Anthems or ambiance, these are the tones that rattle your bones.
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By chuckwagon
#91774
This is more of a potential discussion than anything else (and I just needed to type), but I LOVE the Misfits... However, I have really been listening to a lot of there catalog recently, and I feel almost impure for admitting that I really enjoy Michael Graves' voice over Glen Danzig's... Musically, I think Graves' voice is much better, but on the flip side, Danzig definitely has more power behind his vocals. There is also the production quality of earlier work to consider... In the early years, the band was way less popular, and didn't have the budget they did when Graves was singing. So that's a big factor, IMO. Danzig's voice jut seems to command respect, while Graves' voice is really great from a "talent" point of view

Now, arguably, the original Misfits, and the Misfits of the 90's (and today for that matter) are totally different bands. Just listening to the difference is pretty obvious. The original group was flat out raw punk rock, while the newer lineup seemed more heavy metal with inspiration from 50's era rock-n-roll. I definitely hear it in the chord progressions, and rhythms. Heck, even after Graves left the band, Jerry Only did put out that "Project 1950" album that was all punk covers of old doo-wop songs. But, I mean, meh.

Granted, the band is still technically together,and called "Misfits" but the only original member is Jerry Only, who plays bass, and covers lead vocals, but quite honestly, the Misfits died completely when Graves and Doyle both left. I think Jerry is holding onto a thread. The band is nothing more than a namesake anymore, and is a shadow of the former group it used to be. The constant legal battles between Jerry, and Glen just get more and more redundant to the point where it's almost not worth it anymore. You just have to know when to quit, and enjoy what you have already built, rather continue on and risk destroying it all with pathetic attempts and rekindling a fire that burned out around 2001

In a perfect world, I'd love to see everyone lay down arms and come together, if for nothing more than a farewell tour for the fans, but I seriously doubt that's gonna happen. A pipe dream, really. However, Doyle has said in interviews that he would completely put his solo stuff on the back burner to do a Misfits thing with Glen and Jerry if they could work it out... So maybe Doyle can bridge the gap, but at the same time I see Doyle as just "Jerry's little brother who picked up a guitar when the band needed him to" member. Not to put any discount on Doyle being a real band member though. I mean he did become the full time guitar player in 1980 when he was sixteen years old... But a fresh lawsuit was filed by Glen, against Jerry, just last year for more undermining type accusations about misleading fans with merchandise sales, but it was dismissed. Still, lingering fumes as always.

Ultimately, I think a large inconvenient truth is that the band has, in fact, become more of an image, and proverbial cash cow than recognized for their music... Everyone probably recognizes the Crimson Ghost, but I'm willing to bet that half of those same people wouldn't recognize "Teenagers From Mars" or "Hollywood Babylon" if you played it for them. It's sad really. They were/are such a huge influence on many bands that followed them, punk and hard rock alike. It can also be debated that they had a huge influence on the psychobilly music genre, and most definitely the horrorbilly scene.

I like both formations of the band, but am on the "separate, but equal" side of the debate, in that I say they are only the same band in name. The older is a punk band, and the newer is a hard rock/metal band. My only question is "is it fair to try and pick a favorite?".... Is this kind of like the proverbial "who wore it best" argument for a band?
#91889
I just got into them almost a year ago. I've mainly only heard the Graves and Only song's though. I have to say I like everything Misfits: the music, the costume, the Fiend Skull, and most importantly the Crimson Ghost. I'm hoping to own the whole discography of not only the Misfits, but also the past members who went off and did their own thing.

I would like to note that the first Misfit albums that I actually own are Project 1950 (which has one of the best covers of the Monster Mash I've ever heard) and Horror X-Mas.
#91894
Doh wrote:Just don't make the mistake of asking Glen Danzig about the Misfits...he will try to pick you up and throw you into the fireplace!
Lol, someone else saw the Ricky Ratman interview...
#91903
I've heard about that, and how he wants to get money for everything Misfits though. If he doesn't want anything to do with it why should he get paid. Yes I know he was a founding member, but still.
#91906
pagemaster1993 wrote:I've heard about that, and how he wants to get money for everything Misfits though. If he doesn't want anything to do with it why should he get paid. Yes I know he was a founding member, but still.
It's a weird situation to say the least... Glenn Danzig has agreed that Jerry (and Doyle) can have rights to the name "Misfits" and use it as a band name because Danzig has no intent or desire to use it... The legal arguments FIRST started when Glenn released a collection of Misfits songs back in the mid 80's when the Misfits weren't really an active band. He intentionally re-recorded the instrument tracks in an effort to avoid paying royalties to former band members (This was after Danzig left the band, himself), but he claimed that he had rights to the music anyway because he wrote all the songs... Jerry tried to get money from Glenn for using the songs on that album release, and thus, the legal nightmares began... Jerry tried to argue for awhile, but later said that Glenn did in fact write a vast majority of the Misfits catalog, but also said that he and Doyle had written a small portion of the music that Glenn wasn't crediting them for. Eventually, that was settled with Jerry saying that Glenn could retain songwriting credits for previously released music, and Jerry and Doyle could retain the rights to the band name, and continue to record and perform as the Misfits.

