With plenty of bands we only discover they were better than the sum of their parts once they've split up, and we are subjected to the horror of their solo stuff.
But who stands out as the worst offender?
My nomination - as he's on Six Music at the moment - Richard Ashcroft
The Verve produced some fantastic albums. Absolute classic tunes
His solo stuff? Sweet baby Jesus and the Orphans. Its laughably, comically terriblel! It sounds like a sixth former wrote it in their bedroom while stoned. What a load of po-faced, self-indulgent claptrap! Its absolutely bloody awful!
Your nominations please....
speaking of 6th form poetry, imagine there was no John Lennon.
Ha ha binners ,you listening to him whine on R6 🙂
He doesn't half take himself seriously? its painful!
Eric Clapton
Keith Richards
also Morrissey got substantially worse after the restraining yoke of all the other Smiths was removed. (see also: 6th form poetry)
hmm, there may be a theme here
Obvs...
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And of course...
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McCartney
Phil Collins (Genesis were shit too though but Phil took it to a whole new level)
Lennon... McCartney... Harrison... Probably Lennon's the worst offender though.
Andrew Ridgeley 😉
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) although tbf I've not heard everything he's done, but what I have heard, I didn't like much.
EDIT: Although I'd be surprised if anyone can top McCartney on this one.
Paul McCartney, though he did redeem himself with his performance in the Goonies 😉
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Debbie Harry has to be right up there, and the less said about Dee Dee Ramone the better!!
Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction) - from this
to this
Morrisey or Mccartney. I think the only way to decide which is to lock them both in a room and... actually, **** it, job done.
Honourable mention to both Gallagher brothers.
Roger Waters
Sting.
Lou Reed? reminded of a quote from Trainspotting here.
Can I flip the op on it's head and suggest.. the Doors without Jim Morrison.... 'in the eye of the sun before the world has begun'
All the Queen solo projects were pretty dire apart from Roger's band 'The Cross' which was just about passable.
All the Queen solo projects were pretty dire apart from Roger's band 'The Cross' which was just about passable.
Just shows the subjectivity of taste, I was considering nominating him for that, and for his earlier, solo thing - "Fun in Space" I think it might have been called?
I'm not a big fan of Brian May's work outside Queen either, other than the very odd thing he did with Eddie Van Halen in the 1980s. Which isn't any good, but at least it's odd.
Sting.
+1
Not sure of Chris Cornell's solo stuff but the first audioslave album is pretty good.
No mention of Wes Borland from limp bizket or that drummer from foo fighters, Taylor Hawkins?
Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction)
Oh my good God, that second solo one is indescribably bad 😯
jekkyl - MemberAll the Queen solo projects were pretty dire apart from Roger's band 'The Cross' which was just about passable.
The Brian May Band was my first ever gig 😆 Cozy Powell drumming Resurrection was pretty bloody good tbh.
PrinceJohn - MemberNo mention of Wes Borland from limp bizket
Alright but thing is, he's an awesome musician who when recording for himself, likes making unlistenable noise everyone else hates. He's actually brilliant at that.
See also: Mike Patton.
Did anyone else experience the indescribable spectacle that was Bob Fairfoull from Idlewild's solo career? He decided to become a guitarist without ever actually learning how to play anything with more than 4 strings, I genuinely saw him stop a song part way through so he could figure out how to do the next chord. He was one step away from moving his fingers around with the other hand.
Gary Barlow.
John Frusciante has made some lovely music away from his two stints in the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but the album he made in the mid 1990s, by his own admission to get drug money as he was in the depths of an almost fatal heroin addiction, really isn't.
[i]My nomination - as he's on Six Music at the moment - Richard Ashcroft[/i]
Mentioned him earlier today on a thread. The fake American accent is horrendous!
I'd go for John Squire. I mean Ian Brown ain't the best singer in the world, but by jeez his voice has some character. John Squire's is just crap and unlistenable.
[i]Lou Reed?[/i] ? Huh? Are you mental?
Lou Reed? reminded of a quote from Trainspotting here.
You do know that Metal Machine Music was a contractual obligation thing, and he deliberately wanted it to be obnoxiously unlistenable?
Or were you thinking of Lulu?
edlong - Member
Sting.
+1POSTED 18 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST SHARE
+ another.
