I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff

Editorial

Let's face it. The music world's pretty hell-bent on youth. From the NME, right through to Triple J, it's all about the kids. And I guess it's the way it's always been and forever shall be. Ah, whatever! But something does indeed happen with musicians once they hit their thirties. Something that makes their work a tad more dull. Why is that?

Why do once great artists seem content with slipping back into second gear for the rest of their creative existence? I've never could work it out. But then I guess there is a lot to be said for naivety (which can only come from youth) in art. Quite often one's debut album is “the one” and remains that way with the fans forever; no matter how hard you try to better it or how much money you throw at it. As the saying goes, “you get your whole life to make your first album, and about year to make your second!”

It rings true on so many levels. Most artists don't have A&R people, marketing managers, gushing clusters of minions and other hinderences to the creative process when they're making their first record. You've got all the time in the world to get it right; answering only to yourself, your bandmates and that's about it. But then things start to take off. New distractions float round your head, playing an inhibiting role in finding the right workspace for your brain. Ie, it's hard to write new shit.

In saying that however, you do get your bands like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles with their magical ten year spurts of awe-inspiring creativity, usually spawned from devilish drugs, booze and I daresay women. But when the house lights come on (and they always do), things are never quite the same. Why is that?

How can you go from writing Let It Be to Another Day in the space of twelve months? Obviously the channels from brain to paper are a lot cleaner when you're young. You don't know as much about the world, and you're a lot less concerned with critical analysis. And thus, the untainted purity of innocence and free-flowing thought that churns our art into gold (records). As Neil Young put it, “if you think, you stink!”.

Though guys like Neil Young, like The Beatles, are an exception to this very rule. Vital and prolific since their heady youths, these bastards are still cutting the creative mustard. Locally, we have guys like Tim Rogers, who seem to have an endless supply of lyrics for his multitude of albums, that frankly just keep getting better. If only all artists could be like a fine wine, but I guess that's why there's the saying “I like your old stuff better than your new stuff” as most old wine ends up vinegar.

Luckily for me, vintage is bang on trend with the youth of today, so Richard Kingsmill you may be sipping on my sweet sounding musical grapes yet.

Dave Larkin, July 2010

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