Another entry in that category of thread that might be termed “KFDplaylistbait”. It occurs to me that in this age when – as a for instance – U2’s career has gone on for longer than the period from the end of the Second World War to the broadcast of the first episode of The Young Ones, many of our pop heroes from the last century produced some of their finest work in this one. Admittedly, not so impressive a feat for The Coral (formed 1996) as Mavis Staples.
But, as good as latterday Wire or Grace Jones’ Hurricane or even the mighty Blackstar have been, who among our 20C heroes has produced their toppermost work in Century 21?
While you have a think, here’s Solomon Burke:
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Just t’other day I mentioned Tom Jones, whose career-best record Praise and Blame came out in 2010.
Paul Weller
Not in comparison to The Jam (obviously) but solo wise.
OK, the first half of the 00s he over-thought it (Heliocentric) and was lazy, lumpy Dad-Rock incarnate (Illumination), but As Is Now is damn near the best solo effort (yes, I think it is better than the (supposed) high-point of Stanley Road).
22 Dreams, Wake Up The Nation & Sonik Kicks – all continue the high standard.
Saturns Pattern – the jury (ie me) is still out on that one, and at the moment I view it as a temporary blip
Funnily enough, I put Saturns Pattern right up there with the best of his solo work.
Have You Made Up Your Mind from 22 Dreams is in my top 5 all time favourite Weller songs, including The Jam & The Council.
Ry Cooder.
You could argue his Seventies and Eighties albums are too cerebral and lack passion. You can’t say that about his music this Century. It is more personal, more political, more adventurous and more exciting. In addition, he’s been very busy. All these albums are excellent:
2003 Mambo Sinuendo
2005 Chavez Ravine
2007 My Name Is Buddy
2008 I, Flathead
2010 San Patricio
2011 Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down
2012 Election Special
2012 Delta Time
2013 Live At The Great Amercan Music Hall, San Fransico
Muy Fifi
Not familiar with much of this at all so will check out. Loves me some Ry. A True Musical Hero.
That’s a very impressive and convincing list Tigger. Ry’s a real late bloomer. A lot of politics and a lot of anger in several of those albums which has definitely fired up his Muse.
Interesting that Ry’s renaissance has come about through him discovering his songwriting chops. His 20th century albums were almost exclusively covers.
David Sylvian, without a doubt. He’s made some amazing records since the 80s, but it seems like Blemish (2003) and Manafon (2009) were what everything else was leading up to. The most successful products of his unique and uncompromising musical vision to date.
In a similar vein to OP. It’s not his finest but Bobby Womack’s swan song The Bravest Man In The Universe was wonderful.
Please Forgive My Heart.
Bobby Womack
I’m not familiar with Ry Cooder’s albums post- “I, Flathead”.
Chavez Ravine is a masterpiece, in my opinion.
Here’s my favourite track off that album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=573DNeEyzyg
“KFDplaylistbait” indeed! It sounds like something the Vice squad should be looking into.
Thanks for the name check. I will indeed do one for this thread. A lot of Weller, Cooder and Sylvian by the looks of things. I will put my thinking hat on.
“Vice Squad”? Erk!! My reference was to clickbait rather than any other type of “-bait”.
Respect due, KFD.
Clickbait! Duh! Sorry Sewer!
I’m so far behind the times I think of bait is either a piece of bloody meat that you put in a trap or a track by Wishbone Ash!
Can’t agree with Solomon nor Ry. Sorry but I’ll stick with Mr Burke’s stuff up to the one with Proud Mary (Bell label circa 74 ish) and Ry up to maybe Borderline.
It’s an interesting notion. But I can’t think of anyone that meets the criteria.
If you fancy hearing a rally good Ry album after ‘Borderline’, try “A Meeting by the River” (1993), which he recorded with the Indian mohan veena/slide guitar player Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. It’s a little cracker!
Bettye LaVette. Great career from 1962 on, however highlights are A Woman Like Me (2003) and I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise (2005).
Good call but her stuff with Leyland (sp? and I know who his brother is…!) Rogers is far more my taste.
I would also say that Irma Thomas would be a better shout on this topic but I still prefer her 60s stuff.
Macca has done his best solo work this century.
