Greg wrote:I didn't understand the Metallica reference. I actually don't even understand the article. If concertgoers feel "tricked" into attending concerts and later finding out that none of the original members or 1/3 of the original members is/are in the band, then well, I don't know what to tell them. If you go to the concerts, you have a good time, the songs bring you back to the time in your life when they were new and you were young, then what does it really matter if the original members aren't there?
To me, I look at these classic bands are brands. Professional sports teams have players who retire and new players come onto the team. You still root for your favorite team even though that hall of famer is no longer playing for your team, why should it be different for music? It's one thing if the new guys are trying to dress and look like the old guys, but if they are doing their very best to stay true to the classics in concert, and they have the ability to write new music that stays true to the signature sound but is worth buying, then what does it really matter? Chicago has no original guys from what I understand, yet I've listened to some live clips on YouTube, and they still sound great. I miss the original voices, but I also realize that times change and bands evolve.
Sure, I'd love for Steve Perry to come back to Journey, but I also like the idea of the band moving on with new guys and recreating new, timeless music if it's possible. Just like KISS at one time were supposedly picking their replacements. I'd love the idea of having KISS, Journey, Chicago, Foreigner, or Kansas putting out new music 30 years from now. Maybe it's new players all around, but it's a brand that was started 40+ years ago and has stood the test of time.
tj wrote:Greg wrote:I didn't understand the Metallica reference. I actually don't even understand the article. If concertgoers feel "tricked" into attending concerts and later finding out that none of the original members or 1/3 of the original members is/are in the band, then well, I don't know what to tell them. If you go to the concerts, you have a good time, the songs bring you back to the time in your life when they were new and you were young, then what does it really matter if the original members aren't there?
To me, I look at these classic bands are brands. Professional sports teams have players who retire and new players come onto the team. You still root for your favorite team even though that hall of famer is no longer playing for your team, why should it be different for music? It's one thing if the new guys are trying to dress and look like the old guys, but if they are doing their very best to stay true to the classics in concert, and they have the ability to write new music that stays true to the signature sound but is worth buying, then what does it really matter? Chicago has no original guys from what I understand, yet I've listened to some live clips on YouTube, and they still sound great. I miss the original voices, but I also realize that times change and bands evolve.
Sure, I'd love for Steve Perry to come back to Journey, but I also like the idea of the band moving on with new guys and recreating new, timeless music if it's possible. Just like KISS at one time were supposedly picking their replacements. I'd love the idea of having KISS, Journey, Chicago, Foreigner, or Kansas putting out new music 30 years from now. Maybe it's new players all around, but it's a brand that was started 40+ years ago and has stood the test of time.
In some of these bands making new music, it's like a TV show remake/spinoff. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. MASH was huge success, AfterMASH was horrible with many of the same actors. Hawaii Five 0 seems to have done OK as a remake, but isn't the original.
Chicago lists 4 of the original members as still with the band, but only 3 are playing on tour anymore. Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane and Jimmy Panknow are the only 3 still on the road. Walt Parazaider is still listed as a member bur from doesn't tour due to health reasons. He has been replaced by Ray Hermann. Loughnane and Pankow sometimes have other guys fill in for them as well. The music doesn't suffer a bit because of it.
WalrusOct9 wrote:I remember the Journey/Foreigner/Night Ranger tour a few years ago. Mick Jones missed some shows due to illness, so there literally were no actual members of Foreigner onstage who'd played on the original recording of any song in their setlist. And the audience didn't even notice. (Props to Kelly Hansen though, who did a great job, and connected with the audience more than Arnel did) I was never really a huge Foreigner fan, and even "real" Foreigner was down to one member at that point, but I was amazed they still played the gigs.
tj wrote:Chicago lists 4 of the original members as still with the band, but only 3 are playing on tour anymore. Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane and Jimmy Panknow are the only 3 still on the road. Walt Parazaider is still listed as a member bur from doesn't tour due to health reasons. He has been replaced by Ray Hermann. Loughnane and Pankow sometimes have other guys fill in for them as well. The music doesn't suffer a bit because of it.
tj wrote:Greg wrote:I didn't understand the Metallica reference. I actually don't even understand the article. If concertgoers feel "tricked" into attending concerts and later finding out that none of the original members or 1/3 of the original members is/are in the band, then well, I don't know what to tell them. If you go to the concerts, you have a good time, the songs bring you back to the time in your life when they were new and you were young, then what does it really matter if the original members aren't there?
