Lineup Changes

[Ferbian]

Not all bands remain the same throughout their entire existence. Members are switched around on occasions, some of the older bands have been making big changes in their lineups.

Some of these changes are considered a good thing (Dave Mustaine getting kicked out of Metallica in favor of Kirk Hammett, I'd say that's a good exchange, especially considering Dave went on to do just fine in another band).

There are many many more examples of good changes in lineups that have been made. However there are certainly also lineup changes that have gone on to become a bad thing for the band. Something where the fans might feel that the band lost either an important member, or lost the whole thing they had going.

This thread is to focus on both aspects. Good changes, as well as bad changes for a band.

I'll go ahead and start with the good changes.

Metallica: Changing out Dave Mustaine for Kirk Hammett, Kirk is by far my favorite guitarist, and I cannot help but think that I would've had a worse look at Metallica if Kirk Hammett wasn't in there.

Linkin Park / Xero: Having Mark Wakefield leave and then recruiting Chester Bennington is something I definitely feel was a career altering thing in the potential of Linkin Park, or more noticeable around that time; Xero.

And onto the bad changes.

Metallica: Yep these guys have done it all in terms of good and bad changes if you ask me. When James Newsted left Metallica and we got Robert Trujillo, bad change if you ask me. I always loved Newsted and I've considered him to be one of my favorite bassists of all time. And while I love Robert Trujillo as well, there's just something missing over him that I can't put my finger on, something that Newsted had.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: John Frusciante leaving and being replaced by Josh Klinghoffer. Yeah I don't approve, I understand John wanted to leave, that's his choice. However I didn't really like it, because I loved the guitar play by John, and I don't think Red Hot Chili Peppers are quite the same without him.

 

[Tim]

Red Hot Chili Peppers have gone through a couple of lineup changes. Anthony Kiedis and Flea have always been there. From The Red Hot Chili Peppers to The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, they had Jack Irons on drums, and Hillel Slovak on guitar. To be honest, I wasn't a fun of these three albums. I didn't really like the way they approached their music at all, and I didn't really like their sound. They got Chad Smith and John Frusciante in for Mother's Milk, but I still didn't like their sound. It still sounded like it had before in the terms of musical style and it didn't seem to me like much had changed.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik was when Frusciante started to really influence the band's sound, and because of John, the band moved into a more melodic style that I like a lot more than the really funky stuff they had released before. This album and the rest they have released, apart from One Hot Minute, is their best music imo, so for them, bringing John into the band really launched them into the mainstream and made them become successful, and John changed their sound for the better, so it's the best decision the Chilis have ever made.

Unfortunately, John's left the band, but I haven't heard anything from the band with Josh as their guitarist, so i'll be interested to see what direction the Chilis are headed in now.

 

[Alex]

Red Hot Chili Peppers have gone through several lineups

The Red Hot Chili Peppers album

Anthony Kiedis
Flea
Jack Sherman
Cliff Martinez

Freaky Styley

Anthony Kiedis
Flea
Hillel Slovak
Cliff Martinez

Uplift Mofo Party Plan

Anthony Kiedis
Flea
Hillel Slovak
Jack Irons

Mother's Milk & Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Anthony Kiedis
Flea
John Frusciante
Chad Smith

One Hot Minute

Anthony Kiedis
Flea
Dave Navarro
Chad Smith

Californication, By The Way & Stadium Arcadium

Anthony Kiedis
Flea
John Frusciante
Chad Smith

Each one of these albums are great in my opinon, the first five were very funk orientated and they worked well together, when Frusciante left and Navarro came in they were still very funkish but they began to be more melodic in my opinon and when Frusciante came back they expanded on this with Californication, By The Way and Stadium Arcadium. Flea and Anthony Kiedis just seem to be able to get the best out of who they're working with, so I'm looking forward to their collaboration with Josh Klinghoffer.

 

[kissfan85]

Kiss made it with all original members till....82'sh...

Vinnie Vincent was the FIRST ace replacement.
very bad choice, too self destructive and he thought KISS should be the Vinnie Vincent band...Not a good pick

Vincent didn't work so they found Mark St. John....He only made it to the album Anamalize...Health issues so you really can't blame him for that

after Mark St. John they finally found a good replacement in Bruce Kulick

Peter Criss left soon after ACE did and he only had one replacement
Eric Car. He was a perfect fit but unfortunately He died of Cancer

Eric Singer replaced Eric Car....

Band gets back together and Peter Criss takes over Eric Singer and Ace comes back and Bruce Kulick leaves.....

Ace leaves after psycho circus and here comes Tommy Thayer, a great replacement...
He's young and enthusiastic and he LOVES kiss....He would play something and remind Gene and Paul how it went lol

Peter leaves and Eric Singer comes back into the picture
Eric singer also does drumming for Alice Cooper, He's a good pick

Gene, Eric, Tommy and paul are kiss now and for the most part look like they get along a thousand times better then having ace and peter in the mix so overall considering it's been....37 year and kiss is still going...the new and permanent line up isn't too shabby

 

[Alex]

Possibly the most infamous band for lineup changes

drum roll please


Guns N Roses

Starting off being made up of Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Tracii Guns, Ole Beich and Rob Gardner it evolved into the classic lineup of

Axl Rose
Slash
Izzy Stradlin
Duff McKagan
Steven Adler

This lot created Guns N Roses best album, Appetite For Destruction (which holds the record for fastest selling debut album)

They then made G N' R Lies, basically a large EP it was still pretty decent.

Steven Adler got kicked out due to drug use and was replaced with Matt Sorum, the band also added Dizzee Reed on keyboards so know it looked like this

Axl Rose
Slash
Izzy Stradlin
Duff McKagan
Matt Sorum
Dizzy Reed

They created Use Your Illusion I and II. Sorum did a great job on drums and Dizzy Reeds' contribution on keyboards and synthesizers made them decent albums.

But then Izzy left and was replaced with Gilby Clarke.

Axl Rose
Slash
Duff McKagan
Matt Sorum
Dizzy Reed
Gilby Clarke

They did the Spaghetti Incident which was just a load of covers which were good in their own way.

Then the shit hit the fan in the band and Gilby was kicked out, Slash and Duff left and Matt was fired later.

and after going through a revolving door of members which included Buckethead Guns N Roses released Chinese Democracy, which was good but compared to previous albums was a bit shit, mainly because since members kept coming and going they didn't have time to fully contribute and because Axl Rose can't seem to recreate the chemistry he had with the other guys.


So know the current lineup looks like this

Axl Rose
Dizzy Reed
Tommy Stinson
Chris Pitman
Richard Fortus
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
Frank Ferrer
DJ Ashba