Bands that should have broken up

Robert Plant is again being non-committal on a possible Led Zeppelin reunion, but teasing that it might happen in 2014.  I have to say, I don’t see the point.  Yes, the O2 reunion concert was great (and if you have not listened to the Celebration Day record of that concert, I highly recommend it.  In the end, though, it was a novelty act.  We wanted to see what the old geezers could do 25+ years after John Bonham died, and they can still play.  But, do we really need to see that played out over a year of concerts? We already know what is, and what could never be (sorry, couldn’t resist that one).

Personally, I’ve always loved the fact that Zeppelin called it quits after Bonzo’s death.  To see them play with someone else would have been a travesty.  They got it right (as did the Beatles, btw), but so many others get it wrong.  So allow me to examine a few bands that should have made the same decision.

1. The Who – yes, this is the most obvious one as the parallels to Led Zeppelin are pretty striking.  The Kenny Jones Who was never the same, even though the two albums with that lineup (Face Dances, It’s Hard) are a little underrated.  Good songs, they’re just not Who songs.  And, my have they gone on too long since then.  I’m just not interested in seeing them play “Won’t Get Fooled Again” for the one millionth time with a cast of thousands behind them.  If you want to know The Who live, go see The Kids Are Alright and prepare to be amazed.  Lastly, my real beef is with Pete Townshend.  Think of the solo career he could have had if he had kept all of those songs for himself.
2. R.E.M. – This, to me, is an easy one too.  They should have called it quits after Automatic for the People because nothing after that was worthy.  The fact that they still kept going after Bill Berry left is ludicrous.  Guys, that was a sign and you missed it.
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Obviously the Peppers could have called it quits a few times, so they do get points for perseverance.   I’m just saying that Californication should have been their last record (no, Stadium Arcadium was not good even with John Frusciante).  Pushing the point with yet another new guitarist, as they’re doing now, is a bit much for me.
4. Pink Floyd – Yes, I was sucked in to the post Roger Waters era, back in the late 1980’s.  I bought the album, and I saw the concerts.  But, I think we should all look back and admit that Roger Waters was right.  It wasn’t Pink Floyd.  We could have seen the Australian Pink Floyd and payed a lot less money.
5. Van Halen – Van Halen seems like a joke now, and they are on a certain level.  More soap opera than band, and the Diamond Dave version, take 2, is not even Van Halen (you need Michael Anthony, guys). But this was one great band back in the early 1980s.  Think of how fondly we would remember them if they just stopped after 1984.  Sammy Hagar was one thing, Gary Cherone was worse, and stealing our money with Wolfgang Van Halen on bass is the final straw.

Honarable mentions:  Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Guns n’ Rose, Metallica