I hereby nominate Harem Scarem to be the most underrated hard rock band of all-time. Hailing from Canada, Harem Scarem was formed in 1987, off to a promising start during the peak of the melodic rock era with their first two albums. They were charting in Canada thanks to minor hits like "Slowly Slipping Away" and the power ballad "Honesty." Their second album, "Mood Swings," should have been all over U.S. radio, but it fell prey to the advent of grunge. Songs like "Saviors Never Cry" and "Sentimental Boulevard" would have performed well if released a few years earlier. The record remains a fan favorite among the band's extensive catalogue of 14 albums and was even re-recorded by the band in 2013. As the case for many rock bands, the 90s were a confusing decade for Harem Scarem. Struggling to find their sound, a few albums early in the decade were mixed. By the end of the decade they even changed their name to Rubber and issued two records under that moniker. The band returned to their original name and melodic rock sound with 2002's "Weight of the World," an amazing tour de force. "Outside Your Window" is just one of the highlights from this record that showcase the band's perfect mix of melody and grit, driven by the always stunning powerhouse vocals of Harry Hess and meaty riffs played by Pete Lesperance. The band has been releasing consistently great stuff ever since.
Ah, my theme song! John Wesley Harding is an English singer/songwriter who gave a nod to Bob Dylan by changing his legal name (Wesley Stace) to Dylan's 1967 album. Inspired by Dylan's songwriting and sounding a bit like Elvis Costello, John Wesley Harding has released 17 albums since he began his career in 1988 with a live recording, "It Happened One Night." Harding made a pretty big splash in the US in the 90s with critically acclaimed albums and plenty of airplay on MTV, mostly their alternative music show, 120 Minutes. In 1989, he gathered some fans with his acoustic rendition of Madonna's hit, "Like A Prayer," which primed the pump for his classic album (and still his best, in my opinion), "Here Comes The Groom." "I'm Wrong About Everything" is a wonderfully melancholic tune that appears on his 2000 record, "The Confessions of St. Ace," but became more widely known due to its inclusion on the soundtrack to the John Cusack film High Fidelity. When he's not busy writing songs, Harding is writing novels (under his birth name).
The Finnish hard rock band Hanoi Rocks never achieved mainstream success in the US, but were hugely influential in igniting the glam and hairband craze developing in the 80s. Led by the charismatic Michael Monroe, the band released a flurry of albums in the early 80s that have became cult favorites among fans of the genre. Among their more melodic cuts, "Don't You Ever Leave Me" seemed to have the most potential to make it on radio. The band also did a rousing cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's hit, "Up Around The Bend" that remains a favorite.
The Hangmen were a little known garage rock band from Washington DC. They had a regional hit with "What A Girl Can't Do" in 1966, an energetic tune with attitude that sticks with you. The raspy vocals of lead singer Dave Ottley could have made these guys a household name. The ball was fumbled trying to make them a national act and Ottley quit later in the year.
In 1990, a little known band called Hand Of Fate released their one and only (self-titled) album. The band was led by Rick Boston, who previously played guitar on Belinda Carlisle's 1988 hit album, "Heaven And Earth." A cross between INXS and U2, it is astonishing the band was not well-received at the time. "Love Revolution" is one of the most radio-friendly tracks on the CD, but don't overlook "Good Life" and the acoustic ballad, "Heaven In Disguise." Boston went on to form Low Pop Suicide and has been involved in many other musical projects since Hand Of Fate failed to achieve commercial success.
Ah, the sunny pop of the early 70s. The harmonious trio Joe Frank & Reynolds Hamilton first hit the charts in 1971 with "Don't Pull Your Love," which went to #4. The group managed to top the charts in 1975 with "Fallin' In Love." They pretty much fell off the radar after that, probably because DJs were tired of saying their mouthful of a name. "Daisy Mae" was a minor hit that came in-between the group's two classics. It almost cracked the top 40, stalling at #41 in 1971. Nevertheless, it is a great tune from a lost era and underrated vocal group.
After the demise of the 70s group Orleans, lead singer John Hall took a stab at a solo career. His biggest chart success was his debut single, "Crazy (Keep On Falling)," which hit #42 in 1981. He only hit the charts once more in 1983 with the toe-tapping tune "Love Me Again." After his musical career faded out, Hall developed a hankering for politics and was elected to the US House of Representatives (representing New York) in 2006.
