"I get afraid of losing that creative energy. Where it's like 'where's it going to come from'? Am I going to lose it someday, or will I have it for a while and then will it just run out? Because I've seen that happen to other bands." - hmm.

Strat went digital. That says something.

I do hope that they can lure me back into Anal though.

scott, renew for full membership. This is the squeeze. The bounce is on the way hopefully. It can only get better.

Oh, come on, you don't really believe that.

Strat went digital. That says something.

I do hope that they can lure me back into Anal though.

I'm not sure you need to be creatively challenged to write good songs. R.E.M. broke up when they decided they weren't creatively challenging themselves anymore, and they're probably right that they're not. Collapse into Now is R.E.M.'s first record that felt and sounded derivative. BUT, having said that, I really like that record. it's in the top half of their catalog for me since the songs, while familiar, are still good and while sounding derivative, don't sound rehashed (like U2's recent output has). I would have been happy to have them keep making records as long as the songs were good--I don't care if they were original.

...

As long as they can grow their catalog with songs I want to listen to they should keep making music forever. I listen to most of my favorite artists to satisfy me. I listen to new bands to surprise me.

I'm talking about the kind of creative connection you see between Ed and Stone writing Daughter on the tour bus in PJ20.

They're still together because they're still enjoying writing music, they're clearly still great friends, and still love playing live.

The band has had ample opportunities in the past 10 years to break up, and still have musical careers in other bands/solo, but they seem to have a mix that they're happy with.

I don't necessarily think the band should be reinventing their sound, it's more that I think the overall level of quality in terms of songwriting has dropped markedly after their first decade. When I talk about creatively challenging one another, I don't imagine Jeff bringing in a synth or McCready listening to free jazz (though I'm sure it wouldn't hurt); I'm talking about the kind of creative connection you see between Ed and Stone writing Daughter on the tour bus in PJ20. Perhaps "challenge" isn't the best word to use.

To me, the band talking about writing songs that sound like nothing else they've ever done (I recall Jeff doing that in promo for Backspacer) is something of a red herring - it's easy to, say, play a country song or a new wave song and pat yourself on the back that you're doing something worthwhile; it's much harder to just write a good song, even if it's drawn from a similar template to what you've used before. Sonic Youth, for example, didn't really vary their sound hugely over almost 30 years (though arguably they were working from a much more expansive pallet to begin with) but they were able to keep coming up with songs that I really loved.

of course he does.

Plus i'm really holding out for the No Code/Yield super deluxe reissue if i'm honest. plus whatever vinyl's coming of the new record.

Want to believe it'll get better. Plus i'm really holding out for the No Code/Yield super deluxe reissue if i'm honest. plus whatever vinyl's coming of the new record.