Wednesday, June 27, 2007

It seems like reunions are the big thing on the music circuit this summer.

The latest is that The Verve is back for an album and a tour. Best known for "Bittersweet Symphony", The Verve are laying tracks for a fall release. Lead singer Richard Ashcroft has gone back to the studio with the original line-up, save for guitarist/keyboardist Simon Tong who is playing with The Good, The Bad & The Queen (BTW excellent headphone masterpiece of an album). The Verve's 1997 album "Urban Hymns" is easily one of my favourite albums.
Update: Frank at Chromewaves has a good write up on initial reactions to the reunion

Other bands that have gotten back together this year:

The Police reunited and are touring, with some mixed reaction. While everyone is happy to see them return, their shows are showing their age: Sting isn't hitting those high notes like he used to, the musicianship is shaky, and they've been fiddling with some of the arrangements on their classics like "Don't Stand So Close To Me". You can read the review of the less than legendary L.A. concert here. Nice to know you can fork out $$$ for a crap show.

I would love to see the reunited punk godfathers The Stooges. Iggy Pop has returned to the fold and they've been playing the festival circuit, but I hope a club tour follows. I would love to see them up close, cranking through "Down on the Street" and the rest of the Raw Power album. The last time they performed together was 1974, and from all reports, they are not phoning in their performances. (Read: Back to the Funhouse on Harp Magazine's site)

While the Smashing Pumpkins are back, I've got no real reason to see them. I'm happy Billy Corgan is back where he should be and playing the Pumpkins catalogue, but the players who really helped craft that Pumpkins sound aren't back: James Iha, D'Arcy, or even Melissa Auf Der Maur.

Also back:

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6 comments:

Nikita said...

Did you hear?? The Cure are touring again!

They will apparently hit Toronto and Montreal this September! :)

Unknown said...

That may be a good show. One of the first really great concerts I went to was The Cure at Skydome, back in 91/92, with The Cranes as openers. They were touring Wish, and I think it was their first "final" tour.

I always think of The Cure as Robert Smith and a bunch of musicians who he didn't manage to piss off this month.

Nikita said...

Wow... looks like they said that in '89 as well according to this link:
http://www.afoolisharrangement.com/Cure/interview.asp?InterviewID=239

I don't mind though! Now I get to see them live!

Unknown said...

Yeah, The Cure exist in a perpetual state of "all right that's it, and this time we mean it."

brokenengine said...

Its because Rob is afraid to fly. So, he doesn't like touring.

yeah, they've been saying 'no more tours' since Disintegration at least(the first time *I* ever got tos ee them. Openers? Love & Rockets & The Pixies. Eat yer hearts out!)

Unknown said...

I forgot that was why. I thought it was XTC was the only "lead singer has a phobia about flying" band.

And seeing The Cure with openers "Love & Rockets and The Pixies"...Tim, know that I only say this to friends: you bastard ;) That's awesome. I saw The Cranes open for The Cure on the Wish tour and it blew my mind.