EC's eras

[wordnat]

EC's been around long enough now that I tend to think of his recorded output in terms of "periods" (i.e., Early / Middle / Late), much like folks do when discussing Bob Dylan or the Beatles. Here's where I divide his stuff up:

EARLY
My Aim Is True ==> Get Happy!! (Classic, angry EC. Even non-fans know these flawless, fabulous records. If he would've called it quits in 1980, he'd be a Punk Rock Legend today. Thankfully for us, he didn't...!)

MIDDLE
Trust ==> Goodbye Cruel World (The Hangover Years -- and, despite somehow creating his most perfect record [IB] in the midst of all the misery, home to his least-inspired, most flawed works. If he would've called it quits in 1984, it would have been very, very sad....)

LATE
King of America ==> Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (I realize his "Late" period has been going on for 23 years now, but that's the KOA effect -- it remains his most mature [not to mention his most self-conscious] record, and everything he's done since has been created in its massive shadow....)

Thoughts?

[Ypsilanti]

Hmmm...it might also be possible to divide EC's career into eras based on 1st Wife, 2nd Wife & 3rd Wife...

[Miclewis]

All this Useless Beauty has such an "end-of-an-era" feeling, it hard not to treat it as such.
It was definety the end of The Attractions.
And, of course Elvis was threatening retirement (which he now does after every album it seems)

[wordnat]

I think you're right, Ypsilanti -- that's a better way to do it! LOL

[The imposter]

I tend to think of the eras as decades which almost co-incides with the wife and band/label stages. Also it evens out the albums better.

77-86 - Ala first 10 years, 1st wife, 1st attractions phase.(11 albums)
89-96 - Warner Bros Years, 2nd Wife, Last of the Attractions... (6 Albums)
98-06? 3rd wife, Universal years, Disparate projects (5 albums)
07/09..... Maybe this is a new phase were he can do whatever the hell he likes?

Sorry for those who prefer his younger more "angry" records, but I suspect we'll see More TV and ballads and less rock n' roll versions of Pump it up. How many versions do you need ? Did you want the same record again? We have The Rolling Stones for that! I Hope and believe we'll hear many more songs in the coming decades, but the industry is fragmented and less importance is now placed on album releases. That only gives people such as Elvis more freedom to express things. If only "they" could sort out a proper website for these exciting projects..The Bing Crosby of our generation..? Probably...

[Otis Westinghouse]

I'd go with your first two divisions as opposed to the one above, but would stick with three with '98+ as all one thing. You could have sub-eras, maybe ...