Q/A: Metal 101 with TV and radio personality Eddie Trunk
by Ruben Mosqueda on August 18, 2011
http://oregonmusicnews.com/blog/2011/08 ... die-trunk/
(For the entire interview ..go to above addy)
Eddie, what’s your take on bands bringing in replacement players? Mick Jones has done a wonderful job revamping Foreigner, Vinnie Moore has stepped in and done a great job in UFO, then there’s the KISS situation; where you have Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer playing the Ace Frehley and Peter Criss roles? They are great musicians no question, even better than the original guys, but it’s strange.
You’re dealing with very different circumstances with the KISS thing than the other scenarios. In the other examples you’re dealing with a situation where the other guys aren’t in the band and replacement guys are brought in to do what they do in the band. In the case of KISS they brought in replacement guys who do what others have done in the band; in the terms of how they act, behave, and play in the band. That, to me as a long-time KISS fan, bothers me– it was a line that was crossed. I don’t go to the shows anymore and I’m not a fan of what they have done. It’s deception to an extent and it tarnishes the legacy of what Ace and Peter did in the band. I have no issues with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer — they are great musicians, they should be in the band — I just have a problem with them not being their own people. I love all eras of KISS with or without the make-up; I’m just not a fan of the impersonation.
UFO with Vinnie Moore sound phenomenal. Vinnie was brought in do a job and he has surprised a lot of people. You’re right, Foreigner sounds amazing; Kelly Hansen can sing the songs better than Lou Graham. I’ll throw out another example in Journey. Arnel Pineda can probably sing those songs better than Steve Perry can these days. Do you want the original guys whenever possible? Absolutely, but time stops for no one and unfortunately some of these guys just can’t do what they once did. Sometimes the issues are business, ego, or politics that keep some of the original members out of the band. I have no problem with any replacement players coming into a band as long as it’s done in a respectful manner to the legacy of the band and it’s not impersonation. Take Guns N’ Roses for instance; they’re down to one original member. Say what you will about that band but there’s no one in that band acting like Duff McKagan; Bumblefoot isn’t wearing a top hat acting like Slash. Those guys are their own people hired to do a job and most of them are great players. It’s up to the people to decide if they like it or not. Again, if I had my druthers at the end of the day I’d want the original guys, but if it sounds good and done respectfully I have no problem with it. In the case if Foreigner — I don’t mean this disrespectfully — they were a faceless band. Certainly everyone knew Lou but there was no upfront guy. Having guitarist Mick Jones as the only original member in the band works for them. People can’t say that they miss seeing a particular guy in the band because they were anonymous in a way. They were never a pin-up band.
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:05 am
