Side Projects

Let's talk about side projects!

What are your thoughts? If a favorite artist has a side project, do you check it out? Do you have a favorite?

I know Glenn got his start in Rez but I love his blues stuff and the GKB (funny side note - my autocorrect tries to change that to KGB). In fact, I like some of his solo stuff better than Rez.

I'm a huge Five Iron Frenzy fan and Reese was the mastermind behind Brave Saint Saturn, which was also awesome.

As you may have noticed, I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan as well. I have quite a bit of his stuff. But I can't decide if I want the Traveling Wilbury's projects he did with George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. They had some good singles but... I don't know.

Except for John Schlitt solo away from Petra and the Glenn Kaiser stuff, I can't really think of any side projects on the Christian side that were really worth it.  That Les Carlson project from a year or so ago was horrid.  Dale Thompson's blues stuff was less than stellar, but his new band is cool.  I don't know if you would call it a side project as Bride is retired.  Mike Lee's stint away from Barren Cross hasn't really given us much to listen to.

Now, on the secular side, I would say David Lee Roth's solo stuff was BETTER than anything Van Halen did with Hagar or Cherone.  Vince Neil WAS the Motley Crue sound and he proved that during the time that the Crue were trying to be alternative.  Dee Snider has done some good stuff away from Twisted Sister as well.

I pretty much always check out side projects from my favorite artists/bands.  But most of them can be hit or miss.
 
AdrianGale – (Jamie Rowe from Guardian).  The last several albums by this band have been better than anything Guardian has put out since Miracle Mile.
Big Chris and D’Bare Bones Band  Isn't this a side project from that dude in Mission of One (it’s pretty cool you should check it out).  But maybe this isn’t even a side project, I’m thinking maybe he got fired from Mof1 and this is his new gig.
Mac Powell – solo country album (lead singer for Third Day)…yuck, couldn’t get into that at all. 
Jeff Scheetz has around half a dozen albums under his name (or The Jeff Scheetz Band), but he did an album with a band called “Sign of the Times” (album was “Disengage”) that is pretty cool.
Rob Rock….are his solo albums a “side project” from Impellitteri?  If so I dig them substantially more than most of the Impellitteri albums.
Victor Griffins Ingraved is really cool, but seems like it could just be a “one-off” album with him either returning to “Place of Skulls” or “Pentagram” (or both).
 
On the secular side a few that quickly spring to mind:
Bad English (John Waite, with Jonathan Cain and Neal Shcon from Journey). 
Manic Eden - (side project of Little Caesar singer, and most of the rest of the band from 90’s Whitesnake).
Adrian Smith And Project – (guitarist from Iron Maiden).  He did a hard-rock/blues-based rock album in the late 80’s that was really cool.  Used to have it on cassette until it disappeared (now I can’t find it for sale on CD or MP3 at a reasonable price).
Shadow King – (Lou Gramm of Foreigner and Vivian Campbell of Dio & Def Leppard), straight forward commercial hard rock, great stuff.


At what point is it not a side-project and rather just the “new band”?  Is Bloodgood a side project for Oz Fox?  What about Christian Liljegren, what constitutes a side project for this guy?

ishmael81 wrote:

As you may have noticed, I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan as well. I have quite a bit of his stuff. But I can't decide if I want the Traveling Wilbury's projects he did with George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. They had some good singles but... I don't know.

My wife had that first album on cassette at one time (she won it from a radio station).  I listened to it a few times and remember thinking that the only decent tracks on the album were the ones getting radio airplay.  Kind of surprising given the massive amount of song-writing talent on the album.  Of course I haven't listened to it in over 20 years....so I might think differently of it today.

Side projects are tough.  Especially for vocalists and guitarists.  If they just do what they did in the band, then they get criticized.  If they stray too far away from what their fans expect, then they get criticized.  Usually what makes the band successful in the first place is the combination of talent and chemistry that make up the band.

I've always considered Step Cousin a side project. I didn't think anyone would pay attention to it, but I've had a lot of people tell me they like Step Cousin more than Lordchain. The other side project is Search For Sight. It hasn't received as much attention, since it is so different, folk rock/classic rock. I'd love get some feedback on that music.

Staybrite wrote:

Big Chris and D’Bare Bones Band  Isn't this a side project from that dude in Mission of One (it’s pretty cool you should check it out).  But maybe this isn’t even a side project, I’m thinking maybe he got fired from Mof1 and this is his new gig.

At what point is it not a side-project and rather just the “new band”?  Is Bloodgood a side project for Oz Fox?  What about Christian Liljegren, what constitutes a side project for this guy?

First, Big Chris, I heard the band was fighting and he just took off on his own. I think it's at Jesus Freak Hideout...

