Their most underrated song.

[TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]

What are great bands' most underrated songs, the songs in their catalogues that even the fans and the die-hards never seem to mention? The one that might even just be a b-side, but it's in your top-five songs by them? The one the one that just never seems to get any love?

My vote:

Led Zeppelin - "Down by the seaside" - buried in the weird second disc of Physical Graffiti, this is one of my top-five Zep tunes, and on a good day I might even say it's one of my top three. I love the nautical guitar line, the breezy shuffling rhythm, and the electric piano; the whole thing adds up to a perfectly pastoral, idyllic seaside scene, perhaps even in the 1800's. And then that haunting rocked out bridge! I just love it, and I've literally never met another person who even mentions the song in passing.

[fishbicycle]

On the Pye label B-side of The Kinks' "Lola" is a phenomenal song called "Berkeley Mews." Until the CD age arrived with its remastered editions with bonus tracks, the only place you could find this song aside from the 45 was on "The Kinks Kronikles" LP. Now, it's on quite a few of their compilations.

It has to rank among the best work The Kinks ever did. It's a great basher. It's got one of the great, cryptic Davies lyrics about a strange person Ray thought he loved. It has all these fascinating little production elements, like a few bars of mellotron here but not anywhere else, a sax solo on the end, a massive finish, and it's got Nicky Hopkins playing a stunning honky-tonk piano part throughout. It manages to be both like and unlike anything the group had done before. If I'd been a DJ back then, I would have flipped over "Lola" and played the other side, too.

Other than the people for whom I've played the song (and I eventually play it for everyone I know), I've never met anyone else who's heard it. It never seems to rate a mention in published works on the group. If you like The Kinks, I urge you to find this song and give it a listen.

[mr. jp]

Oasis - Round Are Way

This is crazy. Although an excellent, energetic song, it is not even on their B-side compilation.

[Baron Greenback]

One of my favourite Velvet Underground songs is "After Hours", the last track on the third album. It's just such a simple bittersweet song, and I totally love Mo Tucker's vocal on it. (I've heard her singing it live too). But it doesn't seem to get much love.

[TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]

One of my favourite Velvet Underground songs is "After Hours", the last track on the third album. It's just such a simple bittersweet song, and I totally love Mo Tucker's vocal on it. (I've heard her singing it live too). But it doesn't seem to get much love.

It's one of my absolute favorite VU songs, and I think it has a nice little following among the fanbase.

My actual vote for "VU's best completely underrated song" is this one called "Countess from Hong Kong" that I think is only available on the "Peel Slowly and See" boxed set. I'm pretty sure it's a Loaded-era outtake, and it's just a great little song with this cool, spidery guitar line.

[Thudlow Boink]

On the Pye label B-side of The Kinks' "Lola" is a phenomenal song called "Berkeley Mews." Until the CD age arrived with its remastered editions with bonus tracks, the only place you could find this song aside from the 45 was on "The Kinks Kronikles" LP. Now, it's on quite a few of their compilations.Man, "The Kinks Kronikles" had quite a few great, otherwise-unavailable tracks.

But my vote for the Kinks' most underrated (or maybe just underheard) song is "Did Ya." I love this song, and played it over and over when I managed to find the obscure early-90's EP on which it appeared. Wonderfully sung, wonderfully played, with a classic Ray Davies lyric; it definitely sounds like a Kinks song, though not quite like any of their other songs. Honorable mention goes to "Look Through Any Doorway," Dave's contribution to that EP, and one of his best ever.

[DJ Motorbike]

Led Zeppelin - "Down by the seaside" - buried in the weird second disc of Physical Graffiti, this is one of my top-five Zep tunes, and on a good day I might even say it's one of my top three.

Tori Amos did a version of "Down by the Seaside" as a duet with Robert Plant. "In the Light" was one of my favorite songs by Zepplin (and I think it was on Physical Graffiti as well) but almost never hear it mentioned either.

Since we mostly seem to be talking about b-sides I'll vote for "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam. Great tune and was originally released as an extra track on the Jermey CD single. I was at a Pearl Jam concert in 98 or 99 and they played it. None of my friends had heard it before that.

