Rock albums from alternate timelines

Sunset in Paradise
Duran Duran
1986
Genre: Progressive Rock, Dance-Rock, Synthpop, Art Rock
Sunset in Paradise is the long awaited follow-up the smashing successes of their 1-2-3 punch of Duran Duran (1981), Rio (1982) and Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983). The three year wait was due to a variety of different factors, most notably internal conflicts between band members, a much needed break after extensive touring around the world, and of course, drug abuse taking its toll. However, band members Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor were able to reconcile their issues with Simon Le Bon, John Taylor and Nick Rhodes by reaching a compromise. This came after a much needed trip to rehab, giving them clarity which they didn't have before. Once that was done, the time came to record their new album, titled Sunset in Paradise.

The name refers to the marked end of the New Wave scene that they codified, with Live Aid being the swan song, and the new beginning of their journey into new musical grounds.

Musically, Sunset in Paradise is a progressive rock album inspired by 1970s acts like Pink Floyd, Yes, Rush, Kansas, and Genesis, but featuring Duran Duran's signature danceable style with synths, keyboards and Simon Le Bon's crooning vocals. The idea was to make an album that is both different from Duran Duran's past works, but also unmistakably by them. New genres and influences experimented here include electronic, space rock, jazz, Asian music, and post-disco. It is a concept album, referring to the end of an old age, with all the good and bad that comes with it, just as much as it is both a love letter and critique to the various aspects of modern culture. It's also the first album to include guest vocals.

Sunset in Paradise was a major success, despite some major skepticism about Duran Duran pulling off a prog album. It hit #1 in the UK, and #2 in the US (only held off by Whitney Houston's self-titled album). This kicked off the Sunset in Paradise Tour, which spanned across United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Western Europe, Brazil, Japan and Australia. It produced the #1 hits "You're On My Mind Baby" and "Young and Foolish", as well as the Top 10s "Kyoko", "Everybody Wants to Be Famous", and "New York is Calling Me".

Tracklist:
Side One

  1. Sunset in Paradise
  2. Kyoko
  3. Dreaming of a Better Age
  4. You're On My Mind Baby (feat. Kim Wilde)
  5. Wasted Time
  6. Everything, Always
  7. Doing Alright
Side Two
  1. Skeptics
  2. Love Rockets (feat. Prince)
  3. Young and Foolish
  4. The Feeling (instrumental)
  5. New York Is Calling Me
  6. The Island of Freedom (feat. Nena)
  7. Everybody Wants to be Famous
POD:
In this timeline, the members of Duran Duran get some good advice to help break their famous cocaine addiction earlier, and the perspective of going to rehab helps them to reach a better compromise and cooperation with each other. Rather than our timeline where Duran Duran lost Andy and Roger Taylor, and had an okay-ish comeback with Notorious that ultimately marked their decline from the mainstream, this time around Duran Duran comes back swinging with a new sound that matures the band and proves their legitimacy as musicians, giving them a new impact later on.

