Great article, though I don't particularly care about what happens to most songs over the years, at least they still play Bowie. Not so for songs like Spock's Brain or In a Hole and many others. Just the simple fact that there is more songs to choose from each passing year in their repertoire can answer the main question posed here.

Bowie also has a somewhat difficult composed section in the beginning, which might deter the band from going there again and again, where as Antelope and Jim and Gin doesn’t. Or Disease, or Tweezer, or Light, or Ghost... you get the point. When I grade songs in my reviews I always check the composed sections first. Jamming over E minor to D for any length of time isn't all that impressive to me if the composed section sucks. Just my opinion of course...

Now this is pure speculation on my part, but I've got to believe that the band just gets tired of songs over the years. We are all witness to Trey's famous ripcord that pulls us out of great jams into something else when we want to continue raging the first song. He seems to be a very forward thinking individual who is never satisfied staying in one place for too long. And let us remember that "David Bowie; you be forty" probably started off as a joke within the band, and most of the time jokes just aren't as funny as they were twenty five years ago.

When I listen to shows I've taken it upon myself to play along with whatever I can on guitar and now piano. I encourage all of you to do the same. Put yourself in their shoes for a while. It's hard to keep up with the boys and I even get tired of playing some of the songs for fifteen minuets. I can't imagine what they've been going through for thirty years!

Great article, and worthy of a great continued discussion!