Friday, September 26, 2008

Weekend Listomania (Special They Coulda Been a Contender Video Edition)

Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental flunky Hop-Sing and I are off to Washington, D.C. for a post bail-out cocktail party at the home of Ben "He's the Man With the Weird Beard" Bernanke. As a result, posting by moi will necessarily be somewhat fitful for a few days, or until the 700 billion check comes through, whichever comes first.

But until then, as always, here's a fun project for you all to contemplate:

Best Post-Elvis Pop/Rock Band or Solo Act That Should Have Had a Mega-Career But For Whatever Reason Didn't!!!

Okay, we're talking one-hit wonders, groups or acts who had a couple of records that may have been critically acclaimed but sold negligibly, or just people that nobody ever really heard of but were fricking fantastic anyway. This is, admittedly, even more subjective than usual. Do the MC5 count? Everybody knows they were great, but they never sold that many records and broke up after three albums. How about Nick Drake? Until that car commercial made him a sort of household word, he'd been basically an obscure dead guy for decades.

Like I said, it's subjective. For me, then, I think the pornography standard applies -- i.e., I know a beautiful loser when I see one.

And that said, my top of my head Top Ten would be:

10. The Monks



These guys only made one studio album, which wasn't even released in their home country until 25 years after the fact. But as the above live clip from their fabulous 1999 reunion show demonstrates, they invented Blank Generation punk rock when Richard Hell was still in junior high school.

9. Brinsley Schwarz



The Band with pop songs, and, as you can see, one hell of a live act. IMHO, of course, they should be considered gods for no other reason than giving the world the original version of "What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding".

8. The Records



It is perhaps not an exagerration to say that if it wasn't for these guys and this song the blog you're reading now wouldn't exist.

7. Kevin Salem



My favorite hard-rocking guitar-wielding singer/songwriter of the 90s. Why he remains obscure when, say, a nit like John Mayer walks the streets a free man is, frankly, beyond me.

6. The Wonders



Let's be honest -- if these guys had been an actual band rather than a fictional construct for a movie, they would have made the Hall of Fame years ago. Incidentally, that clip isn't in the film proper -- isn't it fabulous?

5. The Merry-Go-Round/Emitt Rhodes



Another powerpop god who inexplicably slipped through the cracks. Fortunately, one of the best tracks from his 1970 solo album featured prominently in the soundtrack of The Royal Tennenbaums, thus reminding people (besides the Bangles, who covered one of the songs above) of just how good he is.

4. The Remains



These guys ruled New England in 65-66, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and opened for the Beatles at Shea Stadium. So why aren't they in everybody's pantheon? The answer can be found in the fantastic, just released documentary "America's Lost Band", which I'll be reviewing over at Box Office shortly. Bottom line: If it plays in your neighborhood, pounce.

3. The Rising Sons



Featuring the rather awsome talents of Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal. The above cut is actually the weakest thing on their sole album (which wasn't even released in their lifetime) -- if you haven't heard the rest of it, trust me, you need to. Get over to iTunes now and start with "2:10 Train" if I haven't already convinced you.

2. Television



The greatest guitar band in history, I think. Seriously -- I know a lot of really hot guitarists, and every one I've ever played this song for has listened to Richad Lloyd's opening riff and said "How the fuck is he doing that?"

And the number one "they should have been huge" act, it's obvious and unarguable so don't even bother to suggest somebody else or I swear to god I'll take a hostage, is ---

1. Moby Grape



They all sang (gloriously), the all wrote (brilliantly), their lead guitarist was one of the most innovative American players of the decade, and their debut album is a timeless masterpiece that deftly mixes rock, country, blues, gospel, and psychedelia. So why aren't these guys as famous as, oh, Crosby, Stills and Nash? Uh, God....hellooooo?

Awrighty then -- what would your choices be?

[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania (movies adapted from non-traditional sources) is now up over at Box Office. As always, if you go over there and leave a comment, an angel gets its wings.]

44 comments:

  1. You mentioned my first choice: Television. I just don't get why they weren't huge.

    Another one is Terry Reid ... an amazing singer who, as you mentioned months ago, turned down the gig that was then handed to Robert Plant, and instead opted for a solo career that inexplicably went nowhere.

    And, of course, Procol Harum ... who, btw, were the subject of the first post I ever read over here.

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  2. #1 for me is Marshall Crenshaw. His first album is like a greatest hits collection, one of the greatest debuts in rock history.

    There were personal issues involved, but Left Banke should have been bigger.

