Originally Posted by: Steve BarrowHi Mr Kasperow,
Any successful band needs some relatively charismatic person with a clear (and not-too-vague) musical vision - then the other potential band-members need to buy into that vision in a positive and cooperative way. If they don't, it's never going to happen - and the person with the initial vision will just become more demoralized and frustrated. So I agree with Mr Axe - get rid of these time-wasters and try out for some other people! Being a solo player may be a solution for you but it won't be anywhere like as satisfying as being part of a proper band. Good luck with it all, Steve[/QUOTE]
For me, any chance to get out there and play some original music will be satisfying. It may be a lot more work if I go with the solo-project, but it'll be easier to pick out the songs I want to learn to play live. Although, according to the Danish guitarist Søren Andersen, having a solo-project means I'll be my own boss 24/7... It sounds like a lot, but then, most of my spare-time is spent on practicing or producing right now, so it can't be that bad, right?

Of course, for the solo-project option, I would need to hire someone to play the songs I choose, and they will most likely not play for free... So there are some pros and cons to both options, it would seem...

[QUOTE=maggior]Keep in mind that doing covers doesn't mean you have to recreate the songs as originally written. Yes did some covers in their early years. America by Simon and Garfunkel was on of them. Listen to both versions - they barely resemble eachother. Talk about making it your own!! Sting did the same thing with Police songs. When he went solo, he redid some Police songs in a way that they were barely recognizable. Megadeth did a cover of "These Boots" by Nancy Sinatra - radically different!

Hope you get this sorted out...I know the frustration. Just don't let it get you down or stop you.

I've never really noticed any cases where covers sound that different from the originals. I know Pretty Maids' cover of Thin Lizzy's "Please Don't Leave Me" sounds a bit different from the original. They basically took the original song and turned it into Heavy Rock, and it works because of how they play it, at least live, not just because their fans like the song (although that definitely helps).

So, it seems I'm underestimating the value of learning a few dozen songs even if I know I'll never be satisfied with only playing covers. Then I can always re-arrange the songs to match whatever lineup I end up with, and sound differently from the original version. I imagine that could take a lot of time, depending on which songs I choose to learn...