John, Paul, George and Ringo…Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham… Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Collectively they are obviously known as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Who. There is a reverence to the line-up, and a general consensus that if one person were missing, the band would no longer exist. Would it be the same with John, Paul, George and Fluffy? Or maybe if we replaced Robert Plant with Paul Rogers of Bad Company [as Queen did…]? It just wouldn’t be the same in the eyes of the fans. Now to be factually correct after the death of Keith Moon The Who did replace him with Kenny Jones of the Faces…but the hard core audience said it was never the same…
But change in music is constant. And sadly there are very few bands that can claim only one specific line-up throughout their careers. This doesn’t make it bad or good, it’s just the way it has always been. Rush is known as the power trio of Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson. But Peart was actually a replacement for drummer John Rutsey, who left after recording the first album. Now no one will argue that having Peart in the band didn’t increase the quality of the songwriting or performing, but he wasn’t the first one there. Now this is one instance in my opinion that without one of them Rush doesn’t exist…but 18 out of 19 studio albums and 7 live albums will do that… Styx’s “Classic” line-up is Dennis DeYoung on keyboards, James “JY” Young on guitar, Tommy Shaw on guitar, John Panozzo on drums, and his twin brother Chuck Panozzo on bass. But they created 5 albums with John Curelewski [R.I.P] on guitar before they found Tommy Shaw. They then went on to produce a record 4 platinum albums in a row. A feat at the time that was unprecedented. So change can be good. We’ve seen change bring out the best in some bands and eventually lead to their demise because the fans didn’t catch on.
The reason for today’s rant is that there are a few new albums out and/or coming out by bands that have been around for a while, and they’ve been through so many line-up changes that it makes you wonder how they keep it consistent, but they do, and the results are a lot better than expected. The biggest challenge for a band is not always replacing the guitarist, or the bassist or the drummer. It’s the singer that’s hard to find to keep the momentum going…
I’ll throw out some names for you and you can figure out which band they belong to…. Arnel Pineda, Kelly Hansen, Benoit David, Brian Howe, Robin McAuley, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Blaze Bayley, and Ray Wilson.
These men will have either made or broke the band, and each had levels of success, but they are the voice you hear. Back when David Lee Roth left Van Halen some fans thought it was the end of the world. But Sammy Hagar stepped in and [for better or worse, depending on your opinion…] revitalized the band and gave it a new direction. And they did well with him there. When Gary Cherone [of Extreme] stepped in after Hagar left it was a disaster in both the fans and the critics eyes. I personally liked Van Halen III with Gary on vocals, but I’m the minority here. And what’s not widely known is that Eddie Van Halen approached Patty Smythe of Scandal to join VH before Hagar, so it would have been completely different. [And if you haven’t heard Hagar’s project with Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith called “Chickenfoot”…you NEED to pick this one up…!]
