Attention Deficit Delirium

Could you imagine this band without this frontman?

In the late Robert Altman’s satirical film The Player, Hollywood executive Larry Levy proposes that his studio can save money on hiring writers by developing scripts themselves, tearing ideas right from front page newspaper headlines. To which the film’s anti-hero, fellow executive and competitor Griffin Mill, retorts: “I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we’ve got something here.”

That same wisecrack can now be applied to lead singers — after all, who needs someone with a famous face to deliver the words? With the near departure of vocalist Steven Tyler from Aerosmith on the eve of their 40th anniversary, his bandmates immediately began contemplating who might take his place. That seemed like a rather hasty move, but then again this is a group that is in middle age and would not have years to wait for their frontman to decide to return. And these days famed rock gods, particularly vocalists, are becoming more replaceable than ever, something rarely heard of twenty or more years ago.

Replacing famous singers is not without precedent. When Bon Scott died, AC/DC brought in an equally distinct but different screecher in Brian Johnson, and they became huge. That’s a rare exception, but there are others. After Peter Gabriel departed Genesis, the British art-rockers soldiered on with drummer Phil Collins as frontman (so to speak), but he did make them more commercially viable and generated bigger hits. (For true progressive music fans, though, that was heresy.) Sammy Hagar’s turn in Van Halen allowed them to go more pop as well (not that everyone liked that). Hagar was also a star in his right when he joined VH, but lightning did not strike twice for them after he left their ranks. Remember the Gary Cherone era? Further, Ronnie James Dio kept Black Sabbath successful for two albums (and subsequent reunions) after they fired Ozzy Osbourne in 1979, and their music remained as hard and heavy as ever, even today under their new moniker Heaven & Hell. Dio also gained fame previously fronting Rainbow.

Van Halen reunited with Sammy Hagar in 2004.

My friend Eric Vitoulis went to see Journey three years ago at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island. Prior to the show it was announced that former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Jeff Scott Soto would be filling in for Steve Augieri, who was having vocal problems that soon lead to his departure after eight years with the group. A woman in front of Eric turned to her friend and said, “Steve Perry’s not here?” (Not since 1996, my dear.) That ironic statement is proof that many fairweather fans — i.e. the casual listeners who turn musicians  into platinum hit machines — do not really pay all that much attention to the lives of the artists they listen to. It’s what I call the “Rock Of Ages syndrome”. The opening night crowd for that Broadway hit were true ’80s fanatics, right down to their attire, while a subsequent audience months later was mainly comprised of suburbanites, many of whom clearly do not often listen to the songs that were performed nor always remember who performed what. But they love the nostalgia and kitsch factors that Rock Of Ages represents.

Alice In Chains with new frontman William DuVall (at right).

There are many Journey fans who would vehemently argue that no one could fill Steve Perry’s legendary shoes. Yet three vocalists have since, and the latest one, Filipino native Arnel Pineda, has helped boost their careers once again, both in terms of album and concert ticket sales. Journey are admittedly an anomaly, a beloved institution who do not seem to get sidelined for long due to limited warranties on replacment singers, two of whom have purposely sounded very close to Perry. Conversely, when revered metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Ratt and Black Sabbath replaced famous frontmen who left — in Sabbath’s case there were two — fans did not respond as well. They were still there but in diminished numbers. More commercial bands like Foreigner, Styx and others seem to be able to pull this off a little better. Queen certainly made it be known that they were not attempting to diminish or tarnish the legacy of the late Freddie Mercury by bringing in former Bad Company and Free singer Paul Rodgers, and fans responded favorably. They also performed songs by Rodgers’ previous groups to hammer home their point that they were Queen + Paul Rodgers, rather than with. Similarly, ’90s rockers Alice In Chains have soldiered on with William DuVall as original frontman Layne Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002. Like Journey did last year with their platinum Revelation, AIC’s latest album Black Gives Way To Blue hit #5 on the Billboard charts.

Could anyone truly replace Steven Tyler in Aerosmith? Of course not. When guitarist Joe Perry was gone from the band between 1979 and 1984, the group experienced a dip in popularity. Imagine what would happen with a Tyler-less line-up? Plus he has always been the singer. Groups that have experienced downtime between singers often were going through a quiet phase (the ’90s comes to mind for many) and were a little younger when it happened and thus have been able to cope with such a transition better. A decade after the departure of original frontman and songwriter Dennis DeYoung, Styx has persevered with vocalist Lawrence Gowan. Guitarist Mick Jones has been the lone original member of Foreigner since singer Lou Gramm departed in 2003, and they had been the two lone original members for years prior. And Perry hasn’t been in Journey since 1996, nor performed live with them since 1987. (And who knows when he’ll reemerge publicly.)

Styx ten years after with frontman Lawrence Gowan (at bottom center).

We should not begrudge a group that wishes to continue once a famous member, usually the frontman, departs. This is their livelihood. They deserve to make a living. And there are people who still want to hear the music, regardless of who sings it, as long as they’re good. The irony that the aforementioned Journey follower did not even know who she would be listening to onstage may be ironic — some casual KISS fans probably do not know that Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are long gone — but the upside of this situation shows how some fans really just want to hear the music. Purists will certainly argue that point and are certainly free not to attend the shows or buy the new albums. In terms of replacing iconic singers, the cliché business concept “what the market will bear” comes to mind — even if some people think the results are unbearable.

It's raining Beatles tunes! (But not iTunes yet.)

