Let’s discuss any and all music here. You’ve got a new artist who’s rocking your boat that you want to talk about? Post a video! Found out about that unearthed Coltrane album that has the jazz freak in you losing your mind? Lay it out for us! Do you have a theory about what your favorite band might do for their next album? Let’s hear it! Anything and everything music-related goes here.

This week’s discussion prompt: Going Solo.

When a member of a band – more often than not (but not always) the singer – leaves to start a solo career, the results can vary. Sometimes the band’s absence can be painfully felt; other times it can result in the artist achieving their full potential. What, in your opinion, are some of the best (and worst) examples of an artist going solo?

The Velvet Underground are now regarded as one of the most influential bands in music history, but when Reed left the group he had formed (and of which he was the primary songwriter) in 1970, the group had yet to achieve this distinction. And when Reed left the VU, it was not to embark on a solo career; initially, Reed ended up working as a typist for before getting a contract with RCA the following year and getting back into the studio to record his eponymous solo debut.

Lou Reed would go on to record twenty solo studio albums and several live albums; while there are a few Reed albums that are widely regarded as his best (and a couple that are almost universally loathed) there is not really a clear consensus on most of them, with few in complete agreement on which albums are essential and which era is his best.  The VU years will always be my favorite, but of the solo stuff personally I prefer ’70’s Lou (drink n’ drugs) to ’80’s Lou (sober and serious), though I like albums and songs from across his entire catalogue. A writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted his personal ranking of Lou Reed’s albums from best to worst, also giving a series of individual reviews for each and every album on a weekly basis leading up to posting the final list – pretty cool for what appears to be a local paper, and a fun read. The VU albums are obviously more essential, but there is plenty of great stuff to be found among Lou’s solo joints as well.

In addition to being a gifted songwriter and musician, Lou was also well versed in the art of dealing with stupid questions at press conferences.

As always, any and all music-related topics are welcome. Have fun, and rock out with yr guac out.