Diane65
Feb-8-08, 10:58 AM
Bands reunited
At least the Police waited 21 years, but most groups seem to reform as soon as they’ve split. What do they miss most, asks Mark Edwards, their mates, the music or the money?
We can probably pencil in the Beautiful South reunion for sometime in 2014 — maybe even as early as 2013. The band have just broken up, so that would give them a six- or seven-year gap before their reunion, which seems to be about the going rate these days.
Among the bands who have announced that they’re burying the hatchets and getting back together again this year are James (who broke up six years ago), Smashing Pumpkins (seven years ago) and Rage Against the Machine (also seven). Given that some bands take six or seven years to make a new album or get back on the road anyway, it scarcely seems worth the bother of James actually breaking up in the first place.
You can just imagine Sting and Stewart Copeland sitting back in their leather armchairs in some exclusive rock-stars’ club exclaiming with disgust: “Seven years? Call that musical differences? Pah! Kids today!”
When Sting, Copeland and Andy Summers went their separate ways 21 years ago, that was a proper break-up — Copeland cracked one of Sting’s ribs in a fight on their 1983 American tour. And given that we’ve had to wait nearly a quarter of a century to see them again, the Police’s new world tour is by far the most high-profile reunion of the year.
Things have certainly changed. There was a time when if a band broke up, it stayed broken up — or, at the very least, the members remained apart long enough for their fans to grow up, have kids and a mortgage, and reach that age when they could be genuinely nostalgic for their youth and genuinely excited about a reunion of their old heroes.
Bands breaking up and band members never wanting to have anything to do with each other again are the natural order of things, because bands are inherently unstable. They echo the John Cleese/Ronnie Barker/Ronnie Corbett sketch about the inequalities of the class system. In the rock-band version, Cleese would step forward and announce: “I am the singer. I also write the songs. So I make much more money than the rest of the band, and everyone wants to sleep with me. So I look down on them.” Barker would step forward: “I am the guitarist. Sometimes I get to co-write a B-side, and when I play a solo, everyone looks at me. So I look up to the singer, but I look down on him.” Corbett: “I’m the drummer. I know my place.”
Songwriting talent plays havoc with this already combustible chemistry. Copeland, the drummer, thought of the Police as his band until it turned out that Sting could write glo-bal hits in his sleep. The current successful Take That reunion could only happen once Gary Barlow accepted that he could no longer hog the songwriting credits. Barlow must have had to swallow a lot of pride to do that, just as Copeland must be gagging on humble pie when he says things like “I just want to play my drums and follow Sting’s lead” in press conferences these days.
So why do musicians increasingly want to get back together with the bandmates they used to hate? The obvious answer is “for the money”, and in many cases this may be true, but it can’t be the whole answer. Even with three homes to maintain in three countries, Sting is never going to run out of money. As long as Every Breath You Take remains a radio staple, he never has to pick up his bass or his lute again.
One fact that undoubtedly prompts band reunions is the realisation that life is short, not to mention unpredictable. Presumably, Neil Finn always had it in the back of his mind that he might get Crowded House back together some day; but perhaps the suicide of the band’s drummer, Paul Hester, reminded him that “some day” doesn’t always come around and prompted the decision to make a new Crowded House album this year.
Another reason why bands choose to get back together was highlighted by Duran Duran’s John Taylor when the original lineup reconvened in 2001. “There are difficult bastards everywhere in life,” he pointed out. “So why not stick with the ones you know?” He’s right. You’re never going to find a perfect band, so why not work round the imperfections you’re already familiar with?
The other Pixies know exactly what Frank Black is like — he broke up the band by fax — so they can work round such limitations with good manners and basic decency. Black is, anyway, a little older and wiser now. When I interviewed the band following their decision to regroup, I was disconcerted by Black’s habit of leaving long silences after my questions. He just sat there staring at me. I assumed that he was registering contempt for my interviewing abilities. It was only afterwards that he took me to one side to apologise and explain: he was just desperate to let the other band members answer the questions first, so that they wouldn’t think he was dominating proceedings.
But even if you can’t stand to be on the same stage for a second, that needn’t get in the way of a reunion — or a sort-of-reunion. Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler have reformed, without Paul Weller, as From the Jam. Despite the absence of the lead singer and songwriter, From the Jam have already sold out one 20-date tour, and announced a second. Not pubs, either. They’ll be playing the Forum this winter.
