Mostly abysmal solo careers that get a pass based almost entirely on past successes with respective bands and / or good will

hes only done like two albums too, and one of them was alright (Communication??)

depends on what your definition of "get a pass" is. I mean Phil Collins sold a zillion albums too. as did Clapton.

― frogbs, Tuesday, February 5, 2013 10:09 AM

Whereas Sting was always billed as the Police guy and while still remaining commercially successful, he is still known for his work and accomplishments in The Police. I still see solo Sting dates touted as "from The Police." I don't think Collins solo gigs mention him as "the guy from Genesis" or Clapton as "former Yardbird" or whatever.

maybe worth mentioning that I could not really tell Phil's Genesis hits apart from his solo ones, while the Police/Sting were totally different entities

as I said upthread, Collins may be one of the few artists whose solo career changed the band's sound.

^great thread idea

surely anagram, you'd mention Pete Hammill there?

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.

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?

Unless "get a pass" refers to critical acclaim, not to popular appeal.

for your love was a big hit!

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

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.

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.

surely anagram, you'd mention Pete Hammill there?

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.

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.

also I'd say the 3 Hammill albums after Pawn Hearts seemed to hint at what was to come with Godbluff

I know he has his fans, but ... Bob Mould.

we've already been down the mould route up top.