Is the memory better than the reunion?
The return of Black Sabbath's original lineup has me thinking.
The announcement of the original Black Sabbath lineup doing one last show this year got me thinking about this debate I always have: is it better to see your idols in their old age and out of their peak form? Or not see them and remember them at their best?
Apparently sadly, there was talk that Ozzy would need to be in a wheelchair and then later reports that it might just be a few songs of Sabbath with the original lineup…
While there is absolutely no way in hell I wouldn’t want to see one last show with Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill (it’s been ages since we’ve seen him in the band), I sometimes feel saddened when I get to see these icons perform past their prime.
Let’s be honest, as a drummer now in my 50s, I can’t hit as hard as when I was in my 20s and 30s. My favorite drummers have always been from the Tommy Lee, Tommy Aldridge, and Dave Grohl schools of drumming, which entails drummers beating up the drums with a power and intensity like no other. There is no way Bill Ward at age 76 is gonna be able to play those Sabbath songs the way Tommy Clufetos is able to. But that is OK. I understand it’s for the authenticity and the original masters of the craft, but nonetheless I always end up feeling a bit sorry that they can’t replicate their younger selves.
Ozzy Osbourne in Belgium. June 2014. (Photo by Goedefroit Music/Getty Images)
Ozzy has been plagued with health problems for years now. Seeing him in that chair at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame without being able to sing was not fun a sight to see.
So, the question remains: Is it better to keep the memory of any of these musical titans alive and well in your head when they played great, looked great, and were vibrant? OR is it better to go for the new memories and hear your favorite song one last time with the original songwriters performing it?
I always revert back to the idea that I was sorry I saw it once I did. There’s something about rock ‘n’ roll that is supposed to be youthful. We all age — albeit some of us more graceful than others — but so many of my favorite artists are aging out to the point that the music is not great anymore, and it makes me wonder if they should retire and bow out gracefully.
The Rolling Stones at Gillette Stadium. May 2022. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Now the Stones are an anomaly, and some of my favorite artists, like Cheap Trick, still have it. But I’ll pose this question to you: who has it and who should retire? Do you want to see your favorite artists barely standing and barely signing? Or remember them at their peak?
That’s entirely up to you. Everyone deserves to make a living and do what they do, so more power to you, but I’ll pass sometimes when the memory is much better than the real thing.
Let us know what you think.
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Good stuff, Scott, and great question! Loved that Ozzy/HOF vid! My dos centavos: I'm all about seeing, if you can, whomever/whenever! I've loved Genesis since around '72 (I was 17), when my lead guitarist (I was lead singer) played me their fairly new "Foxtrot" album, and I was riveted by "Watcher of the Skies"! I saw them twice with Gabriel...'74 at Austin's Armadillo World HQ (https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/paper-plate-peter-gabriel-offers?utm_source=publication-search one of the first articles I published on 'Stack, in Aug '21), and in '75, on "The Lamb" tour in Houston. At least a couple times followed, including around '91 at Dodger Stadium!
It was heartbreaking to see the videos from about 2 years ago, of Phil's (announced) last tour, where he was so broken, he was relegated to sitting in a chair downstage center, as he was unable to drum, due to back pain, and I think, hands as well. Thankfully, his son, Nic, filled in, and did beautifully (https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/in-the-heir-tonight-drummer-nic-collins?utm_source=publication-search).
If I say he shouldn't have given it a shot, I would then discount my OTHER feeling that I'm glad he felt good enough to do what he did, that tour (and, had the blessing of having an offspring he could just "plug in" to help him out!).
Then, there's Ian Anderson. I've been on him and Tull since I was 13 in '68, and got their debut "This Was" album (too rootsy/bluesy for me, at the time!). I didn't fall head over heels over them until the following year's "Stand Up," where I became transfixed by Ian's flute playing. That led me to renting a flute (wondering if I could make that same jazzy, breathy sound) and taking one lesson to learn fingering and embouchure. That was all it took....I bought a flute, and proceeded to learn, by ear, every one of Ian's licks thru "A Passion Play," and could play along to the records pretty well!! I must've seen them 3 or 4 times in the early '70s, including the "Aqualung," "Thick as a Brick," and "A Passion Play" tours!
Something's happened to Ian's voice over time, and it's harder for him to reach the higher notes recently (since about the turn of the century, I think). So, THAT's tough to see and hear, and some of his latest music seems (finally) like he's come to grips with that, and dutifully lowered the key and pitch on a lot of it. Like with Collins, it's kinda painful to see and hear our favorites slow down and wear down, but I'm just happy they're able to make it onstage in whatever capacity, and I love it for them, if it still fulfills them in some way(s)! Plus, I'll always have my fond memories of when I saw them when!