Solo projects that DIDN'T suck.

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The inverse of the earlier question. Singer (or guitarist or drummer or whatever) of popular band makes a solo recording to, y'know, express him/herself "in a way that's not possible with the band." It's actually really good, whether or not it's a commercial success.

Extra points if it reveals the soloist in question to be the _real_ talent in the band, and if that was not something anyone would've guessed previously.

Semi-textbook example: the Breeders. Example I don't expect anyone else to agree with: the completely insane first John Frusciante solo album.

― Douglas, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Were it not 3:30 in the morning, I could probably think of a handful, but, right now, the only name coming to mind is Faraquet (a hopelessly obscure Dischord band, sprung from the ashes of another hopelessly obscure Dischord band, Smart Went Crazy). They're a semi- instrumental trio doing the usual math-rock hand & mouth jive in a subdued, skilled fashion.

The newest album of Four Tet (a member of Fridge) is also nice, though not that dissimilar from Fridge's stuff - more beats, maybe. And vocals.

A name I'd love to list here (and I think Douglas would agree) is Bridget Cross, but she's only released maybe 3 or 4 songs since Unrest went splitsville 95 years ago. I've only heard one (as Panax, available on recent Teenbeat compilations), but, damn, it's good. (If anyone would like to tell me I'm wrong - that is, Ms. Cross has actually released more songs I'm unaware of - please smack me upside the head with this information.)

― David Raposa, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Listening to Southpaw grammar and trying to wrestle a short story into submission i ma going to argue Morissey.

― anthony, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Scott Walker

― Robin, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Um, Lumpy Gravy and Hot Rats were both technically "solo" albums (since Zappa hadn't yet broken up the Mothers) and both are quite fine in my book thank you.

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ian Brown (better than the Roses), Ice Cube

― dave q, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

All those solo Wu Tang albums (all the ODB stuff, Method Man's first Tical, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Links, Gravdiggaz). How could y'all overlook all those Wu solo albums?

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A safe bet is Neil Young I guess. Though what does it really mean a solo project? Most so called solo projects are backed by a band as well. It is basically a change of name plus the change of the collaborators. And it gets the name from the best known of all band members who has played/sang in a big group before. Would he not be so famous the thing would just be a normal band with a band name.
A real solo project would be Springsteen's Nebraska. Not so sure if it succeeded.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mike Patton, Bootsy, "Logans Sanctuary" By Beck/Air/Jellyfish moog master Roger Manning, Rick Wakeman, Jaime Lidell...

― chaki, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Breeders weren't very good though. In fact I'd be tempted to say Frank Black since he dropped the gorgeously sprawling Teenager Of The Year just as the critical "oh it was all Kim really" voices were swelling.

John Cale? I'm sure there are some really good examples but my brain is sluggish this morning.

Robbie Williams? I still only like one single but it's one single more than the rest of Take That managed.

― Tom, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

your missing the most blatent Michael Jackson

― stev-o, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This is where I completely blow any credibility I might have once had:

Peter Gabriel 3 and 4(!)
Face Value(!!)
Olias of Sunhillow(!!!)
Nick Mason's Ficticious Sports (!!!!) (although this is not a Nick Mason album at all, rather a Carla Bley album. He also sends himself/the Floyd up something rotten on 'Hot River')

― Jeff, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Syd Barrett
John Cale
Felix Cavaliere
Brian Eno
Luke Haines (hahaha!)
Mark Hollis
Eddie Kendricks
Curtis Mayfield
Colin Newman
Todd Rundgren
David Sylvian

― Andy, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Julie Doiron (ex Eric's Trip),
Art Bergman (ex alotta bands like Young Canadians),
& Mary Margaret O'Hara

― Mr Noodles, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ryan Adams. Jim White. Will Oldham kind of counts I guess.

― Ronan, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I suspect that "Teenager of the Year" is the better record, but I listen to "Last Splash" more often. Have I mentioned how Ms. Deal's vocals alone are able to conjure images of an an idyllic summery paradise?

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

'Last Splash' is one of the greatest albums ever made with 'Pod' not far behind! Damn.

― dave q, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Björk

― Melissa W, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gram Parsons. Liam Howlett.

― Ronan, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I know you're all going to jump on me, but I still think that James Iha's solo album was better than anything the Pumpkins have done. So sue me.

― Sean Carruthers, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Joan Jett

― Arthur, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mick Ronson's first two solo LPs. Ian Hunter's first.

― Arthur, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ant from hefner, if only he would sing all the hefner songs but even after saying that the new hefner record is sorta like the old baby bird and surprisingly has some really pretty moments. new ant album is only a month or so away, woo hoo. geoff farina, sushil dade, the guy from acid house kings who is club 8, uh...

― keith, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Robert Wyatt is another choice. in this case, the surprise isn't that his solo material was good, (wasn't end of an ear released before he left the band?), but how lousy the post-wyatt softmachine stuff is.

― dave k, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Holger Czukay's first real solo release "Moving Pictures" - it's better than the later bunch of albums by the band.

― philT, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Maceo Parker, certainly...Larry Graham...Chris Cornell, arguably.

― Jordan, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mention of Mr Luke Haines makes me think that "Baader Meinhof" is imho a fantastic record. "There's gonna be an accident" gets me going everytime I blast it upon waking up. The distorted funk. Yeah.

― Simon, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ricky Martin. hahahahahah

― helen fordsdale, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Did anyone say George Michael yet? Neil Finn too.

― Kim, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thurston Moore's album is real good. John Lennon made a nice record. I like the Robert Forster records. Chris Knox.

― dan, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not just Chris Knox but Alec Bathgate, too!