Second, with Christian, I think it's all side projects, except for whatever his very first band was, until they broke up... wait no...

Staybrite wrote:

ishmael81 wrote:

As you may have noticed, I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan as well. I have quite a bit of his stuff. But I can't decide if I want the Traveling Wilbury's projects he did with George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. They had some good singles but... I don't know.

My wife had that first album on cassette at one time (she won it from a radio station).  I listened to it a few times and remember thinking that the only decent tracks on the album were the ones getting radio airplay.  Kind of surprising given the massive amount of song-writing talent on the album.  Of course I haven't listened to it in over 20 years....so I might think differently of it today.

That's been my concern. I enjoy Dylan, obviously, but I don't care a lot for the others. It seems counterintuitive, really. A group of excellent songwriters get together and produce something... mediocre....

ishmael81 wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

ishmael81 wrote:

As you may have noticed, I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan as well. I have quite a bit of his stuff. But I can't decide if I want the Traveling Wilbury's projects he did with George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. They had some good singles but... I don't know.

My wife had that first album on cassette at one time (she won it from a radio station).  I listened to it a few times and remember thinking that the only decent tracks on the album were the ones getting radio airplay.  Kind of surprising given the massive amount of song-writing talent on the album.  Of course I haven't listened to it in over 20 years....so I might think differently of it today.

That's been my concern. I enjoy Dylan, obviously, but I don't care a lot for the others. It seems counterintuitive, really. A group of excellent songwriters get together and produce something... mediocre....

That old saying "Too Many Cooks Spoil the Stew" certainly has merit to it.  If you look at most bands there is typically one main song-writer, or one main band leader who makes many of the decisions and keeps the band cohesive.  If most groups were some sort of democracy with everyone playing an equal role in artistic direction and leadership they would likely fall apart very quickly.  I don't know if that was the case with the Wilburys...but possibly.

To me a side project is something a member of a band does while his band is still active and he is still an active member. If the artist goes off on his own and the band doesn't do anything else, or continues without him, then IMO it's a new career.

DLR's solo stuff was not a side project because he had been booted from VH. Bruce Dickinson's solo work was not a side project because he left Iron Maiden, even though he later went back. Ditto for Rob Halford and Judas Priest. Tommy Shaw's work with Dam- Yankees (and others?) was not a side project because Styx was in limbo at the time, though they eventually picked up the mantle again sans Dennis DeYoung.

Steve Perry's "Street Talk," a very good non-Journey album (though I might be slightly biased ), came out while Steve was still actively part of Journey, and thus was a side project. Arnel Pineda's solo album is a side project because he is still part of Journey, though they aren't actively recording to my knowledge (but they are making a ton of $$ touring and playing the old classics). Neal Schon has always had side projects during Journey's active years, though the Bad English and Hardline work was not (IMO) because after "Raised on Radio" Journey looked to be pretty much done ("Trial by Fire" wasn't until 1996, and Neal has said in an interview that he and the others were shocked when Steve Perry contacted them in 1995 saying he wanted to do another album). During the early 80's Neal did a number of collaborations with Jan Hammer that were very un-Journey-like, and even in the last few years with Arnel as lead singer and the band actively touring Neal put out a couple of jazz fusion albums, "The Calling" and "Vortex", both of which are awesome!

As someone pointed out there aren't many side projects worth noting in the Christian rock/metal genres, at least not that I am aware of. The only one that really comes to mind is Michael Sweet. Sure, his first four solo albums came out during Stryper's "are they still a band" years (1990 - 2004), and even Stryper's "Reborn" from 2005 was reportedly one Michael had initially intended to be a solo project. After 2005 Stryper started doing shows again, though they didn't record again until 2009, so Michael's fifth and sixth solo albums could be considered side projects at that point (or alternate career paths  ), but his last two, "I'm Not Your Suicide" and "One Sided War", are definitely side projects because Stryper started actively recording again before INYS was released. And I might add that IMO Michael's last two are very good and do not sound anything like Stryper, and neither does his work with George Lynch (which is good, but not as good as his solo work).

Staybrite wrote:

 
Rob Rock….are his solo albums a “side project” from Impellitteri?  If so I dig them substantially more than most of the Impellitteri albums.

I would not call Rob's work "side projects" because we never really know if Impellitteri is still recording, and often when they do it's with someone different singing lead. And they never tour anywhere except Japan!

From what I heard Chris was given the boot from MO1. Couldn't get along I guess. The thing about it is Chris owns the name but the others want to continue as a band called "Mission Of None" and they are currently working out the details.

As for Bad English, John Waite has said he would never, ever go back. Which is interesting because Neal has recently said they may work together again. Journey is in turmoil at the moment and Jonathan and Neal are not getting along.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/journey-neal-schon-jonathan-cain-dispute/

Neal has even mentioned he would like to use Deen on drums. In the 80's he worked with Hagar on HSAS. I had that record but it wasn't very good from what I remember.

