Suggest one obsure album we all should hear
Mine is:
Wishbone Ash 'Argus'
Had to get in on this one......great post! I apologize in advance for not sticking to just one.#1- Michael Dinner-The Great Pretender(1974) Eagles/ Poco / Linda vein. He recorded two albums and quit to become Movie/TV director and producer.(The Wonder Years, Justified and others.) Fantasy F9454 #2-Fools Gold self-titled album (1976) Dan Fogelberg's backup band. Probably not recorded quite as well as the previously mentioned Mr.Lucky but some nice stuff nonetheless. Arista/ Morning Sky 5500 #3-Dave Mason and Cass Elliot (1971) Blue Thumb BTS-8825#4-David Sancious and Tone -True Stories(1978) Keyboard player for Jon Anderson, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and others. Alex Liggertwood (Santana) on vocals. Really uplifting! .....at least for me. Arista AB4201#5-Solution-Cordon Bleu(1975) A Dutch progressive band 1970-1983. Came across this by accident many years ago, so perfect for this post. Nice incorporation of different styles. MCA/ Rocket PIG-2189. Time for me to get going on looking for some of the albums you guys listed on here. THANKS!!! |
Ok....i forgot one.....Iva Bittova.....her first lp....I think it is either titled "Iva Bittova.."..or" Strange Young Lady"........ Hauntingly beautiful!!!....meridith monk meets laurie anderson in transylvania!!!!..... Also shout out to the Batdorf and Rodney selection....saw them at U of Az in 1973....... |
Great thread. Many of my faves already mentioned and several that I'm going to seek out. Here are a couple that I love and are a bit obscure if not really rare. Hall & Oates - War Babies (not like their early stuff or later pop junk, a real masterpiece!) October Project - Falling Farther In Graham Parker - Mona Lisa's Sister Joe Jackson - Beat Crazy Stabilizers - self titled Johnny Winter - Johnny Winter And The Kinks - Village Green Preservation Society (even if you think that you don't like them) |
At the risk of sounding as if attempting to impress with a classical selection, I submit the Philips recording of "Messiah" (Handel, of course), conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Not sure how "obscure" this is, but given the majestic diversity witnessed on these forums, me thinks I'm safe on that one. The Philips Eliot recording of "Messiah" is--from my humble experience--the finest ENGLISH recording of Handel's "Messiah". I believe it is a full digital recording and mix of some of the finest musicians and vocalists. So both the production value (quality of recording) as well as excellence in performance are really second to none. It is my reference recording (specifically, "And the Glory of the Lord" track) when checking out speakers. This recording will reveal the harmonics and richness of both solo and choral voices, as well as string instruments better than any I know. It showed me the true worth of Sonus Faber speakers, which made the choir and instrument just about sit on my lap. This recording is why I am aiming to get the Amati Tradition (please feel free to dissuade me). https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/handel-messiah-john-eliot-gardiner/20033http:// |
Just saw your latest post saying "have at it". Here goes..... Tomasz Stanko - "Freelectronics" The Minks - Tides End The Music Improvisation Co. Quiet Sun - "The Mainsteam" Thirsty Moon - "You"ll Never Come Back" The XX (first album) Cold Blood - "Sisyphus" Fripp and Eno - "No Pussyfooting" Blonde Red Head - "Barragan" Basil Kirchen - "Worlds Within Worlds" . This album features sounds made by autistic children incorporated into the music. Haunting and ear opening!! Once again, great thread. Thanks to everyone for mentioning some incredible sounds. Time to download and hit ebay and the record stores. Rayd |
Ooh, Jesse Winchester’s debut on Ampex Records (mentioned above), a good one (produced by Robbie Robertson). Manfred Mann was a well-known British Invasion band, unique in having Pop hits in spite of the fact that their influences and sound included equal parts R & B and Jazz. By 1969 they had evolved into Manfred Mann Chapter Three, and that year recorded and released (on Vertigo Records) their s/t debut. Drummer Mike Hugg had moved to the front of the stage, playing piano and singing (and writing the songs). The band’s approach was now decidedly in the Jazz/Rock Fusion style (with perhaps a touch of Prog), pretty heavy. I love the album, and I’m not generally a lover of the genre. @whart, you might like this one. The LP has the cool Vertigo "swirl" label. |
Great thread 1111art! I'm sure you did not mean the record label called Obscure. It was created by Brian Eno in 1975 and 10 albums were released on the label. They are all different so it's difficult to choose just one. As for obscure records, once again it's difficult to choose just one so I'll mention two. Ken Nordine's "Word Jazz" on the Dot label is phenomenal. Ken was a voice-over artist on thousands of TV and radio commercials and he is backed by a small ensemble of jazz musicians, creating short stories that make you think and smile. Most people think of Kraftwerk as pioneering the EDM movement using electronics and pop melodies but in 1973 they released an album called "Ralf and Florian". It's trance-like. Rayd . |
