Best solo albums by non-solo artists

[HOF]

Was thinking about solo albums by artists who have a primary gig with a band/other act. I’m thinking less of guys who started doing solo albums after their primary band ended or after leaving to strike out as a solo artist (like Kip Winger or Peter Gabriel or Neal Morse for example).

Every now and then one of these takes off like Phil Collins’ Fave Value and launches a significant solo career. But most of the time these are one off types of albums, and maybe some time down the line the artist makes a second if they get around to it. A lot of these are done on a small budget with little promotion and turn out to be pretty dodgy. Sometimes they’re more of an outlet for a band member’s leftover ideas that the rest of the band didn’t like or didn’t fit stylistically, and I think you can often tell the album missed the contributions of those other players/writers.

The impetus for this was Steve Hogarth’s Ice Cream Genius album, which has some strong tracks and a strong supporting cast (Dave Gregory, Richard Barbieri, even a legitimate producer). But overall it just seems to be lacking the rest of Marillion. That one actually started out as an idea by Marillion’s then record company Castle to promote H as a solo artist, but Castle went under just before or just after it was released. Doubtful it would have gone anywhere anyway though. Geddy Lee’s My Favorite Headache is similar.

But what are some of the gems out there? Are there any that you really think are among an artist’s best work? Chris Squire’s Fish Out of Water comes to mind as a really strong one. You could maybe include Robert Fripp’s Exposure (though he was in between KC incarnations). I really like Nick D’Virgilio’s first solo album (more than the recent Invisible even). Gleb Kolyadin (Iamthemorning keyboardist) has a really cool solo album that I like a lot. Ty Tabor’s first few solo albums were pretty strong. Moonflower Lane is really good, and Safety is one I’ve always really liked.

Which ones are your favorites? Or biggest disasters even?

[DTA]

This one might be a stretch since he’s his main band’s primary writer, but I’ve always found Roine Stolt’s Hydrophonia to be among the best things he’s ever done. It’s all instrumental but the vibe of the album is pretty unique and the songs and melodies are incredibly strong.

[faizoff]

Jerry Cantrell's two solo albums are fantastic, don't recall the timeline of them but I'm assuming they were after Alice In Chains was in hiatus.


Others I recall really enjoying their solo albums are Vince Neil & Duff Mckagan. Both released two albums but I've only heard their first ones each.

[Stadler]

There are a lot that are good not great:
- Iommi's solo stuff
- Robin Zander's solo record
- Jack Blades' solo records (there are two)
- Kelly Keagy's solo records (there are two)

The only one's that are top notch for me are
- Gregg Allman's Southern Blood
- Chris Cornell's Higher Ground
- Petrooch's new one

[HOF]

This one might be a stretch since he’s his main band’s primary writer, but I’ve always found Roine Stolt’s Hydrophonia to be among the best things he’s ever done. It’s all instrumental but the vibe of the album is pretty unique and the songs and melodies are incredibly strong.

I’ll allow it. I almost included The Flower King, but at that point he was a solo artist mainly.

[Architeuthis]

Trevor Rabin - I Can't Look Away, and Jacaranda.
Eric Gillette - The Great Unknown
Geddy Lee - My Favorite Headache
John Petrucci - SA and TV  (of course)

[Max Kuehnau]

hopefully Mike Mangini's solo album, otherwise I think a good solo album of that description would be Smallcreep's Day by Mike Rutherford. (Mike And The Mechanics is a different enterprise altogether to me musically and personally, so I mentioned Smallcreep's Day. Really good prog.)

[Fritzinger]

Does Exposure by Robert Fripp count? I know he's made more albums under his name, but he is mainly known for his work with King Crimson and many of his following solo albums featured ambient or experimental/instrumental music.

[Fritzinger]

hopefully Mike Mangini's solo album, otherwise I think a good solo album of that description would be Smallcreep's Day by Mike Rutherford. (Mike And The Mechanics is a different enterprise altogether to me musically and personally, so I mentioned Smallcreep's Day. Really good prog.)

You're right! Though his second album wasn't half as good as Smallcreep unfortunately...

[HOF]

Does Exposure by Robert Fripp count? I know he's made more albums under his name, but he is mainly known for his work with King Crimson and many of his following solo albums featured ambient or experimental/instrumental music.

