Forever talented?

Zhanteimi · 11-26-2014, 07:48 AM

Me, too. Frank Black's Honeycomb and Teenager of the Year are better than his Pixies stuff.

The Beatles ended on a high note with Abbey Road.

Psy-Fi · 11-26-2014, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Tom Waits just gets better as he ages, as does BB King. I see some of the spark go out of Steve Earle's writing as he approaches that age; getting a little less angry and a little more mellow, while Springsteen still seems to have it but is fading a little. Kate Bush is eternally young, and Judas Priest certainly still have it almost forty years later, as do Hawkwind, who seem to perpetually stay the same age. Then there's Gabriel, who's definitely showing his age as is Neal Schon...

As much as I dearly love B.B. King and his music, he's no longer able to perform live at anywhere near what he was capable of a few years ago. I saw him a couple of times in the 1990's and he was nothing short of phenomenal on both occasions! I was considering seeing him again this year but after checking out some of his recent performances on YouTube and hearing from other fans who had been to some of his recent shows, I decided to pass up the opportunity.

He cancelled the rest of his 2014 tour in early October and based on what I've seen and heard of him lately, I have a feeling that at 89 years old he's finally decided to retire from performing.

Black Francis · 11-26-2014, 08:09 AM

Dog in the sand as well, i like Frank black but i wouldn't go as far as to say he's better now than when he was younger.

he's now a more refined version of what he used to be but the originality he once had is not the same anymore.
As a young musician he was writing abstract ditties with a music that sounded very raw but now he writes stuff like this

But he will never write another Debaser or oh my golly.

Machine · 11-26-2014, 09:25 AM

Michael Gira has been making some of his best work with Swans recently and he is 60 I believe.

Plankton · 11-26-2014, 09:48 AM

What I'm finding at 48 is that the body goes before the mind, being that my technical abilities aren't what they used to be, so I compensate with stronger melodies. Jeff Beck is a good example of this if you look at his earlier work compared to his latest efforts. There's a sort of over compensation before the big drop off point.

grindy · 11-26-2014, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

What I'm finding at 48 is that the body goes before the mind, being that my technical abilities aren't what they used to be, so I compensate with stronger melodies. Jeff Beck is a good example of this if you look at his earlier work compared to his latest efforts. There's a sort of over compensation before the big drop off point.

Can't wait for the new King Crimson albums.
Really curious how well Fripp is able to pull it off at his age.

Plankton · 11-26-2014, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindy

Can't wait for the new King Crimson albums.
Really curious how well Fripp is able to pull it off at his age.

Oh yeah. Same here.

EPOCH6 · 11-26-2014, 11:21 AM

I think a lot of artists sort of accept a creative plateau after a while, they've solidified their legacy, they've released their classics, and they've refined their formula for decades. It's quite reasonable to gradually ride that formula out, it's what they're good at, it's their trade, it's what pays for their new boat, their new house, their children's tuition. Bands like AC/DC, Judas Priest, KISS etc could continue releasing the same albums every year and they'd still sell out stadiums on their legacy alone, regardless of whether or not they're evolving their style. The classic acts know this and will capitalize on it, and I think that's pretty reasonable, it's their job. Getting old is hard, having an infinite source of income like the brand "Black Sabbath" or "KISS" or "AC/DC" is a remarkably valuable privilege, they can't risk tarnishing that brand, they know what their fans like and won't sever those ties for the sake of creative experimentation, they can always go home after their million dollar performances and experiment in their studios without jeopardizing their legacy. I'd bet that a lot of the legends are still remarkably creative and talented, we just don't get to see it, it's behind financially secure closed doors.

**Goofle** · 11-26-2014, 11:27 AM

The Church peaked later in their careers. Justin Timberlake put out his best overall album later in his career too. There's plent more I am sure, but it's probably fair to say that, in general, artists tend to lose their way as they get older.

grindy · 11-26-2014, 11:28 AM

I'm really curious whether rappers in their 60s and 70s will still be rapping and how good it will be.

11-26-2014, 08:09 AM	#13 (permalink)
Black Francis Out of Place Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: in an abstract house Posts: 4,111	Dog in the sand as well, i like Frank black but i wouldn't go as far as to say he's better now than when he was younger. he's now a more refined version of what he used to be but the originality he once had is not the same anymore. As a young musician he was writing abstract ditties with a music that sounded very raw but now he writes stuff like this But he will never write another Debaser or oh my golly. __________________ "Hey Kids you got to meet the MIGHTY PIXIES!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRbCtIgW3A

11-26-2014, 09:25 AM	#14 (permalink)
Machine moon lake inc. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,125	Michael Gira has been making some of his best work with Swans recently and he is 60 I believe. __________________ boost my ego listen to me stroke my delay pedal ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

11-26-2014, 09:48 AM	#15 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	What I'm finding at 48 is that the body goes before the mind, being that my technical abilities aren't what they used to be, so I compensate with stronger melodies. Jeff Beck is a good example of this if you look at his earlier work compared to his latest efforts. There's a sort of over compensation before the big drop off point. __________________ See location...

11-26-2014, 11:28 AM	#20 (permalink)
grindy . Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: . Posts: 7,201	I'm really curious whether rappers in their 60s and 70s will still be rapping and how good it will be. __________________ *A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.*

11-26-2014, 07:48 AM	#11 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	Me, too. Frank Black's Honeycomb and Teenager of the Year are better than his Pixies stuff. The Beatles ended on a high note with Abbey Road.