Underrated/Unappreciated Song/s in an Album.

[DarknessKey92]

So for a long time(back when I didn't have internet) during my school days, I've been buying Albums from artists I liked through what the radio played.

 

Record label studios promote releases by giving access to each radio station 1 or 2 song/s that are considered the "featured singles song/s" of the Band/Artist, to hook Album sales as it attempts making it the popular song leading as the back bone of the Album's release(@ times the album itself is titled the featured/Singles track too).

 

So with that you @ the time(without internet) have to base whether you'll purchase it or not, on that song alone; because you had no clue over the other content being released in the CD.

So for me there were times after I purchased the albums, and said "well this featured/Singles song is good or meh, but this song I listened to that no one knows(who also bought the album)....is actually just as good or even better then the featured Album song".

 

Has Anyone every had this experience?

 

For me it (And do remember, this is all just opinion based; since we all obviously hold different tastes in what we hear) was:

 

Thousand Foot Krutch's "The End Is Where We Begin Album"

The Songs I'd hear on the radio were: "The End is Where We Begin" & "Courtesy Call".

While the Song "Be Somebody", that to this day is still 1 of my most Favorite songs; due to it being a very beautifully sang & well executed(instrumentally) track was rarely talked about. 

Back then not many talked about this song, but now it has @ least earned better reputation, by being on some radio stations who replay not so new songs.

 

Another example for me is Anberlin's "Never Take Friendship Personal Album"

The Singles for this Album were:

"A Day Late" & "Paperthin Hymn"

This was a very good album, but many don't remember or have overlooked certain tracks on this album. The main songs praised in this album are the 2 singles along with "Never Take Friendship Personal" & "The Feel Good Drag",

I really liked, and rarely heard @ the time people know/mention the also included songs "The Runaways" & "Audrey, Start the Revolution!"; they're both songs that I(IMO) think were just as good as the other 4 popular songs in this album.

 

Now I'm not saying that "Oh I wanted these songs I mentioned to be the Singles or the title of the albums", because I understand that certain artists/bands pick these Singles or Album titles to reflect a message they wish to showcase to their fan base.

But What I wish for is, that people simply appreciate these other(also included) songs more, that certain people overlook @ release.

Sure these songs that I've mentioned today have much more appreciation compared to back then, but back then(@ least in my experience) people didn't even know they just bought another great song included in the CD & would just keep mentioning or hearing the same single's tracks.

Edited August 29, 2014 by DarknessKey92

[dimonemt]

Everybody heard the songs from Sublime's eponymous album on the radio such as "What i got", "Santeria", "The Wrong Way", "Doin' Time". But there is one song there which will never be played anywhere it's called "April 29 1992" - a unique look at the LA riots. Easily the best one on the album for me. "Garden Grove", the first track is good as well.

[Timwit-34]

Exo-Politics from Black Holes and Revelations by Muse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi0XGqFt3Es

[damon8r351]

With MP3s and music online now, few people understand now understand that albums, good albums that is, are made to have an overarching theme to them. They're supposed to fit together, the music, the artwork, the photos, everything. Every song should have a context that fits it in with everything else. Otherwise, it's just a collection of songs. This is why I have entire albums, not single songs.

 

Speaking of context, everyone's heard the song "Bringing on the Heartache" by Def Leppard. If you think you haven't, you'll know after you heard this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiR71VvCYks

 

That's what everyone hears on the radio, usually it cuts out though before that bass line right at the end. Pay attention that that part at the end though, because this is what you hear when you play the same song straight from the album.

 

That instrumental at the end is called "Switch 625", and it's a whole different song that "Bringing on the Heartache" leads right into. Personally I think it makes the previous song better, because it adds a liitle bit of that NWOBHM edge back into Def Leppard that they had when they first started.

[DrasticAutomatic]

This albums very famous, but for some reason I never hear people talk about this song much. Paul wrote the guitar riff, and its undoubtedly one of the most masterfully crafted and complex Beatles songs. 

 

[Happy]

Master Of Puppets is arguably Metallica's greatest album, yet you hardly hear anybody talk about Lesper Messiah, i liked that song the best out of the album.

Oh, and Ghetto Life from Rick James' fantastic "Street Songs" is one of my all-time favorite songs, yet it always seems to get overshadowed by Give It To Me Baby and Superfreak.

