Bands That Got Better With Lineup Changes

[BigOrange1 6,436]

blink 182 with travis barker

[Ollie Slatt 289]

Byrds - Gram Parsons 

Wilco - Jay Bennett 

Wilco - Nels (improved live shows, not the albums)

Beatles - Clarence Walker 

[BrickHorn 18,229]

Yardbirds, when they brought in Bonham, Jones, and Plant.

[Rimbo 25,922]

42 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

AC/DC is the DLR / Sammy Hagar argument. Van Halen was better (IMNSHO) with Hagar, but VHI and VH2 are pure.

Eddie was better with Sammy, just because he continue to progress as a player and composer with time. But the band was not better.

AC/DC never changed who they were, no matter who the lead singer was. As Angus said: "People say we've released twelve albums that all sound the same... that's totally wrong. Outrageous! We've released thirteen albums that all sound the same."

[Cheeseweasel 26,438]

38 minutes ago, Ollie Slatt said:

Beatles - Clarence Walker 

You mean The Clarences.

[Al_4_ISU 12,463]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

It's not just Bon or not, AC/DC became a much better band over the decade outright. Highway to Hell was one of the first signs of them really making a step forward. But it only has 3 top shelf songs on it. Back in Black was their apotheosis. And on top of that many of their all time best songs came after BiB even.

I love all the following from HTH:  Highway to Hell, Girls Got Rhythm, Touch Too Much, Beating Around the Bush, Shot Down in Flames, If You Want Blood (You Got It),  and Night Prowler.

The only post BIB songs I'd put near those are Who Made Who, Thunderstruck, For Those About to Rock, and Money Talks.  Shit got real lean after BIB.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Al_4_ISU

[Kennythetiger 9,380]

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

And no Mutt Lange.

Back in Black is absolutely top shelf, but when you're judging it against Bon Scott era AC/DC, I'm sorry.  That shit is the pinnacle of hard rock.

You weren’t even alive then!  

[Hate 20,108]

The Grateful Dead when Brent Mydland joined in 1979.

[Al_4_ISU 12,463]

14 minutes ago, Kennythetiger said:

You weren’t even alive then!  

I was -5 when BIB was released.

[Beantown Express 2.0 6,559]

20 minutes ago, Hate said:

The Grateful Dead when Brent Mydland joined in 1979.

I was gonna say the Dead once that bum Jerry Garcia croaked and they were able to add some real musicians like John Mayer but I figure that might offend some on here.  

 

I kid, I kid.

[rungeflash 322]

I saw Bon Scott/ACDC July 1978 at the Ritz Theater In Corpus….one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen. It was the Powerage tour and to me, that is still the best AC/DC album of all time.

 

 

[G650 14,254]

1 hour ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I love all the following from HTH:  Highway to Hell, Girls Got Rhythm, Touch Too Much, Beating Around the Bush, Shot Down in Flames, If You Want Blood (You Got It),  and Night Prowler.

The only post BIB songs I'd put near those are Who Made Who, Thunderstruck, For Those About to Rock, and Money Talks.  Shit got real lean after BIB.

 

Girls Got Rhythm? Lol. I mean ok.

Highway to Hell, Shot Down in Flames and If You Want Blood are all amazing songs. If You Want Blood may be my all time favorite AC/DC song. But the rest are average as fuck.

The second strongest part of AC/DCs career after Highway to Hell through Back in Black is 1990 to 1995. Razors Edge, Big Gun from the Last Action Hero soundtrack and Ballbreaker. Ballbreaker is one of their strongest albums, it has 5 solid cuts with Hard as a Rock, The Furor, Hail Caesar, Cover You in Oil amd Burnin Alive. Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice are solid as shit too.

 

I mean, I celebrate the whole catalog, so whatever AC/DC you like rock on. Over in the guitar prone thread I mentioned how my old man had a Les Paul in the closest as my Christmas present,  but had to sneak it back out and take it back for an SG because I wouldn't shut the fuck up about AC/DC and SGs. I grew up on all this shit and can assure the quality of AC/DC didn't stop after Highway to Hell and in many ways got a lot better.

[Horndog 2,228]

4 hours ago, Rimbo said:

 

I mean, taste is one thing, but Michael McDonald definitely brought a degree of... musical complexity that didn't exist in the Doobies before that. 

