I just read an interesting piece about why the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, succeeded beyond all expectations and Rocketman, the Elton John story, is not resonating with audiences.
It has little to do with artistic merit, the NY Post posits, but the fact that Elton John’s life has been an open book and there is little mystery to be discovered, whereas Freddie Mercury’s life had not been fully examined.
Later in the column, the real reason is revealed, at least to me. Elton has stayed too long at the fair.
Retirement is something most creative types don’t want to confront. And some don’t have to. Springsteen’s 70th is fast approaching yet he is challenging himself with new projects, outside of his normal artistic realm. Even though he may never reach the commercial heights of Born in the USA, his latest work is relevant.
Others remind me of Bob Hope. My dad loved the old comic, and that affection was well earned with his great ROAD films and his screwball comedies. But watch some of his later work on TV. Reading from cue cards, the jokes were stale, the delivery rote as if reading it for the first time. It was awful. A whole generation grew up hating that Bob Hope and wondering why their parents adored him. He become Bob ‘for Texaco’ Hope, chasing every last dime.
I feel that way about many bands of my own youth. I don’t begrudge them making a living but they are damaging their legacy by mailing in performances of their oldies.
I’ve often thought that most artists have about a ten year window of great work, after which they run out of things to say. There are exceptions, but it’s very hard to stay on top. Tastes change. Artists become wedded to what got them there and reject the creative instincts, opting for safe formulas that are no longer exciting.
That’s why a change of venue might be the answer. Springsteen wrote a book, did a Broadway show, a film. Tony Bennett paints. Others turn to writing, like Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
So far be it for me to give Sir Elton advice, but his best work is over forty years old. The Post called him a ‘hack’ and that’s a damn shame, given how great he was.
(Thanks to the great Burt Bacharach /Hal David tune for the title)
