5 Most underrated acts

OK, I said I would post this then immediately became conflicted on what to list, lol. I could come up with hundreds of acts that could be on here. There are those acts that never got the press that others got, so they were never rated in the first place and those that were pigeon holed incorrectly because of one song or a stage act that they never recovered from in the press. I will be looking more at the latter just because you need to be rated to become underrated in my opinion. I may do posts on those undiscovered bands some time later.

So here we go.......

5. Warrant

When I first found these guys I didn't like them at all. They were opening for everyone and they were so very the typical formula band with the ultra formula "Heaven" as their big hit. I got sick of them real fast. Then they released "Cherry Pie" and the first single was cheesy but catchy, but if you listened farther you heard "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "I Saw Red" and I heard something different. The story in "Uncle Tom" was highly unusual for the time and "Red" was written in a schizophrenic way were the author goes from remembering good times then back to the horror of walking in and catching her cheating, very different for the time.

Then Came Nirvana... And if you were considered a hair band you were pretty much done. Only two bands really survived (Bon Jovi & Motley Crue) That is when Warrant released a very ambitious and hard record called "Dog Eat Dog" This record was very good from top (Machine Gun, a hard driving opening track) to bottom (Sad Theresa, a sweet ballad) and it just died. What should have put the band into super stardom was released two years too late.

After that was "Ultraphobic" and "Belly To Belly" both great records on indie labels (Belly To Belly having my favorite song by them "Letter To A Friend") and both being very ambitious again, especially for indie releases.

Since then of course we have seen Jani Lane spin out of control with DUI and celebrity fit club/ rehab appearances. The band isn't who we remember now (as happens often). It is a shame that their best work came too late.

4. The Monkees

I think most people know their basic story, 2 actors and 2 musicians are put together for a Beatles like band for a TV show. They start off just mimicking songs for TV and end up playing and writing some good music. Yeah the show was wacky and corny and they did not play on their first few records, but starting with "Headquarters" they played all the instruments and started writing more and more. Of course once the show was done, so were they. Radio never tool them serious because of the show and wouldn't play them. Of course looking back now, a TV show is no worse then videos or lip synced performances to promote music, but back then everyone was so much more serious about "integrity"

3. Night Ranger

I put Night Ranger on here because they are incorrectly classified as a "one hit wonder" band for "Sister Christian", yet they had several hits in their career being one of the first big bands when "glam rock" first started in the 80s. They had hits with "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" & "You Can Still Rock In America" before "Christian" was released, both top 100 songs. And after with "Four In The Morning" , "When You Close Your Eyes" & "Sentimental Street" with "Street" placing only 3 spots lower on the charts then "Christian" did and all being top 20. They ended up with 6 top 40 songs, not bad for a "one hit wonder".

But they never were the crazy band. You never heard stories of boozing, drugs and women, just the music. And in the end it is the reason that people forget. They always say there is no such thing as bad press and in Night Ranger's case that is not true because no press is bad press and that will get you forgotten.

2. Anthrax

Anthrax was the first of the big name speed metal bands that had a national following, they actually took Metallica under their wing to help them, so you could say they were responsible for Metallica and Megadeth, yet they are never mentioned with them as far as being as important. These bands are not about hits so until Metallica's black album they were all underground and underrated. Unfortunately for Anthrax they never had the hits that their contemporaries had, mostly because they were on labels that did not know how to promote that style of music. Their albums on Island records were muddy sounding or really bright sounding depending on the song and their videos were grainy & very low rent. But then they signed for a bigger label (Elektra) and things looked like they would finally change! Then their singer quit.

Their first record on Elektra "Sounds Of White Noise" did well with the single "Only" doing very well, but the change split the fan base much like Sammy Hagar in Van Halen did. Soon after Elektra dropped all its metal acts and Anthrax went the indie way. They have put out a lot of great music since but with no label push it has gone nowhere. They did recently pay shows with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer as "The Big 4" and it is rumored to be coming to America soon, but even then they are the opener when they should be closer to the top of the bill in my opinion.

1. Extreme

The ultimate in misunderstood bands. Pigeon holed as "glam rock acoustic band" by everyone because of their hit "More Than Words" but they were so much more.

