Recording Artists Go Solo

Rock music has a long history of musicians establishing themselves in bands before achieving greatness as a solo artist. One of the earliest and best examples of this is Van Morrison. With his band Them, Morrison made his mark with enduring tunes such as "Gloria" (later reinvented by Patti Smith) and "Here Comes the Night."

Both of those songs, along with 35 others, have been compiled on the double-disc set "The Essential Van Morrison" (Exile/Legacy). Morrison's solo work often retained some of the trademark soulfulness found on those early Them recordings, heard clearly on "Brown Eyed Girl," "Wild Night," "Domino" and "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)." But there was far more to Morrison, exemplified in classics such as "Crazy Love," "Moondance," "Astral Weeks," "Tupelo Honey," and later selections such as "Have I Told You Lately," "Someone Like You" and "Days Like This."

Gregg Allman hasn't had it easy. In addition to the 1971 death of brother Duane, with whom he performed as part of legendary Southern rock unit the Allman Brothers Band, the now-sober Allman battled addictions and was also briefly married to someone named Cher. Talk about a survivor! "Back to Macon, GA" (Rounder/Blackbird), recorded in January 2014, is a live set consisting of two CDs and one DVD. Backed by his band, Allman sings and plays guitar and keyboards on original songs from his solo career, cover tunes, and Allman brothers standards such as "Melissa," "Midnight Rider" and "Whipping Post."

Sarah Cracknell is the distinctive voice of UK electro-pop band Saint Etienne, famous for songs such as "Like a Motorway," "Nothing Can Stop Us," "Hug My Soul," "You're in a Bad Way" and a brilliant cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." On "Red Kite" (Cherry Red), her second solo album and first in almost 20 years, Cracknell puts some sonic distance between herself and her bandmates. "Hearts Are for Breaking" is the most rhythmic tune on the disc, and its beat owes more to 1960s dance music than that of the 90s or 00s. The remaining 11 songs (10 of which were co-written by Cracknell) definitely favor a retro-pop sound, with the best among them being the country-tinged "Nothing Left To Talk About," the dreamy "In the Dark," the lush "Take the Silver," the haunting "I Close My Eyes" and the timeless "It's Never Too Late."

Shana Halligan's name and voice will be recognizable to those familiar with her previous project, the trip-hop duo Bitter:Sweet. Halligan comes into her own on the aptly titled solo disc Back to Me (Plug Research). Halligan doesn't entirely abandon her electro-hop roots on songs such as "Tired of Alone," "Something Real," "Freak" and "If I Knew." But it's on the songs where she really stretches her creative muscles, including the title track, "Can't Live Without Your Love," and a fresh cover of Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's "I Wonder If I Take You Home," that Shana shines.

With Momentary Masters (Vagrant), Albert Hammond, Jr. of the Strokes has released his most satisfying solo album to date. There are enough songs here, such as "Side Boob," "Caught By My Shadow" and "Touche," to make sure that we don't forget Hammond's musical roots are in one of the most influential bands from the indie-rock revival of the early 2000s. But what sets the disc apart is the way Hammond explores new and unexpected sounds, from the Vampire Weekend-esque "Born Slippy" and "Coming To Getcha" to the New Order-ly funk of "Power Hungry" and the dance rock of "Drunched in Crumbs." Hammond's cover of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice" is inspired.

Arriving seven years after his acclaimed "The Evangelist" disc, "Songs To Play" (Tapete) is the sixth solo disc in 25 years by Robert Forster of celebrated Australian band the Go-Betweens. Forster burns down the house on "Learn To Burn," where he sounds remarkably like David Byrne. This song is among the first to signal a change in Forster's musical mood, which also comes through on "Let Me Imagine You," "A Poet Walks," "I'm So Happy for You" and the twangy "I Love Myself (and I Always Have)."

Bob Forrest, ex-lead vocalist of L.A. punk rock band Thelonious Monster, has been clean and sober for almost 20 years. He has made a name for himself in the world of recovery, appearing as a drug counselor alongside Dr. Drew on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab." His suitably titled new album "Survival Songs" (Six Degrees) doesn't mince words about his experiences, on songs such as "Looking to the West," "Cereal Song," "Body & Soul" and "Off-Street Parking." The disc, featuring The Geraldine Fibbers' Carla Bozulich on backing vocals, is a visceral and difficult experience, but one that should be heard.