Underappreciated Albums – Part 3 of 4 – Classic Rock

The Lanois entry might be stretching the “classic rock” definition a bit, but he certainly has enough links to it to qualify by association. Without further ado…

Joni Mitchell – Hejira
It doesn’t reach out and grab as much as her critically acclaimed “Blue”; nor does it contain any of her trademark songs that are generally more famous as covers by other hippies such as “Woodstock,” “Both Sides Now,” or “Big Yellow Taxi,” but “Hejira” has more depth and distinctiveness than her other releases. (At least the ones I’ve heard.) Mitchell’s guitar work shines on this album. Upon close inspection, simple sounding chords are actually incredibly complex, often involving bizarre tunings and progressions. Throughout the album these distinctive chords are woven with some innovative fretless bass play. The result is subtle but moving. While it might not be as gripping as some of Mitchell’s other work, it is full of depth and richly introspective poetry. This album really creates a mood. Driving alone late on a rainy night with this album playing can really suck you in and make the guitar work almost haunting.

The Beatles – Revolver
Ok, so it’s on every “Top 100 Albums Every Made” list ever made, so how “underrated” can it be? All I know is that “Abbey Road” might be the only Beatles album in my collection that I listen to as much as “Revolver,” and that’s actually giving “Abbey Road” the benefit of the doubt. The “White Album” is great, but disjointed – albeit with intent – and is also full of annoying landmines like “Rocky Raccoon” that have become downright intolerable over time. “Sgt. Pepper’s” would make my list of most overrated albums. I’m sure it was revolutionary at the time, but I guess you had to be there, and I wasn’t. “Revolver” on the other hand, is a masterpiece of the 60s. I’ll even grant that “Yellow Submarine” and “Dr. Roberts” are, well, kind of dumb, and that leaves barely 25 minutes of remaining music to rave about but I’ll still contend it’s worthy of this list. This is the album that might be quintessential Beatles, as it bridges the gap between the early pure pop single era and the later more complex and revolutionary albums that more define their legacy. The renowned singles like “Taxman” and “Eleanor Rigby” that start the album provide good examples, but many of the better tracks lie near the end. The album concludes with “Tomorrow Never Knows” – perhaps the Fab Four’s best venture into psychedelic rock.

Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
Another short album on the list, proving once again that bigger isn’t always better, “Nashville Skyline” actually doesn’t even break the 30 minute mark but it sure does pack a punch. Make no mistake about it, Dylan’s escapade to Nashville to record an album with Johnny Cash is country music – a genre I normally detest – but the result is one of the most beautiful collections of songs imaginable. Unlike many of Dylan’s more critically acclaimed albums, this one lacks exaggerated harmonica solos, trademark out-of-key wails and hollers, and any political protest themes – all of which can turn a lot of listeners off to Dylan. This is just a collection of beautiful songs. “Lay Lady Lay” is the lone single of fame and is rather indicative of the album’s style and feel, but it’s really just one of ten songs that all stand the test of time. In spite of its country music foundation, the album actually has an upbeat and happy feel. Some banjo-picking helps with this on songs like “Country Pie” and on others Dylan shows off his knack for making songs about lost love highlight the positive memories rather than focusing on the loss, and this is apparent on the beautiful opening track, “Girl From the North Country.” The album ends on a positive note of new love found with “Tonight, I’ll Be Staying Here With You.”

Daniel Lanois – Acadie
Any album that contains songs that flow effortlessly between English and French is probably worth owning and this one in particular in a real gem. Best known for his work as a producer for acts like Peter Gabriel, R.E.M. and Robbie Robertson, Lanois’ solo album is a beautiful collection of ballads paying homage to his Quebecois upbringing and the people who share his heritage. The album is a blend of rock, new age and folk with a very clean but ethereal sound. The songs feel rural and generally paint of picture of simple people with simple lives, but Lanois doesn’t shy away from weaving in some serious topics. In many ways the lyrics make the composition seem a bit out of the ordinary. For example, the song “Jolie Louise” deals with some dark issues, but the music and singing remain upbeat. At times while listening to this album you might find yourself happily whistling a song about an alcoholic who beats his wife and loses his family. I won’t try too hard to speculate about Lanois’ motives, but the approach creates a unique feel and interprets this dark side of human nature as at least a natural battle, rather than taking the more standard approach of the judgmental or analytical. That’s not to say this is a noire album, and many of the other songs like the lovely opener “Still Water” focus on simple, happy times.

Robbie Robertson – Robbie Robertson
Speaking of fine albums produced by Daniel Lanois, Robertson’s 1987 solo release is one of the better albums of the decade that flew under the radar. Joined by guest musicians Peter Gabriel, Bono and The BoDeans, this collection of songs has withstood the test of time. The standout, “Somewhere Down the Crazy River” remains one of my favorite tunes to this day, and actually invokes the Frogman of the BoDeans with great success. Robertson captures a pseudo-Tom Waits feel on a lot of these tracks, but doesn’t completely fall into a whiskey-soaked wasteland. This is a well-thought out album and the former member of “The Band” clearly put a lot of studio time into its composition. While he does lean heavily on his star-studded guests, particularly on the first two tracks featuring Peter Gabriel, The Edge and Bono, the album manages to remain cohesive. Rather than leaving it thinking he was resting on their laurels, the listener appreciates what Robertson brought to the table and his influence on all these great musicians. Joseph Campbell would be proud of him as well. The album’s themes have a heavy myth and storytelling feel. “Somewhere Down the Crazy River” is classic narration, while others simply rely on metaphors like “broken arrows” to project their message.