When a band breaks up so the singer can go solo...

[rucky]

Is the solo artist's music ever any better than what the band did?

I can't think of a single example. Maybe Neko Case. Maybe Hope Sandoval. Maybe Eric Clap-...naw. SRV, Bowie & Jimi don't count.

David Lee Roth? Kidding.

Please don't say "Sting".

[XemaSab]

1. Cream

[RedStateShame]

2. What about Neil Young?

[rucky]

5. I'll have to agree with you on that one. n/t

[taterguy]

3. Solo Gram Parsons was really great

Debateable as to whether or not it was better than the multitude of bands he was in

[Crazy Dave]

4. Ozzy

n/t

[rucky]

6. Everything after Bark at the Moon cancels out...

Diary of a Madman & Blizzard of Ozz

[rucky]

7. OK I thought of one...

Eliott Smith (formerly of Heatmizer)

R.I.P.

[Chan790]

8. Bjork

post-Sugarcubes is clearly better than Bjork in The Sugarcubes.

[Chan790]

9. Morrissey is debatable

I like him better with The Smiths, a lot of people like his solo work better.

[rucky]

10. oh, hell yeah!

she was smart to dump the Icelandic rapper.

"I said ouch! This really hurts!"

[Orrex]

12. But this has been practiced for millions of years

I love my Sugarcubes CD's, but it's because of her and in spite of him!

[LynneSin]

11. Scott Stapp - WOOHOO!!!

:sarcasm:

[Orrex]

13. Neko Case is great, though I haven't heard much by New Pornographers

Hope Sandoval has solo work? Where the hell have I been?!?

[rucky]

14. Neko's stuff is pretty different

without the m/f vocals and all, so it's hard to say that it's better or worse. There is no doubt, however that the NPs were better with Neko. The new female singer has this tweety falsetto that kinda gets to me.

Hope Sandoval's solo stuff is idistinguishable from Mazzy Star, so you may have heard it and not known it.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

18. Umm...Neko's still with the NPs

I know she's not touring with them this summer cause she's touring for her solo album, but that's her singing on Twin Cinema.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

17. Neko Case had her own band a long time before the NP's

came along.

She essentially started as a solo artist (with a backing band, Her Boyfriends).

[electron_blue]

15. Well, maybe Paul Simon? Bob Mould from Husker Du?

[rucky]

16. Yes to Mould for sure...

the jury's out on Simon sans Garfunkel

[MrScorpio]

19. Luther Vandross

He blew up after CHANGE broke up

[Tyrone Slothrop]

20. Peter Gabriel's done pretty well

He's produced a fair amount of stuff that I would deem better than his Genesis output. (PG #3, Security, So, Passion)

[Taverner]

21. Marvin Gaye

Todd Rundgren

Rod Stewart

John Coltrane

to name a few...

[xchrom]

22. the problem is that artists that fall in love with their voice

never sing great songs.

why? because to sing a really great song means you might be eclipsed by said song.

however -- i'm thankful for the nora jones and jamie culloms of the world.

[mitchum]

23. Nick Cave...

while I'm a huge fan of The Birthday Party, his solo work demonstrates far more range