I recently did a Macca-by-decade best of playlists on Spotify. The post-2000 list is mighty fine, if I may say so myself…
I’ll try the Spotify link again…
Cathal Smyth did great things with The Nutty Boys last century. His album, last year, A Comfortable Man, is incredibly moving. I think it’s his best work.
My thoughts precisely Mr Lion, notwithstanding fine 80s work like Song in Red, Tears You Can’t Hide and the magnificent Gabriel’s Horn (and he co-wrote Our House, of course – back when he was still trading as Chas Smash). I hope there’s more to come – though in human terms I hope he doesn’t have to go through another divorce to produce it. Perhaps he’ll get God like Dylan did.
While I’m here, if Paul Simon’s new album is anything like as good as his last I’d like to nominate another solo Paul for this thread… but then that might be because I’ve made myself a bit sick of Graceland.
Cathal’s parent band also produced their most consistently brilliant album this century – The Liberty Of Norton Folgate. The follow up is pretty good as well.
Nick Lowe, arguably.
My first thought but his 90s work also tip top
Yes, absolutely. My two favourites are “The Impossible Bird” (1994) and “The Convincer” (2001).
Let’s call it a draw!
Ben Watt, maybe? Now on his 3rd life, at least
Absolutely! I’d say his last two albums are his best work.
We have a winner!
I’ll also add Tracey Thorn, whose post EBTG albums are marvellous.
Well Sparks need to be mentioned here. Lil’ Beethoven is their best album and was released in 2000. Hello Young Lovers and the FFS record are also up there. I think they’re better now than they were in the past.
Time, Whitecaps and Screwdriver from Prince’s recent run of albums are 3 of my favourite Prince songs since the mid 90s. Two beautiful songs and a great ‘dumb’ rocker. Time in particular I think is as good as his peak period.
Anybody else think Donald Fagen’s last album is his best?
http://youtu.be/6xk8x4bV8Mc
Slinky Thing
It’s not Tigs 🙂 but Sunken Condos is very fine indeed. What I like is the way his voice has thickened and mellowed to darker and more soulful timbre than the hyper-stylised sneer of The Dan heyday.
Weather In My Head
Donald Fagen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MknUxrjLfVo
Does anyone else think Nick Cave’s last album is his best?
The last three Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds albums, Abbattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! and Push The Sky Away, the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the career, are easily their best. Is it a coincidence that they follow the departure of Blixa Bargeld, who left because he didn’t join a rock band to play rock music? The rest of the Seeds had to fill the considerable hole he left. Nick learned guitar and switched his writing style. His lyrics are those of a raver growing old disgracefully, mixing flesh, blood and gore with poetic spirituality.
Add the two Grinderman LPs and you have five albums that are the sound of a band fully evolved.
Night Of The Lotus Eaters
I’ve recently been listening a lot to the excellent soundtrack he and Ellis recorded for the stunningly brilliant 2007 film The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. I was surprised to find the origins of the 2013 track Finishing Jubilee Street are to be found in that soundtrack’s Song For Bob.
The refrain “see that girl, coming on down” (around 1.55):
Uses the piano melody from around 2.14:
Oh yes! Make that six great albums.
I’ve never been a fan of Led Zeppelin but Robert Plant’s career this century has been an object lesson in how to mature as a rock star. I like all of his albums since Mighty Rearranger with Raising Sand, the collaboration with Alison Krauss in 2007, absolutely outstanding, a classic of the 21st Century.
Fortune Teller
I love the Townes van Zandt track that Plant and Krauss did on that album … (checks on Wikipedia) … ah yes, that was it, “Nothin'”. Good stuff.
The wonderful Nights Out written by Drakeygirl makes me want to confess; I have never liked Super Furry Animals. Until their last album Dark Days/Light Years that is, which I utterly adore. They threw away the songwriting book and jammed. The result is visceral and chock full of riffage.
Crazy Naked Girls
D’Angelo’s 2014 LP is his best, isn’t it?
Swans 21st Century comeback has been tremendous. To Be Kind is huge in every conceivable manner. It’s their masterpiece, isn’t it?
A Little God In His Hands
Patty Griffin just gets better as each year goes by.
I’m sorry @Sewer-Robot. I appear to have killed the thread.