  • "Sunset in Paradise", the title track, refers to their experiences in their careers up to that point. It's a heartfelt goodbye to the new wave genre, much like how David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" is one to glam rock.
  • "Kyoko" is the story of a girl in Japan who loves western music and culture, presumably based on DD's own experience there. It's kind of like a new, Asian-themed counterpart to Rio. It has a shakuhachi (Japanese flute) playing throughout.
  • "Dreaming of a Better Age" is a political-themed song with criticism of Reagan, Thatcher, Gorbachev, and ongoing events, set to a danceable tune. Think something like their own "Land of Confusion" by Genesis.
  • "You're On My Mind Baby" is a duet with Kim Wilde, who Simon Le Bon was friends with. The first and third verse is by Simon, the second verse and the bridge is by Kim. Simon sings the first chorus, and then both times afterwards it's a harmony between the two. The song is about being far away from a loved one, in a metafictional context of touring life.
  • "Wasted Time" is an anti-drug song, condemning cocaine and other substances that ultimately crippled the members of Duran Duran, nearly killed them, and caused much drama otherwise. The tone is one of regret.
  • "Everything, Always" is a heartfelt tribute to the fans who kept them going through it all, and built their success to begin with.
  • "Doing Alright" is a fun dance-rock tune about how everything is great, even through tough times, they're still "alright" in the end.
  • "Skeptics" is dedicated to the critics, professional or otherwise, who disapproved of their status as legitimate musicians.
  • "Love Rockets" is an anti-war protest song, with instrumentation and vocals by Prince, and the title contrasts good and bad. It emphasizes why we should love each other despite different ideologies, and not destroy each other in war.
  • "Young and Foolish" is a song that sheds light on their early years in the new wave scene, when they had no idea just how far they would go, and were just living as the days go by.
  • "The Feeling" is an instrumental track, with the band's members getting to show of their musicianship. John Taylor gets a bass solo followed by Andy Taylor getting a guitar solo. It also features distinct keyboard riffs throughout.
  • "New York Is Calling Me" is about Duran Duran's experiences in America, from their first visit to their extended stay, with special emphasis on the Big Apple.
  • "The Island of Freedom" is about West Berlin, the fun of being in the art and music scene contrasted by the misery of the city's division. It features guest vocals from Nena, who sings in German to contrast Simon's English.
  • "Everybody Wants to Be Famous", the closer, is about how every musician wants to be a big star. It tells why that's so great, but warns of all the negatives that come with it.

This came to mind when I thought of how Duran Duran could've fared better after 1985, and how I imagine their sound could've evolved in a good way that kept them in the spotlight after Live Aid. I hope you guys like it.
 
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Sunset in Paradise
Duran Duran
1986
Genre: Progressive Rock, Dance-Rock, Synthpop, Art Rock
Sunset in Paradise is the long awaited follow-up the smashing successes of their 1-2-3 punch of Duran Duran (1981), Rio (1982) and Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983). The three year wait was due to a variety of different factors, most notably internal conflicts between band members, a much needed break after extensive touring around the world, and of course, drug abuse taking its toll. However, band members Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor were able to reconcile their issues with Simon Le Bon, John Taylor and Roger Taylor by reaching a compromise. This came after a much needed trip to rehab, giving them clarity which they didn't have before. Once that was done, the time came to record their new album, titled Sunset in Paradise.

The name refers to the marked end of the New Wave scene that they codified, with Live Aid being the swan song, and the new beginning of their journey into new musical grounds.

Musically, Sunset in Paradise is a progressive rock album inspired by 1970s acts like Pink Floyd, Yes, Rush, Kansas, and Genesis, but featuring Duran Duran's signature danceable style with synths, keyboards and Simon Le Bon's crooning vocals. The idea was to make an album that is both different from Duran Duran's past works, but also unmistakably by them. New genres and influences experimented here include electronic, space rock, jazz, Asian music, and post-disco. It is a concept album, referring to the end of an old age, with all the good and bad that comes with it, just as much as it is both a love letter and critique to the various aspects of modern culture. It's also the first album to include guest vocals.

Sunset in Paradise was a major success, despite some major skepticism about Duran Duran pulling off a prog album. It hit #1 in the UK, and #2 in the US (only held off by Whitney Houston's self-titled album). This kicked off the Sunset in Paradise Tour, which spanned across United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Western Europe, Brazil, Japan and Australia. It produced the #1 hits "You're On My Mind Baby" and "Young and Foolish", as well as the Top 10s "Kyoko", "Everybody Wants to Be Famous", and "New York is Calling Me".