Bid of a sad one as it documents the descent of a talented guy into debilitating life-long mental illness: Syd Barrett - his solo stuff is as painful to listen to as it probably was to make.
Rick Wakeman.
Lionel Richie. From Brick House funk to shit house pop.
Rod Stewart. From Maggie May to well, Sailing.
I can't think of any other question in the world where these two could be both be possible answers:
All of the Spice Girls
and
Sid Vicious
All of the Verve's best stuff was when the geetarist (McCabe?) was in charge. Like you can sing something over the top of this if you like, Richard, but basically no one's arsed. Once Ashcroft grabbed the reins you could sense the tedium building.
Can't be having the Moz in this category. OK the solo stuff's been up and down, but there's still quality there and nothing would stand comparison to such a transcendent group.
He never quite managed Frogs Chorus, but shirely Sir Mick of Jaggington needs to be mentioned here?
Peter Gabriel had moments of genius after leaving Genesis but also whole albums of utter tosh as well, I still like the fact he wasn't afraid to experiment.
Phil Collins in Genesis made them shit, when he left his solo stuff was even worse - almost unbelievably so.
Didn't really like The Verve much but Richard Ashcroft's solo stuff is dire, he can sing (we saw him at CarFest South) but why he bothers is beyond me. A total dirge and he realy realy thinks he's something special!
This guy.
As the guitarist in Dokken, utterly amazeballz.
In his own band Lynch Mob, utter twiddly shite.
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Yeah the answer is Sting
[i]Sir Mick of Jaggington needs to be mentioned here[/i]
Except he is redeemed by "Memo from Turner".
Peter Gabriel could indeed be poor at times .
Lou Reed? ? Huh? Are you mental?
That takes this forum to a new level of mental
Anyway, Nick Cave, nothing of note since The Birthday Party, apart from when Kylie has carried him. 😉
Syd Barrett
Octopus is a interesting listen though, if not for the mental chord changes then for the lyrics.. hey ho, huff the Talbot!
Johnny Marr has released some turgid AOR. Chris Cornell's solo stuff was god awful.
Peter Gabriel wrote Sledgehammer and Shock the Monkey so he's all good my book.
[i]Nick Cave, nothing of note since The Birthday Party[/i]
You. Are clearly mental. 😆
Billy Corgan of the smashing pumpkins effort was horrendous as was Julian Casablanca from the strokes. Didn't the Edge do a solo album too?
Nick Cave, nothing of note since The Birthday Party
Jesus man. You have no soul!
Billy Corgan of the smashing pumpkins
hmmmm, he pretty much [i]was[/i] the Smashing Pumpkins though, so I don't think that counts.
honourable mention has to go to Dave Grohl, aka "the nicest man in rock" lovely bloke I'm sure, but he has produced some pretty MOR turdigity*
* yep, totally made up.
+1 for John Squire of the stone roses,
Anyway, Nick Cave, nothing of note since The Birthday Party, apart from when Kylie has carried him.
I've seen some barking mad things on the internet but that takes it, clearly you woke up with a bad case of insanity this morning 🙂
[quote=nickc ]
honourable mention has to go to Dave Grohl, aka "the nicest man in rock" lovely bloke I'm sure, but he has produced some pretty MOR turdigity*
* yep, totally made up.
Great guy but he churns out sonic magnolia with the exception of the first Foo's album. Probot stuff was decent too though
[quote=Rusty Spanner ]Rick Wakeman.
I'd single out Steve Howe's solo stuff long before Wakeman's. Saw Wakeman many times as a solo artist and he was always excellent.
Saw Wakeman many times as a solo artist and he was always excellent.
I was in the audience at the Royal Festival Hall for the premiere of Journey to the Centre of the Earth, with David Hemmings narrating. Incredible!
Captain Sensible
Serj Tankian. System of a Down were sublime at times. I've tried to like his solo stuff, but really not taken with it. Whether he's the worst, is entirely subjective.
Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance. Not that they were that great bar the odd ok song, but his solo album was awful.
Dave Knopfler.
Anyway, Nick Cave, nothing of note since The Birthday Party, apart from when Kylie has carried him.
I thought The First Born Is Dead was an excellent album. Haven't listened to much since though
Anyway, Nick Cave, nothing of note since The Birthday Party, apart from when Kylie has carried him.
