Creating huge spectacles for the press that decry your current label and claim they are holding your career and ability to produce music hostage (Taylor Swift and Prince; as problematic as their issues with their respective labels were, there is no denying that they lashed out at times when they were both seen as being on the wane). Canceling a world tour at the 11th hour after desperately trying to get asses in seats via BoGo deals (Chance the Rapper)
I think overall, Bryan Ferry could be my favourite artist for cover versions. The Byrds my favourite band for them. I even like Bryan Ferry covering himself with those Roxy Music ones you mention. Very shrewd thinking from him.
Some artists might say, well if I'm not getting rich anymore I might as well make the music I want to make, and that usually is more artistic.
Of course not, but usually. It's not often labels want to let successful artists go and unless they are being ripped off, artists don't generally want to leave a label that's made them big. They sometimes get vanity labels like Maverick and Paisley Park, but it's still Warner's really. Neil Young may have been cantankerous and deliberately have given Geffen bad albums, but his last couple on Reprise before that weren't exactly smash hits.
Re-recording your hits with an orchestra. This has been particularly successful for the literally dead over the last few years, including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, but has also been attempted by the artistically dead, like Metallica.
Feels like the whole industry and (popular) culture generally are in decline. See also: Hollywood. EG.
Touring to celebrate the 30th anniversary of an album two years after the 30th anniversary has already passed.
My red flags for concern were always.... 1. Cut long hair off. 2. Added keyboards (we're expanding our sound). 3. Recently getting out of rehab. Back in the day any combo of these was usually not a good sign for the new album.
This reminds me of two things. The first is that I've had a couple conversations recently with people wishing Talking Heads would reform and tour (something I'd not want to see). The second was an interview I read with Elton John (sorry, didn't save the link) where he says he doesn't enjoy touring as much anymore, because the audience aren't interested in new music, they only want the hits. Which leads me to the conclusion that actually, it's the audience that's changed. There seems to be an awful lot of people who want to either relive their past, or want to experience something great they missed from another era. I mean, look at live shows today - all choreographed, ridiculous light shows, and ticket prices that make you wallet bleed. Man... I prefer the old days where you went to local venue and caught big acts in smaller settings - playing a blend of new and old...... There's also the "no-one makes any money from record sales anymore, the money is in touring" thing, which frankly makes me gag. That might be great when you're in your 20's, but the classic artists aren't robots. Time waits for no man (as they say). Robert Plant today can't do the Robert Plant of the 1970's. Elton John can't sound the same, and so on. The one band that has hit every damn red flag is Jethro Tull. Hell, Anderson can't sing all the songs anymore, so he does parts of songs, with the rest sung by a young guy. Or worse - as Kate Bush did for a segment of her concerts - show a video of someone singing (even if, in Kates case, it was Kate herself). Just horrendous. Thick as a Brick 2 - what the hell was all that about?!?!?
You make a good and valid point here about the audience. It’s rare where the audience changes with the artist. Just look at this forum in general. You’d think the Beatles and Stones, and all the way through into 80’s stuff, was when the only good music came out. It seems more often than not the artists grow, or at least attempt to do so, while the audience remains locked into one time-zone musically.
I wonder if artists ARE actually making more money from touring, to compensate from the shortfall from record sales? We’re told this is why ticket prices have shot up - but is it true? It’s probably more expensive to tour now, because of greater health and safety requirements, etc. An industry insider recently told me that what tends to happen is that the artist specifies how much they need to make on a tour and then management looks into how practicable that is before coming back to them, usually with disappointing news.
Are Simple Minds still around? That's the real sign of career decline: thinking you have already disbanded.
You know, I was reminded of this while reading another thread today. The thread was about Jethro Tull, and in particular the Under Wraps album. Under Wraps has issues due to electronic drums - but the number of people who think the writing isn't up to snuff just amazes me. The albums great! However, Tull had a run in the 70's, and the way it's often told, everything else is "Meh". Madness I tell you. I might have passed it by if I didn't then read an Aerosmith thread where people were saying the first four Aerosmith albums were the best. After that, I came upon a thread on Graham Parker, with talk of his new song (which I don't really like - but it's not important in this context). Someone stated that they didn't like the new song, so would be playing Stick to Me to cleanse the palette - of all the great albums Parker has done, the reference was to an old live album that hasn't represented what Parker does for multiple decades (not criticizing the poster individually, of course). Seems to me there are tons of people who are very much locked into a time period for an artist. I don't think we admit that these choices say more about us than it does the music/artist. You could pretty much say it about any artist on the board. The only reason the likes of Led Zep aren't affected to the same degree is because they had a short run, and broke up a long time ago.
The first warning sign is often when a white guitar band records a ballad with vocal backing from a black gospel choir. Nothing good ever happens after that.
It’s devastating to people who treasure sheer artistry to lose an artist early, but it certainly stops time on the artist and keeps them great forever, if they were in fact great. Since time stops for so many listeners as well, almost without question, it becomes a perfect storm of nostalgia and being stuck in time. It’s also a reason for dudes to buy their 7th copy of the same album.
