The most under-rated NMA album

[jackroadkill]

Following some heated debate on various threads as to what is the best / your favourite song / album / cover, how about which part of NMA's back catalogue do you feel is the most under-rated album and why?

I'll start by saying that in my eyes it's probably B-Sides And Abandoned Tracks.  Okay, so it's not really intended as an album in the conventional sense, but for me it shows a breadth of songwriting that I am pleasantly surprised by every time I listen to it.  Favourite tracks from it are Courage, Marry The Sea and Drummy B.

I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of other members.

[Bunny]

I like some songs of B sides but in all im not over keen on the album. It doesnt really inspire me or give me the head bang/foot tapping that all others do. At a stretch id say SB or Carnival. I dont think theyre universally fan favourites, but they fit in with the musical history of the band. Not my personal favourites but I appreciate them for some pretty decent tracks.

[Shush]

Always thought "Strange Brotherhood" is under rated,  and sadly often picked as peoples least fave NMA album.

Was discussed as such in  this old thread --

http://board.newmodelarmy.org/index.php?topic=8031.0

[Pol]

Tricky to answer as don't know others opinions
I'm gonna agree with that fine chap mr shush and say Strange Brotherhood as well as mentioned in some other recent thread you really need to hear the songs played live then go back to it to appreciate even more I know its had its knocks but I really like gigabyte wars i suppose the same thing applies to Carnival

[Rusco]

What I've seen, I think people talk quite rarely about the EMI releases such as All of This - The Live Rarities or even White Coats EP. Well surely not in the day those classics were released but nowadays as there's no longer any profit the band could get from them because of the greedy, wiley bastards EMI are.

However, the live recording on the album is a total cracker of course.

[Master Ray]

Another vote for Strange Brotherhood or Carnival... in fact, I've been listening to Carnival rather a lot lately...

[Space]

"Raw Melody Men"

Can be enjoyed straight through and many of the songs on this live album are better than the studio versions ("Lurhstaap," for instance).


And a big yes to "B-sides." Some of NMA's best work is on that album. "Ten Commandments," "Prison," "Drummy  (Billy McCann)," Modern Times," "Courage"....b-sides? Man, those songs would probably have been the best songs on any proper NMA album they would have appeared on.

[Master Ray]

Justin has always joked about how some of their best songs were b-sides...

See also Suede, Oasis and The Manic Street Preachers... so much good stuff that people who didn't buy singles let pass them by...

[Rusco]

And a big yes to "B-sides." Some of NMA's best work is on that album. "Ten Commandments," "Prison," "Drummy  (Billy McCann)," Modern Times," "Courage"....b-sides? Man, those songs would probably have been the best songs on any proper NMA album they would have appeared on.

Yea I agree. I don't own their singles or maxi singles but have well realized what a miss it is. On "B-Sides" there are numerous superb hits following each other. And about DrummyB; I can't remember who but someone here described it well by calling that "ever-haunting DrummyB".

[Amandistan]

High and Carnival.

[Johnz]

I'd go with Carnival. It's one of my all-time favourites that often gets slammed.

I really love every song on that album and can't understand why so many people hate it. (Unlike BDAW which I also love but I can see clearly why it doesn't work for some people).

[Guillaume]

My vote goes for "Eight" because if i remember well the reviews were more or less mixed among the fan base when the album was released...or am i wrong?
If only for "You weren't there", "Orange tree roads", "Someone like Jesus", "Snelsmore wood" and "Leeds road 3AM".

I could have chose "High" but i remember reading mostly very good reviews about it in 2007, so, not really "underrated"...
 

And a big yes to "B-sides." Some of NMA's best work is on that album. "Ten Commandments," "Prison," "Drummy  (Billy McCann)," Modern Times," "Courage"....b-sides? Man, those songs would probably have been the best songs on any proper NMA album they would have appeared on.

Very true, it' s a wonderful compilation of songs, i especially love "Marry the sea", "Drummy B", "Prison", "Modern times"...honestly many songs on this album are as good as their A sides!

[Pazza]

Carnival ... Which for me is one of their very best albims

[Amandistan]

Eight is one of the best NMA albums in my opinion.

[Pazza]

Eight is one of the best NMA albums in my opinion.

Second that