[Baron Greenback]

It's one of my absolute favorite VU songs, and I think it has a nice little following among the fanbase.

My actual vote for "VU's best completely underrated song" is this one called "Countess from Hong Kong" that I think is only available on the "Peel Slowly and See" boxed set. I'm pretty sure it's a Loaded-era outtake, and it's just a great little song with this cool, spidery guitar line.

If you'd like to expand the OP to entire double albums, the 1969 Live set is just awesomely good, and sells few copies. I bought it in the mid eighties on vinyl, and I'm sure it's been hard to find for much of the time since. It's rereleased as two seperate discs now for some reason.

[MadTheSwine]

Nevermore by Queen from Queen II, track three on side black.

Pink Floyd has a couple,When The Tigers Broke Free from The Wall and Southhampton Dock and The Final Cut from the album The Final Cut.

[Cisco]

Back about 12-13 years ago when Led Zeppelin was my favorite band I didn't care much one way or another for "Gallow's Pole", but it's recently become my favorite Zep song. I've always liked the story but I guess the groove never settled with me until one day when it just clicked.

"Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam . . . I was at a Pearl Jam concert in 98 or 99 and they played it. None of my friends had heard it before that.
Really? It got a lot of radio play when it was new and it seems to still get as much as most other PJ songs. You're right though that it's pretty good - one of my favorites.

[elfkin477]

Beatles - their cover of Bobby Scott's "A Taste Of Honey" is probably the most underrated that I can think of. It's one of my favorites, but most people have blank looks when I mention it. They broke up long before I was born, how come so few people actually alive then seem to have heard of it?

[Sam Stone]

I'll add some more Beatles songs that are great and never got the airplay of their hits:

Got To Get You Into My Life

The entire second side of Abbey Road

Boys - Ringo's best vocal performance - by far.

Here, There, and Everywhere

[SSG Schwartz]

Pink Floyd's "Wot's A Deal" on the album Obscurred by Clouds. I first heard this song when supermarkets used to play elevator music. I loved it then and it still is my favorite Pink Floyd song. The rest of the album I will pass on. I have never heard this song come up when people talk about PF.

Sgt Schwartz

[SSG Schwartz]

Damn, I meant "Wot's Uh Deal" fixing typos when none existed.

Sgt Schwartz

[Diogenes the Cynic]

What are great bands' most underrated songs, the songs in their catalogues that even the fans and the die-hards never seem to mention? The one that might even just be a b-side, but it's in your top-five songs by them? The one the one that just never seems to get any love?

My vote:

Led Zeppelin - "Down by the seaside" - buried in the weird second disc of Physical Graffiti, this is one of my top-five Zep tunes, and on a good day I might even say it's one of my top three. I love the nautical guitar line, the breezy shuffling rhythm, and the electric piano; the whole thing adds up to a perfectly pastoral, idyllic seaside scene, perhaps even in the 1800's. And then that haunting rocked out bridge! I just love it, and I've literally never met another person who even mentions the song in passing.
I think the whole second disc of Physical Graffiti is underrated. Not only "Down By the Seaside," but "In the Light" and "Ten Years Gone" are both great songs.

[matt_mcl]

I regard a fairly hefty majority of the Pet Shop Boys' oeuvre to be either Very Good, Excellent, or Should Be Declared The National Anthem; given that there are approximately three of their tracks that anyone on this continent has ever heard of, that should give you an idea of the extent of the choice. If I had to choose, I'd say "Miracles," which I'm busily evangelizing to everyone.

[GargoyleWB]

Alice Cooper's Generation Landslide from the Billion Dollar Babies album is the tightest package of inspired lyrics, musicianship, theme, and composition that the band has ever done. Nested in a fantastic album overall, it never sees any love due to the more accessible radio-friendly songs on the album.

[Marley23]

I'll add some more Beatles songs that are great and never got the airplay of their hits:

Got To Get You Into My Life

The entire second side of Abbey Road
I've said this before, but I think Hey Bulldog is outstanding and really underrated.

