Credit where it's long overdue...

I've recently been reminded of the genius that is Bang Bang It's Reeves and Mortimer, by a fellow Vic and Bob devotee. But, having acquired the series on DVD, I realised how under-rated this great comedy sketch show was. It never gets the same recognition as The Smell Of Reeves and Mortimer or Shooting Stars.

And this got me thinking of other things that are also under-rated, such as the movie A Life Less Ordinary. Naturally, it wasn't long before I got on to the subject of music. Here are a few albums I have in my collection that, had I listened to critics or other people, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of listening to.

"Second Coming" - Stone Roses
Lambasted by critics and even some fans for being different to their classic debut and seen as the beginning of the end for one of Britain's best bands. But all they did was discover blues rock and added it to their funky guitar pop to create an astonishing, powerful record.
And songs such as Begging You, Love Spreads, Breaking Into Heaven, Driving South and the lovely Ten Storey Love Song easily compare with anything they did before.

"New Adventures In Hi-fi" - REM
When REM went 'back to their roots' for the previous album Monster, they lost a lot of casual fans who had only been interested in the band's more commerical work. But they're the idiots as this turned out to be a beaut of an album.
Engaging, interesting and startlingly lovely, it also contains one of the most gorgeous and my personal favourite REM song, Electrolite.

"Hail To The Thief" - Radiohead
Talk about a no win situation. Some said they were merely covering old ground, others expressed disappointment that it wasn't like their earlier records! Many said it weak.
But if great songs make for a strong album, how can an LP that contains There There, 2+2=5, Go To Sleep, Where I End And You Begin, A Wolf At The Door and Myxomatosis be weak?

"Help!" - The Beatles
I know it seems strange to include the Fab Four in this list but I've always felt Help! is overlooked because it is caught between early Beatles and the start of their mid to late 60s transformation.
But this album is stunning. So many great pop singles. Yeah, yeah, Rubber Soul followed later in the same year but this is where you can hear the first traces of Paul, John, George and Ringo leaving Beatlemania behind and growing up.

"Trompe Le Monde" - Pixies
Ok, so they were on the verge of breaking up and the relationship between members was crumbling but that only adds to the brilliance of this record. It sounds fresh. More like a band on the verge of something bigger rather than the beginning of their end.
I still feel like leaping around like a madman when I hear Alec Eiffel, U-Mass and Planet Of Sound. And they even manage to do the near-impossible - a great cover of a Jesus and Mary Chain track, Head On.