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[2 of 3]

There's probably a similar thread here somewhere, but oh well. 

I was just thinking about how many great albums have been released that got swept under the carpet.

My first selection is Armchair Theatre by Jeff Lynne. It's just packed with good tunes. I first found it in a delete bin at a department store. One of the best 99 cents I ever spent. It does have a couple of covers on it, but they are well done. Each time I listen to it, I wonder if this is a collection of songs that are leftovers from other projects. Like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G16MRfqSzC0
Did he write that for Roy Orbison?

Or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THsMngiJ9P8

Left over Willbury's?

And of course the single you MAY have heard before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAYVN6Swp8E

[Mervap]

I think "Armchair Theatre", coming after both GH's excellent "Cloud nine" and the Traveling Wilbury's first album, might have found the record buying public on Lynne overload. That said, it's an excellent collection of top-shelf music.

[Keri]

Nick Drake's albums bombed on release they have gradually accumulated a following though.

[Keri]

Although Split Enz's "True Colours" was huge in Australia and New Zealand, keeping Pink Floyd's the Wall out of the number one spot, elsewhere it is pretty unknown, it's an excellent slice of 80's pop, snappy and vital.

[Keri]

I think Van Dyke Parks album "Jump!" is great, but I don't see it ever becoming popular. It's not one of those albums that you think man why didn't this take off, but it's really clever and really joyful. Kind of a musical that never was.

[Keri]

I'm getting on a roll here. I was speaking to a friend a couple of weeks ago about the Soft Machine album "Softs" the music is really appealing, it is entirely instrumental, but Tubular Bells was a big hit in the seventies & was instrumental. Many years later now and the main writer Karl Jenkins has gone on to become the UK's most popular living composer, yet I don't think huge numbers have yet found "Softs"

[2 of 3]

I'm pretty sure True Colours did well here in Canuckistan. Hey I bought it at least!

[kylenz]

Although Split Enz's "True Colours" was huge in Australia and New Zealand, keeping Pink Floyd's the Wall out of the number one spot, elsewhere it is pretty unknown, it's an excellent slice of 80's pop, snappy and vital.

Well I have Paul Gambaccini's 'Guinness Hits of the 80s' book and looking up Split Enz and their performance in the UK charts, 'I Got You' got to #12 on the UK singles chart in August 1980, and 'History Never Repeats' made it to #63 in May 1981. The albums 'True Colours' reached a high of #38, and 'Time and Tide' made it to #71.

Not too bad for Split Enz to crack the UK top 20, and they obviously benefited greatly from their experience living in England, along with having David Tickle and Hugh Padgham (later co-producing Macca's 'Press To Play') producing them.

It's a shame they didn't reach greater heights, but the output of Crowded House made up for that. Easily the finest band New Zealand have ever produced. 

[2 of 3]

True Colours made it to 10 here....I Got You...Number 0ne.

[Keri]

Yes, I was oversimplifying, checking my Enz history, you're right they were well loved in Canada and made an impression in the UK. Looking up the US chart position I was surprised  that it made it to #40 which is much better than I had thought.

Funny I thought probably Kylenz would be the only other person here who would have heard of it.