"A welcome addition to other people's music"

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Xgau used this phrase to (perfectly) describe Adrian Belew, I'm using it for Marc Ribot. I will buy any album where he's a sideman (well maybe not Elvis Costello's, but I WILL listen), but all the records under his own name seem pointless, inconsequential and sometimes dull to me. Anonymous sessioneers are one thing, but when somebody has an instrumental personality strong enough to dominate any record they're on, it's a bit strange that they appear to lack enough 'vision'(?) to create a coherent solo album. Another example, Tony Williams is the IMHO the greatest drummer (perhaps musician) of the last 40 years, but even his later solo efforts (starting with mid-70s Lifetime) are difficult to get through. Does anyone else feel this about other players, and why might this be?

― dave q, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well, not playing an instrument myself, I don't really feel able to comment specifically, but try this:

Highly talented individuals are often also highly competitive, but some of them will not also be highly motivated. So our hypothetical great sideman shines as part of someone else's project because there they're put into a context where they can steal a little thunder, but when it comes to their own material they find independence to be just a bit too much hard work, and also they being competitive do not encourage their own 'sidemen' to shine.

― Tom, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Perfectly natural: it's sort of like being a good interior designer but a bad architect.

― Nitsuh, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is Mike Watt a good example of a good sideman? Though they were co-founders of Minutemen, arguably D.Boon's star shined brightest. His collaboration with Sonic Youth and J.Mascis are pretty noteworthy, but his solo stuff seemed, well, dull.

― alex in montreal, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ok, I hate to say this, but Emmylou Harris. I mean her voice is just plain gorgeous, but while her solo stuff is far from dud, I find her a lot more fascinating as a background presence on other people's records than in the spotlight herself.

I may take this statement back later.

― Sean, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I always wanted to hear what a Robert Quine solo record wd sound like.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I believe Robert Quine and Jody Harris did a record together, so that's almost "solo"...

― Sean, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, it's called Escape, good luck finding it. He also made one with Fred Maher called Basic. That one's been reissued on CD.

I've always been fond of Chris Spedding's session contributions and I quite liked his solo stuff, too. I thought he'd become a bigger star than he did. Saw him with Roxy Music a few weeks ago and he still sounded great.

― Arthur, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Richard Hell is an interesting case as a collaborator/solo artist.

Was in both Television & The Heartbreakers, but not the versions that went on to record albums. Both bands owe him much for inspiration & tension... Both totally different bands... no recorded evidence of how they sounded with him in the group.

Great as a full-time front man on the Voidoids' "Blank Generation", but deeply indebted to his amazing band for it's success. Tuckered out by the time they record the kinda blah 2nd lp.

Absolutely amazing comeback in The Dim Stars - full-on collaborative effort with thurston moore & steve shelly from sonic youth & the grunge-everyman from Gumball (forget his name...).

― fritz, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Fritz - Don Fleming. Dim Stars never made a second alb 'cos (rumour has it) Hell was none too thrilled by the idea of a fourway credit split.

Other people who spring to mind in this category are most of the Steely Dan players - Larry Carlton's '4-Play' albs particularly horrible.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Good thread, but I have to disagree about Ribot--at least as far as the Los Cubos Postizos (sp?) records go. Those are really beautiful, smart, evocative, addictively listenable (knew that'd get your attention) records that are comparable to the Latin Playboys albums (not as good, but hey). Really.

― M. Matos, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My contribution, BTW, would be Robert Fripp. Anyone ever listen to Frippertronics records? I get the feeling they're pretty dry, but maybe I'm wrong--nothing I've heard thus far (not much, admittedly) has convinced me otherwise. His work w/Eno on the other hand....

― M. Matos, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Fripp's "Exposure" is a good one. And of course his own band has its admirers as well...

― Sean, Thursday, 16 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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