Do great band members make good solo artists?

Do great band members make good solo artists?

That’s the question I’ve found myself pondering in the last 10 minutes or so, since stumbling on Gomez (or, as it sounds like, just Ben Ottewell) doing their (or his) version of Wichita Lineman.

Ben Ottewell released his own solo album – Shapes and Shadows – at the start of this year. Comprising of 9 songs, it’s a tidy album, but it’s lacking a certain something. Could it be the rest of his band mates?

Thom Yorke released a solo record, The Eraser a few years back. It’s good, but it’s not a patch on Radiohead’s output.

And what about David Gilmour, Roger Waters or Mark Knopfler? Has any of their solo output matched that of Pink Floyd or Dire Straits?

Here’s a challenge for you: name a solo artist that’s better on their own than they were in their band. I’ve got a few up my sleeve, but I’d like to see what you can come up with first.