They first hit with "Kid Ego" and had the song "Play With Me" all over the place as it was featured in the first "Bill & Ted" movie. After this they released "Pornograffitti" a concept record which contained "Words" but actually had to hits before with "Decadence Dance" and "Get The Funk Out", neither being glammy or acoustic. I remember working in a record store at the time and remember all the old ladies trying to return the cassette because the record was nothing like the single, they later released a proper single and made the old ladies happy.

After that they released another concept album called "III Sides To Every Story" which is my favorite of theirs. They had three singles off this album including "Rest In Peace" which was #1 on the mainstream rock chart, hardly a one hit wonder. Soon after came "Waiting For The Punchline" and then the break up and the infamous Gary Cherone to Van Halen debacle. They have since reformed and toured (When Nuno isn't playing with Rhianna)

So there is my list, I'd like to hear some of the acts you think were underrated and I hope some of you check deeper into these bands. Pick up a greatest hits and discover something you may have over looked.

-G

Why does music seem to outlast all other media?

I was watching the news the other night and they were talking about some proposed Pac-Man TV show to commemorate the 30 year anniversary and I thought "It's only been 30 years? Feels like much more". On the other hand when I heard Christina Aguilera turned 30 I was in shock, seemed like she would be younger. And it got me think on how movies, TV and even video games feel so dated so quick but if I hear The Beatles on the radio it still somehow feels fresh?

Now I know black and white movies make them feel old, but so does the subject matter and the way people act, usually more conservatively, so even color movies look old. Some movies from the 90s already have an ancient feel. TV goes through the same issues. And video games go through graphic changes (Even though Pac-Man is pretty simple no matter what century it is seen).

But music never seems to truly get this way. Sure there are things like the other day when VH1 aired day 1 of the US festival were Men At Work unleashed a sax solo that sounded dated, but if you listen to a lot of 60s music it still sounds newish. Is it because most music is timeless or is it because nobody has come up with fresher ideas in 50+ years?

I tend to believe a little in both. I just read today that The Beatles have already sold 5 million songs and 1 million albums on Itunes. They have been on the site for barely 3 months and they have done what no modern artist has done. Does this mean that their music is timeless or no act has done better? You could say it was all the hype of them coming to Itunes, but these songs have been around forever, most of us that want them have them so why buy them again?

These are just some random thoughts I had over the last couple of days. I'd be interested to see what the rest of you think.

5 Most overrated acts

OK... This is gonna take some explaining

Please remember that "Overrated" does not necessarily mean "Bad" it just means that I think they get more praise then they deserve. Feel free to argue and tell me I'm an ass and I'm wrong, it's my opinion and I'm right (LOL)

5. Elvis
OK.... Here we go
Elvis was a great performer and had an amazing voice, however he did not invent rock and roll, he just made it acceptable for white audiences. He didn't write his own songs (He was given credit on 9 songs, but he didn't actually write them) and he was the first true marketed pop star. Influential in some ways, but given too much credit for his musical impact in my opinion.

4. AC/DC
This is a band who I have listened to over the years and was also the first hard rock record I owned (Back In Black). I have liked them at times, but lets face it.... It's the same song over and over again. If their greatest hits is playing in the background would you know exactly what song was which?

3. The Black Eyed Peas
I will admit to never really listening to these guys and only hearing the singles, but much like AC/DC, all their songs sound the same. I keep hearing how great they are and I just don't hear it. These guys are being touted as a huge act for the super bowl and I don't get it, how are they considered a step up from Prince, Springsteen, McCartney or any other act from the last 6 or 7 years?

2. The Eagles
Once again... A band with some good songs, but few great ones. I understand that they really pushed the whole country rock thing, but their music was very dry and over serious. A lot of people consider them a top 10 favorite band and I just find them boring. The other issue is that they thought they were so big that they could be the first to charge upwards of $300 for a ticket. $300!! FOR THE EAGLES?!?! Maybe a Beatles reunion, but never the Eagles

1. The Doors
Never has a bands myth and popularity grown so much bigger then when they were actually a band. The Doors only had one hit (Light My Fire) while they were an actual band, but because of movies and marketing they became thought of as one of the bigger bands of the 60s, even though they weren't. They did break ground in how the public reacts to dead rock stars though, so that's something I guess.

