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View Full Version : Your top 10 favorite "obscure or unknown" songs?



tremoloman
January 1st, 2006, 06:04 PM
I decided to start this thread so members could be vocal and introduce each of us to artists and/or songs we would like to spread the word about. These selections can be songs from either well known or obscure artists.

I've included some sound samples. If you see 2 URLs, that means that I found 2 differnt sound samples and one may be better than the other. None of these clips do the songs justice, but something is better than nothing, right? The first one is normally the 1st 30 seconds of the song, the second in the middle.

Here's my top 10 as of today:
(subject to change without notice) ;)

1. Ezy Ryder (Jimi Hendrix) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/q/qrnr_svmwirc/8002_%7E_urihg_izbh_lu_gsv_mvd_irhrmt_hfm/61280/16253683/07-ezy_ryder.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000002P5R001007/103-7320653-1951812)
I don't know why this song isn't well known. It sounds so modern and full of energy to me.

2. Drifting (Jimi Hendrix) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/q/qrnr_svmwirc/8002_%7E_urihg_izbh_lu_gsv_mvd_irhrmt_hfm/61280/16253683/08-drifting.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000002P5R001008/103-7320653-1951812)
Really beautiful song. Who else could mix xylophone with reverse feedback guitar?

3. Kid Gloves (Rush) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/i/ifhs/8015_%7E_tizxv_fmwvi_kivhhfiv/61280/16253683/06-kid_gloves.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000001ESV001006/103-7320653-1951812)
I love the riff in this song... it's very fun to play.

4. The Bell (Mike Oldfield) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/n/nrpv_lowurvow/gfyfozi_yvooh_rr%7E8007/61280/16253683/07_-_the_bell.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000002MFQ001007/103-7320653-1951812)
This song is so cool... it starts with a basic riff and adds 1 instrument after another until it builds up to a grand finale. Highly recommended if you can find the whole song!

5. Man In The Rain (Mike Oldfield) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/n/nrpv_lowurvow/8001%7Egfyfozi_yvooh_rrr/61280/16253683/07_-_man_in_the_rain.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B00000DATR001007/103-7320653-1951812)
This song just does something to me... I can't explain why. Must be the vocalist's voice that intoxicates me.

6. Sugar Foot Rag (John 5) [1] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B0002T7YF8001004/103-7320653-1951812)
I know this is a cover, but mixing shred and country licks together is really appealing to me.

7. Everything Under The Sun: Rise & Shine/Am I Ever Going To Change? (Extreme) [1] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000002G0P001012/103-7320653-1951812) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000002G0P001013/103-7320653-1951812)
Kind of a mini "Abbey Road" tyoe of tune. 3 parts to it in total.

8. Guns For Hire (AC/DC) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/z/zx%7Ewx/8016_%7E_uorxp_lu_gsv_hdrgxs/61280/16253683/06-guns_for_hire.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B00009MGR1001006/103-7320653-1951812)
One of my favorite AC/DC songs of all time. The intro and main riff is your usual Angus & Malcom affair. This song gets me speeding on the highway all the time.

9. Working Man (Rush) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/i/ifhs/ifhs_%7E_8025/61280/16253683/08_-_working_man.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000001ES9001008/103-7320653-1951812)
Another awesome song to drive or jam to.

10. Selfish (Ned's Atomic Dustbin) [1] (http://81.176.74.27/m/mvwh_zglnrx_wfhgyrm/8008_%7E_tlw_ulwwvi/61280/16253683/03-selfish.prev.mp3) [2] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B0000027SB001003/103-7320653-1951812)
This band featured 2 bass and 1 guitar in each song. They have their own sound and chaged direction on each album. God Fodder and Are You Normal? are their best IMHO.

These may not be for everyone... but I gave it a shot. ;)

-tremoloman

marnold
January 2nd, 2006, 10:05 AM
None of these are in any particular order, except the order that I thought of them :)

Dokken: "Paris Is Burning"
Amazon.com clip (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B00000JFUB001002/002-6750101-9028013)
It's probably not obscure to Dokken fans, but it is to everybody else.

Fozzy: "Nameless, Faceless"
The whole thing from Fozzy's website! (http://www.fozzyrock.com/images/Songs/Nameless_Faceless.mp3)
That whole album is really good, especially Enemy, All That Remains, and It's a Lie.

