Comments on:

By: Tenno

Tenno — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:26:39 +0000

@Lucas Jensen: i will also submit to the commenters at large, the case of one Michael Cretu (Enigma) who has, on average, sold half the preceding amount for every album released. At this rate gentlesirs, he will have negative album sales in the Bizarro universe.

In short, he will owe us money.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:32:31 +0000

Bruce Springsteen.

By: Chris N.

Chris N. — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:21:40 +0000

Johnny F-in’ Cash!

By: Chris N.

Chris N. — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:20:42 +0000

Merle Haggard!

By: Charlie Kerfelds Jetsons Tee

Charlie Kerfelds Jetsons Tee — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:17:41 +0000

Scott Walker?

By: MrStarhead

MrStarhead — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:13:25 +0000

What’s far more common than originality is “going back to the well for another strong album.” Just look at U2 (and hopefully, REM’s new one).

By: AcidReign

AcidReign — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:02:14 +0000

Dare I say that older, wiser musicians are less likely to sign exploitative record-contracts, and thus are less likely to sell records and tickets? It's a music mafia, I tellya!

That, and there's the fried brain cells/substance-abuse loss of creativity that kicks in after age 30, too. It's all the record execs' fault, too, since they encourage illegal drug use. Just ask Nikki Sixx!

By: Laurrel

Laurrel — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:53:13 +0000

Joe Queenan is nearly 60, the article obviously wasn't written with much research or familiarity with many aging artists so I'm going to go ahead and assume he's not taken to aging well himself and is just lashing out.

Saying 30 is aged is ridiculous though. Who decides that? I'm 18 and I don't think 30 is old.

By: Al Shipley

Al Shipley — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:44:44 +0000

I agree that the original pullquote is total bullshit (though if “never” was changed to “rarely” would at least be harder to shoot down), the counter-examples everyone is chipping in are really addressing only one part of the equation (quality), and not the other (originality). Pointing out that someone over 30 made a good record doesn’t really mean anything here if they already established that sound on an earlier record.

By: revmatty

revmatty — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:38:05 +0000

@Lucas Jensen: I'd dispute Madonna.

And while his popularity has plummeted, Prince still writes some kick ass songs. Zappa was over 50 when he died and his later work was far superior to his early work.

Tori Amos. Joe Strummer. Miles Davis. John Coltrane. King Crimson.

Just to name a few.

By: okiedoke

okiedoke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:21:54 +0000

“Ageing writers whose ideas are ignored and whose newspapers no longer sell out often grumble that the columns they are writing today are just as good as they ever were …”

By: sparkletone

sparkletone — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:45:34 +0000

Most of the ones I'd mention already have been.

But not radiohead.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:36:57 +0000

@Tenno: And that line about "frozen in awesome" could make you the Peter Travers of this board. I mean that in the best possible way.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:36:17 +0000

@Tenno: Good call.

By: Lucas Jensen

Lucas Jensen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:36:06 +0000

Mayo Thompson. Sun Ra. Bob Pollard. Hell, Madonna.

By: Tenno

Tenno — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:30:30 +0000

bjork’s been rocking since she was like 8 and she’s what. going on 40 now? it’s the cold climates man, shes frozen in awesome.

By: scott pgwp

scott pgwp — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:03:44 +0000

@Diglett:
Seriously! What a bummer that Queenen is writing these people off in their thirties. That's a sadder career arc than pro athletes.

(But that does make one think: what if songwriters retired around age 35 and then became critics instead, a la Troy Aikman, Joe Theisman, etc.?)

By: Royfromage

Royfromage — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:53:11 +0000

Willie Nelson.

By: natepatrin

natepatrin — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:51:29 +0000

Hey, did you know that it is funny that they are called "Sonic Youth" even though they are all now middled-age? Hilarity!

Seriously tho, even if Rather Ripped could've been a bit better, SY pretty much smashes Queenan's theory to pieces.

By: Jon Can Dance

Jon Can Dance — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:41:02 +0000

Obviously Mr. Queenan has not had the opportunity to listen to Chinese Democracy before he writing this piece, because all the buzz I've heard about it says Guns N' Roses are back.