Great albums that went nowhere

You know, the ones where everything was great but folks just didn't buy it for whatever reason. I'm selfishly posting this in hopes of plucking some jewels from the rough.

My pick is the Gene Clark's 1967 album Echos (With the Gosdin Brothers). The reissue is calledGene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers. Besides Gene, Vern, and Rex, the album featured Bill Rinehart, Clarence White, Jerry Cole and Glen Campbell on guitar; Chris Hillman on bass; Mike Clarke on drums, and Leon Russell on piano.

wxeOpCIIc60

Can't believe it missed. What's some others?

Townes Van Zandts' ENTIRE catalog

You know, the ones where everything was great but folks just didn't buy it for whatever reason. I'm selfishly posting this in hopes of plucking some jewels from the rough.

My pick is the Gene Clark's 1967 album Echos (With the Gosdin Brothers). The reissue is calledGene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers. Besides Gene, Vern, and Rex, the album featured Bill Rinehart, Clarence White, Jerry Cole and Glen Campbell on guitar; Chris Hillman on bass; Mike Clarke on drums, and Leon Russell on piano.

Can't believe it missed. What's some others?

Gene had at least 2 others in the early 70's that were great. I have them buried in my collection somewhere, "White Light" and "No Other".

Paul Siebel's 1970 Woodsmoke and Oranges was a masterpiece. His 1971 Jacknife Gypsy almost as good. Critical acclaim yes,success no. Heaps of other artists covered his song "Louise".

GJnzkCXaHY0&playnext=1&list=PLE02CFE72B3E20D19&index=60

Bruce Springsteen's first two albums, ESPECIALLY The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle.

Love's " Forever Changes ".

:smile:

Love's " Forever Changes ".

:smile:

+1 and I will add Ron Wood "Gimme some Neck"

The 1st Moby Grape

Love's " Forever Changes ".

:smile:

One of my alltime faves :cool:, but I'd disagree that it "went nowhere"...

While it might not have been as commercially successful as some would have liked when released
it's consistently described many as among the best of the era...

Bruce Springsteen's first two albums, ESPECIALLY The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle.

Agreed. He almost lost his record deal.

I think this falls into two categories:

Great records by artists whose whole careers didn't quite pan out as expected:
The first Lone Justice album
Here Comes the Groom: John Wesley Harding
Love, Hope, Sex and Dreams: The BoDeans

Unheralded albums by otherwise famous artists
Hearts and Bones: Paul Simon
I Love Everybody: Lyle Lovett
Train A Comin': Steve Earle

Now You Know- Doug Martsch

Gene had at least 2 others in the early 70's that were great. I have them buried in my collection somewhere, "White Light" and "No Other".

Those two, a couple of really fine Dillard and Clark albums, plus a great odds and ends album called Roadmaster.

Bring the Family ~ John Hiatt

John Stewart The Phoenix Concerts

...
Unheralded albums by otherwise famous artists
...

I Love Everybody: Lyle Lovett

...


Oh yeah. That is one of my all time favourite records; strong songs beautifully arranged from beginning to end.

The 1st Moby Grape

The one with the airbrushed out middle finger.

Winnie

Flo & Eddie........."Moving Targets"

The one with the airbrushed out middle finger.

Winnie

Yes!
Great Songs,Guitars,Vocals,Production.....
It is fairly well known, but it really didn't go anywhere - Bad marketing decisions,timing,?????

1 of the last shows at Fillmore East was Moby Grape/BB King.
It was the event of the year to my friends & me.
Finally the big night came - They played 4-5 songs....Out of tune,sloppy,they
stopped in the middle of a song. Almost like they were trying to get people mad. They said in an interview later on that it was intentional - They were disgusted w/ audiences,the music scene in general, so they made a "statement".
That was long after the 1st LP came out though, maybe they were bitter about their lack of success?

The one with the airbrushed out middle finger.

Winnie

I've got that one before it was airbrushed, and has a poster inside also with the bird out. I wonder if it has any value beyond the great music?

Pretty much everything Willie did till around Red Headed Stranger.

Once he grew his hair and became an Oullaw he got popular.

Little Village was a band consisting of John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner that recorded an album in 1992, having worked together previously on Hiatt's Bring the Family. I thought the strongest point of the album was the musicianship and the arrangements with the songs coming in second. But I found out later that there was a lot of infighting between members. Maybe they were too strong for each other.

