What if they survived

[Marikk]

Weiland is a true shadow of his former self. Terrible.

Very true, Physically, performance wise..I had opertunities to see his act live a couple times and passed. That video above every reason why too..I like to remember him as he was back in the day before the drugs completely destroyed him...very sad

 

[Marikk]

Half the man he used to be......

Damn, why didnt i think of that first! Well played

 

[themarshall]

Damn, why didnt i think of that first! Well played

Saw some friends cover that one recently and groaned when the singer introduced it as from 92-ish and said "it was a little before my time" and a girl next to me said "Hey! That's the year I was born!"

 

[dalkowski]

I've gotten h8 for saying it, but given the choice, I'd rather the past-his-prime Clapton had been on that helicopter instead of SRV. Damn.

 

[Marikk]

Thats when i started to feel old...Hearing people say the stuff i grew up with in my youth saying it was before they were born. Weirdest part about dating an 18yo at 34 is the generational disconnect

 

[jthisdell]

I've gotten h8 for saying it, but given the choice, I'd rather the past-his-prime Clapton had been on that helicopter instead of SRV. Damn.

The point being that Stevie Ray was really just getting going, not even hit his prime yet. I saw Clapton in 79 and it was the longest show ever, at least it seemed like he played Lay Down Sallie and Cocaine for an eternity.

 

[jthisdell]

If Jaco had survived and gotten a handle on his mental illness, I think he would have gone on to be a major Jazz Icon in the vein of Pat Metheny and Chick Corea.

Even with his death Jaco changed bass playing forever and will always be a major icon.

 

[AltGrendel]

All musician work the same way as stars do, working their way through a main sequence of musical work.

 

[Bodeanly]

Weirdest part about dating an 18yo at 34 is the generational disconnect

Or the fact that you had your driver's license when her mother pooped her out.

I ain't hatin'!

 

[danosix]

I've read on several threads something to the effect that music would have been different had some artist survived, such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Duane Allman, etc.

I've thought about this and think I fundamentally disagree. I believe that fans of these revolutionary artists would have liked some of the new material, not liked others of it, been indifferent/critical/etc. but that there would likely be no fundamental change in music had such artists survived.

So, for example, when I consider Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Grace Slick, Elvis Costello, Glyn Johns, George Martin, Gregg Allman, Paul Simon, Neil Young, etc., I believe that they made their initial enormous contributions and then maybe did some great work, some mediocre work, some interesting work, but nothing that rivaled what their initial contributions to the course of music.

Anyway, I'm interested in what others have to say. Obviously, this is all speculation, as there is currently no way to change history and see what would have happened if....

I think that you are right. Virtually none of the artists of the same eras who lived did anything that significant much after their heydays. Why would these people be any different? Most artists (like people in general) do their "great" work before they're 30. I was of the Nirvana generation and loved the music and grew to really appreciate what he was doing as having a real vision and not simply being dumb stoner-depresso punk. Having said that, the best the he ever did for his "legacy" was kill himself and create all this "what if" by preventing us seeing him put out the less than brilliant work that naturally follows the "great" stuff.
I love Pink Floyd and REALLY LIKE the new stuff, but it in no way compares in scope and brilliance to the early stuff (and I'm comparing Gilmour material to Gilmour material so the Waters part of the equation is eliminated). Similarly U2 - Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Rattle and Achtung Baby - holy crap! Then they go on to do Pop and How to Dismantle, etc. hardly the same calibre. As you said about Costello - one of my ALL TIME faves - but some of his post-Attractions (first time around) material is just plain awful and the best of it is just good.
Unfortunately, if Jimi had lived I think he would have become what Clapton became - very good and largely very not interesting after his initial revolutionary work. Or the other guitar hero of Woodstock: Santana. His first several albums are unbelievable, but now he's a side show for whichever singers are in the top 10. He's still a good musician, but the revolutionary fervor just burns itself out, that's just life.

 

[mb94952]

I heard that Jimi was in the works to work with Miles Davis before he died. Like someone said, had Jimi lived his obvious gravity would've been towards fusion. Oh how'd I LOVE to have heard Jimi in the mid to late 70's !! WOW !! He would've grown out of the 60's scene and totally matured as a musician. He had so much music in his head. A true genius.

