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Looking Past the Hits


Al B

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I have no idea if this will take off, but it could have the potential to be quite interesting, so here goes...

One of my favourite things in music is discovering artists that I have "missed". By that I don't mean ones you haven't heard of, quite the opposite; I mean those who have had huge hits and are very well known, but because those successful songs didn't grab your attention you have dismissed or overlooked them, or they just didn't pique your interest enough at the time to delve any deeper. Every so often for whatever reason and quite often years later, you find yourself hearing an album track that does capture your attention, then you explore their work and it can be like finding something new all over again.

By way of further explanation, one of my examples would be Robert Palmer. Obviously everyone knows songs like Addicted To Love, Bad Case of Loving You, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight etc etc, and for me they were always just well known songs that are catchy and fairly inoffensive when they come on the radio, but never really drew me in to actually listening to him as an artist. Randomly I saw his first album from 1974 come up on Spotify, and on it was a song that changed my view of Robert Palmer and I became a fan not only 40 years after that release, but 10 years after he died.

tl;dr - Which artists have you missed at the time then discovered later, because their hits didn't do their body of work justice?

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Johnny & Mary was being played in Morrison's when I was in last night - great song.

Also, by sheer coincidence, I was watching a YouTube clip of Robert Palmer performing 'Sneakin' Sally...' live the other day. Despite the polished productions of his better known hits, he was an R 'n' B boy at heart - not sure Pat Bateman would approve.

Another great track from Palmer's pre-corporate phase is Looking for Clues.

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I always come back to the same two bands in these types of threads - XTC and Talk Talk.

You may remember XTC from such hits as Making Plans for Nigel, Sgt Rock, and Senses Working Overtime, but their albums are chock full of tasty morsels and hidden gems.

Similarly, Talk Talk are best know for songs like Life's What You Make It, It's My Life, Such a Shame, and Today, but their albums are brilliant - particularly the last couple of albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, which came totally out of left field.

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Johnny & Mary was being played in Morrison's when I was in last night - great song.

Also, by sheer coincidence, I was watching a YouTube clip of Robert Palmer performing 'Sneakin' Sally...' live the other day. Despite the polished productions of his better known hits, he was an R 'n' B boy at heart - not sure Pat Bateman would approve.

Another great track from Palmer's pre-corporate phase is Looking for Clues.

The band on the Sneakin' Sally album was little feat. All their 70's albums are outstanding

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I always come back to the same two bands in these types of threads - XTC and Talk Talk.

You may remember XTC from such hits as Making Plans for Nigel, Sgt Rock, and Senses Working Overtime, but their albums are chock full of tasty morsels and hidden gems.

Similarly, Talk Talk are best know for songs like Life's What You Make It, It's My Life, Such a Shame, and Today, but their albums are brilliant - particularly the last couple of albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, which came totally out of left field.

Exactly what I was thinking PA. XTC can do no wrong and the Mark Hollis solo album is a lost classic.

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I always come back to the same two bands in these types of threads - XTC and Talk Talk.

You may remember XTC from such hits as Making Plans for Nigel, Sgt Rock, and Senses Working Overtime, but their albums are chock full of tasty morsels and hidden gems.

Similarly, Talk Talk are best know for songs like Life's What You Make It, It's My Life, Such a Shame, and Today, but their albums are brilliant - particularly the last couple of albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, which came totally out of left field.

XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear spent much of the eighties being derided as Little Englanders, only for the music press to shortly after fawn over the Britpop bands they inspired. How many artists can say they got to release back to back studio double albums (Oranges & Lemons then Nonsuch) because their label felt confident the music would be vindicated in time to be worth the expense?

Heartbreaking that they'll never record again, but still such an enjoyable massive body of work.

Overlooked tracks? Off the top of my head, Travels in Nihilon, Merely A Man, Across This Antheap, Wonderland, You're The Wish You Are I Head, Earn Enough For Us, Sacrificial Bonfire, Then She Appeared, Wrapped In Grey, The Mole From The Ministry, Pale & Precious, You're A Good Man Albert Brown, Your Dictionary, Greenman, Playground, I'm The Man Who Murdered Love.

Subject to change two seconds after writing. Terms and conditions apply.

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XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear spent much of the eighties being derided as Little Englanders, only for the music press to shortly after fawn over the Britpop bands they inspired. How many artists can say they got to release back to back studio double albums (Oranges & Lemons then Nonsuch) because their label felt confident the music would be vindicated in time to be worth the expense?

Heartbreaking that they'll never record again, but still such an enjoyable massive body of work.

Overlooked tracks? Off the top of my head, Travels in Nihilon, Merely A Man, Across This Antheap, Wonderland, You're The Wish You Are I Head, Earn Enough For Us, Sacrificial Bonfire, Then She Appeared, Wrapped In Grey, The Mole From The Ministry, Pale & Precious, You're A Good Man Albert Brown, Your Dictionary, Greenman, Playground, I'm The Man Who Murdered Love.

I forgot to mention The Dukes of Stratosfear - absolutely wonderful stuff! :)

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Talking heads have a great back catalogue. Loads of live versions and most people can name only 2 or 3 of theirs. Apart from the brilliant FLOOD album i havent heard any more from They Might Be Giants and they have tons of stuff so i keep meaning to dig there.

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