100 Unhip Albums: That We Should Learn to Love

by Ian Keith Moss, Ged Babey (Foreword), Bob Osborne (Introduction)

Musical snobbery has been around since Mozart was appalling audiences in the 18th century but now, with most music available to listen to for free on Spotify or YouTube, there really is no excuse to not give an artist another listen, even if you have foresworn them for most of your adult life or never even heard of them.
100 Unhip albums contains mini-essays on a selection of the uncoolest (but musically superb) records ever released. From famous albums which have since become uncool such as Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band to unhip bands such as Status Quo and Queen who became crap at some point in the past few decades. Then there are the unfavoured folk, soul and jazz artists who are criminally overlooked in favour of bigger names and the downright obscure bands who put out superb records only to disappear without trace.
Ian’s amusing and fact-drenched book is a must for anyone in need of new sounds to spice up their listening pleasure!

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2019

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eshewing albums like Revolver, Pet Sounds, What's Going On, London Calling, Blonde on Blonde, Kind of Blue, along with the many other classic titles that routinely get lauded by critical consensus in Greatest Albums lists, Ian Keith Moss makes it his mission to highlight unloved records that generally languish in relative neglect and obscurity.

That I already own and like many of the artists and albums that Ian Keith Moss praises make me squarely amongst the target audience. It's a great selection, all with compelling reasons to give his choices a listen. If you are receptive to arguments to embrace the lesser known and less fashionable works by the likes of Vic Godard, Love, Mungo Jerrry, Bread, David Essex, Pulp, 10cc, Barry White, The Mekons, Imagination, ELO, The Carpenters, Queen, Abba, Bill Withers, Gilbert O'Sullivan then you will doubtless find much to enjoy and inspire.

Unsurprisingly I didn't agree with all his opinions however whatever my feelings I really enjoyed Ian Keith Moss's passion and ecleticism.

4/5

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book - but the title is woefully misleading, in fact this is just a guy that's really proud of his record collection and taste. Some great albums here written about passionately. Barely any of them are or were ever unhip.

[steve Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like great music this is the book for you. Really insightful. Great albums that are reviewed.

[Renato Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some choices are obvious, like Bowie's Let's Dance and Bryan Ferry's solo debut, but Moss mostly writes about obscure gems, from an ecletic record collection built with care and taste.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book on Amazon people that know me also know I’ve a pretty large and eclectic record album CD and now streamed collection. From being an Ex DJ and radio presenter. This book contains some gems of records I missed that are definitely worth a listen or a dive in second hand record stores if they are not on Spotify. A few I actually had and I did listen again case in point Futuristic Dragon by T.Rex and let’s Dance David Bowie I forgot literally how good these albums are despite their being panned at the time by rock critics. It’s a cornucopia of music from Rock n Roll, pop, soul, Reggae, Punk, prog Rock, heavy metal and downright strange but if you are a music aficionado like myself it will take you on a journey. This is going in my Bathroom library a great little book to ponder into and discover or rediscover some lost treasures loved it .

[Gav451 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whats not to love about the add list book? Even the cover is so unhip and 70s that it fits the book perfectly.

The author here writes with enthusiasm and panache. There are a lot of albums I have never heard of, or artists I would ignore and the author makes them all sound worth a listen at the very least. He is often funny, informative and always interested.

I do fancy trying some of the albums he suggests.

This is a book you can dip in and out of, I read it quickly because I found a load of time for dipping and not much for the longer form novels over the last week or so.

Its not perfect, but it is a lot of fun.

[Stephen W Narramore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to hear some and make up my own mind!

Agree or not, he’s entitled to his opinion and his arguments are compelling! At the very least there are some ideas of new albums I have never heard that I now want to try...

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Went through this briefly, now going through, playing the music with the comments. Interesting

[Amy Donaldson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think our meaning of hip are probably very different and I would dispute many of the albums on the list but it's well written and his passion for music is clear.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair number of pointers to forgotten or undiscovered albums. The editing could do with tidying up but Moss's love of the Unhip shines trhough.