Steven Wilson fascinates me.
If you don’t know about Steven Wilson, he was the lead singer/songwriter for the band Porcupine Tree (along with a few other bands.) If you don’t know about Porcupine Tree, they were the 2000’s answer to… well, it’s hard to put them in a box. In later years, which I prefer, they were like Opeth meets Dark Side of the Moon, I guess. If you LOVE metal guitars but hate screaming, Porcupine Tree was heaven.
Steven left the band to have a solo career, and in 2020 he put out a few songs from his next album, coming in 2021. They’re good. Steven doesn’t repeat himself. You never know what you’ll get. The new song “12 Things I Forgot” is really good. Steven’s last album was his best selling album ever.
Steven Wilson is 53 years old. Apparently someone forgot to tell him that he was supposed to write his best music in his 20’s. Which is fortunate, because the whole concept of doing your best songwriting in your 20’s IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT.
We got this idea because so many bands and artists did their “best work” while in their 20’s. The reality is that a lot of artists run out of shit to say. Or they just start repeating themself. Like the guy at the party who tells one good joke. So we’ve all become conditioned to this concept. And the music world is always more interested in the latest thing.
To be fair, there’s plenty of evidence against my argument. Bruce Springsteen’s most recent new songs are… well, to me at least, they fall flat. They sound like outtakes that didn’t make earlier albums. David Bowie was always doing something different, but most people lost interest after Let’s Dance. I tried to like some of the songs on his last album, but I couldn’t.
But John Mayer seems to be able to write new, good songs no matter how old he is.
So it seems that some artists can keep going and make great stuff, and some can’t. But isn’t that also true of younger artists?
I’m 55. I’ve never been more productively creative. I have a website that I blog for, I have a YouTube channel where I put out new videos every Friday at 5 pm, and I’m working on not one but two new albums. And music is “just” my hobby. I’ve never wanted to retire more than I do right now, but I’ve got 7 and a half more years until I no longer have to work. Will I have this same energy when I’m 62? Hard to imagine I will. But I’m not afraid of losing my creativity as I get older. I think that’s strictly up to ME, not age. I certainly have far more musical knowledge now than I did in my 20’s. When I’m 62, I expect my voice will be a bit more “Lyle Lovett” so I’ll just have to do what he and Peter Gabriel both did, and let the gravel reign supreme. My fingers don’t move as fast as 20 years ago, but I’m never going to be a speed guy.
Steven Wilson has shown me the path. It’s a hard one to walk on, but at least I know it’s there.
