without Lowell George was always going to be tricky, but when I saw them at the Town & Country Club in... oh gawd, the late 1980s?... they were really, really good. A hugely enjoyable night with the crowd going ballistic every time an old classic was played.

A joyus reunion when they went back out with the Boss.

That text on Yahoo is a direct cut and paste from Sean O'Hagan's interview the Paul Simonon that apeared in The Observer this weekend. Personnally I would have loved to see them back together. Apparently it brought the house down when Mick managed to coax Topper away from him chiropody business for a couple of public outings earlier in the year.

Kevin Rowland's The Dexys Midnight Runners reunion/reinterpretation worked for me. The RFH was awash with moist eyed 40 somethings.

King Crimson's reformations in 1981 and 1994 worked for me. A gig at Shepherd's Bush Empire around 1996 was stunning.

Roxy Music's live show in 2001 exceeded all expectation - I remember a crowd of well heeled folk in blazers and fancy frocks clearly there to hear 'Dance Away' and 'Avalon', many of whom simply walked out before the end of the opening, ear-splitting version of 'Re-make /Re-model'. Ha!

...reunion was excellent. I have the DVD from one of those shows and it was great. What is interesting is to me, the earlier stuff stands up better than the 80s material- not surprised some walked out! I read an interview with Phil Manzanera where he said the earlier 70s stuff practically included itself in the set-list whereas they had to think about the 80s songs! Says it all, really!

I hear they've been working on new material but here's the issue- it's one thing to play the old material but writing new stuff is another matter entirely. For Roxy Music, would they go in the experimental direction or the more slick, poppy direction that characterised the 80s albums?

...on this blog to force me - against my better judgment - to talk about Van Der Graaf Generator.

But if you're looking at successful - albeit obscure - reformations then you have to include their triumphant 2005 (?) return at the Royal Festival Hall - and a not bad album to accompany it.

What's more, they didn't just take the cash and run (possibly due to the complete lack of cash) - instead they went away, shed a member and came back with a recently released album that stands up alongside any of their previous releases and kicks most 'new bands' into touch.

Other bands may have done decent reunion tours but I'm not sure many have been able to release new material as vibrant and vital as in their heyday. Maybe because VDGG were never of a particular time (at least in terms of their 'noise') they have been able to pick up the baton again?

I was going to mention the VDGG reunion. 'Present', though patchy, had a few tracks on it which I felt matched up to earlier glories ('Every Bloody Emperor' and 'Nutter Alert') and I liked 'Trisector' more again.

As for the danger of albums being made after a long, long lay-off, I bought The Who's 'Endless Wire' when it came out and was thoroughly disappointed. About a year and a half after the event I feel the same way...

Just can't see The Clash as The Clash, without Strummmer. It just wouldn't be the same.

Made a return a couple of years back. They were brilliant. Grown men cried.

Just watching The Only Ones on JH. Should've stayed at home.

Granted, the last album didn't really hold up to the likes of Woodface, but boy was it great to see them back on stage.

...Ashley Hutchings is arttempting to regroup the "Rise up like the sun" vintage Albion Band: now that I would see! I think death has only claimed one member so there is a good chance. Think free jazz morris brass band music, with 2 drummers, 2 guitars. And crumhorn.