On Jan. 1, Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell announced via Facebook, Twitter and MySpace the holy trinity of social networks that his grunge-rock band would be reuniting, 26 years after their initial formation and 12 years after their disbanding. Cornell, however, did not divulge any details as to what that reunion would entail.
The reformation of Soundgarden and other notable bands begs the question of how much a long-defunct, newly reunited group can contribute to the growth of music. Is it possible for bands to continue building upon the legacies that they created two decades ago, or will they invariably fail to surpass the standards they themselves previously set, with any new releases falling in the shadow of their iconic hits?
It seems the answer depends on the band.
Influential alt-rockers the Pixies, who disbanded in 1993, started performing reunion concerts in 2004. This past fall, the Pixies moved beyond the occasional trip down memory lane, embarking on a "Doolittle" tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their third album and announcing their plans to release their first new album since 1991 within the next year. The reunion concerts and tours allowed old and young fans to re-experience songs that helped shape the music world, but will an album of new tracks have the same effect?
In 2004, the Pixies released the single "Bam Thwok," which fans eagerly latched onto. But the new song received mixed reactions from listeners, many bemoaning the organ solo featured in the track. While the single is not necessarily indicative of what the upcoming album will be like, it was not the most promising precursor.
Though '90s Brit-pop sensation Oasis never actually broke up, its turbulent history complete with brotherly spats, drug abuse and lineup changes would have been enough to shatter most other acts. Regardless, the band provides an example of the manner in which bands often reach a point where they cease to produce material that can measure up to their older cuts. They reach a plateau or, even worse, fall off of a cliff on the other side. Despite all the internal turmoil, Oasis has continued to regularly put out albums for more than a decade, but the peak of the band's popularity undoubtedly came early on in their history when its sophomore album "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" (1995) became the U.K.'s third biggest-selling album ever.
Although Oasis has had new releases, 2008's "Dig Out Your Soul" being the most recent, none of their new songs are nearly as distinct and memorable as "Wonderwall" or "Champagne Supernova," which were released when Brit-pop was just taking hold. At their concerts, you can politely groove to their new songs, but it's only when their older music comes on that you truly feel moved. In that case, it seems like Oasis has become more of a memento of its former days than an artist to continue following.
As for Soundgarden, the Pixies and other bands, we'll just have to wait for their new music. These are artists who held a prominent place in the music scene in their heyday and greatly influenced later bands. But music is in a different place today than it was 30 or even 10 years ago, and I wonder whether new releases from these artists will have the same significance and ability to transform music in a world that they have already helped to evolve.
