music-news-from-breakups-to-the-lastest-buzz
Before game two of the 2009 World Series, which the Yankees won 3-1 to even it up at 2 games apiece, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performed Empire State Of Mind on the field.
Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Joba Chamberlain were nodding their heads to Jay and Alicia, who were nearly drowned out by the echo.
And yes, Jay did utter the line about how he made the Yankees hat more famous than the actual players.
So here’s a question for all you music geeks out there. If a member of a band dies while said band is still active, does the remainder of the band still have the right to use the band’s name? Most would argue that something like this should be argued on a case-by-case basis.
Take Alice in Chains, for instance. When Layne Staley passed away in 2002, many thought the band was done, after all, Staley was the lead singer. However, he was NOT the band’s chief songwriter. That duty fell to guitarist Jerry Cantrell. In this case, the band was successfully able to enlist a new lead singer and carry on the band name without fans being too bent out of shape. Hell, the band was practically given a hero’s welcome, as “Black Gives Way to Blue” blasted onto the charts in the Top Five.
On the other side of the coin, take a band like Queen. No one will deny that Brian May and Roger Taylor are incredibly talented musicians. No one will deny that Paul Rodgers is one hell of a singer. But for better or for worse, Queen WAS Freddie Mercury. He gave the band its’ image, and even though the songwriting was split up fairly evenly, Mercury was so larger-than-life that anyone who comes after him is going to be looked at as a scab.
This brings us to the band Sublime. The trio toiled along the ska/punk scene in California and released a couple of successful albums independently before sigining with MCA in 1995. Just as they were set to release their major label debut a year later, lead singer and songwriter Brad Nowell died from an overdose. The band effectively ended, but their careers were just beginning. Released months after Nowell’s death, “Sublime” went on to sell 6 million copies.
The remaining band members, Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, retired the band name, rounded up various musicians from the scene Sublime was a part of, and recorded and toured as the Long Beach Dub All-Stars. However, earlier this year, the two surviving members decided to tour with a new singer…as Sublime. Nowell’s survivors are none too pleased with this turn of events, and I don’t blame them.
All things are not created equal in this type of situation. You’ve got to look at not only the departing member’s musical importance to the band, but also look at how much the band’s identity was shaped around that person. For example, Keith Moon and John Entwistle died, and The Who was still the Who, right? Talented as they were, they weren’t really the public face of the band. If Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey was to leave, it would be a different story. I mean, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic are talented musicians, but can you imagine what would have happened if they tried to carry on Nirvana with a new lead singer?
My opinion might not count for much, but I think that Bud and Eric should respectfully retire the “Sublime” name for good. After all, Brad essentially WAS the band.
So, yeah. Michael Jackson’s the big news this week. However, there are a few other noteworthy albums making their way to storefronts (both physical and digital) this week. Here are a couple of highlights.
Jack Johnson “En Concert”-
I really dig Jack Johnson’s music. It’s soothing and relaxing. It’s like Bob Marley without the politics, you know? Perfect for imagining yourself chilling in a hammock on a white sandy beach. With that said, I’d imagine Jack Johnson in concert would be a total snooze. The way I see things, concerts should be lively and spirited. Jack is…well, he’s the opposite of lively and spirited-unless you’re really stoned. Which I imagine a lot of his fans are. Anyway, if you’re a hardcore Jack-phile, you can add to your collection with this live album.
Train “Save Me San Francisco”-
Nearly a decade removed from their Grammy winning smash “Drops of Jupiter”, the band Train is back with a new album. In between the release of their last album and this one, the band’s lead singer Pat Monahan released an album that went nowhere fast, so I guess it could be said that the return to the band is a way of going back to a sure thing. Their material’s always been scattershot to me, but Monahan does have a purty voice.
The Swell Season “Strict Joy”-
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are still relatively anonymous here in the States. The Irish singers had a small cult following on these shores until they collaborated on a little movie called “Once”. “Once” became an indie hit, the soundtrack sold 3/4 of a million copies, and their “Falling Slowly” wound up winning an Oscar for Best Original Song. Some time after the Oscar win, Hansard and Irglova, who were a couple in real life, split up. But the band remains, and “Strict Joy” is yet another album of passionately sung ballads in their signature pop/folk-y style.
Brian McKnight “Evolution of a Man”-
A decade or so ago, McKnight was a superstar, with hits like “Anytime” and “Back at One”. His star has cooled considerably since that time, and he’s also been the unfortunate victim of some label bouncing around. His 11th album boasts collaborations with Jill Scott and Stevie Wonder, and apparently also includes a commercial for his upcoming talk show. Hey, you gotta advertise anyway you can, right?
Rod Stewart “Soulbook”-
“Soulbook” is Rod Stewart’s FIFTH consecutive covers album. He made his big comeback with the three “Great American Songbook” albums, then had a hit with the rock classics of the Seventies, and now he’s attacking some of the biggest soul hits of all time. While I admit that it would be hilarious to hear Rod cover some contemporary R&B, he sticks to the classics on this release, covering well-worn hits like “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and “The Tracks of My Tears”…in other words, songs that have already been beaten down into the ground. I think Rod needs to lay off the schmaltz and make a non-covers album again. While I’m sure most of his fans would welcome a return to “Every Picture Tells a Story” form, I’ll even take “Love Touch” form over this crapola. Stevie Wonder’s on this one, too. What can I say? The man gets around…although it seems that lately he’s been trading his harmonica solos for barbecue.
There’s plenty more where that came from! Get your full list of this week’s releases here.
Grrr…the video for “Love Touch” isn’t available on youTube or Yahoo!…but that doesn’t stop me!! Watch the record spin!!