Most Underrated Band of the 70s?

[westen44]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTd971bHPLU

[uwe]

Underrated? Since when? Just because you Yanks have a short-term memory?! 

Mountain was one of the bands Deep Purple admired and aspired to. And Leslie West is Michael Schenker's all-time favorite guitarist. Mention Leslie and you cannot get Michael to stop in any interview!

[westen44]

Definitely in my opinion, Americans do underrate Mountain.  But like I just said, this is my opinion.  This is really mostly subjective.  I've already stated, more or less, that I personally think the British do rock better than the Americans.  I'm not trying to cut anybody down.  To me that's just reality.  I've also already said that Hendrix is the exception.  But under Hendrix I would also place the Allman Brothers. 

This has already been discussed before in other topics, but I also felt Americans overrated Led Zeppelin.  I think LZ was a great band.  But I never had a reverence for them that so many other people had.  I can understand everything else about this, but not the reverence.  I really just don't get it.  It's because of things like this that I do still sometimes question my taste in music.  But things Blackmore has said about his taste in music definitely does make me feel better. 

Maybe Lynyrd Skynyrd could get an honorable mention as a great American band.  I sure liked them.  Also, it's super cool that I once accidentally encountered Leon Wilkeson in Gulfport, Mississippi several years after the crash.  If he hadn't been surrounded by so many people, I might could have taken the chance to say a word or shake his hand. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wPcDfnb10g

[uwe]

You guys have forgotten about Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Mountain, Grand Funk Railroad, J. Geils Band - the list is endless. Being forgotten in the US is a badge of honor if you ask me.

[doombass]

The overrated or underrated statements will of course always be a matter of subjectiveness. Also there are two major factors involved. Musicianship and commercial success. Many skilled musicians make music that by default will exclude them from being commercially successful. In the case of Mountain my opinion is that they were somewhere in between. They made music that was en vogue but did not sell Led Zeppelin volumes of records. I don't think I ever heard or read any bad comments regarding musicianship. They've always been praised to my knowledge. So I get how you as a bigger of Mountain compared to Led Zeppelin fan would say they are underrated.

On the "forgotten"-subject the modern music press of course highlights the biggest selling acts, so maybe Mountain are'nt completely forgotten, but rather not so often spoken about, so younger generations have no clue. Maybe more so in the U.S where everything happens fast, with greater impact and large markets.

[4stringer77]

Not underrated to me at least.

[Pilgrim]

The 70s had a trainload of great bands with hits that are still being played by bands.

I would put Badfinger as underrated - they had a few hits. 

[uwe]

Taking about criminally underrated US bands from the 70s ...