FIVE OVER LOOKED ALBUMS THAT ARE GREAT

A while back I did an entry that listed ten great studio albums that I feel should be in everyone's collection.  I have decided to return to the subject and this time list ten albums that are mainly over looked in artists libraries.  Ground rules are simple: Greatest Hits albums are not allowed nor are live albums.  In the previous post, which included Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Willie Nelson, Miles Davis, The Allman Brothers Band and Chicago.  There was also one album that could be included on this list as well.  That one being Nicky Hopkins "The Tin Man Was A Dreamer"  However since it was included in the previous post, it will not be included here although it is a great album that nobody knows about.  You can read about the album on my "Great Music Installation" post.

So here are some great albums that are often over shadowed and over looked by music lovers everywhere.

CAT STEVENS - "CATCH BULL AT FOUR"

Like so many albums on this list, "Catch Bull At Four" is the casualty of the greatness of Cat Stevens other albums such as "Tea For The Tillerman", "Teaser And the Firecat" and "Buddah and the Chocolate Box" all of which were filled with great songs and hits.  This album has just two songs known to the casual Cat Stevens listener "Sitting" and "Can't Keep It In".  The album is for the most part quieter than his previous albums and let's face it, this album was up against some pretty stiff competition for the casual Cat Stevens listener.  It is more acoustic and the lyrics are a bit more complicated as Stevens was starting his journey to find spirituality for his life.  Still, this album holds up against those other three if it is given a chance.

DAVID BOWIE - "STATION TO STATION"

This album suffered much the same fate as "Catch Bull At Four" did.  Bowie had already amassed a fairly large following and had several songs hit the charts before this album was released.  There is only one song that is considered a vital part of his canon in "Golden Years".  The rest of the songs slipped between the cracks.  The first problem for this album was that there were only six songs on it.  "Golden Years" clocked in at 4:00 and was the only song that would fit the single release format.  All of the other songs range from 5:34 to 10:16.  Those other songs were great though.  The album follows the seventies Bowie formula music wise with each song a master to itself.  TVC-15, Station to Station, Stay and Wild Is The Wind are to Bowie fanatics must haves.  This album deserves a better placement than it gets in the Bowie Catalogue.  Give it a listen if you get the chance.

WARREN ZEVON - "WARREN ZEVON"

Long before "Werewolves Of London" became a standard classic rock song, Warren Zevon was sitting at home writing songs and working as a studio musician.  He met Jackson Browne and the two became very good friends.  One weekend Browne visited Zevon to listen to some songs that the piano player had written.  Browne was dutifully impressed and talked the record studios into recording a record with some of these early songs.  This album was the result.  Actually, almost all of Warren Zevon's career was over looked.  He only charted two songs with "Werewolves Of London" peaking at #21 and "A Certain Girl" hitting #57.  Even though his recordings were overlooked his songs weren't.  Other artists needing songs for their own albums were directed to some Zevon songs.  "Hasten Down The Wind", Poor Poor Pitiful Me" and "Carmelita" were all covered by several artists and became hits.  Zevon continued to record though and when "Werewolves Of London" finally made a splash his name became a little better known.  It was then that he became one of David Letterman's favorite guest musicians and Zevon sat in for Paul Schieffer  several time on Letterman's show.  This exposure brought more attention to Zevon and his later songs but this first album was loaded with what would became an integral part of his library.  Along with "Hasten Down The Wind" and Poor Poor Pitiful Me" were "The French Inhaler", "Mohammed's Radio", "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" and "Desperados Under The Eaves".  As Zevon was closing out his career due to cancer, his songs began to catch the attention of the music world and by the time he passed, he was considered one of rock's greatest composers and entertainers.  Although the album is still relatively unknown, the songs from it appear on his greatest hits packages and are well know as songs unto themselves, not songs from a certain album.  This album in hindsight is one of Zevon's greatest and deserves a listen.

THREE DOG NIGHT - "COMING DOWN YOUR WAY"

Anyone who knows me knows about my lifelong love affair with this band.  I truly do love all the music they produced.  After landing on the charts with three #1's, 11 top 20's and 20 consecutive top 40 hits, this album was released in 1975.  It would give Three Dog Night their 21st and final top 40 hit in the form of "Til The World Ends".  It was the year I graduated High School and so it seemed my public academic life and the life of Three Dog Night came to an end at the same time.  Coincidence?  I don't know ... maybe.  This album though is overlooked because it did just produce one single and it seemed like the music world in general was heading in a different direction than these guys.  This album though is classic Three Dog Night as it follows the formula of all of their previous albums.  It sounds like Three Dog Night and, to me anyway, it is one fantastic record.  This thing is loaded with songs that in an earlier point of the bands existence would have produced three singles easily.  After this album, Three Dog Night began to fall apart and they tried different sounds, and well, it all came crashing down.  For anyone who listened to and enjoyed Three Dog Night, this album is a must listen.  If anything it will help bring closure to the end of a great career by a great group.

 JOHN MAYALL - "NEW YEAR NEW BAND NEW COMPANY"

It is hard to fathom the number of albums John Mayall has released and so it is easy to see how a few of them could get lost in the shuffle.  This album was special though.  Mayall was, and still is, considered a master bluesman who brought up guitarists who he had discovered like Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor. Clapton would go on to form Cream and a solo career, Peter Green would co-found Fleetwood Mac and a solo career, and Mick Taylor who would join the Rolling Stones.  On this album though, Mayall took a chance and hung a HUGE left turn sliding a little bit away from the blues into a southern rock sound.  It was 1975 and the southern rock genre was hitting it big and Mayall wanted to give it a shot.  He put together a totally new band and included for the first time a female vocalist in Dee McKinnie.  When the record hit the shelves Mayall fans were stunned as they were expecting another great blues album and got southern rock instead.  The reviews were not good because it wasn't what was expected of the master but in hindsight, this album is a wonder.  It is a wonder that Mayall could take such a turn away from blues and still put out an incredible recording.  All of you Mayall blues fans out there ... give this thing a chance.  You may like it better than you think you will.

So there are five of many albums that are underrated or overlooked in my opinion.  Maybe you have a couple of your favorite albums that no one else seems to know about.  It is pretty easy to do.