Am I the only one who hates band reunions?

[monkeythe]

I am always reading on this site how it is great when bands reunite and how you want (name band here) to reunite. However, I can't think of any band reunion that was up to the standards the band set before breaking up. A few examples follow:

KISS - Did anyone actually like Psycho Circus?

MOTLEY CRUE - When they reunited the first time, the Generation Swine album really sucked

Van Hagar - the 3 new songs were bad even by Van Hagar standards & Eddie couldn't play Unchained live

Led Zeppelin - while not a true reunion their Live Aid performance sucked as did the Page/Plant unlpugged set. The album they put out together was OK but didn't compare to the classics they had put out previously.

The Who - I saw them on the Quadrophenia tour and watched Townsend play a fucking accoustic guitar for the entire show.

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting but I can't think of any band reunion that didn't remind me of an old timers game. It's nice to see the guys back on the field again but they no longer have the fire to perform or create as they did in their prime

[FasterPussycat]

If it is done for the right reason, I don't have problem at all!!!

But we all know some bands are doing reunions mainly for monetary gain!

[madraoul]

You really didn't mention any "real" band reunions here. Seriously:

Kiss is and always will be a kiddie band. Even in their heyday they were the anti-Bay City Rollers. Jeez, I took my 10 year old nephew to a Kiss show in the late 70s and was surrounded by a lot more 10 year olds.

Motley Crue??? Please! Nothing to write home about the first time. CVH ripoff. The big joke in the 80s was if Neil would get a nose job so he could try to look a bit more like Dave. Van Hagar probably would have tried to do what Motley Crue did if Neil & company didn't do it first.

Van Hagar??? AAAARRRGHH!

Zeppelin never reunited. That was just two legends getting together to show the world how it's done. The studio albums are still in heavy rotation in my house.

The Who are tough to figure. They really haven't been The Who since Moonie died. Maybe they wanted to go with Daltrey & Townshend but the Zep boys beat them to it. It's tough to call it a reunion when half of the band is dead. Even so, I would still pay the bucks to see these guys. Even if Townshend is acoustic.

[BrownSound1]

Hasn't Pete gone back to playing electric guitar? When they did the benefit for the New York Firefighters, Pete played electric for what bits of it I saw.

[monkeythe]

Originally posted by madraoul
You really didn't mention any "real" band reunions here. Seriously:

Kiss is and always will be a kiddie band. Even in their heyday they were the anti-Bay City Rollers. Jeez, I took my 10 year old nephew to a Kiss show in the late 70s and was surrounded by a lot more 10 year olds.

Motley Crue??? Please! Nothing to write home about the first time. CVH ripoff. The big joke in the 80s was if Neil would get a nose job so he could try to look a bit more like Dave. Van Hagar probably would have tried to do what Motley Crue did if Neil & company didn't do it first.

Van Hagar??? AAAARRRGHH!

Zeppelin never reunited. That was just two legends getting together to show the world how it's done. The studio albums are still in heavy rotation in my house.

The Who are tough to figure. They really haven't been The Who since Moonie died. Maybe they wanted to go with Daltrey & Townshend but the Zep boys beat them to it. It's tough to call it a reunion when half of the band is dead. Even so, I would still pay the bucks to see these guys. Even if Townshend is acoustic.

It's easy to shoot down all these reunions as not being real (whatever the fuck real means). How about doing the harder thing and tell me a band from any genre that when they reunited made great new music that was either superior to their original music (critically or commercially) or wasn't just an oldies novelty act touring on their past glory with no new material. Looking over the list of best selling US acts (from a prior post earlier this week) that have staged reunions in all genres this is what you get:

Eagles (89 mil)- just playinmg their old shit & re-releasing their old crap under new packaging. A definite money grab.

Aerosmith (65.5) - the possible exception to the rule as they have made many hits and were a driving force of rock in the 90's whether you like or dislike their new stuff, at least it was successful

Van HAlen (56.5) - the less said the better

Fleetwood MAc (48.5) - See the Eagles. Also had a new release that went nowhere.

Journey (41) - The mid-90's reunion tour went nowhere fast and ended so badly that there probably won't be another reunion

Simon & Garfunkel (38.5) - A money grab tour.

