Your heroes, are they PAST IT?

[fit bird]

Jun Togawa pretty much disappeared off the face of the earth in 2005, legacy intact.
Until mounting a comeback, voice completely shot, in 2016. A string of awful albums of reinterpretations of her old songs and a piano covers album before becoming a Youtube agony aunt. Definitely past it.
Bryan Ferry has been shit since 1978 but especially so lately, last few albums are full of reheated songs that appeared in almost identical forms on bootlegs from over 20 years ago. Cunt's voice is gone too. Doubt anybody enjoys him whispering over his naff 90s demos. Definitely past it.

[TheMonk]

Bryan Ferry has been shit since 1978 but especially so lately, last few albums are full of reheated songs that appeared in almost identical forms on bootlegs from over 20 years ago. Cunt's voice is gone too. Doubt anybody enjoys him whispering over his naff 90s demos. Definitely past it.

Yeah his voice is odd now. Most singers just lose the top of their range but I've seen a few videos of Ferry performing recently and he sounds like a slightly off key Bryan Ferry impersonator. There's a muppet like quality to his voice. Most disconcerting.

[Brundle-Fly]

The Residents are a very good call. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but their DVD has modern re-recordings of all the tracks on it, and almost without exception they sound terrible and a vast gulf worse than the originals. Pretty much everything from the 90s onwards has suffered from what Goldentony mentioned.

It was diminishing returns with occasional flashes of brilliance after the Mole Show Trilogy for that very bank of overworked synthesisers reason. And Hardy Fox babbling his drawl over every record since God In Three Persons (1988). You can get too much of a good thing. Bring back Penn Jillette!

Although, the best Residents product I've bought in years is B.S. on Record Store Day 2018. They say it's unreleased early 1970s material but knowing what tricksters they are and the album title, I'm not sure. It's a very convincing reproduction of their early sound, if it is. Anyway, it's the fucking Residents, they owe me nothing but I owe them a lot.

[An tSaoi]

Jean-Michel Jarre. He'll toss off an album and call it Oygene 4 or Equinoxe Reloaded or whatever, even if it doesn't sound anything like the originals. Piggybacking on his own coat tails.

[Natnar]

Annie Lennox

Hasn't really done anything decent since Diva in 1992.  Seems to knock out covers albums just to fulfill her record contract.

[Pauline Walnuts]

Haven't Yes released about 4 albums with none of the original line up?

[Pink Gregory]

Nick Cave - Definitely not past it, having made some of his best records to date in the last ten years after he got the embarassing hand-clappy "woo yeah rock and roll!" Grinderman-isms out of his system and stepped boldly into the late 20th century and started to embrace the use of the kind of electronic textures. Carnage is very much a triumph, and Ghosteen is my joint favourite Cave record with Your Funeral, My Trial; just above Junkyard in my ranking.

See, I'm sort of the opposite.  When I got into Nick Cave it was through Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus, Let Love in and Murder Ballads.  I excitedly went out and bought Push the Sky Away when it came out, it's still one of my favourites; same with Skeleton Tree but I don't listen to it much because it *is* a difficult listen.  Not remotely arsed about listening to Ghosteen or the Cave/Ellis records.

I don't know, it's clearly very, very good but it just lacks a certain...vitality?  Which increasingly I find lacking from old faves Murder Ballads and Let Love In (which I find in Abbatoir Blues in particular, oddly, and Grinderman).  There's something now about Cave that I just find a bit too maudlin and 'respectable' so I'm less enthused by it, and I'm more drawn to From Her to Eternity, Your Funeral etc

Also, him writing some columns for the fucking Spectator and other subsequent comments just made me feel a bit less admiration for the man.  But that's my problem.  'Outlaw spirit?' mate it's a hateful slur on the main radio station in the middle of the day, sorry that's hurtful to you?

[Pink Gregory]

I think I'm always going to love Shellac, putting out 5 records in about 30 years helps though.  They're just such a great unit.

Same with Clutch, making largely the same music since the mid-2000s?  Though Robot Hive/Exodus sounds totally different to e.g.Psychic Warfare.  Pure Rock Fury is my least favourite record with 2 or 3 of my favourite tunes on it.  An institution.

Not particularly enthused by anything the Melvins are putting out since the last record with Big Business, a far more interesting band.  A Walk With Love and Death just sort of washed over me.

[SpiderChrist]

Yes. Every last one of them. Fucked and useless. In the bin. No more heroes.

[boki]

The Residents are a very good call. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but their DVD has modern re-recordings of all the tracks on it, and almost without exception they sound terrible and a vast gulf worse than the originals.

I never really bothered listening to the re-recordings purely because they mixed them in 5:1 and I haven't had a surround setup.

[Oz Oz Alice]

Yes. Every last one of them. Fucked and useless. In the bin. No more heroes.

Speaking of which The Stranglers had a great run up to and including Dreamtime but everything since then has been dogshit.

[Brundle-Fly]

Isn't Norfolk Coast supposed to be very good?

[Brundle-Fly]

Sometimes you have to consider whether it is oneself who has PAST IT?  For me, it's Scott Walker, maybe even Tom Waits to a lesser degree. I prefer their old material but some people say that I'm wrongitty wrong and should embrace the later more challenging shit. Does that mean I am no longer relevant?

