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Great Overall Career Arc -- Group/Solo

I'm interested in opinions on great artist who started out in a great band(s) and then went on to have equally great or better solo careers. The starting band can be relatively short-lived (at least 2 albums), but the solo career should be long-lived, or vice versa.

An obvious example would be John Lennon, but after thinking about it I don't think he qualifies. Is his solo work really as good or better than his original group work? I think the same applies to Brian Wilson, Smokey Robinson, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, George Clinton or Sting.

I'm thinking more along the lines of Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield), Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music), Gram Parsons (Byrds & Flying Burrito Bros.), Jeff Beck (Yardbirds), Micheal Jackson (Jackson 5), Dave Alvin (Blasters) or even Robin Trower (Procol Harum).

Who would you include on this list?
128x128onhwy61
winoguy17
1,117 posts
 
Al Anderson/ NRBQ
Scott Miller/ V- Roys
David Byrne/ Talking Heads
martykl
3,578 posts
 
Fair point re The Nazz. I'll pull my nomination of Todd.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61 OP
5,212 posts
 
I think Robbie Robertson's solo work is of superior quality. I could see where some people would add Levon Helm to this list. I also rank Jack Bruce's solo career higher than Eric Clapton's, but both pale when compared to their work with Cream.

How about Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Robert Fripp (King Crimson) and Jorma Kaukonen/Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane). While technically Kaukonen and Casady are two different people, career wise they really can be thought of as a single entity.

It's all just opinion.
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mapman's avatar
mapman
22,172 posts
 
Yeah, Genesis produced FOUR successful solo careers!

Gabriel
Collins
Rutherford
Hackett

Banks is still out there as a highly regarded composer and musician mostly these days as well, I believe,but less known as a solo act alone compared to the others. Anthony Phillips has also maintained a long and prodigious solo career since leaving Genesis early on but is least well known overall perhaps.

Can anyone beat that for quality and amount of musical output seeded from one act originally? Yardbirds or BEatles maybe?
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