love the old gabriel – the lp with white shadow is perfect indeed.
Those first three solo albums were masterpieces. My personal pick for best underated song is “Intruder” from #3. It’s super-creepy and those walloping drums sound awesome.
You can also put Big Time in the overrated column. And Secret World in the underrated column. I think the guy is a genius in many ways and certainly a musical pioneer. It’s a shame we wait every 5 to 7 years to hear anything from him.
Gabriel’s worst efforts are still better then most musicican’s best.
Chris, I’m pretty sure these ongoing “Wrens Watch” postings are part of an ongoing joke, which the band members themselves are probably in on. Otherwise, I think the band would never have had any subsequent correspondence with Magnet, nor allowed Magnet’s website to post this new song download.
14 “Fuck”’s in this interview. Drugs must have fucked him up.
Perhaps it was a dark period in my psychological history when that song first came out, but ‘dont give up’ had and still has a deep impact on me. And i hate treacly ballads, and wilson philips. occasionally seemingly simple sentiments can be profound, often they are not. but gabriel’s voice is frickin awesome on this track, and the song’s pulse is an odd syncopated SIX, the kind of thing i am always absurdly pleased by when it sneaks past listeners and becomes a hit. i honestly don’t want to love that song but i do.
Oops. You’re right. It’s way more clever than I could perceive. It’s actually very amusing now that I get it. Thanks for pointing that out…
I got an early copy. It’s his ‘Being There’. A major step up. I like all his stuff, but this one in incredible. A complete album and a welcome surprise.
I got an early copy. It’s his ‘Being There’. A major step up. I like all his stuff, but this one is incredible. A complete album and a welcome surprise.
A couple of issues with this list. First…. isn’t historical context convenient? When these tracks were receiving radio play, many of them were a nice alternative to the schlock that was being served up at the time. I’m aware that radio-hit does not equal ‘cool’, but I think that Gabriel did a decent job of riding the commercial versus artistic fence a well as anyone in those days. Second… I actually thought that the lyric your writer flamed from ‘Don’t Give Up’ was a good line, especially in the context of the song. Ripping on individual snippets of a song can render anything from ‘Louie Louie’ to ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ impotent on closer inspection. On the plus side, Sledgehammer and Steam both bite major ass regardless of context, so good on ya for calling those hunks of tripe out.
First off, I’m a huge Genesis fan (and Gabriel fan second)…so I’m a bit biased. Also, these are always subjective – though fun to ponder. No right or wrong. My perspective (as a ‘professional’ musician/songwriter)…
I never listen to Sledgehammer (except when it’s on radio)…however, it’s a brilliant pop record. An ‘average’ song…but BRILLIANT record. That is why they have 2 Grammy’s for Song of the Year and Record of the Year…2 different things. “Steam”, I agree… a Sledgehammer wanna-be. Rhythm of the Heat…I think for it’s time (way before Paul Simon), was very creative… a stream of consciousness…not a typical song that you can play on piano per se (would sound horrible)… simply a very creative recording.
My personal favs…San Jacinto…Family Snapshot…Humdrum…Here Comes The Flood (agree the acoustic version is MUCH better)…Intruder…In Your Eyes has been done to death, but it might be his best work. (Just because something gets airplay doesn’t automatically make it crap)….Biko…Downside Up….No Self Control.
The Genesis stuff I could rave about for pages…so I’ll spare everyone.
He’s a great artist…sometimes he writes great traditonal songs…other times he writes from a recording perspective…2 very different approaches…2 very different talents. Not everything will always be a gem…especially if you take chances. But I think we all can agree, he’s one of the most original pop/rock artists of our time.
I’m not a big fan of album #2…kinda weak compared to everything else (I think even Peter admitted that). Some nice spots, but overall, poorly produced and half-baked songs….I feel that was his low-point.
I am the proud mother of Jason DiEmilio. I rember at the age of 6 he wanted his first guitar and I bought it for him,and it was all up hill from there what talent,never took a lesson in his short lived life,but he lived his life to the fulliest. I will always rember him in his bedroom practing for hours aftyer hour and became a hero,genius,beautiful human being. I am, proud to say I loved him more than anything in this world,and he left us with his great music. RIP MY BEAUTIFUL SON!!!!!!
Sure, no problem. When I read the first posting a few months ago, I also thought that Magnet was being obnoxiously pushy toward the Wrens. But by the second or third posting, with Wrens member Charles Bissell still sort-of-responding, I figured out that it must be an ongoing improvised joke.
I’m not a fan, but “Games Without Frontiers” is one of the few songs of his that I love. I completely disagree with the comment about the lyrics too. They are the kind of unpretentious, simple, sincere rhyming that is reminiscent of the best nonsense poetry whilst remaining evocative of the theme of the song. That’s impressive, especially the unpretentious part given his other proclivities and that it’s in a song with French in it. Furthermore, you take into account the background of the title and it makes the “It’s a Knockout” line all that much more clever.
Thanks for sharing this memory Cris. This is a GREAT little story. And now we readers know what to try if we’re on the brink of death by moose. A bit of Kirkwood attitude right back at it!
BTW is this a stock moose photo, or is this from your 1979 Alaska trip?
I’m from L.A., and I actually think they play a Lil’ Wayne song everytime Manny Ramirez comes to bat, at his request, so I guess I’ve heard him in :20 second bursts. That’s one good thing about Manny being suspended: no Lil’ Wayne for the next 50 games.
there’s always room for a ross in this world. don’t ever let a baseball land in his yard. i only hope the glands get back together soon….hey ross, so get with it.
The New album is awesome! Listen to it straight through, when you’re hanging out, relaxing, looking for a little something to cheer the ears up. These guys know how to write some great songs. For further discussion on album see: http://bravenewworks.com/?p=46
You’d be surprised, man– the book is GOOD!
I wasn’t sure either with the “hard sell”– but it’s all Keith, all wisdom, and the research is ace.
haha, fun to read this!
Nah, Lead Tick is just playing it cool, after all he is related to the consumate cool dude: Mr. Matthew Mconaughey
Aww, haha. This makes me think of my old cat Blackie (poor thing, RIP). He lived to be 13, and was me and my brother’s first pet and the coolest cat around. Viva Horky!
>MAGNET subscribers got an exclusive download of another track from Other Girls’ Perfect Cities last week
We did?
Subscribers who are signed up to receive our weekly newsletter did. If you want to be added, let us know. We can also email you a link to the Other Girls song.
Whereas tossing around cliche’s like “rush limbaugh” will get you in with the cool set…got it.
Wicked. Thanks!
In the last 12 years I’ve been consistently coming back to Horsedrawn Wishes, always surprised to verify its endurance. It’s a bit overproduced, but that may be the core element of its appeal, it sounds unreal hence timeless. A perfect example of this is Ribbon Fat.
Oh god, that vaginal and anal pear thing makes me wanna hide in a cave. Anything about old timey torture devices usually gives me the willies, but that book sounds interesting…
Editor Cris, I’m enjoying the hell out of your posts here — wish these were more than guest spots! When they come to an end, I guess I’ll have to dust off that copy of Gulag Archipelago that’s been sitting unread on the shelf for about a decade. More, please! Love, yer pal Laura
‘Homogenic’ is a fantastic record.
ya new age music cant hold a candle to these guys they rock . screw all yall who dont like them , many of us do and will be at the shows
The 2 guys above pushing for “Banging Camp” are right–it might be their best song. It’s certainly one of the tightest and it contains my favorite HS lyric (”I grew up in denial and went to school in Massachusetts”).
I think you guys nailed the Underrated section, 5 out of 5 great picks. I’m just a little disappointed by the implication that “Death or Glory” isn’t everyone else’s favorite Clash song too.
