I came across an interesting discussion on Reddit this past week. The topic was “overrated musical artists.” A knock-down, drag-out was brewing over Stevie Wonder. Most comments (my own included) argued that Stevie was sent from the Gods above to lift the spirits of mere mortals for our brief time on earth. To even associate him with the term “overrated” is secular sacrilege.
But the counters were not unreasonable. They grow out of understanding that something can be good – great, even – and still be overrated. Say, for instance, that you simply don’t see all that big a gap between Stevie and Jamiroquai.
You’d be wrong, but, hey, they’re your ears. Stevie is generally held in much higher esteem, so perhaps you feel that the British jazz funksters are underrated, and perhaps Stevie, though still excellent, is slightly overrated. There’s at least logic to that sentiment.
This argument came back to me today when I read through the BBC’s Steve Wright’s list of underrated bands from the 1970s. It is entitled “Lost Genius: 23 criminally underrated 1970s bands.” So we know at least two things from this headline. These bands were geniuses. And they weren’t merely underrated. They were criminally underrated. We should expect some heavy hitters.
Tweaking the BBC’s underrated 1970s bands list
I’m right there with Wright through much of his list. Little Feat? Hell yeah. They should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Graham Parker and the Rumor? Maybe not RRHOF, but they deserved a lot more than they got. Lesser-known artists like Be Bob Deluxe, Budgie, and the Flamin’ Groovies? All worthy entries. Far more people should know about Television and Fela Kuti & Africa 70.
However, there were some selections that struck me as misplaced. Again, I am not necessarily arguing about the band’s merits – merely whether they deserved to be better known than they ultimately were.
Gentle Giant and their American counterpart Happy the Man were progressive of the most mathematical sort. I admit up front that this is not one of my favorite genres of music, but I have liked plenty of prog rock bands over the years.
Back then, 13th Floor Elevators and a fair bit of Jethro Tull were among my favorites. Gentle Giant and Happy the Man were never particularly accessible to the mainstream. When they dipped their toes in that direction, they did not succeed. So I think it’s fair to say that they achieved acceptance commensurate with their output.
The same applies to Amon Düül II. Neu! Is also on Thompson’s list, and I think they were more legitimately deserving of greater success. Sparks had a freaking movie made about them five years ago. If you saw it (The Sparks Brothers), you’ll know that they were never destined for broad appeal. They seem to be worthy of the cult status they have.
And Hawkwind? Well, they basically fired Lemmy, who went on to form one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Hawkwind was fine, but did they really deserve a ton more recognition? An awful lot of their songs seemed to be about space travel and fairies.
So, if I’m complaining about those five bands, who am I suggesting as replacements? Here are five other ‘70s bands more deserving of the “underrated” label.
Joy of Cooking
Joy of Cooking emerged in the Bay Area at the height of Summer of Love psychedelia. But they proved far more eclectic than most of the hippie bands that had brief runs. More musically accomplished, too.
From the rockabilly/country of “Brownsville” to the big blues rock power ballad of “Hush,” Joy of Cooking was powered by the songs and voice of Toni Brown. Brown’s piano also played a major role in their sound, especially on the gentler tunes like “Blues for a Friend.” But JOC had plenty of musical talent to balance her.
Along with Genya Ravan, fronting Ten Wheel Drive at the time, Brown was proving that Janis Joplin was not the only woman who could stand in front of a rock band and shine. After they broke up mid-decade, both Brown and guitarist Terry Garthwaite had runs as solo acts.
Tracks to check out: “Hush,” “Three Days Loser”
New York Dolls
How can I claim the New York Dolls were underrated? A lot of music critics might say the exact opposite. For a brief period of time in one very specific cultural center, the Dolls were a cause célèbre.
In New York’s emerging punk clubs in the early ‘70s, the New York Dolls were transforming British glam into something new. Wild, raucous, and in your face. If you want to argue that singer David Johansen and bassist Arthur Kane were more important for their look and attitude, I won’t object.
But Johansen was an essential punk vocalist, who placed power and charisma over vocal chops. And in Johnny Thunders, they had a seminal punk guitar player who would have a massive influence on Johnny Ramone and virtually all subsequent punk players.
Alas, lifestyle and gimmick curtailed the Dolls' career, but of all those early punk icons, they remain one of the most listenable today. If the Dolls are too well-known for you, you can start working your way down through other punk legends like Mink DeVille and the Rubber City Rebels.
Tracks to check out: “Personality Crisis,” “Jet Boy”
Amazing Rhythm Aces
The Eagles became a band in 1971. A year later, in Memphis, the Amazing Rhythm Aces were formed. For a brief period, they seemed to occupy similar territory. Quality singer-songwriter, country-flavored rock. Then Don Henley and Glenn Frey took the Eagles in a more mainstream pop direction and hit pay dirt. ARA stayed mostly true to country pop.
They were very good. Russell Smith had a sweet tenor, and the band provided strong harmonies. Veterans Butch McDade and Jeff Davis provided the “rhythm” in the Rhythm Aces. The result was a string of Spanish-tinged pop with a nice edge.
But the late ‘70s were not the time for that brand of country. Their biggest hit –“Third Rate Romance” – was the first track on their first album, and despite putting out quality albums every year from 1975 to 1980, they were never able to recapture that early success.
Tracks to check out: “Third Rate Romance,” “Emma-Jean”
Wire
If Television made the original list – as they appropriately did – their kinda-sorta British counterpart Wire deserves recognition as well. They had a rougher sound than Television, in the same way the Sex Pistols were rougher than Ramones.
But they come from a similar place – using punk as a diving board into something different. Hence, post-punk was born before most of the public even knew that punk was a thing.
The angular guitars of Bruce Gilbert and Colin Newman are obvious on their seminal debut, Pink Flag. They followed it up with three more first-rate albums, but never got the attention of bands like Sex Pistols and the Clash. For a long time, they were known to more casual fans as the band Elastica “borrowed” riffs from. Listen for yourself on…
Tracks to check out: “Three Girl Rhumba,” “I Am the Fly”
Heavy Metal Kids
With a different name, these Brits could have been big. The problem is they were definitely not metal, despite the classic metal-sounding voice of Gary Holton. Their early albums dabbled more in glam, which was a losing proposition by the mid-1970s.
Had they come along a few years earlier, they might have been another T. rex, but they missed the early-‘70s wave. Had they been American, they might have been Big Star – another band that could easily be on this list.
Heavy Metal Kids sounds really cool today, blasting riffs and snarling lyrics. Holton died in 1985 but Heavy Metal Kids, after a long break, began putting out new music again in the early 21st century, using a revolving cast of new frontmen.
Tracks to check out: “Hangin’ On,” “Delirious”
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