Why can't the old Pros write decent new tunes?

Filmer Paradise

Hi all.

As a huge fan of '60s/70s music, I sometimes wonder why the all time great songwriters of that era can't write a decent song nowadays.

Ray Davies, Paul Mc Cartney, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson & all the others haven't between them written one truly classic tune between them in the last 25 plus years.

You'd think songwriting is like any other craft in that you'd get better with age & experience.

I just can't understand why none of them can produce any kind of song now that can capture the public imagination in the way that they could do so easily back in the day.

Any thoughts?

Arghus

I think people's creative juices dry up after a while and, while they can still keeping churning out music because they have the skills of craftsmen - none of it is as good as the stuff from their hey-day because a lot of their creative inspiration is gone.

There's way more to it than that, I guess - differing musical times, the pressures of everyday life taking a toll compared to when all you had to do was churn out great songs etc,etc - but that's my hot take!

Roanmore

A lot of great music is made when bands are struggling to make a living, constantly playing, the creativity and life experiences are at an all time high.

Sitting in your mansion watching the money roll in doesn't have the same edge.

BlindRiver

Arseholes writing them off as has-beens and looking for the next "big thing" probably has a lot to do with it. All the acts you mention have written lots of good tunes in the last 25 years, how many post-60's albums have you listened to without having your opinion guided by a marketing company as a matter of interest?

fran38

A lot of classic tunes were about 'sticking it to the man' when artists were broke and angry at the system. Now theyre not broke and one could argue theyre part of the system ie: Bono.

Gary Owen

Bob Dylan’s album Tempest is one of his best album ever and it only came out a few years back . He rattles a few songs from it to huge applause at his live shows . Make you feel my love from Time out of mind was a huge hit for Adele and a few others . I honestly think his songs from the last few studio albums are as good as anything he has wrote in the 60s or 70s .

Max Headroom

Alzheimer's, or they're too busy counting their coffers to be arsed.....

mgfahy2019

Bob Dylan in fairness keeps the standard high

NIMAN

I often thought this about the older artists.

You'd hear about the worlds best bands, like the Stones etc. Another band who haven't had a good album in decades.

Joe_ Public

Leonard Cohen was recording some of his best work right up to the end. Ry Cooder is consistently hitting the high notes as he has been doing for 50 years. Tom Waits too. Neil Young and Van Morrison are both in extraordinarily prolific periods at the moment, of uneven quality it must be said, but still some fine work in there.

It’s much more difficult for bands to stay relevant of course, as rivalries and relationships come into it.

Beasty

Many of those writing stuff back in the 60s and 70s had "other things" on their minds

Equally though they were to some extent pioneers without the temptation, desire or even wherewithal to copy others. It was a fairly open field then. Nowadays getting something distinctive is nigh on impossible

Lorelli!

I think there's lots of reasons but in general they peak.

Filmer Paradise wrote: »

You'd think songwriting is like any other craft in that you'd get better with age & experience.

It's not really the same with songwriting especially when you need motivation and inspiration which are not so easily created.

vriesmays

The drugs don't work anymore.

bobbyss

When you get older you get more tired. You have families. Bands split up.

IAMAMORON

I listened to this song 9314 times today. I remember my uncle used to sing it in the shower, a long long time ago. It is a real song though, real stuff, it reminds me of when I was a teenager and waiting for phone calls from crushes etc. it has a really aching message all the same, love is lost sometimes.

riclad

most pop groups sing the songs, taylor swift is the exception to the rule.
When you become successful you become rich.You will be surrounded by cronys, hangers on ,a posse ,bodygaurds .You lose touch with real life .
People get older, have kids.Most bands have 1 or 2 good album,s .
Have a few hits and go on tour .
Also many people in the music industry use drugs.
When you are young and hungry its easy to get inspired .
Theres a whole industry of songwriters who write for adele and jennifer lopez etc
i think paul mccartney has wrote enough great songs,
why should he write more .
he does not need the money.

Infernum

There was a time where people were 'wowed' by music but with how drastically the music industry has changed in recent years, the magic just isn't there anymore. It's a whole different environment that I guess the old pros struggle to keep up with. Different times, different expectations, etc.

There's also just the fact that much of their audience see those artists as antiques of the past, or are unaware that they're even still around.

bullpost

Infernum wrote: »

There was a time where people were 'wowed' by music but with how drastically the music industry has changed in recent years, the magic just isn't there anymore. It's a whole different environment that I guess the old pros struggle to keep up with. Different times, different expectations, etc.

There's also just the fact that much of their audience see those artists as antiques of the past, or are unaware that they're even still around.

https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/music-reviews/2020/0619/1148441-bob-dylan-now-more-than-ever/

Where theres a will..................

TomRiddle35

Yes the magic is gone, Simon Cowell and neoliberal economics killed the music industry/popular culture, its at its lowest point now since the invention of recorded music. It'll come back again though but we need some sort of revolution/uprising, storm the radio stations for starters, I'm counting on Gen Z to do it, I'm too auld myself.

TomRiddle35

Also Dylan's Murder Most Foul, the song he released a few months back is in my opinion an absolute classic, as good as anything he's ever done. Bob's still knocking them out of the park

thesultan

Paul weller still flying it

Man with broke phone

Bob Dylan just released an amazing album a few months ago.

Say Your Number

Thought Western Stars by Springsteen was great and he was 68 when he wrote it, I would say the last three albums by Joe Satriani are among his best work and he's 64 now, after 6/7 albums there does seem to be a decline in standard, while there are flashes it's usually downhill from there.

Test For Echo

Say Your Number wrote: »

I would say the last three albums by Joe Satriani are among his best work and he's 64 now,

Unstoppable Momentum, Shockwave Supernova and Shapeshifting are great albums. Definitely elevated by the quality of the other musicians on the albums.

What Happens Next I thought was a poor album. Chad Smith & Glenn Hughes added feck all (IMO).

bodhrandude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/109688618#Comment_109688618

Toots Hibbert from the Maytals had a velvet voice right up to near his death, he was actually working in the studio at the time.

Bobtheman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057954704/why-cant-the-old-pros-write-decent-new-tunes

That's bull. Look at Dylan's song "I contain multitudes" or anything offPaul McCartney's flaming pie or his last album with the fireman

The vast majority of stars produce their best work before 30

But it's pure nuts to say they haven't written good tunes or albums since then

Filmer Paradise

OP here. The Stones have realeased a song called Angry.

Surpiisingly its quite good. Very Good in fact.

Its up there with their best really.

I went to the Stones Steel Wheels/ Urban Jungle gig in Wembley in 1990.

This was the support tour for the Steel Wheels album.

Anyway......... Why cant Paul Beatle, the Who, Beach Boys et all do a great song like this?

thesultan

Listen to Paul Weller.

thereiver

Most bands have maybe 2 or 3 good albums then they stop releasing quality material or no longer have hit songs in the top 50 chart , theres plenty of good songwriters out there but they write for beyonce ,taylor swift rihanna. the old pros cant simply live off royalties or do a greatest hits tour ,eg paul mccartney is a billionaire he has no need to sit down and write new songs.

if you look back at the 70,s and 80s, most songwriters have maybe 5 to 10 years then they stop writing songs or else they no longer have hits in the charts.

taylor swift is the exception she gets massive sales every time she releases a new album but she has other people to help her write songs.