The new record is supergreat. Maybe the best yet. I have no idea how “Wez” manages to be so good and so little known. The world is odd.
I’m so glad he’s back!! Sewn Together is one of the best meat puppets albums!!! They’re so talented in what they do.
Greetings from Chile Cris!
Looking forward to the Jimmy Silva tribute album, he is very missed.
Come on, Carlos. Not all of us could afford a Harvard education. :/
I don’t hear the second coming of Love and Theft in Together Through Life. I hear Nashville Skyline for the adopted musical style, Planet Waves for the seemingly effortless production, and John Wesley Harding for the deceptively simple song writing.
I miss his liner notes too. “(give me a thousand acres of tractable land & all the gang members that exist & you’ll see the Authentic alternative lifestyle, the Agrarian one)”
Ain’t Talkin’ alone makes Modern Times much more than “so so”.
Go Magnet for covering a deserving band that all of their snobby readers will frown at. Very punk rock. The writer missed “Going to Pasalacqua” in the underrated songs category.
All these reviewers that are praising TTL…could it be they actually do like the record alot as I do? Could it be that maybe, just maybe this isnt a case of blind idolatry but genuine good feelings for the sound…people (whether they are reviewers or not) do like and yes love music for reasons other than blind allegiance. So you and the Guardian reviewer think that the ONLY reason anyone could like this or give it great praise is through some artificial reasoning runnin through their weak little minds? Give me break.
jonnyra
I don’t know if Together Through Time is one of my favorite Dylan records, but it is one of my favorite blues records. I only wish Doug Sahm, who wafts like a ghost within most of these tunes, were around to hear it.
Paul Metsa, Minneapolis, MN USA
Wes has one of the most luminous minds in popular music, so its nice to see him stirring up the Dylan pot. In his short review he perfectly summarizes how I have felt about Dylan’s live shows and studio releases since 03 or 04. In any event, it will be interesting to see how things evolve with Dylan, because I’d bet even that old frock length coat will get itchy after a while…
I’m sorry I just don’t think Green Day is that good or especially deserving of a list like this. I don’t really care. Probably many of us don’t really care.
Deer Tick will be a household name. The fact that Magnet hasn’t figured that out yet is a testament to how out of touch your writers are, though I’m sure you’ll be ready and waiting with pen in hand the next time Pitchfork gives the next boring useless indie band a 8.worthless.
Great list. I think that a lot of the visitors on this site underestimate Green Day or discredit them due to their infinite amount of success.
‘Walking Contradiction’ to me is one of their best songs and ‘Kerplunk!’ is way better then ‘39/smooth’. I would say however, that I agree that ‘FOD’ is well underated.
mellowjazzdocent, IF YOU DONT CARE, WHY TAKE THE TIME TO POST A COMMENT.
YOU MY FRIEND ARE THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN IDIOT!
i think green day is just underrated most of the time, mainly by disgruntled old fans who think that green day sux now b/c they’re actually better now than ever, which doesnt make alot of sense to me but whatever, this was a great list, but good riddance time of your life can never be overrated, that song is awesome, long live green day! best band of this generation
Great article but have to disgree with some, i cant see how walking contradiction was overrated but more or less agree with the rest
Jesus of Surburbia ~=
a)
b) bryan adams “summer of ‘69″
c) “everything’s alright” from J.C. Superstar
d)
e) the alarm “68 guns”
f) big country “close action”
and along with that kinks “picture book” opener rip-off on “Warning”, this is the kind of stuff, intentional or not, that just bugs the be-jeezus out of me. it’s just that the above references are so familiar to me my brain keeps a ticker running through itself “rip off…. rip off…. rip off….” nothing this blatantly derivative should be considered a masterpiece. BUT, although i’m not a big fan of green day, i like ‘em okay and think they’ve got some nice riffs and nice melodies, and bless any band that is allowed to keep making records over a long (10+ yrs) period of time. But who the f was that additional guitar player on stage with them on SNL? cheaters.
I would have included rubber ring and well I wonder on the underrated list and HSIN is not overrated it’s just overplayed. Another overrated song is What Difference Does it Make.
greenday can write catchy songs because their so called most overrated are good
Wes, this is a very lazy, superficial review of Together Through Life. Don’t you see anything below the surface? Do you think that reviewing Dylan like he’s a ‘pop singer’ (which you do here) does him justice? The Guardian review you mention was pathetic self-serving smartarse drivel, written by someone who just just does not even TRY to understand Dylan’s work and is more interested in worshipping his own arse hole. A Dylan album (even a comparitively ‘light’ one like TTL) has layers upon layers which gradually reveal itself asa you live with it. As someone with the gall to name yourself after one of Dylan’s greatest works one would think you’d know this. And maybe you should go and listen to Modern Times again. And again. And again.
And…., again. Thing is, Wes, Dylan’s work just isn’t that EASY. He’s not a ‘pop singer’. ‘Modern Times’ is one of his most major works. ‘Ain’t Talkin’, ‘Nettie Moore’, ‘Workingman’s Blues’, ‘When The Deal Goes Down’ and ‘Thunder On The Mountain’ are songs that live with anything he wrote in the 60s and 70s. They stand way way way above work of most of today’s songwriters. But they are not EASY …. You could hardly call them ’so so’ ….All you have to do is LISTEN and THINK. Fact is, people will be listening to Dylan’s stuff in hundreds of years time when virtually all his contemporaries have been forgotten. As for TTL, you barely skim the surface. Do you expect anyone to take you seriously? I mean, it’s like someone reviewing Shakespeare’s latest play in a few casual sentences. Yeah, man, ‘The Tempest’, hey that’s alright but he’s just remaking ‘Hamlet’ again…..
I could go on…..
Aww many songs are missing… One Of My Lies, Armatage Shanks, Paper Lanters, 2000 Light Years Away…
I rarely respond to blogs, but for some reason the stench of arrogance hit me in the face. It’s not you in particular JWH to whom I’m responding. It’s alll the wanna be’s and never did anything of artistic substance or cultural significance. Like the music – hate the music – be indifferant to the music, but who the hell do you think you are! Are you so small within yourself that you must judge others to feel better about yourself. I have no pretentions in this way. I’m a simple guy who enjoys the new records as much as the old ones. I grow old with him. I skip songs I don’t like. I suggest you do the same and save your judgements for the mirror. If we lesser forms of life than you enjoy or appreciate the new work we have differant tastes than you and your kind not lesser ones. Get over yourselves!
I don’t see how walking contradiction is overrated, its lyrics are magically ironic, how could you not love that? I agree with all the underrated songs. 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is overall underrated. Warning (the album) too. And “Homecoming” I think is absolutely brilliant. It tells a nice story that I’ve never gotten tired of.
As a young Greendayologist and lifelong fan under 31, I love it when old people dissect their songs and tell *me the references. And sound really bitter.
I love the overrated/underrated list, especially Jesus Of Suburbia–which I have on a ten inch record.
My list:
Overrated:
Brain Stew/Jaded
Minority
Underrated:
Scattered
Letterbomb
Geek Stink Breath
Warning
Paper Lanterns.
Wow I really disagree with the Overrated!
How in the hell does it not include Brain Stew?! Good Riddance very well might register high on the list of most overplayed songs but to include on a list of overrated songs is just pure ignorance and pretention. In a world where bands, particularly pop-punk bands and music in general, is lyrically SO literal, BJA’s abstract, metaphorical lyrics, with the band’s robust arangement…you very well may be, and probably are, sick of hearing Good Riddance, but there is no denying that it is one the all-time greatest songs in pop music. The fact that it is a huge departure from their typical sound (yet still fits cohesively with the album) only amplifies that.
However, I am totally with you on Walking Contradiction and Welcome To Paradise. As for Kerplunk, and while I agree that they did fuck up the mix, but the album is too damn good to be considered overrated! I pretty much agree with all of ther underrated list, but just a question…what the hell is Brain Stew doing missing on the overrated list?!
With American Idiot, I am dumbfounded that you can call this masterpiece overrated. That entire album is one of the very few albums which can be listened to over and over again and never lose its poignancy. Maybe the country has moved on to the Obama administration, but we certainly have not forgotten the atrocities of the Bush era. The album/song have themes of isolation and disenfranchisement that are relevant in any age, only exacerbated by being set in the confusion and fear of Bush’s America. To say something about a certain song on American Idiot is much like talking about a certain scene from a movie…it needs to be viewed and analyzed as a whole. The album has a certain duality….It is a postcard in time, yet is also timeless, and will certainly be every bit as listened to and beloved fifty years from now as albums such as Sgt Pepper and Quadrophenia are today, many years after their release and initial popularity — without ever seeming dated.
It also shouldn’t be forgotten what Green Day did with this album. They opened up a national dialogue that people were too afraid to speak openly about before American Idiot. Remember just a year before the album’s release when the Dixie Chicks (who’s brilliant follow-up album The Long Way Around very much deserved its 5 Grammys!) were Jihadists? (Who would’ve thought that in a day and age with all these phony corporate “artists” trying to label themselves as “punk” while not knowing a thing about the concept, that the Dixie Chicks, of all people, would become my modern punk heroes?! lol) Yes, Bush bashing did become the cool thing to do, which is particularly irritating when done by people who have no idea what they’re talking about, however, to question the impact this song and this album had on the country, look not at the 14 million copies it sold, but the nation’s opinion on our president. In 2002 and 2003, before American Idiot, Bush’s approval ratings were, on average, in the above 65-75% range. Late 2004 is what started his downward spiral of public opinion, which eventually sunk to less than 30% — the lowest of any president in the history of the United States! Is that necessarily because of Green Day? No. But they sure as hell contributed through their music, through metaphor, and through sheer ballsiness and fearlessness in opening the country’s eyes, and inspiring people like myself, who at the time, had no political opinions, knowledge, or involvement, into realizing that this is too important to just be blase about.
Overrated? Fucking heeeeeell no! X-)
1039 is much better than kerplunk
in fact, kerplunk is my least favorite green day album
and my favorite song of theirs is “only of you”
with its quite complex solo, it should be in the underrated category
oh and green day totally ripped off “pulling teeth” from 7 seconds “punk rock teeth”
“So you and the Guardian reviewer think that the ONLY reason anyone could like this or give it great praise is through some artificial reasoning runnin through their weak little minds?” Spot on, Jonnyra. In the Guardian: “Bob Dylan’s music is being suffocated by all the hype, says Alexis Petridis”. Not true. Maybe some “critics” are being suffocated by newspapers. But in Mr. Dylan’s own words: “I don’t write songs to critics. “
I’d trade “Warning” for “Waiting” in the under and raise you an Insomniac. Easily the most overlooked in their discography and a personal favorite: I have a rejected book treatment to prove it.
You get close, but overall… No (disclaimer. I still like the overrated songs, they are just overrated by others)
here:
Overrated:
1. Good Riddance (of course)
2. Boulevard (overplayed, overvalued, good song on a great album, but overplayed)
3. Basketcase (for those of you who hail this as the greatest green day song ever, no, not even close)
4. When I come around (one of my least favorite dookie songs, compared to longview, burnout, even songs like coming clean)
5. Waiting ( Warning is a great, underrated album, but this song was one of my least favorites from the folky, original cd that changed green day’s career)
Underrated
1. Jesus of Suburbia ( Probably the best green day song until recently, its length keeps it underrated)
2. Walking Contradiction ( Really amazing lyrics, descriptive of an entire generation)
3. Going to Pasalacqua (Probably started their career with this song, but noooobody knows it other than we the obsessed)
4. The album Warning (lyrically, the start of the new and superior Green Day, and had the smallest fan following of any album post-dookie)
5. Burnout (Amazing song, from an amazing album, overshadowed by the Dookie singles)
I think this is a profoundly interesting debate / phenomenon. There is nothing “wrong” about loving this album. Nevertheless, it’s hard to deny the premise that, if one doesn’t know Dylan, one isn’t likely to stop in one’s tracks to listen to this.
Yet Dylan is worth revering, studying, and enjoying. And there isn’t any comparable music out there, and hasn’t ever been. Sure, there has and always will be comparably GOOD
Most importantly, the point that, respectfully, I think this review (and the Guardian) misses is that we are damn lucky that Bob Dylan, at age 70, is making and releasing this music — i.e., music to which we can at least close our eyes and smile. (I rather doubt that he needed R. Hunter do do so; I suspect he did so for his own enjoyment / satisfaction.) I think it is this that is generating the hyperbole and exuberant reviews — even if the reviewers don’t stop to understand, admit, and/or say this.
They should. Bob Dylan is releasing new music that can be enjoyed, or disliked, and always discussed. Sad to say, that won’t be the case for much longer.
i can’t understand why people doin that shit,
only for entertainmet or what the hell i don’t know..
why i should rate some green day classics (best & worst) and then be proud of it.. that’s shit…
Underrated:
1. Redundant
2. 2000 Light Years Away
3. Jesus of Suburbia
4. Deadbeat Holiday
5. Warning
I almost put Worry Rock because it has one of the greatest lines in any Green Day song, a perfect line to end a song about a very rocky patch in a marriage: “Promise me no dead end streets and I’ll guarantee we’ll have the road.”
Overrated:
1. Wake Me Up When September Ends
2. None of their other big hits or singles are overrated IMHO
3.
4.
5.
I disagree about Good Riddance. It is heard an awful lot and familiarity breeds contempt, but it’s an undeniably great song.
I don’t agree with this list at all. And yes, Green Day are a very derivative band musically, but they come from a very derivative genre. Anyway, I don’t listen to them for their ability to breakdown musical boundaries – I listen to them because they can write catchy ditties.
And it totally blows my mind that people don’t like Kerplunk! It’s such a masterpiece. Christie Road is hands down their most underrated song of all time. In fact…
Overrated:
5) Good Riddance
4) American Idiot
3) Warning
2) Minority
1) Basket Case
Underrated:
5) Church on Sunday
4) Castaway
3) Scattered
2) Going to Pasalcqua
1) Christie Road
Oh, and I agree with Mark Severin, and mistercharlie, the guy was Jason White, he’s been playing with them since 2000 – he was even offered a spot in the band but refused.
i don’t think welcome to paradise is over rated. just my personal opinion but i think thats one of their best songs. i consider it timeless. as for jesus of suburbia i think thats a great song and i completely agree that it’s under rated. just cause it doesn’t sound like there old stuff doesn’t mean it’s a bad song. i think more people should appreciate their musical talent.
I guess some people have a lot of time on their hands if they are doing things like this. Green Day are the greastest punk band in the world and always will be. none of their songs are overrated or underrated. they just make awesome songs. i love em!!! ;-D
I guess I’ll weigh in with an actual list:
Underrated:
Brat
Redundant
86
Chump
J.A.R.
Overrated:
Jaded/Brain Stew
American Idiot
Minority
King for a Day (perhaps just by the band)
Welcome to Paradise
This over/under thing is stupid. It just depends on the people’s likes and dislikes. Someone will say Brain Stew was underrated, someone won’t and there’ll be a huge internet fight about it. Nothing is over or underrated… Just listen to the songs and don’t write these stupid lists, for god’s sake.
i think all there songs r gooood…. but i think warning is overrated not underrated… and y was there foxboro hottubs songs…. that not green day…. its a side band….. the guy cheated…..