Tommy Shaw also released 2 albums with Jack Blades which are excellent.

And I also remember Tom Petty's "Full Moon Fever" was billed as a solo album. The hype sticker on the front said "Solo, but not alone" even though a few of the Heartbreakers were on it.

CJ Grimmark has as side project Empire 21, Divinefire, Audiovision, Rob Rock.
Christian Liljegren has as side project Audiovision, Wisdom Call, Gold Resurrection, Divinefire.

I'm sure both have more sideprojects than these.

Maybe , 3 of the 4 Whitecross members are involved by King James.
Is that a side project too?

Warning! Thread-jacking in progress.

MikeInFla wrote:

Journey is in turmoil at the moment and Jonathan and Neal are not getting along.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/journey-neal-schon-jonathan-cain-dispute/

Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge Journey fan. With that in mind .... [taking a deep breath]

[The] Journey needs to end. 

I recently saw them in concert, and I hated it. I was bored and wanted my money back. It was "the Neal Schon show", no more and no less, with ridiculously long and convoluted guitar solos in every. single. song! And every song they played was pre-Trial by Fire! It was literally a "classics only" concert! I paid $80 to hear what I could have heard at home listening to "Greatest Hits Live"!! Puhlease!! With four post-Perry albums, two of which were with the current lead singer, play. something. new! 

I know, I know, they were pandering to the fans. but again ... puhlease! Some of us fans are tired of hearing "Don't Stop Believing" and "Wheel in the Sky" being sung by someone that doesn't have the vocal range of the guy that originally performed them!

Then there was the "tribute" to the troops with Neal's over-the-top rendition of The National Anthem, played while members of each branch of the AF stood on the stage. Sorry ... once is a cool, twice is nice, but repeated at every show is just an act.

As for Neal the man, even before the concert I was so sick of his "look at me" and "I wuv my wifeepoo so much" posts on FB that I quit following him. The above-linked article only cements how I feel about him, with statements like "If anyone is unhappy they are not running my band, then they should leave" and "As Jon Cain said to me when we started to rebuild: You have keys and you are the main member. Convenient amnesia; I still have the keys," and then him changing his Twitter handle to "Neal Schon's JRNY". Even his dig at the bass player, Ross Valory, seems hurtful: "I’m tired of having to defend all by my self. Ross is no help." Personally, I have always liked Ross; he always seemed to have the attitude "Dude! I'm just here to play bass" without ever getting his own moment in the spotlight. "Just a singer in a rock and roll band." 

But I digress ... according to the article, as well as others I've read, the most recent Journey album from 2011, Eclipse, which I thought was very good musically though a bit too worldly lyrically (see the lyrics for To Whom It May Concern), was Neal's effort to do a heavier, more rock and roll record, and yet they didn't play a single song from it on their last tour. Neal states, "I continue to grow and be completely creative" ... This certainly appeared to be true with "The Calling" and "Vortex," his jazz fusion solo work, but I didn't see anything creative or new at the concert! Again, I realize that is likely what the band (that is, Neal) felt the fans wanted, but phooey! If you only perform for the sake of appeasing people then you are not artists, you're puppets.

As for Jonathan Cain, I have never really liked him. Sure, he ushered in the era of Journey's super stardom, with the "Escape" and "Frontiers" tracks being some of the band's most well known and popular. But personally I have always preferred the pre-Cain version of Journey. That was when they were a real rock and roll band.

So it is with a sad heart that I retire my standing as the world's biggest Journey fan (well, at least in my world!   ) I do, and will, continue to listen to them, and if by some chance they put out a new album I will probably buy it. But now anytime I listen to Journey I sigh and weep for days gone by.   



What? Too melodramatic?   

Rant complete.

BearDad wrote:

Warning! Threat-jacking in progress.

MikeInFla wrote:

Journey is in turmoil at the moment and Jonathan and Neal are not getting along.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/journey-neal-schon-jonathan-cain-dispute/

Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge Journey fan. With that in mind .... [taking a deep breath]

[The] Journey needs to end. 

I recently saw them in concert, and I hated it. I was bored and wanted my money back. It was "the Neal Schon show", no more and no less, with ridiculously long and convoluted guitar solos in every. single. song! And every song they played was pre-Trial by Fire! It was literally a "classics only" concert! I paid $80 to hear what I could have heard at home listening to "Greatest Hits Live"!! Puhlease!! With four post-Perry albums, two of which were with the current lead singer, play. something. new! 

I know, I know, they were pandering to the fans. but again ... puhlease! Some of us fans are tired of hearing "Don't Stop Believing" and "Wheel in the Sky" being sung by someone that doesn't have the vocal range of the guy that originally performed them!

