They changed and ... it's still good?

[The Hairminator]

I really think the Jonas Brothers have developed as a band. At first they were a little bit unpolished, but I really think they addressed the issue with their new album: Lines, Vines and Trying times.
What? You're saying Jonas Brothers aren't the best thing to happen the world since toiletpaper?
[small]I've been living in a dreamworld..[/small]

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Why just songs, how about whole albums?

A Sense Of Purpose by In Flames, they made their way into mainstream metal, but the huge difference, they made it well.

Blooddrunk by Children of Bodom, the hybrid of the old melodic style we all love, and the new hard style from Are You Dead Yet?, has proven that they still know good music.

Your example of Muse is good as well, I love them.

Depeche Mode went from 80's pop, to deep heavy music that cut into your soul, and toned it down towards the later years with Sounds of The Universe, but still keeping that cut in our souls. They are truly indefinably awesome.

 

[Raven's Nest]

I was actually quite disappointed, they seem to have lost the art of the crescendo.

For example, there's the bit after the French bit in I Belong To You - there's this great build-up back to the original melody, but they cap it with a jazz clarinet solo - I like the solo, I think it works in the song, but not at that point - they needed something with a bit more energy at that moment in the song.

Exogenesis was another one - the individual parts don't last long enough. Every time a part of the piece gets good, they drop the pace and change it again. Really, each part of the symphony could have done with being extended by about a minute. And also, stick it together as one track ffs, it doesn't work well with shuffle >_>

EDIT: The album as a whole was still good though, all the tracks before I Belong To You were solid, if not spectacular.

I feel ya. I've heard quite a few critics speak of the ill-advised clarinet solo. It was wasn't ill-advised, just mis-placed as you said. I love that bass line and drums for it too. Reminds me a lot of a style which my last band did. We thought it would become popular, but we lacked Muse's influence and popularity to get the songs out...

Yeah it's also a shame Matt didn't expand on the Exogenesis parts. I was expecing a 25 minute odyssey when he announced a three part symphony. I wasn't too disappointed as what's there is brilliant. But your right, they did seem to stop too early in those tracks...

Absolution, I think, is still their strongest album. I would hope the next offering is as coherrent as that. Black holes and The Resistance both suffer from the lack of flow throughout the album. They sounded disjointed and random by comparison.

 

[Daniel Cygnus]

"Televators" by The Mars Volta.

That sounds downright normal after their new album. It's what they claim to be their acoustic album. Copernicus, Since We've Been Wrong, and With Twilight as My Guide are all slow, mournful acoustic ballads.

 

[Trivun]

I think the diversity that Muse has within their music is what makes them popular, every album is different. For me all of 30 seconds to mars songs sound the same :S.
But back on track, i agree Coldplay's "Viva la vida" brought them back into popularity and with a new sound and they still sound brilliant.

Ninja'd. I was a massive fan of them anyway, and the new album was even better. Made more awesome by the EP, 'Prospekt's March', a few months afterwards. I especially liked Lost+, it was Coldplay's new style but adding Jay-Z's great talent to the mix. Speaking of which, Linkin Park have evolved over the years and still remain great, I have all their standard albums and they're still really good, but especially after moving in the rap direction. Their collabs with Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes have all been pretty good too, and it's a marked change from their earlier work...

 

[ironlordthemad]

so im going to have to be the one too say this?
all right then
Slipknot
*ducks behind a massive iron shield with the tribal S design on it and waits for the barrage of hate and crap from people who dont like any slipknot or the newer stuff *

ok hear me out for a moment
the early stuff was fantastic, realy loud music using everything that the band had, all the energy and instruments they could muster and we loved them for that
then they release all hope is gone

theres a new tone, a new pace, they seem almost mature, still making great songs with great energy and style, but because people don't like it because it's different and no one is smashing a beer keg with a baseball bat while screaming about chopping a goat's eyes out...

its called maturity people

can you imagine if thirty or forty year olds partied like college frat boys?
they would look stupid

maybe someone in slipknot realised that and said "maybe its better if we change our style just a little bit?"

the result, a great album, great guitar work, drum solos (but with JJ at the kit can you go wrong) and good vocals

Slipknot is still a good band, despite the changes they made...

