solo acts and bands
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Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=42852
Printed Date: November 27 2024 at 00:41
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Topic: solo acts and bands
Posted By: yoel?
Subject: solo acts and bands
Date Posted: October 22 2007 at 17:39
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do you find generally that you prefer the solo work of a memeber of a band, or the band itself
for example, steve hackett or genesis, petrucci or dream theater, omar or the volta, robert fripp or crimson thom yorke or radiohead?
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Replies:
Posted By: Run Home Slow
Date Posted: October 22 2007 at 17:51
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Hello, usually i prefer the band, but they are cases like Zappa-Mothers or Hammill-VdGG for me that it's difficult to say these two are so good anywhere they go...
------------- If you got ears, you gotta listen — Captain Beefheart |
Posted By: Floydian42
Date Posted: October 22 2007 at 17:51
| Right now, I cannot think of an example where I prefer the solo artist to the band they were/are with. |
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: October 22 2007 at 17:53
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I generally think that there is no general rule to this. I like Steve Hackett's solo works, but also Genesis with Steve Hackett. Same applies to Weather Report and Jaco Pastorius. On the other hand, I like the first two Dream Theater albums, not the later ones and none of the solo works of Dream Theater members. Fripp solo is hard to get into, King Crimson as a band is mainly great stuff. And outside prog, I like Gary Moore's solo works way better than what he did with Skid Row. Of course, Colosseum II is on a different level there.... So in general - there's no general answer to your question - at least for me. ------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: October 22 2007 at 20:03
I agree...I mean if we noted there solo career...it's because of the band they were in. Even vice versa....who knew Roine Stolt before the Flower Kings. Theres a lot I'm sure on here...but out of everyone, no. |
Floydian42 wrote:Posted By: Ahmadbarqawi
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 02:06
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i prefer the 2 "Kiko Loureiro" studio albums better than "Angra" .... they're highly recommended btw... & i don't know if this actually counts but i also prefer "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" over "Deep Purple"...  ------------- {Flashlights shade shrunken views Of a red demon’s foxtrot in brews Guns & flowers crown morning news Panic-stricken guilt now ensues} |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 02:28
I would tend to agree, though when the solo work is a product of them leaving the band, it is often the case that the bands albums take a bit of a dive as a result. Neal Morse/Spocks Beard springs to mind (not that I'm knocking The Beard or Nick D'Virgilio's singing - it's just that I don't feel they are as Prog as they were). ------------- What? |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 02:36
Got one  but it's tenuous - Arjen Lucassen, but you have to take Ayreon as a solo project and Stream of Passion (& Star One) as a working band (I said it was tenuous) ((just don't mention his "Anthony" solo album, Pools of Sorrow, Waves of Joy  ))------------- What? |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 02:41
| If I have to think of one example of an artist I prefer solo rather than with his band, I'd have to take Peter Gabriel. Even though I know it may sound like heresy to many here, I think his solo output really shows all his potential as a vocalist and as a songwriter. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 02:48
for me that's a very close call - pitting Lamb & SEBTP against his PG1-4 & So would be a difficult choice, but I have to admit musically he progressed more as a solo artist with things like Passion and the inclusion of world-music into his work. ------------- What? |
Posted By: yoel?
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 04:39
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hmmmm i prefer chroma key to dream theater with kevin moore
but apart from that i cant think of anything
maybe hackett over genesis-but thats too close to call for me
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Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 06:02
| Fascinating question. Most of Yes' early 1970s albums are amazing, but as soon as Bill Bruford's solo career took off, he started recording albums that were consistently more inspired than anything his former band were doing at the same time. FEELS GOOD TO ME and ONE OF A KIND were just the beginning. Earthworks took BB's career to a new level! |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 06:16
You could add Rick Wakeman's "Six Wives"; Jon Anderson's "Olias of Sunhillow"; Chris Squire's "Fish Out Of Water" and some of Steve Howe's solos to that and they are all very worthy albums, but none of those (inc Bruford's solos) surpass "Close To The Edge" or "Relayer" (IMO). ------------- What? |
Posted By: paloz
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 08:28
| Surely the band |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 12:44
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the only one I can think of is Devin Townsend vs. Strapping Young Lad, and given the choice, there's no contest to the former
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Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 15:00
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I would also say in most instances that I prefer the band to the solo artist, although frequently I like the solo artist's output as well. I really enjoy bands like Dream Theater and The Flower Kings, but I also really enjoy many of their side projects. Not sure if I would consider a side project as a solo project or not.
