Replacing the lead singer....is it always a bad move?

Scott Weiland was a fantastic frontman and a versatile singer. But he was a disaster. Someone already raised the question of what to do when the singer dies (or otherwise becomes . . . unavailable). I hear that STP's current lead man is pretty good, but I have zero desire to see them now. Kudos to them for soldiering on, but I doubt I'll ever buy another ticket.

Judging by the interview (and the clip of "Up Around The Bend"), it wasn't that he couldn't hit the notes, but more that they were far more difficult to hit at the end of a set than in the middle, or at the beginning.

xp

Rolling Stone also has an interview with the singer of Talk Show, who says their (pretty good) album never got a chance because the record company was waiting for the STP members of the band to reunite with Weiland.

i was sort of thinking about this just yesterday, but in the context of artists who are filling the role of a titular band leader after that leader is no longer involved.

the two instances that i was thinking of were dewey redman in old and new dreams (taking the role of ornette coleman) and freddia hubbard in VSOP (taking the role of miles davis)

I had a friend in college who saw Herman's Hermits, sans Herman.

I would think in the cases of Redman and especially Hubbard, they weren't replacing in the sense of "taking the role of," in the sense of imitating or approximating, if that's what you mean: they were both known for their own sounds and records, though of course Redman played with Coleman, was compatible with him and the rest of the players who then took the name of Old and New Dreams, when OC on to Prime Time etc. And Hubbard had *some* Quintet-era Miles feel and appeal, of course, so it wasn't like they brought in Herb Alpert (although that could have worked w some Quintet material).

Ethan Iverson has a phrase I like which he uses to describe mid 70s acts like VSOP — "stadium jazz." Even though it was the same guys who played with Davis from 65-68, they weren't doing the same thing musically at all.

Then Black Sabbath of course...

How dare you.

Eddie Van Halen to thread.