Every year Rock’s Back Pages has their “Best Albums By Artists Over 50 list” and every year (well last year) I include my list and I compile them throughout the year and hand it to Barney Hoskyns at the days to colder and darker except… this year no request from Barney.
Which left me with a list of artists over 50 and nowhere to put it and so, as we like to say in the music website business, no story will go unposted! And so here it is. To me, the shocker is how great the extra songs on The Next Day are; if you save two songs from the initial release and add it to the newer songs you have a serious contender for the album of the year. Something the original release certainly wasn’t.
Elsewhere, it sure feels like 50 is the new 30…
The Next Day Extra – David Bowie – The rare album that improved the longer it gets
Fairy Tale And Myth – Suzzy Roche And Lucy Wainwright Roche – Folk with bite though you don’t hear it at first
Love Is Everything – George Strait – Superior country songs made simple
Without A Net – Wayne Shorter – It is, of course, all about the horn. But he plays it often and the music is unlike what we rockers are even slightly used to
Adam Ant is marrying The Gunner’s daughter – Adam Ant – A sprawling mess of a rock and roll album.
Darkside – Tom Stoppard And Pink Floyd – I said TOM STOPPARD!
Bakersfield – Vince Gil and Paul Franklin – Early 60s country
My True Story – Aaron Neville – His back pages, produced by Keith Richards
Memphis – Boz Scaggs – R&B stuff from a past master.
Sound The Alarm – Booker T – Better than the last one
See You There – Glen Campbell – Re-recordings.
Knockdown Dragout – Sammy Hagar And friends -Sure, it’s dumb fun. I like dumb fun.