[RPIScotty]

The goal is simple: name three acts of this era you think are criminally underrated or unknown.

I'll start.

1.) Rory Gallagher: The fact that this man is not world renowned is beyond me. Highlights include "In Your Town", "What in the World", "I Could've Had Religion" and "Pistol Slapper Blues" from Live in Europe and "Walk on Hot Coals", "I Wonder Who" and "As the Crow Flies" from Irish Tour. "Garbage Man/Roberta" from BBC Sessions is also an incredible track.

2.) Peter Green: Before Fleetwood Mac was an AOR darling with songs like "Dreams" they were the most exhilarating, authentic Blues band to come out of the second wave of British blues. At the helm was likely the most gifted blues guitarist of his generation (all post war generations in fact): Peter Green. Highlights of the PG era, if you must pick a few, are all live tracks and contained on the Live at the Boston Tea Party and Shrine 69 albums. Notable ones are: "Jumping at Shadows", "Need Your Love So Bad", "Rollin Man", "If You Be My Baby" and, in the only performance of a blues song where an artist out-BB Kings the master himself, "Let Me Love You", where Green churns out the most tantalizing slow blues of the entire decade. These tracks are not to be missed. In fact, the entire Green era Fleetwood Mac catalog is essential listening.

3.) Cactus: This is the band that embodies the "Boogie" rock moniker of the early 70s better than anyone else. Jim McCarty is a freaking genius on the guitar and there is no one who represents the Motor City style of rock and roll better than him. The best recommendation I can muster is an out of print Rhino collection called Fully Unleashed: The Live Tracks, which contains some of the best hard/boogie rock of the entire 70s decade. Standouts are "Alaska", "Oleo", "Heebies Jeebie Medley" and "Bad Mother Boogie". Also their first two studio albums are phenomenal, with "Parchman Farm" from their eponymous debut and "Long Tall Sally" from One Way or Another as particular standouts.

Feel free to PM me for any of these tracks listed and I will do my best to hook you up.

[majorvices]

Ric Emmit. X3

[69franx]

Sorry, a bit younger on my end. I know the recognized greats of this Era as I was a huge classic rock fan in my younger days. Bit of a sheltered life back then. I had no idea how to find anything that did not get radio play or get passed down from my friends' older brothers. Going to keep my eyes on this one to check them all out. Thanks for posting Derek

[RPIScotty]

Sorry, a bit younger on my end. I know the recognized greats of this Era as I was a huge classic rock fan in my younger days. Bit of a sheltered life back then. I had no idea how to find anything that did not get radio play or get passed down from my friends' older brothers. Going to keep my eyes on this one to check them all out. Thanks for posting Derek

I have three major passions in my life: My family, my beer and music.

I'm an old soul musically. I'm 31 but my interests lie squarely in the Pre-War blues, Post-War electric blues and 60s/70s blues rock.

[HoosierBrew]

+1 to Rik Emmett. Amazing, crazy underrated guitarist. I saw Triumph twice and was blown away.

As for the 60s, I'd add The Band. They had some popularity but not nearly like they deserved IMO. No great guitarists (though they were Dylan's band at one point). Just some great classic songs. They brought roots/Americana music to the forefront and still sound great.

[RPIScotty]

+1 to Rik Emmett. Amazing, crazy underrated guitarist. I saw Triumph twice and was blown away.

As for the 60s, I'd add The Band. They had some popularity but not nearly like they deserved IMO. No great guitarists (though they were Dylan's band at one point). Just some great classic songs. They brought roots/Americana music to the forefront and still sound great.

Definitely the Band. Robbie Robertson is a great guitarist who specialized in a style of understated playing that has few parallels. Notable tracks from The Band, IMHO, are "King Harvest Has Surely Come", "Chest Fever", "Ophelia" and "Up on Cripple Creek".

[majorvices]

+1 to Rik Emmett. Amazing, crazy underrated guitarist. I saw Triumph twice and was blown away.

As for the 60s, I'd add The Band. They had some popularity but not nearly like they deserved IMO. No great guitarists (though they were Dylan's band at one point). Just some great classic songs. They brought roots/Americana music to the forefront and still sound great.

Definitely the Band. Robbie Robertson is a great guitarist who specialized in a style of understated playing that has few parallels. Notable tracks from The Band, IMHO, are "King Harvest Has Surely Come", "Chest Fever", "Ophelia" and "Up on Cripple Creek".

Well yeah, of course "The Band" I thought we were keeping this to "underrated"....

[RPIScotty]

+1 to Rik Emmett. Amazing, crazy underrated guitarist. I saw Triumph twice and was blown away.

