Would a band by any other name be as marketable?

So I heard the other day that they are thinking of getting a new lead and reforming Alice in Chains without the late Layne Staley. My question is this: At what point is it okay to remarket a band with the same name when a core element of said band is out of it?

Example: I believe that Axl has no right to call any group he puts together Guns N Roses just because he has the rights to the name. It's not the same band, just the same lead singer. Rage Against the Machine's remnants were smart enough to call themselves something else, etc. But I guess that also poses the question of whether or not you should change a band name just because you lose like a guitarist or if it's the lead singer that counts.

They should wait another 15 years and call themselves Alice in Chains of the 21st Century. Then I can officially kill myself.

I guess it depends on how well known your name is.

Axl Rose could put out an album as Axl Rose, and people would know who he is.

I'm not so sure a lot of people know the names of the surviving members of Alice in Chains, so perhaps they should keep the name.

[Edited on Sep 23, 2004 by ankiel66]

Look at the Byrds. Roger Mcguinn kept the band going as far as '72 when everyone in the original lineup was either fired or quit back in '68.

Were the 'new' Byrds (whose lineup constantly changed) any better than the originals? No.

Did they still write amazing songs (songs that might not have come about without the personnel changes) and break new ground? Yes.

They sucked the first time around and they will suck the second. Anyone who appriciates good music probably won't care.

oh boy.

Eh...I guess this can apply to the distillers. Brody single handedly replaced all 3 members of the band by firing/quitting and they got bigger because of it. Its really comes down to who writes the songs and who puts input into them. If Axl Rose wrote all the songs and did all the input himself then its his band to fuck around with otherwise I'd say go it solo or release a new album with a new band but make sure the radio reference to you.

To the RATM thing, I don't know underwhich terms they broke up under but audioslave somes nothing like RATM and frankly they don't even try to. They sound more like soundgarden in their style not just becaue they got the lead from them.

I dont know.
I liked the songs Jerry Cantrell sang better.. so, it wouldnt be the same.. but, I would welcome it.
Jerry Cantrells solo stuff is pretty decent..

axl rose's guns 'n roses.