Most underrated LP/albums ever

Woebot

Well-known member
no twelve inches/singles - we're talking sustained high-levels of creative consistency

i know there's a thread here about all LPs being boring but lets sidestep that avant-lumpen dogma and channel our inner MOJO/UNCUT

for me - although it is not exactly a rare LP - the groundhogs "thank christ for the bomb" is probably the best example

this album is as strong as anything 100 times as famous (all yer beatles/stones etc)

 

Leo

Well-known member
i know there's a thread here about all LPs being boring but lets sidestep that avant-lumpen dogma and channel our inner MOJO/UNCUT.

that was mostly luka and barty and they've jumped ship, so full steam ahead.

For some reason, ones that come immediately to minds are punk and glammy indie pop albums...

The self-titled first album by Toronto punk band The Diodes: wall-to-wall hooks, good crunch, excellent production.
Teardrop Explodes debut "Kilimanjaro", nine post-punk (shoulda been) hits out of 11 tracks. I recall some folks here saying they hated TE but I don't care one bit, high level of quality throughout.
The Associates "Fourth Drawer Down", although probably technically a collection of singles as opposed to a proper album (although usually not listed as a comp), alien glam pop, otherworldly, dashes of Roxy and Bowie but totally original sounding.
Redd Kross "Third Eye" brings their full top-40 pop/trashy glam potential to bear on their punk roots. The nerds prefer the earlier records, this is their slick major label album.
Silver Sun self-titled debut, catchy mid-90s power pop, tons of hooks. Big in Japan.

not a very hip list, I know.
 

HannahB

Well-known member
opinion~ Kilimanjaro the song [can be beautiful musically but] is totally 80s colonial romanticism// one day listening to it in the car in the rain I came to detest the yba and everything connected with smashed up factory buildings like never before and especially especially way worse not so nebulous
 

bassbeyondreason

Chtonic Fatigue Syndrome
In the rock realm:
The Hated - Every Song, rated in the post-hardcore/emo world I suppose but so much that's good in 80s/90s underground rock is perfected here.
Greg Sage - Sacrifice (For Love), better than any of the Wipers stuff IMO, still never had a vinyl release.
Rayne - S/T, could put a bunch of Acid Archives-type LPs on here but this is the peak for me. Totally unique backwoods 70s rock, side B is especially intense.
 

martin

----
for me - although it is not exactly a rare LP - the groundhogs "thank christ for the bomb" is probably the best example
I've been meaning to properly listen to The Groundhogs for a while, and might do so while there's still a semi-lockdown and I can spend inordinate amounts of time checking out entire discographies...

My only, unlikely contact with them's been through squat-punks The Apostles, who recorded at least four of their songs, maybe more (I've never heard the originals), and named one of their albums "Punk Obituary". Incidentally, "Blues Obituary" has some of my favourite album artwork/design ever. THAT's what a '60s bluesy boozy British sulphate death trip should look like (I've probably jinxed it and it'll be my least favourite now).

Here's mine:

PiLFlowersOfRomance.jpg

I've never understood why people love Metal Box but think this one sucks. On some dark, windy nights, I reckon this is even better than Metal Box - how'dya like them beans. I mean, yeah, Wobble's bass, etc etc, but how about those gut-thumping drums on "Four Enclosed Walls"? Rotten wailing "Joan of Arc was a sorceror...burn burn burn"? Dank church crypts, flickering green 40w light bulbs, fortune teller caravan/opium den vibes. A few oblique references to Sid, if you can get past the erotic butterball turkeys, double-bolt-on-the-door paranoia, fascist gangs and Vatican vampires - pretty obvious this was one on-edge kid, losing friends fast and being driven crackers by constant drug squad house raids - but still steering clear of having a crywank over it.

Beyond all that, I just think it's a fun album from start to finish, sloppy fuck-ups and all, and completely unique compared to everything else they released.
 

STN

sou'wester
I've been meaning to properly listen to The Groundhogs for a while, and might do so while there's still a semi-lockdown and I can spend inordinate amounts of time checking out entire discographies...

My only, unlikely contact with them's been through squat-punks The Apostles, who recorded at least four of their songs, maybe more (I've never heard the originals), and named one of their albums "Punk Obituary". Incidentally, "Blues Obituary" has some of my favourite album artwork/design ever. THAT's what a '60s bluesy boozy British sulphate death trip should look like (I've probably jinxed it and it'll be my least favourite now).