    Darlene Love is a cult favorite, and had huge success as a backup singer, but she should be a superstar.

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  3. Great call on Moby Grape.

    This will sound geographically motivated, but I'll say Donnie Iris (see also The Jaggerz). And Joe Grushecky (Iron City Houserockers).

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  4. I'm nodding in agreement with a number of those, Steve, and gotta check out a couple I'm not familiar with.

    I'd like to add Chris Whitley - his debut album was consistantly good from start to finish.

    And they're catching some buzz with new releases since they reformed, but it took way too long for the Subdudes to get the recognition they deserved.

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  5. Why did the Meatpuppets get the bucks while the Minutemen were overlooked?

    Trey

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  6. The Ramones
    The Ramones
    The Ramones

    I mean, "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker," "Rockaway Beach," "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Rock'n'Roll High School."

    Why these weren't hit singles I'll never understand.

    Definitely Television; the Monks were 10 years ahead of their time; but I've never gotten the Moby Grape worship -- they've always had a pretty generic San Francisco sound to me, not bad by any means, but nothing special.

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  7. I vote for World Party. "Ship Of Fools" was even on MTV, damnit! But it seems like with each record---all solid---he disappeared further and further into oblivion, aneurysm notwithstanding.

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  8. MINK DEVILLE
    NORMAN NARDINI & THE TIGERS
    EVIE SANDS

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  9. AGREE ABOUT WORLD PARTY --
    AND THE WATER BOYS
    ROBYN HITCHCOCK

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  10. Savage Grace,,and their cover of 'All alone the Watchtower'.

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  11. Norm Nardini? I've been out-Burghed! Nice!

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  12. graham parker & the rumour
    the church (aussie band)

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  13. The Prisoners
    Giant Sand
    Tiny Lights
    The Reivers
    Felt
    Sort Sol
    Shoulders
    The Nerk Twins

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  14. to jim
    guess you know norman nardini's bro was in the iron city houserockers ---

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  15. psychedlic furs -

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  16. Graham Parker (sans Rumor) - he's still cranking out great stuff

    Dwight Twilley - should've been huge

    Rockpile - following in the Brisnley mold

    Michael Stanley (a nod to my geographical roots)

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  17. the members
    the yachts
    the sinceros
    the late kirsty maccoll
    sandy shaw
    southside johnny and the asbury jukes

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  18. The Alarm
    The Replacements
    The Blasters
    The Fall
    Buffalo Springfield
    Velvet Underground

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  19. Martin Newell / Cleaners From Venus
    Esquerita
    Nick Lowe (I know he's reached a certain level of fame, and is well regarded by his peers and the public, but IMO, he should be in the pantheon with the likes of George Martin)
    Jonathan Richman
    Love
    The Beat Farmers
    The Model Rockets (part 2 here)
    Bob Segarini
    Sloan

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  20. Good call on Kevin Salem - "Soma City" should have been huge.

    Television didn't stand a chance of breaking through with Tom Verlaine's vocals - hell, they put me off for years.

    Speaking of Emmitt Rhodes, here's a great cover featuring the inarguable #1 contender for this list: Richard Thompson. Why Eric Clapton has been feted throughout the last 40 years while Thompson only broke through to the cognoscenti, I have no idea.

    There have been some good mentions upthread, including Marshall Crenshaw, Kirsty MacColl, The Blasters, and Graham Parker, but the one that I particularly agree with is The Replacements, who should have been as popular as R.E.M.

    Others who should be better off than they are: Los Lobos, Sam Phillips, Marti Jones, Amy Rigby (if nothing else, covers of her songs should be big country hits), and The Old 97s.

    There are other acts that are obviously not going to be mega-stars, but still should get more credit than they do: The Loud Family (the best band of the 1990s) should have gotten the same amount of cred as Sonic Youth or Pavement, and Spearmint and Hefner should have been as popular as Belle & Sebastian.

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  21. Marti Jones.
    Esquerita?
    The Loud Family?

    You guys are so cool...
    :-)

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  22. Marti Jones.
    Esquerita?
    The Loud Family?

    You guys are so cool...
    :-)

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  23. About 1/2 of my record collection?

    My main man Alejandro Escovedo. Crenshaw. Wire. Blasters, and solo David Alvin. Jim McMurt. Marah. Loud Family. Continental Drifters. Kelly Willis. Bottle Rockets. NRBQ. Mekons/Waco Brothers. Primal Scream.
    Any band that ever crashed on my floor. (And I could probably name about 100 others...)
    - bill buckner

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  24. The Merry-Go-Round were the real deal. There is an Elliott Smith vibe to some of Emitt's songs - complicated chord changes underly many of his songs.

