Dogsinplastic
avuncular to no one
I actually started drafting a thread before Dexter posted this thread:
I was basically wondering how we feel about folks like Macca, Paul Simon, JT, Dylan, Joni, and others continuing to perform as we can all see and hear their skills deteriorate. It seems like 95+% it's focused on vocals. Some folks that are not much younger than the aforementioned still have a lot to offer, with Robert Plant being one of the best examples. Part of that is his adaptation to aging, not sure there has been a more graceful one in the world of big voiced popular singers in the age of the "rock star".
Of course jazz and blues singers have done this forever, but they were generally less about vocal theatrics or histrionics. Opera singers are the closest, but their extremely regiment training is all about vocal preservation. Modern pop, rock, prog, metal, etc. singers are often pushing the limits of their voices, sometimes to a breaking point. In the case of those listed above, a big part is the inevitability of again (if we're lucky).
McCartney and JT have been clean for 40+ years, vegans too I believe, but they can't sing like they used to. James was always a stellar singer, but he was really killing it vocally in the 90s and 2000s...I'm not sure when his voice started to go, but there's some stuff from about a decade where you can already hear significant dip in power, tone, and agility. Simon might have been a vocal overachiever, but he sounded so good for so long...I think he a mix of age and the deafness he's dealing with (but I'm guessing we could compare and contrast footage of before and after the hearing issues to see if there's a chicken or egg element). Joni ravaged her voice with booze and drugs, but it was the smoking that really took it's toll...apparently she still "sneaks" e-cigs.
It's really hardest or most obvious on big singers, but it can clearly hit all sorts of musicians. At some point, despite the decades of performance and practice, brass and woodwind players have to hit a wall...the combination of lung power, embouchure, and finger agility is extremely demanding. Drummers and percussionists have extreme physical demands. Neil Peart talked about his struggles to play at the level he expected of himself and that the music they'd created demanded. Mike Portnoy recently spoke to how he's feeling it at 57, which is only six years younger than when Neal retired.
As a fan I'm happy to have legends continue from the perspective of this is who they are and what they do. However, it can be quite difficult to watch them age to a point where they aren't able to do what they've done, what they expect, what we expect... That said, I'd've loved to hear/see what Jimi, Kurt, and others (that never got or allowed themselves the chance to continue) would have done. Where would the muse have taken them, how would they have evolved...? I'm more about the fade away I guess.
Which music legend going is going to hit you the hardest?
Having just seen the Paul McCartney SNL bit, I was just thinking. Of all the big artists that are still alive, he is the greatest. And for me that isn't debatable. But was thinking....there are a few that when they're finally gone, that's going to be horrible when it happens. Paul is the main...
markweinguitarlessons.com
I was basically wondering how we feel about folks like Macca, Paul Simon, JT, Dylan, Joni, and others continuing to perform as we can all see and hear their skills deteriorate. It seems like 95+% it's focused on vocals. Some folks that are not much younger than the aforementioned still have a lot to offer, with Robert Plant being one of the best examples. Part of that is his adaptation to aging, not sure there has been a more graceful one in the world of big voiced popular singers in the age of the "rock star".
Of course jazz and blues singers have done this forever, but they were generally less about vocal theatrics or histrionics. Opera singers are the closest, but their extremely regiment training is all about vocal preservation. Modern pop, rock, prog, metal, etc. singers are often pushing the limits of their voices, sometimes to a breaking point. In the case of those listed above, a big part is the inevitability of again (if we're lucky).
McCartney and JT have been clean for 40+ years, vegans too I believe, but they can't sing like they used to. James was always a stellar singer, but he was really killing it vocally in the 90s and 2000s...I'm not sure when his voice started to go, but there's some stuff from about a decade where you can already hear significant dip in power, tone, and agility. Simon might have been a vocal overachiever, but he sounded so good for so long...I think he a mix of age and the deafness he's dealing with (but I'm guessing we could compare and contrast footage of before and after the hearing issues to see if there's a chicken or egg element). Joni ravaged her voice with booze and drugs, but it was the smoking that really took it's toll...apparently she still "sneaks" e-cigs.
It's really hardest or most obvious on big singers, but it can clearly hit all sorts of musicians. At some point, despite the decades of performance and practice, brass and woodwind players have to hit a wall...the combination of lung power, embouchure, and finger agility is extremely demanding. Drummers and percussionists have extreme physical demands. Neil Peart talked about his struggles to play at the level he expected of himself and that the music they'd created demanded. Mike Portnoy recently spoke to how he's feeling it at 57, which is only six years younger than when Neal retired.
As a fan I'm happy to have legends continue from the perspective of this is who they are and what they do. However, it can be quite difficult to watch them age to a point where they aren't able to do what they've done, what they expect, what we expect... That said, I'd've loved to hear/see what Jimi, Kurt, and others (that never got or allowed themselves the chance to continue) would have done. Where would the muse have taken them, how would they have evolved...? I'm more about the fade away I guess.