As for the 60s, I'd add The Band. They had some popularity but not nearly like they deserved IMO. No great guitarists (though they were Dylan's band at one point). Just some great classic songs. They brought roots/Americana music to the forefront and still sound great.

Definitely the Band. Robbie Robertson is a great guitarist who specialized in a style of understated playing that has few parallels. Notable tracks from The Band, IMHO, are "King Harvest Has Surely Come", "Chest Fever", "Ophelia" and "Up on Cripple Creek".

Well yeah, of course "The Band" I thought we were keeping this to "underrated"....

You have to think about it this way though Keith: they were very popular in their era but have drastically dropped off in notoriety in the modern era.

I'm actually astonished by how few people recognize just how popular The Band was in the 70s. So, by some twisted cosmic anomaly, The Band actually IS underrated! Go figure!

[HoosierBrew]

+1 to Rik Emmett. Amazing, crazy underrated guitarist. I saw Triumph twice and was blown away.

As for the 60s, I'd add The Band. They had some popularity but not nearly like they deserved IMO. No great guitarists (though they were Dylan's band at one point). Just some great classic songs. They brought roots/Americana music to the forefront and still sound great.

Definitely the Band. Robbie Robertson is a great guitarist who specialized in a style of understated playing that has few parallels. Notable tracks from The Band, IMHO, are "King Harvest Has Surely Come", "Chest Fever", "Ophelia" and "Up on Cripple Creek".

Well yeah, of course "The Band" I thought we were keeping this to "underrated"....

You have to think about it this way though Keith: they were very popular in their era but have drastically dropped off in notoriety in the modern era.

I'm actually astonished by how few people recognize just how popular The Band was in the 70s. So, by some twisted cosmic anomaly, The Band actually IS underrated! Go figure!

Yeah that's what I meant. They were big at the time but they're almost forgotten nowadays. I hear 'The Weight' occasionally on the radio but not much else.

[RPIScotty]

+1 to Rik Emmett. Amazing, crazy underrated guitarist. I saw Triumph twice and was blown away.

As for the 60s, I'd add The Band. They had some popularity but not nearly like they deserved IMO. No great guitarists (though they were Dylan's band at one point). Just some great classic songs. They brought roots/Americana music to the forefront and still sound great.

Definitely the Band. Robbie Robertson is a great guitarist who specialized in a style of understated playing that has few parallels. Notable tracks from The Band, IMHO, are "King Harvest Has Surely Come", "Chest Fever", "Ophelia" and "Up on Cripple Creek".

Well yeah, of course "The Band" I thought we were keeping this to "underrated"....

You have to think about it this way though Keith: they were very popular in their era but have drastically dropped off in notoriety in the modern era.

I'm actually astonished by how few people recognize just how popular The Band was in the 70s. So, by some twisted cosmic anomaly, The Band actually IS underrated! Go figure!

Yeah that's what I meant. They were big at the time but they're almost forgotten nowadays. I hear 'The Weight' occasionally on the radio but not much else.

Such a great band.

"Corn in the fields, listen to the rice as the wind blows 'cross the water. King Harvest has surely come..."

[narvin]

Captain Beefheart.

[RPIScotty]

Captain Beefheart.

And Frank Zappa by association!

[Bob357]

A band that I saw at the Band Shell in Golden Gate Park circa 1771, Country Weather. Never saw or heard of them again, but they were truly amazing musicians.

In the wee hours of new years day morning, at an Off Broadway(SF) hole in the wall called Coffee and Confusion, in the same era, this guy had 88 bongos tuned and set up as a piano and played a most memorable and amazing rendition of the William Tell Overture.

Having been about 20 and living in and around the Haight/Ashbury back in the day left many amazing memories. Unfortunately, some of the memories can be best described as, "More than a little fuzzy". 

Most weekends were spent at the Filmore, Filmore West, Winterland Auditorium and the Avalon Ballroom. Sometimes we were brave enough to venture across the gate to the Ark in Sausalito, or woke up early enough to go to Speedway Meadows in the park, for a free afternoon concert. Wherever you were, you were bound to be on a contact high.

I have been a Country and Western music fan since I was a kid, but the culture of the Haight/Ashbury, along with the obscure talents that thrived within it, are a very dear part of my life.

[dls5492]

1. Genesis with Peter Gabriel. The "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" is brilliant.
2. Jethro Tull. Everybody thinks of "Aqualung". But, they have some many good album and songs. I like "Songs From the Woods" and "Living in the Past".
3. Polka music - I never heard a sad Polka song!

[majorvices]

3. Polka music - I never heard a sad Polka song!

Brother from another mother!