Bands that have jumped the shark the worst

[Blazer]

Well we all have argued about this before in numerous threads but let's get one thread going where we (Hopefully)  all agree on Bands who jumped the shark the worst of all.

I'll start with with perhaps the best example of all.

Jefferson Airplane "White rabbit" at the Woodstock performance.

Jefferson Airplane used to be one of the premier psych-rock bands of the late sixties, their albums being loaded with dark, moody songs. And Grace Slick crowning herself as the unnoficial Queen of the Hippie movement.

But then the seventies arrived, the line up changed and so did the name, the Airplane went to greater heights and became Jefferson Starship in this incarnation the band went to have enormous succes. Jefferson Starship became a stadium act and their music AOR.

Jefferson Starship "Jane"

But the worst was still to come. In the eighties Jefferson Starship apparently kicked Jefferson out and went on as Starship and their old hippie audience probably was white in shock when their sound changed along with that name. Starship ebraced the old hippie nemesis; the corporate rock industry and none was it more evident on what apparently was their greatest hit which even featured dee-jay talk.

Starship "We built this city"

People talk about bands like Genesis and Kiss selling out but let's face it none of them sold out so hugely as Starship.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

White Rabbit at Woodstock was GREAT compared to Somebody To Love at Woodstock.
You're right...they seemed to be crumbling....but maybe it was just a bad day for them.

Starship was GREAT in '83 when I saw 'em with The Dead with equal billing--they played for 2 hours each, I think.
Aynsley Dunbar on drums!!

I don't wanna say anything bad about anyone right now. I respect any band that does great things even if only for a short while.

[Dave W]

Jefferson Airplane jumped the shark? I saw them once, in early 1970. They were already in the shark tank then. Worst performance I've ever seen by a name band. If there had been a 2x4 handy, I probably would have gone down and smacked Grace Slick with it just to get her to STFU.

Hippies.    We were there to see the opening band (Crow, of Evil Woman fame), otherwise I'd never have gone. Don't know why we stayed for awhile until we couldn't stand it -- morbid curiosity, I guess.

JMHO. YMMV.

[gweimer]

I saw Jefferson Airplane (Jo Jo Gunne opened) on the Bark tour.  They were interesting, if not a contrast in band members.  Grace was in true bitch form all night.  At one point, she was complaining about the spotlight always following her, and walked off stage - the spotlight man followed her all the way off the stage.  Papa John Creach, on the other hand, was great, and was shaking hands with the fans in the front row.  The only reason I went to the show was that my father had taken me to look over the Univ of IL campus.  We went to dinner, and the entire band was sitting at the next table, so I walked to the concert hall and got a ticket.

I have a recording of Black Sabbath covering "Evil Woman" somewhere in my archives.

[Barklessdog]

Van Halens last tour where the bsck ground track was playing too fast and everyone was out of key.

[Max Soren]

I doubt if we would even want to discuss here all the crap that Grace Slick has done.  I say this in spite of the fact that I truly love the studio versions of "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit." 

[PWV]

Van Halens last tour where the bsck ground track was playing too fast and everyone was out of key.

+1  For me, they jumped the shark big-time when Eddie started playing keyboards so much and forgot about his guitar genius.   Then, they should have been a killer band with Sammy Hagar in the line-up.  But they became the puppet show that opened for Spinal Tap at the Amusement Park at that point. (just my 2 cents)

[Max Soren]

I was never much of a fan of Van Halen even when they were at their peak.  The reasons are many, but one main one is that I have always found David Lee Roth lacking vocally.  There were way too many other bands in the 80's that deserved more attention than Van Halen as far as I was concerned.  Now, of course, with Eddie Van Halen's adolescent son playing bass, they are a joke.  I value "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring more than all of Van Halen's songs put together. 

[eb2]

I know that the JA have a strong following, and there is a fun vibe to the first couple of records before all the degenerates started sleeping on sidewalks in SF.  But I honestly never got into the San Fran hippie junk at all.  After The Beau Brummels, they all do nothing for me.  So I think think the whole town jumped the shark in 1966.  Maybe even California in general.  The last good thing to come out of California was an empty bus.

[Dave W]

So I think think the whole town jumped the shark in 1966.  Maybe even California in general.  The last good thing to come out of California was an empty bus.

Hippie bands, maybe, but I never liked them to begin with.

No good bands out of SF in the last 42 years? Just looking at one of my iTunes mixed playlists I see Tommy Tutone, Green Day and the Loudmouths. And California in general? On the same playlist I see the Muffs, the Bangles, Wall of Voodoo, the Runaways and L7. And that's without looking hard.

Granted, I'm sure none of them can hold a candle to Twin Cities local yokel Jim Walsh's latest can't-miss discovery.

[Darrol]

The last good thing to come out of California was an empty bus.

There are plenty of things to come out of California that I like.

I am too young to really know any that fit into the category of having jumped over the shark.

[Barklessdog]

Les Claypool, Minutemen