Good thing we have Allan Holdsworth today !!

 

[Kmonk]

I've read on several threads something to the effect that music would have been different had some artist survived, such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Duane Allman, etc.

I've thought about this and think I fundamentally disagree. I believe that fans of these revolutionary artists would have liked some of the new material, not liked others of it, been indifferent/critical/etc. but that there would likely be no fundamental change in music had such artists survived.

So, for example, when I consider Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Grace Slick, Elvis Costello, Glyn Johns, George Martin, Gregg Allman, Paul Simon, Neil Young, etc., I believe that they made their initial enormous contributions and then maybe did some great work, some mediocre work, some interesting work, but nothing that rivaled what their initial contributions to the course of music.

Anyway, I'm interested in what others have to say. Obviously, this is all speculation, as there is currently no way to change history and see what would have happened if....

Other than Elvis and Duane Allman, I'm not really a fan of any of the deceased artists you mentioned. I really don't think music would have evolved much differently. I think Joplin may have had a greater influence on female artists if she had lived longer but I'm not sure how much more influence the others would have had. Most of them already had a significant influence. I'm going to take a lot of heat for this but personally, I think Kurt Cobain is one of the most overrated artists ever and I have always found Hendrix to be loud and sloppy. Hendrix was innovative for his time and he has influenced many guitarists but I'm not sure the influence would have been any greater if he were still alive today.

I agree with your second point that Dylan, Richards, Townshend, etc, were influential very early on in the their careers but much of the later work has been mostly unknown due to little radio airplay. As a result, their later work isn't as influential. I think the same would be true for the deceased artists you mentioned.

 

[dalkowski]

The point being that Stevie Ray was really just getting going, not even hit his prime yet. I saw Clapton in 79 and it was the longest show ever, at least it seemed like he played Lay Down Sallie and Cocaine for an eternity.

Precisely, precisely.

 

[shawshank72]

Considering Kurt Cobain died while on top we would have at least gotten one more album from them.
Although Nirvana would have ended it would have been great to still have him around.

 

[mwbassace]

I think Kurt Cobain is one of the most overrated artists ever

I thought I was the only one. No one can deny Nirvana's cultural impact, but I feel it was more a time for a "changing of the guard" than a musical visionary thing. I like Nirvana's music alot, but don't think it's better then others. I think the Foo Fighters are every bit as good.

 

[tubedude]

Wow, so many possibilities! I agree, most of those artists would have likely floundered, having seen their high water mark. Hendrix would have likely died too soon anyway, but would have given us fusion a decade earlier. I see him becoming a Tommy Bolin/ Holdsworthish hybrid. Maybe in the vein of Scott Henderson, with a tad less fluidity and humor.
But it would have been exciting to see a couple of these artists that continued to grow, knock down boundaries, and create new music during their extended time. Like Jeff Beck has for 60 years.
BTW, Bill Halley didn't die, he laid low for a while and now goes by the name of Elvis Costello. I hear he still plays a little guitar occasionally.

 

[I am Soma]

Look at Petty. What if Jesus would've lived to be an old man. Now that's something.

or if he had existed at all. couldnt resist

 

[tubedude]

In addition, I wish Jerry had stuck to the banjo. We could have avoided the Gratefully Dead and the whole jam band pandemic. In the same vein of Hitler deciding to stick with art and avoid politics.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

I think the easiest way to answer this question is to imagine if some of the most influential musicians had died after their first album.

Let's take one -- Eddie Van Halen.

What if he died after the first record was recorded? There is probably no other guitarist after Hendrix who has influenced guitarists more (both positively and negatively). From two-handed tapping to wammy bar use to metal hair bands of the 80s, Van Halen was the start.

So, I'd have to say, yes, music would have been very different, as we would never know what any of these artists would have exposed us to.

 

[pholli00]

I thought I was the only one.

I think I understand, without fully agreeing. I'd like to hear someone else sing "cherry flavored antacid" with even half the sense of hopelessness and despair that Mr. Cobain put into it.