Two artists who come to mind where I think that I like their solo work more than their original bands are Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio. But even that is difficult to say since Black Sabbath and Rainbow were both great bands. ------------- 
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Posted By: Ty1020
Date Posted: October 23 2007 at 18:14
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I would definitely take Devin Townsend over SYL (although The New Black
had some stuff that was really reminiscent of his solo work/DTB, which
was pretty fantastic).
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Ty1020/"> 
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 12:21
I feel the opposite (awkward as ever!!), I don't think Gary Moore bettered what he did on Skid Row's 34 Hours. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 12:28
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IMHO Allan Holdsworth has done better as a solo artist than what he did with Soft Machine, Gong, Lifetime, UK, etc. (all of which have highs) - although I think his very best playing come when he is guesting on somebody else's album and playing somebody else's compositions. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: October 24 2007 at 14:42
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Steve Hillage for me. Many will disagree, but IMO Fish Rising tops his work with GonG, Arzachel, Khan, and the million other bands he was in. ------------- Signature Writers Guild on strike |
Posted By: misterkeyboard
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 07:44
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For me Steve Hackett is one of the best guitarists in the world! Both on acoustic and electric. I love Hackett, but I also love the earlier works of Genesis. I prefer Yes, but some of the works of Wakeman and Howe is great as well! Well, It's hard to compare bands and artists within the bands. ------------- www.lifeonhold.se |
Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 18:29
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I like Roxy Music, but I prefer Eno's solo stuff. |
Posted By: FunnyWays
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 18:48
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Well I don't know enough different stuff but the music is somtimes compleatly different for example David Gilmour's On an Island is brilliant an I love it but you can't compare it to Pink Floyd as its nothing like it. ------------- 
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 18:54
I can almost agree, but that's a big choice. Anything Hillage did rocks.
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 19:04
 .------------- |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 20:27
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Almost in every case, I prefer the band's music... in all cases that I can think of (TFk, DT, Genesis, etc...) ------------- 
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 20:37
Speaking of Soft Machine, I tend to prefer Robert Wyatt's "solo" (I quote solo due to the stellar people he has worked with) work to his Soft Machine and Matching Mole work. Well, all are great, really, but I have a particular soft spot for the Rock Bottom album. Daevid Allen is another Soft Machine (and Gong) alumnus that has done good, interesting solo work. Kevin Ayers, another alumnus of Soft Machine, has done wonderful solo work. What a talented bunch of people. Generally, I do prefer the band-work over solo outings, however (though some so-called solo artist albums are really very collaborative efforts -- far beyond e.g. taking on musicians-for-hire). ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 20:56
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^ another Soft Machine alumnus who has done rather well for himself is of course Karl Jenkins, whose 'The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace' spent something in the order of 200 weeks in the UK Classical charts. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 12:07
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You mention Omar Rodriguez-Lopez as an example in the first post. Here's a nice little story for all of you: Discovering Omar and Cedric's pre-TMV band At the Drive-In started a revolution in my attitude towards music. Hearing their album In/Casino/Out for the first time blasted open a door in my mind that had been firmly shut for as long as I had listened to music actively. It made me realise that Prog (and a few 70's Rock bands) wasn't "the only objectively good taste in music" or something, it opened me to try any kinds of music regardless of genre. A lot of the music I listen to today is stuff I couldn't have imagined enjoying a year ago. Before At the Drive-In I alienated myself from vast amounts of great music without even knowing what it was, without even thinking about giving it a fair chance, simply because it wasn't Prog. Of course, there aren't too many people calling At the Drive-In Prog either, but I was and still am a big The Mars Volta enthusiast, so I thought "it can't be that bad, if it's with the same guys". As it turned out, it was very different from The Mars Volta, but I enjoyed it tremendously. Of course, one can't like all music, but I believe in giving things a chance before deciding whether one likes it or not. Avoiding music because it doesn't belong to a certain genre, doesn't fall within one's comfort zone, is a great way to miss out on a lot of great music. This is probably not the kind of response you expected, but in relation to the topic I can say this: I prefer At the Drive-In to The Mars Volta. Anyway, my post isn't intended as some kind of lecture, it's just me expressing my thoughts. I don't wish to start a debate really. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 16:10
Oh yes, he has done rather well for himself to say the least. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: misterkeyboard
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 16:21
Oh, I forgot Gabriel. Yes some of his solo stuff is very very good for sure, but I don't think he is better than some music he did with Genesis. It's even steven. ------------- www.lifeonhold.se |
Posted By: Progger
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 16:25
| Defineatly Hackett over Genesis. At least as a solo artist you get to hear him play! |