Breaking up the classic lineup

[take5_d_shorterer]

Firstly, Bob was still in the band when "Regular" was recorded; he didn't play on that song (nor very much on the rest of the album, apparently), but he obviously didn't veto it.

Secondly, Bob had his soft side. I once watched him onstage as Paul sang "If Only You Were Lonely" solo, and it was nakedly plain that Bob utterly adored the song and was proud to be in a band with the guy who wrote and sang it. So I'm not so sure he would have resisted "Skyway" (even if Westerberg was afraid Tommy and Chris might).

I also heard that, while he is formally listed on the album, he was hardly there for Tim if at all. I would be surprised if he had any veto power at all to say what to record.

Just to be clear on this, the thing that sounds different about "Skyway" isn't that it's acoustic. It's its sentimentality. I don't think this would have gotten through in an earlier edition of the band. There are deliberate things that Westerberg is doing vocally to push certain buttons, things that were kept in check on Let It Be.

[Charlie O.]

Just to be clear on this, the thing that sounds different about "Skyway" isn't that it's acoustic. It's its sentimentality. I don't think this would have gotten through in an earlier edition of the band. There are deliberate things that Westerberg is doing vocally to push certain buttons, things that were kept in check on Let It Be.

Yeah, good point. It's certainly a part of why I don't like the post-Bob albums as much. To what extent it had been Bob and the others or Paul himself holding his maudlin tendencies in check is something we may never really know.

[Charlie O.]

Another: Ritchie Blackmore pushing Ian Gillan and Roger Glover out of Deep Purple (and Jon Lord and Ian Paice allowing him to). Gillan was surely the best singer for that band, and Glover was responsible for a lot of their most memorable riffs (I think he was the main lyricist, too). And the silliest thing is, I don't think Blackmore was any happier with their replacements (the fans certainly weren't). The others should have just replaced him.

[trans-chigley express]

Alice Cooper, after Vincent decided the name was him and him alone.

They bowed out with a stinker though

Hard to argue against that as a whole; i've always enjoyed the singles though.

The band was really at a crossroads by this time, i guess - 6 albums i think within the space of 3-4 years, as well as the grind of touring, Ezrin leaving as producer and struggles over what they should sound like and what was coming up next. The typical rock and roll story. As Bent says, we can often naively think that i could have gone on forever, when of course life has any fucking number of obstacles to through in the way of this happening. Some things just die. In fact, everything does, eventually. Some just sooner than later.

Not only was the classic line up's final album poor but his first album after splitting was a bit of a gem so providing some justification for breaking them up.

[fange]

Not only was the classic line up's final album poor but his first album after splitting was a bit of a gem so providing some justification for breaking them up.

How do you measure the notion of the "justified break up" has always been a slippery one for me, but in this case i'd say the same thing. Welcome To My Nightmare and even Goes To Hell have some strong songs on them, and while it was a case of diminishing returns in general, it was still better than the Bruce, Dunaway & Smith Billion Dollar Babies stuff.

[NMB]

Another: Ritchie Blackmore pushing Ian Gillan and Roger Glover out of Deep Purple (and Jon Lord and Ian Paice allowing him to). Gillan was surely the best singer for that band, and Glover was responsible for a lot of their most memorable riffs (I think he was the main lyricist, too). And the silliest thing is, I don't think Blackmore was any happier with their replacements (the fans certainly weren't). The others should have just replaced him.

I'm not sure I agree with that one, Burn is a much better album than Who Do You Think We Are, and maybe Stormbringer too, so those changes may have been justified. In fact I'd use Deep Purple as an example where the line up changes have almost always reinvigorated the band when it was getting stale.

[Charlie O.]

Burn is a much better album than Who Do You Think We Are, and maybe Stormbringer too

They really aren't (especially not Stormbringer).

[The Slider]

Oh no, I agree with NMB on that one.
I really like those first two Coverdale albums.
And let's face it Mark 2's studio records had a 50% hit rate.

[Diamond Dog]

I like Burn but dislike Stormbringer.

But I also have no time for WDWTWA and even Fireball was iffy.

However, as good as Burn is, it doesn't really challenge In Rock and pales into insignificance besides Machine Head. And Made In Japan too.

[The Slider]

MIJ
Machine Head
Burn
In Rock
Fireball /Stormbringer (tied)
WDWTWA
Shades
Book
S/T
Concerto
Come Taste the Band
Made in Europe

In that order, please.

I think that the addition of Glover and Gillan was an obvious improvement and that a bit of fresh blood in 73 with Coverdale and Hughes was welcome - even if they were not as good as individuals.
Bolin for Blackmore though... well it benefitted Rainbow, I guess.

[clive gash]

I’m not sure swapping ‘skope and Betty for Goat Boy and fange has worked out for the BCB best.

[clive gash]

And is it only me who misses the Bent Fabric/P Cat BCB DP?

[Charlie O.]

And is it only me who misses the Bent Fabric/P Cat BCB DP?

No.

[fange]

I’m not sure swapping ‘skope and Betty for Goat Boy and fange has worked out for the BCB best.

GB is Stormbringer and I'm Come Taste The Band.

[clive gash]

I was thinking Hermit of Mink Hollow and Nearly Human.

[fange]

'Unloved Fange'