tinnitus photography Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 my point is that 'best work' doesn't have a time limit associated with it. if McCartney didn't do his best work w/ the Beatles, or Springsteen from Nebraska backwards, i don't know what to say. And one I absolutely stand by in relation to the works I listed here!!Thompson's best work in, I'd say 20 years, same for Neil Young. Bowie's & Springsteen's best in more like 30! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I don't know what essential means in this context other than better than expected. Few of the albums here are essential, but many are very good. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
linclink Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 my point is that 'best work' doesn't have a time limit associated with it. if McCartney didn't do his best work w/ the Beatles, or Springsteen from Nebraska backwards, i don't know what to say.I agree McCartney did his best work with The Beatles, & I'll take Springsteen's first four especially...but that doesn't mean that work they did after that isn't also top shelf, great & essential, even if it isn't "the best of the their some level/sense of best" and/or great... So I think lots of artists have released great works, of varying degree, during different eras... some, have even done works that equaled (or arguably bettered) their previous greatest works in the Autumn of their careers ...though granted that's much rarer...Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen & Yo La Tengo are the three I'd nominate for that rarest of achievements... the others may not have done the very best work they ever did later on, but they did things that were near to that level & still what I'd call monumental works... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 I don't know what essential means in this context other than better than expected. Few of the albums here are essential, but many are very good. LouieB Essential Sabbath - Vol. 4 Non-essential Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy Should never have had the Sabbath name on the sleeve - Seventh Star does that help? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I think that this is pretty much the definition of what we are talking about here:Elizabeth Cotten Folksongs & Instrumentals With GuitarIt's her first album and she was 64 when it came out.Contains this classic, which she wrote: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Not to me. I am totally not into Black Sabbath at all so I have no fucking idea. Did they do anything of note after the members turned 50? I'll take your word for it I guess. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Elizabeth Cotton didn't even start to record until after she was 50. This is also true about some other re/discovered blues artists who did interesting and perhaps essential work in their later years. There is no way to compare what she did as a youngster to what she did later on since it was all later on. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Elizabeth Cotton didn't even start to record until after she was 50. This is also true about some other re/discovered blues artists who did interesting and perhaps essential work in their later years. There is no way to compare what she did as a youngster to what she did later on since it was all later on. LouieBStill an essential record made by a person over 50. Meets the criteria. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Not to me. I am totally not into Black Sabbath at all so I have no fucking idea. Did they do anything of note after the members turned 50? I'll take your word for it I guess. LouieBthey did plenty of terrible material in their 30s. i find it funny that the word 'essential' is so hard to understand its meaning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Got turned on to Elizabeth Cotton (that album, I believe) in the late 80s. What a cool discovery (her being "discovered," that is). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 As long as we are talking about old blues folks, then Son House, Bukka White, Skip James, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolk and a slew of those sorts of artist certainly had some essential material after 50. Essential means to me that you have to have it if you like the artist. Or it means it is material everyone should have. I dunno. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 It's easier to think about non-essential albums made by people under 50. For example, Oingo Boingo's Good for Your Soul is really quite the non-essential album to own. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 It's easier to think about non-essential albums made by people under 50. For example, Oingo Boingo's Good for Your Soul is really quite the non-essential album to own. I don't even know that record, but this is pretty fucking funny. I laughed out loud.We should start a new thread on the topic. How about Call of the West by Wall of Voodoo? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 What?!? That album is definitely essential for Oingo Boingo fans! I was probably in 6th or 7th grade when that album came out, and I loved it. (Probably haven't listened to it since) But - "Who do you want to be today?" - the album's opening track, is definitely essential Oingo Boingo. I think the Cash - American Recordings are essential Johnny Cash. Los Lobos' Town in the City (released in 2006 - David Hidalgo was 52 at the time) is essential Los Lobos. It's their finest record since Kiko. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thingfishp Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Terry Adams, NRBQ - Brass Tacks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 ^ That's not an NRBQ album, though, is it? Just curious. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tweety Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Terry Adams, NRBQ - Brass Tacks. ^ That's not an NRBQ album, though, is it? Just curious. Yes, it is an NRBQ album. And I agree, it is awesome and essential. But I came here today to add Lucinda Williams's latest release, "Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone" to this list, and to place it at the very top for me. I pre-ordered the album and have listened to it probably close to 20 times now. It is tremendous and absolutely essential, even when compared to her already-impressive body of work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I just checked Amazon to get some NRBQ on disc and my favorite, Kick Me Hard, is only available Mp3 (or about $40 used on disc). I used to have it (and a couple others) on Lp. Wish I'd kept them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tweety Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I just checked Amazon to get some NRBQ on disc and my favorite, Kick Me Hard, is only available Mp3 (or about $40 used on disc). I used to have it (and a couple others) on Lp. Wish I'd kept them.You will not be disappointed with Brass Tacks. I honestly think it may be the best NRBQ album to date, and I understand how ludicrous that sounds, especially given the absence of Big Al, and the fact that Terry is the only original member. But somehow, some way, he has managed to conjure all that timeless magic. I mean, several of the songs sound like they were penned by Big Al, and it's still a crack band. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 You will not be disappointed with Brass Tacks. I honestly think it may be the best NRBQ album to date, and I understand how ludicrous that sounds, especially given the absence of Big Al, and the fact that Terry is the only original member. But somehow, some way, he has managed to conjure all that timeless magic. I mean, several of the songs sound like they were penned by Big Al, and it's still a crack band. Sweet. Ordered the Yankee Stadium (used to have Lp of, too) one and Brass Tacks. Thanks for the tip. Really like to get a hold of a Kick Me Hard cd if you ever come across one at a reasonable price.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
winterland121072 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 dylan - time out of mind... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 just checking in to make sure the answer is still "none" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 was it ever zero? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Elizabeth Cotton didn't even start to record until after she was 50. This is also true about some other re/discovered blues artists who did interesting and perhaps essential work in their later years. There is no way to compare what she did as a youngster to what she did later on since it was all later on. LouieB oh babe, it aint no lie plus, the vanguard recordings that mississippi john hurt did in the mid 60's are essential Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Yea I should have thrown in the Mississippi John Hurt sides. The Vanguard twofer was one of the first records I ever bought. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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