Weller might as well join in. He doesn’t have to pretend to like Foxton and Buckler. Very few of the bands that have reformed recently have bothered to pretend that they actually get on. They can’t even be bothered to refute the idea that they’re together again because they know the old band name — or should that be brand name — sells tickets. Admittedly, Sting had a go at suggesting that the Police reunion would be a “healing” process, but we all suspect that Copeland and Summers would have rolled their eyes at that if they hadn’t spent the past few months practising their matey smiles and working on their hugging muscles. How much better to take the approach of the Eagles, who began the trend for reunions with the frankly named Hell Freezes Over tour, just to remind everyone that the hatred in the band was so great that they had declared they would never get together again until that exact phenomenon occurred.
Similarly, the Jesus and Mary Chain, who are reforming to play the Coachella festival this year, have made it clear that brothers William and Jim Reid still don’t get on with each other. And Van Halen — who have put together three-quarters of their classic lineup for a summer tour — don’t just admit the intra-band tensions, they revel in them. Singer David Lee Roth made a potent point about the appeal of band reunions when he likened them to stock-carracing. “Are you coming to see the winner,” he asked, “or the crash?”
Another article on the subject:
Let’s say you’re a music fan. One of your favourite groups is coming to town. It’s an old group. Do you go? Hmmm. Lots of hesitations and questions: the price, the venue, the day of the week, the lateness of the hour, who to go with, and can they still play well? will they play my favourites? Say, who’s in the band?
This article came about after seeing the Byrds at Cafe Campus in 1992. The original drummer, Michael Clarke, led a band of hired hands through a powerful set of Byrds music and won over a small, skeptical audience. [Byrds’ alumni Skip Battin, though pictured, was not present.] One die-hard Byrds fan told me he didn’t even consider going. It was as if, some said, Ringo put a band together and called it the Beatles. Well, I knew who I was seeing and who I wasn’t seeing and enjoyed the show immensely anyway. It got me thinking though...
Once a band has achieved art and acceptance, so rare a combination of feats, they become heroes to their fans. If, however, what the fans have embraced is tampered with, they feel betrayed. This happens when an artist changes direction—Joni Mitchell’s journey from solo folkie to jazz bandleader comes to mind—or when, especially when, a band changes personnel. After Brian Jones died, Mick Taylor stepped into the Rolling Stones as the new guy, but since 1975, Ron Wood replaced him as the new guy. He’s still the new guy and everybody knows it. When Ringo replaced Pete Best in the Beatles, their Liverpool fans were outraged.
In the story of a great band, a band that creates a legacy, there are certain steps: the players find each other, form a unit, rehearse, create something substantial, achieve success, and then (hopefully) withstand the stresses of success. One stress is to produce new product that lives up to the fans expectations. Few bands survive intact, many fragment, or break up entirely.
Ronnie Hawkins, the veteran rockabilly who left Arkansas for Canada, is supposed to have said there are three things that hold a band together, and any two will be enough: good friends, good music, good money. The first burst of creativity, energy and musical sense (assuming it’s there to begin with), often lasts no more than about three albums. Of course, some bands make one great album, their first, and never come close afterwards while others take several albums to mature. In any case, a period of confusion often follows this burst. [This happens to entire styles, rockabilly for example, but that’s another story.] Something happens to the friendships, music, and/or money. Confidence is undermined, vision is lost, what was so natural becomes self-conscious. Perhaps an original member departs, a couple of flops follow a huge hit, commercial pressures bend the style, the party lifestyle warps some brains, fame inflates egos, or some controversial incident generates bad publicity. The result is music that tries the loyalty of the fans.
That process can take years, but if time and circumstance permit, another burst of inspiration may arrive. This rejuvenation may come from within, say, from a rest period or the entry of a new key member, or it may be sparked from without: the passage of time favourably reassesses the band’s contribution or their style in general.
If a band had fragmented, there may be a reunion. Whether it’s a full or partial reunion depends on if there are key abstainers or if death has thinned the ranks. If a reunion is attempted, or a band member or two tries to carry on the name of the band with new players, this venture is approached skeptically and under intense scrutiny by the critics and fans. You can’t please all of the people all of the time. If it was a game (it is anyway) it might be called CARRY ON THE BAND. Let’s see who will hold a winning hand.
