Richard Thompson leaving Fairport Convention after Full House. They were never as inventive or exciting again.
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 21:45 (one month ago) link
dave gilmour vs pink floyd ?
― mark e, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 21:55 (one month ago) link
Half of Tindersticks' original line-up left after their sixth album, including the violinist who had been key to their sound. They've kept going with a new line-up but they've never recaptured the glory of those first few albums. David Jackson played for a year with the reformed Van der Graaf Generator and then fell out with the rest of them. They've soldiered on as a trio but it's thin gruel without his sax presence.
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 21:56 (one month ago) link
dave gilmour vs pink floyd ?― mark e, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 2:55 PM (two minutes ago)
― mark e, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 2:55 PM (two minutes ago)
Syd!
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 21:58 (one month ago) link
yeah, but dave came in and changed everything surely. i.e. syd was the core of the orig groove ?
― mark e, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:01 (one month ago) link
The timing! Just about to post the below suggestion:
Pink Floyd had like 2 majorly impactful changes. Almost the poster boys for this thread
Syd leaving while Gilmour joinsWaters leaving
― octobeard, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:01 (one month ago) link
BTW here's a fun electronic music entry:
Andy Turner and Ed Handley leaving Black Dog for Plaid
― octobeard, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:04 (one month ago) link
It wasn't Dave coming in that changed everything as much as Roger taking control. xps
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:08 (one month ago) link
fair enough ..
― mark e, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:10 (one month ago) link
another suggestion : trevor horn vs yes ?
― mark e, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:11 (one month ago) link
Nils, Glenn and Jim were never all in Wilco at the same time though
― PaulTMA, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:17 (one month ago) link
Pulp three times:Simon Hinkler joining in 82Russell Senior joining in 83Steve Mackey joining in 88
― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:18 (one month ago) link
Bill Berry leaving R.E.M.
― Brad C., Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:22 (one month ago) link
Wonder how much Russell Senior led them down their path of the uneasy listening years, following the gentle poppiness of It
― PaulTMA, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:23 (one month ago) link
(Pulp of course)
― PaulTMA, Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:24 (one month ago) link
Nils, Glenn and Jim were never all in Wilco at the same time though― PaulTMA, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:17 PM
― PaulTMA, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 3:17 PM
Ah... that's my ignorance showing there. I searched to see if they ever toured together and stumbled upon this reddit post:
I had the opportunity to talk to Nels Cline a couple times at his shows. Suffice to say, he didn’t seem to be a huge fan of Jim O’Rourke. He said he was basically fired from Sky Blue Sky for wanting to make it sound like YHF and AGIB. “I don’t think Jim O’Rourke likes music anymore,” I remember Nels saying.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:25 (one month ago) link
Speaking of Yes, Trevor Rabin gave them the pop writing chops they never managed on previous attempts to commercialise the sound.
Speaking of Genesis, Phil Collins upped the rhythm game quite considerably.
Eric Bell being replaced by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson in Thin Lizzy - turned them from a bluesy rock band tring to play heavier into a twin guitar hard rock powerhouse that were soon filling arenas worldwide (plus doing shedloads of drugs).
― never invade Londonistan (Matt #2), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 22:35 (one month ago) link
Paul Thompson being fired from Roxy Music cut them off from the full range of styles they had mastered by that point.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 4 April 2024 01:05 (one month ago) link
I argue that was a lot more important than Eno leaving.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 4 April 2024 01:06 (one month ago) link
I agree. Losing Thompson is when they lost muscle and got slick. But they stayed weird for years post Eno.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 April 2024 01:29 (one month ago) link
i mean if we're talking wilco i'd say Jay Bennett (joining and leaving) had way more of an influence on them than Nels Cline
― Kate (rushomancy), Thursday, 4 April 2024 01:37 (one month ago) link
anyway, considering the revolving door of band members zappa had, ruth underwood leaving the mothers made a _big_ difference. (compare to ian underwood, whose departure from the mothers, after being one of zappa's major collaborators for years, made nary a blip!)
