Question.. what happens to great bands as they "mature"

#1
wounded mullet

wounded mullet

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#1
lets be honest, good bands aren't like wine, they dont get better with age. They either pussy out and become a hollow shell of themselves or OD and become legends.

I was thinking the other day of bands i loved growing up, the example that came to mind for me was The Smashing Pumpkins,Siamese Dream for me personally was a masterpiece that created a sound i had never heard before and i assumed this was a band that would be making great music for decades beyond. Why do bands seem to peak after a few albums???

maybe its just our own nostalgic youth thinking the music is really better than it was or is it the older we get the less we are in touch with the rawness of good music? I just want to hear a good album these days...

I know everyone on here might look at music different and who is good and not but for the most part i think we can all relate with a band or musician who seemed to define our taste musically that now are distant memories of great music gone by,what happened to good music??

ramble over....
 
#3
#3
Weezer was my favorite band since I can remember up.The Blue album and Pinkerton were flaw-less albums. Green album had a couple good tracks but Maladriot was awful. Make Believe was a solid effort and Red Album also had a few solid tracks but they will never be like they were in their prime but they have aged better than most bands.
 
#4
#4
When they got old and don't/can't get the same audience of fans, they go country. Bon Jovi anybody? Hootie?
 
#5
#5
I think White Zombie did it perfect. They started as a punk/noise rock band in the mid 80's and quit at the top when they were rock/metal band.
 
#6
#6
superdave1984 said:
When they got old and don't/can't get the same audience of fans, they go country. Bon Jovi anybody? Hootie?
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Thats a good pick. Bon Jovi wasn't terrible when they did one country song but I'm a big Bon Jovi fan and I think I listened to Lost Highway all the way through maybe once. I saw them in concert last year and luckily they only played 3 lost highway songs, the rest were old stuff.
 
#8
#8
tool although they have mellowed a bit still puts out music that is pretty close to where they started imo.

chevelle is another. they are still a young band compared to some but their sound has stayed pretty consistant thru 5 albums. they rock. they don't try to sell wireless service or cars. you go to their shows and you hear music, not some stupid rhetoric. they are at the valarium 9-22 for all those who like american hard rock.
 
#9
#9
rpvol said:
tool although they have mellowed a bit still puts out music that is pretty close to where they started imo.
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Uh, tool started as a rocky garage band. They are nothing like that at all now.
 
#10
#10
666 said:
Uh, tool started as a rocky garage band. They are nothing like that at all now.
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if you compare all their albums, it is not hat much different. the big difference is they have more money now to spend on high production and weird effects. maynard has branched off into different directions sure but tool has stayed pretty close.

they didn't pull a metallica or anything. you never hear "man tool sure has sold out" or "tool has gotten soft" (no pun intended)

just my opinion tho. i like all of their albums. i can listen to 10,000 days and enjoy it as much as opiate.
 
#11
#11
Opiate is nothing like 10,000 days and that's my point. They are a complete different band than what they started as regardless if they're still decent.
 
#13
#13
the drugs catch up to them.

I like darius rucker's stuff. that song alright gets old after a bit, but the rest is pretty good
 
#15
#15
666 said:
Old Tool - Opiate to Undertow

Modern Tool - Aenima to 10,000 Days
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i still think the biggest swing (although no that big imo) is between opiate and undertow. i like it all tho...:good!:

just can't convince me they have changed that much. sorry bro. i have seen them live 5 times starting with undertow and it all rocks.

now you wanna talk sell out or mellow out, i have seen metallica 4 times starting with and justice for all and the difference is huge. i never was lucky enough to see them back during ride or master.
 
#16
#16
They have members that choke to death on their own vomit, eat a shotgun, get careless with that choking thing or just involve themselves in non-musical things
 
#18
#18
Agreed with the above points that Tool and Chevelle have not really "declined." I just got the new Chevelle album and it is fantastic.

However, I think the OP was referencing bands a little more "mainstream." My guess is that years of work and originality culminate into a great first album or two...then they tour, sell to radio, etc. and don't have much time between follow-up efforts. The quality would likely be better if they could afford to take 3-4 years off between albums and have at least a year off tour to relax, write, and get creative.

Probably over half of my favorite albums are debuts or early works from bands. Thinking about some groups I really loved that went steadily downhill:

DMB
Matchbox 20
Coldplay
Howie Day
Better Than Ezra
Pete Yorn
Sarah McLachlan
Tori Amos
Barenaked Ladies
David Gray
Widespread Panic
311
Third Eye Blind
Smashing Pumpkins
Stone Temple Pilots
Rage Against the Machine
Soundgarden
.....

There are, of course, many other bands that peaked a few albums in (e.g. Metallica), and plenty of others with great recent offerings...but as a whole, it seems that the earliest work of artists often proves the best.
 
#19
#19
kiddiedoc said:
Agreed with the above points that Tool and Chevelle have not really "declined." I just got the new Chevelle album and it is fantastic.

However, I think the OP was referencing bands a little more "mainstream." My guess is that years of work and originality culminate into a great first album or two...then they tour, sell to radio, etc. and don't have much time between follow-up efforts. The quality would likely be better if they could afford to take 3-4 years off between albums and have at least a year off tour to relax, write, and get creative.

Probably over half of my favorite albums are debuts or early works from bands. Thinking about some groups I really loved that went steadily downhill:

DMB
Matchbox 20
Coldplay
Howie Day
Better Than Ezra
Pete Yorn
Sarah McLachlan
Tori Amos
Barenaked Ladies
David Gray
Widespread Panic
311
Third Eye Blind
Smashing Pumpkins
Stone Temple Pilots
Rage Against the Machine
Soundgarden
.....

There are, of course, many other bands that peaked a few albums in (e.g. Metallica), and plenty of others with great recent offerings...but as a whole, it seems that the earliest work of artists often proves the best.
Click to expand...


Depending on the demographic. I personally havent heard of 2/3 of these people.
Give me AC/DC, Ted Nugent, REO, Journey, Segar, whoever. That is mainstream to me. That is just a few. The Who, Zep, Stones and others paved the way. But I am an old f#ck.
 
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#20
#20
Green Day sucks balls and has for years now.

Saliva is another. They sound like someone injected them with estrogen compared to when they first came out.

Korn sucks now to. Their first two cds are awesome. I liked Follow the Leader, Issues, and Untouchables a lot as well. But everything after those went downhill for me.
 
#21
#21
Yeah Green Day now is just flat out terrible now. I used to be a huge fan but I cannot even listen to them anymore
 
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