Kings no more.

You know the saying, bad things always happen to good people? Well what happens when bad things happen to good bands? The latter seems more deliberate, more unjustified, because more than anything it seems like their own choosing.

Recently, I have noticed a growing trend of semi-successful bands selling out on themselves having realised much is at stake, and the level of stardom and 'success' they can achieve if they just ditch their musical ideals.

And this is nothing to do with musical development - of course each album by each band will have a slightly different sound and tone whilst maintaining the overall sound of the band (just look at how dark Alex Turner's last Arctic's album was in comparison to the previous two) - what I'm talking about is a complete change in musical attitude once a band smells the cash.

Of course, you will probably know by now that I'm referring mainly to Kings of Leon. However, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, RHCP, and even the Spice Girls have all followed this trend - the Spice Girls being the interesting ones of the bunch. A completely manufactured girlband, their immediate success was worldwide and their debut album quickly became one of the fastest selling of all time. So the Spice Girls, in reality, never really had any musical ideals. Their band was created for them; their songs written for them, but each subsequent album was significantly poorer than the last due to the turnaround time of them churning each one out, one after the other. The Spice Girls already had their money, but as they became more popular, cashing in on this dollar became more important to the girls and to their management than their music. The Spice Girls brand was born, and as a result, their music - their poppy tunes what put them there in the first place, suffered.

In some ways, the same can be said for Kings of Leon. As a band, like the Spice Girls, they have gotten progressively worse. Like RHCP, it seems the Kings have completely altered their sound to become what they class as 'popular'. Listening to Youth and Young Manhood, you would never think it was the same band that sang Sex on Fire, which just so happened to become the ultimate chav anthem. The grimy southern rock of Trani and Joe's Head is barely comparable to the over-produced Closer, Crawl and the latest installment, Radioactive. Of course, the first three albums differ slightly in tone, which merely details a growing band becoming familiar with their musical abilities and trying new things. There's quite a big difference between YAYM and Because of the Times, but what is important here is that up until the third album, the Kings remained loyal to themselves and their original fans. Unfortunately, they smelled the cash when they released their fourth album, and so the commercial trend has ultimately been set.

However, a band's record company is as much to blame as the band themselves. Any bands first two albums take about 20 years to write; the record companies demand that the next two are churned out within 20 months, and so of course standards drop. This problem is escalated further when a band changes which record company they are signed with. I fully believe that had the Kings stayed with Ethan Johns, their music would not have suffered the dramatic shift in sound as it has with Sony, the daddy of all record companies. Sony, who also represent the likes of Joe McElderry, Alexandra Burke and Westlife, have also smelled the cash the Kings can bring. It seems a downward spiral.

Last year at Leeds festival, Caleb, having dedicated 'Fans' to all those who had turned up to see more than two songs, insisted that they were taking some time out to get back to their roots with their next album, acknowledging that their fourth album had lost them some of these dedicated fans. Well, call me crazy, but recording your next album over the course of five months in a NY studio hardly constitutes as TO Caleb.

And what you get with said new album is nothing but the Followill's selling themselves short in terms of musical ability. Their new songs lack memorability and boast the over-produced sound that Sony Music so loves. Gone is their dark and grimy sound with Caleb's southern drawl often being incomprehensible. Instead, we have almost whiny vocals that lack a change of pace, and from what Wikipedia tells me, five new members of the 'band'... Kings have always played their own instruments, done their own backing vocals, done everything themselves. Not any more. Apparently, we have Jacquire King, Angelo Petraglia, Liam O'Neil, Robert Mallory and Chris Coleman all on various instruments and adding their vocals to the mix. Is this really necessary?? Are Jared, Matthew and Nathan no longer up to backing vocals; are they now finding it difficult to multi-task with their new found fame? It leaves little to be desired in all honesty. When a record company recruits others to aid with a band's sound, it's a recipe for disaster. Smelling the cash does nothing for maintaining the musical standards the band usually set for themselves.

Instead, the band appear to have gone a bit soft. Gone are the references to drugs and sex, and the rock and roll lifestyle that dominated their songs (Sex on Fire does NOT count as a reference to this). Aha Shake Heartbreak has a parental advisory, yet post-OBTN, Kings songs are appearing on the Now compilations. Enough said. Plus, given the video for Radioactive, it appears they've taken a leaf out of Bono's book and opted for African children and a gospel choir, because of course, that sort of stuff sells. It worked for Bono and Geldof, after all...

Drummer Nathan is quoted saying "we got to the point where we realised that we can be known as a band that hit it hard for three records and disappeared, or be a band that was smart enough to realize that not many bands get to make four records, so let's make the most of this". Clearly, the Followill's were 'smart enough' to realise the prospect of the wads of cash that could be gained if they just rejected their musical ideals in favour of commercial Sex on Fire-like anthems that are guaranteed sellers. And with their yearly albums and tours being churned out left, right and centre at the demands of Sony, with their clothing range and TV appearances (Caleb appeared as a guest judge on US cook programme Iron Chef), anyone would be at the risk of mistaking their schedules with that of JLS...

And I know my opinion may not be everyone's, but I personally would have preferred it if they had made three records and disappeared. They would have kept my respect, and that of countless other fans. The irony is that many of KOL's newer fans I have spoken to post Sex on Fire have agreed that the songs from their back catalogue are better. What KOL have failed to realise is that any album post OBTN would sell because of its popularity. In reality, they didn't need to produce another popular album. They could have went back to their roots like Caleb said and still made wads of cash, because they've already hit the big time. They should have used this opportunity to show the world what they really are, or were. BRMC's third album was incredibly poor in comparison to the previous two, but Baby 81 picked up the standard again, and I admire them for that.

So why then couldn't the Kings do the same?

Well, of course the answer is money. To them and to Sony, they would be taking a risk by putting out another YAYM-esque album, as opposed to one that will guarantee them the jackpot.

The problem is, fans who have been with them since the early days will be very reluctant to buy into the Kings brand; to buy their records and buy tickets for their gigs. Because to them, the Followill's aren't the band that they used to be. And don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a bands development, and I'm not the pretentious sort to dislike a band as soon as they become popular. Far from it. The problem arises when there's a complete shift in musical ideals. When it's not about the music any more, but, as Abba would say, about Money, Money, Money.

I don't know about you, but I won't be going to see the Kings live again until they're playing the small dingy venues again, like New York Dolls recently did. When they're older and a little wiser, and when the initial honeymoon period with the charts has cooled off, maybe then I'll get my wish of hearing them play Wicker Chair and Talahina Sky live. But at this rate, I guess I have a lot of waiting to do until that is likely to happen. And so for the time being KOL, I shall have to love you up until Because of the Times, and leave you Only By The Night onwards. I'm sure, or I hope, that I will love one of your new albums one day - I just can't imagine it will be any time soon.