Tracklist:
Side One

  1. Sunset in Paradise
  2. Kyoko
  3. Dreaming of a Better Age
  4. You're On My Mind Baby (feat. Kim Wilde)
  5. Wasted Time
  6. Everything, Always
  7. Doing Alright
Side Two
  1. Skeptics
  2. Love Rockets (feat. Prince)
  3. Young and Foolish
  4. The Feeling (instrumental)
  5. New York Is Calling Me
  6. The Island of Freedom (feat. Nena)
  7. Everybody Wants to be Famous
POD:
In this timeline, the members of Duran Duran get some good advice to help break their famous cocaine addiction earlier, and the perspective of going to rehab helps them to reach a better compromise and cooperation with each other. Rather than our timeline where Duran Duran lost Andy and Roger Taylor, and had an okay-ish comeback with Notorious that ultimately marked their decline from the mainstream, this time around Duran Duran comes back swinging with a new sound that matures the band and proves their legitimacy as musicians, giving them a new impact later on.

  • "Sunset in Paradise", the title track, refers to their experiences in their careers up to that point. It's a heartfelt goodbye to the new wave genre, much like how David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" is one to glam rock.
  • "Kyoko" is the story of a girl in Japan who loves western music and culture, presumably based on DD's own experience there. It's kind of like a new, Asian-themed counterpart to Rio. It has a shakuhachi (Japanese flute) playing throughout.
  • "Dreaming of a Better Age" is a political-themed song with criticism of Reagan, Thatcher, Gorbachev, and ongoing events, set to a danceable tune. Think something like their own "Land of Confusion" by Genesis.
  • "You're On My Mind Baby" is a duet with Kim Wilde, who Simon Le Bon was friends with. The first and third verse is by Simon, the second verse and the bridge is by Kim. Simon sings the first chorus, and then both times afterwards it's a harmony between the two. The song is about being far away from a loved one, in a metafictional context of touring life.
  • "Wasted Time" is an anti-drug song, condemning cocaine and other substances that ultimately crippled the members of Duran Duran, nearly killed them, and caused much drama otherwise. The tone is one of regret.
  • "Everything, Always" is a heartfelt tribute to the fans who kept them going through it all, and built their success to begin with.
  • "Doing Alright" is a fun dance-rock tune about how everything is great, even through tough times, they're still "alright" in the end.
  • "Skeptics" is dedicated to the critics, professional or otherwise, who disapproved of their status as legitimate musicians.
  • "Love Rockets" is an anti-war protest song, with instrumentation and vocals by Prince, and the title contrasts good and bad. It emphasizes why we should love each other despite different ideologies, and not destroy each other in war.
  • "Young and Foolish" is a song that sheds light on their early years in the new wave scene, when they had no idea just how far they would go, and were just living as the days go by.
  • "The Feeling" is an instrumental track, with the band's members getting to show of their musicianship. John Taylor gets a bass solo followed by Andy Taylor getting a guitar solo. It also features distinct keyboard riffs throughout.
  • "New York Is Calling Me" is about Duran Duran's experiences in America, from their first visit to their extended stay, with special emphasis on the Big Apple.
  • "The Island of Freedom" is about West Berlin, the fun of being in the art and music scene contrasted by the misery of the city's division. It features guest vocals from Nena, who sings in German to contrast Simon's English.
  • "Everybody Wants to Be Famous", the closer, is about how every musician wants to be a big star. It tells why that's so great, but warns of all the negatives that come with it.

This came to mind when I thought of how Duran Duran could've fared better after 1985, and how I imagine their sound could've evolved in a good way that kept them in the spotlight after Live Aid. I hope you guys like it.
Are all the songs entirely fictional?
 
jm osbourne.jpg

John Michael Osbourne, Self-title 1973. (in alternative universe where black sabbath did breakup in 1971 after last album, master of reality.)

all writen by John Michael Osbourne.

