4 Albums From 1988 by Veteran Artists That Showed the Youngsters How It Was Done

When it comes to the music world, youth wins the day more often than not, at least when it comes to commercial success. But veteran artists can still compete if they’re inspired and talented enough. The year 1988 was one that featured new acts in various genres stepping to the forefront with their albums. But these four albums from 1988 came from acts a bit longer in the tooth but still on top of their respective games.

‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1’ by Traveling Wilburys

The Traveling Wilburys seemed like the kind of idea that could only lead to an anticlimax. How could five talents that massive mesh into a coherent whole? Wouldn’t egos run rampant? As it turned out, all five men bought into the premise wholeheartedly, perhaps because it was an impromptu idea that they didn’t have time to complicate. Kudos to Jeff Lynne, as the main producer, for coming up with a rootsy sound that managed to suit all five men. Whether they’re all chipping in to the mix (“Handle With Care”, “End Of The Line”) or taking off on mostly solo flights of fancy (Bob Dylan on “Tweeter And The Monkey Man”, Roy Orbison on “Not Alone Anymore”), it’s all impeccable.

‘I’m Your Man’ by Leonard Cohen

Best Leonard Cohen album? Well, you’d be hard-pressed to argue with his stunningly assured debut Songs Of Leonard Cohen in 1967. Lo and behold, Cohen, more than two decades later, gave it a pretty stirring run for its money with I’m Your Man. He’s older but somehow friskier, leaning into his sense of humor to hide his protagonists’ deep dread and disappointment. Cohen spins out eight songs that are all mostly classics. Instead of the rinky-dink synth arrangements he favored earlier in the decade, he goes in for more of a pulsating sound on many of the tracks, and it’s a revelation. By the time he’s moaning about being well below Hank Williams on closing track “Tower Of Song”, you should be completely and utterly hooked.

‘Talk Is Cheap’ by Keith Richards

Keith Richards watched disdainfully as Mick Jagger went solo for a brief stretch in the 80s. Richards always felt like The Rolling Stones should be the first and only priority for band members. Maybe he felt that if he couldn’t stop Jagger, he might as well join him, deciding to make his own solo record in Talk Is Cheap. And he made sure to take much more than a glancing blow at Mick on the searing putdown song “You Don’t Move Me”. Aside from that, Richards, writing with co-writer Steve Jordan and getting help from a top group of collaborators, delivers a clunker-free set of grooving rockers and soulful ballads, proving there was a frontman in him desperate to get out.

‘Now And Zen’ by Robert Plant

Robert Plant had been coasting along in his solo career throughout the 80s in a way that felt like he didn’t much want the attention that came with being the former lead singer of Led Zeppelin. Now And Zen felt like a more decisive move towards the mainstream without compromising some of his adventurous artistic spirit. He rolled the dice a bit on “Tall Cool One”. It’s a song that embraced his Led Zeppelin past almost to the point of self-parody. Audiences got the joke and made it a big hit. Elsewhere, he went a moodier, more atmospheric route on songs like “Heaven Knows” and “Ship Of Fools”. Those songs proved Plant could be just as captivating even without the screaming guitars of the old days behind him.

(Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns)