[Old School Hound]

VH gave me the idea for this topic when he mentioned Christine McVie in the other thread. Who do you think are some of the most underrated artists in rock history?  Let me start with Ms. McVie.  Truly one of the most underrated in history, primarily because she was often upstaged by the more flambuoyant Nicks and Buckingham. To me , she was the band's secret weapon. She wrote and performed some of their most iconic hits and just had that voice that really resonated with fans throughout the decades. When she passed, I immediately thought of three songs that connected with me when thinking of Christine:


1)  OVER & OVER  --- from the Tusk LP. Just  a hauntingly beautiful song by Christine. Her voice could simultaneously bring you to tears and cuddle you like a warm blanket. If Stevie Nicks was leather and lace, Christine was silk and suede. Her voice was a melodic prayer of hope and hurt. It could break your heart or heal your soul. Rest in Perfect , Christine.

"Could you ever need me?  And would you know how?  Don't waste my time, tell me now."  Give a listen, and see if you aren't moved by her vocals.


 





What do you all think?  Do you think she was terribly underrated?

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2)   SPARE ME A LITTLE OF YOUR LOVE --- Pre-Buckingham-Nicks . Earliest I remember hearing Christine was on this lovely track off of the Bare Trees LP. It cemented for me that Christine would always be the sound of FM.  

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3)  SONGBIRD --- The band closed their shows with this Christine classic.  Can't think of a more appropriate song. She was, indeed, a songbird. 

[jetpilot]

[Old School Hound]

Two underrate artists from FM. Beautiful song from Bare Trees with  Bob Welch(RIP)  on lead and Christine McVie on background vocals. Just gorgeous.

[Van Hagar]

In a sort of different genre, from my hair metal days, I’ll go with Cinderella. I always thought their lyrics were a cut above the Poison/Motley Crue, etc., bands, and lead singer Tom Kiefer had a perfect voice for what they were doing.

[jetpilot]

In a sort of different genre, from my hair metal days, I’ll go with Cinderella. I always thought their lyrics were a cut above the Poison/Motley Crue, etc., bands, and lead singer Tom Kiefer had a perfect voice for what they were doing.

OMG we wore Cinderella out lol!!!! Great guitar and vocals!

[jetpilot]

[jetpilot]

Always thought Foghat was underrated. "Fool for the City" was fave but they had great ones...

[jetpilot]

Bad Company underrated IMO...

[Old School Hound]

The reason I'm saying this guy is underrated is simply because I think he's one of the top three rock voices in history and one of the top three or four frontmen in the history of rock... MR. PAUL RODGERS.

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One of my favorite Rodgers & Company songs. Underrated song, too. 

[Van Hagar]

You guys are on fire here. Bad Company, imo, deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Paul Rodgers is everything you say OSH, and other artists always say that as well. Foghat—-yes underrated. So many folks just know Slow Ride and that’s it. Check out the live version of ‘Stone Blue.” Just great. And Nazareth——well they may be THE most underrated band just from the fact almost no even mentions them. “Love Hurts” and maybe “Hair of the Dog” are the only songs anyone knows. But listen their greatest hits album. They’re close to 20 great songs on there, some even have a country feel to them. They were really good.

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[jetpilot]

Somehow my Foghat and Nazareth posts got merged lol...so...

[Old School Hound]

Two groups that I listened to a lot back in the seventies and eighties was POCO  and FIREFALL.   I thought each offered up some great work and deserved even more accolades than they received.  If  POCO had an Eagles vibe, it was for good reason. Both Randy Meisner(My favorite Eagle) and Timothy B. Schmit had stints in POCO. Both POCO and FIREFALL performed in the country-rock gendre , which I listened to a lot back in my high school days.


Some of the best harmonizing you'll ever hear :

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Released in 1978, this is a love song about New Orleans. Beautiful but haunting lyrics, it eerily foreshadows what would happen in New Orleans some 27 years  later.       GREAT sax  !!!

In the heart of the night
In the cool southern rain
There's a full moon in sight
Shining down on the Pontchartrain

And the river, she rises
Just like she used to do
She's so full of surprises
She reminds me of you

In the heart of the night
In the heart of the night
In the heart of the night
Oh, down in New Orleans

[jetpilot]

LOVE POCO!

[jetpilot]

America - Underrated

[Old School Hound]

One of those good story songs. It was written by Firefall's Larry  Burnett when he was  16 years old.That's right---  16 !!!  His  inspiration was the situation that many of his teen buddies had gotten themselves into.  The meaning was simple... Guy gets girl pregnant, guy kicks girl out of his life. Years later, guy is now old guy, reminiscing about girl and the son he didn't know. The song is not about regrets or missed opportunities, simply about reflecting on the past.  Flute, harmonica, great harmonies, great story---what more could one ask for in a song.  Enjoy...   

