James Salter published a new book this year. But so what? The man is 87. His most popular novel, The Hunters, was published in 1957. Chuck Palahniuk, a comparatively young whipper-snapper at 51, is supposed to publish a book this year. But his popularity has been in decline since 1996's Fight Club. People still read their work, but not with the same fervor as the aforementioned novels. I imagine that if you spoke to either writer, nothing has changed about their approach to writing a novel. So what's different? Why the decline?
One of my favorite bands, The National, released their eighth studio album this year. While it's a great effort, it does not come close to touching the magic they had on Alligator and Boxer. They're still the same band. They obviously still know how to craft music. Why can't they just sound like the used to?
I gleaned some insight about The National from this Grantland piece. Singer Matt Berninger speaks about a peace of mind while recording this record, not caring how it sounded to anyone but himself, and the comfort with what the band has already accomplished–even admitting he'd be fine with the band never recording another album.
I didn't see it at the time of reading the review, but I should have thought "bad omen." I've written before about the power that comes from two alpha males in a band that don't necessarily get along. As sick as it sounds, I'd rather hear Matt say "Recording this album almost broke the band up. Bryce and I daily got into fights over how songs should sound. I don't know if I have it in me to do this again."
Are there any exceptions to these writers and bands that can defy the gradual decline in their work? Off the top of my head, David Foster Wallace comes to mind. After reading his biography, I got the sense that he was obsessed with what other people thought about him. Writing, for him, was like torture. He always thought he had these huge expectations to live up to. It's odd that, for such a celebrated author, he really only wrote three novels. But they were all quality pieces of work. Infinite Jest was probably the best novel of Wallace's generation, but his fans will admit that his posthumous piece The Pale King was probably his best work.
So why did Wallace's work continue to improve over his 20-year writing career, despite his fame and success. My guess: he was afraid of failure. I think a part of his mental illness was that he suffered from an insatiable need to please others. He stressed out over everything he wrote because he thought it might fail.
This fear is what drives young, hungry bands. It's the reason so many great bands spilt up or give up. They either fret too much over making the perfect album or they become comfortable just making music. I don't think money changes them or they "sellout" by making more accessible, radio friendly music. They're just no longer afraid of returning to their old jobs.
Too much success leads people to thinking that their success is the result of raw talent. The hard work is no longer necessary because they know what they're doing now. Success leads to complacency and the gradual decline of all great artists. Like Neil Young said, "It's better to burn out than it is to rust."
