You may not know his name, but the minute you hear Glen Tilbrook's distinctive voice, you are almost certain to recognize him as the man from the popular late '70s/early '80s British band Squeeze. You might remember him from the songs "Pulling Mussels ( From The Shell ) " and "Black Coffee In Bed," as well as many others. Ironically enough, "Tempted," Squeeze's biggest hit song, while written by Tilbrook ( and Squeeze-mate Chris Difford ) had Paul Carrack performing lead vocals. On The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook ( W.A.R./ Quixotic ) , his long-awaited solo disc, Tilbrook performs songs he co-wrote with Aimee Mann ( "Observatory" ) and Ron Sexsmith ( the dazzlingly beautiful "You See Me" ) , as well as some of his own originals, including the upbeat retro pop tune "This Is Where You Ain't," "Morning" ( co-written by band member Chris Braide ) , the music industry commentary of "G.S.O.H. Essential," the dance-friendly "Up The Creek," and the wacky, but accessible "Interviewing Randy Newman." The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook stands out as one of the great singer/ songwriter albums of the year.
Like Glen Tilbrook, Colin Hay was a presence on the pop music scene during the '80s, but for a much shorter time. As the lead singer of the Australian band Men At Work, Hay and company ruled the airwaves in 1982 and 1983. On Going Somewhere ( Music Blitz/ Lazy Eye ) , Hay's sixth solo disc, the 13 stipped-down acoustic tunes prove that he hasn't lost his gift for songwriting or singing. Standout tracks include "Wayfaring Sons," "Children On Parade," "My Brilliant Feat," "Waiting For My Real Life To Begin," and "Don't Wait Up," to name a few.
With his tongue still planted firmly in his cheek and his fingers on the piano keys, Ben Folds emerges victorious on his solo debut disc Rockin' The Suburbs ( Epic ) . His storytelling-in-song abilities are as sharp as ever, and the cast of characters that he introduces us to in genuine pop songs such as Annie ( in "Annie Waits" ) , "Zak And Sara" ( "Sara without an H" and "Zak without a C" ) , Stan ( in "The Ascent Of Stan" ) , Cathy ( "Carrying Cathy" ) , and the down-sized Fred Jones ( "Fred Jones Part 2" ) are every bit as compelling as those he sang about as a member of the trio known as Ben Folds Five. Even the "male, middle class and white" Rage Against The Beastie Boys rapper in the album's title track is as funny and smart as any of Folds's other creations. Folds is also continuing to grow as a composer ( and singer ) of ballads. The lovely fatherhood tune, "Still Fighting," and the revealing and straightforward love song "The Luckiest," almost certainly guarantee Folds a place in the American songbook of the 21st century.
At first, I was a bit surprised by the use of technology on Perry Farrell's solo debut disc Song Yet To Be Sung ( Virgin ) . Then, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a logical way for Farrell to distance himself from his Jane's Addiction/Porno For Pyros past. "Happy Birthday Jubilee," with its electronic beats is a logical transition for Farrell. The same can be said for the songs that follow, including the ethnic sounding title track, the jungle beats and synthesizer on "Did You Forget," the funky "Our Song," the near-house "Seeds," and the dub of "To Me." Farrell's Song Yet To Be Sung reveals an artist with many songs to sing.
Speaking of surprises, you might be as surprised as I was at how gorgeous and lustrous and sumptuous Jealous God ( Artemis ) the debut disc by Nathan Larson of Shudder To Think fame is. Then again, if you've heard any of the soundtrack work Larson has done over the last few years ( including High Art, Velvet Goldmine, and Boys Don't Cry ) , the element of surprise might not be so great. What is great is how a member of a complex, yet rocking, band such as Shudder To Think could make such an exquisite and accessible pop album. While there's not a clinker to be found, tracks such as the soulful "I Must Learn To Live Alone," the funky "One Perfect Stranger," the retro delight of "Just Because A Man Expects Me To" ( a duet with his girlfriend Nina Persson, of The Cardigans fame ) , the snappy "Someone Else's Song," the luminous love song "Hello, Flame," and the mournful "We Will Know Thee By Thy Bloody Rings," deserve to mentioned by name.