Here's mine:

View attachment 6963

I've never understood why people love Metal Box but think this one sucks. On some dark, windy nights, I reckon this is even better than Metal Box - how'dya like them beans. I mean, yeah, Wobble's bass, etc etc, but how about those gut-thumping drums on "Four Enclosed Walls"? Rotten wailing "Joan of Arc was a sorceror...burn burn burn"? Dank church crypts, flickering green 40w light bulbs, fortune teller caravan/opium den vibes. A few oblique references to Sid, if you can get past the erotic butterball turkeys, double-bolt-on-the-door paranoia, fascist gangs and Vatican vampires - pretty obvious this was one on-edge kid, losing friends fast and being driven crackers by constant drug squad house raids - but still steering clear of having a crywank over it.

Beyond all that, I just think it's a fun album from start to finish, sloppy fuck-ups and all, and completely unique compared to everything else they released.
I predict that you will like both Blues Obituary and Thank Christ...

has anyone ever established whether there’s any truth to the rumour that Kate Bush bought the equipment from Flowers or Romance to record Hounds of Love?
 

qwerty south

no use for a witticism
Public Enemy's first album
Eric B and Rakim's first two albums
Roots Manuva 'Awfully Deep'
Eminem - Encore
Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor (leaked version)
 
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polystyle

Well-known member
that was mostly luka and barty and they've jumped ship, so full steam ahead.

For some reason, ones that come immediately to minds are punk and glammy indie pop albums...

The self-titled first album by Toronto punk band The Diodes: wall-to-wall hooks, good crunch, excellent production.
Teardrop Explodes debut "Kilimanjaro", nine post-punk (shoulda been) hits out of 11 tracks. I recall some folks here saying they hated TE but I don't care one bit, high level of quality throughout.
The Associates "Fourth Drawer Down", although probably technically a collection of singles as opposed to a proper album (although usually not listed as a comp), alien glam pop, otherworldly, dashes of Roxy and Bowie but totally original sounding.
Redd Kross "Third Eye" brings their full top-40 pop/trashy glam potential to bear on their punk roots. The nerds prefer the earlier records, this is their slick major label album.
Silver Sun self-titled debut, catchy mid-90s power pop, tons of hooks. Big in Japan.

not a very hip list, I know.

At some point early in NY life, i became aware of The Diodes too.
Saw them @ CB's - right Leo ?
it may have been because of File mag ? there was a Canadian art - punk attitude mag out around that time.
Liked Diodes choice in cover v's , production too ( hearing Red Rubber Ball Sat. , so clear and pretty driving )
 

polystyle

Well-known member
I've been meaning to properly listen to The Groundhogs for a while, and might do so while there's still a semi-lockdown and I can spend inordinate amounts of time checking out entire discographies...

My only, unlikely contact with them's been through squat-punks The Apostles, who recorded at least four of their songs, maybe more (I've never heard the originals), and named one of their albums "Punk Obituary". Incidentally, "Blues Obituary" has some of my favourite album artwork/design ever. THAT's what a '60s bluesy boozy British sulphate death trip should look like (I've probably jinxed it and it'll be my least favourite now).

Here's mine:

View attachment 6963

I've never understood why people love Metal Box but think this one sucks. On some dark, windy nights, I reckon this is even better than Metal Box - how'dya like them beans. I mean, yeah, Wobble's bass, etc etc, but how about those gut-thumping drums on "Four Enclosed Walls"? Rotten wailing "Joan of Arc was a sorceror...burn burn burn"? Dank church crypts, flickering green 40w light bulbs, fortune teller caravan/opium den vibes. A few oblique references to Sid, if you can get past the erotic butterball turkeys, double-bolt-on-the-door paranoia, fascist gangs and Vatican vampires - pretty obvious this was one on-edge kid, losing friends fast and being driven crackers by constant drug squad house raids - but still steering clear of having a crywank over it.

Beyond all that, I just think it's a fun album from start to finish, sloppy fuck-ups and all, and completely unique compared to everything else they released.
"Flowers..." great title ( Sid ! ) ,and def some long lasting tracks - Bangin' The Door was the killer fer me here.
The music lived right up to MB, the PIL ' manifesto ' at the time well, ...

@ their loft on W 18th ( next to the Roxy ) there were a few room- like spaces,
one with giant ' experimental speakers ' on full display via Levine - and not much else.
 
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IdleRich

IdleRich
Dunno much about Groundhogs... but this tune from his solo album is quite something. Was there something about a contract dispute or divorce leading to his recording a deliberately uncommercial album or am I getting mixed up. Either way this tune is bonkers and amazing or maybe terrible.

 
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