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The ‘Most Underrated Musicians’ Rate-A-Record
Anonymity is never fun
Two weeks ago, I did a Rate-A-Record installment honoring the memory of Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke, who died on May 19. In that piece, I said that many would not recognize Rourke’s name because bassists (and to a lesser degree drummers) rarely get the love they deserve. As I said then, you know bassists like Paul McCartney, Sting, and Geddy Lee, but what about Garry W. Tallent (from Bruce’s E Street Band), Ron Blair (from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, or Ian Hill (from Judas Priest).
In thinking about those bass players who labor in obscurity, I started pondering other musicians who are not nearly as famous as they should be, either because their bands never hit it really big or because they were overshadowed by other members of their band. It was another bassist who first came to mind when considering the second scenario; when you mention the Rolling Stones, your brain has to go through Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ron Wood, Brian Jones, and Mick Taylor before you maybe, maybe, think of Bill Wyman.
For this week’s Rate-A-Record I offer four overlooked musicians who should never be an afterthought. There will likely be some you’ve never even heard of, which is kind of the point. Let’s get started.
