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tigerfeet View Drop Down
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    Posted: December 19 2020 at 16:59
TCat asked if my forum name was taken from the band MUD and their hit single Tiger Feet. 

Yes, I loved MUD as a youngster but that gave me a quick idea to make a thread about how many bands have changed in general, or music style, or genre, through their careers. 

It is funny how bands were packaged like boxes of cereal or a toy and if that didn't work, and they were lucky, they got a 2nd chance, and were re-packaged.

For my example I used the band 'MUD' as back in the late 60s they were packaged like a Beatles, flower power, Monkies type of band and somewhere in 1973 they kind of went T-Rex, but that wasn't enough. The next year in '74 they would be re-packaged as glam/rocker/teddy boy, Elvis impersonators lol.... well lets face it, it was a strange genre of music that particularly evolved in the UK and European market at that time. 

The first 2 tracks are quite the sound of the late 60s as they slowly evolved into the morphing Genre (think T-Rex) and then the next year came out of the cocoon with the Glam-Rockerbilly/Teddyboy sound. 

So in Mud's case you can hear and see the changes over the space of 6-7 years. 

'Flower Power' (1967)

'Up the Airy Mountain' (1968)

'Crazy (1973)


'Tiger Feet' (1974)
(incidentally the B side was the best song of their career ['Mr Bagatelle']) 



And lastly, as its Christmas time their Holiday Hit, 
'Lonely This Christmas' (1974)



In the case of Mud the genre change took them from relatively insignificant chart hits to ultra mega hits which became almost 'anthems' at that time. 

Anyhow, please feel free to post anything you have found with bands that had changed a lot over their careers/ The bands can be any band, prog or not, and they can have more than one change, if that can even happen. Big smile




Edited by tigerfeet - December 19 2020 at 17:04
I'm sorry, if you were right, I'd agree with you. Robin Williams.
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The Anders View Drop Down
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I think the Danish band Gnags is a very good example if you follow them from their debut album in 1973 and until circa 1983 (after that they pretty much settled on their then style). The changes were clearly for the better.

1973:


1976:

1979:


1980:


1983:



Edited by The Anders - December 19 2020 at 17:15
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Points: 20035 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 20 2020 at 10:41
That's interesting about Mud, I didn't know they were once a flower power band, I only know the later Teddy boy style band (Tiger Feet - one of the greatest party records ever recorded, I danced stupidly to that song many times in my youth).
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Whenever I think genre change, I think Ulver. They are always the first band to come to mind.
Obviously the longer a band or artist is making music, the more their sound can change, and even within a relatively short space of time. The Beatles changed their sound considerably. But I guess it’s far rarer for a band to change genre. It definitely does happen though, and can be quite interesting. Almost as interesting as watching the fanatics argue endlessly about which era was best. 😜

(I have to admit, with Ulver, that they really don’t interest me until their Blake album, but I love everything from that point on.)
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On the subject of Mud and Glam Rock generally, one genre-changing band comes to mind, and that's Sweet. They started off as a sweet Pop band with such sugar-coated hits as Wig Wam Bam, Co-Co & Little Willy, and then morphed into a Hard Rock band with hell-raising hits such as The Sixteens, Set Me Free & No You Don't from the Sweet F.A. album. Smile

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - December 20 2020 at 15:47
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Points: 8462 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 20 2020 at 15:14
Originally posted by nick_h_nz nick_h_nz wrote:

Whenever I think genre change, I think Ulver. They are always the first band to come to mind.
Obviously the longer a band or artist is making music, the more their sound can change, and even within a relatively short space of time. The Beatles changed their sound considerably. But I guess it’s far rarer for a band to change genre. It definitely does happen though, and can be quite interesting. Almost as interesting as watching the fanatics argue endlessly about which era was best. 😜

(I have to admit, with Ulver, that they really don’t interest me until their Blake album, but I love everything from that point on.)