>.<
Thanks for the comments.
Just to repeat: of course there is nothing wrong with enjoying Together Through Life. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying anything, and there is every reason to enjoy this particular record. But if it weren’t made by Bob Dylan, and rather by some relative unknown, would people find such depth and brilliance in it? Of course not. And do we all have to agree about everything anyway (ie that Modern Times is fantastic)? No, we don’t.
I was just trying to think a few thoughts beyond the basic fact of my enjoyment and open up a general debate that takes for granted all the generalisations (see Chris’ comments above). That Dylan has become a cultural icon of a stature that dwarfs the actual impact of the music he has been making recently is, I think, indisputable. The spectacle of some of the live shows – like the powerfully mediocre Brooklyn Bandshell show last summer (and I’ve seen him twice since then) – confirms that people are happy just to see him rather than to have him actually entertain them. The lyrics, since they are more or less inaudible live, can only be enjoyed if you know them by heart – as so many of us do.
As for Doug Sahm, not only do I wish he were around to hear “Together Through Life,” I wish he’d been around to *make* it. I can’t stop listening to my Sir Douglas Quintet “Complete Mercury Recordings”.
“Bob Dylan is releasing new music that can be enjoyed, or disliked, and always discussed. Sad to say, that won’t be the case for much longer.”
Amen. Though they were probably saying that in 1981 too!
Chris Gregory: claiming too much for Dylan does him a worse disservice than modest praise. Some Dylan songs, simply, are “easy”. If you think “Shake Shake Mama” (which is awesome) is “difficult” to understand, then you are overcomplicating a wonderfully simple song. And I have to say: Bob Dylan is, far more clearly than he is anything else, a pop singer. He may be other things as well, but we can surely all agree that he is a singer of popular song.
I am very disappointed that Boulevard of Broken Dreams wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the overrated!
I cannot STAND to listen to that song anymore, it sounds nothing like green day and is so whiny! haha. I think I’m gonna get shot for saying that.
But I agree with most of what has been said, American Idiot is also definitely overrated. Although I do love walking contradiction, mostly because I love the video though I think.
Scattered, homecoming (which is just as good as Jesus of Suburbia if not better), JAR, going to pasalaqua and countless others are all underrated.
I think Green Day in general are underrated by many fans of “alternative” music. I’m sick of being looked at like I’m an idiot because my favourite band is so darn popular. If that massive contradiction makes any sense.
Good job on the list and explanations and all that though! =]
I’ve been reading Dylan’s Chronicles Vol. 1; the man himself is highly critical of certain work of his own, and goes on and on about having lost his sense of how to connect to himself, his music and his audience for years. With a long and varied career like his, it seems reasonable to me that he misses the mark now and again. A review like this at least gets us to think through the assumption that he’s only able to hit bulls-eyes and evaluate the music differently, even if we totally disagree…or not. I must admit the anyone who can sneer like Dylan did on the cover of Highway 61 seems infallible to me, and that’s just unfair.
These are amazing comments/points of view. I love what amounts to a TRUE fan forum — it must be obvious that I really love this band and wait’ll you guys see my live review of the Bowery Ballroom gig (going up on the site ASAP). Thanks for all the input and enthusiasm — I’ve had a great time hearing from everyone.
Thank you to Chris Gregory for helping to expose the petty and petulant iconoclasm that we hear often in Dylan’s detractors. It seems easy to distinguish between the weak reviews that are simply the result of one or two careless listening sessions, and then that ugly urge to be the one who reveals the tricks of Dylan’s appeal to his endlessly gullible followers. The possibility that Bob Dylan may simply be able to provide with peculiar reliability such great pleasure to his audience, at a high level of intelligence and wit and feeling that is not self-consciously intellectual or portentous, seems quite objectionable to some people. That this pleasure has to be *bought* with attention and openness and a willingness to be moved and delighted and amused–maybe this is a lot of work.
Sing it, Bob. And thanks for giving us this music so soon after Tell Tale Signs.
Britt Daniel (spoon) more clever and sustainable than Green Day? I find that hard to believe…wait a minute.
American Idiot is overrated because of Obama’s ascension? The song is a strong and in your face reflection of the times, and while many ‘political artists’ turtled through the Bush years, these guys charted a new course for their band and fans. As far as Spoon’s “Don’t Make Me a Target” being more ‘clever’, well…. maybe. But Bush was a larger than life American Idiot, and deserved to be dealt with using a steamroller, not a scalpel. I’m glad that Green Day got their point across without adopting a faux intellectualism, which clearly isn’t their forte.
Wow, just read Maureen Coulter’s review of the Shins, and couldn’t narrow down which of her well-turned and creative phrases I wanted to praise. One doesn’t even have to know who she is writing about to totally dig her writing style. I would read your review of the local 2nd-graders’ Spring Concert as played on recorders – you’re THAT GOOD!
in response to “mistercharlie” about cheating on SNL by having another guitar player.. that’s Jason White. He’s in the band for live performances… just wondering how thats “cheating”?
RIP Lance
Seconds on Slapped Actress–Finn’s finest moment as a lyricist. That song is wrapped around itself so tightly, and it’s one of Koob’s best riffs, IMHO.
Also–The Hold Steady are a band that loves their fans; that does everything they can to fight cynicism, exclusion, and elitism at their shows; and has no problem with letting anyone into the party. In the world of indie rock, that makes them far from boring and very, very far from ordinary.
I liked the beginning of the song.
Your guys are arguing is ridiculous, it’s saying “Hey which Picasso is the best?!” They are all individual songs that are amazing in style and lyrics. I would have to argue albums, each album embodies a different set of feeling. Either/Or would have to be my most favorite because the lyrics are beautiful for one, and it’s calm and mellow; much like his other stuff, of course.
I think an overrated album that too many want to purchase first is ‘From a Basement on the Hill’ it’s great but his older stuff is beautiful to my ears. At least it seems to be the one most kids buy these days where I live, in Portland, Oregon (name drop).
I’ll stop right there because I could analyze every song down to a T. I’d like to invite you to stop by my myspace page and listen to my originals and my Tributes to Elliott Smith with covers from the album Either/Or.
myspace.com/casyburnsed
p.s. who was the jackass who wrote this?
You are MOST welcome! Absolutely stellar review!
After reading this, I see the ramblings of a failed pop singer who knows not what he writes.
Hello Vincent,
I do not have a definite date of release. But it will happen hopefully in the next year or so. You will definitely know when it happens, I will be blowing my horn all around the planet so the people will know. We’re going to add some materials that will make it a little more special than it already is.
Thank You for your love of “Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb”
Tim
Have to say, it’s impossible for me to overrate or underrate any of GD’s songs as I pretty much think they are all amazing.
Taking a bit of time to warm to some of the tracks on the new album but I’m getting there.
As for Walking Contradiction being overrated, that’s a crock. Insomniac is Billie Joe’s second best album lyrically, second to Nimrod that is, which is the bomb, and Walking Contradiction has some of the best lyrics ever penned to my mind. “Call it as I see it even if I was born deaf blind and dumb” awesome.
