The B List: Reunion Mania
2007 has started off with a bang for fans of bands that have broken up. Reunion Mania has taken over the rock world, with everyone from America to Zero getting in on the act. I’m not satisfied: I want more reunions. So this week’s B List features eight more bands that need to get in on the great money grab of 2007:
1. God Street Wine: Fuck Phish, if any more jambands are planning to reunite, I’d like to see God Street Wine get back together. As I mentioned in last week’s Grousing The Aisles, both Ace and I are huge fans of this dynamic band that added a little soul to the improv scene.
2. Blind Faith: Eric Clapton has run out of bands to reunite. Cream had a successful run of shows in 2005, and Clapton is currently on the road with Derek Trucks playing a bunch of Derek and the Dominos songs. Steve Winwood is in a similar predicament with the passing of Jim Capaldi. Blind Faith’s bass player Ric Grech has passed on, but Ginger Baker can still play (for the moment). I’d love to see these three men reform Blind Faith before they wind up in nursing homes.
3. Talking Heads: If The Police can put aside their animosity towards each other for a reunion, why can’t the Talking Heads? I think all the hipsters would faint at the sight of Tina Weymouth on stage again with David Byrne. Imagine the setlist the reunited Heads could put together? I’d love to see the band put aside their differences and score one of the biggest paydays in the history of rock and roll.
Read on for the other five bands that need to reunite this year….
4. Guns N Roses: Axl Rose wants you to believe he is Guns N Roses. That’s like saying Trey Anastasio could put a bunch of unknowns together and call themselves Phish. It’s just not the same. I’ve heard a few bootlegs from GNR’s recent shows, and I was extremely unimpressed. For me, Slash’s guitar tone made that band. Give up on the 10 years-in-the-making Chinese Democracy and put the band back together, Axl. Just one more go ’round.
5. Led Zeppelin: One of the worst concerts I’ve seen was Page and Plant in 1998. Plant’s voice sounded awful and it felt like something was missing from the music. As a bass player I love the nuances and raw power John Paul Jones adds to the music of Led Zeppelin, and perhaps that’s what was missing. It appears from recent shows that Robert Plant’s voice is back in fine form. There is no time better than the present to prove the Zeps still have gas left in the tank.
6. Pink Floyd: One of the more impressive one-off reunion performances I have ever witnessed was Pink Floyd’s 45-minute set at Live 8 in 2005. David Gilmour and Roger Waters hadn’t been on stage together in more than 20 years, yet the band didn’t miss a beat and delivered a fantastic performance. Every promoter is foaming at the mouth to put together a Pink Floyd tour. Do it for charity, do it to put your kid’s grandkids through college, do it for drug money; but just give the people what they want. Let’s have one stadium tour for old times sake.
7. Uncle Tupelo: I gotta be honest here: I’m not that into the music, I just want to see Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar fight.
8. Genesis (w/ Peter Gabriel): You have the wrong guy if you think this is the sentence where I bash Phil Collins and mention I Can’t Dance. While I’m down with Phil Collins, I still enjoy the fuck out of early Genesis. Rumor has it Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett will be rejoining their old mates after Gabriel’s world tour. Make it happen Petey Gabes, we all know the ball is in your court.
What bands would you like to see get back together? Drop down a comment…
Scott Bernstein
Scott Bernstein co-founded Hidden Track in October 2006 and was managing editor until taking over as EiC in January 2008. Scotty also writes for Relix Magazine and curates YEMblog.com.
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7 Seconds, The Afghan Whigs, Bad Brains (w/ HR), Faith No More
I thought Bad Brains was doing a tour this Summer. I heard that their show on the Sunday before CBGB’s closed was…well…about what you think it’d be from a band who doesn’t play together very often, hates each other, and are led by a guy who thinks he’s a prophet. Seriously. HR makes Sun Ra look like he belongs in a J. Crew catalog.
I’m pulling for The Jam. I heard Weller played a bunch of Jam songs at Irving Plaza a few weeks back. I’d have like to hear that. But not just Down In The Tube Station and That’s Entertainment. I want a full-on Art School, All Mod Cons, David Watts rock out.
I’d also love to see Public Enemy do it for real. When they bury me, I want them to put “It Takes A Nation Of Millions” to loop on my iPod. Yes, I want to be buried with my iPod.
In the jam-BAND world, GSW would be nice, but I am not dying for it. I could take it or leave it. I’d like to se Allgood one more time. I only saw them once or twice, but I always remember them as being the drunkest band I have ever seen live. Their lead singer was absolutely falling-down, Farrah Fawcett level incoherently hammered at a show I went to at the old Bayou in DC in about 1994. But somehow they killed it.
The Hatters was another old jamband I used to like.
Good call on The Jam, I tried to get tickets to that Paul Weller does The Jam concert at Irving with no luck. That concert sold out in 5 minutes, so I would guess a reunion tour would be quite successful.
