Why is it that musicians in their younger days are so much better than their later days? Right now I'm listening to Rod Stewart...yes, Rod the Bod...who, in my opinion is...er, was...wicked back in the 60's and 70's. Ronnie Wood, The Faces, Maggie May, Ooh La La, Jeff Beck, are you kidding me?? Phenomenal!
Now he's been demoted to adult, easy listening radio stations, the obligatory Christmas album, and singing sub-par "standards" in an ugly suit. I miss Rod the Bod. A good rock and roll singer who has sunk to below acceptable standards...or should I say, "standards".
Rod's demise brings to mind greater falls from greatness: "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown, and the "King of Rock & Roll" Elvis Presley. Wow. Two, if not the two most influential musicians of modern music as we know it. Trailblazers, visionaries, poets, artists, icons.....and then the sixties were over.
What was it about the late seventies/early eighties that killed these two giants? When did we, as a society, decide that we wanted to see Elvis Presley parade around a Vegas stage incoherently, sweating on the first four rows of concert-goers, in a white, sequined jumpsuit? James was right behind him. Rocky IV? Really? Apollo Creed chose to die after seeing you perform "Living in America".
Over-production, media, and unfortunately the majority of people who even bother listening to music have horrid taste in it. That's the killer. And I don't mean Jerry Lee Lewis.
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