STATUS AWARDED FOR:
1. current high esteem of the band’s legacy or style (bonus points for having created a song now in the collective consciousness, eg. Steppenwolf’s "Born To Be Wild")
2. the presence of key members
3. the creation of new, vital product that augments their legacy
4. satisfying concerts (* see below)
5. longevity
STATUS SUBTRACTED FOR:
1. current low esteem of the band’s legacy or style (let’s see, what’s now passe? teenybopper music, self-revealing lyrics, harmony singing, disco, bright colours)
2. the absence of key members
3. the creation of new, lousy product that tarnishes their legacy, or no new product at all: being "only" a nostalgia act
4. unsatisfying concerts
5. reforming after having announced a highly publicized farewell (the Who, the Band)
(*) Concert satisfaction is based on:
1. recreating signature sounds
2. intelligent selection of repertoire. The hits, what you could likely expect, plus choice items known & loved by fans. Intriguing choice of cover tunes a bonus.
3. evidence of creative vitality
4. strong stage presence
5. audience acceptance & pleasure
6. invoking the signature vibe. This is optional, as some bands do not appear to have one, or if they do, it’s not known to the general audience. This may include visuals (light shows, vaudeville routines, dancing or characteristic movements by members), a certain emotional climate (peace & love, rapture), audience participation (dancing, singalongs, even taping, T-shirt wearing)
Bands with long histories have various kinds of members. Founding members (FM), present since the band’s inception, have contributed to the band’s sound and momentum. Nearly as important are key members (KM): musicians or singers who may have joined later but strongly contributed to the band’s legacy, bringing new energy and vision. Legitimate members (LM) may seem less important but they have nonetheless taken part in the band’s activities, contributing to its existence. Obviously, bands that carry on must have at least one FM, KM, or LM to represent the genuine pedigree and have the moral (and legal) right to use of the band’s name. In certain instances, managers have owned the name and assembled an entirely new lineup under the old name. This was the case with the Drifters, and both lineups had hits.
When a band carries on, those not present fall into several categories. Besides those ones that death has absented (D), some people are in a solo career or a newer band and just too famous to be bothered (TFTBB). Others are missing in action (MIA): they quit or were fired; some of these are conspicuous in their absence.
Others present, besides FMs, KMs, or LMs, are in yet more categories. In live performance, the gaps in instrumentation or vocal power caused by missing members are filled with hired hands (HH). Also, live sound may be augmented by extra musicians (EM) (horn sections, string players, percussionists, back-up singers) not necessarily representing missing members.
I’ll give some examples of legacy bands I’ve seen. Almost all make use of HH and EM so I’ll not make much note of their presence. After noting the year in which I saw them, I give a rating to indicate my satisfaction level (SL) after seeing the band live:
5 (wow, excellent)
4 (yes sir, very good)
3 (sure, quite decent)
2 (no sir, poor)
1 (ouch, bad news)
INTACT (OR NEARLY)
What band has survived intact? Can you name any band with a substantial and important history that still tours and records with all founding, original members still on board? Neither can I. The closest ones I’ve seen are the Rolling Stones (founded in 1962, seen in 1989, SL: 5) with four FMs and a KM, and the Moody Blues (founded in 1964, seen in 1992, SL: 4) with two FMs, and two KMs who joined in 1966.
ONGOING
These bands, after breaking up for a while in most cases, have reformed and have carried on releasing albums and generally comporting themselves as bands to be reckoned with. Steppenwolf (founded 1967, seen 1988 and three times since, SL: never less than 4) split a couple of times, and reformed in 1980 as John Kay and Steppenwolf. Kay is an FM, the singer and songwriter. All current members have been in the band at least five years, and have contributed to composing and recording, thus earning them KM status. Santana always has FM Carlos Santana (founded 1968, seen in 1990, SL: 4). Savoy Brown contained the FM guitarist and a KM vocalist (founded 1968, seen 1991, SL: 4). Jethro Tull (founded 1967, seen in 1992, SL: 4) now consists of one FM, two KMs (one joined in 1969, the other in 1979), and two seemingly stable HH. The Allman Brothers’ Band (founded in 1969, seen in 1992, SL: 5) rose again from the ashes in the late ’80s with four FMs; at least one of the HH has clearly established himself as a KM. Hawkwind (founded 1969, seen in 1991, SL: 4) was down to a trio: can’t tell you who is, was, or isn’t in this band!
