Great Songs (underrated and long-forgotten category)

Nothing from Night Ranger? Just like your wife, I'm very disappointed in you, BYH.

 

Geez, Chris, don't even start with The Kinks or we'll be here all night. Outside of Elvis C, I can't think of a band/artist with more great obscure songs in the catalogue. I'll start with "Love Me 'Til The End Of The Day."

 

Kris Kristofferson -- Help Me Make it Through the Night.

 

Sunday Morning Coming Down - Johnny Cash

 

Me & Paul -- Waylon and Willie from the Outlaws album

 

I was going to post that one.

Left Banke - "Pretty Ballerina"
The Hollies - "Jennifer Eccles"
Chocolate Watchband - "Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-In)?"
Judee Sill - "Jesus Was a Crossmaker"
The Who - "Dogs"

 

Some might be considered more poetry than songs, but I'd nominate a few Tom Waits tunes.

"Putnam County" and "Better off Without a Wife" from the Nighthawks at the Diner album

"I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You" from Closing Time

"The Ghosts of Saturday Night" from The Heart of Saturday night

Also on the Nighthawks album but written by Red Sovine: Big Joe and Phantom 309. Waits doesn't cover many things at all, but his cover of this song is outstanding.

In fact, I think the Nighthawks at the Diner album is quite possibly the best thing ever recorded. It was live in a club and I can't imagine how great it was to be there that night to see greatness that close up.

 

Great call.

"Celluloid Heroes" - Kinks

"Electric Co." - U2

"Put Out The Fire" - Queen

"Jet Boy Jet Girl" - Elton Motello

"Me And Billy the Kid" - Joe Ely

""Johnny Come Lately" - Steve Earle

"Card Cheat" - Clash

More as I think of 'em....

 

o_t --

Dr. Hook -- Sylvia's Mother.

 

Oh, Lord, there's so many:

"What About Me" - Moving Pictures
"Rumours of War" - Al Stewart
"Sausalito Summernight" - Diesel
"The Final Cut (Requiem for a Post-war Dream)" - Pink Floyd
"The Monkey and the Onion" - 10cc
"Bobby Jean" - Bruce Springsteen
"Let Me Go" - Heaven 17
"Kids in America" - Kim Wilde
"Walking in Memphis" - Marc Cohn
"In the Mood" - Robert Plant
"Don't Pay the Ferryman" - Chris DeBurgh
"Electric Blue" - Icehouse
"Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" - Icicle Works
"The Riddle" - Nik Kershaw
"Had A Dream (Sleeping With the Enemy)" - Roger Hodgson
"Winning" - Santana
"Who's Behind the Door?" - Zebra
"The Captain of Her Heart" - Double
"Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House

Those are just off the top of my head. Of course, it does contain some One-hit Wonders.

 

That's "Living on a Thin Line" and I agree.

 

An underrated song, for sure, Zeke. So many of their early songs were written by Shel Silverstein. I could list about six off the first three albums as what I consider great songs. Songs like "Sing Me a Rainbow," "Judy," "Carry Me, Carry," "The Things I Didn't Say." O could go on. Their later stuff kind of got a little more disco-y and I didn't like it as much. But up to the point just before "Sexy Eyes" they had a ton of great stuff. Songs like "The Wonderful Soupstone" and "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" were great songs with a story. You shouldn't have gotten me started. OK, just three more: "A Little Bit More," "More Like the Movies" and "The Radio."