And I agree that the production quality of Kerplunk isn’t the best, but that’s why it’s so easy to love. That and the fantastic songmanship on every track.
i’d just like to say that i’ve been a huge fan of Green Day for over 5 years now and there are going to be some bands you like and others you don’t; as well as songs. I don’t think you should trash much of Green Day’s songs because their an inspirational band unlike some other bands out there. Billie Joe writes all of his lyrics and their orginal. So what if you don’t like some of there songs, but in my opinion most of their songs are some of the best songs out there. Espically their American Idiot album.
wooohoooop Black Lips are ace! dont miss their coming shows at diesel:u:music radio!
http://www.dieselumusic.com/radio
I couldn’t help but laugh (a little) when your concert-attending Magnet staffer stated that “…by making a band that can easily sell out 50,000-seat stadiums around the world accessible to contest winners and fan-club members at small venues, the folks at Warners are cleverly cementing the myth of Green Day as The People’s Band….” Yeah, that seems so…uh…punk. When you’ve basically just conceded that the band and their label are calculating enough to organize an “exclusive” show for fan-club members (”Shit, I’m a bigger fan-club fan than THAT asshole over there.”) and contest winners (”Wow, these guys are GREAT! They’re definitely getting my vote for best new band.”) in order to ascend even higher in the pantheon of rock gods (besides, I thought U2 was The People’s Band(tm)), you’ve instantly removed all credibility (and, please, I’m not talking about “cred,” whatever that is) by pretending that the band is slugging it out like all those unsung bands praying 15 or 20 people will actually show up to the gig (and not leave before their set is over). Green Day is huge. Anyone who crawls out from under their rock even once in a blue moon to turn on their radio or TV set already knows this. And that’s perfectly okay…to be huge. But let’s not get carried away and make it sound like they are down in the trenches fighting to keep alive the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. The kicker is when it’s pointed out that “Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool and the handful of friends who serve as the expanded lineup for Green Day’s upcoming tour played their new album and a set of choice encores as though their very lives depended on it.” Have you been to that many bad rock shows that, in comparison, this kind of an effort seems exceptional? Wow.
Because I cannot improve upon perfection, I feel compelled to quote David Berman of the Silver Jews (from his song “Tenneesee”): “Punk rock died when the first kid said, ‘Punk’s not dead…punk’s not dead.’” Yep. Sounds about right to me.
““The Magnificent Seven” plays a historical role as the first recorded example of a white rock band writing/performing in the hip-hop genre”
Apparently you’ve never heard Guns of Brixton. Geez. The first half of this is so amateurish, I’m not even going to read the rest.
Kerplunk! and Stop, Drop, and Roll!!!! are albums, not songs.
Don’t be a dick. What should he have said, according to you?
Watched and listened to Monsieur Cohen at the grand Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre earlier this month. It’s hard to erase the image of the 75 year old Cohen skipping off stage after each encore. An amazing night, aptly described by Mr. Harding.
There were, and still are – the BEST. Fleetwood Mac does everything first class, they always did, and they always will. I went to every show in LA as they began and ended their long tours in the 70s and 80s You always knew that no matter how weary of travel and constant touring they might be, you were on for an excellent show with EVERYTHING top notch: Vocals, instruments, lighting, sound – always the best production possible, with that real life pathos, grit and style evident . I was thrilled to see that nothing had changed, only gotten better with the years!
Of all their concerts I’ve been to, this was the most pleasurable..the warmth and passion is there, stronger than ever. I am so glad they decided to tour again, glad for them that they are able to put aside their personal differences for the better good that is the legendary Fleetwood Mac and share with us once again the magic. Thank you Mick, John, Lindsey, and our High Priestess Stevie! It was a powerful, magical evening!
Hmm…this ‘System’ business could come in handy – thanks for the tip! Always fun to have something actually of interest from the world of pop culture to spread back to the horse racing masses (indeed, to all several dozen of them).
I Like Clan Of Xymox a lot!!
Subway/Can’t Hardly Wait – the two greatest back-to-back rock songs on an any album- yes, they are overproduced, but their greatness cannot be denied.
Im very glad that they put Foxboro Hottubs in the underrated list. This is one of the reasons why green day is such a great band; they can play such a wide variety of musical styles while still maintaining their own unique sound. “The Pedestrian” is one of my favorite green day songs. I would deffinetly put Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Holiday on the overrated list. Both of these songs have been played on the radio and on MTV way to many times. I agree with Welcome to Paradise as well, it doesnt fit in with the rest of the songs on Dookie. As for the underrated list, im happy to see the album Warning as #1. However, I would put Homecoming instead of Jesus of Suburbia. In my opinion, other underrated songs are Only of You, Paper Lanterns, She, Armatage Shanks, Scattered, and Redundant.
Finally after many years of wanting to see them I was able to watch them in SJ on the 21st. My husband surprised me with tickets even though I told him before we couldn’t afford them. I am glad we broke down and bought them. I will never forget this great event. I am even going to frame my ticket stubs and t shirt I bought. They are better than the younger bands. This is talent and real music.
This new album is a career high – and easily one of the finest of the year. I look forward to the review soon!
No offense to the guest editors or anything, but this music you have dubbed “pirate music” does not rule. And the reason this genre has received a horrible rap is because it’s largely terrible music, remembered these days purely for the ridiculous get-ups (even in their own time solely for the benefit of the MTV generation) and for the kitschy ’80s-music cheese factor that will forever – FOREVER – be attached to it. Does anyone really play this music these days without irony? Another dead giveaway that it’s pretty crappy music: it sounded good to me when I was 10 years old. I don’t need to horrify any sensitive types out there by mentioning what other bands sounded good to me when I was 10.
Please stop this instant in your attempts to revive this justifiably dead genre.
P.S. No one should ever play “slap-bass” with a straight face.
Ah, excuse me, “pirate ROCK.” Sorry.
Nightclub Jitters, God Damn Job, The Last, Attitude, and Nobody.
All Shook Down is my favorite MATS album. No contest. And no popular MATS song is overrated.
Overrated: 4. “Accidents Will Happen” (1979) 5. All of Imperial Bedroom (1982)?
You *must* be joking!
You kidding? That would imply people have actually heard of that record in the first place! That entire album is a f*&%ing masterpiece! truly beyond belief…
I’m not sure where it officially rates in the eyes of Costello fans, but a non-hit that packs a lot of punch is Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, off the Spike album. Mind you it sits next to Veronica on that album, so it’s easy to look underrated based on the company it’s keeping.
While not all of E.C.’s forrays into disparate musical styles have been triumphant, he is without doubt the ballsiest songwriter(and most talented) in the world for taking those chances. By slamming Imperial Bedroom,(arguably one of his best albums ever),you have exposed your self for a tin-eared suckfish to be sure… balls to you daddy!!
