In last week’s edition of Tuesday’s Tunes I wrote on A few of my favorite underrated albums. This week I continue with a few more of my favorite underrated albums.
I’ve already mentioned five albums (from Shelby Lynne, Chris Rea, Vinnie Moore, Willie Nelson, The Mavericks) as among those that are my favorite underrated albums. Now I turn to 10 more albums I’ve come across in the process of my putting two songs by every artist or group we own onto iTunes. Without further adieu, they are:
- The Essential Etta James by Etta James (1993)
- Time’s Up by Living Colour (1990)
- The Reality of My Surroundings by Fishbone (1991)
- Symphony or Damn by Terence Trent D’Arby (1992)
- Sons of Soul by Tony! Toni! Tone! (1993)
- One by Me Phi Me (1993)
- I Ain’t Movin by Des’ree (1994)
- Dogman by King’s X (1994)
- Words by the Tony Rich Project (1995)
- Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite by Maxwell (1996)
Interestingly, although I didn’t have planned that way, all of these albums were released in the 1990s. The natural place to start, of course, is with:
The Essential Etta James by Etta James (1990): She’s the only one, though the album was released in the 1990s, who is definitely not from the 1990s. James, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated rhythm and blues female singers of all time. While Aretha Franklin got the spotlight, and believe me, she deserved it, Etta James deserved more exposure than she received. (Etta even does a Franklin song here, “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” which I believe is superior to Aretha’s.) While best known for her song, “At Last,” which also was her debut album in 1961, she did songs that were equally strong and some even more powerful, 44 of which are featured on The Essential Etta James. I first came across James on a blues show from a Syracuse, N.Y. station, I believe. The name of the song was “Something’s Got Ahold of Me” and is still one of my favorite songs by her. But to really appreciate her work, you need to listen to this album, two discs of the most incredible soul music ever produced.
Time’s Up by Living Colour (1990): While Living Colour’s first album Vivid in 1988 is the one everyone remembers because of “Cult of Personality,” this album to me, while maybe not the better album, was exemplary, because of songs like these:
Love Rears Its Ugly Head video
The Reality of My Surroundings by Fishbone (1991): The third album by Fishbone is a bizarre mix of genres as only Fishbone can do it.
Symphony or Damn by Terence Trent D’Arby (1992): I was introduced to his music by a future Methodist minister of all people while I was a student at Messiah College. He had the album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby, which included the songs “Wishing Well” and “Sign Your Name.” While I liked that album, this third album by D’Arby, who since has changed his name to Sananda Maitreya, was a revelation to me.
Do You Love Me Like You Say You Do video
Sons of Soul by Tony!Toni!Tone! (1993): Don’t ask me where I discovered this album, but for some reason, the sound (new jack swing) was just something fresh to these white boy’s ears.
One by Me Phi Me (1993): He only had one album, but it was DA BOMB. Again, I don’t remember how this white boy came upon this album, but from the moment I heard it, I loved it.
ME PHI ME stepping for the 25th Annual NAACP Image Awards on NBC
and the video for “Sad New Day”
I Ain’t Movin’ by Des’ree (1994): I first heard her on Symphony or Damn on the song, “Delicate,” and wondered whether she was good. This album showed me she was.
Dogman by King’s X (1994): Along with Living Colour, this band is one of my favorite bands ever. This Texas power trio is, in my opinion, one of the most underestimated power trios in progressive rock/metal. My two favorite songs off this one: “Flies and Blue Skies” and “Sunshine Rain,” which may not seem like the most uplifting songs on the album, but to me, they’ve always been a source of hope. Here’s one of the few video actually of them that I could find with a song from the album that wasn’t “Dogman” and that was pretty cool.
Words by The Tony Rich Project (1995): More new jack swing, but on the smooth side. Best song, this one:
Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite by Maxwell (1996): Barry White, Luther Vandross, move over, Maxwell’s here. This is one of those albums you play at certain times, if you know what I’m sayin’.
