Favorite Broken Up Band

[nicofopolous]

Because of the strong underlying ties to broken up bands in the art of LDB, I thought I'd start this thread.

My favorite broken up band is The Lowest of the Low.  Hailing from Toronto, the band put out two discs in my youth (Shakespeare My Butt and Hallucigenia) of great impact.  Being a Niagara Falls kid, I got the chance to see them once and then... they broke up.

Against the will of the universe, they came back together once more and I was able to see them again before... they broke up.  I actually got to meet them as they had an in-store to promote the new album Sordid Fiction.  Unfortunately, I was in LA when they had their final show (ever?) in Buffalo, NY.

If you ever get the chance to check out their music, do so.

[Kat Cahill]

Talking Heads. They are actually my favorite band anyway, but they happen to be broken up as well. So far they have managed to avoid reuniting (other than a one-off for their Hall of Fame induction). Well... there was that embarrassing "No Talking Just Heads" album that everybody except for David Byrne had a hand in. That is best forgotten really...

I would have loved to see them back in the day at CBGB, but I was less than a year old the last time they played there. Now CBGB is gone as well. *sigh*

Still, I would rather they remained broken up than get together for one of those sad reunion tours.

[Struble]

Oof.  That's a tough question.  So many great ones.  I'm gonna just shoot from the gut here and break it down to two:

1)  Band I would love to see reunited right now:  Operation Ivy.

2)  Band I wouldn't like to see reunited, but would love to build a time machine and see them in their prime:  Oingo Boingo.

Of course, both these are bands that I got into well after they had broken up.  It's too painful to think of all the bands that I was into but never got to catch them live (damn this living in the center of the country) and then they broke up.

[nicofopolous]

Talking Heads. They are actually my favorite band anyway, but they happen to be broken up as well. So far they have managed to avoid reuniting (other than a one-off for their Hall of Fame induction). Well... there was that embarrassing "No Talking Just Heads" album that everybody except for David Byrne had a hand in. That is best forgotten really...

I would have loved to see them back in the day at CBGB, but I was less than a year old the last time they played there. Now CBGB is gone as well. *sigh*

Still, I would rather they remained broken up than get together for one of those sad reunion tours.

I could've seen the last LotL concert, totally aware of it, but unreasonably short on funds.  Sometimes it's better to not be able to than to knowingly miss out. 

Talking Heads -- great pull btw.

[nicofopolous]

Oof.  That's a tough question.  So many great ones.  I'm gonna just shoot from the gut here and break it down to two:

1)  Band I would love to see reunited right now:  Operation Ivy.

2)  Band I wouldn't like to see reunited, but would love to build a time machine and see them in their prime:  Oingo Boingo.

Of course, both these are bands that I got into well after they had broken up.  It's too painful to think of all the bands that I was into but never got to catch them live (damn this living in the center of the country) and then they broke up.

Now I'll have to track down some Operation Ivy.
By the way, thanks for airbrushing my face in the other forum.  Now I know how Michael Stipe feels.  =)

[Struble]

Now I'll have to track down some Operation Ivy.
By the way, thanks for airbrushing my face in the other forum.  Now I know how Michael Stipe feels.  =)

Heh.  That quote was sooooo long -- it was ruining the flow of the thread.  Plus, I wanted to see what it was like to wield the power of a moderator.  It was fun.

Keep in mind with Operation Ivy -- this is a late 80s ska-band.  The band that beget Rancid and later Common Rider.  The recording quality on their one album -- not that great.  It's mainly the promise of the quality of a reunited Operation Ivy that I would love to see.  All the members have really grown, and it would be great to see what they'd do now with their teenage group.  But if that hasn't scared you off, they have some really great songs, so you should still check 'em out.

They had a kind-of sort-of reunion a few years ago, where Jesse Michaels showed up to a Rancid show and they did a few OpIvy tracks together.  But there was no Dave Mello on drums!  I want a full on reunion.



P.S.  Amen to the Talking Heads.

[Jeffool]

I'm going to go completely against the musical flow of the thread thus far.  Being "a guy who thinks he's old and that most of the good music was made in the 90s," I can think of at least two bands I'd like to see make new music.  Gravity Kills (Guilty, Love, Sex, & Money, and a cover of Personal Jesus) and Spot (Moon June Spoon and Straight Thru the Sun's Head.)

Both say they were screwed over by their labels, and though GK got some recognition for being on some soundtracks (Mortal Kombat being a popular one,) most people cast them off as 'NIN-lite' and were done with them.  I think they could've gone for a while longer, even with just a sustained niche following.  Spot however, I think could've "broke" if not for the problems they encountered.  --  In writing this, I actually just found out that they ('they' in spirit,) are still making music, under the name The Hochimen!  (Apparently the lead singer plays fiddle for Charlie Pride now, and gets to use the studio for free; rock.)  (Edit: Though, listening to it, I like the older stuff better.  But I'll give this a try.)

And while I'm writing this, they're together, but I'd really like to see Harvey Danger do another album.  (Get their last one free here!)

[Shadowline Pimp]

I loved Sublime but they didn't exactly break up as much as have their lead singer OD.

Bush is probably my all-time favorite band.  (Shut up!)

[Struble]

I loved Sublime but they didn't exactly break up as much as have their lead singer OD.

Well, aren't Sublime technically still together as the Long Beach Dub All-Stars?  The living members, I mean.

And I won't say anything bad about Bush, if you won't say anything bad about my love for early Meat Loaf.

[nicofopolous]

I loved Sublime but they didn't exactly break up as much as have their lead singer OD.

Well, aren't Sublime technically still together as the Long Beach Dub All-Stars?  The living members, I mean.

And I won't say anything bad about Bush, if you won't say anything bad about my love for early Meat Loaf.

Starting a follow up thread... guilty sonic pleasures

[nicofopolous]

I loved Sublime but they didn't exactly break up as much as have their lead singer OD.

Well, aren't Sublime technically still together as the Long Beach Dub All-Stars?  The living members, I mean.

And I won't say anything bad about Bush, if you won't say anything bad about my love for early Meat Loaf.

I like Bush (band) and Meatloaf (artist).

I must've been living in a musical cave as I never knew the surviving members of Sublime did anything.  I'm going to have to ask for iTunes for my birthday.

[ublitheringidiot]

Favorite broken up bands, hunh? I got a couple.
1. Groovie Ghoulies… I was very sad when I heard that they were parting ways. But luckily Kepi Ghoulie's still out there doing his thing. I recommend the Ghoulie's 99 Lives album.
2. Amen to Oingo Boingo, Shaughn. I recommend their Farewell Concert album. Awesome stuff.
3. Pain is a great band that, I think, broke up (or at least hasn't been doing shows for quite some time). This band's great because a) no one's ever heard of 'em (except Shaughn who introduced them to me) and b) I would've loved to see 'em live. You can check out some of their stuff on iTunes… their album Midgets with Guns is highly recommended.

I'm sure there are more that I'm not thinking of… But those are the big ones. Happily some of my list has broken up and reformed (i.e. Smashing Pumpkins and Primus), but sadly they didn't really retain their original awesomeness (Except Primus who just effin' rule no matter how you slice it).

Oh, and I agree on the "guilty pleasures" thread… Man do I have a list.

[Kris]

Okay, mine is Guns n Roses. 

I was born in 1973, so this makes sense.  I went right out of heavy metal in my teen/college years straight into grunge.  It was a very easy transition since they both incorporated the flannel shirt as part of their fashion trend.   

[luna]

I just read Slashs' autobiography.  You have to check it out. 
I love the title : "Just because it seems excessive doesn't mean it didn't happen" Genious!
And my jaw dropped 3 times in the first 20 pages.  I can't believe this guys life!!  Even his early childhood was extraordinary.
So i've been on a bit of a Gunners /Slash's Snakepit/Velvet Revolver kick lately.

[Kris]

I just read Slashs' autobiography.  You have to check it out. 
I love the title : "Just because it seems excessive doesn't mean it didn't happen" Genious!
And my jaw dropped 3 times in the first 20 pages.  I can't believe this guys life!!  Even his early childhood was extraordinary.
So i've been on a bit of a Gunners /Slash's Snakepit/Velvet Revolver kick lately.

Already read it!  Loved it! I actually read it during Wondercon last February.  I was so involved in it that Jim asked to read it when I was done.  It made me want to listen to all their stuff all over again.

Actually, if you haven't read "The Dirt", the Motley Crue auto-bio stuff, that's really good as well.  Each band member wrote a section as they remembered it, and it is so cool to see each one's perspectives...including when one of them was sleeping with the others wife and thought no one knew about it.