Youth Is Overrated

Most of my favorite musical artists are at least 10 years older than me. When I became aware of music at the age of 10, my favorites were 20 or 21 years old. Some of my contemporaries like U2 and Crowded House are right up there in the pantheon of my faves, too. The Beatles and the Stones don't count because they made a subliminal impression on me way back in the mid-60s when I was in kindergarten. My true musical a-ha moments began around the time the Beatles were breaking up in 1970. That was about the same time I discovered the guitar.

It is common that our musical heroes are young. The fortunate artists hit big with their first record because they have been writing and playing it all their lives up until then. But with most artists, when the second record is in the queue, they have a year instead of a lifetime to prepare. This is where the screeching-halt of a career can be heard. If you have seen the movie about a one-hit-wonder band from the 60s, That Thing You Do, you know just what I'm talking about.

I have been waiting months looking for the new Crowded House record, Intriguer, to release. It came out Tuesday and, again, they have proven that 50-year-olds can still write, sing, play and rock! Just a month or so ago Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came out with a stunning set of blues-oriented songs on their new Mojo CD. They give the young guns a run for their money. I say youth is way overrated.

By the time musicians, songwriters and performers arrive at middle-age, we are just getting started. Our chops are better (if we stay active on our instrument), our musical tool box is burgeoning, the songs we write come from a more mature place, and our skill and ability to entertain a crowd only ripens with age.

I love a greatest hits record just like anybody else...especially ones that are remastered versions of the old songs. But I'll still be looking forward to my favorite artist's release of new material. As for me, I will be playing, singing and writing for as long as I am alive.