Then there was the "tribute" to the troops with Neal's over-the-top rendition of The National Anthem, played while members of each branch of the AF stood on the stage. Sorry ... once is a cool, twice is nice, but repeated at every show is just an act.

As for Neal the man, even before the concert I was so sick of his "look at me" and "I wuv my wifeepoo so much" posts on FB that I quit following him. The above-linked article only cements how I feel about him, with statements like "If anyone is unhappy they are not running my band, then they should leave" and "As Jon Cain said to me when we started to rebuild: You have keys and you are the main member. Convenient amnesia; I still have the keys," and then him changing his Twitter handle to "Neal Schon's JRNY". Even his dig at the bass player, Ross Valory, seems hurtful: "I’m tired of having to defend all by my self. Ross is no help." Personally, I have always liked Ross; he always seemed to have the attitude "Dude! I'm just here to play bass" without ever getting his own moment in the spotlight. "Just a singer in a rock and roll band." 

But I digress ... according to the article, as well as others I've read, the most recent Journey album from 2011, Eclipse, which I thought was very good musically though a bit too worldly lyrically (see the lyrics for To Whom It May Concern), was Neal's effort to do a heavier, more rock and roll record, and yet they didn't play a single song from it on their last tour. Neal states, "I continue to grow and be completely creative" ... This certainly appeared to be true with "The Calling" and "Vortex," his jazz fusion solo work, but I didn't see anything creative or new at the concert! Again, I realize that is likely what the band (that is, Neal) felt the fans wanted, but phooey! If you only perform for the sake of appeasing people then you are not artists, you're puppets.

As for Jonathan Cain, I have never really liked him. Sure, he ushered in the era of Journey's super stardom, with the "Escape" and "Frontiers" tracks being some of the band's most well known and popular. But personally I have always preferred the pre-Cain version of Journey. That was when they were a real rock and roll band.

So it is with a sad heart that I retire my standing as the world's biggest Journey fan (well, at least in my world!   ) I do, and will, continue to listen to them, and if by some chance they put out a new album I will probably buy it. But now anytime I listen to Journey I sigh and weep for days gone by.   



What? Too melodramatic?   

Rant complete.

Aww BearDad,
Things may get better. Don't stop believin'.

BearDad wrote:

Steve Perry's "Street Talk," a very good non-Journey album (though I might be slightly biased ), came out while Steve was still actively part of Journey, and thus was a side project. Arnel Pineda's solo album is a side project because he is still part of Journey, though they aren't actively recording to my knowledge (but they are making a ton of $$ touring and playing the old classics). 

Completely agree about "Street Talk", absolutely fantastic album.
I had no idea Pineda had a solo album, going to have to check that out.

MikeInFla wrote:

From what I heard Chris was given the boot from MO1. Couldn't get along I guess. The thing about it is Chris owns the name but the others want to continue as a band called "Mission Of None" and they are currently working out the details.

Do you think it was his massive ego that caused him to get booted?  That's what I'm guessing.

rockerVu2 wrote:

CJ Grimmark has as side project Empire 21, Divinefire, Audiovision, Rob Rock.
Christian Liljegren has as side project Audiovision, Wisdom Call, Gold Resurrection, Divinefire.

I'm sure both have more sideprojects than these.

Maybe , 3 of the 4 Whitecross members are involved by King James.
Is that a side project too?

CJ also played on the System Breakdown album "102" (from 2003).  If you look at his wikipedia page he has recorded on more than a dozen projects, including his solo album.

In addition to Rex working with Whitecross and King James he also has two solo albums.

BearDad wrote:

Love that graphic!

ishmael81 wrote:

Don't stop believin'.

ishmael81 wrote:

BearDad wrote:

Warning! Threat-jacking in progress.

You preview and proof-read, then correct and preview and proof-read, and keep going until you think have all the errors fixed before finally posting, and not until someone quotes your post do you see glaringly obvious grammatical errors!

BearDad wrote:

ishmael81 wrote:

BearDad wrote:

Warning! Threat-jacking in progress.

You preview and proof-read, then correct and preview and proof-read, and keep going until you think have all the errors fixed before finally posting, and not until someone quotes your post do you see glaringly obvious grammatical errors!

That hoppens to me all the thyme!

All the MO1/Big Chris & D'Bare Bones Band rumors are true thus far.  That's what I heard, anyway!   

I don't consider my new stuff my "side" project.  I just haven't written anything musically to keep doing MO1.  With the direction going full-on blues, it just felt right to change the name so people would know it isn't the same.  I would think that a side project would mean that your main project is still operating even if you have some time to work on something else.  With that definition in mind, then MO1 is technically dead.