We begin today with a little semantic clarification. When discussing underrated music, people often seem to confuse the word with underappreciated. This doesn't quite add up: for instance, none of the artists I mentioned in my last post could be accurately described as underrated because they're rated very highly by those who are aware of them. They just aren't very well known; hence, underappreciated. On the other hand, there is indeed a wealth of music out there that, despite less than humble origins, remains largely undiscovered by the world. The following are just a few of the hidden gems that have yet to break the surface of music history:
5. Chris Cornell: Euphoria Morning (1999)
In the years between the dissolution of Soundgarden in 1996 and their reunion last year, frontman Chris Cornell had something of a wilderness phase. Yet while the mediocre Bond theme You Know My Name and the dire Timbaland-produced album Scream may not be among his finer works, his solo debut is of a different character altogether. Despite being commercially unsuccessful, Euphoria Morning did receive positive critical reviews, and it's not hard to see why: as soon as the opening chords of Can't Change Me come crashing in, dripping with '60s-style reverb and backed by minimalistic drums and bass, it is clear that this is will be a well-produced, honest work. And indeed it is - gone is the grungy chordal style of early Soundgarden, as Cornell instead favours his later songwriting, presenting 12 original, polished alternative rock cuts that are far from the generic, radio-friendly post-grunge that began to dominate the airwaves at the turn of the millennium. Cementing his place among music's finest vocalists, Cornell switches between acoustic whimsy (Sweet Euphoria), Radiohead-esque ballads (Preaching the End of the World) and even a stripped-back blues track (When I'm Down). It may not be quite at the level of Soundgarden's Superunknown, which stands among the best albums of the 1990s, but Euphoria Morning definitely deserves a little more recognition as one of the most well-rounded works of Chris Cornell's career.
4. Muse: Showbiz (1999)
At around the same time Chris Cornell was launching his solo career, a three-piece rock group emerged from the wilds of Devon with a debut album and no shortage of ambition. They didn't know it at the time, but they would go on to be one of the world's biggest music acts, selling millions of albums and collecting a handful of awards in the process. Showbiz, however, has been relegated to the sidelines: it reached only 28th position in the UK charts on its release in 1999 and has been surpassed significantly by their four subsequent albums, all now considered milestone works in modern rock music. The reasons for this are not entirely evident, however. Ultimately, Showbiz delivers every musical element that made the band great over the following years, with influences ranging from Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead to Brahms and Beethoven. Matt Bellamy's voice sounds as good as ever, complemented by his shimmering piano lines from the off, while Chris Wolstenholme's earth-moving bass and Dom Howard's intricate drum work provide the backdrop for Bellamy's cathartic vocals. The songwriting, too, is strong, ranging from the heartfelt acoustic ballad Unintended to the stomping glam rock of Sober. Indeed, the album is considerably more coherent than the group's distinctly bland last release, Resistance. As for why Showbiz remains Muse's forgotten work, we can only guess.
3. Peter Doherty: Grace/Wastelands (2009)
Singer/songwriter Pete Doherty is mostly famous for two things: his turbulent, drug-fuelled relationship with Kate Moss and his turbulent, drug-fuelled relationship with The Libertines. While the latter did in fact produce a large amount of significant music, the circumstances in which it was grounded meant that it was doomed to failure, as the group imploded in 2004. Doherty proceeded to spend his life in and out of rehab, and it seemed that one of the most promising talents of the early 21st century had gone to waste. Grace/Wastelands, however, was a sign that all was not lost. Opening with the jaunty acoustic track Arcady, the album showcased Doherty's songwriting prowess to its full potential, as he presents a bleak, bittersweet portrait of the modern world, through the eyes of a man who has seen it all. The title's hint at T.S. Eliot is no coincidence, as lines from his poetry are adapted into Doherty's songs, especially the creeping Broken Love Song. The album's 12 cuts run the gamut from indie rock to folk, by way of ballads and even a music-hall jazz number (Sweet By and By). The closing Lady Don't Fall Backwards is as heartbreaking a love song as any of the past decade. Ultimately however, it's actually not too hard to see why Grace/Wastelands was overlooked by the public - by 2009, they had lost interest in Doherty's headline-grabbing antics to the extent that, regardless of how accomplished a work of songwriting Grace/Wastelands may be, it was always destined to be simply a tragic reminder of what could have been for the space of more than just one album.
2. The Horrors: Strange House (2007)
The Horrors have found fame recently with two albums, Primary Colours and Skying, released in 2009 and 2011 respectively and earning the group significant mainstream airtime and a Mercury Prize nomination. Reminiscent of the ambient rock of Brian Eno and the psychedelic melancholy of '80s indie groups such as The Happy Mondays and The Smiths, they create vast, sweeping sonic landscapes of meticulous detail - at its best, breathtakingly beautiful music. Prior to this however, the band had unleashed a very different beast altogether. 2007's Strange House features none of the intricate subtleties of their later works, presenting instead a vigorous blast of gothic punk, embellished by crunching organs straight out of a vintage horror film. The work begins with Jack the Ripper, a grindingly slow cover of Screaming Lord Sutch's '60s jazz number. The band create a truly terrifying sound, with Joshua Hayward's guitar slithering around Rhys Webb's almost Oriental-sounding organ line and Rugby School alumnus Faris Badwan's surly vocals cutting through through the mix like a hacksaw through metal. Then, without warning, they kick into a higher gear, and the song becomes a frantic gallop of thrashing metal with enough intensity to rival early Metallica recordings. The tone of the album having been established, The Horrors continue with their frantic, hysterical aesthetic, from Badwan's melodramatic screeching on Gloves to the closing Death at the Chapel, which apes the fairground blues-rock of Dr. Feelgood. Yet what makes Strange House such an underrated work in The Horrors' back catalogue is not just its musicianship and evocative mood, but also the fact that they sound like a completely different band here, almost completely unrecognizable from their current selves. The album serves as a reminder of how a radical change of sound can sometimes prove beneficial for a group, while also forming the bedrock on which all of The Horrors' future success will be built.
1. The Beatles: Help! (1965)
Help! was The Beatles' 5th studio album, released just as the hype of Beatlemania was dying down and just before they began to redefine music history with Rubber Soul and Revolver. Spanning 14 songs, it's full of milestones tracks from the band's middle period, from the memorable title track to the now-classic Yesterday, which remains the most-covered song in history. Alongside those iconic tunes are the folksy Love Got to Hide Your Love Away, the pop-rock Ticket to Ride, George Harrison's love song I Need You: pretty much every song on the album foreshadows the elements of The Beatles' work that would go on to make them the greatest, biggest-selling group ever. Three part harmonies bubble to the surface above inspired chord progressions and Paul McCartney's melodic-yet-never-intrusive basslines, while Ringo Starr's drumming remains the foundation on which their songs are crafted. Help! was the moment when The Beatles stopped being just another Merseybeat pop group (regardless of how popular they may have been) and started to develop into a truly world-changing group of musicians. Yet it is never named as anyone's favourite Beatles work, and whenever a list of the greatest albums of all time is compiled, Help! is forgotten in favour of Sgt. Peppers and Abbey Road. It was a great album before The Beatles started to become famous for releasing great albums, and for that reason, it may just be the most underrated album of all time.
TJGreenwood
