Should Split Bands Re-form?

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I suppose it depends on the circumstances of the split, but I'm inclined to say no, given the shoddy results every time a split band reconvenes to "attend to unfinished business" and toss in the obligatory cliches that "it feels like we owed it to our fans" and that the new material "picks right up where we left off" and that "we still have credibility intact."

Examples to support or refute?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Examples of bands that should've stayed split-up:

- Motley Crue: who reconvened, however unsolicitedly, to give the world GENERATION SWINE?!?!?!? Gosh, thanks, guys.

- Kiss: I applauded the reunion tour (so long as it was a one-off), but of course it wasn't, prompting the band to blight the world (and their dwindling legacy) with the embarassment that was PSYCHO-CIRCUS.

- Culture Club: Did we really miss them blind? I thought not.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Waiting for someone to make the obligatory Killing Joke comment.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:16 (twenty-three years ago)

i think it should be compulsory, then they wd think twice about forming in the first place

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:18 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll wait until I've heard the new Go-Betweens album before passing judgement.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:20 (twenty-three years ago)

no.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:21 (twenty-three years ago)

generally, no. I don't consider the Go Betweens a reformation, I think of it more as an extended hiatus of the main songwriting partnership..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:54 (twenty-three years ago)

The only reunion that I've witnessed/heard that wasn't a money-grubbing, ego-ridden plea for attention wrapped up in a pale imitation of the original music was the Camper Van Beethoven show I saw recently.

The rest = shit. Stay broken up and do us all a favor.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:19 (twenty-three years ago)

mission of burma were utterly incredible live. everything else made me unable to listen to their records the same way again (wire, television etc...)

― simon 803 (simon 803), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:20 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, but only if they're bands that i like (urinals, human hands, mission of burma).

― dan (dan), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I see Dan was at the Savage Republic show. They were great too, of course.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, because Sting NEEDS Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland to physically beat him on a regular basis, otherwise he sucks.

Black Dog and LFO also need to reunite, it's become painfully obvious that A) Plaid and Black Dog (post-Plaid separation) do NOT live up to the old-school Black Dog quality spec, and B) Mark Bell is great, but apparently he needs Gez Varley around to convince him to release albums instead of just producing other people.

Note I'm not interested in bands that have actually reunited. They all suck, unequivocally. It's the ones that haven't yet, they're the ones that would rock.

― Tom Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:30 (twenty-three years ago)

haha Tom that is the kind of thing I say!!

i hate that it's a "fact" that reunions suck, it's like we've internalised planned obsolescence in order to help glob cap affirm itself or something

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Blondie. useless and embarrassing. nuff said.

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Mcalmont and Butler (maybe not really a band?) split up v v nastily, reformed recently for the bucks and are putting out quite good music thank you very much. Their cover of 'Back for good' is unspeakably good.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd like Orlando to reform and record an even synthier version of 'never tear us apart' (INXS) as their comeback single.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 00:48 (twenty-three years ago)

See, McAlmont & Butler are totally the exception here. Usually bands break up for good reasons (artistic/personal differences, run out of ideas, leave on a high etc) and reform for terrible ones (money). M&B arguable did both of these with aplomb - remember the handbags & hissyfits? - but have come back with a bloody fantastic album, way better than any of their previous work together, streets ahead of Bernard's solo stuff (apart from his Sparks remix, but anyway) and a million miles from McAlmont's stuff on his own too. How can this be? Not a clue.

And in conclusion, Soft Cell.

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 01:04 (twenty-three years ago)

What's this Sparks remix you speak of?

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 01:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Blondie. useless and embarrassing. nuff said.

I wasn't embarassed the other night when I saw them! Nor were the rest of the Fillmore's sold-out, screaming crowd, I might add.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 01:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I just read something from Rolling Stone intimating a Clash reunion (Mick Jones showed up onstage at some Joe Strummer gig recently).

I'm scared.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 01:30 (twenty-three years ago)

If they do a version of the "Magnificent Romeo" bootleg onstage, I will take back everything bad I have ever said about them.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 01:33 (twenty-three years ago)

operation ivy

― juiceboxxx, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 01:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Against all odds, the Soft Boys reunion was not a total embarassment.

