Post by Soutpeel on Jun 10, 2016 16:52:22 GMT 7
Do Musicians get better with age ?
At 74, Paul Simon is arguably producing the best work of his career – and he’s not alone. Many musicians find it’s better not to shut up and play the hits, writes Jim Farber.
Nick Lowe looks at many older pop stars with a mixture of embarrassment and dread. He calls these creatures “thinning-haired, jowly geezers who still do the same schtick they did when they were young, slim and beautiful. That’s revolting and rather tragic.”
Small wonder, starting in his 50s, Lowe went a dramatically different way. The now 67-year-old pioneer of ironic 1970s punk-pop morphed in middle age into a sincere balladeer, emphasising the grizzle in his viewpoint and the wear in his voice. In case anyone missed his intention, Lowe titled one album in that vein At My Age.
Lowe isn’t alone in refusing to squeeze himself into the jeans of his younger self. Over the last decade, an increasing number of seasoned stars have not only shown their talents to be well-preserved, they’ve experienced growth spurts worthy of an adolescent.
There’s an important distinction to be made here: plenty of late-stage stars continue to release new music, and to command top dollar on tour, without remotely improving or significantly varying their classic style. Include in that long list the Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, and so forth.
www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160607-do-musicians-get-better-with-age
At 74, Paul Simon is arguably producing the best work of his career – and he’s not alone. Many musicians find it’s better not to shut up and play the hits, writes Jim Farber.
Nick Lowe looks at many older pop stars with a mixture of embarrassment and dread. He calls these creatures “thinning-haired, jowly geezers who still do the same schtick they did when they were young, slim and beautiful. That’s revolting and rather tragic.”
Small wonder, starting in his 50s, Lowe went a dramatically different way. The now 67-year-old pioneer of ironic 1970s punk-pop morphed in middle age into a sincere balladeer, emphasising the grizzle in his viewpoint and the wear in his voice. In case anyone missed his intention, Lowe titled one album in that vein At My Age.
Lowe isn’t alone in refusing to squeeze himself into the jeans of his younger self. Over the last decade, an increasing number of seasoned stars have not only shown their talents to be well-preserved, they’ve experienced growth spurts worthy of an adolescent.
There’s an important distinction to be made here: plenty of late-stage stars continue to release new music, and to command top dollar on tour, without remotely improving or significantly varying their classic style. Include in that long list the Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, and so forth.
www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160607-do-musicians-get-better-with-age
