great article! I wonder myself about some of these 77+ records.
One artist you might try is Tommy Emmanuel, although he may not be quite that old. I saw him very recently, and he hasn't lost any velocity at all in his playing. You can find him all over YouTube.
Leonard Cohen's You Want it Darker is indeed a masterpiece. My kids don't appreciate it as much as him singing about tea and oranges and lovely ladies, but they'll grow into it.
Excellent work. You articulate here something that’s been on the edge of my mind for a while.
What about Bob Weir? He’s 78. “The older you get, the slower you play” is surely true for Dead and Co. I love the Dead but Dead and Co. is like a cover band. Yet who could scorn the guy for still playing?
I restricted myself to folk who have put out studio records at age 77 + and it looks as though he hasn't. No scorn at all for people who keep playing, though. I think Yes is basically a cover band now, but Steve Howe can still play all those parts at 78 so if he wants to keep going, and people want to listen to their Jon Anderson tribute singer, it would be churlish to object.
This is a great piece. I agree that the megafauna are harder to come by in later decades, though I expect we'll be seeing an Arctic Monkeys record in 2065.
Thank you for this well-written essay. While I'm no connoisseur like you, I would agree that Leonard Cohen released his greatest songs towards the end of his life. I miss him dearly.
Totally agree. Listening to the younger Cohen I often feel that he's just.. full of himself, while the older Cohen is full of something else, maybe crazy wisdom
great article! I wonder myself about some of these 77+ records.
One artist you might try is Tommy Emmanuel, although he may not be quite that old. I saw him very recently, and he hasn't lost any velocity at all in his playing. You can find him all over YouTube.
Thank you! Just looked up Tommy Emmanuel and he is but a spring chicken at 70. I shall check him out, however — looks interesting.
One of my favourite substack articles, thank you
Leonard Cohen's You Want it Darker is indeed a masterpiece. My kids don't appreciate it as much as him singing about tea and oranges and lovely ladies, but they'll grow into it.
Exactly, tea and oranges are fine but I prefer the dry wit of:
I struggled with some demons/They were middle class and tame
I didn't know I had permission/To murder and to maim
Excellent work. You articulate here something that’s been on the edge of my mind for a while.
What about Bob Weir? He’s 78. “The older you get, the slower you play” is surely true for Dead and Co. I love the Dead but Dead and Co. is like a cover band. Yet who could scorn the guy for still playing?
I restricted myself to folk who have put out studio records at age 77 + and it looks as though he hasn't. No scorn at all for people who keep playing, though. I think Yes is basically a cover band now, but Steve Howe can still play all those parts at 78 so if he wants to keep going, and people want to listen to their Jon Anderson tribute singer, it would be churlish to object.
This is a great piece. I agree that the megafauna are harder to come by in later decades, though I expect we'll be seeing an Arctic Monkeys record in 2065.
Thanks Jimmy. I can also imagine a 70something Thom Yorke putting out angular electronica for his own amusement....
One of your best.
Thanks Henry!
Thank you for this well-written essay. While I'm no connoisseur like you, I would agree that Leonard Cohen released his greatest songs towards the end of his life. I miss him dearly.
Totally agree. Listening to the younger Cohen I often feel that he's just.. full of himself, while the older Cohen is full of something else, maybe crazy wisdom
Thanks, Shlomo. He's probably unique in that regard.