To me, I look at these classic bands are brands. Professional sports teams have players who retire and new players come onto the team. You still root for your favorite team even though that hall of famer is no longer playing for your team, why should it be different for music? It's one thing if the new guys are trying to dress and look like the old guys, but if they are doing their very best to stay true to the classics in concert, and they have the ability to write new music that stays true to the signature sound but is worth buying, then what does it really matter? Chicago has no original guys from what I understand, yet I've listened to some live clips on YouTube, and they still sound great. I miss the original voices, but I also realize that times change and bands evolve.
Sure, I'd love for Steve Perry to come back to Journey, but I also like the idea of the band moving on with new guys and recreating new, timeless music if it's possible. Just like KISS at one time were supposedly picking their replacements. I'd love the idea of having KISS, Journey, Chicago, Foreigner, or Kansas putting out new music 30 years from now. Maybe it's new players all around, but it's a brand that was started 40+ years ago and has stood the test of time.
In some of these bands making new music, it's like a TV show remake/spinoff. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. MASH was huge success, AfterMASH was horrible with many of the same actors. Hawaii Five 0 seems to have done OK as a remake, but isn't the original.
Chicago lists 4 of the original members as still with the band, but only 3 are playing on tour anymore. Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane and Jimmy Panknow are the only 3 still on the road. Walt Parazaider is still listed as a member bur from doesn't tour due to health reasons. He has been replaced by Ray Hermann. Loughnane and Pankow sometimes have other guys fill in for them as well. The music doesn't suffer a bit because of it.
DracIsBack wrote:tj wrote:Chicago lists 4 of the original members as still with the band, but only 3 are playing on tour anymore. Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane and Jimmy Panknow are the only 3 still on the road. Walt Parazaider is still listed as a member bur from doesn't tour due to health reasons. He has been replaced by Ray Hermann. Loughnane and Pankow sometimes have other guys fill in for them as well. The music doesn't suffer a bit because of it.
That's debatable. The new lineup definitely has their fans, but there's definitely also a contingent that considers it a tired, unchanging oldies act. Especially when the vast overwhelming majority of songs on stage aren't sung by the people who sang them on record. It's not just one sub but many vocal subs. Cetera? Gone. Kath? Gone. Champlin? Gone. Scheff? Gone. Chicago's famous guitar player? Gone. Chicago's famous horn section? two of three still remain, but often only one shows up.
There's even been shows where Robert Lamm is the only guy on the stage.
WalrusOct9 wrote:I remember the Journey/Foreigner/Night Ranger tour a few years ago. Mick Jones missed some shows due to illness, so there literally were no actual members of Foreigner onstage who'd played on the original recording of any song in their setlist. And the audience didn't even notice. (Props to Kelly Hansen though, who did a great job, and connected with the audience more than Arnel did) I was never really a huge Foreigner fan, and even "real" Foreigner was down to one member at that point, but I was amazed they still played the gigs.
tj wrote:DracIsBack wrote:tj wrote:Chicago lists 4 of the original members as still with the band, but only 3 are playing on tour anymore. Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane and Jimmy Panknow are the only 3 still on the road. Walt Parazaider is still listed as a member bur from doesn't tour due to health reasons. He has been replaced by Ray Hermann. Loughnane and Pankow sometimes have other guys fill in for them as well. The music doesn't suffer a bit because of it.
That's debatable. The new lineup definitely has their fans, but there's definitely also a contingent that considers it a tired, unchanging oldies act. Especially when the vast overwhelming majority of songs on stage aren't sung by the people who sang them on record. It's not just one sub but many vocal subs. Cetera? Gone. Kath? Gone. Champlin? Gone. Scheff? Gone. Chicago's famous guitar player? Gone. Chicago's famous horn section? two of three still remain, but often only one shows up.
There's even been shows where Robert Lamm is the only guy on the stage.
I suppose that after 50 years of touring every single year, it would get old for a lot of people. I would see them again if I could.
Like most of the bands from that era, they put out a new album a couple of years ago and no one bought it, so touring gives the old guys who still want to play an chance to do it and pays the bills for the replacements.
I think only Cetera had a truly distinctive voice that hasn't been replicated. The Cetera/Scheff comparisons were still going on after Scheff had been in the band 25 years (Cetera was only with them for 17). I often thought that, particularly in the later years, Scheff trying to sound like Cetera on the Cetera songs was too forced. But Kath has been dead 40 years, Champlin's voice was going and Scheff's was as well (at least compared to their 80's level of singing). The guys on the road with them now still do a good job in my opinion.
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