I was listening to Syro this morning while walking the dogs, and I realized that there have been a lot of long delayed or anticipated albums coming out recently. So many in fact, that I can’t even think of any more examples of the “notorious recluse” that the public is really waiting for.
Kate Bush used to fit the bill, but her last album is only three years old, and she’s performing live again.
Peter Gabriel has two albums from the past four years.
Leonard Cohen has gone long stretches of time between albums, but he released one this year (and one two years ago).
David Bowie took ten years for The Next Day, but seems to be working again.
My Bloody Valentine fans waited twenty-two years for MBV, which is only a year old.
The most infamously delayed album, Chinese Democracy, is six years old now. I suppose that’s a long time without a follow up, but not as bad as the fifteen years it took to get released.
Even if you count bands that broke up and weren’t really expected to release another album, this year is seeing the first album from The Pixies in twenty-three years and now the first Pink Floyd in twenty years.
So what are the new albums of legend that may or may not ever come out?
The closest I can think of is Blur, who haven’t released an album since 2003, but have been teasing the possibility of a new full-length for four years (two singles have come out in that time).
Or if I go a little less mainstream, The Sisters of Mercy last put out an album in 1990, but they’ve been actively touring ever since and have debuted plenty of new songs in that time.
Faith No More. Releasing a new album in 2015, first in 18 years.
Godflesh. Just released first new album in 13 years.
Only one album total, but considering we waited 20 years for it, I think BUCK SATAN deserves a special mention.
It seems the most anticipated and widely-reported album to break these days is Detox, by Dr. Dre…
As of 1999, it’s been fifteen years now for it.
Scott Walker also comes to mind though his output has been picking up the past decade.
Seems like we have a couple different definitions of ‘recluse’ here: people who just takes a long time in between record releases, and people who are reluctant to appear in public yet still ironically have a career in a business built around ‘public figures.’
In terms of real reclusiveness / withdrawing from society, I’d say someone like Scott Walker has much more of a claim to that title than Godflesh or Faith no More - the membership of those bands took a long long hiatus from working with their ‘flagship’ projects, but just look at all the records and gigs that people like Mike Patton or J. Broadrick have logged during that ‘downtime.’
I have kind of a soft spot in my heart for the true recluses, the ones who aren’t naturally comfortable with being in front of a crowd - or being around people, period - and yet have some inexplicable need to create art that’s going to be judged in a public forum.
The most infamously delayed album, Chinese Democracy, is six years old now. I suppose that’s a long time without a follow up, but not as bad as the fifteen years it took to get released.
I guess the followup is in the works, as well as the Chinese Democracy remix album. Granted there have been tours in between.
I guess Tool can go without saying here because being reclusive is expected from them now. But it has been 8 years since their last album, which is their longest gap so far.
I’d say Raymond Watts has more room to be called a recluse than most of the artists we’re mentioning. The last PIG album came out 9 years ago and it was essentially a reissue of an album he put out a year earlier under the moniker Watts with 3 bonus tracks. He’s put out a few demos that sound pretty good and a couple random collaborations, but it’s about time we at least get an EP.
And I’m not sure Buzz McCoy would fall into recluse territory since TKK is on the road almost every year, but I heard he has a side project called Cinema 6 that he’s been working on for quite some time.
Here’s one for the black metal fans, what the fuck ever happened to Thorns?! Their 2001 self titled debut is an amazing piece of work and then nothing. An announcement regarding a followup came out in 2008, and again nothing. Last thing I heard was that founding member Snorre Ruch had contributed riffs to the Satyricon album “The Age Of Nero.”
I thought of Scott Walker, but forgot to mention him. He’s certainly more active these days. I didn’t know about FNM or Godflesh. Tool crossed my mind, but I don’t follow them well enough. Dr. Dre came up when I did some searching, and I think that’s probably the highest profile one right now.
My favorite recluse in terms of “no public appearances” (as opposed to “studio output”) is Jandek, but even he has started to gig. Actually though, considering how often he used to put out albums, he’s gone a while without a proper studio release.
Or if I go a little less mainstream, The Sisters of Mercy last put out an album in 1990, but they’ve been actively touring ever since and have debuted plenty of new songs in that time.
Eldritch has said that he doesn’t really see the point in putting out records anymore. I think he’s just butthurt that he can’t get the type of record deal that he wants…
Tool - obviously. Eight years between albums. Five of which have been spent in their home studio “writing”. They now supposedly have around three “finished” songs. Three songs. After five years. Just…wow. I’m pretty much at the point where I’m ready to show those guys the door, in terms of being a “fan” or whatever…
Godflesh, Soundgarden, Faith No More etc don’t count as those bands effectively “broke up” before eventually getting back together again.