So how did you do on the pop quiz…here are the answers…
Singer: Arnel Pineda - Replacement of: Steve Perry [By way of Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto] - Band: Journey
Arnel is the current singer on the new Journey release “Eclipse”. He also sang on the album Revelation. His biggest challenge is that the fans want Steve Perry back, but that’s not an option [due to physical challenges and the ultimate bad blood that came with it…] Now for the record he does an excellent job on the old songs and the new songs really stand out. Since Perry was their 3rd singer [After Robert Fleishman and Gregg Rolie, whom he shared vocals with early on] you would think that the fans would be more accepting, but some are just stuck on the idea that he needs to sing “Don’t Stop Believin’ “ perfectly. [Here’s another touch of reality…Perry can’t do it perfectly either…] Steve Augeri replaced Steve Perry, and Jeff Scott Soto replaced Steve Augeri before Pineda joined the band…
Singer: Kelly Hansen – Replacement of: Lou Gramm [by way of Johnny Edwards] - Band: Foreigner
Kelly started out as the singer for the heavy metal band Hurricane. He went on to do several different projects and also appeared on Unruly Child’s third record “Waiting For The Sun”. He was chosen to take over lead vocals in Foreigner in 2005 and has been with them since. He made his studio recording debut on the 2008 compilation “No End In Sight – The Very Best Of Foreigner with a new track “Too Late, and an excellent acoustic reworking of “Say You Will”. His only full album so far is the 2009 release “Can’t Slow Down”. He also appears on the two “Extended Versions” live CD’s. [The first was from 2006] Kelly has a great voice, and the old songs are stronger than when Lou Gramm was in the band the last time [He left the band in 1989 and was replaced by Johnny Edwards for the album “Unusual Heat”, Gramm then returned in 1992 until 2003]. “Can’t Slow Down” is a solid record, and the band they have now is just as talented as the original gang. They are great live. It’s classic rock, but it works…
Singer: Benoit David – Replacement of: Jon Anderson [By way of Trevor Horn] - Band: Yes
To be fair, Yes had had a revolving door on their members since their third album “The Yes Album” in 1971, when Steve Howe took over for Peter Banks on guitar. However, with the exception of 2 Yes albums, Jon Anderson has been the voice of Yes. The first record that Anderson was not a part of was the 1980 release Drama, which was released to mixed reviews since Rick Wakeman had been replaced by Geoff Downes and Jon Anderson was replaced by Trevor Horn. Horn and Downes were the duo The Buggles [with their hit “Video Killed The Radio Star”…] The album itself is in my opinion a very strong release, but due to Horn not being able to sing as high as Anderson on the tour, Yes once again fell apart until the 1983 album “90125” [And that lineup was different too!...] Now…back to Benoit David. When Jon Anderson was hospitalized for acute respiratory failure, he was instructed to not work for at least 6 months. The band decided to continue and found David in a Yes tribute band called “Close To The Edge”. Ironically Arnel Pineda of Journey was chosen by Neal Schon because of his work with the Journey tribute band The Zoo. In 2009, David was made an official replacement for Anderson, much to Anderson’s chagrin. Keyboardist Oliver Wakeman had been filling in for his dad, Rick, and was also made a permanent member. Now the second record with a new singer “Fly From Here” featuring Benoit David will be released on July 12, 2011. As to how he sounds…YouTube videos of the band touring show him doing an excellent job filling Anderson’s shoes. So we’ll see. Incidentally, keyboardist Geoff Downes [who left Yes to form Asia] is back with Yes, and is the keyboardist for the new record. And so another chapter begins, and the lengthy list of Yes members, present and former, continues to grow…
Singer: Brian Howe – Replacement of: Paul Rogers [by way of Robert Hart…and Paul Rogers] - Band: Bad Company
The original Bad Company broke up in 1982 after the release of “Rough Diamonds”. After a few years on hiatus, guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke set out to start a new project. Due to record label demands they were forced to use the name Bad Company, as the label wanted instant recognition for the band. With Paul Rogers working with Jimmy Page in The Firm, they found ex-Ted Nugent singer Brian Howe to fill his shoes. Howe had more of a straight ahead rock voice, versus Rogers’ bluesy voice. They managed to create 4 studio albums with Howe, although after the second one, “Dangerous Age” the band traveled separately from Howe, the tensions between them began to grow. Since Howe couldn’t secure a solo deal, he stayed with Bad Co. for the remaining 2 records. With Howe in the band, they secured 2 Gold [“Dangerous Age” and “Here Comes Trouble”] and one Platinum album [“Holy Water”], and charted a handful of singles [No Smoke Without A Fire, One Night, If You Needed Somebody, How About That…] Howe did eventually go solo and was replaced by ex-Distance vocalist Robert Hart. The band would then see Paul Rogers return to the fold in 2008 to tour. They have a new release “Live At Wembly” out on June 28th, with original members Paul Rogers, Mick Ralphs, and Simon Kirke. [original bassist Boz Burrell passed away in 2006.] Howard Leese from Heart joins the lineup and Lynn Sorenson covers the bass guitar.
