It seems like the days of flipping through vast vinyl, cassette, or CD collections is a thing of the past. And while there’s no denying the convenience of having all your favorite albums on a mobile device, it’s becoming more common for recordings to get lost in the shuffle and/or completely forgotten about.
Author/journalist Greg Prato is willing to provide some assistance, with his 12th book overall, Overlooked/Underappreciated: 354 Recordings That Demand Your Attention. Inside, you will find countless albums that you may have completely forgotten about or perhaps have never even heard of before.
Starting with AC/DC’s Flick of the Switch and wrapping up with Zombi’s Surface to Air, countless styles of music are represented in between – rock n’ roll, hard rock, heavy metal, alternative, new wave, punk, hardcore, grunge, jazz, fusion, psychedelic, prog, folk, blues, funk, soul, rap, spoken word, power pop, big band, glam, experimental, instrumental, soundtracks…the list goes on and on. But the selections stay strong!
Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist, whose writing has appearing in Rolling Stone, among other outlets. He is also the author of several acclaimed books, including Grunge is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon, The Eric Carr Story, and MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video, among others.
Now available as paperback ($12.99, 256 pages), Kindle ($9.99, 287 pages), and Nook.
($9.99, 256 pages) versions.
114 Responses
I could not agree more with the inclusion of AC/DC’s Flick of the Switch. It may not have had the radio play air candy programming managers were looking for at the time, but this record is a true hard rock gem that fans of raw hard rock will love.
It will be interesting to see who else is included in this book. Faster Pussycat? Danger Danger? LA Guns?
Guns For Hire was an awesome concert opener, wasn’t it…
How about DOKKEN BACK FOR THE ATTACK, MICHAEL SHENKER GROUP MSG and MALMSTEEN’S RISING FORCE MARCHING ON? All killer, no filler!
MARCHING OUT. I mean.
Those are great albums, but have they really been overlooked?
Richman,
I love Back for the Attack and I agree that album does not get the credit it deserves save for Burning Like A Flame and Dream Warriors, which I personally think is the weakest song on that record.
Dana from ET.com 🙂
Dana nailed it.
Love this album. Top of their game when they made this album. Dokken released a VHS Tape called “Under Lock and Key” (If I recall) and in it you see clips of Jeff and George in their hotel room putting together guitar licks for what would become “Prisoner” on that Album.
Dewey,
Speaking of Dokken, have you seen their One Live Night DVD? That harmonies on there are incredible. I always had a feeling that Pilson could sing, but who knew Mick Brown had that raspy, husky voice? No pun intended, but I sing the praises of the DVD to anyone who I think would be interested and is a Dokken fan.
Dana from ET.com 🙂
One Live Night is awesome. It’s a very worn out section of my spotify playlist. A few years back the NHL used that Mick Brown version of “Tooth and Nail” for the Stanley Cup Finals – how cool is that? That DVD really shows how good of a band Dokken really was and how big of a part Jeff Pilson had in cementing that band as a tight unit. Sigh. those days are long gone for Dokken, I’m afraid.
Really? I had no idea that the NHL did that, that is so cool. Someone there must have been a Dokken fan.
Thanks for sharing and I sadly concur with your last statement.
Dana from ET.com 🙂
i think Pilson and Mick both sing on the T and N record…sound great and shows what they meant to Dokken’s sound…highly underrated band, even though Lynch is recognized as a major player…
George,
Yes, I agree they were very underrated band. I never had the desire to pick up a guitar, but whenever I hear Lynch play, that is exactly what I want to do.
D 🙂
Overlooked Rock Alblums, First 3 ANGEL alblums
First 4 STARZ albums
REX – Rex Smith
Could not agree more with angel first three. And I’ll totally agree with starz first. I played, and still do, the shit out of those LPs.
Flick of the switch still one of my favorite AC/DC records. The thing rocks hard from start to finish. Not over produced either gives it that raw pure in your face sound. Here’s one for you not metal but smokin licks. Molly Hatchet Beatin the Odds.
Agree 100% with Molly Hatchet, they kick ass! Southern Metal, and I’m from the Big Apple!
There’s a lot of others, but I have to point out Triumph – “Just A Game”, great album, and IMO 1 of the most underrated of all time.
Silent Reign of Heroes.
Just a Game is an absolute Masterpiece as well as Beatin the Odds. Both albums make my top 25 of all time. Throw in Book of Shadows by Zakk Wylde and Black Rose by Thin Lizzy also.
Flick Of The Switch is one of my favorite AC/DC albums. It plain rocks start to finish!
Definitely Coliseum Rock and Violation by Starz. There are so many. If you can find it check out Tim Curry’s Fearless album with Dick Wagner and Bob Kulick on guitars. I do the Rock was the hit at the time but the whole album is great especially Hide This Face.