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I was a Junior in high school. My goodness, where has time gone?  Thanks, Firefall.

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LOVE POCO!

They were SOOOOO very underrated. Great musicians, great band.

[Old School Hound]

LOVE POCO!

Absolutely loved hearing Rusty Young sing. He was the man !!! RIP .

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Jet , here is another Rusty Young composition that reminds me a lot of "Crazy Love." Has a very similar sound an structure. The guy ws crazy talented and under appreciated. I was 20 when this was released. Dammit.

[jetpilot]

OSH and VH, your knowledge of music in our lifetime is so awesome. I have only a couple of friends left on your level. Highest level of respect for you guys.

[Van Hagar]

Appreciate that JP, it is great to have some folks that get it that you can discuss it with. And on that note, here’s one of my all-time favorite songs from the vastly underrated Canadian band Triumph. This song alone is enough to make me love them, although they have a very solid overall catalog. But this one almost makes me misty-eyed every time I hear it, makes me long for the days when “turning my little radio on” was the greatest pleasure of life.

[jetpilot]

^LOL I was thinking of that very song...one of my all-time favorites. Here is another one kind of like it, these guys are hard to look at but great tune...

[Old School Hound]

OSH and VH, your knowledge of music in our lifetime is so awesome. I have only a couple of friends left on your level. Highest level of respect for you guys.

Love you, Jet.

As Mr Congreve wrote over 350 years ago ,"Music hath charms to soothe the savage breasts , to soften rocks , or bend the knotted oak. "  Unlike politics, which inflames and divides,  music is a healer and a uniter. Whereas politics is just outside noise , which triggers our insecurities and false bravado, music brings us back to who we really are. Our music is where we find our common ground, remember similar life experiences, and gain needed perspective. Every atom in our bodies, every fiber of our being, every synapse and neuron, benefits from the life-giving power of the music we love. 

This one's for you, Jet.  Probably no song takes me back to the late 70's more than this one, which was written by Neil Young, and sung by the astonishingly underrated, Nicollette Larson.  Nicolette was my biggest crush ever. Just loved everything about her. Voice, looks , countenance.  She was said to be one of the sweetest persons in the music business. Everyone adored her and wanted to work with her.  I wanted to marry her. LOL  Unfortunately, drummer, Russ Kunkel beat me to her. Sad that she died so young. RIP, Nic .

Nicolette has a daughter , Elsie Mae, that looks a lot like her mom. Many may remember her for her role in Caroline in the City.

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I looked up the word "underrated" in the dictionary and there sat a picture of Joe Lynn Turner and Richie Blackmore and this song came blaring from my speakers. Powerful. Magical. I wanna go back to the 80's.  Jet , VH , is it just me or do these guys' sound remind you of FOREIGNER ?

[jetpilot]

LOL every band I'm thinking of you guys beat me to. My next three were Rainbow/Blackmore's Rainbow and Montrose...



Ronnie Montrose very underrated.

[jetpilot]

Pat Travers very underrated. This is live in Louisville...

[Van Hagar]

Ronnie Montrose was excellent I thought. Sammy still does ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ in most of his live shows.

Tesla was another band that I really like from back in the day, and this song is another of my top ten all-timers.

[jetpilot]

^^^Love that song

[jetpilot]

Moody Blues very underrated...

[Old School Hound]

Moody Blues very underrated...

A girl I went to college with(and cousin of Ricky Skaggs) would always say I looked like the lead singer of the Moody Blues. And she was right. "Wildest Dreams" is a good song.

[Bob Seger]

Bad Company underrated IMO...

Yes sir. Waaaaay under rated.

But Paul Rodgers goes way beyond whatever he did with Bad Company.   I dont have any numbers to support it, but his biggest hit may have been "Alright Now" from his Free days. I liked his stuff with The Firm and The Law too.

[Old School Hound]

Bad Company underrated IMO...

Yes sir. Waaaaay under rated.

But Paul Rodgers goes way beyond whatever he did with Bad Company.   I dont have any numbers to support it, but his biggest hit may have been "Alright Now" from his Free days. I liked his stuff with The Firm and The Law too.

Rodgers is one of my top 3 rock voices and top three Frontmen of all time.
Voices :

1. Delp(Boston)
2. Rodgers
3. Perry

Frontmen:

1. Mercury
2. Rodgers
3. Cronin(REO fan)

[jetpilot]

^^^I like all of those but Jagger and Steven Tyler are the best "frontmen" ever IMO. Both made their bands 10x better but wouldn't have been 1/10 as successful anywhere else.

[jetpilot]

Outlaws very underrated IMO.
Some of the sweetest sounding guitar music ever. Perfect Southern Rock.