Foreigner (36.5) - A powerful reunion that is firmly entrenched in the yearly amitheater oldies tours

Backstreet Boys (36) - Older, not any wiser. Can't wait for another lawsuit for theur new company because no one bought their new album. Tour might have problems due to Nicks arrest

Queen (31.5) - some might argue if it is a reunion or not. No new material yet & too soon to tell if it will be successful in the long run or not

The Doors (30) - no comments are needed for this one

Lynrd Skynrd (26) - don't know if some would consider it a reunion or not, but nothing released by the new version of the band can compare to the classics

Motley Crue (22.5) - Mentioned earlier. Newest tour a pure money grab as proven by the VH1 special showing the making of the tour

The Who (20) - Mentioned earlier. Have been doing this reunion crap for almost a decade now and still no new material

I don't feel like doing the rest of the list but other reunions include: Kiss, STP, Monkees, STYX, Black Sabbath, Jefferson Airplane/Starship (it can be argued that they were relevant for a brief time in the 80's; but it was pure crap they made), Yes, Poison, Duran Duran (their biggest hit occured in first reunion with Ordinary World), & Steely Dan.

To again summarize, almost every band reunion is like old timers day at the ball park. Great to see your heros one last time but feel sad afterwards that the greatness they once possessed is gone. What you thought you were looking forward to seeing just made you feel bad once you got it.

[Terry]

Band reunions have to have participation from all original members to even be classified as such.

Thus, what Paul Rogers, Brian May and Co. are doing isn't Queen, can never be Queen and has no business being billed as such. Same goes for the version of the Doors with Ian singing.

Lof of good reasons listed on this thread re: the downside of band reunions. #1 reason for me has to be that I have as yet to hear anything new from a reunited band that, music-wise, stood up to said bands classic material. Most band reunions turn out to be little more than an excuse for the group to hit the road, flog the oldies and make some money. Almost guaranteed to make money, specially considering today's music-scene.

About the only thing that set CVH apart from that in 1996 was that the new music (MWM/CGTSNM) showed signs of a possibility that CVH reuniting could be something other than just an excercise in hitting the road and playing older material.

[Matt White]

"Am I the only one who hates band reunions?"

YES

[Matt White]

Exactly,exactly

[W*NK*R]

I have no problem with bands re-uniting because unlike a great many of you lot on here, I wasn't around to see alot of the good bands play. Also I'll have to disagree about you slamming Motley Crues get together it was the best concert I've been to yet, well worth the money.

[Dave's Bitch]

Originally posted by W*NK*R
I have no problem with bands re-uniting because unlike a great many of you lot on here, I wasn't around to see alot of the good bands play. Also I'll have to disagree about you slamming Motley Crues get together it was the best concert I've been to yet, well worth the money.

ill second that because i wasnt around for any of the greats either.im going to see crue on august 13th and i cant wait!!!!!

[Vinnie Velvet]

Originally posted by monkeythe
I am always reading on this site how it is great when bands reunite and how you want (name band here) to reunite. However, I can't think of any band reunion that was up to the standards the band set before breaking up. A few examples follow:

KISS - Did anyone actually like Psycho Circus?

MOTLEY CRUE - When they reunited the first time, the Generation Swine album really sucked

Van Hagar - the 3 new songs were bad even by Van Hagar standards & Eddie couldn't play Unchained live

Led Zeppelin - while not a true reunion their Live Aid performance sucked as did the Page/Plant unlpugged set. The album they put out together was OK but didn't compare to the classics they had put out previously.

The Who - I saw them on the Quadrophenia tour and watched Townsend play a fucking accoustic guitar for the entire show.

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting but I can't think of any band reunion that didn't remind me of an old timers game. It's nice to see the guys back on the field again but they no longer have the fire to perform or create as they did in their prime

Big KISS fan here.

While the reunion album Psycho Circus was a disapointment, the Reunion tour certainly wasn't.

It was the biggest tour of 1996-97.

[POJO_Risin]

I can't say that I have a problem per se with reunions...and I don't care if they are doing it for the money...OF COURSE THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THE MONEY...

but as long as the RIGHT reason is somewhere in there...either they know they SHOULD do it...or do it for the fans...

than who cares...

[DLR_EngineRoom]

Originally posted by monkeythe
I am always reading on this site how it is great when bands reunite and how you want (name band here) to reunite. However, I can't think of any band reunion that was up to the standards the band set before breaking up. A few examples follow:

KISS - Did anyone actually like Psycho Circus?

MOTLEY CRUE - When they reunited the first time, the Generation Swine album really sucked

Van Hagar - the 3 new songs were bad even by Van Hagar standards & Eddie couldn't play Unchained live

Led Zeppelin - while not a true reunion their Live Aid performance sucked as did the Page/Plant unlpugged set. The album they put out together was OK but didn't compare to the classics they had put out previously.

The Who - I saw them on the Quadrophenia tour and watched Townsend play a fucking accoustic guitar for the entire show.

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting but I can't think of any band reunion that didn't remind me of an old timers game. It's nice to see the guys back on the field again but they no longer have the fire to perform or create as they did in their prime

Did I enjoy KISS' Psycho Circus? YES, the concert was amazing and the CD is one of their all time best.

