Unheard - 12/11/04

Okay, so the idea behind the theme of today's radio show came about as I was looking through my CD collection (at least the ones that are in cases) for songs to put on a couple of mix CDs. I realized that a lot of the CDs in my collection are there either for their one-hit wonders or because I bought them super cheap (think Bull Moose cut-out bin) or because they just somehow migrated into my collection. Of these CDs, many have received only a cursory listen, if any listen at all, and it's because of this that I decided to put together a bucket (or, more accurately, a milk crate) of the CDs I haven't really listened to and are just sitting in my collection getting little to no love.

The Good:

Lou Rawls (I've never figured out the whole story of why this guy is the pariah of the Soul world but I really dig his voice and this album (Stormy Monday with Les McCann Ltd.) is a great combination of his voice and really, really lush orchestration (really just kind of traditional jazz backing)
The Cure (The original goth band and still the best. I bought this album, Wild Mood Swings, in one of those Columbia House sales and have barely put it in the CD player. But it's good, as all of their albums are.)
X-Ray Actress (This is, from what I gather a Maine band (at least the singer's from Maine according to my limited recollection) and I really liked this song. Girl-fronted and poppy. Gets me every time.)
Cracker (I'm not sure how this one made it into my CD collection but this song was a lot better than I expected. I've had the poster for this album rolled up among the hundreds of others I have for years.)
Al Green (I bought this album used at Bull Moose but I also picked up a copy of LL Cool J's Radio the same day so this one got left behind. It's got "Take Me to the River" on it but I played one I'd never heard before. It's Al Green, do you really even need to ask how good it was?)
Marvin Gaye (This is from the Live at Montreaux double disc and it was just as good as you would expect it to be.)
Big Head Todd and the Monsters (I've been a fan of this band from way back and this disc is no exception. Surprisingly this band has come up as a topic of conversation 3 or 4 times in the last week.)
Smashmouth (Okay, this band really should suck but I have to admit that their particular brand of catchy pop is like candy for the ears, this song was no exception. From the Fush Yu Mang album.)
Widespread Panic (This song was no "Coconuts" (or anything else from the Space Wrangler album) but it was as good as I wanted it to be. This band, for me anyway, sort of fell by the wayside after my (first) freshman year and with the death of their original singer a few years ago I really hadn't paid too much attention to them. But I used to really like them and now I remember why.)
Luscious Jackson (I always lumped this band in with a bunch of others I think of as angry-type, all-female (or female-fronted) grrrl bands (think L7, most of the bands on the Mad Love soundtrack) but I'm not sure how accurate that was. I liked this song.)
Television (This album was something I bought when I was listening to a lot of early and early-ish punk. I can't believe how little I've listened to it because every time I put it on I like it and think to myself how I can't believe how little I've listened to it.)

The So-So:

Tears for Fears (Okay, so I'd heard this song before, I just didn't recognize the name. That "Songs From the Big Chair" album really is a classic.)
Tin Machine (As much as I like David Bowie, I've never really been able to wrap my tastes around Tin Machine. I do like them, just not as much as I always think I should.)
Ray Davies (This is a pretty cool album ("Storyteller" or something like that although I'm pretty sure it has no relation to the VH1 program of the same name) and the songs are good. I don't know how many are Kinks tracks but it's all acoustic (at least what I've listened to so far) and the version of "You Really Got Me" on here is really good.)
Atlantic Starr (This is one of those old R&B bands that I always wanted to listen to and I found a CD cheap a while ago but I'm pretty sure this is the first time it's been near any of my CD players. It was good. A little fluffy but I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing.)
Janet Jackson (Okay, we've all heard Janet - a LOT - but this is from her first album (you know, the one with her in the pool on the cover) and it shows. Not great but that always gets colored by the fact that a lot of the stuff that came later was just so freaking great.)
Redd Kross (I've always heard good things about this band which is, I imagine, why I own this CD but I'm pretty sure this has never seen the inside of my CD players either. But it was good. Not great but good.)
Oasis (Song #6 (which has no name on the track listing on the back of this CD) is apparently very short so I played the next song too. Aside from "Wonderwall" (the Ryan Adams cover of this song is really good too) and the other tune that was a hit from this disc, I hadn't listened to any of the rest of it. This was good enough. Just what I expected.)
G.E. Smith & Saturday Night Live Band (I always knew G.E. had chops and this song proves it as well as anything else. I still miss him on SNL.)
Lenny Kravitz (This guy has been getting on my nerves lately (that new "Lady" song SUCKS) but this song is pretty good. I'd heard it before. Apparently I don't remember the track names as well as I used to. 10 years or so between listens probably doesn't help much.)
Billy Lawrence w/ MC Lyte (I LOVE MC Lyte but I don't know who Billy Lawrence is and now I know why. MC Lyte is the only reason this song stayed on this list and not the one below.)
Nick Drake (Aside from "Pink Moon," this CD gets very little love from me. Which is a shame considering how good this guy was.)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (This sounds like updated Beatles stuff. Early Beatles stuff. But a little different. And it's good. I can see why it was getting all that press back when it came out.)

The Bad (not so bad that it's awful, but still not really that good):

Guns 'N' Roses (I meant play "Dead Horse" but apparently I picked the wrong track on the CD player. This song was not all that. Or even a little that.)
Nona Gaye (I was playing this when the guy who does the show after me walked in and the first thing he said (yes, even before hello) was "Is this Paula Abdul?" Now it's not like I have anything against Paula (I mean we're talking about a whole lot of high school dance memories there), but this just isn't really a compliment. And the song deserved it.)

The Really, Really Not Good (or The Absolutely Horrible):

The Toadies (This was just awful. I was expecting kind of an edgy, jam band kind of sound and it was more like bad garage metal kind of stuff. Not good.)

Look below. It's the list.

CD1

Lou Rawls with Les McCann Ltd. - Stormy Monday
Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels
The Cure - Jupiter Crash
Tin Machine - Prisoner of Love
X-Ray Actress - I Want It All
The Toadies - Quitter (Live)
Ray Davies - See My Friends
Atlantic Starr - When Love Calls
Janet Jackson - Forever Yours
Redd Kross - Visionary
Cracker - Sick of Goodbyes
Oasis - #6 & Some Might Say
G.E. Smith & The Saturday Night Live Band - Might As Well Get Drunk

CD2

Lenny Kravitz - My Love
Billy Lawrence w/ MC Lyte - Come On (Set It Off soundtrack)
Al Green - Hangin' On
Marvin Gaye - Come Get To This (Live)
Nick Drake - Things Behind the Sun
Big Head Todd and The Monsters - Salvation
Smash Mouth - The Fonz
Guns 'N' Roses - Bad Obsession
Widespread Panic - You Got Yours
Luscious Jackson - Mood Swing
Television - Friction
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Too Real
Nona Gaye - When You Were Mine