|
MUSIC -- The best and worst of the replacements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by asap
|
|
Tuesday, 08 August 2006 |
|
|
|
|
Did you cry when your favorite lead singer left your favorite band? Or were you psyched when that band came back from the brink of extinction with a new singer? From divas to drug addicts, asap’s staff takes a look at the good, bad and ugly of band replacements.
Music is a different experience for everyone.
For some, it’s about the message. For others, it’s about the melody. But for nearly every music fan, it’s also about the right band with the right sound.
But what happens when they have that MTV-style “Behind The Music” moment (Think: infighting, drug addiction, death), and the band or act is forced to replace a key member? Does it always spell disaster? Sometimes; sometimes not.
We culled the collective asap musical mind to bring you the best and worst of the replacements -- those folks who replaced a member of a band and musical act.
————
Band: INXS
The Originator: Michael Hutchence
The Replacement: J.D. Fortune
The Story: Dreamy, moody lead singer Michael Hutchence killed himself in a hotel room in 1997. Much as we loved INXS in the 80s, when your lead singer offs himself, it’s time to throw in the towel. Instead, the surviving band members hosted “Rock Star: INXS,” a “reality” talent show, to find a replacement.
Why it didn’t suck: The show was entertaining -- with more interesting contestants and better songs than “American Idol.”
Why it sucked: We were rooting for anyone but J.D. Fortune, the kinda cocky, kinda talented kinda bland Canadian. And did we mention we loved INXS in the 80s? Stop playing “What You Need” and disband with dignity, fellas.
— Lisa Tolin
———
Band: Destiny’s Child
The Originator: Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, LaToya Luckett — later on Farrah Franklin, too.
The Replacement: Franklin, Roberson and Luckett out, Michelle Williams in
The Story: Destiny’s Child started in the early 1990s in Houston with Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LaToya Luckett as members. Roberson and Luckett grew tired of working with Beyonce’s father/manager. Tensions grew and by 2000 the group included Beyonce and Rowland along with new faces Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. Then, for various reasons Franklin left the group -- creating the trio most people know as Survivor-era Destiny’s Child: Beyonce, Rowland and Williams.
Why it sucked: Early Destiny’s Child songs have some of the catchiest, MTVtastic beats -- “Say My Name”, “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “No, No, No” among them. A bit of that was lost with each ensuing line up.
Why it didn’t suck: The three ladies who headlined the final Destiny’s Child tour and album “Destiny Fulfilled” in 2005 had a more mature look and their voices mixed to create R&B magic.
— Caryn Rousseau
———
Band: The Velvet Underground
The Originator: Angus MacLise, drummer
The Replacement: Moe Tucker, drummer
The Story: MacLise was part of the original Velvets quartet with Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison, though you wouldn’t know it from any of their recordings. MacLise dropped out before the VU played a gig because he couldn’t in good conscious reconcile commerce and art — he literally objected to making money. So, MacLise went back to his avant-garde roots and Maureen “Moe” Tucker, the sister of Morrison’s friend, took over.
Why it sucked: While you can’t really argue with this decision now -- the Velvets did grow into one of the greatest rock bands ever -- MacLise’s departure was a blow to amateurism and art for art’s sake.
Why it didn’t suck: Tucker was a perfect fit for Reed and Cale, providing the band with a bang-on-a-can aesthetic and infiltrating rock’s male-dominated scene.
— Otis Hart
———
Band: Ozomatli
The Originators: Rapper Chali 2na and turntablist Cut Chemist
The Replacement: Rapper Jabu, turntablist DJ Spinobi
The Story: Jurassic 5 members Chali 2na and Cut Chemist joined the Latin/funk/hip-hop band thinking it’d be a short-lived side project. They both shined on the group’s self-titled 1998 debut. But when Ozo’s hybrid sound caught on in its hometown of Los Angeles and beyond, the hip-hoppers were forced to choose. Both had left Ozo by the time “Embrace The Chaos” dropped on Sept. 11, 2001 ... and it showed.
Why it sucked: Chali’s clear, authoritative baritone was never drowned out by the cacophony of trumpets, tablas and turntables the band favors.
Why it didn’t suck: Forced to move farther from hip-hop by their loss, Ozo’s experimentation remains interesting.