 

[Kuchinawa212]

Well, and I hope this counts, Paul McCartney is known for writing the quirky love songs and kind of upbeat music. But then he writes Eleanor Rigby, which seems kinda like a downer compared to his other stuff. But I really like that song

 

[Smudge91]

Really? As an avid Muse Quasi-fanboy I'd say they were popular because their songs were all made of awesome... Kidding aside, their last two albums have been significantly more pop orientated than the first three albums. Some of their songs are even bordering on electro and r'n'b. I believe that has contributed significantly to their rise in popularity. I first noticed it with 'Time Is Running Out', all the girl chavs at school were bleating about it non-stop and that actually pissed me off for a while...
Also, I'm sure Coldplay haven't been any where near as popular as they were before Vida la Vida came out? I barely hear about them anymore, not like the days when 'clocks' was released...

I think my post agrees with you. Their diversity and just plain awsome songs make them popular. I'm a massive Muse fan and they just tend to appeal to everyone with their style. I've noticed that this album is more a more classical/rock/electro mix which works really well and will most probably bring other fans.
Also i agree with the Coldplay thing, Viva La Vida brought them in to the lime light and i think their album before that brought some more popularity but yeah they have gone quite again. But their last album was good.

Ninja'd. I was a massive fan of them anyway, and the new album was even better. Made more awesome by the EP, 'Prospekt's March', a few months afterwards. I especially liked Lost+, it was Coldplay's new style but adding Jay-Z's great talent to the mix. Speaking of which, Linkin Park have evolved over the years and still remain great, I have all their standard albums and they're still really good, but especially after moving in the rap direction. Their collabs with Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes have all been pretty good too, and it's a marked change from their earlier work...

I basically agree with this too. I know alot of people who don't like the rap/linkin park collaboration but it worked. Thats what i love about Muse and Linkin Park, they arn't afraid to do something different and outside their comfort zone.

Apologies for the long post

 

[SimuLord]

I gotta give some props to Weird Al here. You talk about a range of styles, this guy's done Toni Basil, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Coolio, Don McLean, Eminem, Rage Against the Machine, Cake, and Chamillionaire in the same career...and done them astoundingly well.

Show me any other musician who's ever displayed THAT wide a range.

 

[SonicKoala]

The Clash transitioned from straight-up 70s punk to unbelievable genius and innovation with "London Calling", and it was completely awesome. Led Zeppelin underwent a significant change with Led Zeppelin III and IV, and yet they were still just as amazing (IV more than III, obviously). Nirvana just sort of went all out and wrote the most abrasive, aggressive rock album they could muster with "In Utero", and it turned out to be their best work. And finally, Radiohead has NEVER released the same album twice, and yet they consistently churn out some fantastic music.

 

[Jens Viking]

Bowie, almost every single album he made.

 

[Hippobatman]

I remember the old Steel Attack stuff was good, but then they changed... And became even better.

Early stuff featured songs in this style: Where Mankind Fails [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcxSeXXvbZc]

New style: Diabolic Symphony [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YYqJpEXS0A]

 

[Raven's Nest]

I think my post agrees with you. Their diversity and just plain awsome songs make them popular. I'm a massive Muse fan and they just tend to appeal to everyone with their style. I've noticed that this album is more a more classical/rock/electro mix which works really well and will most probably bring other fans.

Their music is headed in a rather eclectic direction and by doing songs like Undisclosed Desires and Map of the Problematique, they are alienating the fans of Plug in Baby and even the ballads like Unintended...

I love and embrace their new directions but I can understand why some fans have moved on. I wish they were a little more open minded.

Actually the biggest turn off for most people is Matt's voice. I've always liked it since I first heard Muscle Museum but others have despised it. This pattern rings true even with the more recent listeners.

I can't express how proud I am of them though. They are the first British group to show real superstar potential. I hope they can go on to become as popular and as legendary as Queen. I believed in them since the very beginning and always new they'd be massive one day. They're pretty much the biggest and fastest growing modern British band now anyway.

 

[ScatterBen]

The Clash transitioned from straight-up 70s punk to unbelievable genius and innovation with "London Calling", and it was completely awesome. Led Zeppelin underwent a significant change with Led Zeppelin III and IV, and yet they were still just as amazing (IV more than III, obviously). Nirvana just sort of went all out and wrote the most abrasive, aggressive rock album they could muster with "In Utero", and it turned out to be their best work. And finally, Radiohead has NEVER released the same album twice, and yet they consistently churn out some fantastic music.

Couldn't agree more about The Clash and Radiohead there. It's why The Clash are still the best 'punk' band (to this day) and why Radiohead are my favourite band (OK so there's a little bias there, but still).

