Topic: Bands who quit too soon (Read 16638 times)

Thrillho · « **on:** 17 Apr 2009, 04:41 »

In the last five years or so there seems to have been a rash of (mostly) British bands breaking up very early in the career and long before they've achieved everything they could have, or at least in my opinion. Hope of the States, for example, only made two records before they split. The first one I consider a modern classic, the second one not so, but I think their third album would have been fascinating. But they split without making one.

So what are some bands that you think broke up too soon, or too late, or better yet at the right time? Refused I think broke up at the perfect time. The Shape Of Punk To Come is one of the greatest albums ever made, virtually flawless, and I think they'd have spent the rest of their career with the weight of the expectation to better it.

michaelicious · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 06:13 »

Lone Wolf & Cub was a mathy post-rock band from Michigan who quit too soon. They only made one album and it was pretty damn brilliant. I would have loved to seen these guys live.

David_Dovey · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 06:17 »

Pretty much every band who formed in Washington, D.C. in the eighties. ('cept Bad Brains, bless their cotton socks)

MadassAlex · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 06:31 »

Cyclone Temple.

rynne · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 06:43 »

Quote from: David_Dovey on 17 Apr 2009, 06:17

Pretty much every band who formed in Washington, D.C. in the eighties. ('cept Bad Brains, bless their cotton socks)

Does 1993 count as the eighties, too? (Dismemberment Plan)

look out! Ninjas! · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 07:06 »

It definitely counts for the sake of The Dismemberment Plan.
Else you could, you know, just include them in their own year.

The Cops were a great Aussie band who turned out one pretty good album then pretty much broke up, but then the frontman and bassist found some more guys and made a better album, but they put on a really great show I saw because they were on the same bill as another band (and Peter Coombe), but then the bassist decided that she didn't want to tour and they broke up just as they were working out their sound proper.

Also the Rolling Stones did not last nearly as long as they should have.

MadassAlex · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 07:10 »

Quote from: look out! Ninjas! on 17 Apr 2009, 07:06

Also the Rolling Stones did not last nearly as long as they should have.

Allow me to argue the complete opposite.

Thrillho · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 09:00 »

Quote from: look out! Ninjas! on 17 Apr 2009, 07:06

Also the Rolling Stones did not last nearly as long as they should have.

Uh, what?

imapiratearg · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 09:40 »

Quote from: look out! Ninjas! on 17 Apr 2009, 07:06

Also the Rolling Stones did not last nearly as long as they should have.

Yeah, I don't think The Beatles made nearly enough albums as they should have.

Yayniall · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 09:45 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 17 Apr 2009, 09:40

Quote from: look out! Ninjas! on 17 Apr 2009, 07:06
Also the Rolling Stones did not last nearly as long as they should have.

Yeah, I don't think The Beatles made nearly enough albums as they should have.

Man, Hawkwind could have done with a few more albums.

spoon_of_grimbo · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 09:48 »

Burning Airlines broke up way before they should've, although I can't complain too much since J. Robbins is still making similarly awesome music with Channels.

As for British bands, Reuben, Hell is for Heroes and Howards Alias come to mind.

Latte · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 10:54 »

I want to submit Colour of Fire (been meaning to share them in the megathread). I'm just gonna call them alternative but I guess they have some punk tendencies. British quartet with two, semi-alternating singer/guitarists. They broke up some time ago after one album and one ep. One of the singers has gone on to form Grammatics, which is very Cursive-y to me (albeit with that English touch).

I already had Cursive; I didn't have a fun, 'just-melodramatic-enough', rock band

.

Avec · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 13:24 »

Nobody mentioned Cap'n Jazz?

michaelicious · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 13:46 »

You did.

Avec · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 13:48 »

Cap'n Jazz.

Joseph · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 15:33 »

I dunno. Cap'n Jazz were pretty great, but I've enjoyed a lot of what the members got up to afterwards a lot more.

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 15:38 »

THE UNICORNS

michaelicious · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 15:51 »

Quote from: Dark Flame on 17 Apr 2009, 15:33

I dunno. Cap'n Jazz were pretty great, but I've enjoyed a lot of what the members got up to afterwards a lot more.

Like OWWWWWWLS. Now that is a sadly short-lived band.

Be My Head · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 15:59 »

Basically all of Miles Davis' bands

Dimmukane · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 16:33 »

Lykathe (nee Lykathea Aflame) has been 'working' on their newest album for well over 3 years now, and the drummer has permanently fucked up his foot. So I'm assuming they've quit, which sucks.

