Actually, the complete title of this post is "The Old Rock Stars Don't Die They Just Releases Lousy Albums That Get Five Stars From Sycophantic Rock Critics Test" but I didn't have the room. It is really easy to play and fun for all the family. So let's start…
Name all the songs you can remember off Bruce Springsteens Born To Run. Here is what I can think off the top of my head, "Born to Run", "Thunder Road", "Backstreet", "Jungleland", "Tenth Avenue Freezeout" "She's the One"… I know, I missed a couple.
Now… name all the songs you can remember off Working On A Dream -Well, the title track, "Girls In Their Summer Clothes" and that one about the summer market. How about Magic? I got "Livin' In The Future".
I'm sure a fanatic would know much more but I am a fan, do have an idea about his stuff.
My point is Working was meant to be a great album, and it wasn't and the proof is nobody can remember it. There is another proof… imagine it is Springsteens first ever album, think anybody woulda given a toss about him?
Try it on Paul Simon. Go Graceland and You're The One. See what I mean? Simon is an odder case. On album after album he will manage one absolute killer song. "The Afterlife" on So Beautiful Or So What, "Father And Daughter' on Surprise, "Old" on You're The One. It's like he is gilding the goldmine… one song to make you think he hasn't lost a step and nine pieces of crap.
And how about U2… can you remember ANYTHING AT ALL off No Line On The Horizon. There was that one about Atomic Boots or something, and is there a song about Lebanon on it.? But that's it. Nothing else at all. A complete blank. This album Rolling Stone considered better than, hey, Achtung Baby. Are you joking. That pile of dung has ANYTHING close to "Better Than The Real Thing"? Where? Did I miss that meeting?
You can please this with ANY ONE OF THOSE MAJOR ROCK STARS NEARING 70. Clapton, Dylan, McCartney, Cohen, Waits… any of em… they make unmemorable album after unmemorable album..
And that's the lesson of the The Old Rock Stars Don't Die They Just Releases Lousy Albums That Get Five Stars From Sycophantic Rock Critics Test