Tracklist

1. Supernaut
2. Changes
3. Under the Sun
4. Looking for Today
5. Killing Yourself to Live
6. Snowblind
7. Tomorrow's Dream
8. Cornucopia
9. Wheels of Confusion
10. St. Vitus Dance
11. Who Are You?
12. Spiral Architect
 
View attachment 630848
John Michael Osbourne, Self-title 1973. (in alternative universe where black sabbath did breakup in 1971 after last album, master of reality.)

all writen by John Michael Osbourne.

Tracklist

1. Supernaut
2. Changes
3. Under the Sun
4. Looking for Today
5. Killing Yourself to Live
6. Snowblind
7. Tomorrow's Dream
8. Cornucopia
9. Wheels of Confusion
10. St. Vitus Dance
11. Who Are You?
12. Spiral Architect
What would be your POD for this album? As in the moment that causes their breakup.
 
View attachment 630848
John Michael Osbourne, Self-title 1973. (in alternative universe where black sabbath did breakup in 1971 after last album, master of reality.)

all writen by John Michael Osbourne.

Tracklist

1. Supernaut
2. Changes
3. Under the Sun
4. Looking for Today
5. Killing Yourself to Live
6. Snowblind
7. Tomorrow's Dream
8. Cornucopia
9. Wheels of Confusion
10. St. Vitus Dance
11. Who Are You?
12. Spiral Architect
Weren't a lot of these songs composed by Terry "Geezer" Butler?
 
CBB39B5A-132D-4216-B6A9-66E5B1B6D059.jpeg

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969)
Psychedelia - Comedy Rock

Tracklist:
Side One:

1. Good Day
2. Put a Frown Upside Down!
3. A Pack of Animals
4. Grantchester Meadows
5. Matthew’s Party
6. Pass Me the Tequila
Side Two:
1. Cymbeline
2. At the Pub
3. Green is the Color
4. A Week of Vacation
5. Scary Isn’t It?

Main Personnel:
Peter Giles - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Roger Waters - Bass Guitar, Co-lead vocals
Richard Wright - Keyboard
Nick Mason - Drums

Background:
David Gilmour declines to join Pink Floyd in respect of Syd Barrett. Barrett is still forced out of the band, after the recording of A Saucerful of Secrets. Being the only available vocalist and guitarist around, Peter Giles of formerly Giles, Giles, and Fripp joined Floyd as a temporary musician, however the rest of the band was impressed with Giles’s vocal work on the test demos and fully integrated him into the band.

Pink Floyd signed on a contract to make the soundtrack of the controversial movie, More. Mid through the production of the soundtrack, the film was forcefully canceled by French authorities, however, Floyd persisted with the production of the album and made it into an original album.

When Ummagumma was released, it was met with positive reviews and soon became a critical hit, reaching number four in UK charts according to Billboard. The band is now faced with an uncertain future after they found their newfound success.
 
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View attachment 630848
John Michael Osbourne, Self-title 1973. (in alternative universe where black sabbath did breakup in 1971 after last album, master of reality.)

all writen by John Michael Osbourne.

Tracklist

1. Supernaut
2. Changes
3. Under the Sun
4. Looking for Today
5. Killing Yourself to Live
6. Snowblind
7. Tomorrow's Dream
8. Cornucopia
9. Wheels of Confusion
10. St. Vitus Dance
11. Who Are You?
12. Spiral Architect
IIRC Ozzy barely wrote anything for Black Sabbath, especially musically. And he'd have to find himself a Randy Rhoads-tier guitarist. I guess Ozzy leaving Sabbath in the 70s and starting a new band would be kind of like the Rainbow-Deep Purple relation (which makes me wonder what would happen if Ozzy left Sabbath a few years early and they hired Dio instead of Rainbow.
 
IIRC Ozzy barely wrote anything for Black Sabbath, especially musically. And he'd have to find himself a Randy Rhoads-tier guitarist. I guess Ozzy leaving Sabbath in the 70s and starting a new band would be kind of like the Rainbow-Deep Purple relation (which makes me wonder what would happen if Ozzy left Sabbath a few years early and they hired Dio instead of Rainbow.
what's a new band name?
 
