Pedro the Lion - It's hard to find a friend.

Received this as a Christmas present from my brother in '99, listened to it once; it didn't grab me at all. The pacing seemed off, and it seemed too muted. (This, from me, who prefers The only reason I feel secure, as it is.)

Listened to it two years later - spring '01 - and it hit me. "Big trucks" sucked me in, "Of minor prophets and their prostitute wives" forced me to stay.

Perfect timing on this thread, as I put on 'Mott' for the first time in a long while and immediately was pissed off at myself for neglecting to hear this for so fucking long. It's brilliant and WAY better than I seem to remember.

I remember Creem magazine calling it something like a "neglected classic" back in '74 - and it's only got more neglected since then. I'll take Mott over Ziggy Stardust any day of the week.

Pretty much every Concrete Blonde album. Didn't pay them much attention through the 80's and 90's, but now wonder why I didn't notice what a remarkable singer/lyricist/bassist Johnette is.

I never forget them so they never get neglected by myself, but have always been puzzled that nobody really knows them outside of 'Joey'. Their whole oeuvre is great.

sigur ros - ( )

couldn't get into it a couple of years ago, but i put it on while fixing dinner last night and it clicked for some reason.

i listened to some toad the wet sprocket the other day and there were quite a few good songs on there that held up pretty well

Bran Van 3000's Glee album from 1997.

Before I got into anything even a little different than a straight up rock record I bought this because I liked the song on the CMJ. I remember popping this record in and being like are you kidding me? I for some reason back at the time couldn't appreciate what they were striving for. After getting into stuff outside of my comfort sound (rock) I really grew to love this album. This record would definitely probably fall into a top 50 for me. So all over the place, but every song is done so well. Love it!

I saw them opening for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy in April '98.

I more enjoyed BV3, though. And I went to the show for the headliner.

Yeah, I dig that album, too.

Yeah, Glee is a slow grower but worth it.

I'm sure there are plenty I could think of but of recent listening, I'll go with The English Beat 'Special Beat Service'. The two hits were kind of unibquitous at the time and something about the vocal on the chorus of SAve It for Later just kind of annoyed me. The song I Confess which seemed wimpy at the time now I really like. That line about 'always searching for paradise...' just gets me.

I am finding myself digging Nirvana more now too. Played Outcesticide II (probably a lot of overlap with the box i'm guessing). Some of their riffs are almost Ramonesian in how catchy they are yet so simple. It's easier for me to enjoy now as sheer music without all the hype of the day.

Echo & the Bunnymen-Reverberation--now one of my favorite albums.

I agree with this. I have yet to hear Mojave in its entirety though. "Mexican Moon" is always a great one to throw on when me and the hubby are chilling at home with a margarita or three.

I'll hook you up with Mojave this weekend, D.

U2 - Achtung Baby

The first time I listened to it, I couldn't understand the hype at all. Today, I think it's the best produced album of all time and U2's best record.

Noel Burke got completely unwarranted derision for that album. It's a very good one, even if he doesn't have the deepy-creepy tones of McCulloch.

Song-wise, though, tracks like "King Of Your Castle," "Flaming Red," "Gone, Gone, Gone," "Freaks Dwell," and "False Goodbyes" stand up to most anything else in the Bunnymen catalog. In fact, I think all 10 tracks are strong.

Saying those tracks stand up to most anything in their catalog is going a little too far for me. But I do agree its a good album and unfairly maligned.

I like all the songs you mentioned, esp. "Gone Gone Gone" and "King of Your Castle", but I think you hit the albums real strength in saying that all 10 tracks are strong. The only other bunnymen albums you can really say that about are the first four. So I'd say overall, its a better album than any of the post comeback albums, any of Ian McCullough's solo albums, and possibly the equal of the much higher praised self-titled album (just without the highs and lows).

You make it seem like four top-notch albums in a row is some small feat. I can't think of many other bands whose first four albums are as strong as these.

The Jam, Robyn Hitchcock, and maybe Psychedelic Furs ("matbe" because Mirror Moves borders on "weak").

I think you misunderstood me. The Bunnymen at their peak were the best band in the world. Those four albums were the Bunnymen at their peak. Its no small achievement.

What I was trying to communicate, perhaps not well, was that none of the songs on Reverberation "stand up to most anything else" because the songs on those first four are fantastic. But what it does share with those first four is consistency. I like every song on Reverberation albeit not nearly as much as I do the material on the first four. Every other album (with exception of Reverberation) though at least has a few duds. Reverberation tends to be the forgotten album because McCullough wasn't involved. Its not the Bunnymen at their finest, but it is a good album and is better than many that McCullough does sing on.