So that's mine. I plan on posting an underrated list soon (why always be negative, right? LOL)

OK... Go ahead and tell me how wrong I am now

Music 2010: The Way I Remember It

2010....hmm. When Mike first talked to me about doing a 2010 Music wrap up, my thought was "why?" I couldn't really think of a good reason why 2010 stood out musically, but after reading Mike's year in review and doing some thinking, I was able to come up with some thoughts.

Album highlights for me include Nobody's Daughter by Hole (apparently I'm the only person who likes this album), Contra by Vampire Weekend (quirky, strange but creative enough to keep my attention), Black Ribbons by Shooter Jennings (everything Kid Rock is trying so hard to be without even trying), Recovery by Eminem (A return to form and probably the best overall record in his catalog), Crazy Love by Michael Buble (in some ways 'more of the same' and a small step forward at the same time), & Croweology by The Black Crowes (leave it to "the most rock & roll band in rock & roll" to do a Hits album with enough of a twist to still be original).

Album disappointments include Hellbilly Deluxe 2 by Rob Zombie (just not anywhere near as strong as anything he's done before), Slash by Slash (a wildly blatant attempt and fail at a Santana-esque record format that was tired a decade ago), Night Work by Scissor Sisters (maybe I was expecting too much but I was extremely let down by the lack of originality), All Night Long by Buckcherry (I would've liked this record far more if they had given it an honest title such as "We Re-Wrote The Same Songs Again") and Michael by Michael Jackson (not sure why, but I had my hopes up for this, it's obvious that these songs would've never seen the light of day in this form were the King of Pop still with us).

As for the live experience, this year I was blessed with quite the concert list so I wasn't left with much to complain about. The only show that was disappointing was John Mayer w/ Train at Pine Knob in the summer. Train was excellent as expected and as good as they always are. Mayer wasn't even remotely interested in putting on a good show and it was evident from start to finish. The other shows this year were astounding all the way around. I got to see The Black Crowes do 90 minutes acoustic followed by another 90 minutes electric at the Fillmore. That was followed by two hip hop legends in top form at Comerica Park when Jay-Z & Eminem performed together.Seeing Roger Waters perform his masterpiece The Wall from front row center was hands down the most exciting musical event of the year (and the past few) for me but honorable mention goes to the guys in King's X for tearing the roof off of the Emerald Ballroom and being kind enough to take pictures and indulge us for a bit after the show!

There are already a few albums on the horizon in 2011 that I'm looking forward to. Most immediately is 21 by Adele (February 22). The lead single "Rolling In The Deep" is a force to be reckoned with and if the rest of the album is half as good, we're in for a treat. Some time during the year, the Beastie Boys are set to finally deliver Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 which I'm kind of indifferent to until hearing a single, but still slightly optimistic about. The Foo Fighters haven't announced a title or release date, but the involvement of Butch Vig along with the Foos continued strong evolution has me interested.

I'm also very optimistic about Born This Way from Lady GaGa (May 23). At this point it's easy to hate on her as people tend to do when on artist explodes, but if the album holds true to some of the material that's leaked, she's going to shock people again in a good way. I'm cautiously optimistic about Collapse Into Now from R.E.M. (early spring), while I think they've got some great material in their later efforts (see: Imitation of Life), most late records have been uneven. I'd like to see one big strong effort from the Athens boys hit the world. Lastly, while it's still mostly a pipe dream, I'm really hoping that 2011 is the year I finally get my first full album of new material by Van Halen fronted by David Lee Roth since I was a kid.

Seeing as it's so early in the year, there hasn't been much in the way of tours announced yet so I don't have too much on my brain as far as that goes. Internet rumblings suggest that Guns N' Roses may finally be coming back to the US after spending the last year and a half on the other side of the world, which of course I'm excited about. I'd love to see another leg from The Black Crowes before they say good night but that looks to be unlikely. Hopefully some announcements will come soon and give me something to look for. Even if it's a light year in concert again, I'll make sure I hit the acts I know are guaranteed to give me something to remember in 2011 and I'll listen to the new releases in between!

-RR