[Emily Litella]

I think Moonlight Mile by the Rolling Stones is among the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, yet I never hear it on the radio. I guess it's too mellow and long. I was also thinking of Time Waits for No One, it's along the same lines but it got more air play, I think more people have heard of it.
I graduated high school in 1976 and listened to Led Zepplin's Physical Graffiti almost every day for a year or two, so I don't have any perspective left on Down By the Seaside and In the Light. The whole album is A side to me.

[zoogirl]

Alice Cooper's Generation Landslide from the Billion Dollar Babies album is the tightest package of inspired lyrics, musicianship, theme, and composition that the band has ever done. Nested in a fantastic album overall, it never sees any love due to the more accessible radio-friendly songs on the album.


Okay, I'll take that for an Original ACG song but how about Six Hours} from Dirty Diamonds, his current album, as a solo gem? It's got an almost Fifties vibe coupled with a hard rock finish and vocals that could make an icicle sweat! Ohhhh, yeah!

[TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]

If you'd like to expand the OP to entire double albums, the 1969 Live set is just awesomely good, and sells few copies. I bought it in the mid eighties on vinyl, and I'm sure it's been hard to find for much of the time since. It's rereleased as two seperate discs now for some reason.

The one with the ass on the cover? It's AMAZING - seriously SO essential that, like you, I don't understand why it isn't more lauded or spoken of.

[Richard Pearse]

Pink Floyd has a couple,When The Tigers Broke Free from The Wall...
Not surprising really, given that it only appeared on the film and not the album. So most Pink Floyd fans didn't get a chance to listen to it more than a couple of times unless they bought the single that it B sided or, more recently, the "Best Of" album.

Damn, I meant "Wot's Uh Deal" fixing typos when none existed.
It's Wot's... uh the Deal.

From the same album, I've always liked Childhood's End and Stay. Stay has a nice chorus.

The Narrow Way from Ummugumma is another favourite of mine, particularly parts one and three. It's a pity their production values weren't as high then as they became later on.

[Ximenean]

I've said this before, but I think Hey Bulldog is outstanding and really underrated.
Yep. And I love Baby You're a Rich Man. Another one is You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), at least the Anthology version. I had heard about this supposedly embarrasing novelty song the Beatles did late in their career, long before I heard the song itself. It's great! Really nice tune, and the "Hello and welcome to Slagger's" stuff at the end cracks me up.

[Johanna]

The first Beatles song that sprang to mind was YKMN-LUTN. They really loosened themselves up for that one, huh.

When I thought about it, I remembered "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" has always been one of my favorite kickass Beatles songs, but I've never seen anyone else who likes it.

[xnylder]

I regard a fairly hefty majority of the Pet Shop Boys' oeuvre to be either Very Good, Excellent, or Should Be Declared The National Anthem; given that there are approximately three of their tracks that anyone on this continent has ever heard of, that should give you an idea of the extent of the choice. If I had to choose, I'd say "Miracles," which I'm busily evangelizing to everyone.

I completely agree with you on "Miracles"; that song improves my mood instantly whenever I listen to it. Two of my favorite neglected songs are "Mad About You" by Sting and "I Burn for You" by The Police. They both have a fantastic (in both senses of the word) vibe, but I think both are ill-known by fans.

[Thudlow Boink]

I've said this before, but I think Hey Bulldog is outstanding and really underrated.Good call; that probably would have been my pick. That song rocks! But it's hidden away on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack (even though it's not in the movie) which has very few original Beatles songs.

[Cisco]

Not surprising really, given that it only appeared on the film and not the album. So most Pink Floyd fans didn't get a chance to listen to it more than a couple of times unless they bought the single that it B sided or, more recently, the "Best Of" album.
I could've swore it was on the CD, but you're right - I checked Amazon and it's not on the tracklisting. I know the song well though, and not from the movie or a "Best Of" - it must have been on some CD version of the Wall. Maybe the first edition of the CD? My dad would've bought it as soon as it was released and that's whose Wall CD I would've been listening to ~15 years ago.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

I could've swore it was on the CD, but you're right - I checked Amazon and it's not on the tracklisting. I know the song well though, and not from the movie or a "Best Of" - it must have been on some CD version of the Wall. Maybe the first edition of the CD? My dad would've bought it as soon as it was released and that's whose Wall CD I would've been listening to ~15 years ago.
It was never part of The Wall on LP or CD, but it was issued as a single. It now appears on the remastered edition of The Final Cut, inserted into the middle of what used to be Side One.

