So Pete & Rog are calling it quits on the road. But they're artists. They won't just stop making music completely. This had me thinking, as I do occasionally, about what kind of records I'd like to see from these aging legends I love so much.
This won't be the first time I've posted about this. One of the first times, I had been wishing for one last Bill Withers record with Joe Henry producing. Too late now. Still some of my "dream records" are still possible.
For instance, an acoustic blues record from the Stones. "Blue & Lonesome" was a swing and a miss. As a matter of fact, that record angered me. The idea of it made me incredibly happy, but the hamfisted production made it sound like an 80's hair metal album. There's still time to do it right.
Speaking of low-key, McCartney who is going to be 83, has been in the studio finishing up a new record with Andrew "Hot Shot" Watt. That could be a good thing, if Watt does with Paul what he did with Mick & Keith. But I would much prefer another "Chaos & Creation In The Backyard." That was Paul at 62, making an age appropriate record, with simple production, Beatle flourishes and sweet melodies. At 83, I don't need to hear Paul funkin' it up, or duetting with pop star du jour.
My wish for an organic, pop and soul record from Todd Rundgren will never happen. There is more of a chance of Keith Moon popping up for "I Can't Explain" on The Who tour. Todd refuses to "make records" because a) it's too expensive to fly his band out to his studio in Hawaii and b) why bother when no one listens to full albums anymore, anyway. Clearly, he is forgetting about his core fanbase.
Though, speaking of Todd, how mindblowing would it be if it was Rundgren who got Andy & Colin & Dave to make one last XTC record? Heads would explode all over the music industry.
Now, back to The Who. Back in April of 2022, I posted something called "Gilbert & Townshend." You can read it here, but this is what my friend Geoff, a fellow Wholigan had to say:
"...thinking about when Linda Ronstadt was on the cover of Rolling Stone back in the 70s for Pirates of Penzance. Which led me to thinking that I don't particularly care for when Pete writes Who songs that sound like Gilbert & Sullivan - namely Sister Disco. So I put a playlist together and found I like them much better together rather than jammed next to true rock and roll Who songs. It's almost like the soundtrack to a Broadway show. They kind of fit together like a... like a... like a rock opera!!!"
How about that for the next Who record? A stripped down, acoustic with strings affair, like "Street In The City" or "Guitar & Pen?" I'd be all over it.
So aspiring producers, what would you like to see and hear from your still living faves?
26 comments:
Can we see the Who Opera playlist? Even if only the song titles? Please?
The link is in the post.
A side sojourn perhaps, but Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks' album, True seems to me exactly what you're hypothesizing, if you are/were a Yes fan. Elvis Costello's A Boy Named If also was a return to form I was looking for.
Yes to both! Loved both. But moving forward...it doesn't need to be a "return to form," though that's fine. It's more about something fresh. Aging rockers doing standards, or acoustic versions of their hits, or duets, or collabs with young artists (Elton/Brandi) doesn't work for me.
Well, Elton and Brandi is a real collaboration, not a godawful Duets album like Barbra Streisand is doing (I blame Sinatra for all of those). But Paul McCartney doing another lo-fi album a la the McCartneys seems right -- just make every song as awesome as "When Winter Comes." I would have loved another Bill Withers album (if it was good). So the plus is that he stopped when he was done and didn't try and reclaim his mojo. Something to be said for walking away, though as any aging baseball player will attest, that's very hard to do. You always want one more at-bat.
My first thought was Bonnie Raitt covering the women blues singers of the first half of the 20th century. With minimal backing; maybe just her solo slide guitar. Covers of Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Sippie Wallace. And I'm sure Bonnie knows some songs by women whose names are known only to collectors of 78s. Bonnie has sprinkled covers like these on a few records but I don't think she's ever done a full album.
Another: a reunion of everyone who has played in various lineups of NRBQ. Mix and match the lineups. (This album plays only in my dreams.)