Most recently, Glenn tried to say that Jerry was hiding money from him in new merchandising sales that included the use of popular Misfits imagery, specifically the "fiend" skull, and thus, misrepresenting the Misfits as per the court agreement from the mid 90's that designated rights to specific members and past members (mainly Jerry vs. Glenn)...

I think it boils down to this... Glenn Danzig wrote all the early stuff, and was the sole reason for the formation of the band in the first place. I think that's pretty much factual, despite Jerry's claims to songwriting credits (which he actually ended up conceding that Glenn wrote pretty much everything)... Should Glenn Danzig be paid, and continue to get paid for music that he legitimately wrote, and merchandise sales that include imagery that he created? Yeah, absolutely, I think... My example would be this: If I carve a pumpkin using a pattern from here, I tell everyone that asks "I CARVED IT MYSELF", but I always give credit to Ryan as the mastermind behind the creation and distribution of the pattern that I used. Granted, I'm not selling my carves, lol, but it's mainly about crediting the artist responsible... I think it's very fair that Glenn is demanding that credit, and if any profitability comes from that, then yeah, Glenn deserves a cut.... I think this also extends to newer merchandise sales that are most obviously related to the "new" MIsfits, but still use the original band logo, and fiend skull. Glenn did, in fact, play a large role in the creation and design of those images, if not by himself. He should receive credit for that, but that's just my 2 cents.

I know my opinions probably make me sound like a very "pro Glenn" individual, but I'm really impartial, honestly. I just think that Glenn should be entitled to royalties from current album and merchandise sales, AS LONG AS those sales are coming from merchandise that includes songs that Glenn wrote, and imagery/logos that Glenn created or helped create. I don't think that's showing favoritism. I think it's just the right thing to do.

If Jerry REALLY wanted to cut Glenn out completely, he should redesign the logo, and stop selling older imagery to the fans, and ONLY be forced to pay Glenn for the sales of albums that Glenn was part of.... But I'd hate him forever if he did that. It would be a total slap in the face to the Fiends. First off, He has very bluntly said that he feels an obligation to the fans, and that the Fiends are really the sole reason he still carries on, which is very admirable. Secondly, if he were to completely re-invent all of the imagery associated with the Misfits, it would be a shock. For nearly 40 years that fiend skull, and that band name logo have been THE ICON for Misfits music, and I can't imagine it not being there.

I still stand by my "separate but equal" opinion on comparing the original lineup, the Michael Graves fronted band, and... *sigh* ... the newest incarnation(s)... I kind of look at it the way I look at Metallica, who happens to be my all time favorite badn anyway... You can't say that the Cliff Burton era of Metallica was anywhere near the same band as the Jason Newstead era, or the current Rob Trujillo era. I still love it all do the depths of my soul, but I have to accept that they ARE different, and the music has evolved. Mostly for the good, but there are always a few songs you raise an eyebrow at and think "really fellas?" I feel like this with Jerry Only. I LOVED Michael Graves, and would have loved even more to see him stay in the band, and Doyle too, but now Jerry needs to realize that he is just a brand anymore. I'm not even remotely enjoying anything from the post-Michael Graves era.... with maybe the exception of project 1950, but I'm sorry, i still don't view that as a true Misfits album. I just happen to like the conversion of all those old doo-wop songs to punk and hard rock interpretations.
By Zee
#92291
I still love it all do the depths of my soul, but I have to accept that they ARE different, and the music has evolved. Mostly for the good, but there are always a few songs you raise an eyebrow at and think "really fellas?" I feel like this with Jerry Only. I LOVED Michael Graves, and would have loved even more to see him stay in the band, and Doyle too, but now Jerry needs to realize that he is just a brand anymore. I'm not even remotely enjoying anything from the post-Michael Graves era.... with maybe the exception of project 1950, but I'm sorry, i still don't view that as a true Misfits album. I just happen to like the conversion of all those old doo-wop songs to punk and hard rock interpretations.
You took the words right outta my mouth! I'm a longtime fan of the Misfits but Jerry Only's singing has officially ruined it for me. I saw them live a few years ago and most of the songs were unrecognizable. Super disappointing.