Wilco: The Great Lates (2009-2023) (A Mix)
Longevity is a wonderful thing. Any time a band I love breaks up, or an artist I enjoy stops recording new music, I feel sad. I imagine all the amazing music that they'll never create, that I'll never get a chance to enjoy. Still, that said... The downside of artists sticking around for years and years is that, as the depth of their discography grows, there is inevitably less room in our lives for the more recent work. Sometimes, let's be frank, there's a drop-off in quality or at least originality. But even for artists who continue making worthy music years into their careers--this year's latest Yo La Tengo album is a case in point, but I'm also thinking about great late-period work by R.E.M. , David Bowie, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, etc.--there can be diminishing returns over time. The reason we fall in love with these artists is because the records we first heard were so damn great. And once a band or performer has graced us with a few of our favorite recor