Bands you wished would've kept their original lineups longer

I was going to say VU, but I like Doug Yule on Loaded.

So I’ll go with The Rolling Stones

 

Van Halen
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Allman Brothers Band
Traffic

 

The original line up of Spirit broke up when Dr Sardonicus failed to sell in large numbers. They could have been huge had they carried on (no offence to people who like the later version of the band). Maybe they should have accepted the invite to play at Woodstock !!

 

I think to address this thread we should name bands where they broke up while all the members are/were still alive, i.e. The Beatles, The Byrds, Procol Harum, etc. Sad to have to name all the bands where members died during the group's heydey.
I did see the Pretenders live in NYC when James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farnsworth were alive, just after the release of their second album. One of those concerts you never forget.

 

Suede
Franz Ferdinand
Duran Duran
Spector
The Drums
Weezer

 

Dire Straits
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

 

Anyone mention Rainbow yet?

 

Arthur Lee & Love, of course.

One or two more after this would have been pretty sweet.



After Forever Changes, Arthur brought in this wonderful song he had written for Love to record for a new single, --Michael and the rest of Love had new hope that maybe Love would continue. Michael thought "All Right, This is more like it!". Johnny really cooks on lead at the end.

Your Mind And We Belong Together. Arthur then just formed a new band on the side, and didn't even tell the (Forever Changes) Love band it was over, but they knew then, it was over.

 

There seems to be more love for the second line up of Rainbow rather than the original line up. Did they ever keep the same line up for 2 albums ?

 

I think Rainbow in people minds is "Richie's band" and lineup changes are not that important as long as he maintained all control. But loss of Dio hurt IMHO.

 

Guns 'n' Roses - although the Illusion albums might not've been a lot better with Steve Adler, at least they would've grooved better.
The Pretenders - they made one more decent album after half the band died, and after that they were the Chrissie Hynde MOR Roadshow.
The Velvet Underground - if we count Moe Tucker as original.

Honorable Mention to the Stooges - even with Dave Alexander gone, too bad they couldn't have kept the five-piece lineup together long enough to record a third album with the twin Ashton/Williamson guitar attack.

 

Bee Gees...........

 

You can't leave out Eliot Randall. I saw them without him on tour and they couldn't play Reelin in the Years. Tried though.

 

Genesis (well from Nursery Cryme, so slight cheat) and Marillion.

 

It feels like a completely different band without Dio, to me anyway.

 

The Ventures!
Canned Heat
(and I second Pure Prairie League)

 

Black Sabbath!

 

You're right, I was thinking Cozy Powell was in the original lineup. That was the 2nd incarnation.

 

I feel a bit of a traitor saying this.... But...

I would have liked the original (well, original recording band) Rush lineup to have carried on for maybe one or two more albums... Obviously, there's no way I want to wipe the Peart lineup off the map but I really like that first Rush album and I rate Rutsey as a hard rock drummer. A couple of classic hard rock albums in the same vein would have been great. IMO. After that, bring on the albums we all know and love..!

 

The original five indeed!

 

Caravan produced 3 excellent albums with the original line up. After that the line up fluctuated album by album and the quality started to slowly drop.
A Follow up to The Land Of Grey & Pink with the original line up ........ if only

 

Journey
Damned

I will join in your sedition! That first Rush album scratches an itch that the later ones simply cannot satisfy completely, and I would love to have heard how Rutsey might have evolved musically with the experience of a few more albums and tours under his belt.

 

Montrose

 

I'd go with many of those previously listed, so, rather than just re-list, I'll throw a bit of a screwball and say, how about the original Rollins Band?

As an aside, and in the same vein, I would've liked to have seen the Chucky Biscuits, five-piece version of Black Flag record more than a widely-bootlegged demo tape

 

Small Faces
Grateful Dead