An Album a Day: Before They Went Solo

Featuring No Doubt, The Miracles, Will Smith, and others

My friend Ken and I decided to listen to an album every day this year. Each week is themed. At the end of each week, we rank what we listened to. To be clear, we aren’t ranking every album that fits the theme. We are only ranking what we chose to listen to during the last seven days.

This week’s theme is “before they went solo,” meaning we are listening to groups with at least member that went on to have a notable solo career. In general, we are listening to the group’s first album.

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#7 Heroine by From First To Last (2006 - Before Skrillex went solo)

Before Sonny Moore dubbed himself Skrillex and helped popularize dubstep, he cut his teeth as the lead singer of the punk group From First to Last. I’ve never been into dubstep, but I was into this album even less. Too much screaming. Not enough memorable riffs. I did enjoy the time signature change on the first track, though.

#6 No Doubt by No Doubt (1992 - Before Gwen Stefani went solo)

At nearly every college, a group of freshman will start jamming together for fun. Eventually, an opportunity for a gig will emerge. The group then decides to write a few songs for the event. The songs are only half-baked, though. They’re mostly just vehicles to jam. The first No Doubt album sounds like it emerged from a scenario just like this.

Gwen Stefani’s bandmates could clearly play. The arrangements are tight, and there are occasional moments of inspiration. But the songs just aren’t there. Combine that with the fact that these ska-infused jams sometimes take detours into musical theater territory, and you end up with an album that is not very good. Frankly, it’s incredible that they went from writing songs like this to writing songs like “Don’t Speak” and “Just a Girl” in the space of three years.

#5 Rock the House by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (1987 - Before Will Smith went solo)

Was I expecting this album to be cheesy? Of course. Will Smith’s family-friendly raps are known for their corniness. But they are also light-hearted fun, especially when paired with Jazzy Jeff’s lively beats.

The song on this record that I found most interesting was “Just Rockin',” Smith’s braggadocios ode to his boom box. It hints at the fact that he may have been as dexterous on the mic as, say, LL Cool J before he turned to television and movies.

#4 Hi... We’re the Miracles by The Miracles (1961 - Before Smokey Robinson went solo)

Here is a rough outline of what I was thinking as I listened to The Miracles’ debut album:

• “I can’t believe Smokey Robinson wrote ‘Who’s Lovin' You’”

• [Proceeds to look up Robinson’s songwriter discography] “Wow Smokey wrote a lot of great songs”

• “‘Shop Around’ still kicks 60 years later”

• “Nobody’s voice sounds more beautiful at the top of their range than Smokey”

• “I didn’t realize a woman was in The Miracles”

• “I wish this album had a fewer ballads”

#3 The Runaways by The Runaways (1976 - Before Joan Jett went solo)

The Runaways’ debut album is both precocious and rudimentary. Do some riffs get redundant? Yes. But is there evidence of musical cleverness? Also, yes. That cleverness becomes even clearer when you remember that every member of the legendary band was under 20 when this thing was recorded. That’s really young.

Had I not known beforehand, I probably would have never guessed that Joan Jett was in this group. Her voice doesn’t have the mature husk that would make her a superstar in the 1980s.

#2 Drive-Thru Booty by Freak Power (1994 - Before Fatboy Slim went solo)

Before Norman Cook popularized big beat under the name Fatboy Slim, he was making tasty jams as a member of Freak Power. And those jams are truly delectable. The album’s opener, “Moonbeam Woman,” has a bass line so melodic that it would leave Paul McCartney in awe.

#1 The “Angry” Young Them! by Them (1965 - Before Van Morrison went solo)

If No Doubt’s first album makes them sound like a jam-oriented college band that hasn’t figured out how to write songs yet, then Them is also a similar situation. Their proto-garage sound is also something you are bound to come across on a college campus.

There’s one difference between No Doubt and Them’s collegiate efforts, though. Them sound like seasoned professionals. Not only do I wish these songs went on for longer, but I wish I could hear Van Morrison sing every song in existence. Luckily, he has been doing just that for decades.

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