You're obviously Davidtaylforths alternative login and I claim my £5
Waxl.
And that Bob Dylan's done nowt since he ditched The Band.
Tom Morello as The Night Watchman.
Saw him on jools rambling on about creeping up on someone with a baseball bat (something like that) "cause I'm the night watchman"
Embarrassing.
At least he was acoustic so no helicopter sounds for once.
Peter Gabriel had moments of genius after leaving Genesis but also whole albums of utter tosh as well, I still like the fact he wasn't afraid to experiment.
Which one might that be?
Having, as I do, all the Genesis albums up to Wind And Wuthering, the last one with the inestimable Steve Hackett on, and Gabriel's entire recorded back catalogue, I'm struggling to think of any really duff songs, let alone an entire album.
Of all the Beatles, the only one to produce anything of any worth after leaving the band is Ringo; [i]It Don't Come Easy[/i] is as good a song as any of the others ever wrote.
A band where the whole genuinely is greater than the sum of its parts.
Re: Richard Ashcroft - load of turgid, whiney rubbish. The Verve weren't much better, mind...
Oh I wish the Perry Farrell vid had never been posted.... I mean yes nothing he's done since ritual has been monumental but to be fair most has been reasonable.... But that shit... Wtaf was that. I might hunt him down now and demand an explanation 😯
I listened to Ashcroft on 6music today and wondered why radmac were giving him the time of day tbh.
I suppose most artists that go solo eventually make some shite because they have no one else to put their foot down. Neil Young put a song out last year I think that was so bad I almost wept.... Something about saving the planet etc etc
Given that he was in two successful bands, then his first (eponymous) solo album was great, the artist who has slid the furthest is Paul Weller; anyone bought a recent album of his and not regretted it? I stopped after Stanley Rd.
Suggs solo album, anyone? Thought not
John squire again.
That bassist from the Housemartin's was a right flash in the pan as well.
Whatever crimes against music Andrew Ridgeley committed you cannot overlook that fact that:
a) He got rich
b) He got out quick with his sanity
c) He is married to 1/3 of Bananarama
d) He lives by the sea, surfs and can drive a racing car
No matter how bad his solo stuff was he has won.
No wonder he looks so bloody pleased with himself.
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Mr Ridgeley, I salute you.
The answer is clearly John Squire. Time changes nothing it was a true stinker
anyone bought a recent album of his and not regretted it? I stopped after Stanley Rd.
Oh, snap.
Lots of souley, samey wallpaper, with a few really beautiful ballads.
I saw him live many years ago. You had to push through "Changingman" or whatever it was called and hope he'd play "That's Entertainment" or "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" before he went home.
John Squire - seriously has to be up there near the top.
Richard Ashcroft - I'd agree with Binners except his second album has some good moments, On a Beach from his first album is good and the last Verve album was largely rubbish.
Morrissey's getting a hard time on this thread! Bona Drag, Viva Hate and Your Arsenal are classic albums. National Front Disco, You're the One for Me Fatty, Suedehead and Every Day is Like Sunday are brilliant songs.
All in my humble opinion, obvs.
Yeah - I know - I'm a fan, and Morrissey fans are notoriously loyal, yet I'll admit he's had some forgettable patches (Vauxhall and I!)but he's established a musical legacy that will long outlive him. Because it's good.
So there 😀
Dave Gilmour.
"On an Island" is a nice song about going on holiday to Greece with his wife.
Not exactly "Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is it.
Another vote for Weller.
Peaked at around the age of 19 and everything post Jam has been dissappointing. Lost his accent and started to make dreary music.
J. Lynn Johnston
Needs to reform Mad At Gravity!
I said Mr Ashcroft before I opened the thread !.Dezb's comments v true.
Loads already stated so I'm saying Fergal Sharkey.
The Undertones were truly great ,"a good heart" ,close but no cigar. 🙂
Roger Waters,
I know this one! It's Sting isn't it.
No it's And.
Out of Chas and Dave.
He was OK in McAlmont and Butler but he's done nothing good since.
Well I think Paul Weller does give Sting a serious run for the money, both seemed to reinvented pompous rock.
Yeah, Weller's a good one - especially as I read an interview with him where he actually said he was getting "experimental"! Yeah, copying the Small Faces is so original in the 2010s.