What bands 'should' have been bigger?

[rugbyleague]

The Slow Readers Club for me!

[dandarez]

Suppose they are 'big' in a 'small' way? Well, you can't start something in 1965 and still be going to this very day in 2020 with over 40 albums and one original member still keeping it going, without being 'big', can you?

SAVOY BROWN
(originally The Savoy Brown Blues Band). Again, lucky enough to have seen them in the early days.
Some superb LP covers and designs over the years.'
Chris Youlden (and his cigars) was initially the lead singer.
Used to frequent the Oranges & Lemons pub in 1969 in the appropriately named 'St Clements' Street in Oxford
their 'Train to Nowhere' would be playing so f loud the floorboards shook!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZndMjqFNTMo

1972 and 'Hellbound Train' (they liked their trains!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOCLkBCntGE

I still have most of their LPs. Underrated by miles.

Jack the Toad is a great LP, as is the gatefold Lion's Share.
Endless Sleep from Jack is a fave of 1973, wait for the 'wail'!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ewnj8WaVq0&li...

So much more in between and this year, the only surviving member Kim Simmonds (a superb and very underrated guitarist who will be 73 in Dec) who has kept the band (now a threesome) going all these years, their 2018 lp got me back on track with them.
Witchy Feelin' - like this one 'Why Did You Hoodoo Me'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3whKH942Y&li...

Then they put out their latest LP appropriately called 'Ain't Done Yet.'
released only a month or so back.
Love this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGXRzwd3FTc&li...

[bigandclever]

nonsequitur said:

Semi Sonic. Broke up because it never happened.

Fun fact. Dan Wilson, who co-wrote Closing Time, which I remember being EVERYWHERE in the late 90’s, also co-wrote ‘Someone like you’ with Adele. He shared a Grammy for writing some songs, performing on, and producing ‘21’.
Also, Semisonic are still going, in fact released an EP a few weeks ago

[nonsequitur]

bigandclever said:

nonsequitur said:

Semi Sonic. Broke up because it never happened.

Fun fact. Dan Wilson, who co-wrote Closing Time, which I remember being EVERYWHERE in the late 90’s, also co-wrote ‘Someone like you’ with Adele. He shared a Grammy for writing some songs, performing on, and producing ‘21’.
Also, Semisonic are still going, in fact released an EP a few weeks ago

Indeed they are. But split after the disappointing sales of the 'Feeling Strangely Fine' album in 2001. Reunited last year and released the EP 'You're Not Alone' recently.

[anonymous-user]

dandarez said:

Suppose they are 'big' in a 'small' way? Well, you can't start something in 1965 and still be going to this very day in 2020 with over 40 albums and one original member still keeping it going, without being 'big', can you?

SAVOY BROWN
(originally The Savoy Brown Blues Band). Again, lucky enough to have seen them in the early days.
Some superb LP covers and designs over the years.'
Chris Youlden (and his cigars) was initially the lead singer.
Used to frequent the Oranges & Lemons pub in 1969 in the appropriately named 'St Clements' Street in Oxford
their 'Train to Nowhere' would be playing so f loud the floorboards shook!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZndMjqFNTMo

1972 and 'Hellbound Train' (they liked their trains!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOCLkBCntGE

I still have most of their LPs. Underrated by miles.

Jack the Toad is a great LP, as is the gatefold Lion's Share.
Endless Sleep from Jack is a fave of 1973, wait for the 'wail'!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ewnj8WaVq0&li...

So much more in between and this year, the only surviving member Kim Simmonds (a superb and very underrated guitarist who will be 73 in Dec) who has kept the band (now a threesome) going all these years, their 2018 lp got me back on track with them.
Witchy Feelin' - like this one 'Why Did You Hoodoo Me'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3whKH942Y&li...

Then they put out their latest LP appropriately called 'Ain't Done Yet.'
released only a month or so back.
Love this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGXRzwd3FTc&li...

Have you got 'Savage Return'? Some good tracks on that

[boyse7en]

A band I have only relatively recently come across, School of Seven Bells.
A mix of synth pop, industrial tinged beats, airy vocals and, in the end, a tragic story.