-mick O’
I have to say, rather unbelievable. If this had been a deliberate hatchet job like Street Team, which can be delicious vicious fun, well OK then. But this is hack work under the guise of serious music journalism (though, yes, I understand it’s subjective opinion; still asks a certain amount of intergrity). Barely know where to start. I can agree with the ‘Alison’ choice, no problem (though the US single version, which added on some syrupy subtle strings, was an improvement in that it made the song into it baldly was: a odd little pop torch song of its times). ‘Pump It Up,’ OK, though again in the context of its time it was a legitimate adrenaline booster (& does the guy have to be literate every damn song? Umm, let’s talk Dylan, even at his peak). & ‘Veronica’ is indeed fluff though has a damnably hummable wormhole melody. But it’s the assessment of Imperial Bedroom that is stupefying. Other than Brutal Youth, it’s the last great Costello album. I don’t know a Costello fan that doesn’t marvel at that record. ‘Beyond Belief’ (fittingly, in the context of this rant) needs to be listened to again by Ms Tartanella. At the time of its release, I was as huge a fan of Costello as one could be. Believed him to possess songwriting nous unparalleled by any of his peers & close to rivalling Lennon/McCartney (which is why his output since the mid-90s is so crushing. Every new album, I read the reviews – “return to form’ the usual lure – and every time, the sigh of disappointment for once was). And I HATED Imperial Bedroom. Could not believe it was so opaque, over-produced et cetera. About the 4th, maybe 5th listen, it came down on me like an avalanche. Yes it’s more baroque than anything before or since, but it transcends that first impression and rewards time after time after time. THEN, to scroll down to the ‘underated,’ and 4 out of 5 are fairly recent, indeed my breath is taken. Should that have been the intention, well done. If, on the other hand, Ms. Tarantello has no tongue in either cheek, then ‘gobsmacked’ is the only response. Seems to me one could almost spin the wheel at random over those first 6 albums (yes Almost Blue was a conceit, though Trust is another argument waiting to happen) and happen upon underrated gems aplenty (Riot Act, Possession, just off the top of my head) As I said, the last time I received a Costello album with unvarnished enthusiasm upon first listen was Brutal Youth, which, as stated in the Rocking Horse Road inclusion, WAS a true ‘return to form,’ with the songwriting matching the energy. Usually this RTF nonsense is only in reference to new wavey energy while glossing over the pedestrian, sludgey content of the songs themselves; All This Useless Beauty was hailed as such. Delivery Man. So will the next one be. And of course I’ll dutifully, hopefully, with my 30+ years ago memories hopping me up with possibility, seek it out & listen to it, then walk away with my nostalgia drooping like the sad shadow it undoubtedly is. But this particular edition of Over/Under, which don’t get me wrong, I love this feature, feels to me like one of those interviews with an edgy new songwriter/musician/bandleader that slags off the Beatles with an impudent sneer, thinking it’s SO very iconoclastic when it’s little but underinformed prattle. But then geez, hell do I know, I’m 53. Whatever perspective I bring to this is probably undermined by my calcifying brain and incipient dementia. So hey, thanks at least for getting my blood up….deftkantian
Sure is a list inspired to draw ire. Imperial Bedroom is over rated by whom, exactly? Ok, so the songs are slower and it actually has some singing on it instead of wall to wall sneer. That’s not a bad thing, nor is it over rated. Sleep of the Just, for example, likely belongs on the underrated list. Don’t blame Mighty Like a Rose on IMperial Bedroom, blame Mighty Like a Rose.
On the other hand, I agree that 45 and much of When I Was Cruel are underrated
On the underrated tip: I’ll never understand why “Welcome to the Working Week,” “No Action” and “Hand in Hand” weren’t promoted as monster singles.
Where have I heard that “Somewhere Sometime” track before???
I don’t care that much about the other over-rated songs, but Imperial Bedroom is over-rated? Most people don’t know what Imperial Bedroom is so that is reason number 1 against it being on there. Reason number 2 is that it is a great album that never gets old no matter how many times I listen to it.
Like most of the best albums by anyone, it may take a while to grow on you so whoever wrote this review probably hasn’t heard it more than a couple times. If they have heard it many times, I’d like to hear a song by song review of why they don’t like them. It’s funny that they include Tears Before Bedtime as an over-rated song. Great song that nobody knows.
I think North was much more overrated than Imperial Bedroom. And Beyond Belief can never be enough rated.
I’d actually agree about Imperial Bedroom being overrated. I like it a lot but it’s never drawn me in the way most of his other records do.
with such a large catalog of releases, Elvis warrants 2 over/under lists. What we’ve got here is unsatisfying and rings hollow. Alison is an easy target, and there’s nothing wrong with a vicious hate song anyway. Every Day I Write the Book should be on the list. And the underrated list sucks, other than including Party Girl. What about Green Shirt, Shot With His Own Gun, Night Rally, Radio Sweetheart,, Secondary Modern?
Party Girl rips off McCartney’s “You Never Give Me Your Money” in the outro, and you’re choosing it anyway? Okay…
I want to burn a CD with the songs from the concert, in order. Anybody write the list? I usually do, but I did not have a piece of paper!
Thanks
I’m not the hugest Costello fan but I love Imperial Bedroom…and actually clicked this link in hopes to find my favorite Costello song “Beyond Belief” on the under-rated list…instead the whole album is panned. Ouch.
“Emily, Imperial Bedroom is not over-rated, it’s UNDER-rated”
“Oh, that’s very different..Never mind.”
:: The Five Most Overrated Smiths Songs
1. “How Soon Is Now?” (1984)
Ridiculous. I can stop reading Magnet now.
you clearly don’t know anything about this band do you….
I don’t know, but it makes me sad that I didn’t get on the GBV train until much later in their career. Awesome stuff, psyched about the new collection!
This was a ground breaking performance that tocuhed every page of AC’s diverse catalogue. The crowd was amazingly energetic and engaged in the show. Hey Jud, that wind you felt on your brow was the whole concpet of this band (their music, the performance and the culture of this event) flying over your head!!!!!!!!!
Loving this track, I recently got the latest album for £2.99 And a free EP with the GZA track on from the site using this code ‘200 000 000 000′ Anyone else get the code from their gigs? The ep is ace!
Dear Emily Tartanella: this is a provocative article, challenging long-established opinions of Costello’s work. That’s great. However, you misquoted the lyrics of “Accidents Will Happen” in your critique. This diminishes your argument about the song.
wow, the lack of mention of actual music content of the show is impressive…
Thanks for the great review.–Neil Elliott
Awesome. They always talk about Cookie Monster vocals on this stuff, but how do they do that? I’m asking seriously. That’s awesome. I think my two-year-old would really be all over this. Does Children’s Television Workshop get royalties for this? Awesome.
“Sing it, Bob. And thanks for giving us this music so soon after Tell Tale Signs.”
Do you actually think Dylan is reading this? Or you regularly talk to him one-to-one? Either way: slightly frightening.
I just realized that the one song sample you have is some weird, off rhythm remix that was probably the first thing you found on youtube….
This very well could be the worst concert review ever
Yes this record is brilliant!!!
Elvis can only be compared to himself. If you are discussing his work, you can only compare his successful with his own less successful. The breadth, longevity, quantity, and, yes, quality, of his work in the years since My Aim Is True (1977) stands with a handful of great contemporaries, including Dylan, Springsteen, Byrne, Gabriel, Waits, and Bowie. In examining his risktaking career, “successful” vs “disappointing” might apply, but over or underrated has absolutely no meaning when talking about Elvis Costello.
Yeah PLACEBO THE BEST!!!!
placebooooo
Placebo obviamente va a ganar su disco es una gran joyita,
grande Placebo
love brian molko! viva placebo!!
my Placebo is always great and number #1 ♥♥ PL4C3B0 ♥♥
PLACEBO, of course.
placebo obvea k gana u_u viva lo mejor
PLACEBO LO MEJOR DE LO MEJOR |m|
Major leagues gets my vote along with Spit on a Stranger as most underrated Pavement songs. Hell, the whole Terror Twilight is underrated. I’m really surprised it makes the overrated list, do you remember 1999 when like – everyone hated this song? So now it’s overrated? It was a fantastic, melancholy and melodic song then and it still is now!
Just Placebo.
Nobody beats Placebo!!!!!
Can’t wait to hear more of this one…
http://www.catbirdseat.org/mbvmusic/xxx/mp3/neighborhood.mp3
placebo. obviously!
OSEA HELLO! PLACEBO FOR EVER !
Any updates on what they are doing now?
I can agree with Imperial Bedroom being overrated. Some critics went wild about it, but to me it’s not one of his best albums.
As most underrated – or maybe just over-looked – I’d definitely say Blood & Chocolate.
I think this post has single-handedly started a new fascination for me. Very informative.
Thanks for the article Peter. The road life was an amazing journey of 10 years and will always influence me, and thrill people at the bars when I’m telling stories. The things I had seen and the talent I got to socialize with were astounding, and great to be a part of the db’s legacy.
Keep rockin’, and creating. Jimmy, Rocketman
“Squonk” was on Trick of the Tail, actually
You are right. We corrected the post. Thanks.
Squonk is in fact on Trick Of The Tail and it is not the second post Gabriel album but in fact the first.
