by Matthew Keller

Created on: March 08, 2007

At the Grammy's, The Police performed to an anxious nation and soon put to rest speculation as they quickly announced a reunion tour. As far as bands that SHOULD reunite, The Police certainly top the list. Sting certainly doesn't need this reunion to further his career and perhaps years of yoga have mellowed him out so the ego issues of the past will not be an issue on this tour. Maybe there could even be a new album. Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Some bands have made a career out of reunions. I think Motley Crue has broken up three or four times over their 20+ year career, only to come back to tour "one last time." Other bands have succeeded with the "one and done" method that will probably be the end product of The Police reunion. Bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest have gone on "original lineup" tours with great success.

As with many good ideas, there are some bands that just should not reunite. Last year, a tour occurred that evoked confusion and plain anger from me. For some reason, Alice In Chains guitarist/founder Jerry Cantrell thought it was a good idea to reform the band for a reunion tour. Only problem, their distinct lead vocalist had, Layne Staley, had been found dead three years earlier. The tour involved stand in vocalists filling the void, which amounted to an Alice In Chains karaoke tour.

But the thought was sparked. Of so many bands that fell apart under the weight of their own greatness, who should reunite. The list I compiled is short because reunions are not always appropriate. Sometimes, bands quit for good reasons.

I am quite biased with my first choice because they are my favorite band of all time. FAITH NO MORE is a band that NEEDS to reunite. This bands crossed all genres of music with ease. FNM's problem may have been that they couldn't match the huge success they had with the song "Epic," a tune that very well could have spawned the rap-metal fusion movement. But the band was so much more than record sales. They demonstrated pure musical genius. Vocalist Mike Patton has been plenty busy since FNM broke up, with countless side projects, but nothing has quite compared to the brilliance that was FAITH NO MORE.

My second choice may be cheating, but Guns N' Roses also needs to reunite...briefly. I know Axl Rose is still touring with "G n' R," but that bastardized band is not the true Guns N' Roses. For all intents and purposes, I will be pleased if Axl and Slash played together. I know this is merely a fantasy because no one in their right mind would go BACK to a band with Axl Rose.

My last choice is probably the most realistic choice of all, mainly because they are playing a one-time only show this summer. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is a band that should really get back together, especially now that AUDIOSLAVE is no more. The band's vision and voice is needed to direct this nation. We need Zach de la Rocha to yell at us and tell us that we are bad Americans. Perhaps the Bush administration was such an easy target that the band just had to break up until something a bit more vague came back. The time is coming for Rage to be...well... full of rage.

These are only a few of the endless choices, but these represent some of the bands that have actually changed the music scene in one way or another in their time. Perhaps they can come back and show us how it's done.

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