Meat Puppets reunion this year. See people can come back after heroin addictions and prison.
you are a tool, page plant 98 was kick ace! just because the bass player was not there??? the bass player would fix what you did not like? im sorry, they took less radio popular songs and rocked them out. No amazing bass player is gonna change that! just close your eyes next time you see them, you won’t know the difference between any bass players no matter how smart you try and sound about your high minded preference for good bass players. shut up.
genesis.overrrrated. lamb lies down on broadway, i want my time back i spent trying to like that album.
how about a pork tornado reunion? I would buy that for a dollar, maybe dollar and a quarter, if i did not have to drive so far.
yes i know my typpong is bad, im in a hurry and angry about people who tyr and sound cool saying they really miss john paul jones
My bad, bass players obviously add nothing to the music.
Bass is for losers. I’ve had the bass turned all the way down to zero in my Camaro ever since I bought it back in 1986. The treble is set on 10 though.
Get with the program, Bernstein!
try to focus the adhd,
i did not say bass is not essential to a song, but who care who plays it at the show as long as not messed up, unless you are talking a band like primus? your telling me that your page plant experience would have been that much better if john paul jones were there?
try and focus
::takes adderall::
JPJ has one of the most unique and distinctive style of anyone who ever picked up a bass. We aren’t talking about an act that plays simple pop songs, Jimmy Page often went off on solos and Charlie Jones just couldn’t keep up.
Also note that the first thing I mentioned was Robert Plant’s voice, but who needs singers!
I believe that is exactly what he’s telling you.
I believe that is exactly what he’s telling you.
thats what im saying, jeezus, it was roberts voice that you did not like, jpj would not have improved what you did not like
, that special technique that jpj is capable of that you pretend to be smart enough to hear would not have made any difference. Yes plants voice is not where it used to be, but they why say you want a reunion with jpj? what good will that do.
jpj was great in what he wrote/added to songs, esp to songs like “no quarter,” but when it comes to who covers his part on stage, who cares…
id like to take you to a blind hearing test where zep plays a song with john paul, and then the same song with another pretty good bass player, you woudn’t know the difference
Bassists are TOTALLY overrated. The Dead would have been fine with any old hack they found on the street. Same with The Who. I mean, look at NSync. They sold millions of records and toured worldwide and I couldn’t tell you the name of their bassist.
PS – John Paul Jones played about 6 trillion different instruments. Bass just happened to be one of them. Read their liner notes sometime.
oh boy, i agree with dead comment 100 percent, and john added to the songs, but really, on stage to cover the part, just any good bassist would do, not one of you would tell the difference!
By that argument, the only guy you’d REALLY need is Plant. Who is about 20 years past his prime, so it’s actually irrelevant. But the Page part? I mean, how many guitarists out there could “cover the part” that Page played? Just about any of them who’ve played rock for more than 1 year. I remember learning some Zepplin songs on the guitar and thinking “That’s it??” I was 15 at the time. His sound was revolutionary at the time, but nowadays?
I think he was being sarcastic re: replacing Phil Lesh, but the fact that you agree is startling to me. Simply astounding!
God Street Wine first? Whatever…How can you not have Pavement up there???
Also would like to ad The Smiths, Whiskeytown, Kyuss, Fugazi and Soundgarden – and yes, Faith No More
Scotty, as always, some great reunions to chew on. But, lets be honest, you are forgetting one of the biggest possible reunions of all time: Joe Russo and Marco Benevento. I mean its been, like, a month since they last played and almost six weeks since their last New York show. I mean I know Russo is a “rock guy” now and Benenveto is perfecting his jazz chops, but these two need to put aside their differences and play a show as the Duo. Then again, seeing Russo play with Benevento while wearing those new contact lenses might be akin to watching Trey stumble through YEM after his Banana Republic makeover post-hiatus. Anyway, keep up the good work.
Wow, Art, you are something special. I’m totally speechless in trying to respond your mindless ranting of crap. I can, however, spell AND type, as well as tell the difference between some momo and John Paul Jones. And I’m not “trying to sound cool” either. I actually am naturally cool. And a bass player.
^^ It’s true he is naturally cool. He also is one hell of a bass player.
Nice call on the Talking Heads, Mr. B! Would cream myself to see them. Also still looking to the Dire Straits again–Knopfler live is something else. The Hatters put on some great shows, too. Love your call on the Gabriel Genesis days. Serious stuff.
you need the voice, you need the guitar tone when it comes to zep
you need phil for the jams, but for standard short songs any bass player would cover him just fine just like jpj, no one could tell, not even the musical geniuses on this thread,
i saw floyd in 94 and missed the distinct roger voice, but bass was covered without any issue, check out PULSE. bass players are a dime a dozen when it comes to playing, im not saying anything about their writing or improv skillz, but their playing is not some god like only they could possibly play this amazing bass part deal. get over yourselves.
Yikes, art. You need to listen to a lot more music. Either that, or turn up the ol’ EQ on your hi-fi Onkyo stereo equipment.
harrrdy harr harr, how clever chilly, i tthink my car stereo heard nothing but zep from 92-94
the only bass player that is essential to a band is derek smalls
lol, im sitting here listenign to song remains the same soundtrack, and you are right, boy, no one could play that tone, the songs would have been ruined otherwise, lol
jeez, you guys are so full of it, lol
im not cool and hip enough to recognize how distinct the bass sound is.
you guys should write for pitchfork