My Bloody Valentine would be the obvious winners here though. Twnety two years tinkering on a follow up album is just…mindblowing.
Chinese Democracy did not take 15 years to write and record. It took about 10 years and the rest was spent dicking around with major labels. 10 years though is still pretty amazing (especially how it ended up sounding) and if I was a big GnR fan I wouldn’t be holding my breath for a follow up anytime soon. If Axl Rose were to announce that the moon orbits the earth, I’d have NASA on the phone within minutes verifying such a claim.
Massive Attack take ages. Two album since releasing Mezzanine in 1998. They say another one is on the way but…yeah ditto with the holding your breath thing.
Kate Bush took time off to have a child or something I think. That’s fair enough I suppose.
Peter Gabriel I have heard takes ages but in reality who cares about Peter Gabriel?
[:|]
As for legit RECLUSE action, Andy Prieboy (formerly of Wall of Voodoo) is a really odd duck. He enjoys being the star on stage but is quite awkward and shy as soon as the show ends. He only last year started doing live shows again after about 15 years of silence, and he doesn’t even have his music put out on any hard copy nowadays . . . just releases the stuff on iTunes or whatever.
He’s completely unknown outside of a very very small circle of cultish fans, and that’s really his own doing. I (and many others who’ve heard him) think he’s insanely brilliant and talented, but he’s really cursed himself to obscurity. I don’t know what else, if anything, he does, to be honest, and I think his longtime girlfriend, Merrill Markoe is the primary breadwinner, unless the dude does some stock trading or moonlights as a security guard or something.
Other than the MP3’s/ downloads he makes available, the last time he actually put out an album was in 1995.
Portishead
Sly Stone
Sly Stone
A lot of drug addicts tend to be reclusive…
Has anyone mentioned Brian Wilson (Beach Boys)?
Only took him 38 years to make SMILE.
Has anyone mentioned Brian Wilson (Beach Boys)?
Only took him 38 years to make SMILE.
Good call.
Syd Barrett never got back into action.
Roky Erickson went through a prolonged bad patch before getting it together (as much as possible) in recent years.
King Diamond…7 years and counting. Mercyful Fate…15 years. He probably won’t release another Fate (all new tunes) cd.
The last few are all good choices. However, I don’t think Brian Wilson was completely inactive during those 38 years, and didn’t Barrett put out a couple records after Floyd?
For those who have netflix, there’s a good but sad documentary on Roky Erickson. They only briefly talk about the 13th Floor Elevators and how they coined the term Psychedelic Rock, from there it goes into Roky becoming schizophrenic because of the mass quantities of acid he took in such a short period of time, his time in the mental institution, solo career etc…
I think King Diamond is a case of health problems getting in the way and probably not having any kind of ideas for a concept album. The fact that he’s selling out places like the Warfield and the Wiltern means he’s on the comeback, so I’m sure he might have one or two albums left in him. But I would much rather see a new Fate record any day.
The last Cabaret Voltaire album, The Conversation, came out 20 years ago. There’s been talk recently of Richard Kirk reviving the project with new material, so I think he’s a good candidate for this discussion.
The last Front 242 album of new songs, Pulse, is 11 years old. What’s really strange is that they’ve been fairly active as a live band the whole time (and last put out a live album about 6 years ago).
The last few are all good choices. However, I don’t think Brian Wilson was completely inactive during those 38 years, and didn’t Barrett put out a couple records after Floyd?
I had to Wiki that earlier, actually, as I’m not really fully educated on Pink Floyd or Barrett. He did have two releases in 1970, but then went silent.
Seems like it’s about time here to bring up the whole constellation of artists in the English “post-industrial” / esoteric underground of the 1980s and beyond (Current 93, Coil, Nurse with Wound, Death in June, etc.)
Though none of them were ever reclusive in the sense of putting out records, all were notable for avoiding public contact to some degree or another. Coil played next to no live dates until the 21st century despite being active since the early 80s, and when they finally did tour, it reportedly resulted in massive nervous breakdowns on behalf of founder John Balance. This was followed by another period of enforced seclusion that Balance’s partner Peter Christopherson reported on, and sadly by JB’s death in 2004.
David Tibet / C93 and NWW are marginally more engaged with their public since the time they formed, but I still get the impression they’d be perfectly happy if they didn’t have to play to a public whatsoever. One upside of this approach is that their selectiveness about gigs generally leads to great venue choices and truly unique listening experiences…quality over quantity as always.