The track “Kucano Oro” on the MA Records release The Old Country. Features otherworldly harmonica from Howard Levy and superb percussion by Mark Nauseff, with reference SQ. The track “Kit Carson” by Bruce Cockburn on Nothing But A Burning Light. Spookily great in every way if you can handle the message. |
Yea, forget the 'post just one', have at it! Here's another 'Baxter'. Moody, jazzy, smokey voice. Just Cool...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMb3q4ITYoI&list=RDEMs8zEAjCdsWSu1j1sBXDzQA&index=2 |
I’m sorry to list more than one but I could not stop. Did all I could to stop here. These are musically and sonically great albums. Strawbs Hero and Heroin Warren Zevon Warren Zevon BeBop Deluxe Sunburst finish Camel Moonmadness 10CC Bloody Tourst Crack the sky Animal Notes Wishbone Ash. There’s the rub. I am stepping away from this post. |
Digital at Montreaux Album Features Dizzy Gilespie, Toots Theilman and Benard "Pretty" Purdey. Live. Also anything Frank Zappa. What’s more obscure than a Mendocino beano or a Camarillo brillo? Not to mention a Jewish princess with a garlic aroma that could level Tacoma. Zappa fans know what I’m talking about! |
I know the request was for one, but I simply can’t help myself, so here’s two: The Rock City Angels - Young Man’s Blues Divine Weeks - Through and Through The Rock City Angels were one of those coulda, shoulda, woulda bands that was somewhere between Guns N’ Roses and Great White and recorded one heck of an all killer, no filler 3-sided debut (maybe they should have distilled it down to two sides, as the did on the promo version). As for Divine Weeks, think The Dream Syndicate but slightly more melodic. Here’s the link for the video for their "In the Country (for Jim Carroll)": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUqPrdH6ivE |
Glad I'm retired. I'll be busy all day with these. Got another couple I think you'll love.All time favorite of mine. Heavy semi-metal with orchestration and a nice female vocalist: SKINDIVE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuE6Ug4PgLg I actually had a dream once where a voice said, "Buy the Camel allbum". Lo and behold there was such a group. Try Camel 'Snowgoose'. Amazing stuff And don't forget KLAATU, the band mistaken for The Beatles. And I couldn't agree more about CRACK THE SKY! |
Hans Nielsen and Zhao Cong, Sounds of China https://open.spotify.com/album/24Zpe3GYIKHvQ2GLKNL7RL?si=LSelxuqVTUaPF_MccCwy1Q |
@edcyn beat me to Song Cycle by Van Dyke Parks, an album unlike any other you have heard, I guarantee you. For another dose of this near-genius, listen to the Smile boxset. Smile was Van Dyke and Brian Wilson’s never completed concept album, the theme being the Manifest Destiny of The United States, set to music. And just above, @jrosemd suggested the incredible album Greetings From Planet Love by The Fraternal Order Of The All (Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman and a few friends), an amazing late-60’s psychedelic pastiche’ recorded and released in 1997. Brilliant! That still leaves a lot of candidates, but being the song lover that I am, I nominate Something Peculiar by Julianna Raye, an album also from 1997, produced by Jeff Lynne, and filled with great Pop music. jrosemd also mentioned The Wondermints. For great Pop music, try and find either of the two albums by that fine Group’s original bassist and songwriter, Brian Kassan. Brian left The Wondermints shortly before they hooked up with Brian Wilson, and started Chewy Marble to record his great songs. The first album is self-titled, the second entitled Bowl Of Surreal (which features drumming by yours truly on half the songs). Great songs and production on both albums. The Chewy Marble albums were released on L.A. Indi label Permanent Press. Also on that label was a great Nick Lowe-inspired songwriter, Walter Clevenger. He and his band The Dairy Kings (;-) recorded a couple of fine Rockin’ Pop albums, well worth searching for. Walter has relocated to Austin, Texas, but the members of his band The Dairy Kings remained in SoCal. |
Well, I'm not sure about the obscure part, but these are classics, IMO...http://sheffieldlab.com/item.php?item_id=45&page=2I have an early pressing of the volume 3, which was one of my first direct to disc recordings...Now released on CD as in the link."America" is awesome,
Camarillo
is a good bass line, but the sample above is different that my vinyl...We could only hope that some of the newer vinyl recoredings were as good as Volume 3. |
Obscure? Perhaps not. Overlooked? Certainly: https://youtu.be/hbPfPCz3GRA |
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mZsjP2-zb-4Bp-Fg8poD4QXo5VLfq37fg When I heard the first track I immediately thought he's ripped off "I Care Because You Do". But then I noticed it was released before! I suspect Mr James has possibly ripped off Mr Thrussell... |
