StoneCold wrote:I'll put myself in Neal's shoes. Am I going to let 1 guy dictate whether I can earn maximum bucks playing my guitar or should I just start playing the local bar circuit. Uh, let's see. That's an easy one.
While I agree with you that Neal should be able to do whatever he wants to musically, think about this analogy: When Sting left The Police, should Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers have sought out a Sting-soundalike and continued touring as The Police? Instead of "playing the local bar circuit", they both found other ways to continue their musical careers:
Wikipedia wrote:Andy Summers' musical credits include film scores, most famously Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Weekend at Bernie's. He also dabbled in late night television as the band leader and composer for actor/comic Dennis Miller's brief-lived first talk show. Summers guest-starred in an episode of TV's The Hitchhiker and had a bit part in the comedy Another You, starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Summers also was briefly a member in 1987 of the group Rush Hour, which became Animal Logic with ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland.
Summers has released numerous recordings as a leader or in collaboration with other musicians, including John Etheridge, Vinnie Colaiuta, Robert Fripp, Herbie Hancock, Brian Auger, Eliane Elias, Tony Levin, Ginger Baker, Deborah Harry, Q-Tip, and Sting, among others. Summers also taped a two-part guitar instructional video for Hot Licks.
Wikipedia wrote:After The Police stopped touring in 1984, Stewart Copeland established a career composing soundtracks for movies (Talk Radio, Wall Street, 'Riff Raff, 'Raining Stones, Surviving the Game, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Highlander II: The Quickening, The Leopard Son, She's Having a Baby, Taking Care of Business, West Beirut, I am David), television (The Equalizer, Dead Like Me, Star Wars: Droids, the original pilot for Babylon 5, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee), and video games (Spyro the Dragon and The Agents), along with operas (Holy Blood and Crescent Moon, commissioned by Cleveland Opera,) and ballets.
In 1985, Copeland released a solo album, The Rhythmatist. Featuring drums and percussion, the record was the result of a pilgrimage to Africa. In 1988 he followed up with The Equalizer & Other Cliff Hangers, an album collecting some of his soundtrack efforts.
In 1989, Copeland formed Animal Logic with jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and singer songwriter Deborah Holland. The trio had success with their first album and world tour but the followup recording sold poorly, and the band did not continue.
Copeland has occasionally played drums for other artists including Peter Gabriel. In 2000, he joined with Les Claypool of Primus (with whom he produced a track on the Primus album Antipop) and Trey Anastasio of Phish to create the band Oysterhead. In 2002, Copeland was hired by Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors to play on a new album and tour, but after an injury sidelined Copeland, the arrangement ended in mutual lawsuits. In 2005, Copeland started Gizmo, a new project with avant-garde guitarist David Fiuczynski. The band made their U.S debut on September 16, 2006 at the Modern Drummer Drum Festival.
In January 2006, Copeland premiered his film about the Police called Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out at the Sundance Film Festival. In February and March, he appeared as one of the judges on the BBC television show 'Just the Two of Us' (A role he later reprised for a second series in January 2007).
At the 2007 Grammy Awards, Copeland, Andy Summers and Sting performed the song "Roxanne" together again as The Police. This marked the band's first public performance since 1986 (they had previously reunited only for an improvised set at Sting's wedding party in 1992 and for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003). One day later, the band announced that in celebration of The Police's 30th anniversary, they would be embarking on worldwide The Police Reunion Tour on May 23, 2007.
In March 2008, Copeland will premier a new composition at "An Evening with Stewart Copeland", at the Savannah Music Festival. The appearance will also feature a screening of his documentary and special guest artists.
Instead of fracturing the band name "The Police" after Sting left the band, the three members were able to get together and do a reunion tour in 2007-2008 that has grossed over $212 million and climbing. By doing this they kept their legacy intact, and it paid off in the long run.
It's obviously too late for Journey to go this route now.
