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I only know of two albums that were recorded by just one person playing all the instruments themselves.
01: Centerfield by John Fogerty (1985)
02: McCartney by Paul McCartney (1970)
That impresses the hell out of me, for some reason. One person laying down separate tracks (drums/guitar/vocals) to make one complete song/album.
Are there any other "one man band" albums/songs out there that have escaped my notice?
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Foo Fighters first album was all Dave Grohl
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
I think Phil Collins played everything on his first solo album. There are probably many others who could if they wanted to. Todd Rundgren comes to mind. He's also a talented writer, producer and engineer. O.K. I'll say it. He's a wizzard. A true star.
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Quote:
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Originally Posted by buttmunker
[b]01: Centerfield by John Fogerty (1985)
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I didn't realize John was "solo" on
Centerfied.
Thirteen years earlier he recorded my favorite work by him, and one of my top Desert Island Discs...
The Blue Ridge Rangers.
Here's part of a review I found online:
"
While touring with CCR in 1971 / 1972 John practiced steel guitar, fiddle and some other new instruments. After playing that evening's gig he, together with Stu and Doug returned to their hotel room where they would get drunk and play country tunes all night long (after consuming loadsa beer and renaming themselves ''The Shit-Kicker Three from room 73''. This is where John might have gotten the idea of doing an all country album. He also started wearing a white stetson all the time. Directly after the disbanding of CCR in 1972, he wasted no time recording some of his favorite country, bluegrass and gospel tunes.
Because he didn't have a band anymore, John played all the instruments himself. Careful over dubbing made us believe there was a real band at work here. This was also suggested by the album's front cover, showing five different men standing on a sunset- lit hill. Careful examination though shows they are all John Fogerty."
If you have any love for CCR and/or hard country, you need this album.
Henry
"No one would know us there."
-Far From Heaven- (2002)
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Howard Jones
\"and no one seems to understand the glory of guitar, when out of tune, the off timing, the singers who can't sing, - the beauty of flaw!\"
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Grant-Lee Phillips made Mobilize all by himself. Prince made most of his last album by himself. I think there are about 2 cuts with others. Roy Wood has made several albums by himself. Todd Rundgren has made several albums by himself. A friend saw Todd on tour as a one mand band show. He had some kind of round bandstand where he could play guitar or keyboards to tapes. I wish I'd seen that.
Rachael, the big disc cat! I used to be looking for Hi-Vision Laserdiscs & D-Theater tapes, now I'm looking for HD-DVD's and Blu-rays.
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
The new Ben Kweller CD comes to mind.
"Music is a magic carpet loaded with oils and other soothing potions, it's just what you need when you don't know what you need, when you've got more questions than answers." - Bob Lefsetz
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Quote:
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Originally Posted by buttmunker
I only know of two albums that were recorded by just one person playing all the instruments themselves.
01: Centerfield by John Fogerty (1985)
02: McCartney by Paul McCartney (1970)
That impresses the hell out of me, for some reason. One person laying down separate tracks (drums/guitar/vocals) to make one complete song/album.
Are there any other "one man band" albums/songs out there that have escaped my notice?
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As already mentioned McCartney did that a few times. His "McCartney II" was all him (awful album IMO but has its moments), as well as the vast majority of "Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard". Has Stevie Wonder done this?
Some musicians have a special talent for being able to pick up on many different instruments and learn / play / understand them. I believe Mozart was extremely gifted in this area.
Philip Hamm
Moderator Emeritus
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
I thought that Roger Taylor's first album Fun In Space fit the bill until I checked the liner notes and found that "about 50% of the keyboards" were by David Richards, although all vocals, bass, guitar, drums and about 50% of the keyboards were done by Roger. (He was the drummer for Queen, BTW...) I seem to recall that he did the same thing on a couple tracks that he recorded with them (possibly "Fight From The Inside" from News of the World).
One of my favorite albums...
Keane: "Hopes and Fears"
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
So, Eric, shall we put you down as a, "NO"?
"No one would know us there."
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
I think Roy Wood is the most vesitile musican that I can think of. Of course, he played guitar, bass, banjo, and drums. He can peck on keyboards some too. What really impresses me is that he can also play oboe, sax, french horn, cello, and violin. I'd bet that I'm forgetting a few instruments. I thought he played drums better than the other musicans who made albums by themselves. When Mccartney and Rundgren made solo albums, I thought the drumming was atrocious.
Rachael, the big disc cat! I used to be looking for Hi-Vision Laserdiscs & D-Theater tapes, now I'm looking for HD-DVD's and Blu-rays.
I survived the AFI top 100 Film Challenge! I've seen them all.
favourite saying: hard feelings are for park benches... sit on that!
- Joined: July 2001
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Wasn't J Mascis' Dinosaur Jr. a one man band?
"Music is a magic carpet loaded with oils and other soothing potions, it's just what you need when you don't know what you need, when you've got more questions than answers." - Bob Lefsetz
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Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Fudge
Todd Rundgren needs more props.
Check out "Something/Anything?" - he wrote, produced and played everything himself on sides 1-3. Pure pop genius.
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I tend to agree but would you want him for your drummer. The drumming is the weakness of sides 1-3 IMO.
Rachael, the big disc cat! I used to be looking for Hi-Vision Laserdiscs & D-Theater tapes, now I'm looking for HD-DVD's and Blu-rays.
I survived the AFI top 100 Film Challenge! I've seen them all.
favourite saying: hard feelings are for park benches... sit on that!
- Joined: July 1999
- Location: The stars at night.....
- Post Count: 4,274
Re: Authentic "One Man Bands?"
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Rob Gardiner
Yes, I believe so, on one or more of his early-70s albums. (Music of My Mind? Not sure which others)
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That may not be true, I think they just
told Stevie he was alone in the studio.
"No one would know us there."
-Far From Heaven- (2002)