Thanks for pointing it out to us. As mentioned earlier, we corrected this mistake when Shawn brought it up.
Agree completely about Afterglow. Gorgeous atmospheric and layered keyboards and Phil’s voice never did sound stronger. In fact, while I love the live versions, his voice pales in those considerably when compared to the studio version. Still my favorite song by Genesis.
No mention of “Cuckoo Cocoon?” That’s a fantastic track. Though, I do tend to agree that TLLDOB is overrated. That said, I really only listen to the live version from the Genesis Archives, Vol.1: 1967-1975 which I think is far superior to the studio renderings.
I think “Watcher of the Skies,” “Wardrobe” and “Squonk” are classics, but what do I know. The rhythm tracks on the first two alone are brilliant, managing to be catchy and “prog” at the same time.
This might be the most accurate over/under I’ve read yet. I do have a soft spot in my heart for “Squonk”, though. Without “Squonk” who knows if “Los Endos” would have ended up so good?
On the underrated front, I think I have to throw my hat in the ring for “Can-Utility & The Coastliners.” Though I may be a bit biased for (almost) all things “Foxtrot.” The groom’s cake at my wedding was a vinyl copy of “Foxtrot!”
Nit picking aside, this was a great post.
I quite liked “The Brazilian” from Invisible Touch, an otherwise unlistenable album.
Thanks for giving Genesis some attention – something most online mags are far too full of themselves to do. I do have an issue with calling the entire album of “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” It’s a bit of a cop-out in that you yourself point out that there are some great songs on the album. I completely agree it should have been a single album, but then again, most single albums might make better EPs. Choosing an entire album as overrated detracts from the great songs on it and is a bit lazy in my opinion. As for some underrated tracks, how about “Between the Sour and the Sweet” from their first album, “From Genesis to Revelation” which is notoriously hard to find, or “The Knife” which predates both Collins and Hackett on the “Trespass” album. As for overrated, I agree on your number one choice, although I might include “Supper’s Ready” would easily fit on that list; as sacriligeous as it may be, the track is far too long and is not the masterpiece many fans think it is. That doesn’t mean it isn’t terrific, just overregarded and isn’t that what the criteria should be?
Good pull on “You Might Recall.” I still think it’ s one of their most moving songs from that era and trumps anything Collins did as a solo artist.
Abacab is largely awesome.
Bill B, I’m right there with you with “Coastliners”! It’s like a five-song epic in 3 minutes, and plenty of goosebump chords and powerful drumming. I’d also like to mention the haunting “Me and Sarah Jane” off of Abacab, which uses the drum machine they were known for effectively by layering several different feels over the whole song and has a raw and other times sublime Phil vocal. Also I feel were overlooked (and even more underrated): Man Of Our Times, One For The Vine, much of the “And Then There Were Three” and “Tresspass” albums, and the BRILLIANT “Twilight Alehouse. Left off Overrated: Most of the Abacab album (with exception mentioned previously) , and The Cinema Show (the album version – it’s esentially an excuse for an odd-meter keyboard solo).
A “Genesis” over/under? Seems like Rolling Stone territory.
“Your Own Special Way”? – Overrated??!! – There couldn’t be a more beautiful song if you tried!! (Apart from Entangled of course!)
it’s weird how you could say “home by the sea” is one of the absolute best of the non-gabriel era, and elsewhere say about the same album “Genesis had turned completely into a Collins turdball hitmaking machine”. I guess “home by the sea” is a delightful turdball.
Anyway. Watcher of the skies is rad, not just the intro. and Wardrobe is a bore.
Re: Lamb Lies Down: I might agree with your entry if you said “the 2nd half of” rather than “all of”. I find myself playing disc 1 much more often than disc 2. Disc 1 is awesome. I start to get antsy around “The Lamia”.
Thanks for a prog blurb. Often my indie rock friends’ eyes glaze over when I mention being into prog. Like it’s not okay to like Death Cab for Cutie and King Crimson?
I also dislike the pop stuff that started really springing up in the ’80s, but the ’70s had their share of kinda slow-paced melodic stuff like “follow you follow me” (with its unbearable falsetto “la la la”s at the end), not mentioned here. being at a couple of genesis shows in the ’80s was a strange thing, with completely different types of cheers springing up for the “old stuff” vs. “illegal alien” or whatever.
Sweet, limping jeezuz…Genesis?!?! Magnet?? Not only is this Rolling Stone territory, this has gotta be the most laughably pretentious, clunky, horse-@#$! band of all time. My comments give them more credit than they deserve merely by reminding people that they exist. Next to them the Moody Blues ROCK and the Grateful Dead are the epitome of tight song writing and musical restraint.
In all honesty, Genesis with Peter Gabriel, the talent of each individual member, as well as the classic albums the band has made are totally sleeping classics. If you mention The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or Selling England by the Pound (my all time favorite album) to your average joe, he will more than likely tell you that he has never heard of the albums, but surely has heard of how good Gabriel was with the band and then laugh about “I Can’t Dance”. Kinda on the same boat as the Peter Green era of Fleetwood Mac.
Also, Phil Collins is too damn good of a musician to have his music laughed at which I know that most people who make fun of him as well as his era in Genesis know that he is an excellent singer and songwriter just don’t want to admit to their guilty pleasure. His drumming is by far overlooked as well. Fantastic drummer who does not get the attention he deserves.
One last thing…. any one who has not heard the first 3 Peter Gabriel self titled albums are also missing out!
Oh, I know why, their album covers are not eco-packed abstract art.
Sorry header to last comment was as follows….
Why is Clutch’s new album not an option?
see above for whimsical reason.
Note: they did put out an album in 2005 called “in space”. only if you expect it to absolutely suck to high heaven will you be pleasantly surprised on some of the tracks.
Part of the griping about lack of sales for “power pop” is that many of its proponents just don’t write good songs. They have all the trappings, stylistically, of the music they’re inspired by or are trying to emulate (The Who Sells Out, or #1 Record, or whatever), with “vintage” gear, good drum fills or harmonies, but the songs just aren’t there, both melodically or lyrically. The truth is, in any genre, it’s hard to write a great song. And in a world where folks want to put themselves in a narrow Power Pop box, they often end up sounding like freshman college songwriting project submissions.
Not, of course, that a “great” song (it’s all subjective of course) is a prerequisite for a hit. Matthew Sweet said it best: maybe you should be a musician/songwriter because you HAVE TO, because you are compelled to, not because you want to.
And maybe, by the way, another problem isn’t the music, it’s the packaging, the label. I didn’t, for instance, hear anybody calling those coupla gigantic singles from that band Jet “power pop” songs, or crowing of a power pop revival, even though they could have.
YEAH!!! PLACEBO!!! <3<3<3<3
How do the Shoes or Twilley instill profound hatred in anyone? That man has a (big) black heart.
“the most laughably pretentious, clunky, horse-@#$! band of all time.” Man, it’s like Genesis slept with his sister or something. For me, at least, I’m glad Magnet doesn’t narrow their focus so much that all they see is their own nose, like this dude. There’s probably hundreds of pretentious indie rock bands that would be in his acceptable domain for what Magnet should be allowed to write about, anyway. The obvious would be Decemberists, right? Would Mars Volta count? Or Antony?
I had a lot of these on Vinyl at one time.
Some of the albums I might go for alternatives. It seems that most of these bands made at least 2 really good albums. For example, the db’s “Like This”, Big Star’s Radio City, Knack’s But the Little Girls Understand etc.
A quibble perhaps, but one would seriously have to consider putting a Romantics record on here, and my personal list would absolutely have to include the first Jellyfish album, Lemonheads It’s a Shame about Ray, and Especially for you, from the Smithereens. I believe legend has it that EFY was one of two albums that Nirvana listened too repeatedly before they recorded Nevermind.
