Music opinion/question of the week...

[Dr. Medulla]

Paul Simon is someone who was notable in the 60s and maintained his popular and critical appeal through the 70s. Hit a rough patch in the early 80s and then made another breakthrough with Graceland.

[Flex]

Thinking more about Dylan's highs and lows post-60s/70s:

79-81: Revitalized with Slow Train Coming and born-again era which suffers decline and rutting by 81's Shot of Love release
82-84: Return to secular songwriting, Infidels is a minor classic - Bob handling the 80s with aplomb - and the songwriting of Empire Burlesque is mostly great but with dodgy '84 production (terrible lead single but satisfying album tracks). A resurgent period.
85-88: Dull "leftovers" albums released, listless Bob. Live Bob saw him touring with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (to mixed success) and the Grateful Dead (to the opposite of success).
88-89: Massively resurgent Bob time period. Traveling Wilburys and catalog classic Oh Mercy released. Bob starts his still-ongoing Neverending Tour during this time. These are the roots of his 90s-present career resurgence.

In the 90s he released one duff album before putting out a couple of back-to-basics acoustic records as a palette cleanser to his string of career-watermark albums starting with Time out of Mind and continuing until he decided to release three straight albums of Frank Sinatra covers for some reason.

Faux Addendum: And agreed with Doc that Paul Simon is another great example. I was surprised back in college when I learned Graceland was released as late as it was - as a kid I always assumed it must have been an early solo album because it was so good.

[101Walterton]

Some would argue Bowie (commercially at least).

[Dr. Medulla]

Some would argue Bowie (commercially at least).

Bowie doesn't count as a 60s guy. Technically yes, but not really.

[Silent Majority]

Paul Simon is someone who was notable in the 60s and maintained his popular and critical appeal through the 70s. Hit a rough patch in the early 80s and then made another breakthrough with Graceland.

I like Graceland, too, even if he did cross the international picket line to make it.

[revbob]

The latter half of the 70s seems like a hangover period for any rock bands that managed to survive that long. And fuck if they were still around in the 80s most cases are pretty awful with a few "that's a nice song" moments thrown in. And it wasn't just a changing musical landscape, I think people's wells of creativity are only so deep especially if you're working with much of the same people and in some cases the constraints of your past. Marky mentioned the Kinks but I'm honestly not too familiar with their post 60s material.

[101Walterton]

Some would argue Bowie (commercially at least).

Bowie doesn't count as a 60s guy. Technically yes, but not really.

You should get a job on Hackney Marshes!!

[Low Down Low]

Graceland fan here too. Another who doesnt get that much love around these parts but would definitely fit the bill here too is Van Morrison.

[Flex]

Graceland fan here too. Another who doesnt get that much love around these parts but would definitely fit the bill here too is Van Morrison.

Interesting. I admit I basically have a gap in my knowledge of the Van catalog from about 1977 to 2006.

[revbob]

Graceland fan here too. Another who doesnt get that much love around these parts but would definitely fit the bill here too is Van Morrison.

Interesting. I admit I basically have a gap in my knowledge of the Van catalog from about 1977 to 2006.

Yeah same but a much wider gap. I know Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance and Gloria end of story. Not saying it's a good thing, just factual.

[WestwayKid]

Graceland fan here too. Another who doesnt get that much love around these parts but would definitely fit the bill here too is Van Morrison.

Interesting. I admit I basically have a gap in my knowledge of the Van catalog from about 1977 to 2006.

Yeah same but a much wider gap. I know Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance and Gloria end of story. Not saying it's a good thing, just factual.

His catalog through the early 90's is really solid. It isn't until about 1992/93 that it gets a little spotty. He's just never gotten downright bad. His catalog is probably one of the strongest around.

[Marky Dread]

Dylan had diminishing returns overall, but I'd say he featured something like two creative resurgences and three bottoming-outs in the span of the 80s alone. His pattern of reinventing himself every few years keeps things pretty fresh. Similarly, Bowie's low-ebb didn't last that long all told, even if there was a decent gap between truly vital LPs.

I think sometimes that's the problem. People expecting greatness when an artist emerges from the wilderness so to speak. When we do get a great new album it should just be a bonus. Of course when you get a turkey it's not always for thanksgiving.

[Dr. Medulla]

Dylan had diminishing returns overall, but I'd say he featured something like two creative resurgences and three bottoming-outs in the span of the 80s alone. His pattern of reinventing himself every few years keeps things pretty fresh. Similarly, Bowie's low-ebb didn't last that long all told, even if there was a decent gap between truly vital LPs.

I think sometimes that's the problem. People expecting greatness when an artist emerges from the wilderness so to speak. When we do get a great new album it should just be a bonus. Of course when you get a turkey it's not always for thanksgiving.

That's how I am with Lydon. He produced two seminal records (Bollocks and Metal Box) and two very good ones (First Issue and Album). I'll bitch as much if not more as the next person about the weak crap on his resume, but anything good he's done since 1979 has to be considered a bonus.

[Marky Dread]

Dylan had diminishing returns overall, but I'd say he featured something like two creative resurgences and three bottoming-outs in the span of the 80s alone. His pattern of reinventing himself every few years keeps things pretty fresh. Similarly, Bowie's low-ebb didn't last that long all told, even if there was a decent gap between truly vital LPs.

I think sometimes that's the problem. People expecting greatness when an artist emerges from the wilderness so to speak. When we do get a great new album it should just be a bonus. Of course when you get a turkey it's not always for thanksgiving.

That's how I am with Lydon. He produced two seminal records (Bollocks and Metal Box) and two very good ones (First Issue and Album). I'll bitch as much if not more as the next person about the weak crap on his resume, but anything good he's done since 1979 has to be considered a bonus.

Exactly mate and as we all know John makes his best material when he has other greats around him and he is not just in coasting mode. I still feel there could be one last great hurrah in him even yet.

I do not mean to sound callous here but John gave us the amazing Death Disco with the passing of his mother. Now that sadly Nora is unwell this might spark John into putting his soul into something great. He is quite brilliant at consuming stuff and venting in a direct and honest way about stuff that affects him.

[Dr. Medulla]

Exactly mate and as we all know John makes his best material when he has other greats around him and he is not just in coasting mode. I still feel there could be one last great hurrah in him even yet.

I do not mean to sound callous here but John gave us the amazing Death Disco with the passing of his mother. Now that sadly Nora is unwell this might spark John into putting his soul into something great. He is quite brilliant at consuming stuff and venting in a direct and honest way about stuff that affects him.

And he does have, possibly, his most skilled group of collaborators of his career. He could still surprise us, but I'm doubtful because I just don't think he's as hungry creatively anymore. He's settled into that punk elder participating in histories and chastising the young. He's more backwards looking now than when he was young. That's understandable and I don't begrudge him the indulgence—he's earned it.