Musicians who die before their prime (or after).

The news wasn't good for Quiet Riot fans on Monday the lead singer Kevin Dubrow had died of unknown causes. I think it was the rock n roll grim reaper harvesting former rock stars.
People will shake their heads about the brilliance of Dubrow dying while not exactly in his musical prime and he had been known to abuse alcohol and drugs in the past so why is his death suddenly mysterious?
Some brilliant musicians who died before their prime were Nick Drake who made four albums which no one ever paid much attention to in the early 70's. He died on an overdose of prescription anti depressants whether he did it on purpose or accidental is truly unknown.. Another musician was Jeff Buckley who was the son of a musician that died while in his prime (Tim Buckley) but his downfall wasn't drugs as his father it was drowning in the Mississippi River which could have been accidental from drinking too much.
These musicians were not alone in being overlooked the music labels and the public tend to dictate what becomes popular and what isn't.
Brittney Spears, Courtney Love should have burned out awhile ago because they too have trouble with alcohol, drugs, and other problems in their life. Recently, Amy Winehouse who is a fairly good singer but a troubled one has been in the news for her personal life too. For some odd reason people are interested in how many times they have been to rehab, jail, or some other trivial information instead of the music they make.
Then we can shake our heads and cry if a musician dies before his/her prime and not mourn someone who was a has been.

Until next time

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Music as of late.

About Me

While I'm still writing on a rented computer I feel the need to post anyway. In my own life I have found a job, an apartment, and won't have to keep living with my parents. Perhaps, I will get my own internet connection and this blog can once again be weekly.

Former band members of the music world reunite and make more money.

There seems to be a trend in the music scene former band members are reuniting for one reason or another whether it is money, memories, or just because that solo career isn't taking off as it was first thought a number of bands have decided that it wasn't so bad to play music together.
It started almost a year ago the band Audioslave called it quits they were made up of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and former members of Rage Against the Machine. The original members of RATM are getting back together with Zack De La Rocha and only playing dates not a tour but one off performances in various cities. I personally think that RATM isn't much of a band but a place for Zack D to scream his lungs out and voice his skewed political ideals. If they were truly Raging against any machine be it political, social, or economic they would be a self supported entity and not part of the Warner Music Group. The reunion bug has bitten other recent bands that called it quits The Smashing Pumpkins who "reunited" although the only two original members are Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin they played a series of dates in various cities and released a new Cd. I heard the other day though that Jimmy Chamberlin is having health problems so the tour may have to be postponed. another , band that recently called it quits was The Verve who were famous for their song "Bittersweet Symphony" which they didn't make a dime off of because it contained a symphonic sample from the Rolling Stones hit " The First Time," this was one of the many reasons why they quit that and Richard Ashcroft the lead singer couldn't get along with Nick McCabe the bass player amongst other reasons. Now they are getting back together and playing gigs in the United Kingdom.
Ashcroft tried to go solo with a few releases but they just didn't sell I own his first one "Alone with Everybody" and it sounds like he is trying to hard to impress maybe after a lackluster effort at a solo career he has realized that a band isn't that bad of an idea.

Bands from thirty years ago aren't immune to the reunion bug either. The surviving members of Led Zepplin were to get together in England for a one off performance of their material minus John Bonham who died from too much whiskey. However, the performance was cancelled because Jimmy Page the guitarist broke his finger. The death of John Bonham cut short the life of one of the biggest bands of the seventies and the surviving members decided that it wasn't worth it to go on without the drummer. Now they are trying to recreate something that they were and aren't today.

The Eagles Don Henley and Glenn Frey they are a band that I always enjoyed as a young child/man and was disappointed that I never saw them perform live. However, I never expected to see them get together because when asked in 1980 if they would ever do a reunion Don Henley stated "When hell freezes over," well as we all know fourteen years later they got back together for the MTV Unplugged sessions which was OK but I didn't think they would seriously consider a reunion tour.


They did and it was called the Farewell tours I and II which ran through the late nineties into the year two thousand. I thought well they must have gotten it out of their system but low and behold they decided to record new material and release exclusively at of all places Wal-Mart which I think is just wrong. It always seemed that the Eagles were all about thumbing their nose at the corporate goons that run record labels they refused for years to reunite because they knew it would just money making effort for the labels.? Did they actually miss playing music with one another or was it because Glenn Frey hasn't had a solo hit since 85' and Don Henley's last hit was in 89'. Don Henley finally released a solo disc after eleven years and it sounded like something you'd hear on a soft rock station and it didn't sell that well either.

Finally bands who have refused to reunite for any amount of money, memories, are Abba and the Smiths . It was reported a few years ago that the members of Abba were offered a billion dollars to reunite for just a few shows. The leader and other band members declined saying that it wouldn't be the same and shallow to do so. The Smiths who were fronted by Morrissey. They were offered the same type of deal to reunite however, Morrissey was sued by the drummer for royalties that he didn't receive and he won and Morrissey said that the Smiths would have to reunite after either him or the drummer died. Johnny Marr has joined Modest Mouse and improved their sound with his guitar playing so the Smiths don't look to be reuniting for any amount of money, memories, or lack of a successful solo career.

Until next time....

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!