These days, with the advent of user-friendly technology and reasonably priced studio gear, making do-it-yourself recordings is a relatively uncomplicated affair. But playing all the instruments and singing all the vocals on full-band arrangements―over the course of an entire album―requires a set of skills few musicians possess. All of which makes the following one-man-band albums an impressive lot indeed.
John Fogerty: Centerfield (1985)
John Fogerty rediscovered his songwriting muse with this stunning effort, which earned the former CCR frontman his first No. 1 album since leaving his old band. Working from meticulously crafted demos, Fogerty recorded the disc for a mere $35,000. The title track remains a staple of classic-rock radio.
Prince: Dirty Mind (1980)
Released four years before
Purple Rain catapulted its maker to stardom, this one-man tour de force gave new meaning to the term “shock rock.” In the process of exploring an array of taboo topics, Prince found the voice that would carry him through his next several albums, both musically and thematically. The dance-pop track “When You Were Mine” pulsed with sensuality, while “Head” and “Uptown” weaved together brickhouse funk and synth-based melodies.
Steve Winwood: Arc of a Diver (1980)
Hard to believe, but former teen phenom
Steve Winwood was contemplating leaving show business when he recorded this one-man-band masterpiece. Buttressed by the Top 10 hit “While You See a Chance,” the album framed Winwood’s blue-eyed soul in atmospheric arrangements and languid tempos. A heavy MTV presence later pushed Winwood’s career to further heights.
Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells (1973)
Some might lambaste this album as a prototype for New Age music, but there’s no denying its brilliance in both conception and execution. Still in his teens at the time the album was made, Oldfield (www.mikeoldfield.com/) crafted a 50-minute epic that drew from rock, classical, and British folk music. In addition to providing the film
The Exorcist with its theme music, the album launched Virgin Records and earned Virgin founder
Richard Branson his first fortune.
Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything? (1972)
His next album would be titled
A Wizard, A True Star, but this was the disc that served real notice of
Todd Rundgren’s studio artistry. Playing all the instruments on three of the double album’s four sides, Rundgren crafted some of rock’s most enduring pop songs. “I Saw the Light” and “Hello It’s Me” probably made
Carole King green with envy. Likewise, “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” sounded like a great lost Badfinger track.
Paul McCartney: McCartney (1970)
Wisely,
Paul McCartney opted for a low-key approach on his first post-Beatles album. Working alone in his home studio, Macca brought an organic feel to his trademark melodies, eschewing polish in favor of charm. One suspects the ex-Beatle was trying to pull down expectations; nonetheless, “Maybe I’m Amazed” dazzles even after all these years.
Grant-Lee Phillips: Mobilize (2001)
It’s hardly surprising that
Grant-Lee Phillips has long been one of Michael Stipe’s favorite songwriters. Imbuing his material with intriguing mysteries, memorable melodies, and a cinematic sweep that’s tied closely to the American heartland, Phillips often comes off a quirky mix of
Bruce Springsteen and John Lennon. Few contemporary songwriters have so successfully fused Americana themes to a melodic sense gleaned form British pop icons.
Foo Fighters: Foo Fighters (1995)
Few knew, but during his stint with Nirvana, drummer
Dave Grohl was making home recordings that would form the foundation for his first post-Nirvana album. The cannily titled
Foo Fighters gathered the best of those home recordings into a pop-punk triumph. In the aftermath of the album’s release, Grohl opted not to grant interviews or perform in large venues, most likely in deference to the memory of his friend Kurt Cobain.
Roy Wood: Boulders (1972)
As co-leader and co-founder of both
The Move and the Electric Light Orchestra,
Roy Wood showed he could make commercially viable pop music. With this 1972 solo album, he also proved that great melodies could accommodate the most outlandish eccentricities. Delighting in absurdist humor and studio trickery, Wood sounds like he’s having the time of his life on the do-it-yourself disc.
Aimee Mann has cited the album as one of her favorites.
Tobin Sprout: Moonflower Plastic (1997)
Robert Pollard gets all the attention, but former Guided By Voices guitarist
Tobin Sprout deserves a special place among the pop-rock elite. A neglected masterpiece, this album boasts a trove of richly melodic songs rife with poignancy and yearning. The album’s centerpiece, “Angels Hang Their Socks on the Moon,” rivals anything in the post-Beatle McCartney catalog.