View attachment 631868
Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969)
Psychedelia - Comedy Rock

Tracklist:
Side One:

1. Good Day
2. Put a Frown Upside Down!
3. A Pack of Animals
4. Grantchester Meadows
5. Matthew’s Party
6. Pass Me the Tequila
Side Two:
1. Cymbeline
2. At the Pub
3. Green is the Color
4. A Week of Vacation
5. Scary Isn’t It?

Main Personnel:
Peter Giles - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Roger Waters - Bass Guitar, Co-lead vocals
Richard Wright - Keyboard
Nick Mason - Drums

Background:
David Gilmour declines to join Pink Floyd in respect of Syd Barrett. Barrett is still forced out of the band, after the recording of A Saucerful of Secrets. Being the only available vocalist and guitarist around, Peter Giles of formerly Giles, Giles, and Fripp joined Floyd as a temporary musician, however the rest of the band was impressed with Giles’s vocal work on the test demos and fully integrated him into the band.

Pink Floyd signed on a contract to make the soundtrack of the controversial movie, More. Mid through the production of the soundtrack, the film was forcefully canceled by French authorities, however, Floyd persisted with the production of the album and made it into an original album.

When Ummagumma was released, it was met with positive reviews and soon became a critical hit, reaching number four in UK charts according to Billboard. The band is now faced with an uncertain future after they found their newfound success.
Does Syd still go down the same path he did in OTL? And what happens to Gilmour without being in the Floyd?
 
Nice, though I don't know if it would have been possible. George Harrison was happier to be a Wilbury than a Beatle by his later age, and he probably would have thought adding Sean Lennon and calling it "The Beatles" would not have been proper taste. Its a nice dream, though.

***

Speaking of which, it would also be a nice idea for Roy Orbison to keep going for longer. More Orbison, possibly more Wilbury's. I'd imagine he would take the path Johnny Cash did in the 90s until his death. Or if Lennon lived and the Traveling Wilbury's became a back door to a Beatles reunion under a different name or with everyone else in the group too making an Ultra Super Group. I'm just saying, the Traveling Wilbury's was awesome and in proper Harrison fashion, it didn't define itself as something so serious as to be a White Elephant nothing more could be done with because of the hype, as the Beatles reunion idea became. It was one of those weird little things where life lets you know even if you don't always get what you want, you'll still end up with something unexpected and good.
 
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181C5254-6157-44AB-80E9-BF80B9ACDAF9.jpeg

Pink Floyd - The Weird West (1970)
Psychedelia - Weird West - Comedy Rock

Tracklist:
Side One:

1. How the West Was Weird
2. John the Strangler
3. Jesse James
4. Sam Bass
5. Belle Starr
Side Two:
1. Cows
2. A Reservation for Indians
3. If Only
4. Summer In the West

Main Personnel:
Peter Giles - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Roger Waters - Bass Guitar, Co-lead Vocals
Richard Wright - Keyboard, Backing Vocals
Nick Mason - Drums

Additional Notable Personnel:
George Martin & his Orchestra - orchestral sessions

 
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Pink Floyd - The Weird West (1970)
Psychedelia - Weird West - Comedy Rock

Tracklist:
Side One:

1. How the West Was Weird
2. John the Strangler
3. Jesse James
4. Sam Bass
5. Belle Starr
Side Two:
1. Cows
2. A Reservation for Indians
3. If Only
4. Summer In the West

Main Personnel:
Peter Giles - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Roger Waters - Bass Guitar, Co-lead Vocals
Richard Wright - Keyboard, Backing Vocals
Nick Mason - Drums

Additional Notable Personnel:
George Martin & his Orchestra - orchestral sessions

These Giles-Floyd albums look great! Where can I find these songs, or are they made up? I'm a GG&F and King Crimson fan, and I don't recognise any of the song names.
 
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