Bands with potential that they never fulfilled

Mostly metal bands in this thread, so I'll mention Sanctuary. One great album in '87, Refuge Denied, and a followup that seemed to be building them some momentum, then 1991 happened and they split up when the record company pushed them in a trend-chasing direction. Warrel Dane could hit high notes like the love child of Geoff Tate and Rob Halford. If they'd come along 2 years earlier they could have really gone somewhere.

In a non-metal rock vein, Cry of Love. They've been called southern rock because they came out of North Carolina, and monster guitarist Audley Freed stepped into the Black Crowes for a few years in the late 90s, but they were more straight-up hard rock than a Skynyrd/Allman/Molly-Hatchet/Marshall-Tucker vibe. Their debut album Brother came out around '91 or '92, they toured relentlessly supporting acts like Aerosmith and Robert Plant, and had a minor hit with "Peace Pipe," then their singer quit after the tour, they lost momentum, and the record company didn't know how to promote them to build on their success.
 
I find it interesting that GnR have been mentioned here as not fulfilling their potential.
They are the 41st biggest selling artist of all time. Apparently. Not bad going. Still, I supppse I agree, a band that released Appetite for Destruction should have more recorded output to show for itself.
 
Arguably, GNR made it huge then declined. I'm not sure where else they could have gone, or what was remaining to blossom.
 
GNR could have recorded at least three more albums before Chinese democracy, if they just had taken a year or two off after the Use your illusions tour
 
I would of liked more albums but Im not sure what I would like from them. They released what is for my money, one of the greatest akbums of all time. A hard rockin tour de force. Then the acoustic guitars came out. Then the pianos and strings came out. So i doubt they would have went back to Appetite style rock n roll after Use Your Illusion and Im not sure I want any more November Rains. I would like a new album actually but I think I would prefer a greatest hits tour featuring every song off Appetite.
 
GNR have basically built their career off the success of one album. They started to do some really interesting stuff with Use Your Illusion but there was a lot of room for development that just never happened. Sure they still sell out stadiums, but they became a nostalgia act extremely quick.
 
They are still a huge band though, just not discography-wise. They earned like 500m from touring since the reunion with Duff and Slash.
 
GNR always frustrated me because they completely squandered their advantage of 'avoiding the hair metal stigma' - they were one of the few bands that prospered in both the hair/alternative eras (Van Halen and Aerosmith being the others). I still remember Illusion cuts like estranged being in heavy MTV rotation in 1994 (at the pinnacle of grunge). They easily could have kept making records that would have resonated.
 
Van Halen were still a commercial force during the 90s in the US. Balance, released in 1995, was a #1 album (an achievement they never had with Roth). Can't Stop Loving You was also a top 40 single. They probably would've continued to do well had they not lost Sammy and the Roth reunion didn't fall through.

In fact, Van Halen are pretty good candidates for this thread. Everything since Van Halen III has pretty much been a waste. ADKOT proved that Eddie still had some good stuff in him, but there's so much infighting and drama that prevents them from getting it together for more than a couple years at a time. Even just some archival stuff would be nice.
 
jazz from hell said:
Van Halen? I guess they were doing okay during that time, but never on the level of Aerosmith or the Jump-days. Saw VH opening for Bon Jovi in 95, and perhaps I'll ruin my credibility now, but BJ were better (VH were good, but BJ were actually pretty awesome).
I really liked Velvet Revolver, would have loved to hear more from that band. In the case of GNR, I doubt a new album could match the excitement of that time. Good for them they've grown up (otherwise they'd be all dead), they live healthy, don't do drugs, start their concerts on time etc., but the the danger, unpredictability and excitement is probably gone as well as a result. Like, "the brightest flame burns quickest" or so they say.
Also, what about Slash's hair nowadys?
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Your underrating the Sammy Hagar decade of VH.
The Sammy stuff all sold very well, comparatively speaking. Not all DLR Halen was 1984 and the debut.
Right Now from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is one of the biggest songs of its era.

Halen on the Balance tour was self-destructing Eddie was a mess and Sammy was furious.
Not surprised Bon Jovi outperformed them.
 
I was throwing VH in as they were one of the few that prospered in both eras (at least in the States). They were still going platinum and headlining arena at the same time that everyone was going crazy for Alice in Chains and Nine Inch Nails. Right now was a massive hit.

GNR had the same enviable ability. I bet bands like Cinderella would have loved to have had GNR's 'street cred' Their album Still Climbing was actually really good, but no one bought it/cared about it because they were considered a joke in 94.
 
soundwave said:
GNR had the same enviable ability. I bet bands like Cinderella would have loved to have had GNR's 'street cred' Their album Still Climbing was actually really good, but no one bought it/cared about it because they were considered a joke in 94.
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From everything I've heard from both bands, Cinderella kills GNR any day of the week. I shall check that album out.
 
Diesel 11 said:
From everything I've heard from both bands, Cinderella kills GNR any day of the week. I shall check that album out.
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Cinderella suffers from a lame name/image, but they were the best hair band IMO. Long Cold Winter is still one of my favorites from the 80s. Love the Aerosmith meets ACDC sound.
 
soundwave said:
Cinderella suffers from a lame name/image, but they were the best hair band IMO. Long Cold Winter is still one of my favorites from the 80s. Love the Aerosmith meets ACDC sound.
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That's strange because I've always thought their image and name were great. Favorite hair band for me is a tie between Poison and Def Leppard, but Cinderella are definitely in the Top 5.
 
Warlord. Just imagine they had released one more record of the quality of the Deliver Us EP before losing Damien King I. The second one just didn't have it.
 
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