The Underrated

silverpot wrote: MoodyRush wrote: At least on this site, The Moody Blues seem to have a diminshed presence. They were the first prog band that I fell in love with. I have fond memories listening to their albums on my cd player back when I was a kid. Perhaps their understatedness is because of their mainstream popularity, but they are a fantastic band.

                

The_Jester wrote: The most underated album here on PA is certainly A Passion Play. Best album I ever heard in my life and people find it horrible.

JeanFrame wrote: Clouds. Is there any other band who contributed so much to this genre yet received so little in return?

More accurately, 1-2-3. But without records (other than the 2010 recording) and record sales, you won't change public perception.

I agree all those MMEB albums are realy good  Live in Budapest is a good one too

I think John Wetton is an amazing singer and bass player, but he hasn't got the respect he deserves

Billy Pilgrim wrote: I'm sorry but I find Mason to be a bore at times. Never has he ever just blew me away with his percussion abilities. In fact, Mason himself didn't view himself as a top drummer. He gets the job done, but that's it.

Not this argument again. Frankly, Mason just needed to be who he was to help make the Floyds great. He's a great musician without necessarily having to be a great drummer. He's also a gentleman and leading statesman among the elder group of prog dignitaries. He's an international treasure (and his steady beat behind the Floyds never caused me alarm).

esky wrote: Billy Pilgrim wrote: I'm sorry but I find Mason to be a bore at times. Never has he ever just blew me away with his percussion abilities. In fact, Mason himself didn't view himself as a top drummer. He gets the job done, but that's it. Not this argument again. Frankly, Mason just needed to be who he was to help make the Floyds great. He's a great musician without necessarily having to be a great drummer. He's also a gentleman and leading statesman among the elder group of prog dignitaries. He's an international treasure (and his steady beat behind the Floyds never caused me alarm).

^ true, and it's not The Flower Kings or The Tangent

Nick Mason is one of my favorite drummers. There's something to be said about restraint that a few people here obviously don't understand. One person mentioned that they had never been "blown away by his percussion abilities". That's fine, but you should be blown away by his impeccable understanding of time, atmosphere, groove, and tastefulness. Otherwise, you're just a shallow listener.

As far as underrated players go, Bill Frisell instantly comes to mind. This guy can play anything and has worked with so many different artists and genres, having an uncanny knack for leaving his fingerprint on anything that he's a part of. He's released some great solo albums and worked with John Zorn (and part of Naked City from '86-'03), Dave Holland, Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Elvis Costello, John Scofield, Ginger Baker, Michael Shrieve, Mike Stern, Ron Carter, Paul Motian, among countless others, and he even appears on an Allen Ginsberg album of poetry and spoken word. Bill Frisell is one of the best living guitarists around today, and hardly anyone knows who he is because he's so humble.

When i think of under-rated drummers, the one that comes to mind right away is Jo Koinzer from  German jazz-rock band Brainstorm.
          His name is never mentioned, and when you hear him, you will wonder why? He has a complex technique that is aggressive, but intricate in the same breath.