Richard has had plenty of critically acclaimed albums. Just not a bunch that ever sold. He never has exactly done arenas as a solo artist, has he? I haven’t notices a real drop off in quality, but no great increase either. I saw him for the fourth time a few months ago, and let’s just say I had no trouble getting tickets a few days before the concert. The attendance was about the same as the first time we saw him 20 years ago.
And we own Henry the Human Fly.
Not precisely what you’re asking for, but I think Nick Cave’s “Dig Lazarus Dig” is worth a mention. Cave never quite fell off the radar, but he’d been in a rut for years writing things that were GOOD but certainly suggested he was “past his prime.” But Lazarus is absolutely on the shortlist of his best albums, showing an artist who really found a second wind.
I’d also nominate some of Chumbawamba’s recent albums. For a band that I think most Americans assumed disappeared after releasing “Tubthumper,” they’ve continued to put out some surprisingly good, varied material.
Rusty Cage? I mean… it’s a good song, but it was nothing like his cover of Hurt, done a decade later and far better… and far more popular as far as I can tell.
I came in here to mention Tom Waits’ Mule Variations, which was a huge success after eleven years since Frank’s Wild Years, his last commercially successful album.
They never hit it big here in America, but they were big in Europe 25 years ago: Marillion. Their latest album, Happiness Is the Road, is one of the best albums of their career.
Add George Harrison and Jeff Lynne and we’ve got the Traveling Wilburys. End of the Line is great, but I don’t know about the rest of the album.
Muddy Waters “Hard Again” brought his music to a whole new generation of white blues lovers.
I want to second the Allman Brothers Band. There are a lot of bands that began at the same time that are still around, but doing “nostalgia” tours. ABB has been making consistently good new music for the last ten years that “Nobody Knows” and is on par with their more famous works. Their “family” of outside projects includes the Derek Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Frogwings, Oteil and the Peacmakers, Blue Floyd, Gregg Allman and Friends and the Dickey Betts Band. Instrumental Illness, part 1 and part 2
Another that seems to get no recognition for anything new is Deep Purple. Purpendicular and Rapture of the Deep are among their best work. The Aviator
Kansas put out Somewhere to Elsewhere a couple of years ago and it stands with Leftoverture or Point Of No Return. Distant Vision
Steve Winwood’s last two studio CDs (Out Of Time and Nine Lives) were his best since leaving Traffic (before the reunion). Dirty City (w) Eric Clapton
Little Feat. Still writing and working.
Santana. Still writing great music (you just have to listen to the songs between the duet du jures).
Joni Mitchell anad Van Morrison never really stopped.
Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple) still has a great voice and is working often.
Lynyr…never mind.
Frank’s Wild Years was commercially successful? Maybe in a relative sense, since it sold marginally better than the other albums of that period, but its chart peak of #115 is decidedly unimpressive! You’re right about Mule Variations being a big late-career hit; it was in fact the first Waits album ever to crack the Top 40. Prior to that, his highest chart placing had been Small Change reaching #89 in 1976.
Duke Ellington at age 70 (in 1970) put out the excellent New Orleans Suite, one of my favorites of his.
Joe Strummer of The Clash finished his life as part of Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros. I realize, now, I don’t have the first of the three albums they did. (Now that I know about it I need to get it.) The second two are really very good. The one that got me interested was Streetcore; released posthumously. I love the whole thing but Get Down Moses was the first song I heard from it. I went out and got it based on that.
There is also a tear jerking video on Youtube for Redemption Song that is a must see for all fans.
Speaking of George Harrison, his posthumous Brainwashed is really good.