>Paul McCartney will never make music as "good" as the stuff he did in
1965, not >because he's lost his muse, but because IT'S NOT 1965!

I was reading a Pete Townshend interview where he was talking about
the old stuff being better - which he freely admits it is.  He says he
gets bummed trying to write a song people will like and talked about
the effort involved now that he's older - where everything sounds the
same as something he's already done or just plain not good.  Also
commenting about when he was young and he could just sit down with the
guitar and these (now timeless) riffs would pop out of nowhere
seemingly without effort.

Be prolific when you are young I say!  2 albums a year while you still
got it - maybe you can build a legacy that compares to the greats.

Another thing I read here or somewhere else - Cheap Trick were
basically touring off the songs from the first three albums before
they were signed.  He would have had a big break before he had to
really woodshed again - and it showed.

Of course these anecdote's accuracy involve trusting my memory - which
I don't much anymore.  Never let facts get in the way of a good story!

That being said - when a band I love from the get-go hits their stride
around the third or fourth album - I always cross my fingers and hope
for 5 or 6 or 7 - but it's pretty rare.

I'm going way off topic my own off topic post - but I have a personal
soft spot for bands with a great first album - then an awesome
sophmore jinx disaster - the a big redeemer after they smarten up.

So that's all just because I felt bad for Pete - trying to make music
in his golden years and knowing he wasn't doing a very good job.  He
could quit I guess - but maybe he hates golf.

-- 
Lee Elliott