I can't say I agree with all of this Muse loving. I hate the new album. While it was a change for them, it was just a total step back in my opinion. Going from awesome *riffage* in New Born and Stockholm Syndrome to some crappy Goldfrapp rip off in Uprising, a Timberland rip off in Undisclosed Desires and, even worse, a Queen rip off in United States of Eurasia? Shoddy work, Bellamy. Then there's the self indulgent Exogenesis, which would have benefited from being one whole song, actually giving it some scope and room to develop. Oh, but that would have meant they had to replace the two 'lost' tracks with even more filler... uh oh.

As far as other bands that changed their sound and it turned out awesome, I think, their latest album aside (which is still decent, just not as timeless), Sigur ros, need some representation. They changed drastically going to Ågaetis Byrjun and then became even more atmospheric in (). Then as they grew more 'conventional' in Takk... it was still brilliant. Their next release is said to be going back to a more atmospheric sound which will be interesting.

Also, another band who are constantly changing is Animal Collective. They have a ridiculous number of albums I've never even heard, and yet even in just the latest two their creativity and willingness to adapt is expressed. Same goes for the Flaming Lips.

 

[Smudge91]

Their music is headed in a rather eclectic direction and by doing songs like Undisclosed Desires and Map of the Problematique, they are alienating the fans of Plug in Baby and even the ballads like Unintended...

I love and embrace their new directions but I can understand why some fans have moved on. I wish they were a little more open minded.

Actually the biggest turn off for most people is Matt's voice. I've always liked it since I first heard Muscle Museum but others have despised it. This pattern rings true even with the more recent listeners.

I can't express how proud I am of them though. They are the first British group to show real superstar potential. I hope they can go on to become as popular and as legendary as Queen. I believed in them since the very beginning and always new they'd be massive one day. They're pretty much the biggest and fastest growing modern British band now anyway.

Yeah some people may see them as if they are selling out, but they chose the direction they go in and even Queen moved in a different direction. All of their albums are ever so slightly different and sound amazing. They have a mixture of ballands, quite heavy rock, classical opera. Just look at the difference between bohemian rapsody and barcelona. But yeah bands move on and evolve, if Muse stayed the same the same fans would then complain that the music gets boring. All of tge greatest bands music has evolved into something new. And fans are lost but yeah they are at super star status haha and the biggest band in the UK. Matt's voice is amazing in my opion he is just a genious.

 

[DemonicVixen]

Black Eyed Peas altered their image and song material from the likes of "Where is the Love?" into "My Humps" and half their new ones and yet still seem to be doing ok. They arn't the best band around but hey, i still like some of their songs.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I gotta give some props to Weird Al here. You talk about a range of styles, this guy's done Toni Basil, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Coolio, Don McLean, Eminem, Rage Against the Machine, Cake, and Chamillionaire in the same career...and done them astoundingly well.

Show me any other musician who's ever displayed THAT wide a range.

And some with Polka!

Much agreement, though it's less of a re-invention and more of a chameleonic style.

 

[Arcadia2000]

Ace of Base was my favorite band for awhile. (I saw the sign! =D) With their second album the tone changed but not much. The third album was way different and I didn't like any of the songs but one, but that one I do really like.

 

[ClaptonKnophlerHendrix]

Well here we go, I have been let out of my cage and pointed at this thread.
So without further delay:

Spoiler

Muse
Green Day
QUEEN
Foo Fighters
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rise Against
Metallica
Kisschasy (Australian band, I don't expect anyone outside Aus to know them]
THE BEATLES
Elvis Presley
The Clash
Wolfmother
LED ZEPPELIN
Jet
AC/DC
U2
Radiohead
Eskimo Joe
Dire Straits
Atreyu
Tenacious D (Haven't really changed but I just feel like giving them a bump)
All American Rejects (Not the last album though)
And many more I'll never name

And at the opposite end of the spectrum:

Spoiler

Need I say More?

 

[rossatdi]

I remember hearing that Green Day hadn't been as recognized as they had been before they wrote American Idiot. That song shot tehm to the top of th list for a few weeks. The same goes for Cold play before they made Viva La Vida.

Not so much reinventions, but more or less revivals.

Coldplay have been one of the biggest bands in the UK for almost a decade after the release of their albums Yellow and A Rush of Blood To The Head. Personally, they're not my kind of thing but Viva la Vida is certainly not the making of their success.