Top 5 NW bands that got screwed by history

[deevo0]

By "screwed" I mean they never got the recognition and success they deserved. Or got critical praise but no sales.

I'm thinking comsat angels has to be #1.

[schwenko]

[quote]Originally posted by deevo0
[br]By "screwed" I mean they never got the recognition and success they deserved. Or got critical praise but no sales.

I'm thinking comsat angels has to be #1.
[/quote]

I think they were very successful/critically hailed in Denmark[:D]

Sugoi !!!

[rewind]

Well, the Ramones were critically hailed and certainly have marked their place in history, but their financial success wasw achieved through touring. Their record sales were negligible.

[q89747]

[quote]Originally posted by deevo0
[br]By "screwed" I mean they never got the recognition and success they deserved. Or got critical praise but no sales.

I'm thinking comsat angels has to be #1.
[/quote]
Okay... are we talking about NW in a conventional-80s-pop sense or NW in a groundbreaking-postpunk-still-holds-up-after-30-years sense? Because the Comsats had both. Their first three records were pretty good (critical praise but not many sales), so as they apparently wanted more mainstream success they thereafter went for a more conventional sound (which they now acknowledge and regret). To be honest I haven't heard all their music but that's what I've read.

[deevo0]

[quote][i]Originally posted by q89747[/i]
<br>[quote]Originally posted by deevo0
[br]By "screwed" I mean they never got the recognition and success they deserved. Or got critical praise but no sales.

I'm thinking comsat angels has to be #1.
[/quote]
Okay... are we talking about NW in a conventional-80s-pop sense or NW in a groundbreaking-postpunk-still-holds-up-after-30-years sense? Because the Comsats had both. Their first three records were pretty good (critical praise but not many sales), so as they apparently wanted more mainstream success they thereafter went for a more conventional sound (which they now acknowledge and regret). To be honest I haven't heard all their music but that's what I've read.
[/quote]

guess i'll go with (b). CSA aren't well known in the states, cept among the die-hards. Based on the early stuff, which as you say is different from the later conventional stuff, they should have been huge. My opinion.

[brock]

Trees: label dropped them/him. Critical praise from Trouser Press.

D-Day: OK, maybe their album didn't deserve praise, but I love it.

The Sound: I guess they were big across the pond, but not here in the U.S. They were unknown to me back then. Allmusic has a very good bio on the band.

[djcraig]

The Chameleons.



<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>

[deevo0]

[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
<br>The Chameleons.
<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>
[/quote]

oh man, good call.

[randy]

what he said ^

[q89747]

[quote][i]Originally posted by deevo0[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by q89747[/i]
<br>[quote]Originally posted by deevo0
[br]By "screwed" I mean they never got the recognition and success they deserved. Or got critical praise but no sales.

I'm thinking comsat angels has to be #1.
[/quote]
Okay... are we talking about NW in a conventional-80s-pop sense or NW in a groundbreaking-postpunk-still-holds-up-after-30-years sense? Because the Comsats had both. Their first three records were pretty good (critical praise but not many sales), so as they apparently wanted more mainstream success they thereafter went for a more conventional sound (which they now acknowledge and regret). To be honest I haven't heard all their music but that's what I've read.
[/quote]
guess i'll go with (b). CSA aren't well known in the states, cept among the die-hards. Based on the early stuff, which as you say is different from the later conventional stuff, they should have been huge. My opinion.
[/quote]
If it's (b) then I agree that that earlier stuff, at least what I've heard, is solid. Sleep No More is really good, and the production was ahead of its time. Now that you've made me think about it, the more I explore obscure NW music the more I'm tempted to think it's obscure for a reason: it's not very good. But the early Comsats are definitely an exception to that.

[Screen 13]

[quote][i]Originally posted by djcraig[/i]
<br>The Chameleons.



<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>


[/quote]

Agree, a million times over!

[Screen 13]

[quote][i]Originally posted by rewind[/i]
<br>Well, the Ramones were critically hailed and certainly have marked their place in history, but their financial success wasw achieved through touring. Their record sales were negligible.
[/quote]

For their history in The US, agree. Their UK sales were pretty damn good for at least the first five albums (End of the Century being a Top 20 there from what I remember), and there are some areas in South America that had a "Ramones-Maina." Their Ramonesmania comp went Gold in The US, I think, at least.

In the end, though, it is a major buzzkill when a band plays some huge or at least respected venues around the world and then have to play usually in medium sized clubs on the home turf (with some good sized shows here and there). On that, I agree all the way.

Despite all I have said, I still think they still deserve a spot here. For being one of the most influential bands ever, they seriously deserve FAR more than what they got.

[Screen 13]

Another Guitar-based band that may or may not fit - Icicle Works.

They had a Top 40 hit on each side of the Atlantic, but by the time they were getting far better with their second album in 1985, they were already shoved to the side. Arista in The US dropped them without even releasing their second in The States (In my opinion, they hardly did anything for the few good bands they had around, anyways...). Small Price of a Bicycle is a great album, but sadly one that only the few fans knew about at the time. The Seven Singles Deep collection (The "12 Remix collection) was also proof that they had a lot to offer Post-"Birds Fly."

[Screen 13]

More not so well known Guitar-Based 80's sounds - The Plimsolls. "A Million Miles Away" was killer, and a perfect Summer soundtrack, but the promotion for the albums was next to nil. One for Planet in 1981 that went Cut Out very quick (A LOT of great albums that year went that way, actually!) and the 1983 Geffen album that was posed to hit with their strongest single may have found a few homes originally, but not many despite good reactions from both press and fans. Cue Geffen keeping Peter Case and the "well-reviewed but little sold" path.


The dB's - Their first two (best) albums had to find a UK Indie to be originally released (Albion), although they were excellent on par with REM's first four to my ears - Different approaches but still same quality. Sadly, they were too late for the Power Pop wagon and too early for the 80's Wave, so they had to wait for album three for the US contract. Still, a listen to Stands for Decibels and Repercussion will make some listeners think that they certainly deserved a hall of a lot more in their original line-up.

[Screen 13]

I'm not a big fan of Kissing the Pink, but I do feel that they have a small following here enough to think about putting them in this list. They may have a small hit single, but Naked, their 1983 album, was pretty much a quick Cut Out Bin find with very little sales beyond their listeners. Possibly more in line with New Wave here.

Still, I have nothing but good memories of "The Last Film" and a couple of other songs.