Breaking New Ground, Taking Risks
Image by Silvio Guerrero Rosas from Pixabay
In 1969, Led Zeppelin released their sophomore album titled Led Zeppelin 2, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. A year later, they followed up that album with Led Zeppelin 3, which diverged from the path that their first two albums took. Where as the first two albums were driving rock albums, this one, while it didn’t lack for driving rock songs, dove pretty heavily into the acoustic realm. The album was panned at first but is now regarded among their best.
In 1987, U2 released The Joshua Tree, also considered one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It built on the foundations of their incredible earlier albums, cementing a sound that was unique, their own, and resulted in their ascension to the cover of Time magazine (a big deal at the time) and the title of “world’s biggest band”. Four years later, in 1991, they released Achtung Baby, which let go of the traditional “U2” sound to deliver new and unique soundscapes - in fact, Bono was quoted as saying that the album was “the sound of four men cutting down the Joshua Tree.” It’s now also considered one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
Almost 10 years later, in 2000, Radiohead released Kid A, their much anticipated follow up to OK Computer (released in 1997). OK Computer was a work of sheer artistic brilliance, and regularly sits in the top ten of just about any list of best rock albums. How would they follow up such an astonishing work? They didn’t try. Kid A was entirely different - a complete departure into experimental, electronic music, one that was and continues to be revered by fans around the world.
Even in retrospect, these moves by each of these bands is amazing. Despite the (now) obvious quality of those follow up albums, they were big risks. Millions of fans around the world had come to love the signature sounds that defined each of these bands. Their songs were played in bars around the world. Their lyrics were chanted loudly at their concerts. Their fans told their friends excitedly about this or that aspect of their songs, their lyrics, their ideas.
The obvious (and well worn) move would have been to give these loyal fans more of the same, to keep the musical and commercial juggernaut that these bands had become, going. Go for the sure thing, don’t rock the boat. After all, the life of any successful band is short, so best to make hay while the going is good.
But they didn’t.
Instead of more of the same, they said “here’s something different”. Still a representation of who we are - still genuine, still real, but different. The work wasn’t contrived, it came from a place of creative endeavor. It was an artist’s honest offering.
Of course, they had to accept that some would be disappointed. That not everyone would accept it, especially those who, really, just wanted more of the same.
But this is the price of honesty, of putting forward your best, most genuine self. Not everyone will buy it because some still want to look at you as that other person you were, that prior, now outdated, collection of ideas - even when you don’t want to be that person anymore, when you’re actually not that person anymore. In those situations, you have to be ready to give it up - trade one tribe for another, or perhaps more accurately, be happy with those who are ready to accept you for who you really are.
And that’s actually OK. Our work, our representation of ourselves and our art, has to be genuine. If we’re not honest with ourselves, then what’s the point? At what price, glory?
Which is why I will always root for those who will take that risk, who will try and blaze an alternate trail - not just for the sake of it, but because it has to be done. They are the ones doing the work of the Gods.
(Valhalla, I am coming....)
