Monday, February 23, 2015

My 5 Most Regrettable Musician Deaths



5.) Hillel Slovak


I’m not a huge RHCP fan, but if I will listen to them, I much prefer their earlier period, their time in the mid-80’s, when they infused funk with rap, with a fast-paced style that was truly unique in the music scene. Since Slovak’s death, but not necessarily because of it, they veered away from that into a band that hasn’t been able to truly blend styles but separates them. Both Anthony Keidis and Flea have mentioned on numerous occasions that Slovak was the guy that really drove the early days of the band, the guy that gave them their sound, their identity. His loss was felt on the band, and what they would become from a musical standpoint. The reason this isn’t higher is that he was a major heroin addict (if not as much of an addict as Keidis), and probably a ticking time-bomb. As Keidis and Flea have also both said, someone was going to die – they just didn’t expect it to be Hillel. Slovak’s legacy is still being felt (the man who replaced him, John Frusciante, has repeatedly said he’s basically stole his whole playing style from Slovak), but his style, his charisma, and his integral part of the early, and in my opinion better, era of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s legacy will never be forgotten.


4.) John Bonham


I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of Led Zeppelin. I do admire their musicality, their amazing complexity and talent at playing their respective roles. Led Zeppelin, musically, was pretty damn perfect. John Bonham was arguably the best part of Led Zeppelin (or maybe he wasn’t – that’s how good they were) but his loss did more than make the world lose a brilliant drummer, it made the world lose a band. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page basically called it quits right after Bonham’s death (I don’t think John Paul Jones had much of a say in the matter). They’ve never really gotten back together. Bonham was integral to the Page/Plant relationship, not as a mediator, but as the 3rd piece to a triangular puzzle. Bonham connected that band more than anyone realized. I don’t know how much longer Led Zeppelin would have stayed together had Bonham not died, but had he stayed alive, I am sure they would have had more shows together than Page and Plant have had without him. I’m sure I would have had a chance to watch them play.


3.) Cliff Burton


Metallica is still going on, with the other three original (discounting Dave Mustaine) members still in the band, but they’re not the same band they were with Burton in it. It is easy to say Metallica would have made that transition anyway, but I think losing Burton was more than just expediting the move towards shorter songs. Take the album right after Burton’s death - …And Justice For All – which kept a lot of the earlier Metallica ethos alive, with long intros, complex framing, and a surfeit of length. That album had some of the longest songs Metallica ever produced, but they were not the same. Gone was the rhythmic influence that Burton, a music student, provided, replaced with an almost workman-like creation. The songs on ‘And Justice’ somewhat plodded, and felt too structured. The songs on the earlier album were close to perfect. Burton’s incredible bass anchored some truly great music. Losing Burton definitely changed Metallica musically, just not in the way most people think.


2.) John Lennon


I have serious doubts that had John Lennon not been killed the Beatles would have gotten back together in any way apart from a music special every 10 years or so, or maybe one gigantic comeback tour. Still, losing Lennon that soon was losing the most important single musician in any band of the 20th Century. John Lennon was the Beatles, something easy to forget all these years later when Paul McCartney has become the lasting face of the band. John Lennon was a talent like no other, with a musical mind like no other. We may have lost some truly great music he produced, but we also missed a guy who could tour and play Lennon Beatles songs the way they’re supposed to be played. Having Lennon alive would probably have the least impact on the actual music produced since his death of anyone on this list, but losing him may have hurt the most. Of course, his loss is increased by the way it ended, the stupid, heinous crime that ended his life. John Lennon was about peace, was about acceptance. The fact that his lasting song outside of the Beatles was ‘Imagine’ was so perfect. That was John Lennon in one word, a truly great imagination and mind.


1.) Freddie Mercury


Why is Freddie Mercury the biggest loss? Well, he’s arguably the most talented on this list, though if you count song-writing, Lennon is definitely at the worst Mercury’s equal. More than that, Mercury headed the one band who I think would absolutely still be together touring had he not died. There’s a reason I didn’t put Jim Morrison on this list, the Doors were basically done at the time of his death. That is not true of Queen, a band that spanned 20 years with Mercury in it, but still going strong. I have no doubt the concert I saw this summer with Adam Lambert heading Brian May and Roger Taylor, would have been Freddie Mercury singing had he not contracted HIV and passed away. Freddie Mercury was one of the singular rock talents ever. He combined both an incredible feel and ability for showmanship with a legendary, operatic voice. He was basically Mick Jagger, with the voice to boot. Freddie Mercury went way too soon and the world was stripped of enjoying his talents for 25 (and counting) years.

About Me

I am a man who will go by the moniker dmstorm22, or StormyD, but not really StormyD. I'll talk about sports, mainly football, sometimes TV, sometimes other random things, sometimes even bring out some lists (a lot, lot, lot of lists). Enjoy.