I've had it on repeat in my car for a while, and its a real shame that the band ended when and how it did.

[parakitaMol.]

Sparklehorse - such a unique sound & incredibly gifted songwriter, the unmistakable voice of Mark Linkous (RIP)
Good Morning Spider is my favourite

Sad and beautiful world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7rOKhmnw44


Knives of Summertime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waZ6uOOmVCw


I'd forgotten about them till a couple of yeas ago rediscovered them via the Dangermouse collab Dark Night of the Soul - which is brilliant

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Everytime I'm With You (Feat. Jason Lytle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzpeChtYaRA

Edited by parakitaMol. on Saturday 28th November 13:54

[KR158]

paulguitar said:

Del Amitri.

Ridiculously good band, never got anywhere near where they should have been.

This, a thousand times over & then some. Absolutely superb.

[Mogsmex]

Teenage Fanclub

always seemed to be almost on the brink

seen them loads in the 90's they always put on a good show

[rover 623gsi]

hepy said:

The Real People - late 80's early 90's Liverpool band. Allegedly taught Noel Gallagher how to write songs.

Two of them ended up writing songs for other groups, but the band should have been massive - think of the sort of music they play on Abolute Radio, they fit in to that type of mould but more meoldic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9-JjqJMHRs

THE DARK SIDE OF NOEL GALLAGHER: Oasis & The Real People

[rover 623gsi]

paul99 said:

Having recently discovered Steven Wilson's music and back catalogue. Porcupine Tree should have been much bigger and well known, some amazing albums and excellent production. Their live dvds/blu rays are incredible, great sound and musicianship.

I agree

[rover 623gsi]

Scars - early 80s Scottish indie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHSgEH3EIxo

Fire Engines - early 80s Scottish indie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6onPpI92CF8

Positive Noise - early 80s Scottish indie band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjgIjjalkJI

[cherryowen]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Peak Rothery was on the Clutching at Straws era.

His solos / chord choices / arpeggios / effects / use of the trem bar were perfectly judged.

[jamckeown]

Waterboys should and could have been as big as U2. In hindsight I am glad they are not as they be there is still a lot of love for Mike Scott's changellings! Recent bands that should have been huge are Broken Bells and LP.

[jamckeown]

Waterboys should and could have been as big as U2. In hindsight I am glad they are not as there is still a lot of love for Mike Scott's changellings! Recent bands that should have been huge are Broken Bells and LP.

[Supercilious Sid]

Colourbox later to become MARRS

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=colourbox&pr...

[Supercilious Sid]

K12beano said:

Sebastian Tombs said:

The Divine Comedy were *so* much better than The National Express.
Liberation, Promenade and Casanova were incredibly creative musically and lyrically, intelligent and witty, perfectly produced and unlike anything else of their era. A Short Album About Love is grandiose and beautiful, and Fin de Siècle contains Commuter Love which is one of the most perfect songs ever.
I'm not convinced the later albums are as good musically, and I think he peaked with Regeneration, which is a masterpiece.

I'm with you there.

"Whimsical"

Of a broadly similar style but better My Life Story

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz1W9EWTdVY

[Supercilious Sid]

marcosgt said:

Timing maybe? Punk swept away lots of good bands along with plenty of dross (I can't think of anything by UFO though, so not sure where I'd place them on that scale).

Just read the whole thread and have to agree that Magazine was a good shout.

M

Edited by marcosgt on Friday 21st August 14:31

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tjOhL1ea4Os

[Supercilious Sid]

BigMon said:

. Funnily enough, all through the 80's most people in Sheffield thought Pulp weren't going to get anywhere.

Everyone thought it was going to be the Stunt Kites make it big first

[Stick Legs]

Somebody mentioned Rialto. Yup, they deserved more.

Idlewild, a band that never seemed to break out of the ‘NME Darlings / Student’ trap.

Belle & Sebastien. Exquisite song writing & real musical cleverness. A 2000’s Smiths.