Band Member Going Solo - Better Music?

Had to take myself to the top of thread to remind myself that we’re talking about whether the best solo work matched or usurped that of the original band.

Hard call in many instances where, for example, your interest in an artist may have only been awakened by the solo stuff so you might only have come to the group later and your feelings will be naturally influenced by that. Bearing that in mind…

Gabriel 3 for me far surpasses anything by Genesis.

I’m no Floyd fan but think it faintly ridiculous to claim anything in their solo careers came anywhere near their best group stuff.

Can’t stand the Eagles but Henley’s solo career is essentially one decent single.

Weller has had moments as a solo artist but a quick listen to All Mod Cons and Setting Sons or even Our Favourite Shop lays that one to rest.

I’m no Zep fan but have come to appreciate latter day Plant. There’s at least a couple of great solo albums in there.

I never really got the DBTs. Isbell’s Southeastern is deathless but nothing else he’s done gets close to it really. All 3 out of 5 stuff.

Neil Young has long since outstripped Buffalo.

Tweedy solo is just a predictable safe version of Uncle Tupelo crossed with Wilco.

Natalie Merchant has at least thrice matched the best of the Maniacs

Lou Reed’s New York is a classic that easily matches the best of the Velvets whilst

I can’t even bring myself to comment on whether Sting has outstripped the Police. Well okay then. No! :slight_smile:

Eno is an interesting one. His solo stuff comes nowhere near early Roxy. His collaborations most certainly do.

And so on…

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Now that’s what I like to see, plenty of food for thought. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

PG3 and Lou’s New York are most certainly superb albums.

Peter

Bjork eclipsed the Sugarcubes.

Aimee Mann did much better work post 'Til Tuesday

Elkie Brooks was (I think) better post-Vinegar Joe.

Ooh yes to Bjork and Aimee.

Certainly true of Robert Palmer.

That highlights another factor - the duration of best creativity of a band. I think worth having a separate thread to avoid derailing this one, so I’ll start one, but picking your reference to Sabbath as an example, to me very much at their best for the first 2 albums, then started to decline and I lost interest after the 4th.

Really? Have you heard the albums Butterfly & Evolution by the Hollies. For me it remains Graham’s finest work ever and was while he was in Clarke, Hicks & Nash aka The Hollies. IMHO, of course.

One artist who went solo and made even better albums than his last with the band is Anthony Phillips. He was a founder member of Genesis and left after they recorded their best album: Trespass. Although Genesis made some fine records until Peter Gabriel left, I prefer much of Anthony’s extensive solo catalogue.

Anthony Phillips - Private Parts & Pieces
Beauty and the Beast 0:00
Field of Eternity 4:08
Tibetan Yak-Music 9:22
Lullaby - Old Father Time 15:32
Harmonium in the Dust 16:48
Tregenna Afternoons 19:21
Stranger 27:11
Reaper 33:21
Autumnal 40:59
Flamingo 46:58
Seven Long Years 58:07
Silver Song (demo) 1:01:07
Movement IV from Guitar Quintet 1:04:31

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Hi @TiberioMagadino
No I haven’t heard these albums, will check them out, my reply was really a comparison of their singles, which were good, and Grahams later work both solo and with David Crosby.
I was never a big fan of Genesis, pre and post Gabriel, although enjoyed Gabriels subsequent solo work.

Definitely worth a listen - I like most of Graham’s work including his CSN(&Y) albums. He probably wrote the Hollies best single King Midas in Reverse though I don’t think the other Hollies would share my views on it: they wanted a big hit single, which they got when Graham left with Sorry Suzanne.

I agree on Genesis and I like PG’s post-Genesis work, but Trespass is not like their later albums. Anthony Phillips didn’t really like performing live or touring so concentrated on composition. He is a superb guitarist and a friend of Steve Hackett who replaced him. Anthony is one of those clever so-and-sos who seems to be able to play any instrument very well (I wish I could).

Steven Wilson, while I loved Porcupine Tree.
Robbie Williams as I was not so much into his early music

Thanks for the recommendations, will check his work out. Genesis and to some extent Yes, were unusual for me, have quite a few of their albums and I saw them both live a few times and enjoyed the gigs but on record they never held the same attraction as say King Crimson or Pink Floyd.

I was once lucky enough to speak to Brian Eno and he said that an artists first album was usually their best. After all they had probably been playing and perfecting the material for a few years before the big break came and they recorded it.

After that they were under pressure to bring out the follow up.

Going solo could mean all those great tunes they had written over the years were material for that opening LP. So it can work well to break from the group. Dave Davies of the Kinks wrote some great songs, but Ray’s work was always preferred for the band’s albums. Though I could never nominate Dave as being better or even on a par with the Kinks.

And what about

Syd Barrett / Pink Floyd
PF were never as good without the genius of Syd
(IMHO - of course)

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I’m a huge Syd fan, loved his Floyd stuff and his two solo albums. In my book Floyd lost a bit of their sparkle after Syd and something again after DSOTM.

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