REUNION
These bands re-exist for a short term by design or circumstance, and generally release new product. Jefferson Airplane (founded in 1965, seen in 1989, SL: 5) contained four FMs and KM Grace Slick, who joined in 1966. Their 1989 album was cluttered by too many HH. Procol Harum (founded 1967, seen in 1991, SL: 5) included two FMs, both keyboard players. The FM lyricist was on the road with the band and had written material for their 1991 album. The guitarist FM was on the album but not the tour. The FM drummer is D.
TOURING
Bands that don’t release new product but keep the name alive (and themselves one could suppose) by appearing in concert. The Mamas & Papas (founded in 1965, seen in 1987, SL: 3) had two FMs, both Papas. One HH was the daughter of FM John Phillips. The Grass Roots (founded 1967, seen in 1967 and 1992: 5) contained only one FM. Buffalo Springfield was founded in 1966. A band called Buffalo Springfield Revisited (seen in 1987, SL: 5: click for my review of this band in concert], with the original FM bassist gave a powerful and delightful show, though of course Stephen Stills and Neil Young were TFTBB. The Guess Who (founded in 1965, seen in 1987, SL: 3 1/2) still continues under the leadership of the FM bassist. When I saw them they also had the FM drummer in their ranks. Both Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman were TFTBB. The 1992 Byrds are in this category (SL: 4).
CARRYING ON
These bands continue in the same style after their leader has died. After Muddy Waters died, his band carried on as the Legendary Blues Band (seen in 1983, SL: 3) though the lineup has since shifted. Though Bill Haley died in 1981, and his sidekick sax man Rudy Pompilli died in 1976, I saw a band called Bill Haley’s Comets in 1984. They had very tenuous links to the Comets: the lead singer had been a LM— he used to play drums with Haley in his later years. They had secured rights to the name through his estate. The band I saw were incredible on the Haley songs (SL: 5), but only average (SL: 3) on the retro rock used in the middle of each set. The Wailers (seen in 1990, SL: 4) were Bob Marley’s band. Also in this category are the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. The band of Glenn Miller still continues but since he disappeared in 1945, I doubt if anyone who played with Miller is in the band now.
MEMBER (OR SIDEMAN) TAKES CENTRE STAGE
This is when a former band member tours as a featured artist with a backup band, but is marketed as representing his old band (or bandleader). Some are: Robbie Kreiger (of the Doors, seen in 1990, SL: 4), Leslie West (of Mountain, seen in 1992, SL: 2), Hubert Sumlin (Howlin’ Wolf’s guitarist, seen in 1984 and 1990, SL: 3), and Pinetop Perkins (Muddy Waters’ pianist, seen in 1990, SL: 3). When Eric Burdon (of the Animals, founded 1963) toured with well-known keyboardist Brian Auger (of Trinity and session work) both names were on the bill, though it was Animals material that was in the set list (seen in 1991, SL: 1, yes 1! seeing this show was a very painful experience though most of the audience went nuts anyway).
TRIBUTE BANDS
They’re not exactly in the carry on game, but worth mentioning. Sometimes called clone bands, these acts choose play the music of just one band, and sometimes go to great length to look/act the part. Since they are easy to pigeonhole, they are easy to market and attract a definite clientele. All of the tribute bands I’ve seen have been very good: The White (Led Zeppelin), Over the Garden Wall (Genesis), the Blushing Brides (Rolling Stones), the original cast of Beatlemania, Randy Hansen (Jimi Hendrix), and That’ll Be The Day (Buddy Holly). A special case is the Dead Ringers, basically a Grateful Dead tribute band with the notable difference of including an ex-GD member (keyboard player Tom Constanten who was on several early albums and played with them at Woodstock), and musicians who have performed live and on record with the Dead and its members (seen in 1991 and 1992, SL: 3).
Although I’ve listed just the bands I have seen, there are of course many other bands carrying on. As you can see from my ratings, the satisfaction level is quite high. I attribute this to the stiff competition in the market place. The very survival of a band, especially one having to stand up to comparison with past glories, depends on consistent high calibre production.
My advice? Go see them.
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