SCOTTS HIDDEN TREASURES #22

[Scott]

I can't believe that the American people allow Mtv and the music  industry to govern the radio play lists and charts.  Its not right, what happened?  I had another list ready to go, but felt compelled to redo for this week due to the absolute stupidity of the American Music Awards.  So instead, I want to post "American Music" as it used to be.

Remember when FM radio would play music just because it was good rock and roll? Rush got a break because a station in Cleveland played Working Man.  Head East started because radio caught hold of "Never Been A Reason", should we go on?  

Would a record label give a band a second chance if their first release didn't go big right away?  REO Speedwagon?  Styx?  Can you imagine the bands we would have missed out on if this was true back in our day?


TITLE:  American Music
BAND: Prism
ALBUM: Young and Restless
YEAR: 1980
With a title like that, I had to lead off with this.  A true hidden treasure of a band that was really close to breaking through, but any bid to break into the American music scene was stopped short by the sudden death of Ron Tabek following this release.  Listen to their words, its just not true any more.  Shame really.

TITLE:  Ride Like The Wind
BAND: Christopher Cross
ALBUM: Christopher Cross
YEAR: 1979
Cross belongs on this list because his music was so good he broke through in a huge way, but then was taken out because he didn't fit the Mtv "image" when it was just starting to break big.  And although his style is more jazz influenced, he continued to make very high quality music that got little to no attention at all.  I'm just glad he didn't stop recording.

TITLE: This Time Next Year
BAND: Dennis DeYoung
ALBUM: One Hundred Years From Now
YEAR: 2007
For all of his quirks you can't deny his song writing ability.  But  when he went back into the studio he struggled to get an American record company to release him domestically.  So he releases in Canada to rave reviews and more chart success, and even after all that it took a couple more years for America to get it.

TITLE: Screaming In The Night
BAND: Krokus
ALBUM: Headhunter
YEAR: 1983
With nice sales, chart and Mtv success in America you would think an audience would love to hear a reunited band who came back with a very strong effort in 2010.  But no!  No promotion = No Sales = No Krokus on American soil.

TITLE: Call It Love
BAND: Poco
ALBUM: Legacy
YEAR: 1989
Members from Buffalo Springfield formed this band, other members went onto huge success with The Eagles, and Loggins and Messina.  The band is listed as an influence in countless bands, their players are some of the best and most revered in the world, so why didn't Poco hit it huge?  They weren't country enough for Nashville, not Rock and Roll enough for Rock radio.  SO what was wrong with just being very very good?

TITLE: Lucky For You
BAND: REO Speedwagon
ALBUM: You Can Tune A Piano But You Cant Tuna Fish
YEAR: 1978
REO fits this list because they were given a chance to grow as an artist.  They weren't dumped because they didn't achieve immediate success.  They were supported by a label and toured to survive.  The title of this track is appropriate for them and this list, because I don't think a band like this would be allowed to go this route ever again.

TITLE: She's A Beauty
BAND: The Tubes
ALBUM: Outside Inside
YEAR: 1983
The Tubes staged great shows, edgy imagery.  Wait a minute.  The soft porn that is on now days is OK but the Tubes wasn't?  Maybe someone just didn't like them controlling their own music and image.  Thats it!  If you allow yourself to be a puppet, compromise your integrity, then maybe you have a chance in today's market.

TITLE: Radio Ga Ga
BAND: Queen
ALBUM: The Works
YEAR:  1984
(Pulled from Greatest Hits Vol. 2)
There came a time when the American music scene forgot about Queen.  They literally disappear from the radio and everything new they put out we never got wind of unless we chased after it ourselves.  Maybe it was in part because of this song.  "You had your time, your finest hour."  Did they upset the radio execs?

TITLE: Lunatic Fringe
BAND: Red Rider
ALBUM: As Far As Siam
YEAR: 1981
"A staple of American classic rock radio" - this is a description I pulled from a web page about them.  Yet they never had chart or concert success in America.  Who had it out for them?  How do you become a staple of America classic rock radio with no State side success?  I love Red Rider, but for such a great band, this seems a little fishy to me.

TITLE: Bravado
BAND: Rush
ALBUM: Roll The Bones
YEAR: 1991
It's appropriate to end this list with this band.  They get a small break and a label supports an American tour.  They go on to get critically killed and despite the media and radio ignorance, the band hits it big with fans.  Again, what record label would support a band like this now days?


Stylistically this list comes off as being all over the place.  But isn't that what American Music should be? All should be welcome...

LINK: http://www.podsnack.com/published-players/details/?list&hash=f6...

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[Niels (Mod)]

A good song from RUSH. I have seen, that they are coming to Europe next year, but AGAIN no dates in Denmark!!!!!????

[RJhog (Admin)]

Good playlist Scott. Haven't heard the Christopher Cross tune in a while, I definitely like it. I always enjoyed Michael McDonald's backing vocals as well. I'm not a big Krokus fan, but I sure do love that particular song. Also the Tubes. My favorite song by them is Talk To 'Ya Later.

As far as DeYoung goes, this is my theory. We need new albums by Styx, Journey and Van Halen featuring their best ever vocalists. Now, as I said on another thread, I'm afraid the Van Halen one might be a mess, but you know the other two would be fantastic.

The only tune I didn't really like here was Radio Ga Ga. Just never liked it.

[Scott]

Thanks RJ, I actually agree with you on the Radio Ga Ga song. If memory serves me correctly, they had high hopes for this song to be a huge American success, and when it fell flat, so did Queen's ability to hit the American charts again... I always felt like this song was the line in the sand for them.

[Jon]

Yeah, but check out their perfomance of this song (and others) at Live Aid. Americans know NOTHING. Another splendid list, funny thing about that Christopher Cross song...I was listening to the radio i the early 80's and they played Black Sabbath "Iron Man" followed by this sing. I thought it was the coolest thing to have these back to back since they are so unlike. I think it was WNEW FM that I was listening too and ever since then I have always made personal playlists with songs that have nothing t do with each other (ABBA and, say, Megadeth). Put it on shuffle and it's really neat. To me.

[Niels (Mod)]

I see, what you mean. It's kind of like when I buy CD's: If I buy a "Heavy Metal"-album, I like to buy a "Soft music"-album at the same time.

[RJhog (Admin)]

It's funny how we talk about heavy/hard/soft music. I have a buddy who said one day when he was trying to figure out what he wanted to listen to, "I think I'm in the mood for something hard today"...I busted out laughing and quoted The 40 Year Old Virgin...You know how I know you're...:-)

[Mike Pell]

Great choices here!
Too many to name, but the Poco is a GREAT album.
And besides the music, I've always loved that REO Speedwagon title You Can Tune A Piano But You Cant Tuna Fish, hahahahahaha!
I've dropped that in conversations!
Oh and Radio Gaga by Queen, more serious song than the title would indicate.
Thanks,
Mike