I don't think you need to be a Grant Lee Buffalo fan to appreciate Mobilize ( Zoe ) the sumptuous solo disc by GLB's former front man Grant-Lee Phillips. A true solo effort, Phillips wrote and performed all twelve songs on this marvelous album, which he co-produced with Carmen Rizzo. Sounding like a cross between Elliott Smith and David Gray, on the songs "See America" and "Humankind," Phillips reintroduces himself to our ears, and my ears liked everything that they heard, including "Love's A Mystery," "Sadness Soot," the mostly acoustic "Sleepless Lake" and "April Chimes," and the joyfully rhythmic "We All Get A Taste," "Spring Released," and "Beautiful Dreamers."
Another Mr. Phillips, Glen Phillips, former lead singer for Toad The Wet Sprocket, has also released a solo disc. On Abulum ( Brick Red ) , Phillips recalls his former band from time to time, but mostly he sounds like someone happy to be on his own singing his songs. Tunes such as "Men Just Leave," "Back On My Feet," and story songs/character studies such as "Fred Meyers" and "Drive By," find young Mr. Phillips maturing into a fine and original songwriter and performer of his own work.
Canadian pop outfit The Tragically Hip tended to come off like the Barenaked Ladies with a bad attitude. On his solo disc, Coke Machine Glow ( Zoe/Wiener Art ) , The Tragically Hip's Gordon Downie sounds as if he was using David Byrne as his model, particularly on the spoken word opening track "Starpainters." In fact, his vocals on the march-like "Vancouver Divorce," the surreal postcard of "SF Song," and several others, sound like a combination of Byrne's and Tyson Meade's ( of Chainsaw Kittens ) ...and that's meant to be a compliment. As with the Farrell disc, Downie sounds like someone trying to put some sonic distance between himself and the band with which he is associated. It's a risky proposition, considering that most of his fan base will probably want him to sound like what they are familiar with, but I think it pays off - particularly on the songs "Trick Rider," "Chancellor," "Blackflies," "Lofty Pines," and "Yer Possessed."
Of all the guys in this review, Erik Sanko's pedigree is perhaps the most esoteric. The two bands with which he was involved, Lounge Lizards and Skeleton Key, were artsy downtown Manhattan affairs. On his own, he maintains his artiness and ends up sounding like Grandaddy and Wilco meeting for coffee at the country cafe on his album Past Imperfect, Present Tense ( Jetset ) . Banjos and filtered vocals, slide guitars and a washboard rhythm section make for an interesting sound throughout...especially on the songs "That Train," "The Perfect Flaw," "Blow Wind, Blow," and "I Get Along Fine."
Richard Lloyd's exceptional guitar work with the seminal punk band Television was unmistakable. The Cover Doesn't Matter ( Upsetter ) , his first solo disc in nearly 15 years, combines both his guitar and vocal abilities into an enjoyable listening experience. Like Lloyd, Dave Navarro is renowned for his work with a band...The Red Hot Chili Peppers ...whose musical contributions are almost immeasurable. Trust No One ( Capitol ) is his solo debut album. "Rexall," the album's opening track and first single, further illustrates the "return of rock." The remainder of the disc moves back and forth from hard melodic songs ( "Hungry," "Not For Nothing" ) to more exotic tunes ( "Sunny Day," a cover of Velvet Underground's "Venus In Furs" ) .
You probably know Stone Gossard best from his membership in Pearl Jam. Maybe you know him from his side project Brad. However you know him, Gossard is releasing a solo disc, Bayleaf ( Epic ) , in September. The album, like most of the discs mentioned above, is full of surprises, including the '60s-retro piano and organ flourishes of "Anchors."