Yeah, I think it probably doesn’t strictly count since it happened after he disbanded KC, but it was more of a one off thing that ended up kind of forming the basis for the 80s KC rather than being the start of an exclusive solo career. And then his soundscape stuff seems kind of like a whole separate thing altogether.

[T-ski]

Big fan of Daryl Hall’s “Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine”

Sure it sounds like H&O, but it’s still awesome.

[Stadler]

Trevor Rabin - I Can't Look Away, and Jacaranda.
Eric Gillette - The Great Unknown
Geddy Lee - My Favorite Headache
John Petrucci - SA and TV  (of course)

Not to be "that guy" but I opted not to put Rabin down; I have more solo Rabin albums than I do Yes with Rabin albums.  He's a solo guy that joined Yes for a spell, if you ask me; if he counts, then Jacaranda would be on my list.

[Architeuthis]

Trevor Rabin - I Can't Look Away, and Jacaranda.
Eric Gillette - The Great Unknown
Geddy Lee - My Favorite Headache
John Petrucci - SA and TV  (of course)

Not to be "that guy" but I opted not to put Rabin down; I have more solo Rabin albums than I do Yes with Rabin albums.  He's a solo guy that joined Yes for a spell, if you ask me; if he counts, then Jacaranda would be on my list.

Rabin was in a band called "Rabbit" based in South Africa before joining Yes. He's been all over the map musically speaking and has done many movie soundtracks.  So yeah, his solo career is quite successful outside of Yes. The two albums I mentioned previously are more of his personal stuff.   

[Adami]

Don't think these have been mentioned, but Luca Turilli's first two solo albums, specifically the second, as well as Michael Romeo's solo album. All fantastic.

Tuomas from Nightwish did that album about Scrooge McDuck which was really good as well.

[KevShmev]

I didn't get into it until the spring of 2018, but Tommy Shaw's solo album from the 80's, Girls with Guns, which came out shortly after Styx went on hiatus, is fantastic.  Ambition from later in the decade is quite good as well, and I have always been a big fan of 7 Deadly Zens from the late 90's. 

[TAC]

[SoundscapeMN]

Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunnhillow
Annie Haslam - Annie in Wonderland
Victor (Alex Lifeson) - Victor
Joey Eppard - Been to the Future
Ramona Falls (Brent Knopf) - Intuit
Jimmy Gnecco - The Heart: X Edition

[HOF]

Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunnhillow
Annie Haslam - Annie in Wonderland
Victor (Alex Lifeson) - Victor
Joey Eppard - Been to the Future
Ramona Falls (Brent Knopf) - Intuit
Jimmy Gnecco - The Heart: X Edition

I’ve never heard Victor. Is it similar to 90s Rush, or something totally different? Come to think of it, I’m not even sure if it’s all instrumental or if there are vocals or what.

[Snow Dog]

Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunnhillow
Annie Haslam - Annie in Wonderland
Victor (Alex Lifeson) - Victor
Joey Eppard - Been to the Future
Ramona Falls (Brent Knopf) - Intuit
Jimmy Gnecco - The Heart: X Edition

I’ve never heard Victor. Is it similar to 90s Rush, or something totally different? Come to think of it, I’m not even sure if it’s all instrumental or if there are vocals or what.

It’s pretty different overall, though there are a couple of Rush-esque songs. There’s also two instrumentals as well. Vocals are done on most tracks by Edwin of I Mother Earth, which fits pretty well with the music, really. There’s one song with Dalbello, a couple with Alex himself speaking lyrics over the music, and one song (a rather humorous one, at that) that has his wife and a friend talking over some ripping guitar tracks. Overall, a pretty good listen and one that I enjoy. Worth checking out for sure, but it’s a little startling right from the get go how different from Rush it can be.

[The Great Zo]

You want a fun debate with hardcore Rush fans, get them going on MFH and Victor. The two albums couldn't be more different. MFH is generally kind of middle-of-the-road pop rock, kind of Rush-lite, with no big surprises. Victor is all over the map, as alluded to above. Grungy hard rock, weird spacey electronic stuff, spoken word, and a few Rush-esque tracks too. All with some very mature (and sometimes explicit) lyrical themes. I've found a pretty even split with Rush fans -- some people liked Geddy's approach better, and others preferred Alex's. Personally, I think MFH is decent but unspectacular, while I find Victor much more compelling (if somewhat flawed).

Great call earlier on Safety by Ty Tabor. That's about as honest and open an album as I've ever heard.