Michael McDonald sounded like he was singing underwater. Give me the pre-MM Doobies.

[Al_4_ISU 12,463]

5 minutes ago, G650 said:

Girls Got Rhythm? Lol. I mean ok.

Highway to Hell, Shot Down in Flames and If You Want Blood are all amazing songs. If You Want Blood may be my all time favorite AC/DC song. But the rest are average as fuck.

The second strongest part of AC/DCs career after Highway to Hell through Back in Black is 1990 to 1995. Razors Edge, Big Gun from the Last Action Hero soundtrack and Ballbreaker. Ballbreaker is one of their strongest albums, it has 5 solid cuts with Hard as a Rock, The Furor, Hail Caesar, Cover You in Oil amd Burnin Alive. Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice are solid as shit too.

 

I mean, I celebrate the whole catalog, so whatever AC/DC you like rock on. Over in the guitar prone thread I mentioned how my old man had a Les Paul in the closest as my Christmas present,  but had to sneak it back out and take it back for an SG because I wouldn't shut the fuck up about AC/DC and SGs. I grew up on all this shit and can assure the quality of AC/DC didn't stop after Highway to Hell and in many ways got a lot better.

I definitely don't agree that AC/DC got better after Back in Black, but I love AC/DC in all forms as well, so fuck it.  Rock on.

I would also put If You Want Blood in my Top 5 AC/DC songs.  Riff Raff is #1 for me, but Blood is right there.  Up To My Neck In You, Whole Lotta Rosie, Ride On round out the rest.

[rungeflash 322]

My most underrated song off highway to hell is love hungry man….awesome kick beat

 

 

[stc 1,461]

i have spent all afternoon listening to dio era sabbath in search of any evidence to support the claim that it's better than the ozzy era. that evidence could not be found. 

[Al_4_ISU 12,463]

43 minutes ago, stc said:

i have spent all afternoon listening to dio era sabbath in search of any evidence to support the claim that it's better than the ozzy era. that evidence could not be found. 

That's because it does not exist.

[YGIFS 19,450]

3 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

Yardbirds, when they brought in Bonham, Jones, and Plant.

1.  See post #13 by me.  

2.  The Yardbirds didn't add anybody.  It was "The New Yardbirds"

3.  We obviously cursed him, because as soon as I posted that, Jeff Beck got gravely ill.  And once you posted this, he died.  

This is why we can't have nice things.  He lived a helluva life though.  To that great guitar shop in the sky, Jeff:

 

[Rip76 4,925]

Journey w/Steve Perry.

[CooterBrown 18,008]

I love all the following from HTH:  Highway to Hell, Girls Got Rhythm, Touch Too Much, Beating Around the Bush, Shot Down in Flames, If You Want Blood (You Got It),  and Night Prowler.
The only post BIB songs I'd put near those are Who Made Who, Thunderstruck, For Those About to Rock, and Money Talks.  Shit got real lean after BIB.
 

FTATR is extremely underrated. It has some of their best songs on it. The title track, Spellbound, Evil Walks, COD, Night of the Long Knives are all great.

[Upgrayedd 5,810]

2 hours ago, Horndog said:

Michael McDonald sounded like he was singing underwater. Give me the pre-MM Doobies.

 

[ztejas 43,420]

I think a better question is which band actually began with its best iteration. I think there are fewer examples of that.

Edited January 11, 2023 by ztejas

[tbone_ 14,118]

Zeppelin got it right from the start

[G650 14,254]

The Who also.

 

But he is right, definitely fewer bands started with the right combo.

[dcbc 14,480]

Since I know I'm the only one who will mention it: Soulhat when they replaced Ian Bailey with Frosty.  Oh, and The Band when they got rid of Dylan.

[Deej 76,768]

4 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I was -5 when BIB was released.

We need to start carding people before they can post. 

[YGIFS 19,450]

1 hour ago, tbone_ said:

Zeppelin got it right from the start

Yeah, the Yardbirds/New Yardbirds were in flux.  But once "Led Zeppelin" was branded on those LP's...nothing was ever quite the same.  Summer of 1968 to Summer of 1980.  Almost a dozen years to the day.  Barely a moment of imperfection therein, musically speaking of course.  