!T.O.O.H.! was one of the only grindcore bands I could get into, and they got dumped by their record label shortly after their 3rd album and disbanded. What the fuck, Earache?

scarred · « **Reply #20 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 16:46 »

Quote from: Scandanavian War Machine on 17 Apr 2009, 15:38

THE UNICORNS

this.

spoon_of_grimbo · « **Reply #21 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 16:58 »

Quote from: Dark Flame on 17 Apr 2009, 15:33

I dunno. Cap'n Jazz were pretty great, but I've enjoyed a lot of what the members got up to afterwards a lot more.

i could never get into Cap'n Jazz, but American Football and Ghosts and Vodka were both awesome. two more bands that broke up before their time, incidentally.

Be My Head · « **Reply #22 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 17:04 »

I just looked up Cap'n Jazz

Why would they name themselves that and then not play Jazz? Why would someone listen to that when they could be listening to actual Jazz?

Avec · « **Reply #23 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 17:06 »

I have plenty of Jazz in my collection. There's room for other things too.

We also have to consider that a band quiting early and being really good usually has a good impression on the fan base, sort of like leaving a legacy. Standards upon which others can go by, maybe?

Johnny C · « **Reply #24 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 17:40 »

Quote from: David_Dovey on 17 Apr 2009, 06:17

Pretty much every band who formed in Washington, D.C. in the eighties. ('cept Bad Brains, bless their cotton socks)

There's no way you can convince me that the world really needed another Minor Threat record.

Christophe · « **Reply #25 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 17:55 »

If they just made music that sounded like 0:34 to 1:10.

squawk · « **Reply #26 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 19:22 »

Sometimes I wonder if Beulah, regarding their angry circumstances towards the end of their career, would have still been good had they made another record after Yoko. With each album they got progressively sadder and that one was pretty sad so I don't know what it would be like if they continued heading in that direction. I would have rather liked another louder, sad album from them though. Seeing how I think their discography is pretty perfect as it is, I guess it's okay that they stopped when they did. Plus Miles Kurosky was supposed to put out some solo shit like last year and he didn't? He should get on that, it will be like Beulah II.

Elliott Smith died too soon. Way too fucking soon.

Patrick · « **Reply #27 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 22:29 »

Quote from: Ptommydski on 17 Apr 2009, 22:14

Quote from: Jeans on 17 Apr 2009, 18:40
Obviously it would still be fast and angry - that was sort of the point of the band, after all - but the later stuff they did presents a clear change towards a more melodic approach.

The massive contributing factor to why Ian broke up the band was everyone else had become deeply enamored with U2 and wanted future recordings to sound like them.

This is the only reason to ever break up a good band, ever.

MadassAlex · « **Reply #28 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 23:37 »

Quote from: Ptommydski on 17 Apr 2009, 22:14

The massive contributing factor to why Ian broke up the band was everyone else had become deeply enamored with U2 and wanted future recordings to sound like them. I guess that would have sounded something like Embrace, maybe even worse?

Is this a serious post? I can't imagine this being true.

Christophe · « **Reply #29 on:** 17 Apr 2009, 23:45 »

Yeah, it's true. Toward the end of Minor Threat's tenure Lyle Preslar sold his Marshall stack for a Roland Jazz-Chorus.

Seriously guys, watch that clip of Straight Edge I posted. The beginning is absolutely proto-Fugazi type stuff. It's fun to imagine if that was the direction they went in for a while before Fugazi became a thing.

Thrillho · « **Reply #30 on:** 18 Apr 2009, 06:18 »

Quote from: Ptommydski on 17 Apr 2009, 22:14

The massive contributing factor to why Ian broke up the band was everyone else had become deeply enamored with U2 and wanted future recordings to sound like them.

I've never been so happy that Minor Threat broke up.

bob, just bob · « **Reply #31 on:** 20 Apr 2009, 11:09 »

Public Access, ska has never been more metal, and it never will be again, any ska band who can do a cover of Reign in Blood, and make it awesome like they did deserves at least one more CD, but alas, they have moved on.

De_El · « **Reply #32 on:** 20 Apr 2009, 11:13 »

Faraquet! More Faraquet music would have made the world a better place.

sean · « **Reply #33 on:** 20 Apr 2009, 14:20 »

Quote from: Be My Head on 17 Apr 2009, 17:04

I just looked up Cap'n Jazz

... Why would someone listen to that when they could be listening to actual Jazz?

oh the things wrong with this post...

spoon_of_grimbo · « **Reply #34 on:** 20 Apr 2009, 14:51 »

it kinda sucks that Braid broke up just as they hit their stride. "Frame and Canvas" was far and away the best thing they did, i wish we could've seen where they'd have gone from there.

el_loco_avs · « **Reply #35 on:** 21 Apr 2009, 01:36 »

Quote from: Latte on 17 Apr 2009, 10:54

I want to submit Colour of Fire (been meaning to share them in the megathread). I'm just gonna call them alternative but I guess they have some punk tendencies. British quartet with two, semi-alternating singer/guitarists. They broke up some time ago after one album and one ep. One of the singers has gone on to form Grammatics, which is very Cursive-y to me (albeit with that English touch).

