The Underrated

We all know who the top dogs are - or think we do. But what of the bands and artists that you think happen to not get the acclaim, or worse, a sl*gging that they do not deserve. Most don't, after; all most are musos expressing themselves and seeing if they can get by and succeed.

However one drummer I read about is often taken to task for his comparative inabilities. Yet he is famous and successful, and what's more, IMHO a terrific (when his confidence is in place) and fine drummer. I refer to Nick Mason. The guy whose finesse on Animals, whose percussion on Saucer - visible in the Pompeii movie and the drummer on that all time fantatic piece of drama called Time - whose drums powered one of the most significant acts in rock and progressive music and prog rock. Yet he is often lambasted - unfairly.

There may be others, underated, and fated to... ah an apt Wishbone Ash lyric intruding. Who in the sometime world needs mentioning?

I'm sorry but I find Mason to be a bore at times. Never has he ever just blew me away with his percussion abilities. In fact, Mason himself didn't view himself as a top drummer. He gets the job done, but that's it.

To promote discussion, please explain any nominations.

Textbook wrote:   And yeah, I have like every Pink Floyd album ever and they succeeded *despite* Mason. Sorry, but not seeing it.

The same could be said for alot of the Waters' bass lines IMO

Manfred Mann's Earth Band. I think they are underrate. They have some "HIT" songs and this made them underrated. Prog fans thought they are commercial but I think they have many great albums in 70's era. Albums like "The Roaring Silence", " The Good Earth" , "Solar Fire" and "Nightingales And Bombers". These 4 albums are great and Prog but many of prog fans ignor them.

In terms of underrating, I think Camel are underrated.

The Red Masque. They are one of the most original bands out there with a great female vocalist (Lynnette Shelley; she is a member of ProgArchives, by the way). Can sound sweet, aggressive, chaotic and are interesting all the time. But does anyone ever mention them, except Jean and I? No. We arfe great fans; they are in our opinion the best modern band.
Here is a link to their MySpace page; you can listen to a lot of their songs there.
http://www.myspace.com/myredmasque

Recommendations: Listen to their fourteen-minute epic "Passage". Also "The Spider Is the Web".


Edited by BaldFriede - October 25 2010 at 20:23

Triceratopsoil wrote: Espers

...because nobody f**kin listens to them

Lozlan wrote: Nektar.  All I ever hear about Nektar are close, but no cigar narratives...a band that was highly innovative, but whose innovation perpetually trailed behind more 'progressive' and successful acts.  However, I put on Tab, or Remember the Future, or their recent 2000's albums, and I'm just blown away.  This is a band that, in my humble opinion, totally deserves to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the great, renowned artists of prog.  Just give Recycled a listen, and try not to be bodily transported.  I dare you.

BaldFriede wrote: octopus-4 wrote: Lozlan wrote: Nektar.  All I ever hear about Nektar are close, but no cigar narratives...a band that was highly innovative, but whose innovation perpetually trailed behind more 'progressive' and successful acts.  However, I put on Tab, or Remember the Future, or their recent 2000's albums, and I'm just blown away.  This is a band that, in my humble opinion, totally deserves to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the great, renowned artists of prog.  Just give Recycled a listen, and try not to be bodily transported.  I dare you. Sorry, I like only the debut. The rest doesn't make anything special to me, but of course it's just my opinion. I like them a lot; their best album is "Recycled".