I’ll give Y Not more time. There is just too much sheen and irrelevant production (drum loops, samples, Pro Tooly effects and such.) I firmly believe artists should embrace whatever technology is current (if they want to)and continue making music up until the age they no longer wish to create art. In fact, I feel some artists get better and better as they age – how is it that Robert Plant released his first consistent solo album so late in his career? Sometimes however, (and it may be arbitrary)artists make creative moves that are commercially based (or youth targeted) and it seems, too me, misguided. I think there are ways to be commercially motivated and still maintain artistic integrity. For example working with T-Bone Burnett or Rick Rubin would create a lot of interest in the media. Working with those guys just smacks of integrity (for what that’s worth.) While I feel both of those producers are great at what they do (particularly with veteran artists)hiring them is a fine way to garner attention (more so than using quasi-techno loops or whatnot.)

Ultimately, I wish that all of my musical heroes continue to put their trust in great, non-sycophantic producers. How good was Chaos and Creation? It was brilliant – because Nigel Godrich was not kowtowing to Paul.
I think Y Not loses the momentum that those Mark Hudson albums and Stewart’s contribution to Liverpool 8 had started because the production and songwriting choices were not more closely monitored and edited.

Unfortunately, I think about this stuff far too much.

Lighten up Elliott, you don’t sound like a Beatle fan. Don’t you like anything?

Wrack My Brain is great too! He did that one with George, who is credited with not only writing it but also playing guitars on it (acoustic and electric I believe) and doing backing vocals. Quite catchy. I have an out-take version of it that I may post for BROW one of these days.