SCK4sGxO_Vs&feature=related

VIj8fgJgahg

h_Puz-OZ4po&feature=related

That dont bug me song is a very poor song, if I wrote that I would be embarrassed its awful crap.

both of these:

from 1972
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/pococover.jpg

and 1973
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/Poco-Crazy_Eyes_3.jpg

they performed so poorly on the charts that a discouraged Richie Furay left the group.

i love 'em both, 'specially "A Good Feelin' To Know"...one of my all time faves.

That dont bug me song is a very poor song, if I wrote that I would be embarrassed its awful crap.

When I first read the comment, I thought it was pretty harsh, but after listening to the song... Let's just say, it's no "Marie Provost."

Yeah, speculation on the songwriting on Little Village was that the guys were saving their best songs for their respective solo careers. My bad, Don' Bug Me When I'm Working wasn't the strongest song to post off that album.

Bruce Springsteen's first two albums, ESPECIALLY The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle.

my favourite of all his albums.

Pavlov's Dog--"At the Sound of the Bell"

+1 and I will add Ron Wood "Gimme some Neck"

Billy B beat me to it. Gimme Some Neck was great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ur2xAobWFU

Buckingham Nicks - 1973, from which "Frozen Love" features the greatest guitar solo in rock history.

Gene Parsons "Kindling"

T

Gene Parsons "Kindling"


That's a great one. Love that album. Monument is beautiful.

Ian Hunters fist album after The Hoople. Mick Ronson has great guitar work and the production on that album is second to none. Talk about a wall of sound, the music is so in your face. Crank it up and tell me there has been better rock guitar recorded.

Rock On - Humble Pie
Peaked at 118 - the record made it well into the 200 --- I wouldn't call that nowhere. But worth a mention, IMO, as a jewel to be plucked.


Another for me is Fountains of Light - Starcastle, and their self-titled first release #101 and 95 respectfully. Again not exactly nowhere releases.

Rock on!

Great topic!

Good Iron

Billy B beat me to it. Gimme Some Neck was great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ur2xAobWFU

I'll take Ron Wood's "Now Look"

both of these:

from 1972
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/pococover.jpg

and 1973
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/Poco-Crazy_Eyes_3.jpg

they performed so poorly on the charts that a discouraged Richie Furay left the group.

i love 'em both, 'specially "A Good Feelin' To Know"...one of my all time faves.

Bro' you are reading my mind! Both of these are amazing LP's, they don't make 'em like that anymore.

Rock On - Humble Pie
Peaked at 118 - the record made it well into the 200 --- I wouldn't call that nowhere. But worth a mention, IMO, as a jewel to be plucked.





Shine On / Stone Cold Fever - Great Songs!

+1 and I will add Ron Wood "Gimme some Neck"

Always my favorite cut off that one, a real rockin tune.

+1 Paul Siebel (I also like Jack-knife Gypsy)
+ 1 Townes Van Zandt albums
+ 1 Gene Parsons

I would also add Richard Thompson's Henry the Human Fly

both Geoff and Maria Muldaur lps (with Amos Garrett)

Paul Butterfield's Betterdays (both albums)

Frummox

Happy and Artie Traum's "Double Back" lp

Plainsong "In Search of Amelia Earhart" lp

Eric Andersen "Blue River"

The Jayhawks, Hollywood Town Hall. I'm sure I play like I play because of it. Peaked at 192 on the Billboard 200.

Plainsong "In Search of Amelia Earhart" lp


Wow, that I haven't recalled for a very long time. That was a fine,fine,superfine album. Wasn't that Ian Matthews?

Ian Hunters fist album after The Hoople. Mick Ronson has great guitar work and the production on that album is second to none. Talk about a wall of sound, the music is so in your face. Crank it up and tell me there has been better rock guitar recorded.

agreed!

i like it better than any MTH album, plus it contains the original (better) version of "Once Bitten Twice Shy" which was covered for a hit by Great White

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/IanHunter.jpg

his second solo LP is great too, though a bit more understated

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/all_american_alien_boy.jpg

it wasn't until "You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic" that he had solo success.

Seals and Crofts, "Down Home". I don't know how it charted, but it is a solid album.