[Paul in Qatar]

For covers, Tina Turner singing The Bitch is Back on Two Rooms, and Nick Cave doing Let It Be on I am Sam.

But what was the greatest Beatles song? "There are places I remember, all my life, though some have changed. ..."

[Cisco]

It was never part of The Wall on LP or CD, but it was issued as a single. It now appears on the remastered edition of The Final Cut, inserted into the middle of what used to be Side One.
Maybe I do know it from the movie . . . Is that the one he sings from the balcony, at the beginning?

[Ins&Outs&What-have-yous]

"Summer Highland Falls" by Billy Joel comes to mind.

I don't think anything on Abbey Road is underrated; I love the album and all, but I've heard consistent praise for it from many sources. My favorite underrated Beatles' song is probably "The Inner Light."

[Richard Pearse]

No, it's split into two parts. The first plays at the very beginning of the movie while "Daddy" is getting prepared for his last day, he's about to get killed in WWII, but he doesn't know it yet.

It was just before dawn,
One miserable morning in black '44...

The second and third verse play as young Pink digs up his father's uniform, some live ammunition, and the note from "kind old King George" informing his family that father was gone.

There was a lot of material cut from The Wall which was originally intended to be put onto a following album. The Final Cut ended up being that album but When The Tigers Broke Free didn't make it to either of them. It was only on the film. It was then on the B side of a single, I'm not sure which one, and it is now on Echoes, the remastered Final Cut and on various unofficial compilation albums.

The song that the dude sings from the balcony would be In The Flesh? and appears on The Wall album as well as the movie.

[Richard Pearse]

That was a reply to Cisco in case it's not clear.

60 Seconds is a long time when you've nothing to do but wait.

[zoogirl]

Didja know that Alice Cooper just covered that song on the new tribute album Butchering The Beatles? It's also got Steve Vai on guitar and it kicks!

[zoogirl]

Shoot! Meant to quote the posts about "Hey Bulldog". Oops!

[JCorre]

I think the whole second disc of Physical Graffiti is underrated. Not only "Down By the Seaside," but "In the Light" and "Ten Years Gone" are both great songs.


I was going to chime in with "In the Light" because I never hear it mentioned in LZ discussions that I've had (until I bring it up).

"Ten Years Gone" is my favorite LZ song of them all but I have seen it come up here and there.

[jsc1953]

Good call on "Hey Bulldog". My personal underrated Beatles favorite, though, is Dear Prudence. Love that song.

[elfkin477]

I've said this before, but I think Hey Bulldog is outstanding and really underrated.

Eh. IMHO Toad The Wet Sprocket's cover is better. Though just as obscure.

[Ludovic]

The Narrow Way from Ummugumma is another favourite of mine, particularly parts one and three. It's a pity their production values weren't as high then as they became later on.I like it as well: it's probably my favorite song on that album.

But i disagree on the production to an extent: true, the first time the pace picks up it should be louder and clearer, but that just makes the second time more powerful.

It also gets my vote for "Floyd song that might sound even better if ...and you will know us by the trail of dead did a remake."

[Mangosteen]

When people talk about the Eagles, they seldom bring up the song, "There's a train leaves here this morning", but its one of my Eagles favorites.

[Cisco]

No one mentions The Ballad of Curtis Lowe when they talk about Skynyrd.

[SSG Schwartz]

When people talk about the Eagles, they seldom bring up the song, "There's a train leaves here this morning", but its one of my Eagles favorites.


I agree, the first four albums by the Eagles are my favorite. They had the crossover sound that was just becoming popular. When the sound became popular they became Pop. I could add Doolin-Dalton, Ol' 55, and My Man to the list of underrated songs.

BTW was Desparado intended to be a concept album? There seems to be a story to it.

Sgt Schwartz

[KarlGauss]

It's interesting how many people are mentioning Pink Floyd stuff. Well, I'm gonna add two more. Two more which in my opinion are not just underrated, but absolutely amazing.

Paintbox from Relics and

The Nile Song also from Relics.