[Kotowboy]

Billie Joe Armstrong's The Longshot album " Love Is For Losers " is a solo album in the strictest sense - since he played every instrument, and wrote all the songs and produced it himself.

Also I guess Chasing Yesterday by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. It's a band - but it's also his solo band so yeah.

[Architeuthis]

Michael Romeo's solo album.

Good call!  I can't believe I forgot to mention that one.   

[KevShmev]

You want a fun debate with hardcore Rush fans, get them going on MFH and Victor. The two albums couldn't be more different. MFH is generally kind of middle-of-the-road pop rock, kind of Rush-lite, with no big surprises. Victor is all over the map, as alluded to above. Grungy hard rock, weird spacey electronic stuff, spoken word, and a few Rush-esque tracks too. All with some very mature (and sometimes explicit) lyrical themes. I've found a pretty even split with Rush fans -- some people liked Geddy's approach better, and others preferred Alex's. Personally, I think MFH is decent but unspectacular, while I find Victor much more compelling (if somewhat flawed).

As a hardcore Rush fan, I find that Victor has higher highs than My Favorite Headache - Strip and Go Naked and At the End are probably my two favorite songs from either record - but it has much lower lows.  I don't like that main singer Alex used on many of the songs and he takes me right out of many of them.  Meanwhile, My Favorite Headache is a nice consistent listen, with quite a few songs I like a lot.

[SoundscapeMN]

You want a fun debate with hardcore Rush fans, get them going on MFH and Victor. The two albums couldn't be more different. MFH is generally kind of middle-of-the-road pop rock, kind of Rush-lite, with no big surprises. Victor is all over the map, as alluded to above. Grungy hard rock, weird spacey electronic stuff, spoken word, and a few Rush-esque tracks too. All with some very mature (and sometimes explicit) lyrical themes. I've found a pretty even split with Rush fans -- some people liked Geddy's approach better, and others preferred Alex's. Personally, I think MFH is decent but unspectacular, while I find Victor much more compelling (if somewhat flawed).

As a hardcore Rush fan, I find that Victor has higher highs than My Favorite Headache - Strip and Go Naked and At the End are probably my two favorite songs from either record - but it has much lower lows.  I don't like that main singer Alex used on many of the songs and he takes me right out of many of them.  Meanwhile, My Favorite Headache is a nice consistent listen, with quite a few songs I like a lot.

you're talking about Edwin from I Mother Earth, a band who opened for both Rush and Dream Theater. As an IME fan, I really felt he added a lot to the songs on Victor.

[Dave_Manchester]

Pulse by Thomas Giles (singer from Between The Buried And Me) is very good. Hypoxia in particular is a beautiful song.

[Lowdz]

This and I’ll raise you Paul Stanley.

[Learning2Live]

I'll throw out JR's Wired for Madness album. Really like the jazzy/proggy songs on that album.

[Peter Mc]

Jon Bon Jovi - Blaze Of Glory
Richie Sambora - Stranger In This Town

[Fritzinger]

I'll throw out JR's Wired for Madness album. Really like the jazzy/proggy songs on that album.

I STILL haven't properly listened to that album, despite very good reviews. I'll have to change that very soon.

[hefdaddy42]

Jon Bon Jovi - Blaze Of Glory

You better believe it. 

[crazy climber dude]

Bruce Dickinson - A Chemical Wedding. SO heavy. Very atmospheric. Not Maiden, but outstanding.

[crazy climber dude]

Michael Romeo's solo album.

Good call!  I can't believe I forgot to mention that one.   

Which one? Because....he has two. Very far apart from each other.

Guessing you mean War of the Worlds and not Dark Chapter.

[DTA]

Bruce Dickinson - A Chemical Wedding. SO heavy. Very atmospheric. Not Maiden, but outstanding.

Great choice. I like this better than quite a few Maiden albums

[crazy climber dude]

Got another one....in fact it's one of my favorite albums ever made. From my favorite musician. High Tension Wires.

Essentially, it's the musicians from Dixie Dregs....but not really following that same structure of sound. Nor does it sound quite like Steve Morse Band either. Though yes.....Morse is the crux of both those bands so it's not RADICALLY different from either.

The previously uninitiated almost unanimously say it is the most beautiful music they ever heard....often upon first listen. It's got plenty of acoustic, but still shreds with songs like Tumeni Notes.....which is utterly ridiculously wonderful.

[Stadler]

^^^ GREAT album!