SYW: A Dud Album

[michelej1]

This article discusses rock reunions and mentions Fleetwood Mac. I like the picture with Stevie's hair in flight:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...c/5234549.html

Some rock-band reunions are rockier than others

By JON BEAM and CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT)

"We're getting along better than we have before."

So said Eddie Van Halen at a news conference in August, when his namesake band announced its reunion tour with original singer David Lee Roth. If only the guitar god's statement really said all that much.

The Roth-fueled outing puts a postscript on a legendary lineup that was contentious throughout most of its original 12-year run. Many fans flocked to the tour's Sept. 27 opening date in Charlotte, N.C., because they didn't expect it to last much past that.

Fans lining up for the tour will no doubt be watching for signs of turmoil and/or hints of what's to come.

We take a look back at some of rock's most famous tension-filled, acrimonious reunion tours, and how they fared in the end.

—The Police

Backstory: Singer/bassist Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland fought like bullheaded brothers before disbanding in 1986. The chief of the Police put down his lute and unexpectedly extended an olive branch for the trio's eight-month (and counting) tour that started in May.

Postscript: A few shows in, Copeland ripped the band's lack of synchronicity on his blog, and many fans and critics continue to complain. But the $91 million paycheck for North America alone has apparently arrested Copeland's concerns.

—The Pixies

Backstory; In 1993, Frank Black broke up his influential Boston alt-rock band by fax (ouch!), largely due to his rift with bassist/singer Kim Deal, who had spawned her own group, the Breeders, and a bad drug habit. After years of downplaying the Pixies, Black opened the door for 2004's reunion by playing the quartet's songs on a 2003 solo tour.

Postscript: As seen in the fascinating documentary loudQuietloud, the band never really gelled personally on the tour, and drummer Dave Lovering (not Deal) needed rehab. But the concerts were a surprise hit musically and financially, leaving open the possibility for more.

—Motley Crue

Backstory: Where to begin? The defining Behind the Music tale of sex, drugs, a little rock 'n roll and way too much greed, the Crue came to a halt in 1999 after drummer Tommy Lee got out of jail for spousal abuse and stepped back into the tabloids full-time.

Postscript: After forgettable outings with replacement members, the original quartet hit the road again in 2005 with varying success. Now comes word that Tommy — back in the tabloids thanks to a motley scrum with Kid Rock — has reportedly quit the band once again.

—Van Halen 2 (with Sammy Hagar)

Backstory: The band split with its second singer (Hagar) and hired a third guy (Gary Cherone) in 1996, a move that bombed worse than David Lee Roth's solo career. But Hagar was back on board for a 2004 tour.

Postscript: In concert, they overacted their chumminess, and Eddie Van Halen under-performed following chemo and preceding rehab. There was no downplaying the acrimony after the tour — bad enough to finally send Eddie and Alex Van Halen back into Diamond Dave's arms.

—Fleetwood Mac

Backstory: All the Rumours over the band's heyday-era trysts and drug use eroded their harmonies. In 1987 Lindsey Buckingham opted to go his own way, and Stevie Nicks exited one album later. It took a presidential pardon to get them back together in 1993 (for Bill Clinton's inauguration).

Postscript: The chain was fully reconnected for a well-received 1997 tour, after which Christine McVie retired. A dud album but another popular tour followed in 2003, but it's unclear if the Mac is still intact.

—Eagles

Backstory: "When hell freezes over," is what Don Henley said throughout the '80s about America's all-time best-selling band getting back together. Hell is exactly what the band caught for being the first to break the $100-ticket mark in 1994 (now ancient history), when Henley and co-frontman Glenn Frey reached a detente.

Postscript: They've been selling out — literally and figuratively — for a decade and will finally release their overdue reunion album on Oct. 30 as a Wal-Mart exclusive.

—Simon & Garfunkel

Backstory: Paul wrote the songs and got more of the acclaim (and royalties), which frustrated Art, who had the prettier voice. After their 1970 split, the childhood friends couldn't bridge their troubled waters until their mammoth 1981 free concert in New York's Central Park, which led to a 1982-83 tour.

Postscript: Their first reunion trek survived with separate limos and dressing rooms. By their 2003 tour, they showed more onstage communication, but who knows what happened off stage?

[buckymcnix]

I would have trimmed off four or five tunes, but not a dud in my book by any means.

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by buckymcnix

I would have trimmed off four or five tunes, but not a dud in my book by any means.

Agreed. I didnt like "Everybody Finds Out"..."Goodbye Baby" and a few others were average. But I like the album as a whole.

[michelej1]

I bet the writer doesn't even remember what the album sounded like, if he ever listened to it. He just knows that it didn't sell, so that means DUD.

As for the successful tour that the article mentioned, here's a list of the top grossing 2003 tours. Translated from Spanish by Babelfish. I'm surprised that Cher is up there with the big groups:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr?lp...tml?cid=345166

The 50 richer artists of the 2003

The Manna boys will not be friends of Sting, as they wanted to be conceited in his day, but now have with what shutting up to the ridicules. The quartet is elbowed with the Rolling, It brushes Springsteen, and both gentlemen of Great Britain, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John in a list #. Manna occupies place 44 in the 50 musicians who more money did in the 2003, according to publishes the magazine Rolling Stone. And this time there is no Sting that clears importance.

1. The Rolling Stones, $84,1 million

In 2002, when the tour of Forty Licks began, the Rolling occupied number two in this list. What put to them in the head? Just like it managed to put to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in the cover of the Fortune magazine: a tour that sold $212 million entrances, special in television and much publicity. More than three million people they attended the concerts.