Singer: Robin McAuley – Replacement of: Jimi Jamison [who replaced Dave Bickler] - Band: Survivor
After the massive success of “Eye Of The Tiger” and it’s lesser selling follow-up “Caught In The Game, compounded by continued vocal problems for original vocalist Dave Bickler, the band replaced Bickler for the next record, “Vital Signs” with former Cobra vocalist Jimi Jamison. This started a three record success story for the band with it’s follow up “When Seconds Count” and “Too Hot To Sleep”. After going on hiatus, they reformed in 1993 to record two new songs for a greatest hits record, but Jamison jumped ship to tour, and he was replaced by original vocalist Dave Bickler for the greatest hits package. Bickler was fired in 2000, and they reformed again in with Jamison and put out a new record in 2006 called “Reach”. [with six of the songs sung by Bickler] Jamison then jumped ship again, this time being replaced by Robin McAuley. McAuley is no stranger to replacing vocalists, as he replaced original Grand Prix vocalist Bernie Shaw for their second record. Shaw went on to Uriah Heep, and McAuley created three albums with Michael Schenker under the moniker McAuley Schenker Group. McAuley then put out a solo record, “Business As Usual” and then became the replacement singer for Survivor, and is technically their third vocalist. As of now no recordings with McAuley have been released, but he continues to tour in the capacity of vocalist. Got it?...
Singer: Tim “Ripper” Owens – Replacement of: Rob Halford [who replaced Al Atkins] - Band: Judas Priest
It’s the stuff films are made of [and one was made about this one…it’s called Rock Star starring Mark Wahlberg, and is VERY loosely based on this story…] Lead singer of one of the most successful heavy metal bands in the world, Halford left the band officially in 1992, and in 1996 was replaced by Judas Priest tribute band singer Tim “Ripper” Owens. Owens’ band was called British Steel. He put out two studio and two live recordings with Priest, but couldn’t capture the magic of Halford. Jugulator, the first record sold well, but it’s follow up did not. Faced with the demand for a reunion, Judas Priest reunited with Halford for the “Metalology” box set in 2003 and put out a new record in 2005 called “Angel Of Retribution”. They continue to tour and record with Halford, who took over vocal duties for the band originally in 1973, replacing original vocalist Al Atkins, before anything was recorded. Owens went on to join Iced Earth, and worked with Yngwie Malmsteen. Incidentally, Judas Priest has since distanced itself from the movie “Rock Star” citing too many differences in the actual storyline…but that’s Hollywood…
Singer: Blaze Bayley – Replacement of: Bruce Dickenson [who replaced Paul Di’Anno] – Band: Iron Maiden
Auditioning in September, 1981, from the band Samson, was Bruce Dickinson, who would replace Paul Di’Anno for the “Number Of The Beast” album. Di’Anno recorded “Iron Maiden” and “Killers” with the band, and the band fired him citing destructive behavior, which Di’Anno denied. He was released from the band in 1981. Dickenson went on to front Iron Maiden and the band broke world wide as one of the most successful heavy metal bands in the world. Dickinson stayed with the band until 1993, and then left to perform solo. After an exhaustive search, the band recruited Blaze Bailey, of the band Wolfsbane. Bailey had a completely different vocal style than Dickenson, and his reception from the fans was lukewarm at best. After the second record “Virtual XI”, the first Iron Maiden record to not sell 1 million copies worldwide, the band and Blaze parted company by mutual consent. Dickinson would then rejoin Iron Maiden for the record “Brave New World” and most recently received a Grammy for Best Heavy Metal Performance for their song “El Dorado” off their 15th release “The Final Frontier”. So, sometimes it’s best to dance with the one that brought you…
Singer: Ray Wilson – Replacement of: Phil Collins [who replaced Peter Gabriel] – Band: Genesis
If anyone was behind the 8-ball to start it was Ray Wilson, of the band Stiltskin, who was hired to replace Phil Collins for Genesis’ 1997 release “Calling All Stations”. With Collins wanting to work on other projects and other types of music, remaining members [they also had personnel shifts over the years…] Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks elected to carry on with a new singer. After auditioning several vocalists [Including Paul Carrack of Rutherford’s Mike + The Mechanics, Francis Dunnery of It Bites, and Fish from Marillion], the band decided on Ray Wilson. An audition was offered to Kevin Gilbert of the band Toy Matinee, but sadly, Gilbert passed away in 1996. Due to poor sales in America of “Calling All Stations” [which is a good record, if you really listen to it…], the European tour was truncated and the American tour was cancelled. Wilson was then dismissed. Rutherford and Banks then went on hiatus. Wilson regretted his position with the band, citing his working class roots not mixing with the upper class wealth of Rutherford and Banks, and Collins was not happy with them continuing without him. Collins would then reunite with Genesis for the release of their box set, and a 1999 re-recording of the song “The Carpet Crawlers” for their “Turn It On Again: The Hits” compilation. He would continue working with Genesis and toured in 2007, producing the live record “Live Over Europe”.