Gorky Park: "My Generation", "Danger"
I can't find clips to either of these songs after a cursory web search. Both songs are off their self-titled album which contains their hit "Bang." The first is a cover of the well-known song by The Who, but it's definitely different.

Jimi Hendrix: "Hound Dog"
Amazon.com clip (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000007OJ9001016/103-3476242-3808639)
This is from the Radio One and BBC Sessions discs. The Experience just seemed to be goofing around and having way too much recording this. Definitely Jimi.

George Lynch: "Tierra Del Fuego"
Amazon.com clip (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000002HBX001010/104-3901929-7667127)
Combine heavy metal with flamenco and you have "Tierra Del Fuego." This is off Lynch's first solo effort "Sacred Groove."

Cinderella: "Nothin' for Nothin'"
Amazon.com clip (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000001FK4001004/104-3901929-7667127)
One of my all-time favorite Cinderella songs and nobody knows about it! A classic 80s metal anthem off "Night Songs."

W.A.S.P.: "I Wanna Be Somebody", "L.O.V.E. Machine"
CD Universe clip (http://mfile3.akamai.com/14123/wm2/muze.download.akamai.com/2890/us/uswm2/_!/327/155327_1_02.asx?auth=daEbnd9bKaXcecRdianbsdya7cfd2 cjcBdc-bdUuee-Ci-dgbci&aifp=1234&obj=v31014) CD Universe clip (http://mfile3.akamai.com/14123/wm2/muze.download.akamai.com/2890/us/uswm2/_!/327/155327_1_03.asx?auth=daEdwdpd3bBaUdUcdaZbidVcVaJdr aZcTdj-bdUupa-Ci-cgfeh&aifp=1234&obj=v31014)
If you know anything about W.A.S.P., then these songs aren't obscure. To most of humanity, they will be. Most of their stuff was way over the top, but for some reason these two songs stick with me.

Whitesnake: "Sailing Ships"
Amazon.com clip (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wma-pop-up/-/B000000OZ8001010/002-5566839-5883267)
This is the last track off "Slip of the Tongue." It's one of my favorite Whitesnake songs, but you'll never hear it on the radio. Pity.

Iago
January 2nd, 2006, 02:31 PM
Can't come up with a top ten right now, but here are some of them:

-Marquee Moon
-Dream's Dream (both by Television) Amazing melodic playing by the whole band..the guys just FIT!
-Anything from Free's - Fire and Water Album, except for "Alright Now", of course :) Don't you think their rhythm section was better than Zeppelin's? Paul Rodgers is a much better singer to me than Robert Plant.
-Daydream (Robin Trower)

Nelskie
January 2nd, 2006, 05:59 PM
Trem - I'm still in the process of developing my list, but did want to respond to Iago's comment about Led Zeppelin.

While Free was a very capable band, they perhaps lacked the raw savoir fare, and thundering dynamics that were Zeppelin's primary calling card. I would also disagree with the assertion that Rogers was a better vocalist than Plant. While both sang primarily in a blues-based style, Plant worked the upper registers more effectively in Zeppelin's material than did Rogers in Free. Some of Zeppelin's material, I feel, was also more challenging vocally. As such, Robert's shortcomings were far more evident than Rogers', esp. in a live setting. Personally speaking, I have give the nod to Plant for his exemplary vocal efforts, as well as for the fact that his singing style allowed his fellow bandmates to really push the outer limits of a song's sound and arrangement. Whatever Robert may have lacked vocally (which wasn't very much), he certainly made up in the live performance dept. Few front men have commanded the spotlight as effortlessly as Plant did during Zeppelin's tenure as rock's most prolific band.

Rhythmically speaking, I don't know how you would compare any mortal rock drummer to Zeppelin's John Bonham, except in the fact that they both used sticks, and they banged on something called a drum set. Bonham was a superbly skillfull technician, and a master at outside-tempo drumming. His foot-pedal skills were so adept, that many modern drummers had to use syncopated pedals and double-bass toms to do what he did with one foot. As far as his sound was concerned, it is still the standard by which all hard rock drumming is measured - expansive, tremor-inducing, earth-shuddering walls of sound, and yet, a delicate touch if the mood required. Bassist John Paul Jones was also very talented in his own right. A seasoned studio musician, he had worked with dozens of high-profile 60's artists before joining Zeppelin's ranks. JPJ was also an accomplished keyboardist, and penned the mesmerizing sounds behind the one of the band's live staples - "No Quarter" (Led Zeppelin III - 1973).

