Rolling Stones
Paul McCartney

Two artists of considerable stature who could stand to have the staleness kicked out of them.

You may as well throw Elton John and Rod Stewart in there too.

DBarnett

In general I agree with your assesment of Sir McCartney's recent solo work. I believe his resent solo album "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" is an exception. The problem with most McCartney albums is that he is such a talented song writer completely surrounded by yes men that he rarely stretches his creative muscle much anymore. No one has the guts to tell him that something utterly sucks, after all he is Sir Paul McCartney for God sakes. He can come up with a brilliant melody and some clever chord changes over lunch and by the time the checks arrived he's written some passable lyrics on a ketchup stained napkin. When he gets back to the studio the yes men fall all over each other to be the first to tell him how great it is. I guess that being a former Beatle has that effect on people. The new album is different. The producer insisted on the banishment of McCartney's gang of yes men from the studio, and it shows. McCartney plays many of the instruments himself giving the whole album a personal, almost intimate feel. The album has a melancholy to it that really is very refreshing. It also sounds more organic and less slick than his recent works which makes you pay more attention to the songs, not the production.

Dusty Springfield and Jeff Beck (not a vocalist but his guitar playing is stupendous).

Dusty with Rick Rubin would be a dream match-up but I assume you know that we lost her to breast cancer in 1999.

Jeff Beck is a nice call too. I had the chance to see him in NYC last month and he's as good as ever. He strolls on to the stage from the wings playing "Beck's Bolero" and the guitar heroics don't stop for two hours. Great show!

In the record producer category I'd have to go with

Don Was and Hal Wilner

It would be good to get both of these guys back on track.