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Topic: "Young men innovate. Old men consolidate." |
Guy Cundell
From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
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Posted 4 Oct 2010 11:39 am |
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(http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=183762&highlight=bruce+clarke)
When I first saw this quote from late Australian musician Bruce Clarke here on this forum , it rang depressingly true to me (aged 57) but I could see no good reason for the phenomenon. He mentioned many good examples but I could think of others (Bach and Beethoven) that didn't fit with his statement though I was hard pressed to come up with contemporary examples. (Maybe Joni Mitchell but after "Wild Things Run Fast" it is all a bit similar.)I have noted for a long time that mostly it is the earlier work of artists where their style is emerging that has me really interested where as the mature style can become mundane.
Psychologists Douglas Kenrick of Arizona State University has a theory which may provide a reason for this phenomenon. He has proposed an alternative model to Maslow's pyramid for the fundamental driving forces of human behaviour that places reproduction at the top.
Within his argument is the observation that men in reproductive mode act smarter and are more creative than those not so engaged. It doesn't mean that they need to be actively breeding given the contraceptive choices of the latter 20th century and it puts Bach's 20 children into perspective.
Notes on the new theory are here:
http://www.truth-out.org/maslow%E2%80%99s-pyramid-gets-a-makeover60809
A ten minute discussion by Kenrick on BBC is here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00b0lgg#p00bcfx2 |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 4 Oct 2010 1:02 pm
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| Quote: |
| men in reproductive mode act smarter and are more creative than those not so engaged |
Whew, the pressure's off now.
Wish I had all that money back...
_________________
Lawyers are done: Emmons SD-10, 3 Dekleys including a D10, NV400, and lots of effects units to cover my clams... |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 4 Oct 2010 1:39 pm
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| Quote: |
| Within his argument is the observation that men in reproductive mode act smarter and are more creative than those not so engaged. |
OK, but where does that leave Joni Mitchell?  |
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Guy Cundell
From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
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Posted 4 Oct 2010 2:29 pm
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| OK, OK..... Kenrick does not specify male only. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 4 Oct 2010 4:43 pm
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I guess this is proof that 2 heads are better than one.
I don't know, I think it's difficult to apply this across the board. Some creative souls get a second wind (and there are many). Also, younger artists are searching and hungry while mature artists have gotten closer to what it was they were after in the first place. When you've almost finished your masterpiece, sometimes all that's left is just a few touch-ups.
Joe Henry has been producing records lately by some artists who's younger days are far behind them: Solomon Burke, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Loudon Wainwright III, Aaron Neville, Mose Allison, etc. he's gotten some pretty great results.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2010 9:40 am
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| Another thing to consider, for those of us who never grew up, it appears that grownups don't make art. |
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Orville Johnson
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 9 Oct 2010 12:04 am
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| I love the Mose Allison and Allen Toussaint discs Joe Henry produced. he's got a pretty good thing going there. |
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