Yeah, Cale was a bad example because it's not like his fans give him a pass because of VU, they just have shitty taste in music.
― wk, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:25 (eleven years ago) link
Rod Stewart and John Lennon are wrong answers
Lou Reed
― g simmel, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:25 (eleven years ago) link
Robert Fripp
Really? I found the first few solo Fripps (Exposure, Under Heavy Manners, League of Gentlemen) to be outstanding. Far more interesting to me than the Crims' pre-Larks' Tongue lps.
― doug watson, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:25 (eleven years ago) link
Also Rollins' stand-up routine has merit.
― doug watson, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:27 (eleven years ago) link
The Fripp/Eno projects were obviously great too.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:29 (eleven years ago) link
Lou Reed did not get a "pass" in this poll fwiw
― Welcome to my world of proses (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:31 (eleven years ago) link
Don't know if he truly gets a pass, but Frank Black.
― Moodles, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:33 (eleven years ago) link
John Cale solo >>>> Lou Reed solo
john cale solo >>> lou reed solo, the velvet underground
― iatee, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:34 (eleven years ago) link
Paul Westerberg
There. I said it.
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
David Lee Roth
― Sebastian (Royal Mermaid Mover), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
I love some Paul solo stuff, but yeah.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:36 (eleven years ago) link
Roger Daltrey
― Sebastian (Royal Mermaid Mover), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:36 (eleven years ago) link
I do too, but mostly abysmal.
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:37 (eleven years ago) link
I dunno, dude wasn't exactly a solo hit machine (or critical darling).
xp
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:38 (eleven years ago) link
As much as I love Lou Reed I guess he's a good answer, depending on your definition of "mostly." Out of everything he's recorded post-VU, maybe 20% of it is classic and I guess it's surprising that his career continued so consistently for so many decades even after seemingly doing everything he could to fuck it up.
― wk, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:38 (eleven years ago) link
otoh LULU
― Welcome to my world of proses (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:39 (eleven years ago) link
I'd argue that Morrissey, Fripp and, err, David Lee Roth are the opposite of this - to me, their solo work is at least as good as that of their previous bands.
Westerberg otm, unfortunately
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:43 (eleven years ago) link
Mike Watt (including fIREHOSE)
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
steve shasta
― mookieproof, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:46 (eleven years ago) link
i haven't listened to enough of his solo stuff to make an informed slam here, but whatever:
bryan ferry
― Z S, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah solo westerberg sucks. I don't even like late Replacements if I'm honest.
― there were chinchillas, these weird little rat animals, in cages (Jon Lewis), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
In the realm of unpopular opinions: Bob Mould (including Sugar)
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:52 (eleven years ago) link
otm. I love Husker Du, but actively dislike all Mould solo/Sugar I've heard.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:53 (eleven years ago) link
― iatee, Monday, February 4, 2013 1:34 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
otm
Does Bob Mould get a pass?
xp I guess not (but I do like Sugar)
― berner herzog (fadanuf4erybody), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:53 (eleven years ago) link
― EZ Snappin, Monday, February 4, 2013 1:52 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Monday, February 4, 2013 1:53 PM (19 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
+1
― there were chinchillas, these weird little rat animals, in cages (Jon Lewis), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:54 (eleven years ago) link
Tarfumes, you're now my pal. I get the dirtiest looks when I say Sugar is Mould watered down into pap. Heck, I think it's Bob's favorite stuff.
Jon, we're already bronies.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
I liked some solo Bob, but it's got that same super dull three-note quality of his late Du songs and Black Sheets of rain is so depressing that it's kind of funny (although I like a couple of songs on it, even still)
Sugar is fine, but not thrilling. At least not to me.
Westerberg really gets the stink eye for just giving people way too much of what he thought they wanted -- clever wordplay in particular.
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:57 (eleven years ago) link
in the UK I have the impression that Sugar were popular in a way that functioned at least somewhat independently of Husker Du. these days w/ Mould it's a different story, sure
― ima go (DJ Mencap), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:58 (eleven years ago) link
Oh and if anyone says Grant Hart, instant stink eye.
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2013 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
Suicaine Gratifaction indeed.
xpost
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 4 February 2013 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
that!! ^^^ that's what i'm talking aboutthat's fucking AWFUL
Iggy's great up through Party imo though Soldier is horrible
I played the Copper Blue reissue twice yesterday, it's great, you guys are nuts
― available for sporting events (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:00 (eleven years ago) link
― ima go (DJ Mencap), Monday, February 4, 2013 1:58 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I think they were in the US too. I once played Zen Arcade for coworkers who were huge Sugar fans (this was 1993-94). They hadn't heard of Husker Du, and had to be convinced that it was in fact Mould singing. They also hated it.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Monday, 4 February 2013 19:01 (eleven years ago) link
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Monday, February 4, 2013 1:59 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
On a similar note, I have my trigger finger over the FP button for the first savage who says Tom Verlaine
― there were chinchillas, these weird little rat animals, in cages (Jon Lewis), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
Copper Blew, now and then.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 4 February 2013 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
God, the post-Britpop landscape is littered with twats like this. Ian Brown, Richard Ashcroft, Noel Gallagher, Tim Burgess, endless Damon Albarn side-projects. Even when they're really bad they seldom get slated and get more attention that however many hundreds of more deserving acts.
