# Musicians still doing amazing work after three decades **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444 "2014-09-04T05:35:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/41 "2014-09-07T23:35:25Z")
> [@fruitbat](#): > > Robyn Hitchcock’s recent albums have been some of the best he he has ever made. There is a reason that every time I see him he is backed by some amazing musicians who just want the opportunity to play with him. > > That, and his reputation for being unfailingly un-pretentitious funny and easy to work with. Oh, yeah. When you’ve got guitarists like Peter Buck and Johnny Marr backing you, chances are you’re no slouch, musicianship-wise. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/42 "2014-09-08T02:13:12Z")
_Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M._ will be 50 years old this October, and Paul Simon is still going strong. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/43 "2014-09-08T11:32:55Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > _Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M._ will be 50 years old this October, and Paul Simon is still going strong. Good choice, but I personally wouldn’t call anything he’s done since around 1997 “amazing.” Still, even that gives us about 35 years. I suggest [Arvo Pärt](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvo_P%C3%A4rt). His medievalish-sounding compositions (mainly choral) aren’t to everyone’s taste, but many people love his music, and there’s no denying that his composing is as accomplished and masterful now as it was in the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/44 "2014-09-08T15:37:39Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Good choice, but I personally wouldn’t call anything he’s done since around 1997 “amazing.” Still, even that gives us about 35 years. I agree that it’s been a while since Simon did anything new and good. But his career goes farther back than 1965! He and Art Garfunkel had a hit called “Hey Schoolgirl” as Tom & Jerry back in the Fifties. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/45 "2014-09-08T15:44:59Z")
Elvis Costello is still going strong. I saw him a few years ago, he played for 2.5 hours, and I left wanting more. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/46 "2014-09-08T15:56:43Z")
Béla Fleck has been making records since 1978 and is still at it. In 2013 he released _The Impostor_, a concerto he composed for banjo and symphony orchestra. In 2012 he released _Across The Imaginary Divide_ with the Marcus Roberts Trio, a jazz CD. His last album with the Flecktones _(Rocket Science)_ was released in 2011 and was one of their best, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/47 "2014-09-08T16:17:59Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Elvis Costello is still going strong. I saw him a few years ago, he played for 2.5 hours, and I left wanting more. The problem with Elvis Costello is similar to Paul McCartney and Paul Simon - they can put on good shows because they’ve got a large greatest hits back catalog to draw on, but none of them have put out an objectively “great” album in quite a long time. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/48 "2014-09-08T16:28:41Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I agree that it’s been a while since Simon did anything new and good. > > But his career goes farther back than 1965! He and Art Garfunkel had a hit called “Hey Schoolgirl” as Tom & Jerry back in the Fifties. True. They were so young then, they could sing a song with that title and it wasn’t skeevy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/49 "2014-09-08T17:23:11Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > The problem with Elvis Costello is similar to Paul McCartney and Paul Simon - they can put on good shows because they’ve got a large greatest hits back catalog to draw on, but none of them have put out an objectively “great” album in quite a long time. All three have put out new albums within the past few years that, while they may not be objectively great, are at least considered good or interesting by a substantial number of people. So we could charitably say they’re “still doing amazing work” at least in the sense of “it’s amazing they’re still around and releasing new material that doesn’t suck.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/50 "2014-09-09T15:59:05Z")
Billy Idol has a new album, a book and a US tour all coming out later this year. I’ve seen him several times over the last 10 years and he is still rocking it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/51 "2014-09-09T16:15:32Z")
In the thread currently right above this one, they are talking about Ted Nugent rambling incoherently about terrorist attacks and allahpoop and obesity booze cellphones. That’s pretty amazing work, in is own way. Amazing that he’s allowed to walk around loose. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/52 "2014-09-09T20:25:31Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > All three have put out new albums within the past few years that, while they may not be objectively great, are at least considered good or interesting by a substantial number of people. So we could charitably say they’re “still doing amazing work” at least in the sense of “it’s amazing they’re still around and releasing new material that doesn’t suck.” 🙂 Yeah, I mean, I personally really liked _When I Was Cruel_ which was released in _checks_ …oh, 2002. And I haven’t listened to any of his newer albums since then. Oops. Whatever, he still puts on a good show! His voice is intact, his musicianship is stellar, and he’s still got charisma. ---
**Author:** ![knitcrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2acd7d/32.png) [@knitcrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knitcrew)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/53 "2014-09-10T08:51:27Z")
I agree that a lot of our musicians are still lucky and still doing great after three decades. Among my fave is Neil Young for his song included in his greatest hits “Only Love can Break your heart”. I really appreciate Mr Young’s fame and legacy with regards to Music. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444/54 "2014-09-10T15:40:55Z")
Well Victor Borge gave his first piano recital at the age of 8, but didn’t start adding stand up until 1933. He was performing up to he death in 2000 at 91. Amazing is subjective of course, but near the begining of his career: > [@](#): > > **Wikipedia:** > Comedy in Music became the longest running one-man show in the history of theater with 849 performances when it closed on 21 January 1956, a feat which placed it in the Guinness Book of World Records. [And on his 80th birthday.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evCoEVaTQE) But I will admit that classical comedy is a niche market. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-still-doing-amazing-work-after-three-decades/697444.md?page=2)