A distant, distant second for rock bands would be the Black Keys.  Everybody else shuffled and adapted when it was forced upon them.  Not only was Led Zeppelin saliently connected and intertwined from the word "go", you can count the session musicians, samples, and extra studio effects on one hand.  Shit, Peter Grant barely had anything to do with the music itself.  48 man years, 108 songs, almost all of it in the top echelon of rock 'n roll forever and ever.  And personnel changes or additions or compromises never occurred to them.  

 

and though they lasted but three years, from start to finish...the super trio "Cream" was perfect from beginning to end.  No filler on that personnel.  

Edited January 12, 2023 by YGIFS

[Viper 12,109]

Iced Earth with Barlow

[G650 14,254]

Soundgarden when Matt Cameron joined is another that became immensely better.

[G650 14,254]

So speaking of AC/DC, a guy on TGP just posted this gem from 1981. A 2,000 seat venue in Japan, I couldn't imagine catching these guys at this stage at that kind of venue. Just face melting awesome.

 

 

[Pescado_Rojo 19,416]

On 1/11/2023 at 3:03 PM, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

I was gonna say the Dead once that bum Jerry Garcia croaked and they were able to add some real musicians like John Mayer but I figure that might offend some on here.  

 

I kid, I kid.

I almost said "The Grateful Dead once they replaced Jerry Garcia with John Mayer", but the best trolls are subtle and there isn't a soul alive that would believe I was serious. 

[Hate 20,108]

I almost said "The Grateful Dead once they replaced Jerry Garcia with John Mayer", but the best trolls are subtle and there isn't a soul alive that would believe I was serious. 

Or that you weren’t brain damaged. Mayer is a gem of a musician and I very much enjoy Dead & Co…but he ain’t Jerry and they aren’t the Grateful Dead.

[rungeflash 322]

4 hours ago, G650 said:

So speaking of AC/DC, a guy on TGP just posted this gem from 1981. A 2,000 seat venue in Japan, I couldn't imagine catching these guys at this stage at that kind of venue. Just face melting awesome.

 

 

Nice find right there. Good sound quality

[Earl Haffler 591]

On 1/10/2023 at 7:11 PM, Vic Mackey said:

Pantera - Phil Anselmo

Iron Maiden - Bruce Dickinson (although I love their debut album)

AC/DC - Bon Scott 

Rush - Neil Peart 

Doobie Brothers - Michael McDonald

I am on the fence on Black Sabbath with Ozzy vs Dio. Black Sabbath was never really about the vocalist for me. Heaven And Hell is one of my favorite albums from them. Better than Paranoid. Depends on my mood. But probably Paranoid. 

Didn't Bruce Dickinson also produce Blue Oyster Cult?

[DalTxHornFan 3,101]

3 minutes ago, Earl Haffler said:

Didn't Bruce Dickinson also produce Blue Oyster Cult?

 

[hullabelew 3,724]

Lynyrd Skynyrd may have gotten even better with Steve Gaines

He made a huge change in that band in a very short time. Such a shame we never got to hear where they would have gone.

[YGIFS 19,450]

16 hours ago, Hate said:

Or that you weren’t brain damaged. Mayer is a gem of a musician and I very much enjoy Dead & Co…but he ain’t Jerry and they aren’t the Grateful Dead.

True 'dis.  But if you think about it, even in their 'heyday'.........the Grateful Dead had a number of lineup changes from 1965-1995.  Mostly due to deaths, but some also living personnel changes.  12 different members during that timeframe.  In just two more years, we'll have lived through more post-Dead time than otherwise.  

This speaks to the thread though that so many bands lineups, especially the great ones, were forcibly altered due to premature deaths.  I go back to the bedrock, the one that stands the test of time.  Led Zeppelin.  Absolutely brilliant right outta the gate and stayed that way for 12 years.  Obviously Bonham's death changed all that, but just that core four.  Nothing again will ever touch that.  

[Napoleon 8,676]

On 1/10/2023 at 11:06 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

Dixie chicks w/ Natalie maines. 

i mean, according to someone I know. 

Poor Ms. Macy and her prairie dresses. She went back to teaching math.

 

On 1/11/2023 at 6:08 PM, tbone_ said:

Zeppelin got it right from the start

 

On 1/11/2023 at 6:30 PM, G650 said:

The Who also.