The wait is over. At long last, on September 9, 2009, 22 years after the Beatles back catalog was first released in basic, unremastered form on CD, their entire discography of official studio albums — twelve in all, plus Magical Mystery Tour and Past Masters Vol. I and II — will arrive in stores, both individually and in box sets. Plus there’s The Beatles: Rock Band video game. Its a momentous occasion, but not just for Beatles fans who want the new album mixes, liner notes and photos and the collected documentaries on DVD.  Or those who might want to role play as the Fab Four. This is a pivotal day for the major labels of the music biz.

We all know that CD sales have taken a nosedive in the last ten years, dropping 50% from what they used to be. While digital downloads are making up for part of the deficit, overall music profits have shrunk. It’s been bad news for the major labels but good news for many indie artists who have more control over their careers and profit margins thanks to the Internet.  Still, if you want to get your music out on a mass scale, you need to be backed by a company with widespread distribution. And the majors are hurting. They can’t create or break pop stars much anymore; American Idol does it far more effectively. There are few rock bands that sell massive quantities these days; many do better selling concert tickets and merchandise. Plus concert promoter Live Nation is stealing their thunder by signing megastars like Madonna and Jay-Z to multi-platform deals that include album releases and a cut of all profits.

Strawberry Fields Forever, even in the virtual realm.

What does this have to do with the Beatles? Everything. The biggest-selling band of all time, they continue to enthrall audiences nearly 40 years after they broke up. Any time a new compilation, documentary or remix project emerges, it sells well. People keep writing books about them, and magazines and newspapers keep printing stories about their history. Their recorded oeuvre came out over a mere eight years, yet it was more influential and popular than the music of bands who have had careers spanning five or six times longer, including The Rolling Stones and The Who. The Beatles are the ultimate catalog band, and while other artists may have released far bigger albums commercially, they have never had the consistent success of the Fab Four.





There isn’t anyone from the last 25 years, beyond Michael Jackson, who has exhibited such staying power. And it’s something that the industry needs to look at. After they saw CD sales soar in the mid-1990s on the backs of young talent like Alanis Morrissette, Hootie & The Blowfish and Shania Twain, the majors got lazy and greedy and seemed to care less for artist development. Album prices went up. The CD single, a collectors’ favorite and a good way to make extra cash, was gradually phased out in America; some figure it was to push the sale of increasingly expensive albums that had few if any good songs beyond the single(s). Radio narrowcasting and constricted video playlists raised the stakes, compounding the problem for music labels and their rising talent. No longer could an artist take a few albums to evolve, mature and reach platinum status. They had to make it quickly to recoup investment, or they were dropped. Sure, The Beatles rose to fame quickly (thanks to singles initially), but they were that rare, exceptionally talented ensemble that could. Most artists need time to grow, and the industry has grown impatient and nervous, preferring short-term success over long-term profitability, often to appease stockholders who want to make money right now.

There always seems to be a new Beatles story to be told or a new twist on an old tale.

Having a solid back catalog makes a difference, and young artists today usually do not get the chance to amass one. Sure, Bruce Springsteen went platinum by his third album Born To Run, but it was not until nine years later in 1984 that he would become a superstar with the fifteen million selling Born In The U.S.A., his seventh album. Judas Priest took eight years and eight records to go platinum with Screaming For Vengeance, but once they did so their previous albums started to achieve gold (500,000 units) or platinum (1 million) status. Similarly, AC/DC sold well worldwide but did not become an international sensation until their sixth album, Highway To Hell. Its follow-up, the legendary Back In Black, was an even greater success. Then, of course, there is the resurgence of classic songs, the best example being Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was used in a funny lip-synching sequence in the movie Wayne’s World that brought the song rocketing back up to the top of the charts 17 years after its initial release.

Many veteran bands are finding their catalog tracks to be lucrative today when licensing them out for movies, television shows and especially video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. (Journey is one of the big licensing winners lately.) While the idea of The Beatles: Rock Band game might sound like heresy to some, it will promote the group’s music to a new generation of fans. It is interesting to note that the game features a number of different scenarios, with the virtual Beatles performing everywhere from the Cavern Club in Liverpool to Shea Stadium. The group went through many phases and looks and explored many styles of music. Most artists today don’t do that, at least on a mainstream level, and their handlers and stylists do not want to make really radical changes because conformity is the name of the game. (And those that are followers of fashion tend to produce less interesting music.) As The Beatles, Elvis and Michael Jackson have proven, originality sells a lot more music, not cookie cutter copycats.

Don't even think about illegally downloading us!

Perhaps the idea of originality is anathema to an industry now built on chasing trends and making a quick buck. But it is often original bands that carve out a niche for themselves and help prop up the backbone of the industry. While big sellers like Nickelback and Linkin Park are important financially (and remain viable), artists with cult-like followings such as Tool, Radiohead and Tori Amos also provide consistency, both in terms of album and ticket sales. And as the Finnish band H.I.M. proved a couple of years ago, having a charismatic frontman, distinct sound, identifiable logo and marketable imagery is also important. Look at Iron Maiden — their catalog and mascot Eddie continue to be cash cows for them, their management and their label 30 years into their recording career. And their fans are devout and loyal.

There are those who argue right now that no matter what you do, people will continue not to pay for music because once you can get things for free, why go back? The Beatles catalog, solo albums aside, has never been made available in digital form — which may change as soon as this week — but that has not hurt their credibility or their sales. We need more artists whose originality and integrity warrant that kind of respect, and we need an industry willing to deliver them to the masses. Perhaps that is a naive assumption to make in this day and age. On Sept. 9, 2009 we will find out if it still holds up.