Best setting for players with extended careers

[Billster]

Neil, your a grab bag of topics today!

 

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

...take Andy Summers for example. As a member of The Police, his ideas and style complemented Sting's bass playing and pop sensibilities when writing songs. Have any of you heard his first solo album after the Police? Don't bother paying anything for it to hear what I'm talking about. It's some of the worst dreck ever, IMO. Without Sting steering the melodies, Andy's writing and playing style is repetitive.. and redundant.. and uninteresting.

 

...

My bad experience of [Vinnie Moore] was repeated with Tony MacAlpine, Frank (Sweep-picking guru) Gambale and a host of others in the late '80's. Al DiMeola was a bit more engaging, but I found myself bored with his music enough that I stopped buying it after Passion, Grace, and Fire with Paco DeLucia and John McLaughlin.

 

...

I haven't heard Andy Summers solo stuff, so I won't comment.

 

The post-Yngwie crush of neo-classical shred was really disappointing. A LOT of interchangeable parts there. I thought MacAlpine had a little something different going on, and Greg Howe had his own bag too. A blindfold listening to some of that stuff would be as bad as a blindfold test of Three Doors Down/Creed/Whoever (but that's a topic for another day )

 

Frank Gambale was outstanding with Chick Corea, but I do feel his solo stuff is one dimensional.

 

If you quit DiMeola after the McLaughlin/DeLucia trio, check out DiMeola's stuff on the Telarc label and his World Sinfonia music, which addresses his taste for Astor Piazolla.

 

As for others, what is your favorite Jeff Beck period?

 

Eric Clapton era?

 

Ritchie Blackmore: Rainbow or Deep Purple?

 

Pete Townshend: Solo or with the Who?

 

Compare/Contrast/Discuss

[Funk Jazz]

i think there is a certain chemistry that makes a band great, and by the same token, makes solo efforts after that band sound lame by comparison.

[fantasticsound]

I wrote this yesterday, but forgot to post!

 

As (you?) mentioned in the other thread, I'm a fan of Jeff Beck when he's acting as hired gun moreso than as the star attraction.

 

EC I like in many different settings. IMO he's a great songwriter who plays.

 

I was never much into Ritchie Blackmore that much, so I would hesitate to answer.

 

Pete Townshend - Anytime, anywhere, in any band or as a solo act. Pete Townshend, IMO, is one of the greatest guitar playing songwriters. I loved his work with the Who, which was already between 5 and 10 years old when I really became aware of who was in The Who. I liked his early solo stuff, but it was White City that hit me like a ton of bricks. The melodies, vocals, guitar.. all of it came together. The key is he writes great songs, then collaborates on great performances. On Give Blood from White City, it was a bit of goofing around by a visiting David Gilmour that created a real, driving presence to the song. But other songs that are entirely Pete are great, too.

[Billster]

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

Pete Townshend - Anytime, anywhere

Shouldn't that be Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere ?

 

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

Pete Townshend ... The key is he writes great songs, then collaborates on great performances.

That sums it up real well.

[dreibel]

Remember the four KISS solo albums that came out at the peak of their popularity? You know, the ones that shipped platinum, and got remaindered double platinum? They turned out to be big disappointments - except for Ace's album, which, while not a killer player's album, certainly had a rock n' roll attitude and go-for-the-throat sensibility. Paul, Gene, and Peter's albums on the other hand were missing what made KISS, KISS.

 

As a huge Queen fan, I've got most of the solo albums. Without all four of them there is still something missing. Brian May's albums are the most enjoyable, tons of guitar, and he made a great effort to get a good vocal performance - both albums he treated as therapy for some of his problems. Freddie's are a bit of culture shock, though the Barcelona project he did with opera singer Montserrat Caballe may be my favorite thing without a guitar on it ever. Roger Taylor's albums tend to meander and be flat without a guiding hand - but he did do a great album called Happiness? with a killer guitar player named Jason Falloon, it was like the greatest album Pink Floyd never made. I'd always wondered what a John Deacon solo album would sound like, in light of the fact he can't sing, but is a great songwriter......