The great thing about lists like these, from someone who really knows the genre, is that it gives me a few new albums I’ll have to check out.
nice one on You Might Recall – always liked that song. I thought Like It Or Not from Abacab was pretty good too.
But I also have to take exception with your call on The Lamb – that record gets better and better for me over time! I might be a nerd but I would have loved to have seen that tour.
Feeding the Fire (left off Invisible Touch) is perhaps the quintessential underrated G track
Totally agree on I Know What I Like and Squonk being overrated. However, Watcher is great and while the second half of Lamb is a bit unfocused, it’s still pretty clearly the best prog rock concept album ever.
As for underrated, I would cite “Just a Job to Do” and “Abacab” (even though I think they were both singles) along with pretty much all of the “And Then There Were Three…” album (particularly Undertow and Snowblind).
Okay. This list is just intended to be stupid.
Congratulations. Mission accomplished.
Albini is a pretentious twat. He is the very epitome of everything he rails against.
That said, he has a point about labels such as “power pop.” But he’s still an ass.
Definitely Rhett Miller. I’ve been a long time fan and after hearing the first single and reading a few reviews its clear that he has a great album on his hands with this one. I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks for this list! The band lost me after Abacab. It’s like the band turned their backs on everthing that made them awe-inspiring. “Can-Utility”, yes! Yes, the “Watcher” intro is unbelievable, but so is the rest of it — 6/4, I believe? For those who think they had no power, listen to the first live album. Espcially “Musical Box” and “Hogweed”. Spot on with most of the list, though. I wouldn’t consider “More Fool Me” underrated — I just wouldn’t consider it. Not moved one way or the other by it. I’d take “Harlequin” over it. I too like bits of “..and Then There Were Three”, as it really stands apart from everything else they’ve done.
PHOENIX ON THE BLOCK ? BETTER THAN ANy1
I too have listened to this literally hundreds of times. It’s an instant classic and one that needs to be distributed to every nook and cranny of the world. There’s something so timeless about the songs, production, and the whole feel of the album. I’m looking forward to a re-release of this album with the press that it deserves. Thanks Holsapple for getting this out there. I hope people give this record a chance and Max Indian can do a full blow tour.
placebo forever and ever
THE BEST ¡¡¡¡¡ PLACEBO
Phil didn’t quit Genesis till 1996. That’s a bit more than 13 years after 1973.
There are some VERY underrated songs on Calling All Stations that you’ve completely overlooked, giving only small jabs at Congo and not discussing anything else, even Ray Wilson’s involvement.
I play guitar in a Smiths tribute band and I agree with Glenn about this night has opened my eyes being well underrated. The song is shockingly good and is a classic and anyone who can listen to it without it sending a chill down their spine needs to have a word with themselves! On the same note another well underrated song is that joke isn’t funny anymore, listen to that and tell me it doesn’t do something to you!
check us out at http://www.myspace.com/thesmiffsmusic
I could not agree more! It does my heart good to read your comments about Carter Gaj and Max Indian, and the comparisons you make. Coming from someone of your reputation and credibility, your praise carries even more value. Nice writeup, Peter!
You Wrote:
The fifth word in “Sledgehammer” is “steam” (“You could have a steam train”), and I’m not sure what that means, but for the first time in Gabriel’s career, he seemed to be in a rut, copying himself, striving a little too hard for commercial success.
Okay, it’s one thing to have an opinion (which is how I take the whole Over/Under thing, nothing more and nothing less), but if you can’t figure out the, ahem, thrust of *that* lyric, that takes most of the air out of the rest of your critique PDQ, I’d say.
Osama al Bini?
Love Power Pop. ‘Couldn’t I Just Tell You’ by Todd Rundgren is an Essential Power Pop listen in my book. Cheap Trick has some great Power Pop songs as well, and Badfinger just to name a few, if they haven’t already been mentioned. Love this post, Steve.
Oh of course, The Nazz song ‘Open My Eyes’ could also be the Best Ever Power Pop song as well, in my opinion.
thanks for sharing and showing off your extensive knowledge of some elliott smith songs. everyone, this guy was at one of elliott smith’s early shows. it’s mentioned twice in this article. twice. holy jesus of mercy.
These guys are fucking awesome (Durham Rocks) live and deserve all of the press they can get. They are just one of a handful of unique bands from The NC Triangle making waves right now. Indie Hip Hop upstarts, Big Hell are also a band to keep up with as they are fresh in ways you could not imagine. The Red Collar are buzzing around the country representing Durham to the fullest. Pink flag, The Dry Heathens, and so on and so on.
Looks great, guys!! Looking forward to hearing the whole album!!
and for another teaser how about Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me! repetitive riff with scary lyrical content! masterpiece!
What a horrible contrivance…. This journalist has got no business in music critique. Go back to playing Xbox and snorting coke. The top 5 most “underrated” songs reviews were pure, untreated sewage! Get a life you egomaniac.
oh, and the over-rated section wasn’t too good either.
Am I crazy or does Miller look lik Eminem?
fuck yeah nebula rule, best under-rated band on the planet…. really!
I suppose you’re no fan of the nine minute version of the Killing Moon then?
I have one of these (thanks Amy!). The coolest thing about the Flip is the simplicity of it: a big red button that you push to record/stop, it runs on two AA batteries and the USB connector swivels out of the side (no cords). It doesn’t do anything fancy, but that’s fine with me.
A little hard to understand what you’re saying: Case said he didn’t want to work with Lee again, or is Lee unavailable? And if Case doesn’t want to work with Lee, doesn’t that deserve a followup question . . . why?
The Double Unit freaks my face off!
These lists are sort of becoming pointless. Before looking at the list, I knew Lips Like Sugar would be #1 for overrated because it’s the only Echo song I could think of off the top of my head, which may be one more than most people. I may know a few other songs, but not their titles. If a person knows all five “overrated” songs, then they probably know a lot about music and don’t need to be told what is overrated. Maybe just stick to underrated.
I have to say that this list is fairly decent. the overrated all deserve their place, (even Mac would probably admit Killing Moon is overrated, mostly because of his own hype), and I can buy the arguments for the under. And I agree that Heaven Up Here is the most underrated (and I think the best) album of their cannon.
For the lack of anything else to say you’ve slammed the bands most popular and enduring songs while trumpeting other, slightly more obscure ones that fans would know about already. This kind of writing is exactly what makes Magnet a ridiculous waste of time; Pointless pieces written with sole purpose of eliciting some kind of response, any kind of response. It’s the journalistic equivalent of shit-flavored cotton candy. Not only does it taste terrible but the ingredients have no nutritional value.
First off, Albini is entitled to his opinion, I like his producing, just don’t always agree w/ his opinions. What’s great about power pop is that the torch is still being carried by many who were approached for the article, check out:
Yo La Tengo- Drug Test
Spoon- Beast & Dragon Adored or Anything You Want
Art Brut- Emily Kane
I think are the current reigning power pop group-
New Pornographers- Twin Cinema or Broken Beads or my favorite song of the year so far, A.C. Newman’s There Are Maybe 10 or 12….
The pairing of Paul Collins and John Wicks performing INSIDE a record store happens this Saturday Night at THE RECORD COLLECTOR STORE in colonial Bordentown NJ (Exit 7 of the NJ Turnpike) Saturday June 13th. 7:30 PM Doors with Todd Ellis from NJ 80’s Power Pop Icons SMART REMARKS – Showtime at 8 PM. $ 10 with PLENTY of seats at the door the night of the event. Not only see Three Power pop legends, but shop for rare vinyl at the same time. One Million Records are in the building – all for sale !
More info – http://WWW.THE-RECORD-COLLECTOR.COM</