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(Originally finalized on September 17, 2025)
Preface: A lot of bands from the '60s and '70s came and went, disbanding or losing key members over the years. Others have chugged along, to greater and lesser critical reception, having garnered a loyal fanbase. And others still went away, only to come back at a later point, to try and recapture old glory.
At this point in my music log, I think it's safe to call it a comeback. So this week, to start the new quarter, we'll listen to a selection of songs from - not necessarily reunions - but albums that marked a resurgence in awareness or activity for the artist in question. Just don't call it a comeback - because they were never really gone. :-p
Monday: Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers [Perfect Strangers, 1984]
Comments: After Deep Purple made rock history with their Mark II lineup (the "Smoke On The Water" era), they went through a few changes, first losing singer Ian Gillan, and eventually guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. By 1976, the band had fizzled out. But 1984 saw the reunion of the Mark II lineup, and the beginning of a new life for the band. This title track from their first album back together proves that they still had it.
Tuesday: The Eagles - Get Over It [Hell Freezes Over, 1994]
Comments: Even the most lucrative of musical collaborations are not immune to a falling out. Tensions between guitarists Glenn Frey and Don Felder precipitated The Eagles' split in 1980. When asked when the band would get back together, Don Henley is reported to have said, "when Hell freezes over". Thus, the title of their reunion album following a 14 year "vacation" - part live concert, with four new songs recorded in the studio.
Wednesday: Pink Floyd - Marooned [The Division Bell, 1994]
Comments: And on the subject of broken musical partnerships, it's a shame that Roger Waters and David Gilmour couldn't get along, because they made such great music together. After Waters left (in the wake of trying to turn it into his backing band), Pink Floyd never fully recovered. But after A Momentary Lapse of Reason (their mostly forgettable '80s album), they approached their former glory one last time with 1994's The Division Bell.
Thursday: Eric Clapton - Groaning The Blues [From The Cradle, 1994]
Comments: I remember thinking back when I was starting to get into this music around the turn of the millennium, that 1994 was a great year for '70s rock bands. Even Page and Plant reunited in 1994! But while their collaboration failed, in my opinion, to rekindle the spark that was Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton had dipped back to his roots and released an album full of blues covers that year - and he's never sounded better, if you ask me.
Friday: The Rolling Stones - Laugh, I Nearly Died [A Bigger Bang, 2005]
Comments: The Rolling Stones never really went away, but by the 21st century the hiatus between albums was growing longer. I was in college when A Bigger Bang came out in 2005, and I remember it being a huge deal. A return to form, it was the band's first album of all new material in eight years. I drove home four hours on a Wednesday to see them in concert on that tour, checking an item off my bucket list in the process.
Saturday: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Good Enough [Mojo, 2010]
Comments: Returning from an eight year hiatus of their own (albeit with some side projects in the interrim), after the critically underrated concept album The Last DJ (a personal favorite of mine), The Heartbreakers released their own 21st century opus, Mojo. (Although their next album - and the last before Tom Petty's unexpected death - Hypnotic Eye, is also recommended). The closing track is one of my all-time favorite songs by this band.
Sunday: Black Sabbath - God Is Dead [13, 2013]
Comments: After Ozzy left the band in 1979, Black Sabbath experimented with some new singers, achieving the greatest success with Ronnie James Dio. Both singers took turns reuniting with the band in the new millennium, but what would prove to be their final album saw the return of Ozzy to the helm. Managing to sound both modern and reminiscent of their origins, I was instantly sold on it when I heard this track playing while shopping for CDs in an FYE store.
Honorable Mention: The Yardbirds - Dream Within A Dream [Birdland, 2003]
Comments: Who would have expected the 21st century reunion of a band from the '60s that featured three different guitarists who would become household names, only after leaving the band? Much less one whose lead singer tragically died in 1976. Although Jeff Beck does guest on one track, neither Eric Clapton nor Jimmy Page make an appearance, but there are some other high profile guest guitarists to reinterpret some of The Yardbirds' classic songs. Among the new songs written for this album, this one - with lyrics inspired by Edgar Allan Poe - manages to sound very much like vintage Yardbirds.