There’s a lot of music out there. So many albums, but not enough time to hear them all. Digital technology has afforded us multitudes of songs to stream at a moment’s notice. There are never enough spots on the playlist or on year-end lists. Some albums just get lost amongst the sheer volume of releases. Consider this a gift of record-crate-digging treasure. The six obscure albums below deserve a second listen. Or in many cases, a first listen…
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1. Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies (1968)
“She’s Not There” was a hit for The Zombies in 1964. But diminished chart success with subsequent singles frustrated the band. They released their second album, Odessey and Oracle, in 1968. Critics and fans ignored the release, and the band split up.
But “Care of Cell 44” is a direct descendant of Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. “Time of the Season” found accidental success in the U.S. thanks to producer and A&R man Al Kooper. Odessey and Oracle is a collection of beautifully melancholic songs. The band swings between classical, jazz, and psychedelic sounds; the result is shimmering, majestic pop magic. It’s truly shocking this album wasn’t a smash success upon release, but at least its status as a cult classic will endure.
2. Real Life by Magazine (1978)
Howard Devoto quit punk legends Buzzcocks to form Magazine. Devoto and guitarist John McGeoch wanted a band with less nostalgia and more intelligence. Kicking off a post-punk revolution in the UK, Magazine released their debut album, Real Life, in 1978.
“Shot by Both Sides” is considered a formative work of post-punk and New Wave. Devoto wrote the song with his former bandmate in Buzzcocks, Pete Shelley. Though the album didn’t top the charts, what came after it was deeply important to the future of British rock music. McGeoch left Magazine to join Siouxsie and the Banshees. Radiohead, Johnny Marr, and John Frusciante all site McGeoch as an influence.
3. Cut by The Slits (1979)
The Slits were on the dividing line of punk and post-punk in the late-70s. Dennis Bovell, a.k.a. Blackbeard, produced this stellar debut by combining dub-reggae, art-pop, and punk. Dub-influenced music appeared all over post-punk Britain during this time. The Slits’ cheeky attitude and Bovell’s sparse production make this offbeat album an obscure classic.
[RELATED: 10 Obscure Classic Rock Albums You Didn’t Know Your Collection Needed]
“Typical Girls” and a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” are standout tracks. Also, Neneh Cherry sings background vocals on the album. Cut inspired the ’90s “riot grrrl” feminist punk movement, which greatly influenced bands like Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill.
4. Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins (1990)
An atmospheric and ethereal masterpiece, Heaven or Las Vegas is Cocteau Twins’ best-selling album. Elizabeth Frazer’s vocal gift is how she finds the perfect pop melody amidst swelling and droning synths.
Most pop songs are designed for instant gratification, but Cocteau Twins excel in writing pop music to get lost in. Frazer uses unintelligible lyrics, furthering the dream pop experience. A band that helped define shoegaze becomes a pop band on Heaven or Las Vegas. Otherworldly and beautiful, this album is the foundation that projects like Beach House sit on.
5. I’ve Been Trying to Tell You by Saint Etienne (2021)
Saint Etienne formed in London in 1990, and their music has continued to keep hold of ’90s hypno-dance culture. I’ve Been Trying to Tell You sounds like the moment when people in the club are beginning to come down. The emotional response that bubbles over when joy turns to sadness.
These days, the lawsuit has killed the sample in the same way video killed the radio star in 1981. But Saint Etienne’s use of samples adds to the ’90s nostalgia. I’ve Been Trying to Tell You is full of optimism. A wistful collection of flickering acid-house that samples late-’90s pop music and turns it into a dream you barely remember.
6. TNT by Tortoise (1998)
Tortoise are a post-rock band from Chicago. On TNT, the band’s third album, they piece together the arrangements like a remix. Blending jazz with light techno touches, the band focuses their attention on repetitive grooves. Tortoise expands their sound by adding horns and strings. The American composer Steve Reich influences the band’s use of marimba. Mixing cool jazz drumming with breakbeats, dub textures, and controlled feedback, Tortoise builds instrumentals using the pieces of a rock band. With all the diversity of sounds, it’s a surprisingly cohesive album. Mixing so many genres and instruments, one would expect chaos, but TNT sounds reflective more than anything. The album’s complexity is hidden in its subtleness. Tortoise makes remixing sound like jamming.
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