And it struck me today that the Dump records (James McNew from Yo La Tengo) are totally great too.

― Douglas, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

George Michael's solo records are mostly worse than Wham! though proving that A. Ridgely was the real talent!

― Tom, Friday, 23 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

John Lennons solo career (but not pauls, georges or ringos.)

― Lord Custos, Friday, 23 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Howe Gelb. He is the gratest.

― alex in mainhattan, Friday, 23 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ronan, you should really check out Howe Gelb if you haven't already. Giant Sand's Chore of Enchantment is a great frickin album.

As far as solos, I agree with a lot of the Wu and someone like Dre. I'm starting to think Q-TIp as well. I might even say Paul Simon.

― bnw, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh god the Q-Tip solo album is horrible. Ixnay. Liquid Swords however... but really I don't know if that counts since RZA did all the beats.

OZZY OSBOURNE

― Tracer Hand, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tom, I'm not the biggest fan of Mr. Michael's solo work either, but have you actually heard something of Andrew's own solo project? We larfed, and we larfed...

And George certainly fits the question in terms of expressing himself "in a way that's not possible with the band." That damned womanizer Ridgely and their machismo Wham enforced ways were clearly inhibiting his freedom to hang out in public washrooms and achieve heroic homo status. This isn't sarcasm BTW.

― Kim, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Example I don't expect anyone else to agree with: the completely insane first John Frusciante solo album.

Which is great. The cover of "The Big Takeover" alone is worth more than the whole of the Chili Peppers' career.

I still think that James Iha's solo album was better than anything the Pumpkins have done.

That's some fun crack you're on. Willing to share?

I don't think any of Rozz Williams' solo projects and things were inherently better or worse than the first Christian Death album. But he was clearly nuts.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm too young to know much about Moby Grape, but I think that Skip Spence album sounds pretty amazing even today.

I'll also mention Franklin Bruno, but that's probably cheating, because it's obvious that Nothing Painted Blue was completely his baby to begin with.

― charlie va, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Franklin's a funny guy. There was the time I saw him and Peter Hughes charge a stage to start playing songs randomly.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Barry Adamson's Oedipus Schmoedipus, I'm pretty sure he was still with Nick Cave when that came out and I liked it better than any Bad Seeds albums...

many of the "solo" artists listed are musicians who put out albums after their respective groups broke up. If that counts as being "solo" I'd have to say Kool Keith, I like his solo albums better than the Ultramagnetic MCs..

― Ian M, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm pretty sure he was still with Nick Cave when that came out

Nope. He had left some years before.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I forgot Alec Empire.

― bnw, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You hurt me, Ned. You hurt me in my... You know, I'll take Iha's easy- going pop any day over Corgan's overwrought angsty epics. I don't think that's really a matter of CRACK. Well, not MUCH crack, anyhow. I'm not made of money.

― Sean Carruthers, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I love how my one random Corgan story about hearts and hurt seems to have been an ILx cliche in some corners. Inspiration!

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sixteen years pass...

Debut solo albums that didn't suck!

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 02:09 (seven years ago)

blizzard of ozz is all-time

― Arch Bacon (rushomancy), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 02:45 (seven years ago)

Neil Michael Hagerty

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 02:53 (seven years ago)

Wow, no mention of the Joe Perry Project herein? Well, Let the Music Do the Talking rules.

― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 03:10 (seven years ago)

The unexpectedly excellent Chris Mars solo debut Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

― Hideous Lump, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 03:48 (seven years ago)

Great list Alfred... not sure if I’d consider Feist anything other than a solo artist, she did record with By Divine Right prior to her solo debut but the band already had like 3 records when she came in and she was only around for a record.

Also her collaborations with Broken Social Scene and other artists from the Canadian scene are well... feature credits, not really as a permanent member of the band.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 04:09 (seven years ago)

also Let It Die was her second solo album.

Nope. He had left some years before.

Ten of them! (posts 17 of them later)

― 16, 35, DCP, Go! (sic), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 08:45 (seven years ago)

I did squabble w/myself over this one

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 10:56 (seven years ago)

god liquid swords is such a masterpiece

― a Stupendous Leg of Granite (bizarro gazzara), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 11:18 (seven years ago)

too modest praise

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 11:25 (seven years ago)

it's hands-down my favourite wu-tang record, and i love a lot of 'em

― a Stupendous Leg of Granite (bizarro gazzara), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 11:38 (seven years ago)

Liquid Swords > Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version > Tical > Ironman > Only Built for Cuban Linx

― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 13:48 (seven years ago)

there's too many to mention but if you're looking for good one-off sort of solo projects done by people who were much more well-known as part of a band:

Stewart Copeland - Rumblefish
Karl Hyde - Edgeland
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunhollow
Tim Smith's Oceanlandworld
Those two Paul Hartnoll solo albums

― frogbs, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 18:46 (seven years ago)

Canadian bonus round:

Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton
Greg Keelor (of Blue Rodeo) - Gone

― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 19:04 (seven years ago)

John K. Samson (of The Weakerthans) - Provincial

― Police, Academy (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 19:06 (seven years ago)

Paul Simon Songbook

Dream of the Blue Turtles, on balance, is pretty fucking strong

― the rain in africa stays mainly in the plafrica (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 19:09 (seven years ago)

David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name

the listing of this great but loopy record as #2 album of all time on the Vatican's newspaper is definitive proof that the pope smokes dope
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/feb/15/pope-top-10-albums-vatican

― Hazy Maze Cave (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 19:43 (seven years ago)

dope-smokin' pope soap on a rope

― the rain in africa stays mainly in the plafrica (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 19:45 (seven years ago)

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