How many bands have reunited with the original members and how was the comeback received? *

As with many things, there is a difference between “should” and “do.” For all their other issues, Metallica brought in Rob Trujillo as an official member when he joined up. Which I think is atypical in that situation.

As for my Ramones example, as an outsider/fan I think they absolutely should have brought Richie in as an official member. The three albums he was on are the best ones outside of the first three with the original lineup. They really needed another good songwriter in the band. As when Tommy left, the next album was still pretty good, but things went downhill after. I think the ‘90s would have been better if he’d stuck around.

 

The Grateful Dead in ‘75.....sorry if its been mentioned. I was glad to see Hart back in the line-up, Blues For Allah being a favorite then & now.

 

They very specifically excluded drummer Spencer Dryden, though (replacing him with the ham-fisted Kenny Aronoff) even though Dryden was willing and able to participate. And of course the Surrealistic Pillow line-up wasn't the original first album line-up of the band anyway.

Interestingly, if we consider "original membership" to be the performing line up of the band prior to the first album (before bassist Bob Harvey and drummer Jerry Peloquin were replaced) then all of them except Kantner did reunite in 2008:

 

All the original members of Killing Joke reunited in 2008 after bassist Raven died.
Its Jaz Coleman, Youth, Geordie Walker and Big Paul Ferguson. Whats not to like

 

Deaf School

 

Regarding my post I realize now that Pigpen was missing in 75 as he had passed 2 years earlier.....that would disqualify me, I suppose, although I don’t think about Pigpen as much as I perhaps should.

 

Country Joe and the Fish had personnel changes prior to recording their debut album, but the 1966-68 lineup that recorded their first three albums reunited in 1977 to record another album. The consensus was the album was a great disappointment. As a huge CJ&F fan, I have to agree.

 

Quiet Sun existed from 1970 to 1972 without recording. When Phil Manzanera recorded his first solo album, he reunited Quiet Sun in 1975 so they could record their original material on their only album Mainstream which was positively received and is, in my highly biased opinion, excellent.

 

The Blondie 90's reunion!

Granted, it was minus Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison - but to be fair and no disrespect meant to Frank and Nigel, Jimmy Destri, Chris Stein, Clem Burke and obviously Debbie Harry define the band - as long all of those members are in the band, that is the true Blondie...

Not sure if the whole album but at least the single "Maria" was right up there with the classics - not "the best since" but "as good as" the classic stuff

v

 

I picked up from either their website or Joe McDonald's that all five of the core members had done selected gigs within the past few years, though I don't think that's happening now. No recordings, of course.

 

Free disbanded in May 1971 but soon reformed in January 1972. They were welcomed back and recorded a decently received album but soon had difficulty with Koss and a quick departure of Andy Fraser.

 

I'm not sure this counts. It wasn't the original lineup for the reunion as Benjamin Orr died in 2000.

 

The Beach Boys in 2012 was a big success!

I’m not much of a fan of the album they also put out, but it’s perfectly respectable and did very well in what passes for the charts these days.

 

IMO, Killing Joke have been consistently better the past 10+ years since the 4 original members reunited then the previous 10 years (although the 2003 self titled album is my favorite in their entire catalog). Big Paul adds so much to the band beyond just being the best drummer they've ever had. Although I think Pylon is a bit too "nu-metal" for my liking, all three post reunion albums are of a very high standard. I really hope they can keep it together to put out one more studio album.

On the flip side, The 3 reunions by Bauhaus have been great as far as live shows. I consider the 1998 reunion show at the Hollywood Palladium among the best concerts I've ever seen. The 2005/2006 shows I caught were good but not so for the "Go Away White" reunion album which is well chronicled as being a hastily thrown together set of glorified demos thanks to inter-personal issues rearing their head once again. As it stands now, I may have seen their last show again at the Hollywood Palladium last December.

 

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eh, ok I guess

 

That’s the one I was gonna mention. I saw the Houston concert. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I really liked the album, and since I don’t think we will ever see another BB’s album, the beautiful mini suite to end the album was a nice way to cap an extraordinary career.

 

The original Vanilla Fudge lineup has reunited several times for tours and studio recordings.

 

Well Gram, I haven't read the 8 pages of replies so far but I thought / think the Byrds reunion album was very good. I'm really glad they did it. Someone has probably mentioned Cream 2005. I think they were great.

 

After the first departure in 1968 and disbanding completely in 1969, the original Moby Grape reunited to record an album 20 Granite Creek in 1971. The album got variable reviews, and they did not gel onstage. IMO a great album, it charted at #177, and they again disbanded.

 

I think there's leeway about "original bands" that allow the "classic Rush" to = "original" since the original original only lasted one album.

I think most people do know that the most popular iterations of Eagles and FMac aren't original...

 

You're right that I botched that one! When I posted, I forgot that it was only original members.

Ban me from the SHF! I deserve it!

 

Nah, I think you've earned your place here.

 

The Bangles and the GoGo’s come to mind.

 

I miss Marty Balin’s soaring voice. An infrequent songwriter later, he wrote some of their most interesting material.

 

I'm not sure that an official break up was a criteria for this thread. Wood was a lesser talent than Jones in his prime.