froggie 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 he did three albums for vanguard in the mid 60s. but i still love his the 1928 recordings..... he sounds like an old friendly grandfather sitting behind you, playing personally to you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dagwave Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 PLENTY to choose from...off the top of my head...some of these I'd say are absolutely essential & rate with the best work these artists have ever done, & some of the others are at least very good to great albums that should be considered... ~"So Beautiful Or So What" & "Surprise" by Paul Simon- easily as great as any albums he's ever made.... & "Rhythm Of The Saints", which is that great too, was made when he was 49. ~"Popular Songs" & "Fade" by Yo La Tengo... the band that most strongly rivals Wilco, for best American catalog ever...they are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year... ~"Electric" by Richard Thompson...I'd say it's his best since "Rumour & Sigh" (20+ years) , but "Mock Tudor" is pretty great too & he made that when he was 50. ~"Psychedelic Pill" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse- I'd say his best since "Broken Arrow", 20+ years... ~"Various Positions", "I'm Your Man" & "Old Ideas" by Leonard Cohen (maybe "Popular Problems" & "The Future" too...all the others are at least very good as well).. all recorded when he's 50, or older... ~"Brainwashed" by George Harrison... while it was released posthumously in 2002 (he died in 2001), the album was recorded throughout the 90's & Harrison turned 50 in '93...along with "All Things Must Pass" & "Thrity-Three & 1/3" it stands at the very top echelon of his solo output. ~"Flaming Pie", "Chaos & Creation In The Backyard" & "New" by Paul McCartney (maybe "Memory Almost Full" & "Electric Arguments" as well...all the others are at least very good as well)...all when he's 50 or older ~"The Next Day" by David Bowie... I'd say his best since "Let's Dance" (30+ years) ~"Magic" by Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band... I'd say his best since "Born In The U.S.A." (nearly 30 years...and "The Rising" is very good too) ~"Gone Again" & "Banga" by Patti Smith... the two great albums she's made after hitting 50... ~"Raising Sand" by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss... this album may owe as much to the magic of producer T-Bone Burnett, but a classic it is...and Plant's "Band Of Joy" & "Lullabye & The Ceaseless Roar" are worthy of consideration as well as fine works... Subjects for further consideration.... "The True False Identity" by T-Bone Burnett & "The Terror" by The Flaming Lips...both great & underrated albums, & the first one for Wayne Coyne after the half-century mark...but not sure if they quite make it, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~Lucinda Williams 5 albums she's recorded since turning 50 in '03 all certainly are up for the very good or better (with great moments) range, but I'm not sure myself yet...especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~Bob Dylan's 5 albums or original material that started with "Time Out Of Mind" are certainly all in that very good or better (with great moments) range again, but I do think they are very overrated as well & I'm not so sure about how high I'd go with these to this day...especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~The Mekons major songwriters all hit 50 fairly recently & either "Natural" or "Ancient & Modern" would qualify for the half-century mark, but while they are again in that very good or better (with great moments), I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~Tom Waits recent albums have been up there with his always high standard, I've just spent less time with them...but I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~ Ray Davies two albums from the mid-00's are both his best works since the early-mid 80's & the best of the two together would make an essential album, but on their own I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... well done.that settles that.oh, and lou reed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roadhse ma Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 For me the Best Record of a Singing Songwriter of 5 Decades is The Rising. as was pointed out above he was 51.The subject matter ( not an easy one) he met head on ; The Loss and Pain from 9/11 and as a writer he powerfully projected those elements of loss in the song You're Missing from the viewpoint of a Firefighters Wife that longs for her Hiusband. Not only did this help people understand and relate to those whom lost someone it also ( I believe ) affected his son Sam that just became a NJ Firefighter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
