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David Bowie Tickets

Growing old gracefully is never the easiest thing to do and when it comes to music, plastic surgery isn't even an option. So waking up this morning to a surprise new track from David Bowie - plus the announcement of an entire album to follow - was the best news, mostly because we hadn't had the chance to anticipate all the ways in which it could go horribly wrong.

Luckily, David Bowie doesn't rush to churn out song after song simply to keep himself in the limelight and make money. While he does have the fanbase to draw on, he's also not trying to reclaim his youth - Bowie's single 'Where Are We Now?' isn't trying to simply recreate the same old sound of the '70s. While there's a definite nod to the electronic ambience in his history, 'Where Are We Now?' also has all the simple melancholy that is relevant to any age. And it's worth a mention that one thing that Bowie has never had a problem with is reinvention.

Having said that, any fears for the album still wouldn't be unfounded. 2012 was the year of reunions, which is all well and good - no one can refuse a bit of nostalgia - until some of those bands decided to forget the reunion, and go for a full on comeback. The Rolling Stones, we're looking at you. The reformation of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Woods and Charlie Watts was top of everyone's lists for a long time.

The greatest hits album wasn't too bad, admittedly, despite the fact that GRRR! marks the, er, 26th compilation album from the band? (It's difficult to tell.) But the new singles included - 'One More Shot' and 'Doom & Gloom' - just feel like token requirements in order to make this compilation album slightly different than the 25 or 26 that came previously.

If bands are going to churn out songs and rely simply on their already extensive, loyal fanbase to make them hits... well, we can't stop them. But it's not hard to tell that that's what they're doing, and every one is a sad chip away at what used to be a really great legacy.

Paul Weller of The Jam had the right idea. While it would admittedly be great to get new music from The Jam, there's no chance of it. Weller told The Sun recently, "We haven't had 30 years of us continuing making lousy records, which is the case for some bands. No way would it happen. You can't recapture those things, and also why should you? It would be absurd - three 50-year-old geezers jumping around the stage."

While Tom Waits and Elvis Costello are both great examples of old musicians who just keep doing what they're doing - and doing it well; both Bad as Me and National Random were great albums. But unlike the Rolling Stones, they've never made headlines or achieved the same level of mainstream success.

And it's not just the music giants who are doing damage to their own legacy. Did we really need 'Candy' inflicted on us while Robbie Williams attempts to keep his career alive? Do we need Madonna trying to recapture her youth by still flashing at concerts? What was fun and edgy once is now just a tired gimmick. And let's not even talk about that recent S Club 7 'reunion,' because I, for one, still haven't recovered.

It's embarrassing when artists choose a gimmick or a sound - or even the exact same music - that worked for them years ago and just decide to stick with it, over and over... and over. If bands don't feel that they can do their legacy justice - because that seems to be the key - then it's not a stretch to say that maybe they shouldn't bother.