― Kate (rushomancy), Thursday, 4 April 2024 01:48 (one month ago) link
OTM re Bennett
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 April 2024 01:53 (one month ago) link
How about Jerry Harrison joining Talking Heads
― that's not my post, Thursday, 4 April 2024 02:32 (one month ago) link
that guy that left Yuck after the good albumthat guy that left Midlake
― alpine static, Thursday, 4 April 2024 02:58 (one month ago) link
(many would argue the album WITH Milo is when they became All, esp since the album was named All. All.)
― CEO Greedwagon (Neanderthal),
Milo was on the Mojack podcast and said that he has subbed in for sick or otherwise unavailable ALL vocalists for a few concerts. He said that All is his favorite band and that he knows the words to all of their songs.
― Mike Dixn, Thursday, 4 April 2024 03:49 (one month ago) link
I've probably told this story on here a zillion times but Milo was my OChem TA at college (which was the same college that Milo left to) and when ALL would come to town from about 2 hours away from where they were based they would perform a half set as ALL and then Milo would jump on stage and finish off the show as The Descendents while Scott would be in the crowd screaming along.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 4 April 2024 04:13 (one month ago) link
That sounds like a mega fun evening of music to be at
― CEO Greedwagon (Neanderthal), Thursday, 4 April 2024 04:44 (one month ago) link
John McGeoch with Siouxsie & The Banshees is such an obvious answer here, that I forgot that Budgie (who's just as important here) joined around the same time.
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 4 April 2024 05:57 (one month ago) link
What about Jim O'Rourke joining Sonic Youth? I don't know enough about the band to say what difference he made, if any.
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Thursday, 4 April 2024 06:07 (one month ago) link
A more gradual change, but Warren Ellis joined the Bad Seeds eventually led to him becoming Nick Cave's right hand man and the departures of Blixa Bargeld and Mick Harvey & the music becoming more dominated by Ellis' role.
Another one: while nice enough, the last two Jethro Tull albums do seem to be missing something and that something must be Martin Barre.
― Valentijn, Thursday, 4 April 2024 06:59 (one month ago) link
Bruce Gilbert leaving Wire. Maybe personal but I've never been interested in anything they've done since.
― The Prime of the Ancient Minister (Tom D.), Thursday, 4 April 2024 07:10 (one month ago) link
PaulTMA at 11:23 3 Apr 24Wonder how much Russell Senior led them down their path of the uneasy listening years, following the gentle poppiness of It
― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 4 April 2024 07:20 (one month ago) link
this thread had a good opening post
― bae (sic), Thursday, 4 April 2024 07:43 (one month ago) link
3) Dave Lombardo quits Slayer — the band carries on, but the music is just not as good (heavier, stiffer) without him
Divine Intervention (with Paul Bostaph) isn't any different/stiffer than the previous albums though, their decline started an album later.
― Siegbran, Thursday, 4 April 2024 07:43 (one month ago) link
There are tons of examples of the front man leaving and the band turning to shit, the inverse is much rarer: an already established band changes a key member, and the new guy isn't just there doing a job happy to be there (Jason Newsted-style), but actually takes over and leads the band to become better. Bruce Dickinson in Maiden comes to mind here.
― Siegbran, Thursday, 4 April 2024 07:49 (one month ago) link
re: nels cline - the first wilco album cline played on was sky blue sky, he was brought on to tour a ghost is born. he certainly changed their live show for the better but he's rarely gotten to demonstrate what he's really capable of on record with wilco
― ufo, Thursday, 4 April 2024 08:13 (one month ago) link
i think kotche joining wilco and bennett both joining & being fired from wilco had more dramatic impacts
― ufo, Thursday, 4 April 2024 08:14 (one month ago) link
David Conway leaving My Bloody Valentine
― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 4 April 2024 08:16 (one month ago) link
Steve Perry joins Journey and they become the band they wanted to be
Albert Bouchard quits Blue Öyster Cult and they cease being a worthwhile band within an album or two
― never invade Londonistan (Matt #2), Thursday, 4 April 2024 12:18 (one month ago) link
Gillian Gilbert joining Joy Division/New Order
― Critique of the Goth Programme (Neil S), Thursday, 4 April 2024 12:23 (one month ago) link
James McNew joins Yo La Tengo.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 April 2024 12:36 (one month ago) link
It's difficult for me to separate in my mind what seems like a foregone conclusion, when someone joins or leaves and a band heads toward some now inevitable evolution. But two which come to mind:
Alan Myers joining Devo in 1976Jason Loewenstein joining Sebadoh in 1989
― city worker, Thursday, 4 April 2024 12:59 (one month ago) link
Jah Wobble and Keith Levene leaving PiL.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 April 2024 13:10 (one month ago) link
Ozzy leaving Sabbath
― Critique of the Goth Programme (Neil S), Thursday, 4 April 2024 13:23 (one month ago) link
Alan Myers joining DEVO is a good one I think. I also think that D.H. Peligro joining the Dead Kennedys was a pretty important change for them.
