Van Morrison: A Night In San Francisco (1994)
A night at a Van Morrison show nowadays is a risky proposition. For usually $70-$80, Van will make you show up early, cut off beer service when he takes the stage and most nights, play for just over an hour. Even worse, he will consciously omit any of his hits and force the audience to sit through plodding versions of sub-par recent compositions or covers from the 30s. However, that wasn't always the case. A Night In San Francisco captures everything that is great about Van Morrison. Without being a "play the hits" show (for that listen to It's Too Late To Stop Now), Van shows why he is "the Man." With a band that is likely more at home than a jazz club than an arena hall, Morrison rolls through a couple of his classics but also ventures into the slipstream with long extended versions of songs that move from James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone soul classics through blues staples like Stormy Monday and Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and even includes a hip rendition of My Funny Valentine. Without question, this is the best Van Morrison album in the past 25 years.
The Kinks: One For The Road (1980)
If this list was created in the mid-eighties, there is no way this album would be included as it was the biggest live album of that time. Well, with the exception of Frampton Comes Alive. Capturing the Kinks in the heyday of their live performances, it is the rare live album that provides the hits along with other lesser known favorites without ever hitting a down note. In between definitive and iconic versions of Lola and Celluloid Heroes there are raucous readings of Low Budget, Superman and National Health. Even more amazing, Ray and Dave Davies get through the entire album without once attempting to physically assault each other. The Kinks are often overlooked in any discussion of the British Invasion, which is a shame. Although the CD version is an edited version, it is still a worthy reminder of why the Kinks were the Prince of the Punks.
Elton John: 11-17-70 (1971)
It may be hard to believe nowadays, but Elton John was once the biggest rock and roll star in the world and at the time it was well deserved. This album, which shows why Elton deserved such status, comes from a November 17, 1970 concert that took place at a recording studio in New York and was broadcast live on WABC-FM. Although released after Tumbleweed Connection, it was recorded beforehand and contains rough but amazing versions of Burn Down The Mission and Amoreena. From the moment, he bangs out the intro to Bad Side Of The Moon to start the show, it is evident this is not your parents' Elton John. As an added treat, Elton breezes through a honky-tonk rendition of the Stone's Honky Tonk Woman and manages to slide in and out of the Beatles' Get Back. This is an Elton John that most don't remember existed, stripped of the flamboyant costumes and snarky anti-paparazzi behavior, Elton was truly one of the great rock pianists of all time.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Randy P
U got me hooked mentioning Hold Me Up by the Goo Goo Dolls. Lots of catchy pop tunes. A lost gem. Also agree with R.Thompson, Wilburys, Body Count, Jake and Ellwood, Van, Sting, Tin, Jimmy,Stone Roses, Big Head, George. The others I have not heard yet
2 - Randy P
I meant lots of catchy pop punk tunes. It was a harder album than their recent yawn fests.
3 - Barry Stoller
All Things Must Pass "underrated"? Jeez, it was nominated for a frickin' Grammy and sold a kazillion copies; My Sweet Lord played 24-7 for years. Pink Floyd, Elton John, Traveling Wilburys, Pete Townshend - "underrated"? How 'bout Terry Knight & The Pack, Klaatu or The Cramps for underrated? The "underrated" music you listen to, mac, is as common and corporate as Coca Cola.
4 - JR
Hey, great list!
Thanks especially for having the 'nads to list the Elton John album. That album is amazing - the ensemble musicianship reminds me of small combo jazz and it rocks like nobody's business. Ben Folds built a career off of that album.
5 - Nick S.
Hold Me Up is a great album. I remember picking it up simply cos it had the Prince cover on it. I instantly got hooked on this group and picked up Jed a few days later.
What a shame they're such a crap group now.
6 - Douglas Mays
Oh goodie, I like this sort of list. Great list. One I would add to the list is a Townsend creation also. Townsend/Lane "Rough Mix". Pete and Ronnie came up with this outstanding piece of personal statements from the heart and soul in a rock/folk music type way.
Good pick on White City also. "Judge the Judge"...lyrics I like from that album.
peaceloveguidance
7 - Douglas Mays
Let me add Joy Division "Closer" to that list.
Oh gosh, here comes the long thread...I'll think of more as the coffee kicks in.
