Seeing the Slash link in another thread made me think of this article from a few days ago.


I'm from that hard-rocking generation that considers Slash, the former Guns N' Roses and current Velvet Revolver lead guitarist, to be a musical deity. If I could take just one guitar solo to a desert island, it would be Slash's winding and euphoric turn at the 3:50 mark of Guns' "You Could Be Mine."

But short of an incredible set of circumstances - the ghost of Lester Bangs arriving bedside and personally handing over a copy comes to mind - this fan will never own "Slash," the artist's new album being released today. The reason is simple: It's a solo side project.

The solo side project is the biggest longshot bet in mainstream music. For every good album produced by a band member striking out on his or her own - and we'll get to these exceptions later - there are 25 bad ones. Music fans who repeatedly blow money on solo side projects inevitably feel a lot of rage. After getting burnt by one Mick Jagger solo album, the decision to buy a second one is practically an act of self-hatred.

This curse doesn't always apply to artists who leave their bands permanently. Ozzy Osbourne still rocked after he left Black Sabbath, Paul Simon was brilliant without Art Garfunkel, and three-fourths of the Beatles succeeded creatively after the group disbanded.

It's when an artist chooses to dabble in solo work while remaining with the band that everything seems to go to hell. The most memorable example came on Sept. 18, 1978, when each of the four members of Kiss simultaneously released solo side projects. Three of the entries were mind-bendingly atrocious. (Ace Frehley's was just bad.)

The bargain bin tells the story of Steve Perry, Joe Perry, Chris Cornell and Scott Weiland, who couldn't escape the gravity of their successful day jobs. All of which makes the rare exception even more impressive. It takes an incredibly confident and versatile artist to break away from his band, assume his own musical identity, and then blend in seamlessly with the group again. Will Slash accomplish this? (Maybe I will listen ... once.)

The Grateful Dead and the Wu-Tang Clan, while much better in concert as collectives, arguably came up with more enjoyable studio albums when their members temporarily splintered. Radiohead's Thom Yorke and the Who's Pete Townshend have managed solo side projects that complement the catalogs of their legendary bands.

Below are four exceptions to the solo side project rule. Solo albums made by artists who are the clear front person of their band (Bruce Springsteen, etc.) weren't included. Add your solo side project winners and losers to the comments in the sfgate.com version of this column.

Skip Spence, "Oar." The former Jefferson Airplane drummer and Moby Grape guitarist reportedly drove straight from the Bellevue psychiatric facilities in New York to Nashville - on a motorcycle in his pajamas - and recorded this adventurous, spare and ultimately moving 1969 album. Rock heavyweights including Robert Plant publicly championed it before and after Spence's 1999 death. Nevertheless, "Oar" remains an underground favorite.

Stevie Nicks, "Bella Donna." The first solo album from Stevie Nicks released in 1981 was painfully straightforward - there was a white-winged dove in the lyrics and on the album cover - and still blew away its high expectations. Nearly 30 years later, "Edge of Seventeen" continues to sound urgent. ("After the Glitter Fades," not so much ...) And she kills on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Tom Petty, who co-produced "Bella Donna."

Keith Richards, "Talk Is Cheap." More than just a big "screw you" to Mick Jagger, Keith Richards assembled an excellent backing band in 1988 (with former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor appearing on one song) and released an interesting and accessible solo effort - certainly better than any Stones studio album from the era. "Take It So Hard" and the Jagger kiss-off "You Don't Move Me" are the best songs. Unlike Jagger's solo albums, the production holds up in 2010.

Ghostface Killah, "Fishscale." Method Man, Raekwon and Ol' Dirty Bastard all made important albums away from the Wu-Tang Clan, and RZA is arguably the most influential member for his album production and movie scores. Ghostface Killah has developed the most as an artist away from the group, with three classics, including this wonderful album - seemingly inspired by 1970s cop-show music and classic soul.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z0kR3W3OBt


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1COM5D.DTL

Lots of comments here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/c ... 1COM5D.DTL

Stevie Nicks?

John Lennon?

Lionel Richie

three members of Genesis

Wait which case are you trying to make

Oh I see, the criteria states they stay in the band

I guess it only applies to two members of Genesis then

No that wasn't what I was getting at.

But, yeah, there are tons of successful, post-band solo careers. I guess this was supposed to be about side-projects.

The two cases I'm talking about are Collins and Rutherford

I can't think of that many examples good or bad.

The Bill Wyman solo albums I've heard are pretty good.

There's lots where artists border on regular band members/collaborators and session players that i'm not sure quite count...solo work by nils lofgren, mick ronson, david crosby, jesse ed davis, crazy horse albums w/o neil, etc

or a few good supergroups but that doesn't seem to be what they're talking about

While I'm not sure if this is what Todd was getting at, Lennon did release a few good singles in 1969 and 1970, before the release of Let It Be.

What about artists who left a band, released solo albums, joined another band and released albums, then released solo albums again? For example, Eric Clapton (Cream, solo, Derek & The Dominos, solo again) and Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, solo, CSNY, solo again).

Didn't both Two Virgins and The Wedding Album come out while the Beatles were still together? (AMG says 1968 and 1969.)

Speaking of which, did you guys read that the Bloc Party lead singer/guitarist is going solo while BP is on hiatus.

I guess so, but are those good? I haven't heard them.

didn't the Melvins do the same thing as Kiss? i seem to remember something about a bunch of Melvin solo side projects.

also i enjoy the solo/side projects of the strokes as much if not more than the strokes.

Yeah, I don't really buy this assumption.
There are certainly fewer cases of a band member having more success with a solo album than as a member of a group, but to say that it rarely works is preposterous. There are numerous individuals who have released highly regarded solo work that successfully tour on the side for many years. Their music might not be as mainstream as their band, and their album sales might not be as good, but to claim that most fail is a dubious assertion.

i LOVE this album

Rhett Miller

Thurston Moore is the obvious example that comes to mind.

Terry Scott Taylor of the band Daniel Amos as well--though I think all of 3 people on this board know who they are.

Does Outkast count? Speakerboxxx and The Love Below (Big Boi and Andre 3000 respectively) were both well-done and successful. Speakerboxxx was particularly amazing.

True.

And +1 to the Strokes side projects. Julian was in the headphones for this morning's commute.

Rhett doesn't fall into the clear front person/ Bruce Springsteen exception?

eeehhh... I guess. The guitarist dude writes my favorite 97's songs on every album so for me, maybe not.

Any album with Slash on it is gonna suck, regardless...

Damon Albarn anyone? That new Gorillaz cd is better than the last Blur cd.

Maybe I haven't paid enough attention, but I wouldn't call Gorillaz a solo project.

nicke andersson.

drummer in entombed, singer/guitarist in hellacopters.