Academy of Pop: exam season

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Paper A: General Paper

14th August 2006

Candidates have all day to answer the following question.

1. 'It's better to burn out than to fade away'. Discuss.

Comments

Exceptions to the rule

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

What about if you are still performing but not releasing stuff?

Case Study 1: I saw Desmond Dekker twice in recent years before he finally popped his clogs last month. I was born years after he released anything decent but I still got to see him in a hot sweaty 100 Club playing all the classics.

Case Study 2: Sister Sledge at Glastonbury 2004 were absolutely amazing. Again, nothing brilliant by them since 1985, a few remixes aside. However James Brown at Glastonbury that same year was a wheezing, shuffling toupeed mess who was over-reliant on his backing band (I'd seen him play a much better gig at the Hammersmith Apollo earlier that year). However both acts still played Greatest Hits Sets to a good crowd reception.

Case Study 3: The Fall. Still churning out fairly decent music 25 years on, showing no signs of 'fading away' just yet. Reluctant to play old songs but they still put on a good show. However The Fall are a rare exception in that MES doesn't seem to give two short sh1ts about his fans, let alone record companies/the public and as such doesn't conform to the generalised pop model.

Re: Exceptions to the rule

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I think Prince sort of fits this category - I don't think he's released a really good album for over a decade now, but his live shows are still as electric as ever (and he mostly plays old stuff). I'm happy for him to keep releasing the shit as long as it keeps him touring.