[Chicory]

Remember that video of Paul Young sounding like a severely winded swamp monster a few years back?  Well, it seems he's still a known quantity on the touring circuit.  I wonder if he's managed to get his 1980s vintage velvety croon back or if he's just decided to go full-on "That's just how I 'sing' now, motherfuckers! Here's another Gomez cover"

[Brundle-Fly]

Remember that video of Paul Young sounding like a severely winded swamp monster a few years back?  Well, it seems he's still a known quantity on the touring circuit.  I wonder if he's managed to get his 1980s vintage velvety croon back or if he's just decided to go full-on "That's just how I 'sing' now, motherfuckers! Here's another Gomez cover"

He should go on tour with Finlay Quaye. There might be tear gas involved.

[Pauline Walnuts]

I think I'm always going to love Shellac, putting out 5 records in about 30 years helps though.  They're just such a great unit.

I'm putting Shellac in with Mogwai, the new albums are fine, but, a bit AC/DC, ie it's soooo Been There Done that.


Even Status Quo got bored of the formula and made Living on an Island.

[Greg Torso]

Sometimes you have to consider whether it is oneself who has PAST IT?  For me, it's Scott Walker, maybe even Tom Waits to a lesser degree. I prefer their old material but some people say that I'm wrongitty wrong and should embrace the later more challenging shit. Does that mean I am no longer relevant?

I would say Scott Walker went out on an extremely high peak, or near enough. He had his shit years in the 1970s and came back, big time. The Drift is an amazing record for anyone to have made, never mind a former 60s pop star in his sixties.

[Kankurette]

Speaking of which The Stranglers had a great run up to and including Dreamtime but everything since then has been dogshit.

Dave Greenfield is definitely done.

[purlieu]

Jean-Michel Jarre. He'll toss off an album and call it Oygene 4 or Equinoxe Reloaded or whatever, even if it doesn't sound anything like the originals. Piggybacking on his own coat tails.

I dunno, his new one, Amazonia, doesn't sound anything like anything else he's released. Was pleasantly surprised how contemporary the beats sounded and how it avoided the usual new age cliches associated with that kind of environmental music, especially for someone like Jarre.

[TheMonk]

Remember that video of Paul Young sounding like a severely winded swamp monster a few years back?  Well, it seems he's still a known quantity on the touring circuit.  I wonder if he's managed to get his 1980s vintage velvety croon back or if he's just decided to go full-on "That's just how I 'sing' now, motherfuckers! Here's another Gomez cover"

I saw him a few years back on an 80s package show. He walked out and got huge applause then started gargling through Wherever I Lay My Hat. It was so bad it was surreal. Still gives me the willys thinking about it. Genuinely unsettling.

[greenman]

Not exactly active but I'd say Michael Head still in pretty good form, The Red Elastic Band maybe not quite up to Shacks level but definitely not phoning it in.

[The Mollusk]

I'm putting Shellac in with Mogwai, the new albums are fine, but, a bit AC/DC, ie it's soooo Been There Done that.

When you say "new" do you mean the last two, which were 2007 and 2014 respectively?

I think the Mogwai comparison is a bit unfair, since Mogwai's material is a lot more regular - an album/soundtrack pretty much every year or so - and far more insubstantial and gradually withering. Shellac on the other hand are a well-oiled machine, going through every tight motion with great precision. It's a slow-moving machine but when it goes through another cycle it's like the satisfaction of hearing the chime on your favourite clock. Mmmnnngghhhyeahhh.

I mean it probably doesn't help that I don't think much of Mogwai and I bloody love Shellac, but I do really think Shellac is wholly consummate to the point of pretty much being what I'd consider "perfect" music. I certainly wouldn't mind if they never released any more music or even decided not to tour any more but I'm extremely grateful whenever they do. Deffo not past it.

[Pauline Walnuts]

Yes. They were Shellac by numbers.

[The Mollusk]

Yes. They were Shellac by numbers.

You could probably apply that phrase to most of their albums to be honest, and they're one of the extremely few bands who excel within those parameters.

[An tSaoi]

I dunno, his new one, Amazonia, doesn't sound anything like anything else he's released.

Ah, I haven't heard that one.

THAT'S ME TOLD

[Brundle-Fly]

I would say Scott Walker went out on an extremely high peak, or near enough. He had his shit years in the 1970s and came back, big time. The Drift is an amazing record for anyone to have made, never mind a former 60s pop star in his sixties.

I rest my case, m'lud.

[thecuriousorange]

Van Morrison. The Eagles. Fleetwood Mac.

[Famous Mortimer]

Haven't Yes released about 4 albums with none of the original line up?

It depends how crucial you think the contributions of Steve Howe and Alan White are, who aren't original original, but have been with the band through pretty much everything from the early 70s to now.

[Greg Torso]

I rest my case, m'lud.

Er, I wasn't implying your opinion is 'wrong' or that you're past it. I like his 60s stuff, too!

[buzby]

Remember that video of Paul Young sounding like a severely winded swamp monster a few years back?  Well, it seems he's still a known quantity on the touring circuit.  I wonder if he's managed to get his 1980s vintage velvety croon back or if he's just decided to go full-on "That's just how I 'sing' now, motherfuckers! Here's another Gomez cover"

October 2019 German TV' 'performance' says 'no, M'Lud' (the two backing singers can't hold a candle to Kim & Maz either). For comparison, here's the same song being perfomed on The Tube in 1983 (though the sound man fucks up Kim & Maz's mic levels)