Big Star's only two albums went nowhere... hard to imagine when you listen to them :
hsPKKuQmJJQ

And Teenage Head by the Flamin Groovies. You never hear anybody reference them yet it's a masterpiece, even better than Sticky Fingers that came out the same year :
qIgB5Hmkugc

That's not even talking about Gram Parsons two solo albums that went nowhere too :
0zR-tKVt0VU

Ngybn4BQM84

In the 60's only The Beatles and Elvis sold more singles in the US than The 4 Seasons. Too late did they realize that they had to emphasize on albums instead of singles to keep up with their hardest competitors, The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds) and The Beatles (Sgt. Peppers).

In 1969 - which was at least 2 years too late - they released a concept album called "The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette" that flopped mainly because their fans wouldn't accept their change towards a more "psychedelic" style, and - as mentioned - it came much too late.

Musically, it's qualities are obvious though, and viewed in retrospect it was as good as any of the more accepted 60's masterpiece albums, including The Beach Boys and The Beatles' best efforts.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0018Z7VM6/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music

Big Star's only two albums went nowhere... hard to imagine when you listen to them :
hsPKKuQmJJQ

And Teenage Head by the Flamin Groovies. You never hear anybody reference them yet it's a masterpiece, even better than Sticky Fingers that came out the same year :
qIgB5Hmkugc

It's great, but better than Sticky Fingers?! I like High Flyin' baby...
It got good reviews when it was new, but is kind of forgotten.

Shake Some Action is great too - It started getting some recognition only recently, been out over 35 years....

It's great, but better than Sticky Fingers?! I like High Flyin' baby...
It got good reviews when it was new, but is kind of forgotten.

Shake Some Action is great too - It started getting some recognition only recently, been out over 35 years....

I stand by it : YES, better than Sticky Fingers, IMO. Listen to it again from start to finish and you'll see what I mean. :razz:

Oh yeah. That is one of my all time favourite records; strong songs beautifully arranged from beginning to end.

You're the other sicko who likes Lyle Lovett's I Love Everybody.
Love the songs, but they're really dark and cynical, even by Lyle's standards.
Bordering on Randy Newman territory.
It's also one of the best recorded albums ever, and I used it as a demo disc when I was auditioning high-end audio equipment. Listen carefully on the title track and you can hear Mrs. Lyle Lovett--aka Julia Roberts--singing, along with the very prominent Rickie Lee Jones.

Love Sonja and Record Lady especially.

Also big +1s for Henry the Human Fly, Hollywood Town Hall and The Wild and Innocent.

Another stealth fave:
Joe Henry's Shuffletown and Short Man's Room.
Joe wrote the fabulous liner notes to Hollywood Town Hall.

I stand by it : YES, better than Sticky Fingers, IMO. Listen to it again from start to finish and you'll see what I mean. :razz:
++++++++++

Dwight Twilley's 1976 debut, "Sincerely"- dare I say some of the best and most beautiful rock and roll I's ever heard. Fans of Big Star, Petty, Beatles and the Everly Brothers won't be disappointed. Also, anything by the Soft Boys, (w Robyn Hitchcock and Kimberly Rew) particularly "Underwater Moonlight". These are both artists I find myself constantly pushing to everyone around me.

What about this one.
Fu9ifq3cl1w

Glad to see some love for Big Star. Those two records were great.
And Pavlov's Dog! I think I'm the only other person here who's heard that record. The lead singer's voice was kind of an acquired taste.

John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters (http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Muddy-Waters-John-Hiatt/dp/B00004X03W).
There's no bad song on that album.

http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/j/john-hiatt/album-crossing-muddy-waters.jpg

6gcBzqqmOrI

ssKojkknZIU

You're the other sicko who likes Lyle Lovett's I Love Everybody.
Love the songs, but they're really dark and cynical, even by Lyle's standards.
Bordering on Randy Newman territory.
It's also one of the best recorded albums ever, and I used it as a demo disc when I was auditioning high-end audio equipment. Listen carefully on the title track and you can hear Mrs. Lyle Lovett--aka Julia Roberts--singing, along with the very prominent Rickie Lee Jones.

Love Sonja and Record Lady especially.

Also big +1s for Henry the Human Fly, Hollywood Town Hall and The Wild and Innocent.

Another stealth fave:
Joe Henry's Shuffletown and Short Man's Room.
Joe wrote the fabulous liner notes to Hollywood Town Hall.
Put me down for "I Love Everybody" too... love it...

John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters (http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Muddy-Waters-John-Hiatt/dp/B00004X03W).
There's no bad song on that album.

http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/j/john-hiatt/album-crossing-muddy-waters.jpg

6gcBzqqmOrI

ssKojkknZIU

+1 Love the opening song, Lincoln Town...

