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Musicians Whose Style Changed Dramatically

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:09 pm
by club80
I'm not talking about innovation or natural progression. What artists changed dramtically either over the course of time or for a brief period?
Obviously, Elvis Costello did the country western thing and Joe Jackson did the swing thing.
Kevin Rowland is a standout for me. His work with The Killjoys which was pure, raw punk was so different than his work with Dexy's Midnight Runners (whose style, in itself, changed as it gravitated towards a more Celtic influence).
Who else comes to mind?

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:25 pm
by i_like_lectric_motors
Ministry and Talk Talk.

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:31 pm
by club80
[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>Ministry and Talk Talk.
[/quote]
Ministry, without a doubt!

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:16 pm
by gnj1958
Paul Weller

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:17 pm
by obs
Everything But the Girl (? - I didn't follow their entire career)

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:01 pm
by firefall
Penelope Huston from Avengers raw Californian punk/core to some pretty nice folky acoustic pop.

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:40 pm
by Frau_Blucher
[quote][i]Originally posted by obs[/i]
<br>Everything But the Girl (? - I didn't follow their entire career)
[/quote]
I'll say! Their cover of "Night and Day" is featured in Post-Punk Diaries, then they cut a few basically adult-contempo albums (which were nevertheless very good), then they go on to dancy electronica.
I chose The Damned.
Oh...and the whole Stiff Kittens > Joy Division > New Order thing.

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:45 pm
by NuWaveRx
I don't know about entire careers (I'd agree with EBTG, however) but ABC's beauty stab (roxy-ish guitar driven songs) was a significant departure from the smooth funk of The Lexicon of Love. So much so that it just about ended their career.

Posted:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:50 pm
by WolverineSyr
Grace Jones, from over-produced, big budget disco to a sort of minimalist hybrid of new wave and reggae, for 3 albums at least...

Posted:
Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:37 am
by popreactor
Dead or Alive's early work was much different compared to their mid-80's hits and also Fra Lippo Lippi turning from Post punk into Pop.
<a href="http://www.burningflame.wordpress.com"
Burning Flame[/b]</a>

Posted:
Sat Aug 25, 2007 2:25 am
by KYYX4ever
[b]Scritti Politti[/b] completely changed their sound from their early bare punkish funkish[i]Skank Bloc Bologna[/i] to their mid-80s smooth polished pop [i]Cupid and Psyche[/i]. Green Gartside then strayed into hip hop.
I think you can't get much different than 80s [b]Black Flag's[/b] killer punk to the current spoken word projects and tours of Henry Rollins. I always try to catch him when he comes through town and it ain't no Black Flag !
[b]Real Life[/b] does techno now.
[b]Freur[/b] became Underworld and does some awesome trance and rave stuff.

Posted:
Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:09 am
by Ollie Stench
The Stranglers

Posted:
Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:25 am
by design_femme
Robert Palmer. I believe his last album is all blues.

Posted:
Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:25 am
by djcraig
Sting did those jazz albums, Idol had that ill fated attempt at techno and apparently, Duran Duran are going to try their hand at unadulterated CRAP.
I'll add The Waterboys who went from echo driven wall of guitar anthems (ala U2) to Irish folk music. They pulled both off quite well I think.
<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>

Posted:
Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:58 am
by rotator
Cabaret Voltaire completely abandoned their "Industrial Funk" for House/Acid in the late 80's and then on to epic cold electronica....
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