And an idea that could work for other artists: On his most recent album, "Echo Dancing," Alejandro Escovedo re-recorded completely reimagined versions of songs from his long career. Not simply slower, acoustic versions. Or celebrity duets. They all sound like totally new songs. Like someone doing their own "tribute to" album. Might work for Paul, Elvis, Bruce, Richard Thompson, Chrissie Hynde, Steve Earle, Paul Simon? Part of making this idea work is to avoid making it just an updated, rerecorded "greatest hits" package.
I'm a bit concerned about Watt working with McCartney. His Hackney Diamonds work was good, but I have mixed feelings about Mayhem and I thought he did an awful job on the Elton/Brandi record. Of course I love the idea of any new XTC record, although Todd doesn't need to produce it. I'm not expecting much from legacy artists that are in their 70s and 80s. Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs have done good work recently, and Elton John has made a bunch of good records in this century. If McCartney makes another Chaos and Creation I'd be thrilled. If Van Morrison could return to his 70s magic that would be fun, but unlikely. Actually if you took the best cuts from Morrisons last twenty years you could make a great record. Sorry, but I really don't care what Pete and Roger do at all. Unless they make another Who's Next.
Would love to see James Willamson and Iggy stir the pot. Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars do ANYTHING together
I'd like to see Tom Waits do a children's songs album with his off the wall unusual instrumentation and unique interpretations.
rs
"why bother when no one listens to full albums anymore, anyway"???? Sadder words were never penned. And I plead guilty, BTW -- I dunno if it's just because my attention span is shot to shit due to old age, or whether I feel just so generally alienated from contemporary pop music (seriously -- I'm supposed to listen to an entire album by Chappell Roan? Shoot me now).
God I love Street In The City
I'm trying to imagine they have any real gas left in the tank.
Milton Nascimento and Chico Buarque with Metropole Orkestra.
I would like to see Bob Dylan record an album and/or tour backed by Los Lobos. Also wanted to see Bob do the same with Tom Verlaine, but it's too late for that.
Would honestly like to see Madonna release music that proves she still lives on planet Earth. I'd LOVE for Stevie Wonder to reach deep and give us one more great album.
Paul and Chrissie Hynde.
I’d like to see Elvis and Nick Lowe do a true duets album with some old songs, some choice covers, and a couple new co-writes. Produced by Nick.
And a Bob Dylan album produced by King of America era T Bone Burnett.
Let's face it, the Blue and Lonesome Originals album (featuring Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Little Walter and Otis Rush among others) is much better than the Stones album.
As for the Who, anything they recorded after say Quadrophenia including Who are you is not worth it.
J from Europe.
You know “Mayhem” was the first Gaga record I genuinely enjoyed.
I can't envision Todd and Andy being in the same room together again, much less making an XTC album. Steve Lillywhite maybe?
Of course not! I can’t see Andy and Colin in the same room. I’m dreaming. But Letterman got Sonny And Cher to sing “I Got You Babe!” So…
Another Finn Brothers record could be great, especially if they get a better snare sound than the last 2 Crowded House records. It would need a producer besides Mitchell Froom, most likely.
I'd also welcome anything from the remaining Fountains of Wayne guys. Chris wrote some great songs too!
I can see that. I need to give it some more time maybe. I liked The Fame/The Fame Monster in a Madonna sort of way, but there’s something wrong with almost everything else. My favorite is actually the Star Is Born soundtrack. I thought the movie was way better than the Streisand/Kristofferson debacle. CJ
I would like to hear the Robinson brothers record an album of acoustic covers
Back when Page/Plant did the Unledded thing, that was a great sound for them with the Egyptian orchestra and strings. I was really hoping for a studio album of new music with the same "world music" vibe happening. And then we got Clarksdale, man, what a disappointment that was. It now appears that Jimmy is done.
Sal, I'm with you on a new Todd. Sure wish he was.
Randy
Love the Bonnie Raitt idea. There's almost no way it could fail.
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