Love's " Forever Changes ".

:smile:

Hey I see that you're in Harrodsburg, KY. If you like the band Love and their album Forever Changes, you might be interested to know that there's a cool band in Lexington called "Between Clark and Hilldale (http://www.kentucky.com/2010/05/06/1254423/friends-death-from-crohns-disease.html)" that, as the name suggests, plays music by Love and other 60s psychdelic rock. You might keep an eye on the Lexington Herald Leader and catch their next performance. (Come to think of it, you may be a member of that band for all I know, in which case I will feel very silly for recommending your own band to you. :grin:)

Anyway, getting back to the OP's subject, I'd say the Big Star's albums mostly fell on deaf ears when they were first released. Now they're appreciated by a lot of musicians, but I think Big Star must've been disappointed with the sales of what were great albums.

http://www.therocker.nl/Pictures/Big%20Star_Radio%20city.jpg

http://www.1000recordings.com/images/artist-b/big-star-97-l.jpg

Crazy Horse - Crazy Horse. Neil Young's backup band was joined by Jack Nitzche and Nils Lofgren on this fine, mostly forgotten, 1971 album. Ry Cooder and Gib Gilbeau even chipped in on a few songs. This Danny Whitten tune from it has been covered a time or two.
uN8uiFnkz-w

Put me down for "I Love Everybody" too... love it...

Let's start a fan club, you fellow creep. We can meet at McDonald's near my house. If Lyle brings his band we'll probably have to take the large booth.

From Creeps Like Me

I wear grandmother's ring
On my finger
She had a tooth of gold
Just before she died she said
"Son, you can have my tooth
But do I really have to go?"

Anyway, getting back to the OP's subject, I'd say the Big Star's albums mostly fell on deaf ears when they were first released. Now they're appreciated by a lot of musicians, but I think Big Star must've been disappointed with the sales of what were great albums.

http://www.therocker.nl/Pictures/Big%20Star_Radio%20city.jpg


I actually scored a NOS unplayed LP copy of Radio City with press kit which came direct from Ardent Records, right across the street in Memphis' Shangri-La Records store a few years back. One of my prized possessions. :razz:
BTW, one of my favorite album covers of all time...

Let's start a fan club, you fellow creep. We can meet at McDonald's near my house. If Lyle brings his band we'll probably have to take the large booth.

From Creeps Like Me

I wear grandmother's ring
On my finger
She had a tooth of gold
Just before she died she said
"Son, you can have my tooth
But do I really have to go?"

Let's do it ! We could meet in a telephone booth too... :wink:
I love the opener " Skinny Legs"... raise your hand if you've never felt like that ...
"Record Lady", "Sonja", "They Don't Like Me", "Ain't It Something"... classics ! You made me want to dust off my copy and listent to it again ! :grin: Thanks !
BTW : Did someone cover "Ain't It Something", or am I losing it ?

Oops, I just realized somebody else had already mentioned Big Star before I posted. Oh well. *raises glass* Always good to meet other Big Star fans.

Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" and other records didn't seem to have had that big of an impact initially, and now he has had a posthumous 2nd career. I myself never heard of him until I saw the VW Cabrio television ad that featured the song "Pink Moon."

http://musicwebzine.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/nick-drake-pink-moon.jpg

8lSKUL_n6c0
Pretty great TV ad, actually.

Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" and other records didn't seem to have had that big of an impact initially, and now he has had a posthumous 2nd career. I myself never heard of him until I saw the VW Cabrio television ad that featured the song "Pink Moon."

http://musicwebzine.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/nick-drake-pink-moon.jpg
Pretty great TV ad, actually.

I think you could insert any video and play "Pink Moon" over it and it'd be great.

It always fascinated me that Teenage Fanclub weren't megastars...they released two of the best pop albums of the 90's (along with Material Issue)

Nick Lowe got mentioned upthread, but let me nominate "Jesus of Cool" (or "Pure Pop for Now People" in its US release). Excellent power pop, served up with a wicked sense of humor, and there's even Telecasters (and some really loud shirts) on the covers!

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/L/nick_lowe_coolf.jpg

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/L/nick_lowe_front.jpg

Also +1 on the Big Star love. That band should have been huge.

Also +1 on the Big Star love. That band should have been huge.

RIP Alex Chilton. Now both singer songwriters in that band are dead... :cry:

65123

65123

+1

That Nick Lowe album didn't 'go nowhere'. I can think of at least 4 songs from it that were FM staples. "I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass" for one was a big club hit.