linclink Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 PLENTY to choose from...off the top of my head...some of these I'd say are absolutely essential & rate with the best work these artists have ever done, & some of the others are at least very good to great albums that should be considered... ~"So Beautiful Or So What" & "Surprise" by Paul Simon- easily as great as any albums he's ever made.... & "Rhythm Of The Saints", which is that great too, was made when he was 49. ~"Popular Songs" & "Fade" by Yo La Tengo... the band that most strongly rivals Wilco, for best American catalog ever...they are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year... ~"Electric" by Richard Thompson...I'd say it's his best since "Rumour & Sigh" (20+ years) , but "Mock Tudor" is pretty great too & he made that when he was 50. ~"Psychedelic Pill" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse- I'd say his best since "Broken Arrow", 20+ years... ~"Various Positions", "I'm Your Man" & "Old Ideas" by Leonard Cohen (maybe "Popular Problems" & "The Future" too...all the others are at least very good as well).. all recorded when he's 50, or older... ~"Brainwashed" by George Harrison... while it was released posthumously in 2002 (he died in 2001), the album was recorded throughout the 90's & Harrison turned 50 in '93...along with "All Things Must Pass" & "Thrity-Three & 1/3" it stands at the very top echelon of his solo output. ~"Flaming Pie", "Chaos & Creation In The Backyard" & "New" by Paul McCartney (maybe "Memory Almost Full" & "Electric Arguments" as well...all the others are at least very good as well)...all when he's 50 or older ~"The Next Day" by David Bowie... I'd say his best since "Let's Dance" (30+ years) ~"Magic" by Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band... I'd say his best since "Born In The U.S.A." (nearly 30 years...and "The Rising" is very good too) ~"Gone Again" & "Banga" by Patti Smith... the two great albums she's made after hitting 50... ~"Raising Sand" by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss... this album may owe as much to the magic of producer T-Bone Burnett, but a classic it is...and Plant's "Band Of Joy" & "Lullabye & The Ceaseless Roar" are worthy of consideration as well as fine works... Subjects for further consideration.... "The True False Identity" by T-Bone Burnett & "The Terror" by The Flaming Lips...both great & underrated albums, & the first one for Wayne Coyne after the half-century mark...but not sure if they quite make it, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~Lucinda Williams 5 albums she's recorded since turning 50 in '03 all certainly are up for the very good or better (with great moments) range, but I'm not sure myself yet...especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~Bob Dylan's 5 albums or original material that started with "Time Out Of Mind" are certainly all in that very good or better (with great moments) range again, but I do think they are very overrated as well & I'm not so sure about how high I'd go with these to this day...especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~The Mekons major songwriters all hit 50 fairly recently & either "Natural" or "Ancient & Modern" would qualify for the half-century mark, but while they are again in that very good or better (with great moments), I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~Tom Waits recent albums have been up there with his always high standard, I've just spent less time with them...but I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... ~ Ray Davies two albums from the mid-00's are both his best works since the early-mid 80's & the best of the two together would make an essential album, but on their own I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... well done.that settles that.oh, and lou reed. Nice call on the Lou Reed!!! And thanks for appreciating the list."Magic & Loss" was made when he was 50 & I'd certainly put that way up there for sure... Weird to say, but... when I was living in NYC & both "Set The Twilight Reeling" & "Ecstasy" came out, they didn't stick with me... I'm gearing up to give them some time this Winter...liked what I heard when I came back to them just after his death, but need more time (& distance from the death) to know more about how I feel about them.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Set the Twilight Reeling has some great production. I love Lou with horns. Just not enough strong songs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 PLENTY to choose from...off the top of my head...some of these I'd say are absolutely essential & rate with the best work these artists have ever done, & some of the others are at least very good to great albums that should be considered... ~ Ray Davies two albums from the mid-00's are both his best works since the early-mid 80's & the best of the two together would make an essential album, but on their own I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog... i know this is cherry picking, but it gets to the heart of my premise and a lot of the other examples that were listed would also fit... i don't think that *anyone* would say that The Kinks/Ray Davies best work was from the early-mid 80s, and the later output (while being anywhere from 'surprised it doesn't suck' to 'hey, a couple of these songs are solid' can't begin to hold a candle to their best work, stuff from Somebody Else or Face To Face or Village Green etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shakes Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 is it so hard to believe that maybe other people do still view those records as their own personal definition of essential? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 it is for me. which is why I typed it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Not a huge Springsteen fan but really like Devils and Dust. Not sure if I've heard Magic or not or if he was over 50 when he made Devils and Dust but it's a keeper. Essential, for my nearly non-existent Springsteen collection, imo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Nice call on the Lou Reed!!!"Magic & Loss" was made when he was 50 & I'd certainly put that way up there for sure... Weird to say, but... when I was living in NYC & both "Set The Twilight Reeling" & "Ecstasy" came out, they didn't stick with me... I'm gearing up to give them some time this Winter...liked what I heard when I came back to them just after his death, but need more time (& distance from the death) to know more about how I feel about them....Ecstasy is my favorite Lou Reed release - so I guess it's essential. Great tour behind that record, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 This one came out in 2007, almost 30 years after their 1979 Robert Fripp-produced debut. That debut is nearly universally hailed as a classic, and rightfully so. It combined a bunch of disparate elements that shouldn't have worked, but did work. Perfectly. Until this album, they never matched that magic.But then, 2007 came around, and this record may have even SURPASSED that first one. Of course, it's been pretty much entirely ignored by all except the small cult of hardcore Roches fans that are still around. And that is too bad, because this one IS essential for any fan of slightly left-of-center folk music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roadhse ma Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Not a huge Springsteen fan but really like Devils and Dust. Not sure if I've heard Magic or not or if he was over 50 when he made Devils and Dust but it's a keeper. Essential, for my nearly non-existent Springsteen collection, imo.He was over 50 for D&D since you like that one give a listen to what many feel is his best solo work " Nebraska " Quote Link to post Share on other sites
linclink Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 i know this is cherry picking, but it gets to the heart of my premise and a lot of the other examples that were listed would also fit... i don't think that *anyone* would say that The Kinks/Ray Davies best work was from the early-mid 80s, and the later output (while being anywhere from 'surprised it doesn't suck' to 'hey, a couple of these songs are solid' can't begin to hold a candle to their best work, stuff from Somebody Else or Face To Face or Village Green etc.First of all, I didn't say that. Second, let's clarify. I think The Kinks best work is as great as any band ever & it mirrors The Beatles peak as well, lasting from '65 through '70 (I'd include all the non-album tracks & the songs from "Percy"), the drop-off for me, while not severe, starts with "Muswell Hillbillies" & then just gets steeper & faster, then there's a nice little renaissance from '78/'79 through '84/'85 (including "Return To Waterloo"), then possibly the worst bottoming out yet. Here's what I actually wrote, which, again, was this- "Ray Davies two albums from the mid-00's are both his best works since the early-mid 80's & the best of the two together would make an essential album, but on their own I don't know if I'd toss them up as essential, especially considering the heights of the past catalog...". No less than Steve Van Zandt/Little Steven rated "Other People's Lives" as one of the ten best albums of that whole decade. I wouldn't go that far, but I'd say either one of those albums, on their own, are as good as anything he's done since "Muswell Hillbillies", and that together, they'd make an album formidable enough to include in my list above.I actually said that I didn't know if I could toss them up as essential precisely because of the level of greatness of his back catalog. Did you miss reading that part? For the record while I wouldn't put "Muswell Hillbillies" on his very top shelf, I'd also call that album essential to me personally, & that would be the last full length, stand along, essential Kinks album/ray Davies work... I would venture that a salvaged best of from works after that could produce something quite essential to these ears, though still not as great as his golden period...and, that by just combining those two solo albums you'd have something that would qualify also. That was a surprise bordering on shock, considering how terrible the last trio of Kinks album were, & that it had been 20+ years since he'd produced a good album of any degree. I think what it comes down to is what one defines as "essential". For some rare artists, I think the level of their work is so high that not only their absolute peaks, but other additional great works could be considered "essential". I also think there a few rare birds who have produced works that are every bit as great, or greater, than works they did before they 50. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 For me the Best Record of a Singing Songwriter of5 Decades is The Rising. as was pointed out above he was 51.The subject matter ( not an easy one) he met head on ; The Loss and Pain from 9/11 and as a writer he powerfully projected those elements of loss in the song You're Missing from the viewpoint of a Firefighters Wife that longs for her Hiusband. Not only did this help people understand and relate to those whom lost someone it also ( I believe ) affected his son Sam that just became a NJ Firefighter. The Rising was a remarkable record when it came out, and it still holds up fairly well.Not all the songs were written in response to 911, but it was as thematic a record as has ever been released.Compare Springsteen's musical response to Neil Young's (The Rising, You're Missing, Empty Sky vs.. Let's Roll) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 He was over 50 for D&D since you like that one give a listen to what many feel is his best solo work " Nebraska "I've got Nebraka but it seems lethargic to my ears for some reason.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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