john lennon and roger waters and bernard sumner for starters for me!
― xzanfar, Monday, 16 November 2020 15:36 (three years ago) link
Norman Cook
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 16 November 2020 15:44 (three years ago) link
sting, duh
― sound of scampo talk to me (El Tomboto), Monday, 16 November 2020 15:48 (three years ago) link
the soul cages tho
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 16 November 2020 15:50 (three years ago) link
for me this is prob billy corgan even tho i love zwan and like his first solo album, and even though i still persevere with the new stuff. but like wtf happened
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 16 November 2020 15:52 (three years ago) link
Malkmus (for the most part)
― it's AG in your faaaace.... (morrisp), Monday, 16 November 2020 15:54 (three years ago) link
Corgan is a good answer, Malkmus is so not.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 16 November 2020 16:03 (three years ago) link
Perry Ferrell is a big one
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 16 November 2020 16:05 (three years ago) link
I had no use for Bowie after Tin Machine broke up.
― henry s, Monday, 16 November 2020 16:40 (three years ago) link
I've tried many times but David Sylvian's records don't do much for me.
― visiting, Monday, 16 November 2020 16:47 (three years ago) link
Peter Murphy
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Monday, 16 November 2020 16:54 (three years ago) link
sad that none of the Mynah Birds lived up to their early promise
― unregistered, Monday, 16 November 2020 17:06 (three years ago) link
This one’s a bit of a challop, but as awesome as the Stooges were, Iggy’s solo records leave me cold, including the first two.
― pomenitul, Monday, 16 November 2020 17:08 (three years ago) link
Yeah Malkmus post-Pavement is very good.
While Blur never officially split up, I'm gonna say Damon Albarn, and Graham Coxon while we're at it.
Never really felt like Martin Carr quite got it back after the Boo Radleys, although I haven't heard all of it.
― Specific Ocean Blue (dog latin), Monday, 16 November 2020 17:13 (three years ago) link
You guys are welcome to disagree on Malkmus (I wasn't responding on yr behalf!), but I will provide some context for my opinion:
1. To my ear, his solo albums contain few to none of the qualities that made Pavement great -- in terms of songwriting, playing, etc. Perhaps they have other virtues, but they don't resonate w/me.2. SM + Jicks are probably the most boring "significant" rock act I've seen in a live setting (and I've seen them play several times, so this isn't a matter of an "off night").
― it's AG in your faaaace.... (morrisp), Monday, 16 November 2020 18:54 (three years ago) link
Not exactly a challops I know but: I still think that the solo works of Lennon and McCartney are one of the main indicators of why Lennon-McCartney worked. Both reined in the other's worst and most indulgent impulses.
Solo Paul Simon is better not worse
Solo Sting is a mixed bag (as noted upthread)
Solo Belinda Carlisle is not pleasing
Solo Peter Cetera is not pleasing
Solo Steve Perry, no thank you
― coupvfefe (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 16 November 2020 19:08 (three years ago) link
tbf Pavement were the most boring band I ever saw live, but that was circa 98, 99 or something so maybe they were phoning things in
― Specific Ocean Blue (dog latin), Monday, 16 November 2020 19:28 (three years ago) link
sting lost me after 10 sumners tales but his cousin bernard like i said before sucks as he can not sing!
― xzanfar, Monday, 16 November 2020 19:40 (three years ago) link
In the reverse, I do not like Dirty Projectors in any form, but have quite enjoyed the work of musicians who've passed through the band, like Olga Bell, Tyondai Braxton, Deradoorian.
I like "Xian Man" as much as any Pavement peak, but was never more than a b-level fan to start with.
― Julius Caesar Memento Hoodie (bendy), Monday, 16 November 2020 21:44 (three years ago) link
Controversial, I know, and not true across the board, but so much of Paul Simon's solo work drives me up the wall.
