Bands that could've become true legends, but instead. . ..

[Failed Muso]

I love that album.

I have a mixed CD I leave in my car with "Mother we just can't get enough" as the first track. The Rolling Stones 'Sympathy for the Devil' influence is very strong - a truly beautiful thing.

Yes, lots of influences in there. I can hear a lot of Prince in there too...

But then, I am biased

[nuffink]

My fave two are garage ex-legends Mike Skinner and Dizzee Rascal... Both suffering from acute second album syndrome

What are you on ???

A Grand Don't Come For Free is a stunning piece of work and one of the finest concept albums of our generation.

Mike's use of samples and minimalist tunes as a canvass to his intelligent, witty and clever poetry flies in the face of the commercial & talentless crap we are inundated with day after day.

The fact that both artists you mention are still going very strong should exclude them from this very conversation.

Whatever happened to the Beatles ?!?! Crikey, Status Quo have been around 3 times as long !!!

Mike Skinner's the reason that your arse puckers in embarassment when the words UK hip-hop are mentioned.

[Barbed Wire Kiss]

But if rumours of N.E.R.D's breakup are true then there is still hope for them

Watch out it'll Mariah Carey next . Talking of which I read in Wikipedia that Sonic Youth had to remove her name from a song title for copyright reasons!

[Jbravo]

It Bites. Fantastically talented. Tragically unsuccessful. Joyfully reforming soon.

oh yes I liked them too though I think they appealed mostly to Musos - too many funny tempo and key changes for your average listener methinks, plus in the 80s it was all about the hair and the clothes, when that fashion passed many talented musicians fell out of favour (Nik Kershaw anyone?)

[vurt]

My fave two are garage ex-legends Mike Skinner and Dizzee Rascal... Both suffering from acute second album syndrome

What are you on ???

A Grand Don't Come For Free is a stunning piece of work and one of the finest concept albums of our generation.

Mike's use of samples and minimalist tunes as a canvass to his intelligent, witty and clever poetry flies in the face of the commercial & talentless crap we are inundated with day after day.

The fact that both artists you mention are still going very strong should exclude them from this very conversation.

Whatever happened to the Beatles ?!?! Crikey, Status Quo have been around 3 times as long !!!

Mike Skinner's the reason that your arse puckers in embarassment when the words UK hip-hop are mentioned.

skinner?hip hop? eek no womder we get laughed at by americans

[Stupid American Pig]

Smashing pumpkins are one of those bands that it killed me to see what happened to them.

They released 3 absolutely BRILLIANT albums - Gish, Siamese Dream, and Piscies Iscariot.

Then they released a mediocre album Melancholy, where Billy decided he would cater to the weaknesses of his voice and sound as nasal and annoying as possible. I have heard acoustic version of the song "tonite, tonite" and there is an amazing demo that did not translate into an amazing song. Billy then decided he wanted to make 80s synth pop and his song writing just seemed to fizzle out. I have lost interest in him but hes put out few decent songs since.

Its a shame what happened to D'Arcy tho- I always had a slight crush on her, then she decided that crack was more important than music. Jimmy Chamberlin is one of the best drummers of all time, and the work he did on smashing pumpkins "drown"(among others) is nothing short of awe inspiring.

[Hovmod]

It Bites. Fantastically talented. Tragically unsuccessful. Joyfully reforming soon.

oh yes I liked them too though I think they appealed mostly to Musos - too many funny tempo and key changes for your average listener methinks, plus in the 80s it was all about the hair and the clothes, when that fashion passed many talented musicians fell out of favour (Nik Kershaw anyone?)

Nah. Tempo and key changes appeal to regular listeners, just like Louie Louie can appeal to musicians. It's the sterile non-swinginess of not taking *any* chances that doesn't appeal. It bites didn't SWING. Too sterile. Too surgical. Not enough humour and irony. And I really don't think hair matters. I liked them (once around the world was good, I recall), but hey. No swing.

Edit: "Couldn't swing if he hung", as a friend of mine would put it...

[GaryG]

Thin White Rope

[duncanparsons]

It Bites and Camel - totally agree.

I'd also add Quantum Jump, Rupert Hine's little project in the mid 70's. One single and 2 LPs. RH was a producer really, but the 2 QJ albums are just excellent, and it's a shame he didn't keep it all going.

I could cite others like Hatfield and the North/ National Health, who were successful in their territory, it's just a shame that the Glam and Punk era's didn't really go in for jiving in 15/8..

DSP

[deleted]

DELETED

[Wopelka]

Can you name other bands/recording artists that could've become true legends, but due to their own doing or other reasons, didn't end up attaining that status?

Easy: Morcheeba

First album: incredibly good
Second album: fairly good
and then: shit

[emdot_ambient]

Camel should be better known. They're still around but as far as I know they've never had the success they deserve.

It wasn't their fault. Camel had an amazing run of terrific albums but just were never hyped as much as other prog rockers, yet to me they epitomized that style. And ultimately they went away because prog rock did. I lost track of them after Peter Bardens left them--RIP, he died in 2002.

[Failed Muso]

Skinners first album was amazing, it went triple plat and everyone I know loves it.

Therefore it must be credible and worthy.

The new album was so pop oreintated and badly written (in comparison) that it was a let down

I'd hardly call it pop. "Dry Your Eyes" maybe as mainstream as it gets, but "Blinded By The Lights", "Such A Twat" (my, how apt), "Not Addicted" & "Fit But You Know It" are hardly pop !

Skinner is now a bankrupt btw...

Jesus, do you believe everything you read on the Top Of The Pops website ??

Dizzie's first LP was strong, the second didn't really get the same credit, he's not made the money he should of and isn't a legend like he should be

And the money someone makes is an indicator to their talent ??

And Skinner ain't UK HipHop

The most sensible thing you've said in a long while.

[Dunbar]

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

This band kept me sane during the lamentable mid '90s. They released a couple of noisy albums - Extra Width was the most palatable - and then came Orange and an EP of Experimental Mixes; featuring the talents of the most commercially viable knob twiddlers of the day (Beck, Wu Tang, Beastie Boys, Moby).

With their skewed beats, garage punk blues rock mulch, and an Elvis bent, The Blues Explosion seemed destined to conquer the world. They even appeared on daytime UK TV - how could they f**k it up? Well, they released Now I've Got Worry - a boring album - plain and simple.

A few years later they tried to claw things back with Acme, a very good album, but time had moved on. The "irony" upon which many of the '90s alt artists traded was falling out of favour - it was just getting bland and the Blues Explosion looked insincere next to the up-and-coming acts like The White Stripes. The new wave of blues based rock 'n roll lost the break-beat influences for a more primal, dare i say, authentic drum sound and an irony free "for real" attitude. The last Blues Explosion album still had Drum 'n Bass breaks - it all sounded passé, old hat, dull.

It was like watching a pensioner breakdancing.

[McLilith]

The Rolling Stones

Now, there's a band that could have made it big -- if only they would have applied themselves!




McLilith