There is, I believe, an additional good reason for listening to and buying new music. And that’s because it’s good to listen to music from artists who are still alive. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with listening to artists who have long shuffled off their mortal coil – I have a veritable small library of vinyl and CDs made by musicians who are no longer with us – and it’s good to remind ourselves that there will come a time when we too are no longer around to listen to it.
I was thinking about this just the other day while listening to one of Steely Dan’s classic album Can’t Buy A Thrill, arguably (unarguably in my view) the great debut album ever, and thought of Walter Becker, who wrote all their songs with Donald Fagen. Becker died in 2017 and Fagen continues to tour under the band’s name, essentially a stellar touring jukebox played by great musicians, but crucially and obviously without Becker. They have made two albums in the last 43 years, the last in 2003. Is it still Steely Dan? No, not really.
The Beach Boys continue to tour, led by 82 year old original member Mike Love, which includes long time member Bruce Johnston. There is no Brian Wilson in the band, nor sadly his brothers Carl and Dennis, both of whom died long ago, nor fellow original Al Jardine. Is it still the Beach Boys? No way. A great jukebox, but you might as well stay at home and listen to the originals. (I say this as someone who has seen Love’s touring Beach Boys and left feeling somewhat less than impressed.)
The Rolling Stones now consist of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Members have died, come and gone, but those three, of whom Jagger and Richards are original members, still tour and still make new music, the latest LP Hackney Diamonds being truly brilliant. Without Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and Brian Jones, are they still the Rolling Stones? It’s a subjective opinion, for sure, but I would say that unquestionably they still are and will be for as long as Jagger and Richards are alive and well and able to perform.
Can a band still be the same band when certain members have left is not an argument that someone will conclusively win. A touring Beatles with just Ringo Starr would not be The Beatles. Slade without Noddy Holder is not Slade. T. Rex without Marc Bolan would not be T. Rex, which is why no one has tried.
There are numerous bands touring who have few, or indeed any, original members. Remember the massively underrated glam rock band, The Sweet? A version of the band remains, led by 74 year old Andy Scott, who still sports a magnificent head of hair. (I wonder where he got it from?) and while they don’t look or even sound like the original band, so what? They pack small halls around the land, playing from a magical back catalogue, fulfilling people’s insatiable appetite for nostalgia. They make a living playing music that people have loved for around 50 years. Are they The Sweet? Only in name, but again, so what? People know what they are getting. No one is being conned.
I saw 1970s legends Dr Feelgood a couple of times in recent years. No original members but they faithfully create the sound and spirit of Lee Brilleaux and Wilko Johnson and I’d recommend their hard working show to anyone who likes the music. I’d say they were more of a tribute act, but none the worse for that.
I draw the line at Lynyrd Skynyrd who tour with no original members because all the key ones are dead. Indeed, lead singer Ronnie van Zant died in 1977 and it was at that point I completely lost interest in the continuing band which I definitely did not, and do not, regard as the real deal. But then again, as we said before, the nostalgia circuit is huge – just look at the number of thriving oldie music radio stations – and if people still need to hear a live version of Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama, played entirely by musicians who weren’t even on the record, then a perfectly capable group of musicians using the band’s name makes everyone happy.
It says a lot, none of it good, about me in that I wrestle with trivial issues such as these. If Yes play Bristol’s Beacon Hall AKA the Colston Hall next year, without a single original member (Steve Howe joined in 1971 so he’s near enough to being an original member IMHO), and the gig sells out, I’m happy for all concerned. Personally, I have no interest whatsoever in seeing and hearing Yes without Jon Anderson but that’s for me, not for anyone who wouldn’t care if John Lydon was lead singer.
I am not immune from this nostalgia rush. I would walk 500 miles – or maybe yards – to see the magnificent T. Rextacy run through a sound perfect run of Marc Bolan’s genius tunes. Perhaps, it’s because they are the only official tribute band, endorsed by Bolan’s family, but they are great and my cynicism for tribute bands diminishes altogether when Danielz performs as Bolan.
It’s in the ear of the beholder, isn’t it? I’m not hot on tribute bands per se and my head is all over the place when it comes to deciding what’s a real band and what isn’t. Does anyone else feel like I do, or do you not give a toss so long as the music sounds all right?
