Robert Wyatt (arguably)
― The Louvin Spoonful (WmC), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Lucinda Williams
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Lemmy was 30 when he founded Motorhead - if you place their peak as the late 70s/early 80s he more or less makes the cut
also, mark e.
I would be curious to see an argument that the Fall's peak period is from 1992 onward...
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:37 (thirteen years ago) link
agree a ton of jazz guys fit the bill here, which is interesting
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:38 (thirteen years ago) link
wyatt's work is so different compared to soft machine but ultimately i think it's more rewarding.
DJ Quik is making a case for himself
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:38 (thirteen years ago) link
blows my mind that Andy Partridge is almost 60
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:39 (thirteen years ago) link
dylan and neil young don't really fit in this but they kinda do, their careers are so all over the place but they both also did some great work, up there with their greatest in middle age or beyond in dylan's case.
Scott Walker
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:40 (thirteen years ago) link
Let me see if I can get my Lou1s J4gg3r bat signal to work...
― Oh Shit People Like Your Ballads Oh Nooooo (Drugs A. Money), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:41 (thirteen years ago) link
What's funny is Huston fits the criteria - 1941's Maltese Falcon at 35 and 1964's Night of the Iguana at 58. Arguably, all his best movies fell in that time frame.
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:41 (thirteen years ago) link
he's been dormant for a decade!! sigh
― frogbs, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:42 (thirteen years ago) link
classical would probably be cheating right?
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:42 (thirteen years ago) link
Those guys have been middle-aged since they were young.
― kkvgz, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:43 (thirteen years ago) link
but i guess jazz and classical are more trades in a sense and require a lot more time to learn the craft and the theory etc than other forms of music so it's should be surprising that ppl tend to peak later
― kkvgz, Tuesday, March 29, 2011 10:43 AM (7 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
they're younger than that now iirc
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:43 (thirteen years ago) link
Leonard Cohen
― Oh Shit People Like Your Ballads Oh Nooooo (Drugs A. Money), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:45 (thirteen years ago) link
looooool m@tt
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:46 (thirteen years ago) link
Bill Dixon -- made his first record at 37, his last (yet to be released) at 84.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:47 (thirteen years ago) link
nick cave i don't know if you can say peak but abbatoir blues/lyre of orpheus and then the grinderman stuff i like about as much as anything he's done.
I think I'm in the minority of thinking late period Fugazi rules and pwns so to me Ian Mackaye
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:47 (thirteen years ago) link
OH SHIT
Duh - Robert Pollard! he was 35 when propeller came out!
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:48 (thirteen years ago) link
Tom Waits
― suxv (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:50 (thirteen years ago) link
it's looking like E-40 might be the world's first rapper where this is true
― suxv (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:51 (thirteen years ago) link
surely Frank Sinatra ?
― mark e, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:53 (thirteen years ago) link
good one
― The Louvin Spoonful (WmC), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:56 (thirteen years ago) link
ooh yeah Pollard, he is a strange case. he always seemed so out of place with his 90s indie rock peers, like he was the Breeders' drunk uncle or something
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:57 (thirteen years ago) link
Dieter Meier was already 35 when Yello released their first album, and their peak period wasn't until a few years after that.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:02 (thirteen years ago) link
It's pretty hard to think of female pop/rock singers for whom this would be true. Debbie Harry and Grace Jones almost make it.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Not sure if Can counts, since they were already in their 30's when they formed the band.
Yo La Tengo were a lot better in their 30's than in their 20's.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:05 (thirteen years ago) link
Moondog
― ka£ka (NickB), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:05 (thirteen years ago) link
Susan Boyle
― ka£ka (NickB), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:06 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh yeah, and I would argue that Meshell Ndegeocello's peak period started in 2003 with Comfort Woman, and hasn't ended yet. She was born in 1968.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:06 (thirteen years ago) link
OTM. Not that I ain't a massive fan of the numbered albums, but SW is the first thing I thought of when i saw thread title.
― the worst thing Narada Michael Walden has ever been associated with (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:08 (thirteen years ago) link
this is a pretty idiosyncratic list of people so far
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:09 (thirteen years ago) link
bill withers
― adult music person (Jordan), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:15 (thirteen years ago) link
Go-Betweens.
― Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:16 (thirteen years ago) link
The drummer from Spirit was 85 when their debut came out.
― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:18 (thirteen years ago) link
weren't The Damned kinda old or at least some of them?
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:20 (thirteen years ago) link
tonetta
― buzza, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:22 (thirteen years ago) link
Jeez, is anything over 30 middle aged now?
― Pop is superior to all other genres (DL), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:23 (thirteen years ago) link
lee hazlewood
― buzza, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:24 (thirteen years ago) link
Trish Keenan was 35 when Broadcast released their second album (Haha Sound).
― ka£ka (NickB), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:24 (thirteen years ago) link
Pet Shop Boys
― Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:25 (thirteen years ago) link
Marianne FaithfullLucinda Williams
― President Keyes, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:28 (thirteen years ago) link
Ivor Cutler
― ka£ka (NickB), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:29 (thirteen years ago) link
serge gainsbourg
― AlXTC from Paris, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:30 (thirteen years ago) link
he was 40 when he made "je t'aime moi non plus" and 43 when he made "melody nelson".
― AlXTC from Paris, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:31 (thirteen years ago) link
you would think that electronic music producers would improve with age, since it's a craft that benefits from knowledge and experience, but it doesn't seem to work that way. proof that ideas trump craft, i guess.
― adult music person (Jordan), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Lucinda Williams and Tom Waits are spot-on choices.
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:39 (thirteen years ago) link
I don't expect a lot of people to agree, but I like the new Dinosaur Jr. stuff better than their 80s records.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:43 (thirteen years ago) link
Arguably, Johnny Cash
― Lee626, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:43 (thirteen years ago) link
No 35-year-olds pls, that is not middle aged unless we're talking about the 19th century or earlier.
― the worst thing Narada Michael Walden has ever been associated with (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:44 (thirteen years ago) link
agree that a lot of these nominees are more of the "older than their peers" but not necessarily middle-aged variety. My initial inclination was to make the cut-off 40-60, tbh
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:47 (thirteen years ago) link
Decrepit old bluesmen.
To wit:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRgg_9TmI-w&feature=fvwrel
― suspecterrain, Thursday, 31 March 2011 09:20 (thirteen years ago) link
Sorry - got lost in the thread - posted, then read the thread title.
― suspecterrain, Thursday, 31 March 2011 10:01 (thirteen years ago) link
thought of a good one: Mark Sandman turned 40 the year Morphine released its first album
― bernard so icey (some dude), Monday, 4 April 2011 01:29 (thirteen years ago) link
I don't know how old Nina Nastasia is (40-ish?), but she waited a long time before recording her debut (having performed live in NYC since the early '90s), and last year's Outlaster is as good as anything I've heard by her.
― administratieve blunder (unregistered), Monday, 4 April 2011 04:21 (thirteen years ago) link
oh, and Mark Lanegan has produced some of his best work while in his 40s. the latest Soulsavers album is one of the high points of his career, I think.
― administratieve blunder (unregistered), Monday, 4 April 2011 04:34 (thirteen years ago) link
Howlin Wolf was 41 when he started to record for Chess in 1951.
Muddy Waters hit Chess Records peak started around 1950 when he was 37.
― earlnash, Monday, 4 April 2011 05:15 (thirteen years ago) link
Erykah Badu? She's just put out two of her best albums in her late 30s.
― banjee trillness (The Reverend), Monday, 4 April 2011 08:02 (thirteen years ago) link
I would be curious to see an argument that the Fall's peak period is from 1992 onward...― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier)
― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier)
http://www.residentadvisor.net/images/features/2009/mark-e-dj.jpg ≠ http://media.musicfeeds.com.au/files/mark-e-smith.jpg
only five years. no idea if much of the smattering he did in the five years before that is any cop though.
― Varg Vikernes: "...a giant and leaky bag of mayhem" (sic), Monday, 4 April 2011 11:07 (thirteen years ago) link
Revive.
There are very, very few women mentioned on this thread. Why is that?
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 10 June 2019 12:33 (five years ago) link
Well here's one: Jane Weaver's at he absolute peak at the moment and she's 46.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 10 June 2019 14:32 (five years ago) link
Parenting affecting female careers more than male careers, perchance.
Neko Case seems to be in peak form in her 40s. Many of the artists on the ILX Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday are late bloomers, probably due to the proficiency required.