I already had Cursive; I didn't have a fun, 'just-melodramatic-enough', rock band .

I was going to mention this. I actually only found out they broke up this year when I heard about Grammatics.
Colour of Fire had incredible potential. They kinda occupied the space between ATDI and Muse. I can only imagine how many Muse fans would get pissed off at the description I read (by the BBC iirc) that they were kinda like Muse but with a better singer.

BeoPuppy · « **Reply #36 on:** 21 Apr 2009, 01:45 »

Toxik!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvf-BPvZ2kM

They were pretty brilliant troughout their career. Their 2 album career. More would have been appreciated.

Jace · « **Reply #37 on:** 21 Apr 2009, 04:14 »

Metallica.

BeoPuppy · « **Reply #38 on:** 21 Apr 2009, 04:21 »

... well, in that case: Skyclad.

Nuance · « **Reply #39 on:** 21 Apr 2009, 17:34 »

I'll throw in another vote for The Dismemberment Plan. I also would have loved to hear what ATDI would have done if they'd continued, the Mars Volta and Sparta are pretty poor door prizes.

billiumbean · « **Reply #40 on:** 21 Apr 2009, 18:48 »

American Football, even though that band was never truly "together".

P-Frank · « **Reply #41 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 04:48 »

Death From Above 1979

Patrick · « **Reply #42 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 05:45 »

Quote from: Nuance on 21 Apr 2009, 17:34

I'll throw in another vote for The Dismemberment Plan.

This.

Quote from: P-Frank on 22 Apr 2009, 04:48

Death From Above 1979

This.

Quote from: PantsFTW on 21 Apr 2009, 04:14

Metallica.

The opposite of this.

glyphic · « **Reply #43 on:** 29 Apr 2009, 12:12 »

I also nominate Burning Airlines. The Deluxe War Baby is one of my favorite songs of all time.

But also Thunderbirds are NOW! Justamustache was a totally fun album. Now I think all they do is own houses.

Christophe · « **Reply #44 on:** 29 Apr 2009, 13:47 »

Twelve days and not ONE mention of Q and Not U?

Granted Power was kind of a wash, but right now I'm listening to Recreation Myth from Different Damage, and damn.

there sure are a lot of italics in this post

glyphic · « **Reply #45 on:** 29 Apr 2009, 13:53 »

Saw Q and Not U on their farewell tour. Was wholly unimpressed with their live performance. It was to the point where the band was picking fights with audience members and playing unrecognizable versions of the songs. They quit an album too late, I think.

theoryC · « **Reply #46 on:** 29 Apr 2009, 20:58 »

Clann Zu

Uber Ritter · « **Reply #47 on:** 29 Apr 2009, 21:52 »

The Exploding Hearts. Then again, I'm not sure that getting run over by a train is quitting, but goddamn it I could use more of them.

Weakling. They made one rather limited-release album, and then American Black metal got big with Wolves in the Throne Room, (kinda) Agalloch et al.

Tyler · « **Reply #48 on:** 01 May 2009, 12:35 »

Jets to Brazil
The Byrds - this band had so many ridiculously good lineups and stylings
The Smiths - I posit that there is no band that with a living lineup that would draw larger crowds for a reunion tour

Will · « **Reply #49 on:** 01 May 2009, 12:56 »

I have way too many bands that I absolutely love that broke up too soon...
The bands from the early 2000's Level Plane roster; City Of Caterpillar, Majority Rule, Pg99, Malady, Orchid, and probably a few more. The thing is, that scene was so damned incestuous that all of those bands shared members multiple times. It's a maddening display of great music that burned fast, but burned out almost immediately.

I think Fugazi ~~broke up~~ 'went on hiatus' at just the right time, but I wish I had known about them when I still ahd a chance to see them play.

I wish Modern Life Is War had not broken up last year. I wish Steve Sindoni was still doing vocals for Breather Resist, but the rest of them went on to form Young Widows, so that's okay.

I wish my band hadn't broken up without at least playing a final show.

Fuck...now I'm music-depressed.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Bands who quit too soon (Read 16638 times)

Latte