― Matt DC, Monday, 4 February 2013 19:03 (eleven years ago) link
I dunno, Copper Blue is kinda frozen in time for me. I like it, I guess. I challenge anyone to listen to Black Sheets of Rain twice in the same day.
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:03 (eleven years ago) link
ha. his voice on something like 'Never Talking To You Again' and x Sugar song from 8-10 years later doesn't seem *that* different to me xp to Tarfumes
― ima go (DJ Mencap), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:06 (eleven years ago) link
God, the post-Britpop landscape is littered with twats like this. Ian Brown, Richard Ashcroft, Noel Gallagher, Tim Burgess, endless Damon Albarn side-projects.
in fairness, none of these dudes' main bands were any good either
― available for sporting events (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:06 (eleven years ago) link
xp Yeah, it wasn't until a few songs in that they realized it *could* be Mould. But "Something I Learned Today" and "Broken Home, Broken Heart," forget it.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Monday, 4 February 2013 19:07 (eleven years ago) link
With a couple exceptions (i.e. the Eno collabs), David Byrne.
― berner herzog (fadanuf4erybody), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
Robert Plant
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Monday, 4 February 2013 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
Steve Malkmus was the first name I thought off actually, I mean I don't think he's 'abysmal' fwiw but I can't think of a single person I know who actively reps for any of his solo music
― ima go (DJ Mencap), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
Phil Collins
― Sebastian (Royal Mermaid Mover), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:09 (eleven years ago) link
Ringo
― Mark G, Monday, 4 February 2013 19:10 (eleven years ago) link
Jarvis
that's sad.
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:11 (eleven years ago) link
I'll rep for Plant. His solo career has a surprisingly high ratio of hits to misses. But the covers of the albums? Exact opposite ratio.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 4 February 2013 19:11 (eleven years ago) link
There are some rly interesting deep cuts on the first P Collins joint, I dunno if that's true of the later ones
― there were chinchillas, these weird little rat animals, in cages (Jon Lewis), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:12 (eleven years ago) link
shorter list would be people whose solo careers eclipse their band careers, methinks
― Welcome to my world of proses (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 4 February 2013 19:15 (eleven years ago) link
^great thread idea
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 15:43 (eleven years ago) link
surely anagram, you'd mention Pete Hammill there?
― frogbs, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 15:50 (eleven years ago) link
nick cave is a goofy answer, sorry scott, unless this thread is "artists whose solo work isnt as good as their work in bands." he was a critical phenom, not just a dude who got a pass because of the birthday party.
― zero dark (s1ocki), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 15:54 (eleven years ago) link
Same with Clapton to a lesser degree, I think.
This is what I was getting at: I doubt the people who made "Tears in Heaven" #1 on the AC charts were all Yardbirds or Cream fans or even aware of early Yardbirds. Did the Yardbirds even score any big hits before Beck replaced Clapton?
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 15:54 (eleven years ago) link
Unless "get a pass" refers to critical acclaim, not to popular appeal.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 15:55 (eleven years ago) link
for your love was a big hit!
― scott seward, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:03 (eleven years ago) link
I kind of agree on Nick Cave, tho, not so much as "he gets a free pass" as his badass history let him get away with a lot of balladeering
― flamboyant goon tie included, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:04 (eleven years ago) link
it was their biggest u.s. hit by far. and its kinda why clapton left the group. he didn't want to be a "pop" star.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:04 (eleven years ago) link
I love the idea that Nick Cave is just "former Birthday Party frontman Nick Cave". That's like saying Neil Young is best known as an ex-member of Buffalo Springfield.
― Deafening silence (DL), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:07 (eleven years ago) link
mos def. the three post-reunion albums all sound like PH-plus-organ to me (or PH-plus-organ-and-sax in the case of Present) in a way that the 70s albums certainly don't.
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:14 (eleven years ago) link
I thought Jeff Beck played on "For Your Love", probably because it sounds more pop and less blues than most Clapton-era Yardbirds. My mistake, sorry.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:22 (eleven years ago) link
also I'd say the 3 Hammill albums after Pawn Hearts seemed to hint at what was to come with Godbluff
― frogbs, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:24 (eleven years ago) link
I know he has his fans, but ... Bob Mould.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 16:26 (eleven years ago) link
we've already been down the mould route up top.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 17:59 (eleven years ago) link