Motley Crue - Didn't hear GenSwine, but loved them on this latest tour, have tickets for their 2nd gig on this tour in T.O.

Van Hagar - (doesn't count as a reunion)

Led Zeppelin - Only LIVE AID and Atlantic Records anniversary party did they reunite with the only drummer that would suffice for a reunion, Bonzo's son - Jason. Because Robert Plant was admittedly the one that prevented this reunion from going any further, this also can't be considered a reunion.

The Who - Did a better job than Led Zeppelin and The Beatles to reunite. The Beatles could've reunited w/Julian Lennon, but once again, were screwed over by Yoko Oh-No.


Oh and by the way, Reunions Don't Suck....

[fe_lung]

At least The Sex Pistols owned up to it....
"We've found a reason to re-unite and it's your money!" - John Lydon

[FORD]

I'm all for reunions if it 's the real band and something good comes out of it.

As fucked as the Van HALEN reunion of 1996 was, we did get two great songs out of the deal. Plus a reminder (backed by the accounts of Roth, Hagar, and Cherone) of exactly what kind of tools the Lying Dutchmen can be.

KISS reunion tour was fine, but Psycho Circus was a joke of an album and the resulting tours in makeup with a roadie playing Ace's parts are just an embarrassment.

Sex Pistols - 1996 tour was great, but I was hoping to hear some new music (and the Mountain Dew commercial doesn't count)

and of course, our most recent example, Pink Floyd. Blowing away any and everyone else on the stage of Live 8 with 30 year old music. Will anything more come of this reunion. I hope so. But if not, at least they went out with smiles on their faces and billions cheering,

[Big Fat Sammy]

Anybody see the Dexy and the Midnight Runners reunion? :D :D :D

[W*NK*R]

Originally posted by Sammy's Bitch
ill second that because i wasnt around for any of the greats either.im going to see crue on august 13th and i cant wait!!!!!



Enjoy yourself!

[DLR_EngineRoom]

Originally posted by FORD
KISS reunion tour was fine, but Psycho Circus was a joke of an album and the resulting tours in makeup with a roadie playing Ace's parts are just an embarrassment.

and of course, our most recent example, Pink Floyd. Blowing away any and everyone else on the stage of Live 8 with 30 year old music. Will anything more come of this reunion. I hope so. But if not, at least they went out with smiles on their faces and billions cheering,


I respect ya for your opinion, but kindly disagree. Psycho Circus was one of KISS' best ever, period - album AND tourwise.

Woulda been great to have Ace do Alive IV Symphony, but too bad, he was invited and even pleaded to perform for that show in Australia, and he once again, failed the fans. So I can't honestly blame KISS for hiring the roadie, he knows and plays Ace's stuff better than Ace does lately. A drunken, gay-tendency, nazi sympathizer is no way to go thru life, let alone inspire millions of music fans across the world.


Re: Pink Floyd: Right on. These guys deserve all the spotlight they can get. True musicians, all of 'em. Let's all hope they reunite for at very minimum an album and tour.

[twonabomber]

Originally posted by DLR_EngineRoom


Led Zeppelin - Only LIVE AID and Atlantic Records anniversary party did they reunite with the only drummer that would suffice for a reunion, Bonzo's son - Jason.


Jason didn't play Live Aid. they were backed by Tony Thompson and Phil Collins.

[FORD]

Originally posted by twonabomber
Jason didn't play Live Aid. they were backed by Tony Thompson and Phil Collins.

And Tony knew the songs much better than Phil did. Ironic, coming from someone whose studio experience was mostly with disco & funk bands. Aside from the Power Station album he had just made at the time.

Unfortunately Tony Thompson is now dead himself, so he's ineligible :(

[Keeyth]

Originally posted by W*NK*R
I have no problem with bands re-uniting because unlike a great many of you lot on here, I wasn't around to see alot of the good bands play. Also I'll have to disagree about you slamming Motley Crues get together it was the best concert I've been to yet, well worth the money.

Got to agree with the kid there. I went to the Motley Reunion show in May, and they rocked the house like it was 1987 all over again. No opening band, just three 45 minute sets of pure Motley Crue. Nikki is doing it sober too. If you weren't able to be there in the 80's, this is the next best thing.

Damn! I just realized how old that makes me!! I used to hear people talk that way back in the 80's about the 60's, and it seemed sooooooo long ago back then... ...old age sucks! :mad:

Eh, what can ya do? :p

Keeyth... ..."Inside every older person, there is a younger person wondering What the fuck HAPPENED???":D

[VonHalen]

if its done for the right reasons, then yes

[Diver Down NJ]

Psycho Circus was more formulaic than a friggin' Backstreet Boys album. I'd rather listen to Unmasked.

They should've stopped after the 96 reunion tour.