PLG
8 - Tan The Man
I second the Stone Roses.
9 - Eric Berlin
Interesting list -- lots of stuff here that I've never checked out (or given more than a passing glance).
I love the Wilburys -- and have heard them on the radio a fair amount (on classic rock revering Long Island), particularly "End of the Line." It's been a while since I've been a radio hound, so perhaps they've slipped.
Anything Jimmy Cliff-related is brilliant.
10 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
great stuff, Ear, but i simply cannot watch as The Stone Roses is declared "underrated". Wonderful as that record is, it most certainly ain't underrated. Sweet lord in heaven, a fella can hardly open a music magazine without finding some corner of some article or other reeling on about how transcendental the whole affair is. Every student bar in the country is STILL throbbing along to Fools Gold. in no way or no how is The Stone Roses underrated. The Second Coming, however, may well justifiably be included in such a list, but the ammount of critical jissom flung in the direction of that debut in the past decade could fill the marianas trench. but fine reading here, thats for sure.
11 - Eric Olsen
what an interesting and varied list, David, thanks. I especially like All Things (not sure how underrated it is, though), Stone Roses (certainly not underrated in the UK, but is here), Wilburys, Dread ZEp (!), They Harder They Come (one of the great albums of all time), Sting, and Blues Brothers
12 - Eric Olsen
oh, and Meddle
13 - Russ
Huzzah for your choice of Richard Thompson's 'Rumour and Sigh'. And I do love 'Meddle' by Floyd . The other choices ...may be underated for a reason...? But , just because they are not in my CD library doesn't mean they're not great...but then again... But you can never say enough good about RT !
14 - Rob
Couldn't agree more with the Alman Brothers Band, Blues Brothers, Kinks, Pink Floyd and Pete Townsend albums. Actually, the entire list is great. Some of the albums I don't own, but I always enjoyed. Fits right in there with your criteria.
15 - BRICKLAYER
You are so right about the Goo Goo Dolls. They totally stink now, but their first two records were golden. And this album was on Metal Blade! Also, live, they were fantastic in their club days. Sadly, I don't believe they ever toured with Cannibal Corpse.
16 - SFC Ski
Not much to argue with above. Overall, a great underrated album is one which has stood the test of time and you seem to be the only one who owns it, or has ever heard of it.
I'd add the entire Smithereens collection to this list, but choose "Green Thoughts" if I had to pick one album.
17 - Andrew Ian Dodge
Two most under-rated albums I can think of are:
Riverdogs: s/t
Thunder: Backstreet Symphony
18 - Al Barger
Rumor and Sigh!
Rumor and Sigh!
Rumor and Sigh!
I could come up with a BUNCH of underrated albums, but just for starters you really, really need to hear TTD's Vibrator.
19 - Maynard
Good call on the Tin Machine, a most excellent disc all the way through.
add "The Reality of my Surroundings" by Fishbone
"not a pretty girl" by Ani DiFranco
"The End of Silence" by Henry Rollins Band
There are plenty more. Too many good bands get overlooked because they are not "hooky" enough, or don't fit mainstream concepts.
20 - Al Barger
This live Kinks album seems like somewhat a weak choice for this list. For starters, it's not all that particularly outstanding, besides the fact that it's a platinum album- at which point it's hard to really label it underrated.
There's PLENTY of great underrated Kinks albums, though- particularly some of them concept album from the 70s. Your life is not complete without Schoolboys in Disgrace most especially, but also Soap Opera and Preservation, Act I.
21 - Mark Saleski
ah fooey! it's a great Kinks album...with an absolutely killer version of "Low Budget".
22 - wvmcl
"Their Satanic Majesties' Request" by the Rolling Stones
"Wild Tales" by Graham Nash
"Spirit of '67" by Paul Revere and the Raiders
23 - Eric Olsen
agree on Their Satanics!!
24 - Rodney Welch
Thriller by Michael Jackson, Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen, and Synchronicity by the Police -- three "lost" classics, all well worth seeking out in the bargain bins of your better record shoppes.
25 - Michael J. West
Good list, all of it. And I don't care how hard any Lennon-head argues: All Things Must Pass was, and remains, the best Beatle solo album. Period.