— Ryan Pearson
———
Band: Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Originator: John Frusciante, guitarist
The Replacement: Dave Navarro
The Story: Frusciante replaced Hillel Slovak, the band’s original guitarist who died in 1988 of a heroin overdose. Frusciante went on to record “Mother’s Milk” and 1991’s “Blood Sugar Sex Magik,” a multi-platinum hit that boosted the band to Grammy-winning ultra-stardom with hits such as “Under the Bridge” and “Give it Away.” But Frusciante had a heroin problem himself, and quit the band during the “Blood Sugar Sex Magik Tour” in 1992. Jane’s Addiction guitarist Navarro joined the band in 1993 and recorded “One Hot Minute,” another commercial success. The Peppers and Navarro split in 1998 and Frusciante returned after releasing two solo albums while in drug rehab. The group released “Californication” in 1999, which outsold even “Blood Sugar Sex Magik.” Frusciante has stayed with the band since.
Why it sucked: Though “One Hot Minute” was commercially successful in the U.S. and ever more popular overseas, it’s tough to get excited about an album with songs the band won’t play anymore.
Why it didn’t suck: Drug rehab helped Frusciante’s personal health, and his eventual return not only resulted in the band’s return to the top of the charts, it probably helped struggles with heroin addiction.
— Oskar Garcia
———
Band: Journey
The Originator: Steve Perry, singer
The Replacement: Steve Augeri, singer and, more recently, Jeff Scott Soto
The Story: Long-haired singer Steve Perry was a replacement singer himself for the San Francisco-band Journey. When he joined the group in 1977, rock history was made. Perry transformed the band with his soaring high tenor on his first Journey album — the seminal “Infinity” — with songs such as “Lights” and “Wheel in the Sky.”
The hits kept coming and culminated in the “Escape” album. Journey broke up in 1987, but reunited in 1996 for an album. Perry suffered a hip injury before the band started touring and eventually quit. Perry has remained distant from the band since being replaced by Augeri. The band is touring this summer with Def Leppard, but Augeri has been forced to leave due to a chronic throat infection and has been replaced by Jeff Scott Soto.
Why it sucked: Augeri was a dead-ringer physically for Perry and a pretty close match vocally, but close doesn’t count.
Why it didn’t suck: Guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory, who were in the group’s original 1973 lineup, still rock.
— Paul Chavez
———
Band: AC/DC
The Originator: Bon Scott, singer
The Replacement: Brian Johnson, singer
The Story: It was a matter of weeks after AC/DC lost its wise-ass, growly screecher to the bottle that they managed to put out one of the biggest albums in rock history the anthem-laden “Back in Black.” Howd they pull it off? The hero was new frontman Brian Johnson, a slightly lower-pitched, wise-ass, growly screecher. Thanks to the quick switch, the iconic hard rockers barely swerved from their trip down the highway to hell.
Why it didn’t suck: The lead singer no longer sounded like your creepy Australian uncle.
Why it sucked: The lead singer no longer sounded like your creepy Australian uncle.
— Eric Carvin
———
Band: Van Halen
The Originator: David Lee Roth, singer
The Replacement: Sammy Hagar, singer. Then Gary Cherone.
The Story: Van Halen was sprung from the shredding scene of California’s Sunset Strip in the 1970s. Their first record, simply titled “Van Halen,” is a vanguard hard rock album. Things started to get tense between Diamond Dave and the rest of the band in the early ’80s. Main thrasher Eddie wanted to go into heavier territory while Dave was veering toward the lighter side of rock stardom. Bickering ensued.
Finally, it was Dave or bust. Roth left in 1985. But who could reach Diamond Dave’s highs and hair-flinging lows? Enter Hagar, most known for screeching “I Can’t Drive 55.” After a string of hits in the early ’90s, Hagar claims he was dumped by the rest of the boys. Lightweight Glen Ballard of the one hit wonder band Extreme was brought in to replace Hagar. By then, nobody cared.
Why it sucked: The way that Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solos mimicked the sound of Dave’s howls and vice versa couldn’t ever be channeled through some screamer come lately.
Why it didn’t suck: Screamer come lately? Sammy’s vocal range gave birth to “5150,” which became a favorite with metal heads veering into parenthood.
— Caryn Brooks
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| |
