Music Question

How does a band keep its vitality? I was listening to an ad on XM for an R.E.M. special where they’ll play songs from their new album. I was a little late to catch on to R.E.M., but at their peak they were pretty special. “Automatic for the People” is one of my favorite albums. But it’s clear from their last couple of releases and listening to the little clips on the show that they have nothing new to offer. It’s a conundrum. You’re good because you have a unique sound, but after a while you have to evolve or die, and evolution is fraught with peril. If you change too much, you run a real risk of losing what made you attractive in the first place and you turn off your most ardent fans. But what happens far more often is a kind of incremental change, where I’m sure the band really feels like they’re doing something new but within a familiar milieu. Unfortunately, to even a discriminating listener it all starts to sound the same. R.E.M. is dealing with exactly that. The differences are so subtle as to seem nonexistent, although I’m sure R.E.M. feels otherwise.

It’s a rare artist who escapes this trap. Prince and Paul Simon come to mind, but even bands for the ages like the Rolling Stones or megastar singer-songwriters like Bruce Springsteen start to sound recycled after a while. Prince has proven to be an absolute master at reinventing himself, aided by the prolific volume of material he creates. From what I know about him, he has hundreds of songs to chose from for any album. Paul Simon, who’s been around a lot longer, has managed to adapt his sound to a number of styles that are distinctly unlike his own. “Graceland,” which he created while immersing himself in South African music, is a masterpiece because he miraculously manages to fuse his own subtle wit and ear for a hook with the joy and soul and exuberance of South Africa.

So I’ve asked the question, but I don’t feel like I’m anywhere close to an answer. Aside from both being very short it's hard for me to come up with anything Prince and Paul Simon have in common.