Even though they're on the same album, these tracks have little in common except their excellence. Paintbox is understated "psychodelia" whereas The Nile Song is, believe it or not, just good old fashioned pure rock.

I'll use this opportunity to note a hugely underrated song on an incomprehensibly underrated album. The song I'm talking about is Jethro Tull's "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me" from their magnificent and moving Benefit

[Marley23]

That song rocks! But it's hidden away on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack (even though it's not in the movie) which has very few original Beatles songs.
Right, it was cut from the original version of the movie, which makes it even more obscure. The newer DVDs have corrected that.
When I thought about it, I remembered "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" has always been one of my favorite kickass Beatles songs, but I've never seen anyone else who likes it.
I think that's one of their best numbers. I love the intensity.
My personal underrated Beatles favorite, though, is Dear Prudence. Love that song.
That's probably my favorite Beatles song period.

[RealityChuck]

Count me in for "Hey Bulldog," too. And "Only a Northern Song" from the same album as one of George Harrison's best. Fun lyrics, too.

I, too, like the music on Pink Floyd's Obscured by Clouds, but give "Free Four" the nod over the rest. I also think "Atom Heart Mother" is vastly underrated.

For the Who, I'll mention "Join Together" and "The Relay," both released as singles, but not on any album. There's also "Music Must Change" from Who Are You?.

Others:

The Kinks -- "Apeman"
Rolling Stones -- "Dear Doctor" or "2000 Light Years From Home"
Allman Brothers Band -- "Dimples"
Grateful Dead -- "Bertha"
Jefferson Airplane -- "Lather"
Billy Joel -- "Everybody Loves You Now"
Elton John -- "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"

[fishbicycle]

The Stones have a brilliant song, on "Metamorphosis" (and a ton of bootlegs) called "Downtown Lucy", inexplicably listed as "Downtown Suzie." It's lots of fun, really catchy, full of hooks, and so ragged and sloppy that they never returned to it to do a better version. But the one they did make is a classic!

[What Exit?]

I am going to toss in another Led Zeppelin Song: The Battle of Evermore.

I love this song, the duet with Sandy Denny (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Denny) of Fairport Convention is a highlight and I find this song every bit as great as Stairway to Heaven. The two songs work so well paired up that I actually prefer hearing them together.

I loved the jumbled up workings of Plants mind and his readings. He was inspired by a book on Scottish history he had just read and jumbled it up with his love of Middle-Earth and Arthurian legend into an eternal battle of Good vs. Evil.

The Lovemongers (Wilson Sisters of Heart) did a great acoustic version of it back in the 1992.

Jim

[Spoke]

"Thunder Road" is far and away Bruce Springsteen's best song. I can't imagine why it wasn't released as a single. Maybe the song isn't "underrated" per se (I think it is generally regarded as a classic these days), but it is underexposed because (not being a single) it has received relatively little airplay over the years.

[Wee Bairn]

"Lounge Act" by Nirvana. Overlooked due to the several other awesome songs on the album- I think it's one of their best, especially Kurt's screaming reprise of the first verse at the end of the song.

[Annie-Xmas]

"The Greatest Discovery" and "First Episode at Higenton" from Elton John

[Bridget Burke]

When people talk about the Eagles, they seldom bring up the song, "There's a train leaves here this morning", but its one of my Eagles favorites.

That tune debuted on "The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clarke"--starring former Byrd Gene Clark, Doug Dillard & Bernie Leadon. Leadon co-wrote "there's a train" & recorded it again when he became an Eagle.

http://ebni.com/byrds/spdandc1.html

Dillard & Clarke's albums were wonderful but did not sell.

If you're interested in LA country/folk rock, I'd also recommend "Wheatstraw Suite" by the Dillards. Doug left the band before this was cut, preferring more traditional bluegrass. But it's another unsung gem of the era.

For true obscurity, check out Hearts & Flowers.

But the Eagles got famous...

[MadTheSwine]

I'm gonna throw another Pink Floyd song out, Julia Dream from Relics.

[mr. jp]

I second The inner light, although I think its a shame it doesn't kick in before 3:00

Also, I second Apeman, if it is in fact lowly rated. It's my number 4 favorite Kinks song, I think.


