You know you're getting old when half (most?) of the artists on your "favourites" playlist have died

Something tells me the next decade is gonna be rough . . .

 

...when not only does nobody recognize anybody in your music collection, but...neither do you...!

 

I was recently in a charity shop. Santana”s Abraxas was playing over the PA. A white haired, grandmotherly figure was at the till. The music was her choice. For some reason, this brought the state of things home to me.

 

My creaking joints, grey hair and beard remind me every day of my impending demise.

“No one here gets out alive”.

 

...when you can't remember which remote works the turntable.

 

Wait. You didn’t know Jack Bruce had died?

 

...when you spend decades curating your music collection on a NAS...then your night orderly steals your iPhone...

 

...and then the other orderly finds it right under your bedsheet. Again.

 

When you realize 19 years have past since Steely Dan’s “comeback” album.

 

When you're old enough to have subscribed to Trouser Press. Although I've been looking at my old issues lately and it's funny to note how some debates never fully go away (most notably whether synthesizer-based music is "real" music ).

 

Well, that's Toronto for you.

 

I watch "The Voice" with my wife (I think its karaoke of the highest order, but the band is great). I manage to listen to music every day of my life and never have heard over 90% of the songs on that show.

 

I heard "Animal" from Sesame Street died!!!!

Devastating.... He was such a good drummer!

 

You no longer go to see bands your friends are in , but bands your friends children are in.

 

That's hardly surprising. Neil Young was never exactly a household name, his last platinum album in the US was 27 years ago, that's like an entire generation ago; and his only hit single came nearly half a century ago. In 1980, how many June Christy or Stan Kenton records would you have been able to identify? I dunno, maybe that's more surprising in Canada.

 

They still live, so will all the great music makers.

 

...and you posted on it several times ...

 

We've lost half the Monkees!

And who'd have thought Garth would outlive almost all of his Band-mates?

 

The CURE-'Disintegration' and NIN-'Pretty Hate Machine'(Debut Album) were released 30 years ago. And Jeff Buckley-'Grace' is 25 Years Old. Actually, several of my Favorite Music Artists like Radiohead, Suede, Spiritualized, etc. had their Debut Albums 25-27 years ago, but they recently released Great Albums, so still seems strange they are that Old, but then you see current Photos of Thom Yorke, and he is now looking Old.

I see photos of Peter Gabriel and think, when did he become a Bald Guy, as he had his hair when 'US' was released, then you realize that was 27 years ago.

At least I have a similar youthful look of Steven Wilson, so that makes me feel young, but seems strange that his recording career starting out as Porcupine Tree(even though 'on a Sunday of Life' was really just a Steven Wilson Solo Project under the PT Name) is close to 30 years old(forget the actual date). His Music and Recent Albums actually seems more like most Music Artists, whose Best Albums are within the first 3-8 years of their career. Steven Wilson is building a nice long quality of Albums like David Bowie's Discography, as I can see him having another Great 15-20 years of New Music not just under his own name but also with all of his different Projects(No Man, Blackfield, Bass Communion and if more Storm Corrosion Albums are planned).

 

A lot more than half of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Gary Rossington and Artimus Pyle are all that's left. You can count Rickey Medlocke too if you want.

 

Or, in the words of Monty Python:
"Beethoven's gone but his music lives on
And Mozart don't go shopping no more;
You'll never hear Liszt or Brahms again
And Elgar doesn't answer the door"
and
"They're decomposing composers,
There's not much anyone can do;
You can still hear Beethoven,
But Beethoven cannot hear you".

 

False comparison of course, albeit a common sort of one. How much airplay were June Christy and Stan Kenton getting in 1980? Were they doing anything that got noted or reviewed in the major music outlets? How relevant were they to younger acts?

 

A couple of months ago I was blasting Ronstadt's Cry Like A Rainstorm with the car windows open on my way to the store. I parked right next to the cart area where a young guy was taking the carts to the store. When the music ended, he looked at me kind of puzzled. I said, 'that was Linda Ronstadt. You've never heard of her, have you?' 'No' was all he said.

 

As if the mourners there won't be in enough misery already

 

I think Garth was the only one who didn't go down the rabbit hole of drugs.