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https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
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tigerfeet View Drop Down
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Originally posted by The Anders The Anders wrote:

I think the Danish band Gnags is a very good example if you follow them from their debut album in 1973 and until circa 1983 (after that they pretty much settled on their then style). The changes were clearly for the better.
I liked the first album you posted Godag Godag even that it sounded dated - the 2nd song Ulvetid you can hear them pull away from the left overs of the 60s and seem confused as to where they are heading musically. The 3rd video Burhons has a distinctive late 70s feel with the keyboard sound and they seem to be going more rock - then by 1980 Rhytmehans they are getting more like a kind of Ian Dury with a bit of Ska thrown in in style - The last video Fogbaenger i liked they had now changed a a lot and more rounded as a band.  I am now listening to the album Plads Til Begejstring which i like a lot.  

How would you describe their style of music in their latest incarnation? 




Edited by tigerfeet - December 20 2020 at 20:05
I'm sorry, if you were right, I'd agree with you. Robin Williams.
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tigerfeet View Drop Down
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Originally posted by nick_h_nz nick_h_nz wrote:

Whenever I think genre change, I think Ulver. They are always the first band to come to mind.
Obviously the longer a band or artist is making music, the more their sound can change, and even within a relatively short space of time. The Beatles changed their sound considerably. But I guess it’s far rarer for a band to change genre. It definitely does happen though, and can be quite interesting. Almost as interesting as watching the fanatics argue endlessly about which era was best. 😜

(I have to admit, with Ulver, that they really don’t interest me until their Blake album, but I love everything from that point on.)


Had a good listen tonight and never listened to them before, on purpose of course. 

I can see what you mean about the many facets and sounds of this band. 




Edited by tigerfeet - December 20 2020 at 20:05
I'm sorry, if you were right, I'd agree with you. Robin Williams.
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Guldbamsen View Drop Down
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Points: 23104 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 21 2020 at 01:29
I guess Pink Floyd is the most obvious..I mean listen to Piper and The Wall side by side and you indeed wonder how on earth those two albums are made by the same band (save for Syd).
Kraftwerk also made a complete u-turn creatively starting out as this wild unhinged Krautrock band with drums, flutes, guitars and the works..and then when Autobahn rolled along they suddenly sounded all synthesised and oddly soapy.
Wolves In The Throne Room’s Celestite is also a complete outlier of an album..especially when you listen to what came before.
Ulver is a good call as well.


Edited by Guldbamsen - December 21 2020 at 01:30
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Hrychu View Drop Down
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Banco shifted from prog to synthpop in the 80s.
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chopper View Drop Down
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Since it's been discussed here lately, I'll throw in Talk Talk's transition from synth-pop band supporting Duran Duran to the apparent inventors of post-rock with Spirit of Eden.
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The Anders View Drop Down
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Originally posted by tigerfeet tigerfeet wrote:

Originally posted by The Anders The Anders wrote:

I think the Danish band Gnags is a very good example if you follow them from their debut album in 1973 and until circa 1983 (after that they pretty much settled on their then style). The changes were clearly for the better.
I liked the first album you posted Godag Godag even that it sounded dated - the 2nd song Ulvetid you can hear them pull away from the left overs of the 60s and seem confused as to where they are heading musically. The 3rd video Burhons has a distinctive late 70s feel with the keyboard sound and they seem to be going more rock - then by 1980 Rhytmehans they are getting more like a kind of Ian Dury with a bit of Ska thrown in in style - The last video Fogbaenger i liked they had now changed a a lot and more rounded as a band.  I am now listening to the album Plads Til Begejstring which i like a lot.  

How would you describe their style of music in their latest incarnation? 


I'd say it's very rhythmic first of all. There's some inspiration from reggae and African music, and possibly an echo of new wave too. Plads til Begejstring (1986) is often regarded as their best album, but personally I have X (with Fodgænger as the opening track) and Den Blå Hund (1984) as my favourites.
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