Has Art lost some of his edge during his long absence ? ...

[WOTR]

Actually, I would say he's better.  Or maybe it's just that I'm older and wiser now, and can appreciate real, true, natural talent when I hear it.

I cannot improve on what was written here.

[MV/Liberace!]

I think that Art is just as awesome as ever.

i agree entirely.  every m-thu, 9pm-12am, it's like 1996 again.  art's lost nothing.  nothing at all.

[linden2k]

i agree entirely.  every m-thu, 9pm-12am, it's like 1996 again.  art's lost nothing.  nothing at all.

I think this Art is definitely better than 2006-2010 Art. Last night's show especially felt like something from 1997.

[Gassy Man]

For the first program or two he seemed a little less at his game -- a little more hesitant, his voice not quite as full and confident as before.  But he quickly regained whatever it was that makes Art Bell so much beyond the average or even above average interviewer.

[dungiven]

Not no, but hell no. If anything, he is better that ever and setting a new bar.

[shell88]

Not no, but hell no. If anything, he is better that ever and setting a new bar.

Art sounds no different to me than he did in the late 90's early 2000's.  If anything he sounds happier and more spunky than ever.

[Scully]

To me Art sounds great -- peppy and cheerful, intelligent without fail.  If he doesn't always suffer fools gladly, it's because they ARE fools. I hear genuine empathy in his voice when he's talking to someone who needs a bit of encouragement.

One other thing that hasn't yet been mentioned in this thread is how his age has not impeded his talents.  Reminds me of the old saw about Ginger Rogers doing everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and wearing high heels.

Art at any age dances very well. 

[Juan]

He's obviously having fun.

[iain42]

Art seems to be getting back into it pretty quickly. I think he started with people he knew so he could ease back into it. Now he is back with a vengeance and sounds great and not just the high quality of Sirius. The way Art handled Hogue proved to me that he is ready for prime time.

I tried listening to the GN CTC but GN is a bad interviewer. The show is dull and the only thing worse is when he is on ancient aliens. I've only survived on the old radio shows over the years of his absence. ROSWELLS!

[lasertron]

He's better than ever, and you can tell from each show that he finally feels free to conduct the kind of shows he really wants to do.

[jazmunda]

Art has definitely not lost his edge. If anything he found the edge that he had lost in what I refer to as the wilderness years from 2006 to 2012.

He is a most welcomed back part of my daily aural pleasure

[jazmunda]

TGIM BABY!

It's Tuesday in my timezone.

One day closer to TGIF (which should now be renamed ONIF).

ONIF = Oh No It's Friday.

[ourobouros2k2]

Compare Ghost to Ghost AM in 2010 to now. He was full of apathy and non-engaging. It was sad to listen to, and you could tell it was forced.

With the coming of Dark Matter he again shows enthusiasm and a strong desire to put his best into the product. Much different, much more like classic Art.

[Uncle Duke]

Don't know that I'd say he's lost his edge, but I think it's fair to say we've all grown up from those "X Files" days of the 1990s.  Let's face, just about every network out there today has some paranormal programming of some form or another.  It's not Art that's lost an edge as much as it is his topics.

That said, there is something different about Art.  It took me a while to put my finger on it, but I think it's his temperament.  To me he sounds grumpier than I remember, the radio equivilant of the old guy shaking his fist and yelling at those damn kids to get off his lawn.  At first I thought it was just him trying to be noticably edgy in light of his comments about Noory and what C2C has become, but I think he's just older and less open to comments he doesn't agree with.  It happens.

Some of you veteran radio fans in the midwest may remember KMOX talk show legend Jim White.  I literally grew up listening to him on "At Your Service".  Jim was one of the most even tempered radio hosts I ever heard, but toward the end of his career in the late 90s he was down right crotchety and painful to listen to at times.  It was almost like watching Wille Mays play that last year with the Mets.  I don't think Art is to that point yet, and hopefully he never will be.  I'd like to think he'll find a protege to mentor.  Wouldn't it be cool if it was a youngster reading Bellgab?

[Tarbaby]

Falkie, I think that was a good perceptive question. I've been wondering the same thing. Art is my alltime favorite paranormal talk show host and I am excited to have him back.
   Has he lost his edge? Well, he's either lost his healthy skepticism or he's purposely ignoring it in his eagerness for the show to succeed. I imagine he's glad to be back because (A) he loves doing it but maybe (B) he could use the money? Or maybe the reverse order.
   But since he's returned I've repeatedly heard him glow over a guests assertions on issues Art would formerly have snickered or scoffed at back in the day.
   I'm talking about those guests we all know have an extreme and nebulous position. So we can only assume Art has lost his BS detector OR he has conscious reasons for having less edge than he used to. What would the conscious reasons be? A focus on not obstructing the show (or alienating ANY listener) in any way.
   I suspect as time goes by he may revert to his former self. But I do like both versions. It's just good he's back!

