name an essential record made by people over 50 years old (non-jazz format)

[Ghost of Electricity]

I agree with the Johnny Cash American Recordings with Rick Rubin. Sure it mostly covers. Who cares? Who cares that JC might not have been wholly aware what he was doing? It's the most powerful work of his career.  I challenge you to sit alone in a dark room listening to "The Mercy Seat" loud and not get shivers down your spine.

[tweety]

 

Bruce Cockburn - The Charity of Night; Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu

 

Good call.  Love both of those albums.

[worrierking]

I opined on another thread somewhere that musicians, much like baseball players, peak in their mid to late 20s.  It's not universal, of course, but it's a solid rule of thumb.

 

I don't have any to add to the list, but I think some artists, particularly those whose careers get a late start or who don't have a lot of success early (and don't get rich and complacent), tend to continue to produce good music longer than those who have a lot of early success.  John Hiatt versus Paul McCartney, for instance.

[jff]

Some of my favorites come close.  NY by Lou Reed, Graceland by Paul Simon, Harvest Moon by Neil Young.  But not quite.  Still thinking.

Being that I am now 42, it's hard to believe all of those artists were still in their 40s when those records were released.

[Hixter]

There's this guy named Nels Cline who is 58 ...

[bleedorange]

All this thread has proven is that "essential" albums made by people over 50 simply do not exist.

[PopTodd]

All this thread has proven is that "essential" albums made by people over 50 simply do not exist.

I still maintain that, for fans of Tropicalia, those Tom Zé records ARE essential.

They complete his Estuando trilogy that he started in the 70s. Finished them in HIS 70s.

 

[lamradio]

Define essential..

 

How about career-defining instead?  

[tinnitus photography]

I agree with the Johnny Cash American Recordings with Rick Rubin. Sure it mostly covers. Who cares? Who cares that JC might not have been wholly aware what he was doing? It's the most powerful work of his career.  I challenge you to sit alone in a dark room listening to "The Mercy Seat" loud and not get shivers down your spine.

I'll give credit to Nick Cave for that one. but i hear where you are coming from. i'd give Rubin some of the credit too... not sure who picked the songs and did the arrangements.

 

 

essential to me means that as a fan of that record, you listen to it quite a bit and it's as good as their best work.

[bleedorange]

es·sen·tial

adjective \i-ˈsen(t)-shəl\

: extremely important and necessary; basic, indispensable

[tinnitus photography]

I still maintain that, for fans of Tropicalia, those Tom Zé records ARE essential.

They complete his Estuando trilogy that he started in the 70s. Finished them in HIS 70s.

 

sorry man...those vocals at 0:30 just killed it for me.

[The Inside of Outside]

I agree with the two Levon Helm records mentioned earlier, as well as Dylan's Love and Theft. The Johnny Cash American Recordings - definitely.

[lamradio]

 

 

 

essential to me means that as a fan of that record, you listen to it quite a bit and it's as good as their best work.

 

 

That clears it up.  Career-defining--maybe for another topic.. 

[tinnitus photography]

push the sky away

bad as me

 

come to mind immediately

 

i might be alone in ranking these two so high in each dudes discography but the fact that you can even make a case for them being top of the line material is amazing enough

Cave's a good one... and possibly The Dirty Three as well but Warren's 49 now.

 

the first Grinderman record was made when he was 49, so that doesn't make the cut.

[tinnitus photography]

obvious oversight...

[jff]

Charles Bradley:  Victim of Love  and No Time For Dreaming

[tinnitus photography]

yep. those are solid.

 

 

i think it's telling that certain genres (folk, blues, soul) are more represented than say, rock or metal. maybe people mellow in their old age (aside from Gira, that is).

[Moss]

obvious oversight...

 

 

 

Wow, great shot and good choice.

 

I suspect in a few years Stephen Malkmus or Mark Kozelek will qualify and put out something brilliant.

 

But for now I will go with Yo La Tengo (Popular songs or Fade will work).

[Mr. Heartbreak]

 

essential to me means that as a fan of that record, you listen to it quite a bit and it's as good as their best work.

This kind of cracked me up.

There is a lot of stuff I am not interested in, but with the stuff I am interested in, I am a fanatical completist. So for me, "essential "would mean it's a must-have album, but not necessarily career defining or even in the upper echelons of their best work (after all, some artists have an extensive catalogue by age 50). It also might not get a lot of listens, but I would not want to live without it.

[tweety]

Charles Bradley:  Victim of Love  and No Time For Dreaming

Which reminds me to add Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights and Give the People What They Want.

[uncool2pillow]

Prolly anything by Richard Thompson since he turned 50.

[twoshedsjackson]

Mark Knopfler.

Kill To Get Crimson is a great album. He also did an excellent record with Emmylou Harris called All The Roadrunning.

[Vacant Horizon]

Being that I am now 42, it's hard to believe all of those artists were still in their 40s when those records were released.

 

same here.  it is crazy to think i saw some of these dudes in the early 90s and thought they were old.  

[smells like flowers]

Scott The Hoople

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIA6JWt1tQo

I wish Scott M. was either my uncle or my friend to drink with. Or my uncle to drink with.

[theashtraysays]

What about David Byrne?  I've lost track of his work (I'm still mad at him for breaking up the Heads) but I know his work with St. Vincent received lots of praise. 

That's who I thought of when I saw this thread.  "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today" with Brian Eno and the "Love This Giant" collaboration with St. Vincent are excellent records.  I loved all his work in Talking Heads (and still do), but I really think that those two records are "essential" to his music catalog.  He's really someone who's moved forward and stayed interesting.

 

Another one who I really admire and enjoy throughout his career is Joe Jackson.  "Night Music" and "Heaven & Hell" were done in his 40's (OK, technically not eligible for this thread), and those are two of my favorite records.  Definitely fit that "essential" label along with the 80's pop-punk stuff.  I'd love to hear something new from him soon.  He did a Duke Ellington record a couple years ago which was pretty cool.