Forgotten gems

[anarky]

Discuss albums that have pretty much been forgotten by everyone, but that shouldn't be.

First up:
4 Non Blondes: Bigger, Better, Faster, More!

God damn, this album rocks! These chicks got pegged as alternative, which wasn't too bad for a band breaking through in the early 1990s, but they've got more of a classic rock/blues sound, and didn't last long in the alternative world. Sadly, this was the only album they released (though I know of five songs that were released in various places after this).

"What's Up" ranked high on the "Awesomely Bad Songs," proving once again that Maxim needs to stick to girls in sexy pictures and keep their retarded mouths shut.

"Superfly" is one of my all-time favorite songs. No contest. The whole album kicks balls, but that is the clear standout.

Linda Perry released a mediocre solo album, and has gone on to become a high-demand producer (Pink's Mizzundastood being the best known album she's produced). Not sure what happened to the rest of the band after they disbanded.

[vynsane]

Linda Perry released a mediocre solo album, and has gone on to become a high-demand producer (Pink's Mizzundastood being the best known album she's produced).

she actually wrote the song "get the party started" before producing her album - she contacted pink to say that she had a song that wouldn't fly as her own thing, but that it was perfect for pink.

[Ran]

"What's Up" ranked high on the "Awesomely Bad Songs," proving once again that Maxim needs to stick to girls in sexy pictures and keep their retarded mouths shut.

VH1 had this as #94 on its top 100 greatest 1-hit wonders. Again, it was another crap list from VH1.

[anarky]

Especially funny, since the "Awesomely Bad Songs" also aired on VH1. So it's one of the best, and one of the worst. WTF?

[Ran]

MTV and VH1 seem to do that a lot. They have one show about how something sucks, then say it is good. But, this isn't new with them. MTV was one of the reasons that Vanillia Ice had success. MTV built him up. Then one day, they realized he wasn't popular anymore, so they turned around and pooped on him. Just tossed him under the bus...where he probably should have been in the first place.

[anarky]

Just tossed him under the bus...where he probably should have been in the first place.

I see that you saw his "Remaking" special, too.

Next up (and anyone can feel free to throw a new one out, in case you didn't know):

Soul Asylum: Grave Dancers Union

Most diehard Soul Asylum fans pinpoint this album as the moment they sold out. They'd probably be right. But considering they were a regional oddity up until this album, and they became household names here, it was probably a good idea.

Sure, they sold out a bit too much after this, and all their subsequent albums suck donkeys, but this was the one time in their career that going mainstream was a good idea.

Aside from "Runaway Train," which is an incredibly underrated song, you've got "Black Gold," "Somebody to Shove," "99%," "Without a Trace," and more. Solid alt-rock from start to finish.

If you don't have it, you should get it. I'm sure you can find a few dozen copies on eBay for a penny each.

[Ran]

I have this CD and ripped it to my external hard drive. Definalty a good album.

[jjreason]

"Prince" by Prince. In my mind, there are 3 categories of Prince albums - the earth-shatteringly unbelievably amazing (Sign O the Times and Purple Rain), the incredible (1999, Around the World in a Day, Lovesexy, Batman Soundtrack) and the rest. Some of the rest are not bad (Diamonds and Pearls, Under the Cherry Moon Soundtrack) and some are not good (Graffiti Bridge, that weird thingy symbol album).

"Prince" falls into category #2. It's a very early work, so most casual fans won't have heard it - but it majorly rocks. The 3 songs that start the album (I Wanna Be Your Lover, Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad?, and Sexy Dancer) might form the funkiest opening to a Prince album ever - they're all funky beyond belief.

2 slow songs come next, and like all great Prince albums they're NOT the better songs... but they're good enough (the first one weaker than the next).

Track 5 is "Bambi", which demonstrates that (much like Let's Go Crazy would years later) Prince can yank some extremely nasty, raunchy rock out of an electric guitar.

"Still Waiting" is the playful kind of song that (and I can see why) would make the typical redneck question the man's sexuality - it kind of bounces along gail, featuring the Purple One and a piano - but it's got a great, great melody and a chorus you'll be singing to yourself later.

2 other songs on the album deserve great praise - the classic "I feel for U" (which Chakka Khan covered later), and "Lonely", which is truly an upper echelon Prince balad.

If you like Prince at all - even if you only liked 1999 and Purple Rain - this is an album you need to check out.

[Ran]

"The Real Thing" by Faith No More. FNM was big for a while, then just faded away. Epic and Falling to Pieces were the big hits. They did a pretty good cover of War Pigs. Woodpecker From Mars, The Real Thing, and The Morning After weren't too bad, either.

[anarky]

The Real Thing is fucking classic.

I actually think King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime is FNM's best album.

Too bad Mike quit, and the band broke up, and Mike keeps putting out horseshit bad albums.

[Ran]

"Gotta Get Away" by the Offsprig was on the radio yesterday. I forgot all about the Offspring. Might be time to pop that one back in the cd player.

[anarky]

You gotta keep 'em sepærated.

[jjreason]

Matthew Sweet - both Girlfriend and 100% Fun would warrant updated listenings by you foo's.

[anarky]

"Updated listenings" would imply I don't listen to him quite a bit.

[Diabolical]

Matthew Sweet - both Girlfriend and 100% Fun would warrant updated listenings by you foo's.

I'll just play Guitar Hero 2 if I want to hear Girlfriend.