Edited August 29, 2014 by HappyKastanie

[SuffyZorugelion]

Not exactly underrated, but most of the time it's the single that gets the attention, which is natural because it's the song the band has to choose for radio play and so on. But Pink Floyds The Wall is just a brilliant and pretty much a perfect album where all the songs are tied together. Everyone knows Another Brick in The Wall part 2 and Comfortably Numb, but the album it self is so much more then that.

 

Another great examble is Tesla's The Great Radio Controversy. They chose Love Song and Hang Tough as great singles, but the whole album is amazing. First time hearing the record my favorite songs were not the singles and I would of probably chosen Makin' Magic over Heaven's Trail over the 3rd single.

There is also song called Did it for the Money which probably has the most catchiest chorus on the album so I'm surprised that song wasnt picked for radio.

 

There's a song on David Bowies Diamond Dogs called Sweet Thing. It has two parts where in the middle there is sort of a different song. That and Brother are my favorite parts of the album. The whole Sweet Thing is about 9 minutes so it isnt exactly ideal for radio.

[damon8r351]

Not exactly underrated, but most of the time it's the single that gets the attention, which is natural because it's the song the band has to choose for radio play and so on. But Pink Floyds The Wall is just a brilliant and pretty much a perfect album where all the songs are tied together. Everyone knows Another Brick in The Wall part 2 and Comfortably Numb, but the album it self is so much more then that.

 

...

 

There's a song on David Bowies Diamond Dogs called Sweet Thing. It has two parts where in the middle there is sort of a different song. That and Brother are my favorite parts of the album. The whole Sweet Thing is about 9 minutes so it isnt exactly ideal for radio.

 

 

That's another thing. Both The Wall and Diamond Dogs are what's known as concept albums. In a concept album, all the songs are linked together by an overarching narrative. The album tells a story from beginning to end, and often has characters like a novel would. Pink Floyd was the master of concept albums, but The Who did at least 4 of them themselves. Songs from a concept album aren't really meant to be played by themselves, but they are. You play "Pinball Wizard" from the Tommy album, and it just sounds like a really goofy, enthusiastic song about pinball. But you play the entire Tommy album from beginning to end, and the context where "Pinball Wizard" fits makes absolute sense. Now, I have a separate problem with a member of The Who which causes me not to listen to their music anymore, but that's a story for a different time.

 

"Sweet Thing", as you mention, sounds like it has a different song in the middle because it does. Look at the song listing and you'll see this:

"Sweet Thing"- 3:39

"Candidate"- 2:40

"Sweet Thing (Reprise)- 2:31

The thing about concept albums is that they sometimes duplicate classical symphony structure with reprises, codas, returns to themes, just like classical music but this time in a rock medium. A concept album by The Eagles, Desperado, does this also, with a theme called "Doolin' Dalton" that's played 3 times in the album, one each at the beginning, middle, and end. Heart does it in another album themselves, repeating a theme called "Dreamboat Annie" three times in the album, once even as an opening for their song "Crazy On You".

[SuffyZorugelion]

That's another thing. Both The Wall and Diamond Dogs are what's known as concept albums. In a concept album, all the songs are linked together by an overarching narrative. The album tells a story from beginning to end, and often has characters like a novel would. Pink Floyd was the master of concept albums, but The Who did at least 4 of them themselves. Songs from a concept album aren't really meant to be played by themselves, but they are. You play "Pinball Wizard" from the Tommy album, and it just sounds like a really goofy, enthusiastic song about pinball. But you play the entire Tommy album from beginning to end, and the context where "Pinball Wizard" fits makes absolute sense. Now, I have a separate problem with a member of The Who which causes me not to listen to their music anymore, but that's a story for a different time.

 

"Sweet Thing", as you mention, sounds like it has a different song in the middle because it does. Look at the song listing and you'll see this:

"Sweet Thing"- 3:39

"Candidate"- 2:40

"Sweet Thing (Reprise)- 2:31

The thing about concept albums is that they sometimes duplicate classical symphony structure with reprises, codas, returns to themes, just like classical music but this time in a rock medium. A concept album by The Eagles, Desperado, does this also, with a theme called "Doolin' Dalton" that's played 3 times in the album, one each at the beginning, middle, and end. Heart does it in another album themselves, repeating a theme called "Dreamboat Annie" three times in the album, once even as an opening for their song "Crazy On You".

I'm aware of these things I'm just not very good at explaining.

Edited August 30, 2014 by LovesAnInjection

[hitman109109]

The majority of Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, In God We Trust Inc., Plastic Surgery Disasters, Frankenchrist, and Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death by Dead Kennedys