With no disrespect to the deceased, booted, or left of own will, Mick Taylor‘s RTH birthday celebration got me thinking about whether certain band members left their bands just about the time they were reaching their expiration date. Did Taylor, for instance, have the good sense to get while the gettin’ was good? What use would the Stones have had for him had he stuck around much longer? Were they already getting a bit stagnant with him when he split?
Certainly this is a ridiculous chicken-and-egg question, but allow yourself to think ridiculous thoughts. We are in the Halls of Rock, you know.
Brian Jones, from my favorite period of the Stones, is another case in point. Could he have kept up with the Exile period? Could the Stones have gone into whatever direction a stronger Jones might have taken them instead? I don’t think so. Sure, there’s no Dirty Work in their future, but there may be no Exile as well. Can you dig it?
These fortuitous splits before the milk turned sour may extend to other bands. Take Eno leaving Roxy Music. Does the band progress to Country Life with Eno, or do they run their brilliant, wild period into the ground, robbing us of some tasty, more mature works?
Take John Cale leaving the Velvet Underground. The aborted 3rd album tracks that make up VU and Another VU – and Cale’s debut solo album, as Townsman Oats, I believe, once mentioned – demonstrate Cale’s ability to have fit in with the band on it’s actual third album, the “couch” album, but what would Cale have done on Loaded? He’d have bogged down two of the band’s archetypal rock classics, “Sweet Jane” and “Rock ‘n Roll”. For all Cale’s strengths with the band and through his solo career, he’s got no swing and little ease with rock ‘n roll.
There are other musicians I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable agreeing with me as having reached their expiration date – XTC’s original organ player Barry Andrews comes immediately to mind. XTC’s a rock footnote on par with Delta 5 and Pylon had they gone one more album with Andrews. And this is not to say that I don’t like some of his contributions to Go 2, in particular. It’s just that he was steering them into a sour milk sea.
As always, I’m sure you’ve thought of musicians having left their bands at just the right time to allow a band to take it to a new level. As always, I look forward to your responses.
Check out the gams on that keyboard player! Who *is* that?
And for the record, I think Taylor got out at just the right time. I mean, what did the band have left? Some Girls? That’s an album Mick would have been lost on — it’s a total Ron Wood masterpiece, sez me.
I also think Ted Nugent made the right decision when he bailed on Damn Yankees. Those fuckers were holding him *back*.
Eno and Roxy Music parted at the right time for both of them.
What about Cale’s look? I think you have to give him credit for wearing a mesh trucker’s cap, long before the hipsters made it cool.
Good call, Dr. John!
The leggy keyboardist is Zanna Gregmar. The guitarist in the pink suit is Ollie Halsall.
That is kind of a chicken/egg thing, but I think most of the time when someone goes it’s because they really had to. In The Stones Brian was just attracting too much pressure from the cops and the whole Keith/Brian/Anita thing was too much for Brian. If Brian were coming up with killer riffs or something Mick and Keith could use he’d have stayed. Same thing with when Mick the Quitter left. They’d mostly used him up and I think if he’d have stayed he’d have woke up dead for sure.
I think The Replacements had that with Bob Stinson. They’d have never made Pleased to Meet Me like that with him. I think the person that leaves is usually done anyway, and I’d rather see someone go out roughly on top than with a whimper.
What do you think the average life span of a band should be? I generally think about seven albums and then it kinda gets lost. It must be a tough business.
Petesecrutz, Ollie Halsall was quite a rock character, wasn’t he? He was also one of the Rutles, right?
Here’s a really obvious question I haven’t had time to research: is that Andy Summers on lead guitar?
As for your question, 2K, any band that can come up with 7 worthwhile releases has given fans more than enough material. Think of how many really good bands have trouble putting out that many. Yes, I’d say 7 albums is a good number.
Petesecrutz, Ollie Halsall was quite a rock character, wasn’t he?
Yes.
He was also one of the Rutles, right?
No.
Here’s a really obvious question I haven’t had time to research: is that Andy Summers on lead guitar?
Yes.
Technically, yes, he was! Eric Idle’s vocal and bass parts were recorded by Ollie Halsall. (He also appears very briefly in one photo as the Stu Sutcliffe figure, Leppo.) Idle was busy writing and producing, so he didn’t take part in the music.
Thanks, Great One. HVB was so sure of himself:P
You guys need to award yourselves an RTH Golden Wedgie for that geeky, make-yourselves-feel-better-about-yourseves pince-nez move. I know why Mod asked whether Ollie Halsall was in the Rutles — it’s because the dude who played “Barry Wom” was the drummer in Ollie’s psych band Timebox. The fact that Ollie himself contributed some extremely arcane backing “tracks” (cue rotten teef Keef footage) to the album is not what Mod was asking after — and it certainly doesn’t make Ollie a Rutle. Mod: for shame! G48: yeah, well, whatever.
Makes sense, HBV. But what do you do to feel better about yourself?
Extremely arcane backing tracks? HE WAS FUCKING DIRK McQUICKLY! He played all the bass and sang all the “Paul” songs! How in the holy name of fuck does that not make him a fucking Rutle, you retarded piece of crab-louse-infested wannabe biker trash?
He may have been the ultimate Oliver, but when people switched off the TV, they didn’t say: “…and that Ollie Halsall — he was the perfect choice for the Paul part!” Come on, let it go.
Sincerely,
Retarded Piece of Crab-Louse-Infested Wannabe Biker Trash
Contrast with this Cale version of Hotel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDe-HcHJsX0
Listen up, Hrrundi: whatever you do, don’t break the Pince Nez in your desparate grab for it.
Great One, again, your support means a lot. I’m ensconced in another day-long program for work. Be strong.
Hey, Mod:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKXxD6YBTxI
I won’t be able to watch your clip with tehe sound turned ON for some time, HVB, but I’m digging the visuals. It’s reminding me ofa favorite clip passed along by Gergs. Remember that guy?