Not being pedantic about it but glad to point out that a great album did get its due. Of course he had a huge hit with Cruel To Be Kind so the man did good!

There's a bunch listed here that actually went places in their day. Forever Changes was a hit in England, for instance - made the charts.

Now Brinsley Schwarz on the other hand...

TSlyn0WoSjc?

As for Teenage Fanclub, I'm certainly not going to lament their lack of Michael Jackson-like mass popularity. Considering what they were doing was completely unlike the prevailing Brit Pop of their day they not only got signed to the hippest label at the time (Creation), they also got rave reviews and were very popular. All of their albums did well. I'd love to have suffered their kind of obscurity!

Fair enough about "Jesus of Cool", Oster. I can't recall ever hearing any of the songs except "Cruel to be Kind" before I bought the CD a couple years ago, and that was another version of the song. But you're right that Lowe really doesn't belong in the "went nowhere" category the way Nick Drake or Big Star does.

Coming around full circle (pardon the pun!) to Gene Clark, I really like that album with the Gosdins (who, to be fair, had no business with a co-credit, they just sang backups!), but for my money, No Other is one of the best albums I've ever owned...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61x%2BSRYDyZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Just a freakin' MASTERPIECE!

Tim

The Del Fuegos -Boston Mass.

I know Rick Danko had some terrific solo albums, and they didn't sell at all.

Levon Helm and the RCO All Stars - this 1977 album was a sales dud but a really fantastic album, worth it alone for Fred Carter Jr.'s smokin' guitar. I guess the success of Helm's recent stuff has finally led to the reissue of this great album on a CD twofer, paired the the 1980 album American Son.

I can't recall ever hearing any of the songs except "Cruel to be Kind" before I bought the CD a couple years ago, and that was another version of the song.

I going to have to pick that up on CD. My copy is cassette! Not sounding too good anymore either... :oops:

Frank Zappa - most of his albums but esp. "One Size Fits All" and "Roxy & Elsewhere".

&

Pete Townshend "Who Came First"

&

+100 to Big Star--Start with "Radio City" if you haven't heard them. It's freakin' brilliant.

Roseanne Cash's 10-Song Demo.

And this thread inspired me to download the first two Big Star albums--not a bad deal for $10 on Itunes--so thanks.

the first two Big Star albums--not a bad deal for $10 on Itunes--so thanks.


I know. Saw that. Best deal going.

You know, the ones where everything was great but folks just didn't buy it for whatever reason. I'm selfishly posting this in hopes of plucking some jewels from the rough.

My pick is the Gene Clark's 1967 album Echos (With the Gosdin Brothers). The reissue is calledGene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers. Besides Gene, Vern, and Rex, the album featured Bill Rinehart, Clarence White, Jerry Cole and Glen Campbell on guitar; Chris Hillman on bass; Mike Clarke on drums, and Leon Russell on piano.

wxeOpCIIc60

Can't believe it missed. What's some others?


This true of virtually his entire post Byrds catalog. "White Light" and "No Other" are also great records that went nowhere.

I note that this record was released at exactly the same time as "Younger Than Yesterday" by the Byrds, which didn't help.

I suppose it helps to remember that Gene didn't tour much in support of his records due to his fear of flying and then there were his substance abuse issues. What a talent though. Died much too young.

The one with the airbrushed out middle finger.

Winnie


The original cover had that finger in there. I've got a copy. In fact thanks to my wife, I've got the one without it too. No additonal songs though.

Chris Hillman's "Slppin' Away"... Great record. Not much interest at the time.

Van Dyke Parks' "Song Cycle"

Two stellar Pittsburgh bands...

Gathering Field "Lost in America" - Folk/Americana Rock with amazing lyrics -MCA records opted to promote Matchbox 20 in lieu of GF.

The Clarks "Restless Days" - just good american rock

Pretty much the entire Replacements catalog, except the last one maybe, and the couple records Cheap Trick released before At Budokan -- Cheap Trick, In Color, Heaven Tonight.

Cowboy Junkies, Miles from Our Home

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/617XR23B3CL._SL500_AA300_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UK4-nq1KL._SL500_AA300_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/611lBc1FNeL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Heres another of my favorite off the path albums - Iggy Pop and James Williamson "Kill City"

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l12/davidtparks/liverpoolwigs.jpg

This was their Sgt. Pepper