As for guitar work, Mr. Page's body of work speaks for itself, and needs no further embellishment on my part. Bottom line: As a band unit, Zeppelin was about as rhythmically solid as any rock band before, or after their time. Rock solid, as a matter of fact.

Free were certainly very talented musicians, and had several memorable hits. Unfortunately, they, like the majority of rock bands in the late 60's and early-to-mid 70's, still loomed in the omnipresent shadow cast by the mighty Led Zeppelin. ;)

Iago
January 3rd, 2006, 09:33 AM
Hey Nelskie, it's just a matter of taste!

Many, many people don't think about Bonzo as their favorite drummer. Have you ever heard Billy Cobham's? Mitch Mitchell? Bill Brufford? My favorite drummers are the "jazzier" ones...I'm not worried about who plays louder or is the faster neither with "great singing = high pitched screams" I just like Paul Rodgers voice much better than Plant's. A lot of Plant's stuff to me was just too exagerated, but he got his merits.

yes, JPJ is great...an incredibly versatile musician...actually I'm not thinking about Zeppelin too much these days...I watched their DVD almost everyday by 2003-2004...Maybe I'm just sick of them or something like that since then :D...HOW COULD I FORGET JPJ???

Jimmy is one of the greatest guitar players ever, no doubt. People often say he plays too sloppy...muddy tone and blah blah blah, but to me he was a guy that was always trying to break push forward his limits, specially on stage (even though he played mostly pentatonics :)). The guy had this mystic thing about him...he could hypnotize almost everyone.

By the way, he was made an "Honorary Citizen" in Rio de Janeiro, due to his work helping poor children here in Brazil. Sweet!

Nelskie
January 3rd, 2006, 09:11 PM
You are so right, my friend. It really is all a just matter of individual taste. Myself, I own the catalogs of both bands, and enjoy them frequently. As a matter of fact, I was just talking with a fellow forum member the other day about Paul Kossof, Free's fantastic lead guitarist. Someone who could evoke so much sound, and so much emotion out of the bare minimum number of chords. Not only that, he had a fantastic tone to match his style. I try to exemplify both of those things in my own guitar playing. Two of my favorite Free songs to jam to are "Creepin'", and "Wishing Well". Awesome stuff!

I also tip my hat to you for mentioning Jimmy Page's charitable work. People can be enamored with rock musicans, and the rock n' roll culture in general, but it's really insignificant compared to some of the things humanity has to deal with day-to-day - especially underprivilidged children. We might all learn a valuable lesson from those musicians who are kind enough to give of themselves their time and money, in an effort to help those less fortunate.

Tone2TheBone
January 4th, 2006, 11:36 AM
James Page is a god.
:)

tremoloman
January 4th, 2006, 01:48 PM
James Page is a god.
:)

Speaking of lesser known songs... I've got several Zeppelin ones that I think fall under this catagory:


Physical Graffiti - The Rover, Sick Again, Down By The Seaside, Wanton Song
Led Zeppelin III - Friends, Celebration Day, Out On The Tiles, Gallow's Pole, Tangerine
In Through The Out Door - In The Evening (Page playing a Strat?!?)
CODA - We're Gonna Groove, Poor Tom, Ozone Baby

Iago
January 4th, 2006, 03:42 PM
crazy pink strat dude!!

Tone2TheBone
January 4th, 2006, 05:18 PM
Thats why I love LZ III so much. I always thought Jim was a much better acoustic guitar player until I actually saw him play during the midnight movie madness of The Song Remains the Same. HE RIPPED DURING THAT TIME! Listen to the opening lick of the live version of "Since I've been Loving You"!!!

And speaking of "In the Evening"...which of his guitars takes a hard fall on the floor during the solo??? LOL Always cracks me up when I hear it.

