YOUTUBE – 2012
Why celebrate under-appreciated rock stars anyway? There is certainly no shortage of music in the world today (rock or otherwise). On television alone, musical shows abound, from American Idol to Glee to America's Got Talent to The X Factor to The Voice. Though not the force it once was, broadcast radio and satellite radio alike are still vital forums for music of all types. Walk through any mall in America, and you might hear as many as 5 or 6 songs at once coming from various stores and carts. I am just starting to appreciate the depth of the reportedly millions of videos that have been posted on YouTube.
(January 2012)
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I forgot to include the YouTube links last month, so here they are. A live acoustic version from 2004 of Vanessa Williams' signature song "Save the Best for Last", which Wendy Waldman co-wrote, is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoldrFVxPQ8 ; it is every bit as lovely as the hit version, "Save the Best for Last". Her regional hit song "Long Hot Summer Nights" (from Strange Company) is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZioUhp3a-Q (no video to go with this one, though you do get to see the cool National Enquirer-style album cover). It seems like every musician who sticks around a while comes up with a song about summer memories, but Wendy's is one of the few that doesn't focus on the Sun. These are just the tip of the iceberg though – there are dozens more available.
(February 2012)
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Happily, there is one Cyrus Erie track out there on YouTube: "Get the Message" from 1969 is unabashedly Beatlesque and shows Eric Carmen exercising his pipes well – check it out (with several stills of the band) at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Dtg295wVk . A song called "Ain't Nothin' Gonna Stop Me" by the Quick also features Eric Carmen on lead vocals and can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PXpKUNYUTk&feature=related . The song was co-written by Carmen and Dann Klawon. A couple of years earlier, Klawon had written the immortal song "It's Cold Outside" by the Choir that you really shouldn't miss either; that one is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JndhLibASI&feature=related .
(February 2012)
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As an example of the mystery about the band, on one YouTube video, the band is listed as "Stratavarious a/k/a Johnny Usry"; while a short piece on a blog on the Internet says that it was an all-female disco band. (The latter gentleman mentioned that their hit was "Lady", when Lady was actually the name of the lead singer; though to be fair, there is a track on the album called "Let Me Be Your Lady Tonight").
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Their lone trip by Bang to the charts (the song stalled at #90) was "Questions" – and does it ever kick ass; see for yourself at www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeFhEaaeozg&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL8CCE24840AAAE281. Another track from that first album could be considered a Christian contemporary song; it is called "Lions Christians" and can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcrPOI7roVw . They have tons more songs available on YouTube, including tracks from their later, somewhat tamer albums, though they are still quite enjoyable.
(March 2012)
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The only record on YouTube by the Breakaways is "Walking out on Love"; this song was often performed in the Nerves' live shows but had never been recorded by them. You can hear the song at www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9sYvy4G3NA . Green Day performed "Walking out on Love" as their last encore following the final performance of their musical American Idiot on Broadway; that version is also available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAgKwA7-GLI&feature=related .
(April 2012)
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I couldn't find anything by the Not Quite on YouTube, but all is not lost: There is a website on the band that has several songs available for (free) downloading.
(May 2012)
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As with my first UARB, Beast, I had a tough time finding any videos by Waterlillies on YouTube; but there are several. The edgy "Junior Vasquez Deep Factory Mix" of "Tempted" (which runs over 10 minutes) and both the "Apple Crumble Mix" and "The 303 Mix" of "Never Get Enough" are out there if you want them, but they don't really sound much like the band to me. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, that is the extent of the songs from the second album, Tempted.
However, there is an actual music video (jerky and grainy though it may be) of a great song from their first album called "Tired of You"; check it out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5_5nZYN_NM . Another good one is "Sunshine Like You" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVi5SlyPMIw&feature=related .
(June 2012)
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Basically, all I remember about the 1980's band Steel Breeze is their name; I just found their biggest hit from 1982 on YouTube, "You Don't Want Me Anymore", and I didn't know the song at all. The name is taken from a lyric in a Pink Floyd song, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". (The song and the album from which it is taken, Wish You Were Here are dedicated to their troubled original bandleader Syd Barrett). But I do remember an interview with Steel Breeze one time (it must have been on MTV) where they were asked about their name; and they rather sheepishly said that they were really enamored with Pink Floyd at the time, making it clear that by then, they wish they had chosen another name.