(added in edit:) Just want to add that I really enjoyed all the posts in this thread.

[onan]

Has Art lost his edge?

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: hell no. 

[ItsOver]

For the first program or two he seemed a little less at his game -- a little more hesitant, his voice not quite as full and confident as before.  But he quickly regained whatever it was that makes Art Bell so much beyond the average or even above average interviewer.

I thought his first show with Kaku was one of his best.  You could tell he was very happy to be back.

[dortmunder]

Art has been involved in radio in some capacity or another since he was 13 years old. And, I think part of what makes Art so great is his personality and he fact that he insists on being himself on the air. So, to ask whether Art has lost his edge is really asking whether his personality has changed or whether he has ceased to be himself. The answer is no and no.

[FrankOMundO]

i honestly love Art Bell, But i was thinking of the same thing the other day. I still think he is the best ever. i just dont feel he is as hungry (as they say) as before. or maybe he just needs some time. Im glad hes back but i think the best is behind us. I hope im wrong. FrankOMundO

[ksm32]

He sounds Free and unfettered. His humour has returned as well, and I love hearing Year of the Cat  again at just the right times.

[SomeVelvetMorning]

Don't know that I'd say he's lost his edge, but I think it's fair to say we've all grown up from those "X Files" days of the 1990s.  Let's face, just about every network out there today has some paranormal programming of some form or another.  It's not Art that's lost an edge as much as it is his topics.

That said, there is something different about Art.  It took me a while to put my finger on it, but I think it's his temperament.  To me he sounds grumpier than I remember, the radio equivilant of the old guy shaking his fist and yelling at those damn kids to get off his lawn.  At first I thought it was just him trying to be noticably edgy in light of his comments about Noory and what C2C has become, but I think he's just older and less open to comments he doesn't agree with.  It happens.

Some of you veteran radio fans in the midwest may remember KMOX talk show legend Jim White.  I literally grew up listening to him on "At Your Service".  Jim was one of the most even tempered radio hosts I ever heard, but toward the end of his career in the late 90s he was down right crotchety and painful to listen to at times.  It was almost like watching Wille Mays play that last year with the Mets.  I don't think Art is to that point yet, and hopefully he never will be.  I'd like to think he'll find a protege to mentor.  Wouldn't it be cool if it was a youngster reading Bellgab?

I loved Jim White and listened to him every night for about 20 years before Art came along!  I thought it was great that Jim was so cranky.  It made him sort of more loveable.  One difference, Jim could not wait to retire and openly said so.  Art has been there now and done that and wants to be back on the air.

I was sad to see that Jim passed away a couple of years ago.  I am glad he had some fun before that happened though.  That is what I wish for Art; that he has some fun with the show.  Jim always did his special Halloween show with the story of the Piasaw(?) bird and reminded me of Art in many ways.  Jim even said that he was the thing that goes bump in the middle of the night.  Art is now the thing that goes bump in the middle of the night.

Thanks for the pleasant memories.   

[The Coincidence Kid]

Don't know that I'd say he's lost his edge, but I think it's fair to say we've all grown up from those "X Files" days of the 1990s.  Let's face, just about every network out there today has some paranormal programming of some form or another.  It's not Art that's lost an edge as much as it is his topics.

That said, there is something different about Art.  It took me a while to put my finger on it, but I think it's his temperament.  To me he sounds grumpier than I remember, the radio equivilant of the old guy shaking his fist and yelling at those damn kids to get off his lawn.  At first I thought it was just him trying to be noticably edgy in light of his comments about Noory and what C2C has become, but I think he's just older and less open to comments he doesn't agree with.  It happens.

Some of you veteran radio fans in the midwest may remember KMOX talk show legend Jim White.  I literally grew up listening to him on "At Your Service".  Jim was one of the most even tempered radio hosts I ever heard, but toward the end of his career in the late 90s he was down right crotchety and painful to listen to at times.  It was almost like watching Wille Mays play that last year with the Mets.  I don't think Art is to that point yet, and hopefully he never will be.  I'd like to think he'll find a protege to mentor.  Wouldn't it be cool if it was a youngster reading Bellgab?

Crazy... I was listening to kmox on their website after the game and somehow got into a mighty mox-related youtube binge that led to a Jim White halloween clip. I listened to his late show all the time in my early teens and even called up and played the piano around Christmas one year. Even crazier, I'm now looking at somevelvetmorning's post that references the piasa bird story. Same one in the youtube vid.

And yes, I do think Art sounds a bit... irascible. I also hope we don't go much further down the road of dropping guests and then critiquing their performance for the remainder of the show. It feels very meta in a petty internet sort of way.

[Tarbaby]

Good thoughtful posts.
Different people interpreted the phrase "lost his edge" differently. I took it to mean "not so aserbic" rather than as some did "not as sharp as he used to be".  But it was interesting to read both interpretations in the posts above.

[mulder]

Welcome back Art!!!