Some more examples I thought of:

Wilco's Company In My Back from their newest album, is one of their best songs, but I haven't heard it mentioned anywhere

Coldplay's excellent B-side Bigger, Stronger

Queen's Sail Away Sweet Sister

[firsttimelongtime]

Great thread for filling in holes in the old mp3 collection. I'd like to add:

Queen-Far Away
Billy Joel-Vienna
Eric Clapton-Rock N Roll Heart

[pulykamell]

Good call on "Hey Bulldog". My personal underrated Beatles favorite, though, is Dear Prudence. Love that song.

For earlier Beatles, my favorite lesser-known tunes are "There's a Place" and "Things We Said Today."

[Spoke]

... "First Episode at Hienton" from Elton John

Good call. I started to mention that one myself.

[Liberal]

One more from Elton and Bernie: "All the Nasties". Probably my all-around favorite of theirs.

[MadTheSwine]

Great thread for filling in holes in the old mp3 collection. I'd like to add:

Queen-Far Away

Spread Your Wings?

[ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness]

Van Halen - "The Full Bug". Tucked in amongst all the covers and instrumentals on Diver Down was this ass-kicking rave up. I don't think I ever heard it on the radio, even back in the early 1980s when the album was all over the place.

I'll third or fourth the love for The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog"

The Kinks have a lot of great lesser known rockers on their early albums. "I Need You" and "Come On Now" stand out in my mind. I'm also a big fan of "Better Things" and "Back to Front" from Give The People What They Want. "War Is Over" from UK Jive and "Scattered" from Phobia are standouts from some uneven late career albums.

Cheap Trick - "Mandecello". Wow.

[5 time champ]

Queen "The Prophet's Song", "Far Away" is a very close second.

Beatles "Here, There & Everywhere"

Aerosmith "One Way Street" a rockin' bluesy number

Elton John "The Ballad of Danny Bailey"

Rolling Stones "Dancin' with Mr D"

Supertramp "A Fool's Overature"

[fishbicycle]

On "Permanent Vacation," Aerosmith has a song called "St. John" that crams more monster hooks into 4 minutes than lots of artists write in a whole career. When I first heard it, I was blown away, and had to listen to it repeatedly! I gotta tell ya, not much music blows me away anymore, but this one's a kller. In fact, I'm gonna play it now!

[mr. jp]

In fact, I'm gonna play it now!

Good idea. :)

[firsttimelongtime]

Spread Your Wings?


Er... actually I meant "Long Away" from "A Day at the Races" by Queen.

[Mangosteen]

Although they didn't write it, I really enjoy the Stones doing "Fortune Teller".

The only version I've heard is "live'' and the girls in the crowd scream throughout the entire song, but for some reason the screaming is not that annoying.

[Cisco]

311's entire Transistor album is highly underrated, and many of Sublime's best songs are on the oft-overlooked Robbin' the Hood.

[AHunter3]

a) Pink Floyd: Summer '68 from Atom Heart Mother

b) Yes, The South Side of the Sky, from Fragile

c) Queen, The Prophet's Song, from A Night at the Opera, vastly eclipsing that stupid Bohemian Rhapsody that appears on the same side of the album.

d) Tori Amos, Yes Anastasia from Under the Pink.

e) Alan Parsons Project, Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether from Tales of Mystery & Imagination

[AHunter3]

And I see 5 Time Champ (or was it Five Time Champ ??) beat me to the accolades for The Prophets' Song.

I got first dibs on PF's Summer '68 though :)

[fishbicycle]

e) Alan Parsons Project, Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether from Tales of Mystery & ImaginationThis was the song that made me go out and buy the album! (and the regular CD, and the $60 gold remastered CD. The lack of surface noise and clicks during "Dream Within A Dream / The Raven" is also worth the price of admission.)

[Dr. Rieux]

The Who--"Song is Over"
The Beatles--"Rain"
Elton John--"Ticking"
The Eagles--"The Last Resort"

[Liberal]

"Ticking!" :smack: Who knew that a piano could sing?

[Annie-Xmas]

Another early Beatle's tune "Anna." Even the Beatle's covers of other people's songs were really good.