But he is right, definitely fewer bands started with the right combo.

U2 pretty much got it right. 

R.E.M. as well. (Mainly a fan of their ‘80s stuff, don’t care much for their work after that.)

[tbone_ 14,118]

ZZTop too. Though I seem to recall they maybe had someone different on one of their way back early albums.

[Dennis Taylor 18,817]

On 1/10/2023 at 7:11 PM, Vic Mackey said:

Pantera - Phil Anselmo

Iron Maiden - Bruce Dickinson (although I love their debut album)

AC/DC - Bon Scott 

Rush - Neil Peart 

Doobie Brothers - Michael McDonald

I am on the fence on Black Sabbath with Ozzy vs Dio. Black Sabbath was never really about the vocalist for me. Heaven And Hell is one of my favorite albums from them. Better than Paranoid. Depends on my mood. But probably Paranoid. 

Ozzy >>> Dio. Dio was too into Dungeons and Dragons and shit like that. Black Sabbath should sing songs about cocaine 

[Dennis Taylor 18,817]

On 1/10/2023 at 10:49 PM, tbone_ said:

Iron Maiden way better with Bruce Dickinson

Black Sabbath way better with Dio

I’m not gonna say AC/DC was way better with Brian Johnson but Back in Black was definitely better than anything before it.

Gang fight me if you need to. My mind ain’t changing.

I think what you meant to say I'd that ac/dc was best on Let there be Rock,  Powerage, Highway to Hell and Back in Black (which Bon wrote at least half of). Then they made the same album about 12 times. Zero originality after Bon.

Edited January 14, 2023 by Dennis Taylor

[Tylerocks 2,553]

On 1/11/2023 at 2:42 PM, Hate said:

The Grateful Dead when Brent Mydland joined in 1979.

came to post this

 

Small Faces/Faces- Adding Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood

[Dennis Taylor 18,817]

Down Payment Blues

Kicked in the Teeth

Whole Lotta Rosie

Live Wire

Overdose

Up to My Neck in You

 

I've even heard a live version of Neck where Bon added another verse that's not on the album version:

I've been up to my neck in money

And Up to my neck in debt

I've been up to my neck in wild wild women

That I'm trying to forget. 

 

I really like Brian and if there was no Bon he'd rank pretty high on my list. But he doesn't compare to Bon when it comes to writing, singing, or especially as a frontman

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Dennis Taylor

[G650 14,254]

Bon revisionists stans are the most hilarious thing out.

[Axle Hongsnort 208]

AC/DC is the DLR / Sammy Hagar argument. Van Halen was better (IMNSHO) with Hagar, but VHI and VH2 are pure.

Horrible take FFS. Van Halen stopped being Van Halen when DLR left.

[Pato del Muerto 52,492]

VH was better musically with Sammy because he could play guitar, allowing Ed to do more keys. 
 

but VH with dlr just felt wilder and more fun. Age might also have played a part in that. 

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

On 1/10/2023 at 10:31 PM, Gil Bang said:

there's no band in the history of ever that wouldn't improve after adding Joe fucking Walsh

Wham

[tbone_ 14,118]

Wham

Wham would have been so much better with Joe Walsh. Might still suck, but would def suck less.

[Rimbo 25,922]

22 hours ago, Earl Haffler said:

Didn't Bruce Dickinson also produce Blue Oyster Cult?

The only thing more inbred than the people of the British isles are the names of the people on the British isles.

I mean, if I mention the drummer, Roger Taylor? You know, that guy in that English band that got big in the 1970s-1980s, had kind of a rebirth in the early 90s but faded away after? There's at least two bands that could be: Queen or Duran Duran.

On that note: "Duran Duran after Warren Cucurrulo joined."

... said nobody ever

That said, he contributed Duran Duran's biggest two hits of the 90s ("Come Undone" and "Out of my Mind"), easily among DD's top 10 of all time (or better). But I don't think anyone will mistake the wedding album for Rio or anything.

[G650 14,254]

Duran Duran should have just been called a lot of Taylors plus a LeBon

 

Also I think Warren did Ordinary World? Maybe that was still Taylor, I'm not sure

Edited January 14, 2023 by G650