A QUESTION...

Current mood: QUESTIONING
Category: QUESTIONING Music

"GETTING BACK TOGETHER FOR THE JOY OF THE MUSIC"

This last week or so, I've learnt that The Verve are the latest cash cows coming back to the market for one last big horn around the festival circuit...

Yes boss, after an 8 year gap, Dickie and the boys are returning to join that long and undistinguished line of bands who have made an ill advised later day comeback...

Now, this isn't of course the first one for The Verve. They split a year before reforming to make their biggest record. It is however one that seems far more cynical, and far less likely to produce any new material of worth...

So, perhaps I'm overly cynical with this kind of thing, but for my golden pound, the whole thing stinks of musicians running out of money and starting to panic that they might end up stacking shelves, and so coming back, doing the festival circuit, raking in a wad and then disappearing back to their country homes until it runs out again..

Maybe the sacrifices they made when they were young makes it fine and worth it. Perhaps they deserve to be able to come back to take a batch of coin home because they never made what they were worth, never wanted to split to start with or because they genuinely believe they have something new to offer.

I'm sure it's great for some fans - fans who missed them LIVE the first time around. I'm also sure it's satisfying for band members who want to make amends for the tiffs, egos and rows that caused the splits in the first place.

But it's shit for the production of good new music, and it ends up being little more than cabaret that's hard to swallow from bands who made such big noises about credability and integrity as and when it suited them....

So, let's put this one to the test....

Can anyone name me an album made after the reformation of a top band (split for 5 years or more) that has been in anyway near as good as their original material and worth either the wait, the listen and/or the money??

I've been thinking about it for weeks now and i can't think of one...

Currently listening : Urban Hymns By The Verve Release date: By 30 September, 1997

20:22 - 17 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	lamey	no. Posted by lamey on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 21:00 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Paloma Pirate	not off the top of my head. let me think a little while...but i am leaning towards a great big NO. Posted by Paloma Pirate on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 21:14 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Hijackalope	the only good bad to come outta engle-land was spinal tap Posted by Hijackalope on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 21:46 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	Funny you should mention that. I was watching that very film Sunday, for the first time in probably ten or more years.. And I'd forgotten all about the journalist - that overly serious guy with a beard, dark glases and a baseball cap.... Mmmmmm Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 23:12 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	lamey	i really enjoyed the nightclub blog. Posted by lamey on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 01:45 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	Thanks... Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 02:07 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Clinker	Maybe Gang of Four, but they just redid the old tunes from their first couple of albums. Regarding The Verve. I predicted recently that they'll be the next to reform and hoped theyd do the Don't Look Back festival doing A Northern Soul. I'm sure they'll be great live, but in the studio...dunno. Urban Hymns is nowhere near as good as A Northern Soul. Actually thinking about it the reformed Dinosaur Jrs new albums pretty fucking good. Pete Posted by Clinker on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 12:16 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	stephen	right on with gang of four... but it is cheating to just re-record the same awesomeness they began with... great album though... as for the original question from PG, how about the forthcoming smashing pumpkins LP???? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha that new single is fucking GARGBAGE. Posted by stephen on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 14:19 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	stephen	oops, my spelling is GARBAGE Posted by stephen on Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 08:49 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	You're Australian.... Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 11:07 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	I never liked the Pumpkins to start with. For me they had a few good singles and that was it so I'm not holding my breath on that one ... Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 14:23 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	Yes... I reckon they'll be worth it LIVE and i agree the earlier material was better - though less poptastic - than Urban Hymns. The thing that annoyed me about The Verve was that I heard they refused to play 'Bittersweet Symphony' on their last US tour.. When I heard that, I wanted to shake them and say 'Listen boys you've had a HUGE fucking record - just enjoy it and enjoy playing it and worry about credability and integrity on the next fucking album and the next tour... Maybe that's why they've comeback?? I've never got into Dinosaur Junior - New or Old so will have to take your word on that one.. (PS) Is Mr Ashcroft still married to Kate 'Moorish' Radley or has she once again moved on to greener pastures? Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 13:43 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Eric EXiT	A "top" band? Hmmm...don't know about that....Well, I thought the last Jane's Addiction album "Strays" was pretty good... And I definitely have enjoyed the reformation of Mission of Burma, though I wouldn't exactly say they were a top band - but 'OnoffOn' and 'Obliterati' are both pretty asskickin.... Wasn't The Fall out for awhile? I think their Heads Roll album, '05 I think, was pretty swell. How bout those, do they count? Posted by Eric EXiT on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 16:30 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	I'm not sure The Fall count. They've never had a core line up. It's basically Mark E Smith and whoever he can tolerate (and vice versa) As with Dinosaur Junior, I don't know too much about the other bands you mention and though I loved the old Janes Addiction material (Nothings Shocking would probably make my all time top 10) I haven't heard that album on account of not being overblown by the single... Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 16:40 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Eric EXiT	P.s..... I've heard rumor that Roger Waters has publicly stated that he would be happy to reunite with Gilmour and co./, bygones-be-bygones, and do some shows... DUUUUUDE!!!!! ;-) Posted by Eric EXiT on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 16:34 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Eric EXiT	But seriously, I'd probably scrape up the zillion dollars to see them (Floyd, that is) perform live, even if they are 75 years old now. Posted by Eric EXiT on Friday, July 13, 2007 at 16:37 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	People like nostalgia... My brother went to watch Genesis in a stadium just the other day and he thought it was fantastic. he also regularly goes to see Floyd cover bands, as do many.. Rock is just going like classical - the classics have been set and from now on they're going to be performed and what does it matter if it's not the original artists performing them??? I'm sure I'd enjoy seeing Floyd live. They sounded pretty damn good on LIVE8.. I think reforming to play LIVE is fine, but reforming to record??? Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 11:05 [Remove] [Reply to this]