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There are some original singles by the Eyes on YouTube, but the real treat for me was a 2007 reunion at the Masque with a live performance of "Don't Talk to Me" (though the vocals are not very clear) by the band's original line-up: Charlotte Caffey, DJ Bonebrake and Joe Ramirez: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6VYFCf54AA . Their best known song, "Disneyland" can be heard at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOc2Q42t3k8 .
(July 2012)
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Queen Anne's Lace is a cool pop-psychedelic band that I really enjoy hearing; unfortunately I have been unable to find any songs by the 1960's band on YouTube, though there are several by the more recent band called Queen Anne's Lace which appears regularly at Renaissance Fairs.
I also included a description in that article of a similar album that I truly love: Nachgedanken, by a German band called Schattenfreiheit. Like last month's UARB, Dead Hippie, there was virtually nothing about this band on the Internet until fairly recently. (Oddly enough though, this was one of the first albums where I was able to find images of both sides of the album cover; images of back album covers are much more available now but were quite rare 5 or 6 years ago). I am really not trying to show off in my writings about Under-Appreciated Rock Bands and Rock Artists, but I mostly want to showcase bands and artists that people might actually be able to locate on CD or YouTube or at a used record store or whatever, rather than albums like this that are crazy-rare. Needless to say, there is nothing on YouTube by Schattenfreiheit either.
(August 2012)
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So, if you want to test that claim, here is the Stillroven on YouTube (audio only) performing "Hey Joe": www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-0zMnkCYOE . Their take on "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" can be found at:www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP4m3wti890 . They also do fine original songs; check out what is basically the title song from the CD shown above, "Cast Thy Burden upon the Stone" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d-TOtwTcYg . It is audio only like the rest, but there are some nice visuals (including a shot of the cartoon character on I Dream of Jeannie that you might remember from the opening credits).
(September 2012)
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The mostly unofficial accolades that Trillion inspires are unusual for such an obscure band. A post about the Trillion III album on www.metalminos.com is typical; it begins: "This is a very special post. One of my favorite bands of all time, classic aorsters Trillion, are working on new material". Comments by the YouTube track "Hand it to the Wind" include: "I still have this vinyl album and it is one of my treasures"; "Best unknown group in the world"; and "One of the best pomp rock albums of the 70's!!". The title track "Clear Approach" from the second album, Clear Approach on YouTube led to these comments: "It's one of my favorite records of all-time" and "Lost classic tune and album from way under appreciated band; every song on this album is memorable."
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There are several videos by the Piltdown Men on YouTube, though it is certainly not surprising that all are audio-only; the band was anonymous after all. Their big hit "Brontosaurus Stomp" is available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiQ_s_vM3Nw&feature=related ; there is also a slide show with shots of the "thunder lizard" on display. A clip of "Mac Donald's Cave" – their take on "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" – can be heard at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CckoQK7fJiw&feature=fvwrel . And then there is "Piltdown Rides Again", riffing on the Lone Ranger theme (also known as the William Tell Overture): www.youtube.com/watch?v=LixLufee14c&feature=fvwrel .
(October 2012)
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Two audio-only tracks from the Slovenly album that I have, Riposte are available on YouTube: "The Way Untruths Are" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-q_ZTpLJZE , and "On the Surface" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXxSNHkNuxo&feature=relmfu . A live track of their song "Orange Crush" (from their 1984 album After the Original Style) can be heard at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7it1Tlft2M&feature=related . If you like what you hear, there are plenty more available on the YouTube website.
(November 2012)
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There are a few YouTube clips out there though. "Love of the Loved" is a classic Beatles-style Poppees.performance; see it (audio only) at www.youtube.com/watch?v=trjeGWsuAAk . This is actually a Lennon/McCartney composition, but most of their songs were not. "Jealousy" is their second single for Bomp! Records and opens their long-overdue 2010 retrospective, Pop Goes the Anthology; this one is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=06WjNpHo1Tc&list=PL4FFEEE560A1D4123&index=7 . Finally, "If She Cries" is the "A" side of their first single that is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl82xyAMY_8&list=PL4FFEEE560A1D4123&index=6 . Unfortunately, I couldn't find any live recordings.
(December 2012)
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I included more pictures this year; in the earliest posts I hadn’t even included a copy of an album cover of the UARA or UARB. I also started the Flashback series this year, where I got to revisit some of the earlier UARA’s and UARB’s from two years previous and included links to songs on YouTube or other sources. Next year, I am going to start including a Photo Gallery on those from three years previous.
(Year 3 Review)