    Bless your heart, Brooklyn Girl. Though I'd say Procul Harum came closer to stardom than the other bands mentioned here, they should have been much bigger. Just give a listen to Trower's white hot puncuations throughout Shine On Brightly for a reminder of what a great band they were.

    I second MJConroy's Dwight Twilley mention. I'm On Fire has a killer ending chorus (Susan Cowsill sings backup on this live version).

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  25. X
    The Broadcasters
    Tonio K
    Cheri Knight/Blood Oranges

    (ROT(Plumber)

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  26. Bill Buckner:

    Continental Drifters.

    Yes!!!!!

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  27. You know, it is funny, I am so damn insulated I thought some of the people mentioned WERE succesful because I think so highly of them. I am reading it thinking "But I love Graham Parker, Squeezing Out Sparks was HUGE." Definitely a lack of perspective problem on my part.

    Trey

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  28. Trey --

    Absolutely right. I mean, in my house, the Records played Madison Square Garden.

    Oh wait -- they didnt?
    :-)

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  29. Snakefinger - died too young and unfortunate record company disputes keeps him out of print

    Pylon

    The Innocence Mission

    and I want to second X.

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  30. What -- no Sandy Denny?

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  31. For the record, I am especially fond of the appellation, "Adulterous Senile Gigolo".

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  32. The Grays
    Jellyfish

    Both were lush powerpop that went away, The Grays after one album, Jellyfish after 2 or 3.

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  33. I must have seen NRBQ 30 or 40 times in the 80s. They were an unbelievable live band, with the classic line-up (Big Al Anderson, Terry Adams, Joey Spampinato, and Tom Ardolino - one of the greatest rock drummers ever, period).

    Never got the hit single they deserved; they got a good screwing by Bearsville, like so many others on that label, that killed whatever momentum they had at the time.

    I'm truly sorry for anyone who didn't catch one of those gigs when they were in their prime; they're often described as a great bar band, but in fact they were one of the five or ten greatest rock bands ever.

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  34. hmmm...no mention of Richard Thompson, very surprising

    I'd like to second (or third) Dave Alvin

    and only because their live show was among the most entertaining I've ever witnessed I'll throw in The Fabulous Poodles

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  35. I once danced with the woman who photographed and/or designed the cover of the first Fabulous Poodles album.

    How's that for an encounter with greatness?
    :-)

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  36. Cheri Knight/Blood Oranges

    Cheri's 2nd album is just great - think anybody outside of New England ever heard it? And Les Blood Oranges are my homeboys - good call.
    And how could I forget Mike Ireland and Holler's "Learning How To Live" - a classic slab of country heartbreak that I believe sold about 2000 copies? (Released on Subpop, of all places, at the height of flannel and fuzz, and so
    different from amything else on the
    label that they had absolutely no idea what to do with it.)A pretty raw chronicle of Ireland's painful divorce, and instrumental in my getting through one of my own...

    - buckner (slight return)

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  37. Paul Collins Beat
    Buffalo Tom
    Translator
    Paul Kelly
    The Smithereens
    The Undertones
    The Windbreakers
    Material Issue
    The Bongos
    Eleventh Dream Day
    The Vulgar Boatmen

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  38. Game Theory. (Yes, I know, Loud Family has been mentioned, but, no. Game Theory.)

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  39. A couple more, limiting myself to bands that haven't been mentioned:

    Let's Active
    Camper Van Beethoven

    And my personal fav band of all-time: SPARKS! Seriously -- 40 years and they barely have enough U.S. 'hits' to count on one hand??

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  40. Spike:

    I am so with you on Material Issue. I think I've mentioned this before, but I was much more upset over Ellison's suicide than Cobain's. It's probably a weird generation gap thing, but MI just meant more to me personally than Nirvana, great as they were.

    And a big yes on the Windbreakers. BTW -- one of those guys comments here occasionally, so you've done a mitzvah.
    :-)

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  41. Steve

    I was lucky enough to see Material Issue perform 2 times in my hometown of Rockford, Illinois. You could just tell that Jim was meant to be on the stage. He had such an infectious energy. Total bummer.

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  42. The Urban Verbs--- D.C.-based, yet with a Pittsburgh connection (Roddy Frantz)!

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  43. Marshall Chapman

    Willie Nile

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