Monday, December 19, 2005
CUBBY GOES SOLO
I guess it starts with Ringo. While still a Beatle, Ringo sang a number of memorable songs, notably 'With A Little Help From My Friends', 'Act Naturally', 'Don't Pass Me By', and 'Octopus's Garden', most of which were penned with a lot of help from his friends. After the Beatles broke up, Ringo had some success on his first couple of records, 'Ringo', and 'Goodnight Vienna', but the hits were penned by the same three guys, John, Paul, and George. Eventually, after releasing a string of really bad records, Ringo quit trying to be a recording artist, and started putting together his 'All Star Bands'. The world sighed in relief. This was a good move for Ringo, and welcomed exposure for the likes of Joe Walsh, Ian Hunter, and Sheila E.
Next we have Phil Collins. There's very little good to say here. I guess his early solo efforts were laudable. 'Face Value' gave us 'In The Air Tonight', and a cover of 'Tomorrow Never Knows', but I can't say I've ever listened to the rest of the record (yes, I have it). From 'Hello I Must Be Going.....' we get 'I Don't Care Anymore', which is a good song, but it also contains the tepid Supremes cover, 'You Can't Hurry Love'. This is the exact point where it all went terribly wrong for both Phil and Genesis. Phil was developing his solo schmaltz at the same time as he was busy destroying what little credibility Genesis had left after 'Abacab', which was very little. It is indeed no fun to be an illegal alien, and it's not fun hearing crap songs about it either. After those two solo efforts, Phil teamed up again with Mr. Banks and Mr. Rutherford for another Genesis record, their eponymously titled move into mainstream pop. Between that mostly shitty record ( I like 'Mama', and 'Home By The Sea'), and the extremely shitty 'Invisible Touch', Phil put out another solo record, co produced by Satan, 'No Jacket Required' should have been issued with a jacket, a straight jacket! One word: Sussudio. It doesn't even mean anything. From bad to worse to much much much worse. No, they can't dance, not at all.
Next up, Don Henley. At least Don waited until the Eagles were in fact defunct before dropping his lame solo record, 'I Can't Stand Still' (no, I do not own it), which contained the sophmoronic hit 'Dirty Laundry'. What you can say about Don, that you can't say about Phil, is that he got better. How did me mange that? He got Mike Campbell of The Heartbreakers to produce his second record. 'The Boys of Summer', 'All She Wants To Do Is Dance', 'Sunset Grill' aren't exactly the greatest songs ever written, but when I hear them, I don't turn the dial. 1989's 'The End of the Innocence' is actually a very good record, as much as it pains me to say so. The title track, and 'Heart of the Matter' are well penned, and well executed pop songs. He's still in league with Satan, and with the money the Eagles charge for their incessant reunion gigs, he could have bought Walden Woods by now.
Hey Jackson, has any drummer gone on to do credible solo work?
Why yes, and we all know who that is. Dave Grohl. I won't bore you all by listing the many albums and hits the Foo Fighters have had, I will only say that at Smoke and Mirrors, when we want to A/B drums, we reach for the Foo, or the Queens of the Stone Age record he did.
I guess it starts with Ringo. While still a Beatle, Ringo sang a number of memorable songs, notably 'With A Little Help From My Friends', 'Act Naturally', 'Don't Pass Me By', and 'Octopus's Garden', most of which were penned with a lot of help from his friends. After the Beatles broke up, Ringo had some success on his first couple of records, 'Ringo', and 'Goodnight Vienna', but the hits were penned by the same three guys, John, Paul, and George. Eventually, after releasing a string of really bad records, Ringo quit trying to be a recording artist, and started putting together his 'All Star Bands'. The world sighed in relief. This was a good move for Ringo, and welcomed exposure for the likes of Joe Walsh, Ian Hunter, and Sheila E.
Next we have Phil Collins. There's very little good to say here. I guess his early solo efforts were laudable. 'Face Value' gave us 'In The Air Tonight', and a cover of 'Tomorrow Never Knows', but I can't say I've ever listened to the rest of the record (yes, I have it). From 'Hello I Must Be Going.....' we get 'I Don't Care Anymore', which is a good song, but it also contains the tepid Supremes cover, 'You Can't Hurry Love'. This is the exact point where it all went terribly wrong for both Phil and Genesis. Phil was developing his solo schmaltz at the same time as he was busy destroying what little credibility Genesis had left after 'Abacab', which was very little. It is indeed no fun to be an illegal alien, and it's not fun hearing crap songs about it either. After those two solo efforts, Phil teamed up again with Mr. Banks and Mr. Rutherford for another Genesis record, their eponymously titled move into mainstream pop. Between that mostly shitty record ( I like 'Mama', and 'Home By The Sea'), and the extremely shitty 'Invisible Touch', Phil put out another solo record, co produced by Satan, 'No Jacket Required' should have been issued with a jacket, a straight jacket! One word: Sussudio. It doesn't even mean anything. From bad to worse to much much much worse. No, they can't dance, not at all.
Next up, Don Henley. At least Don waited until the Eagles were in fact defunct before dropping his lame solo record, 'I Can't Stand Still' (no, I do not own it), which contained the sophmoronic hit 'Dirty Laundry'. What you can say about Don, that you can't say about Phil, is that he got better. How did me mange that? He got Mike Campbell of The Heartbreakers to produce his second record. 'The Boys of Summer', 'All She Wants To Do Is Dance', 'Sunset Grill' aren't exactly the greatest songs ever written, but when I hear them, I don't turn the dial. 1989's 'The End of the Innocence' is actually a very good record, as much as it pains me to say so. The title track, and 'Heart of the Matter' are well penned, and well executed pop songs. He's still in league with Satan, and with the money the Eagles charge for their incessant reunion gigs, he could have bought Walden Woods by now.
Hey Jackson, has any drummer gone on to do credible solo work?
Why yes, and we all know who that is. Dave Grohl. I won't bore you all by listing the many albums and hits the Foo Fighters have had, I will only say that at Smoke and Mirrors, when we want to A/B drums, we reach for the Foo, or the Queens of the Stone Age record he did.
Comments:
Oh man, the Eagles. Shudder.
I like "The Boys of Summer," and that Innocence song, but the rest of the Henley discography makes me ill.
Much like the entirety of Collins' music.
"You Can't Hurry Love" was like being being to death with a cold pickle - annoying, clammy, and not very good for you.
Grohl pulled it off, 'cause he's a musician, not a failed actor.
Yes, Little Phil was in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and the Beatles' "Help," amongst other films. If you seen his "acting" in any of his videos you know why he ended up playing drums.
I like "The Boys of Summer," and that Innocence song, but the rest of the Henley discography makes me ill.
Much like the entirety of Collins' music.
"You Can't Hurry Love" was like being being to death with a cold pickle - annoying, clammy, and not very good for you.
Grohl pulled it off, 'cause he's a musician, not a failed actor.
Yes, Little Phil was in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and the Beatles' "Help," amongst other films. If you seen his "acting" in any of his videos you know why he ended up playing drums.
It was not my intent to infer that that crappy tune was on 'Abacab'. My rambling syntax was not clear I guess.
Thank You, Editor Droid.
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Thank You, Editor Droid.