2. Brush Springsteen, $81,7 million

Most of the rock bands they contract a promoter to be guaranteed a gain, and soon they share the total. Springsteen no. A seventy percent made sure the total gains if all the entrances were sold in each concert. In addition, its spectacle is austere, it does not use expensive special effects, and the public spent much money in merchandise.

3, Eagles, $62,9 million

The last year they demanded a guarantee of gain of $750.000 by concert, this year increased to $1 million, and the cost of its entrances raised in $20. In addition, they received an advance of $10 million by its Great package of Exitos.

4, Dixie Chicks, $39,8 million

Natalie Maines criticized to president Bush in England and a group of nationalists called to sabotage of the band and his discs. It did not work. Each one of its concerts in EU left gains of $1 million. In addition, the Chicks demanded to Sony by lack of payments of 20 million of albumes that already had sold and this year they sold 6 million more of his new album, Home.

5, Metallica, $39,1 million

6, Toby Keith, $38,7 million

7, Bon Jovi, $36,1 million

8, Shania Twain, $36,1 million

9, Simon and Garfunkel, $35,8 million

10, Cher, $33,8 million

11, Celine Dion, $33,1 million

12, Fleetwood Mac, $32,5 million

13, Robbie Williams, $32,5 million

14, Christina Eyrie, $27,9 million

15, Jennifer Lopez, $29,1 million

16, Dave Matthews, $27,3 million

17, Jimmy Buffett, $25,8 million

18. Hoist Cube, $25,7 million

19, The Beatles, $25,6 million

20, Norah Jones, $25,6 million

21, Justin Timberlake, $24,7 million

22, Elton John, $24,6 million

23, Coldplay, $23,7 million

24, Queen Latifah, $23,3 million

25, Aerosmith, $22,5 million

26. Kiss, $22,1 million

27, Kenny Chesney, $21,9 million

28, Eminem, $20,8 million

29, Yanni, $20,5 million

30, James Taylor, $20 million

31, Phish, $19,4 million

32, Dr Dre, $18,6 million
33, John Mayer, $17,1 million

34. 50 Cent, $16,9 million

35, Tim McGraw, $16,7 million

36, R. Kelly, $14,4 million

37, Matchbox Twenty, $14 million

38, P. Diddy, $13,9 million

39, Billy Joel, $13,8 million

40, Brooks and Dunn, $13,6 million

41, Network Hot Chili Peppers, $13,4 million

42, Pearl Jam, $13,4 million

43, Paul McCartney, $13,3 million

44. He flows, $12,1 million

Rolling Stone reports that the tour that Manna did by the United States in the 2003 recovered $10 million in sales.

45, The Dead, $11,4 million

46, Bill Gaither, $11,2 million

47, The Osbournes, $10,3 million

48, Trans Siberian Orchestra, $10,3 million

49, Radiohead, $10 million

50, Eros Ramazotti, $10 million

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by buckymcnix

I would have trimmed off four or five tunes, but not a dud in my book by any means.

agreed. it was not a dud. it was a risk and not inside the box at all, but not a dud.

[Betsy]

Originally Posted by buckymcnix

I would have trimmed off four or five tunes, but not a dud in my book by any means.

Weren't there 18 songs on that CD??? We got a lot of music for the price, and at least half were good.

I bought Neil Diamond's Twelve Songs at about the same time...and damn, there were exactly 12 songs (and only one good one.)

(Back in the days...a vinyl LP could only hold 12 songs...but a CD? Was Neil being stingy??)

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Betsy

(Back in the days...a vinyl LP could only hold 12 songs...but a CD? Was Neil being stingy??)

Well, Destiny Rules kind of outlined how the artist has to pay for the extra songs. So, I wouldn't say that Neil Diamond was being stingy, he just wasn't splurging. Since then, I have paid attention to how many of the cds I purchase have exactly 12 songs. I didn't really notice before.

Michele

[camchristo]

I don't think it's a dud at all. In fact, I really like it. There is only one song I consistently skip over - Silver Girl. Just.don't.like.

[Musicman408]

There are some songs that could've stood to be dropped, but I still love the gems on the album.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by camchristo

I don't think it's a dud at all. In fact, I really like it. There is only one song I consistently skip over - Silver Girl. Just.don't.like.

o.m.g. I thought you, of all people, would appreciate my beautiful Silver Girl. oh my gah! I just love it.

just teasing. I really do love Silver Girl though and I don't understand why it is so universally disliked.

[camchristo]

You know what? Just for you I'm gonna listen to it tonight. I'll let you know if I change my mind.

[Chrislit18]

I really love SYW!

I don't know how it could be considered a dud, I mean, while Bleed to Love Her was a WASTE of album space [The Dance blows this one away for me.] and Illume could have been better, and Smile At You just doesnt have the oomph that it did back in the 80s [demo], it is an amazing album!

Ive even grown to LOVE Silver Girl.
Thrown Down, RTTG, and EFO are some of Stevie's overall best songs IMO

and Linds could NOT have done a better job on SYHA, Red Rover, Say Goodbye, and WTTWCT.

The only 'dud'-ish thing is that Christine wasnt a part of it more than she was. [those three little background vocals did NOTHING for me...I'm sorry, I need my CMV love-songs ]

[buckymcnix]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

Agreed. I didnt like "Everybody Finds Out"..."Goodbye Baby" and a few others were average. But I like the album as a whole.

which ones of Lindsey's didn't you like brandon?

[jannieC]

It took a lot of patience and repitition for me to embrace, and eventually *love* SYW. As a hardcore fan, I was very disappointed initially, so I can see how a casual fan would be unimpressed.

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by buckymcnix

which ones of Lindsey's didn't you like brandon?

I really dislike Miranda.