Nelskie
January 5th, 2006, 08:57 AM
Trem, I may have followed your lead by mentioning songs of the lesser-known variety by artists we are familiar with (for the most part). However, there are a couple of nuggets here, too. I also didn't have the time to do the clip links, but did try and list the CD / LP on which they were released. In most cases, Amazon.com will have sound clips of each - just be sure and search their "Popular Music" section. Here goes:

1. Carnival - Natalie Merchant (Tigerlily) - The guitar work on this song (and album) is some of the best I've ever heard. Fabulous tone, wonderful technique, emotionally expressive. The solo is an easy "10", too. If you are unfamiliar with Natalie, she used to front the band "10,000 Maniacs", another fine outfit in their own right.

2. Little Dreamer - Van Halen (Van Halen I) - Eddie tends to lay back in the pocket a bit on this number, but I'm listing it purely for the song aspect. When all the gears meshed in the VH inner-structure, stuff like this happened. Sure, the guitar's great - but it's the DLR vocal that brings this baby to life.

3. Blind Man In The Dark - Gov't Mule (Dose) - Warren Haynes may be THE most underrated of guitarist of recent day. His awesome chops and fine vocals are fully on display during this number, which is also one of the band's live staples.

4. By Your Side - The Black Crowes (By Your Side) - Although this may be one of the band's lesser-known studio releases, it sure packs a serious wallop of sound. The Crowes were in fine form on this particular number, which featured several of the band's trademarks - Chris' Sunday sermon vocals, a full contingent of fine female background singers, and the crunchy, soulful guitar work of Rich Robinson.

5. Midnight Moonlight Lady - The Firm (The Firm) - In the mid 80's, Jimmy Page and Paul Rogers came together to form the band "The Firm". As one could imagine, a band with these two artists in tow could not help but sound good. This particular song was my favorite off of that LP.

6. What Do You Want From Me? - Pink Floyd (The Division Bell) - Floyd purists are quick to criticize post-Roger Waters Floyd, but I for one think they were fantastic. This song draws on several Floyd classics as far as sound is concerned, and features some of David Gilmour's best new-era Floyd guitar playing.

7. Down To The Waterline - Dire Straits (Dire Straits) - If anyone can paint a picture with words and music, its Mark Knopfler. "Sultans of Swing" was the mongo hit off of this LP, but tucked quietly in back of the set was this gem. If the lyrics won't do you in, then Mark's slick Telecaster guitar work will.

8. Junior's Farm - Wings (released as a single in Oct. 1974) - Beatle afficianados are always dumping on Paul McCartney's work in Wings, and personally, I don't know why. Sir Paul's lyrics may have been more pop-geared during this period, but the music itself is solid, and the tunes are catchy. This song may be one of the best of the Wings lot.

9. Still In Love With You - Thin Lizzy (Life / Live ) - The first part of the song is a lush, guitar-fueled ballad done in classic Lizzy style. The second part of of the song changes tempo, and evolves into a guitar clinic between Lizzy's trio of axemen - Gary Moore, John Sykes, and Snowy White. Awesome stuff!

10. Even It Up - Heart (Bebe le Strange) - Heart may just be the most underrated rock n' roll outfit of the 70's. Although they later adapted their style to be more MTV-friendly, their early material far outshined anything they did with a video to match. "Even It Up" showcases the fantastic vocals, catchy guitar hooks, and awesome song-writing skills that were a trademark of their earlier, pre-"Passionworks" material. Man, is Nancy Wilson still hot or what!! :D

Iago
January 5th, 2006, 09:10 AM
Led Zeppelin III is one of the most under-rated albums ever. It's better than I and IV to me.

tremoloman
January 9th, 2006, 07:47 PM
Great selection guys!

Iago: Thanks for the shout out on my pink Stratocaster. :) A friend of mine refinished it for me at his auto body shop. It came out excellent and people comment on it all the time. So far, not one sarcastic remark about playing a pink guitar after 15-20 or so gigs with it. (Not that I even care).

Robert
January 9th, 2006, 11:19 PM
What, a pink guitar! :O

marnold
January 10th, 2006, 10:28 AM
Thanks for the shout out on my pink Stratocaster. :) A friend of mine refinished it for me at his auto body shop. It came out excellent and people comment on it all the time. So far, not one sarcastic remark about playing a pink guitar after 15-20 or so gigs with it. (Not that I even care).

My Charvel Model 7 was originally pink before it was so crudely repainted blue. That color looks "interesting," but I think I'll be painting it something else :)