Some made it…some broke it…some couldn’t fix what was broken. Either way it’s sometimes strange to hear a band play a song differently than you remember it. There are two schools of thought for a replacement singer. Either find a clone to hit all the notes and keep with the success of the band, or hire a completely different singer with a different style and re-invent the band. Marillion was successful with the latter after replacing Fish after 4 records, with Steve Hogarth, who brought new life to the band and still continues with them since 1989. It’s different, but equally good, and in some cases better…but the fans will still argue over that…
As I said, with so many changes in members, it has become rare that a definitive line-up is the only one people accept. But at least we didn’t end up with John, Paul, George, and Fluffy…
New Stuff…
Journey – Eclipse – The second album with Arnel Pineda on vocals following the platinum selling Revelation. This is a real rock record, with guitarist Neal Schon up in the mix, and the production by Kevin Shirley is tight as ever. This record allows Pineda to stretch out more. He’s not just trying sound like Perry as he did on Revelation, and his diction has improved [my wife can’t stand to hear him sing…his accent, albeit slight, is too distracting for her…]. If you’re looking for “Don’t Stop Believin’ II” on this record, you won’t find it. But what you will find is and excellently written and performed rock album from one of the most successful bands in the world. The songwriting is solid and the whole album is very cohesive, so you’re not listening to it wondering when the next single is coming on. It’s worth checking out.
Black Country Communion – Black Country Communion 2 – The sophomore album from this rock supergroup features vocals from Glenn Hughes [Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath], guitar from blues great Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham [Bonham, Foreigner, Virginia Wolf, Airrace, Led Zeppelin] and keyboards from Derek Sherinian [Dream Theater, Alice Cooper, Playtypus] The first record is a solid piece of blues/ hard rock. The follow-up is much more a hard rock album, and allows the band to stretch out a little bit and give each other a chance to really shine. The record itself is more cohesive, as if the band is finally comfortable in their own shoes. Produced by Kevin Shirley, this is one of the best rock releases of this year so far.
New [Old] live stuff for you to sink your teeth into…
Def Leppard – Mirror Ball – Taken from the “Sparkle Lounge” Tour this record covers all the bases and is basically a “Greatest Hits Live” with 3 new tracks. The first new track “Undefeated” went to #1 on the Rock charts. And it’s a steal at Wal-Mart for $11.88 for a 3 disc set [Disc 3 is videos and live performances]. What’s missing [and what really bothers me] is Wasted from “On Through The Night”, Slang or Work It Out from “Slang”, Promises or Paper Sun from “Euphoria” and Now or Long, Long Way To Go, from “X”. I know they want to give their fans something live after all these years, but they basically cut out 10 years of recording [lest we forget, Def Lep records every 2-3 years on average…] a good live record, and you would expect nothing less from this band.
