Voice Of Reason 9.05.02: Striking While The Iron Is Hot
Posted by Nuri Feder on 09.05.2002
In the constantly changing world of pop music, bands who hit it big should move fast to release their followup, and bands already in the spotlight should release new material at least every other year. Then why does it usually take so long?
When a band first hits it big with a new song, there is a very good chance that band will become a one hit wonder. Is it because that band really only had one good song in it? Maybe the song itself was associated with another fad, and once the fad died out, the band faded away as well.
Bands work hard for years to finally land a record contract, then usually tour incessantly for years to break. Then, if they actually do make it and have at least one hit single, the followup CD is almost always a disappointment.
While its possible that the quality of the second album might be far worse than the first, I don’t think that’s the only reason the CD doesn't do as well. After the long process to the top of the music world, as evidenced by a #1 album or song, artists often disappear from the spotlight for a year or more.
New bands often take some time off, and while it is well deserved, it does the band a huge disservice. By taking themselves out of the public eye, even for a year, they effectively have to start from scratch again when the new CD comes out. There might be an initial burst of interest about a new single or CD, but the momentum created by the success of the first CD is all but lost.
For a band like Metallica, which has been out of the public spotlight for over a year, the break is acceptable, if not still risky. By creating a long wait between CDs, Metallica is building anticipation with their large fanbase, and a demand and buzz will begin. It's a double edged sword, because if Metallica doesn't deliver a great album for their next CD, the fans wont be as excited for the album after, especially if there is another long wait. Motley Crue had a huge wait in between CDs, and then effectively built a huge buzz for their reunion CD with Vince Neil in 1997. However, when fans heard the faux-NIN industrial direction that the Crue went with Generation Swine, the CD's sales fell off after an impressive #4 debut on Billboard, and the band has never been able to recover.
Most bands don't have a legacy of great music and a huge fanbase like Metallica does, or like Motley Crue did. For bands like Lifehouse, Stroke 9 and SR-71, all of whom have CDs coming out in Fall 2002, they are all in varying stages of forgottenness by the fickle pop music public.
Lifehouse did the best job of quickly getting back into the studio and producing a new CD. The new record follows closely in style to the first, and the opening single "Spin" will welcome fans of "Hanging by a Moment." The early success of the single shows that LIfehouse might actually have a future. Also it reinforces the notion there is no rest for the weary in rock music, and the band likely had very little time off between touring and recording the new album.
SR-71 is in the mid range of the three bands, in that they had a major hit two years ago, but remained somewhat in the spotlight, with their song featured in the movie "Dude, Where's My Car" and the PS2/Xbox game commercials for Splashdown. However, SR-71's momentum is waning, and they also made the major mistake of changing the style considerably from the first CD. Instead of a light, melodic power pop followup, they seem to have gone heavier and more intense, if the lead single "Tomorrow" is any indication. I would be surprised if SR-71 ever escaped one-hit wonder status.
Stroke 9 is also not likely to do well with their new CD. Their radio hit, "Little Black Backpack", broke almost three years ago, and since then the band has been almost invisible. They had a very minor rock radio hit with "Kick Some Ass" but otherwise have to start over again with their upcoming CD. With the lead single "100 Girls", they are on the right track in terms of sound, but the song seems to be tanking at radio, not boding well for the album.
Granted, there are probably many factors that go into creating a new CD, but fans of bands often cry fowl when the band falls out of favor with the public. Oftentimes they blame MTV or radio for not supporting the band, or the label for not adequately pushing the band. And while these factors are certainly there, the band, too, has to take accountability. It's no secret that a band has to stay active and prolific, staying on tour or releasing new music constantly to appease new-music-hungry fans. But the nature of the business is that touring and recording takes its toll, and bands need time off. The mega-successful acts take little time off, or are such PR geniuses (see: Madonna) that they can afford lengthy time away from the spotlight and maintain the shine on their star. Otherwise the band will fall by the wayside, once again eaten up by the music industry machine, and probably wondering what happened.
It's a shame that the music industry has evolved to such a fast paced beast that any break in concentration for a hard working band can mean the difference between superstardom and being a flash in the pan. Getting to the top is not enough if the band wants to be a classic – the hard work that accompanied the early days of the band, to the record deal to the huge tour, has to continue long after the first gold record.
