And I'd never say they've had a "massive explosion". It's not U2 in 2001. But it prevented an exodus and kept the band relevant to a certain fanbase that's a little outside the TenClub but are still fans.digster wrote:I think you may be looking at what they're trying to be vs. what they actually are. On this dead period of PJ's existence, they sold out MSG two nights in a row. As I said, there's nothing to suggest that they were on a 'downhill' course in terms of their popularity or fanbase; does anyone really think if they had maintained the popularity they had with Riot Act, they'd have trouble filling arenas today? There's also no evidence that they've had this massive explosion of popularity. There's still playing the same places about the same amount overall.Tuolumne wrote:
I understand that. The last 3 albums haven't been breakway hits, but they've all been moderately successful. The other direction of that is shrinking from Riot Act. To put numbers to it, proportionally speaking, Riot Act would have sold 200k-250k max in 2014. Shrinking from that, they've be well below that if the "stuck to their guns". So, I'd argue that the last 3 albums, holding to my "moderately successful" assumption, has 'come back' fairly well. They're much more on a Bruce track right now, rather than like a late-Black Crowes or later-REM or later Jackson Browne track.
I consider myself a Bruce and Neil fan, or an Arcade Fire or Arctic Monkeys or MMJ fan, but I have only 2-3 of each of their records, or just 1 on some cases. PJ have successfully brought some of those fans back in. And those are worthy fans. Now, they haven't penetrated the average 16 year old, and they probably never will. But they've now set themselves up in such a way that they've become a sort of rock standard-bearer which a small slice of youngsters that are inclined to look back into older artist catalogues may want to look into. The work they've put in since 2006 has helped their cause toward that.