Ernie Isley joining the Isley Brothers made a _huge_ difference for them.
Larry Graham leaving Sly and the Family Stone... I'm not sure it made _quite_ as much of a difference as people sometimes say, but it certainly was _very_ significant.
I also think Hugh Hopper replacing Kevin Ayers in the Soft Machine made a really big difference. Karl Jenkins joining the Soft Machine too, but in a less positive sense.
Lindsay Cooper replacing Geoff Leigh in Henry Cow. I think that changed them a huge amount.
With jazz it's hard because it seems like nearly every bandmember change is an important one.
― Kate (rushomancy), Thursday, 4 April 2024 13:27 (one month ago) link
Also Daevid Allen leaving Soft Machine just before the first LP. But strangely not Robert Wyatt leaving, he'd already been marginalised by that point.
― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 4 April 2024 13:32 (one month ago) link
As nice as Trespass is, I think it's highly likely they would have died a death had Genesis not found Phil Collins. There waS rumour that Roger Taylor tried out for them but it appears to have been debunked
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 4 April 2024 13:35 (one month ago) link
Topper Headon in The Clash
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 4 April 2024 13:36 (one month ago) link
Guess the inverse of this is when 3/4 members are replaced but the band still sounds the same
― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 4 April 2024 13:36 (one month ago) link
Steve Shelley joining Sonic Youth, for sure.
Yeah, when I revisited their first decade of work recently, I really wondered what they might have become if Richard Edson had stuck around on drums. They could have been like Konk with clanging guitars! But really, Shelley was the drummer they needed (and he seems to be a primary force behind their wave of archival releases).
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Thursday, 4 April 2024 16:55 (one month ago) link
I think this is kinda true for The Stranglers where the only original band member left now is the bass player, but their work and performances remain strong & consistent with their sound and overall variety. They found an amazing frontman with Baz. Of course, this is discounting the Paul Robert years (which certainly had its moments as well but also a couple of their weakest albums, can't help but see Paul standing in the shadows of Hugh and Baz).
― Valentijn, Friday, 5 April 2024 08:53 (one month ago) link
Cake were like that too, I think the entire lineup minus the singer and trumpet player turned over after their 2nd album. They didn’t exactly sound any different
― frogbs, Friday, 5 April 2024 13:30 (one month ago) link
And of course The Fall, who regularly turned over the lineup but for Mark E Smith and yer gran on bongos, but always sounded the same.
― henry s, Friday, 5 April 2024 13:39 (one month ago) link
Well they didn't really tbh
― Hunky Tory (Tom D.), Friday, 5 April 2024 13:41 (one month ago) link
Dunno if that’s the band members themselves as much as it is MES finding people willing to do what he wanted, iirc most ex band members say he wasn’t really a fan of their creative liberties
― frogbs, Friday, 5 April 2024 13:45 (one month ago) link
ah, you're right. Paganotti also has a credit on "Weidorje" on Udu Wudu.― frogbs
― frogbs
oh yeah, i forget that's technically a magma song. it's more of a stealth pilot, like that time mork and mindy appeared on, uh... was it laverne and shirley?
― Kate (rushomancy), Friday, 5 April 2024 13:47 (one month ago) link
Happy Days
― henry s, Friday, 5 April 2024 13:51 (one month ago) link