My vote would go to Ron Sexsmith - a cherubic Canadian with four wonderful albums to his credit. Lovelorn, poignant songs built to last and beautifully played. His records are all but ignored and his appeal has gotten so selective he is reduced to playing small clubs around the UK.
Someone somewhere give this guy a break before he gives up entirely…
Texas songwriter Steven Fromholz has a great baritone and a wicked way with words. He’s well known in certain circles and has hovered on the edge of national attention for over 30 years since his classic collaboration with Dan McCrimmon, Frummox, came out in 1969. One of my prize possessions is a well-worn copy of the same album, which came in one day to the little radio station in Oregon where I was a DJ.
He did have one song, “I’d Have to Be Crazy” recorded by Willie Nelson for a modest hit, and Lyle Lovett covered four of his songs on Lyle’s next-to-last album.
Worth hunting up his music, which is well-inspired country/folk, with a healthy dash of humor.
I’ve seen him a couple of times over the years on Austin City Limits, but would love to see him in concert some time.
Hometownboy
John Prine. Yeah, he’s fairly famous and totally respected, but the first four songs this guy wrote were “Sam Stone,” “Paradise,” “Hello in There,” and “Angel From Montgomery!” That is blowing your wad real early!
Pat MacDonald.
Former frontman of Timbuk3, (Yeah, the Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades.) he’s been on a solo gig for a while. Dark sarcastic lyricism, incredible guitar work, and one single hit has damned him for all time.
Pick up a copy of Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar at your local cutout bin; you won’t regret it.
John Prine and Warren Zevon. Prine deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with Dylan, and back when the music press was frantically searching for the ‘new Dylan’ Prine usually made the short list along with Springsteen and a couple others.
Warren Zevon is a great songwriter as well. He usually gets remembered for “Werewolves of London”, but that song is far, far from his best work.
I’ll second John Prine and add Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, and Jimmy Buffett. You could probably count all of their hits on one hand, but, Wow!, what a collection of songs. Even though each of these songwriters has an avid following, none of them have achieved the kind of popular recognition they deserve.
Bill Norton
Austin, TX
Bnorton, How odd! The person I thought of before opening this thread is Adam Cohen, who is Leonard’s son. He has some great songs, but I only know of one other person who’s ever heard of him…his debute album is wonderful.
Loudon Wainwright III. He’s been producing great songs for over 30 years and is also a terrific performer. Closest thing to a hit single was his “Dead Skunk” but his music is extremely wise and witty.
His “Tonya’s Twirls” is an amazingly fresh look at the Tonya Harding brouhaha. You can see one of his concerts in Real Audio at the Kennedy Center.
Trivia: Wainwright was an regular on the TV series MAS*H – for about three episodes. He coined the name “New Bob Dylan Club,” since he was one of the four mentioned (in addition to Prine, Springsteen, and Elliot Murphy).
VAN MORISSON!!!
Yes, the “Brown-Eyed Girl” guy.
Paul Kelly, the Australian rocker. Look for Gossip or Under the Sun, U.S. albums he cut with the Messengers.
Christy Williams, a Florida folk-singer. She’s wonderful.
** Liz Phair **
Check out Exile in Guyville-which is a woman’s answer to the Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street.
** Kurt Cobain **
I know what people will say…“His lyrics don’t make any sense.” That’s what they said about James Joyce.
If we are talking about pure songwriters (not just singer/songwriters), then you have to add Harry Warren.
The name probably doesn’t mean much to you, but it’s certai that you know some of his songs.
I concur on John Prine, and add the guy from Everclear. I really like their lyrics (sorry, too lazy to research his name.)
Prine is a favorite of mine, too. Iris Dement is another songwriter that hasn’t garnered much mainstream attention.
But for most underrated I’d say Australian folkie Eric Bogle, author of the classic anti-wars songs “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” and “No Man’s Land,” not to mention a slew of other depressing ruminations on life and death. Almost no one is America has heard of him, but he can put a lump in your throat quicker than just about anyone.
Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip writes soem good lyrics as well.
Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip writes some good lyrics as well.
Joni Mitchell
The person I immediately thought of when I saw this thread was John Prine. I would also nominate Richard Thompson, who has been writing brilliant songs for thirty years to great critical acclaim and dismal sales.
Keith
I think Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker and Jets To Brazil writes a damn good song
Also, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer fame can turn out some rather good lyrics, although I’m a disappointed by their new album. Don’t know if he qualifies as under rated, but Pinkerton and the Blue Album have some really great stuff.
I’d nominate Graham Gouldman, one of the finest songwriters of the British Invasion.
Many of his songs were huge hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, and other bands, but hardly anybody seems to know who he is.
John Wesley Harding. I heard him described once as “kind of an American Billy Bragg, except that he’s English.” He has very traditional folk roots but spreads out quite a bit from there, even had a song used in the movie “High Fidelity”. If you do a Napster search, start with “The Devil in Me” and go from there.
Jane Siberry. I just discovered her in the last few months, and she’s been recording for several years so I’ve probably heard less than half her songs so far. Some of my favorite songs of hers have tiny, awkward moments in them, like the brief western refrain in “Everything Reminds Me of My Dog” or the pun at the end of “Symmetry (The Way Things Have to Be)”. It’s not enough to spoil them, but it’s like the first scratch on a new car.
Andrew Ratchin. Lyrical genius, check out these lines from “Happy Endings (Romeo and Juliet)”
Maybe a lover comes along
Maybe in story or in song
Maybe the heart is really strong
A million lemmings can’t be wrong
There’s a sort of world-weary optimism in some of his songs that can’t be described. And he’s the man behind The Doug Suite.