For a band to stay in the public consciousness and often to keep the members from tearing each other apart in studio squabbles, a change in their fundamental sound is practically essential. A lot of bands that stay together for a long time tend to develop their style in a gentle arc over the course of several albums, tours and occasional side projects. Take REM, for instance. That group has been going for three decades with only one personnel shift and their sound evolved the entire time, even the hardest shifts seeming not so drastic in retrospect. Then there are those bands that up and record something so different from their previous work that they might as well be a completely separate group. Whether it's a sign of the band's impending demise or just simple boredom, these stylistic excursions sometimes end up being more interesting than a lot of what made a band famous. Such an album is Blur's 1999 release 13.
The organizers of the Glastonbury festival make a habit of booking the biggest names to play. I’ve been a couple of times, and I managed to catch the Pet Shop Boys, David Bowie and REM. And to miss Radiohead, but that’s another story. Its storied stages are such a draw to the big names that when Michael Eavis calls, they answer. Even Jay-Z. Read more