Whitesnake – Live At Donington 1990 – Taken from their 1990 performance at the Castle Donington at the Monsters Of Rock [now Download] Festival. The line-up for this record is David Coverdale on vocals, Adrian Vandenberg on guitars, Steve Vai on guitars, Rudy Sarzo on bass and Tommy Aldridge on drums. This same band [minus Vandenberg due to a medical condition in his hand] also recorded the album “Slip Of The Tongue”. It’s a great slice of live hard rock with Coverdale singing at his best and leaving room for the guitar solos of Vai and Vandenberg. The band is tight and the songs really kick. And it’s a fun listen for those that were around when this band really started their meteoric rise to commercial success. The song list is predominantly from the last three records, “Slide It In”, “Whitesnake” and “Slip Of The Tongue”. This will not disappoint even the casual fan.
Foreigner – Extended Versions II – Yes, there already was an Extended Versions release for Foreigner back in 2006, so why put out another one…the answer was simple…to capitalize on new material. What happened was that Foreigner, with new singer Kelly Hansen [and in fact a whole new band with the exception of founding member Mick Jones], put out a new record in 2009 called “Can’t Slow Down”. They then toured all over Europe and America in support of the record. The label in Europe recorded and released a double live disc from their show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. This was only available as an import. Sony, the bands label, took a portion of this recording and released a single disc of live material and in their infinite wisdom and show of major marketing savvy, released it with the bland title of…Exteneded Versions II. [Sony has put out Extended Versions for over 50 artists now. It’s basically a cost effective way to put out a live album of mixed material] . The songs are tight live and the new line-up [w/Jeff Pilson from Dokken on bass, Thom Gimbel from Jon Butcher on sax/guitars, and Brian Tichy from Pride And Glory [and now Whitesnake] on drums] does a great job on these classic songs. There are two tracks from the new album but the rest is classic Foreigner. [and…it’s only $5 at your local Wal-Mart…]
Coming Soon…[to a medium near you…]
Yes – Fly From Here – Benoit David’s debut as Yes’ new singer, combined with the Drama lineup of Steve Howe on guitars, Chris Squire on bass, Geoff Downes on keys, and Alan White on drums. I have heard the first single, “Fly From Here” [which in itself is a old song that Yes played in concert on the Drama tour, written by Downes and Trevor Horn, and ending up on the re-release of the Buggles “Adventures In Modern Recording”… got all that?] And from what I have heard it’s going to be a solid album with David sounding more like Trevor Horn than Jon Anderson. I am a huge fan of the Drama album and line-up so I am looking very forward to this release. Out in North America on July 12…
Queensryche – Dedicated To Chaos – Out June 28th… - Queensryche returns with a follow up to 2009’s “American Soldier”. I’ve heard the first single “Get Started” and it’s pretty straight forward rock, and a lot less progressive than some of their other material. Reviews I’ve read so far are mixed, but they’ve always put out consistently solid records so I’m going to wait to dive into the whole record before deciding on it. While Kelly Gray and Damon Johnson [Brother Cane/Slave To The System] played guitars on “American Soldier”, new guitarist for this release is Parker Lundgren, from the Seattle band Sledgeback, and Geoff Tate solo. Lundgren is also singer Geoff Tate’s son-in-law…
David Cook – This Loud Morning – Out June 28th. This highly anticipated sophomore album from Season 7 American Idol winner David Cook will have a lot of expectations attached to it. Cook’s first record was a solid piece of rock and roll, and I anticipate this release to continue trending that way. The first single, “The Last Goodbye” is catchy and has a really solid hook. I enjoyed the first record. I hope this one fares just as well. Cook also recorded a version of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” for American Idol, which unfortunately does not appear on this record, looks like I’ll get stuck buying the single…
…And I’m still waiting on the release date of Rush’s “Clockwork Angels…but…there is new Dream Theater, with new drummer Mike Mangini, out on September 13th…
Thanks for coming along for the ride…
J.