― bendy, Monday, 10 June 2019 14:57 (five years ago) link
also rampant gatekeeping throughout their youth
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:01 (five years ago) link
no "perchance" about the parenting thing either
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:02 (five years ago) link
Tina Turner
Ella Fitzgerald, probably lots of other jazz women
― Brad C., Monday, 10 June 2019 15:08 (five years ago) link
Yeah I argued for Peggy Lee upthread, her run between "Fever" at age 37 and "Is That All There Is?" at 49 is for me her most fun period to listen to and also when she took the most chances
― Josefa, Monday, 10 June 2019 15:25 (five years ago) link
Vi Subversa was 42 when she founded the Poison Girls
https://www.discogs.com/artist/420468-Vi-Subversa
― Ambient Police (sleeve), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:28 (five years ago) link
Gyorgy Ligeti
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:28 (five years ago) link
38 for Atmosphères, probably the start of his peak period
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:29 (five years ago) link
Laurie Anderson?
― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:34 (five years ago) link
Lou Reed
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:35 (five years ago) link
Kim Gordon was 42 when Washing Machine was released, many people think SY peaked after that
― Ambient Police (sleeve), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:36 (five years ago) link
The majority of Moondog's recording career was between the ages of 37 and 55, and the most famous stuff is all from his 50s.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:36 (five years ago) link
many people think SY peaked after that
Is this actually true?
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:42 (five years ago) link
hi!
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:44 (five years ago) link
to my ears they released with a couple of mediocre exceptions a string of wonderful albums through 2006 but
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:45 (five years ago) link
GBV?
― Evan, Monday, 10 June 2019 15:45 (five years ago) link
I do like the latter day albums and, maybe especially, a lot of the SYR stuff! I just don't think of "post-1995" as Sonic Youth's peak period.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:53 (five years ago) link
Alex Harvey was 33 when The Sensational Alex Harvey Band was formed, which seemed really old for a rock star at the time.
― confusementalism (Dan Peterson), Monday, 10 June 2019 15:59 (five years ago) link
I think Bill Callahan's best work was done as Bill Callahan, and Woke on a Whaleheart came out when he was already 41. Even the best Smog material (imo) was done in his 30s.
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:04 (five years ago) link
Yeah, tbf, even Sonic Youth's 80s work was done when Gordon was in her 30s; the band name was always ironic.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:10 (five years ago) link
It would be an easy argument to make that Celia Cruz peaked after age 35 or even after 40
― Josefa, Monday, 10 June 2019 16:11 (five years ago) link
Bill Frisell: mid-30s during downtown NYC days, 37 when he moved to Seattle, over 40 by the time of Have a Little Faith. Some of my favourite work of his might actually be post-middle age!
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:16 (five years ago) link
Duke Ellington was in his early 40s when he composed/released a string of masterworks ("Take The 'A' Train," "Cotton Tail," "Harlem Air Shaft," "Jack The Bear," "Ko-Ko," "Concerto For Cootie," etc. etc.).
And he was in his late 60s when he started a series of brilliant suites (The Far East Suite, The Latin American Suite, The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, New Orleans Suite).
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:21 (five years ago) link
Wow I didn’t realise Kim Gordon was 66! I would have guessed at a minimum five years younger.
― i really, really, really, really, really, really like glue (fionnland), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:21 (five years ago) link
Sorry, should correct the above to co-composed -- Billy Strayhorn was either the sole composer or a collaborator with Duke on many of the '40s pieces.
xp
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:22 (five years ago) link
Duke is a good one.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:27 (five years ago) link
Nels Cline was in his 50s when he made my favourite albums of his, probably past middle age when he made Macroscope.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:32 (five years ago) link
personally i'm planning to peak around 43
― adult music person (Jordan), Tuesday, March 29, 2011 4:27 PM (eight years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Still on track for this
― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:41 (five years ago) link
Pauline Oliveros fits in here for sure
― Ambient Police (sleeve), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:44 (five years ago) link
Steve Reich was 39 when Music for 18 Musicians premiered. I think this is common for classical and jazz artists in the contemporary era.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Monday, 10 June 2019 17:28 (five years ago) link
Lucette Bourdin was a visual artist who released her first ambient album in 2005, when she was 51... Then, in following 7 years, she released something like 25 albums, most of which are excellent. Sadly, she died in 2012, but it was an amazing burst of music from someone who had never made (commercial) recordings at all in her first fifty years.
― Tuomas, Monday, 10 June 2019 17:39 (five years ago) link