Kristopherson's "Jodie and the Kid." Actually, The Silver Tongued Devil and I is a silver tongued masterpiece.

[Ludovic]

Nearly all the songs on the second side of AHM are underrated (except APB,) and I agree with the other posters who have fondness for the minor psychedelic songs on Floyd's other albums.

[Annie-Xmas]

Kinky Friiedman's "Ride 'Em Jewboy." A guy know best for his biting social commentary music wrote a definitive song about the Holocaust.

[Johanna]

Talking Heads - "Listening Wind"

Please don't report me to the FBI for posting this.

[Johanna]

John Lennon:

Musically:
"Meat City"
Just gotta give me some rock n roll - that says it all. He makes the guitar sound dirty. Like he's playing a guitar with actual dried mud crusted on it.

Lyrically:
"Woman Is the Nigger of the World"
Lennon was a male feminist who really meant it. I respect him for saying this so plainly and openly.

Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is, think about it
Woman is the slave to the slaves
If you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with

That took balls.

[olivesmarch4th]

Rush -- "Territories." (a whole wide world/an endless universe/yet we keep looking through the eyeglass in reverse)

Aerosmith-- "Hangman Jury" from the album "Permanent Vacation." I also believe that "What it Takes" (from "Pump") is their best ballad by far, and though it gets some radio play, it's not nearly as popular as some of their other ballads.

Madonna--"In This Life", a freaking gorgeous song about losing her friends to AIDS and struggling to find the meaning at a time when the entire world was apathetic to one of the worst epidemics in history. I also vote for "Sanctuary" for its haunting vocals and lyrics.

The Beatles-- "Yes It Is" off their first anthology. It might be a cover, I don't know. In my opinion anything the Beatles touch turns to gold, but I ALWAYS drop everything I'm doing when it gets to this track.

Queen-- "The Prophet's Song." What an amazing freaking song. Seriously.

Weezer-- "Butterfly", the last track off Pinkerton. The song makes me feel like I'm slowly vanishing. It's honest and beautiful and sad.

[Yorikke]

I never understood why Zeppelin's "Travellin' Riverside Blues" was never released originally except as a B-side...

Joe

[Dr. Rieux]

Kristopherson's "Jodie and the Kid." Actually, The Silver Tongued Devil and I is a silver tongued masterpiece.
Definitely two of Kris Kristofferson's best, although I lean toward "The Pilgrim" (and I think I'm forgetting part of that title).

And I'll second Skynyrd's "The Ballad of Curtis Lowe."

[mamboman]

Van Morrison -
"Satisifed" off Common One - James Brown and William Blake and Van singing like he's gargling honey.

Bob Dylan -
"Trying to Get to Heaven" off Time out of Mind An all-time classic song with one of his best vocals, ties with "Just Like Tom Thumb Blues", all tucked away there on the back of Highway 61 Revisited

Neil Young -
"On the Way Home", which he wrote and was recorded pretty much against his will by Buffalo Springfield - a wonderful song or "Drive Back" from "Zuma" which is terrifying.

Miles Davis -
"Black Satin" from "On The Corner" Most critics sort of disown OTC, but Black Satin, buried away in the middle of it, is a masterpiece

Lynyrd Skynyrd -
Does anyone else think "I Know A Little" off "Street Survivors" rocks like a motherjumper? Sort of a little un-Skynyrd-ish, jazzier, more swinging with grrrreat drumming.

[mamboman]

Oh and for the Beatles, "Here Comes The Sun". How anyone thinks "Something" is better than HCTS I'll never know. :)

[Annie-Xmas]

Definitely two of Kris Kristofferson's best, although I lean toward "The Pilgrim" (and I think I'm forgetting part of that title).



I was thinking of the album, not just the song. One of the few albums I play through without skipping any song.

1. The Silver Tongued Devil And I
2. Jody And The Kid
3. Billy Dee
4. Good Christian Soldier
5. Breakdown (A Long Way From Home)
6. Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
7. The Taker
8. When I Loved Her
9. The Pilgrim-Chapter 33
10. Epitaph (Black And Blue)

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

The Beatles-- "Yes It Is" off their first anthology. It might be a cover, I don't know.
No It Isn't. :D It's a Lennon-McCartney.