Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:06 pm
#91774
This is more of a potential discussion than anything else (and I just needed to type), but I LOVE the Misfits... However, I have really been listening to a lot of there catalog recently, and I feel almost impure for admitting that I really enjoy Michael Graves' voice over Glen Danzig's... Musically, I think Graves' voice is much better, but on the flip side, Danzig definitely has more power behind his vocals. There is also the production quality of earlier work to consider... In the early years, the band was way less popular, and didn't have the budget they did when Graves was singing. So that's a big factor, IMO. Danzig's voice jut seems to command respect, while Graves' voice is really great from a "talent" point of view
Now, arguably, the original Misfits, and the Misfits of the 90's (and today for that matter) are totally different bands. Just listening to the difference is pretty obvious. The original group was flat out raw punk rock, while the newer lineup seemed more heavy metal with inspiration from 50's era rock-n-roll. I definitely hear it in the chord progressions, and rhythms. Heck, even after Graves left the band, Jerry Only did put out that "Project 1950" album that was all punk covers of old doo-wop songs. But, I mean, meh.
Granted, the band is still technically together,and called "Misfits" but the only original member is Jerry Only, who plays bass, and covers lead vocals, but quite honestly, the Misfits died completely when Graves and Doyle both left. I think Jerry is holding onto a thread. The band is nothing more than a namesake anymore, and is a shadow of the former group it used to be. The constant legal battles between Jerry, and Glen just get more and more redundant to the point where it's almost not worth it anymore. You just have to know when to quit, and enjoy what you have already built, rather continue on and risk destroying it all with pathetic attempts and rekindling a fire that burned out around 2001
In a perfect world, I'd love to see everyone lay down arms and come together, if for nothing more than a farewell tour for the fans, but I seriously doubt that's gonna happen. A pipe dream, really. However, Doyle has said in interviews that he would completely put his solo stuff on the back burner to do a Misfits thing with Glen and Jerry if they could work it out... So maybe Doyle can bridge the gap, but at the same time I see Doyle as just "Jerry's little brother who picked up a guitar when the band needed him to" member. Not to put any discount on Doyle being a real band member though. I mean he did become the full time guitar player in 1980 when he was sixteen years old... But a fresh lawsuit was filed by Glen, against Jerry, just last year for more undermining type accusations about misleading fans with merchandise sales, but it was dismissed. Still, lingering fumes as always.
Ultimately, I think a large inconvenient truth is that the band has, in fact, become more of an image, and proverbial cash cow than recognized for their music... Everyone probably recognizes the Crimson Ghost, but I'm willing to bet that half of those same people wouldn't recognize "Teenagers From Mars" or "Hollywood Babylon" if you played it for them. It's sad really. They were/are such a huge influence on many bands that followed them, punk and hard rock alike. It can also be debated that they had a huge influence on the psychobilly music genre, and most definitely the horrorbilly scene.
I like both formations of the band, but am on the "separate, but equal" side of the debate, in that I say they are only the same band in name. The older is a punk band, and the newer is a hard rock/metal band. My only question is "is it fair to try and pick a favorite?".... Is this kind of like the proverbial "who wore it best" argument for a band?
Now, arguably, the original Misfits, and the Misfits of the 90's (and today for that matter) are totally different bands. Just listening to the difference is pretty obvious. The original group was flat out raw punk rock, while the newer lineup seemed more heavy metal with inspiration from 50's era rock-n-roll. I definitely hear it in the chord progressions, and rhythms. Heck, even after Graves left the band, Jerry Only did put out that "Project 1950" album that was all punk covers of old doo-wop songs. But, I mean, meh.
Granted, the band is still technically together,and called "Misfits" but the only original member is Jerry Only, who plays bass, and covers lead vocals, but quite honestly, the Misfits died completely when Graves and Doyle both left. I think Jerry is holding onto a thread. The band is nothing more than a namesake anymore, and is a shadow of the former group it used to be. The constant legal battles between Jerry, and Glen just get more and more redundant to the point where it's almost not worth it anymore. You just have to know when to quit, and enjoy what you have already built, rather continue on and risk destroying it all with pathetic attempts and rekindling a fire that burned out around 2001
In a perfect world, I'd love to see everyone lay down arms and come together, if for nothing more than a farewell tour for the fans, but I seriously doubt that's gonna happen. A pipe dream, really. However, Doyle has said in interviews that he would completely put his solo stuff on the back burner to do a Misfits thing with Glen and Jerry if they could work it out... So maybe Doyle can bridge the gap, but at the same time I see Doyle as just "Jerry's little brother who picked up a guitar when the band needed him to" member. Not to put any discount on Doyle being a real band member though. I mean he did become the full time guitar player in 1980 when he was sixteen years old... But a fresh lawsuit was filed by Glen, against Jerry, just last year for more undermining type accusations about misleading fans with merchandise sales, but it was dismissed. Still, lingering fumes as always.
Ultimately, I think a large inconvenient truth is that the band has, in fact, become more of an image, and proverbial cash cow than recognized for their music... Everyone probably recognizes the Crimson Ghost, but I'm willing to bet that half of those same people wouldn't recognize "Teenagers From Mars" or "Hollywood Babylon" if you played it for them. It's sad really. They were/are such a huge influence on many bands that followed them, punk and hard rock alike. It can also be debated that they had a huge influence on the psychobilly music genre, and most definitely the horrorbilly scene.
I like both formations of the band, but am on the "separate, but equal" side of the debate, in that I say they are only the same band in name. The older is a punk band, and the newer is a hard rock/metal band. My only question is "is it fair to try and pick a favorite?".... Is this kind of like the proverbial "who wore it best" argument for a band?