― Langdon Alger Stole the Highlights (cryptosicko), Monday, 16 November 2020 21:53 (three years ago) link
I think the thing about Malkmus is, I 100% agree that his solo work has none of what makes Pavement amazing, but I wouldn't say I "do not like" it, just that it's stuff I like but don't feel moved to make a big part of my life the way Pavement was and continues to be.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 16 November 2020 22:15 (three years ago) link
can't even imagine caring about pavement or malkmus tbh don't @ me
― Give me a Chad Smith-type feel (map), Monday, 16 November 2020 22:16 (three years ago) link
gen x indie touchstones? not in my 2020
― Give me a Chad Smith-type feel (map), Monday, 16 November 2020 22:17 (three years ago) link
I love the VU but cannot abide Lou Reed solo.
― joni mitchell jarre (anagram), Monday, 16 November 2020 22:39 (three years ago) link
Also loved 10,000 Maniacs but could never get into Natalie Merchant's solo work.
― joni mitchell jarre (anagram), Monday, 16 November 2020 22:42 (three years ago) link
^seconded
― it's AG in your faaaace.... (morrisp), Monday, 16 November 2020 22:54 (three years ago) link
(re: Natalie, not Lou!)
Billy Joel post-Attila
― frogbs, Monday, 16 November 2020 22:55 (three years ago) link
Surely the default is that a solo musician's work will not be as good as the band they were in! At least, that's the cliche. The Beatles solo careers are the template for this.
Asking the question in reverse would surely give more interesting answers. I agree that Paul Simon solo probably is better than with Garfunkel. Japan/David Sylvian and Van Der Graaf Generator/Peter Hammill are both maybe equally balanced. The Mark Hollis album is probably slightly superior to any of the Talk Talk records.
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 16 November 2020 23:02 (three years ago) link
Nobody who prowls this board but surely there are many people out there who can't stand a note of Scott Walker's work post-Walker Brothers.
― henry s, Monday, 16 November 2020 23:22 (three years ago) link
*raises hand*
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Monday, 16 November 2020 23:23 (three years ago) link
Pink Floyd after they left the Syd Barrett band
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 16 November 2020 23:34 (three years ago) link
xp I'm certainly down with Scotts 1-4, but beyond that, "more croonin'/less loonin'", I say!
― henry s, Monday, 16 November 2020 23:35 (three years ago) link
Scott Walker/Walker Brothers are a strange case, I can't imagine there are people who love all the "Brothers" records (including Nite Flights) and hate all the solo records (including the debut).
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 00:14 (three years ago) link
I guess Rod Stewart is the biggest one for me, I really like The Faces
I like some solo Rod Stewart, too, must admit
― flamboyant goon tie included, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 00:15 (three years ago) link
xp true, I dislike it all
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Tuesday, 17 November 2020 00:15 (three years ago) link
Maybe some Walker fans get off the bus in '67, '70, '78 or '95 as the case may be.
― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 00:16 (three years ago) link
― brimstead, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 01:42 (three years ago) link
I like the cap he wears tho
oh wait lol I misunderstood you
― brimstead, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 01:43 (three years ago) link
Does it ever go the other way--somebody starts off as a solo artist, then joins a group and starts to suck?
― Hideous Lump, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 06:07 (three years ago) link
I love this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE8H2sHzBgw
― swing out sister: live in new donk city (geoffreyess), Tuesday, 17 November 2020 06:15 (three years ago) link
Lloyd Cole is an interesting one. His albums with the Commotions get all the love, but for my money the four solo albums he released in the 90s after the Commotions broke up are as good as or even better than anything he did under the Commotions name. That said, he hasn't put out a decent album since 1995.
― joni mitchell jarre (anagram), Tuesday, 17 November 2020 09:08 (three years ago) link
xp I didn't hate that Martin Carr album but it really did sound like something from 1996 and I think he acknowledged that
― Specific Ocean Blue (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 November 2020 12:02 (three years ago) link
xxxp: see: Tin Machine
seriously tho, Todd Rundgren walked on water until he formed Utopia, which to be fair wasn't a total washout, but still, for me are about 90% unlistenable.
― henry s, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 13:01 (three years ago) link
Henry Rollins
― ddb, Tuesday, 17 November 2020 16:20 (three years ago) link
good one
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Tuesday, 17 November 2020 16:24 (three years ago) link
I'm not sure if he's technically a musician
― enochroot, Wednesday, 18 November 2020 00:24 (three years ago) link