TMFTML
http://intonation.blogspot.com

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:00 (twenty-three years ago)

people like to make jokes about the Posies' perpetual on-again-off-again status, but i'm glad they keep finding excuses to get together and do shows, especially since i never got to see them live in their original incarnation...so far they've only done an EP of new material since then, but i think it's very on par with the original albums, and hopefully someday they'll do another album together like they've been threatening, although only if they hold off on their solo careers and put their best efforts into it, in which case i'm sure it would be worth it, based on the caliber of the solo material so far.

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Only if they're scandinavian and write songs like "Don't Say Motherfucker, Motherfucker" or "Rendezvous With Anus".

Or if they're Black Flag.

― Helltime Producto (Pavlik), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I have to agree with TMFTML.
The new Soft Boys record – the first in 20 years – is a fine, fine listen.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Frequently embarassing but there are some very fine exceptions - Buzzcocks and Penetration leap immediately to mind

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 09:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Living Colour has reunited and...gasp...are making great music again!

Some days I wish the OG Genesis would reunite, if only to shut Phil Collins' bonghole and put him back where he belongs...bangin' on the skins!

And I wish Travis Barker would rejoin the Aquabats, the only band that he's been in that has deserved him.

― nickalicious, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 15:56 (twenty-three years ago)

The Blondie reunion was dismal, I must heartily agree.

"Mariii-aaaaa, you've gotta see'her...go insane and out of your mii--iind."

They came back to tell us THAT? Gimme a break.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

Revive!

Because there's a new Mission of Burma track right here. I liked the live shows, but this? It's pretty meh.

http://www.matadorrecords.com/mpeg/mission_of_burma/mission_of_burma_wounded_world.mp3

― Jason J, Monday, 23 February 2004 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I heard something about Big Star reconvening. Won't that be difficult with Chris Bell still being, y'know, dead and all?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 23 February 2004 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Big Star's been playing shows now for over a decade. And Chris Bell's only on their first record.

― hstencil, Monday, 23 February 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, well, there ya go (I was never a fan....can ya tell?)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 23 February 2004 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Split bands that reformed OK...

Wire. Bunnymen (if only for nothing lasts forever).

Not OK.

Television (the album).

Dunno.

Velvet Underground (went to the gigs and we all showed much love to the guys/girl, then bought the live CD and went "Oh." as it was exactly how it was but not as good as we thought it had been.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 23 February 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

You didn't like the album with "Call Mr.Lee"? I though it was kinda alright.

The live VU reunion album is dreadful, especially that "Velvets Nursery Rhyme" crapola. :::shudder::::

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 23 February 2004 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Kinda alright, yeah granted.

1) Too much reverb (the other two albums had very little) is my overriding objection,

2) "Flashlight" would have made a better Television album from a song by song basis.

VU - True, but I got a 'boot' of the Camden Forum gig (the one we went to). Same difference I guess. Funny : Venus in Furs was used in an advert for Dunlop, and a single was issued (even charted lowly). Ad used Verve original. Single had the reunion version (WTF!). I noted, Lou tended to 'deliver interestingly' songs he'd done a million times, but on "Guess I'm falling in love" was more true to the original (presumably not bored with it...).

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 23 February 2004 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

All bands eventually reform. Barring death, it's inevitable, isn't it? If the likes of the Velvets and Dinosaur Jr. reformed despite years or decades of hating each other's guts as much as they did, then *anybody* can reform. Even the Smiths. Even Spacemen 3.

Whether one wants to see them reform or not is a separate issue.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

This probably shows up elsewhere, but this thread needs to include the fact that the Undertones reunion, without the lead singer, was (against all odds) utterly fantastic.

― dlp9001, Saturday, 16 April 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

Undertones reunion being great seconded.

Add to the list Fleetwood Mac's Say You Will, but mostly because it was Lindsey's show.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 16 April 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

when hell freezes over.

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Sunday, 17 April 2005 03:21 (twenty years ago)

How about when split bands with deceased singers reform with strange 'guest star' vocalists in their place. I'm thinking specifically of INXS...not once, but twice: Jon Stevens first, then Terence Trent D'arby...and of course, The Doors, with Ian Astbury.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 17 April 2005 04:29 (twenty years ago)

AC/DC !!!

And INXS (via reality show) will soon recruit their *third* replacement singer ... that must be some sort of record.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 17 April 2005 04:32 (twenty years ago)

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