# Musicians who play all/most of the parts on their albums? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025 "2007-04-29T05:05:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Trathena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Trathena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trathena)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/41 "2007-04-30T02:12:10Z")
I believe that Jon Crosby (VAST) recorded his first album, _Visual Audio Sensory Theater,_ by himself. For the longest time, he billed himself as a one-man band. Also, until recently, Jimmy Gnecco was basically Ours, and he played all of the instruments on his first album, _Distorted Lullabies._ But in the past few years, he’s formed a band that he’s completely happy with. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/42 "2007-04-30T02:38:06Z")
[QUOTE=Kilvert’s Pagan] And there were dozens of instruments involved, some obscure. [/QUOTE] Eh. Everything Oldfield played on _Tubular Bells_ was either a guitar of some sort, a keyboard, or percussion, except for the flageolet, which is basically just a pennywhistle. Still a great album, of course; but that long list of instruments is a bit pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/43 "2007-04-30T09:35:47Z")
Todd Rundgren, at least on “Hermit of Mink Hollow”. He played most instruments on “Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren” also - most of that except bass and drums. The rest of his albums, maybe not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/44 "2007-04-30T11:35:59Z")
Thanks, guys. As usual, I’ve only heard of a tiny percentage of the acts mentioned. Using my not-having-heard-of-most-of-these-acts as evidence, I guess it is rare that a single person can do most of the parts himself and still have it be of professional quality and successful/well-known. Of the ones here (not counting the debunked Prince?), I’ve only really listened to Corgan, Paul ex-Beatle, Sufjan, Ben Folds, and good ol’ Mr. Wonder. I’m really surprised at the last for some reason. What instruments was he able to play? ---
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/45 "2007-04-30T12:49:27Z")
Jack White, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/46 "2007-04-30T14:24:18Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Speaking of Ben Folds, his pal John Mark Painter plays most of the instruments for **Fleming & John** (Fleming does the vocals), and an impressive array of instruments they are, including horns and strings. [/QUOTE] I came in here to list John Painter. On their album _The Way We Are_ he played 26 (or maybe 28) different instruments. Most of the drums on that album were played by Fleming’s brother, with Folds making an appearance. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/47 "2007-04-30T15:03:56Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] I came in here to list John Painter. On their album _The Way We Are_ he played 26 (or maybe 28) different instruments. Most of the drums on that album were played by Fleming’s brother, with Folds making an appearance. [/QUOTE] When I was confirming my post about Ben, I looked up his albums on AllMusic and noted that Painter played all of the following on _Fear of Pop_: Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Trombone, Trumpet, Cello, Theremin, Producer, Performer, Djembe, Chamberlain, Vocoder, Mixing. 🆒 I got to hang out with both Fleming and John a few times when I was following Ben Folds Five around (I helped John buy socks in Cincinnati!) and they are very, very cool people. Fleming is like a little doll 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![guppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@guppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guppy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/48 "2007-04-30T15:23:27Z")
[QUOTE=Windwalker] What instruments was he able to play? [/QUOTE] [A multi-instrumentalist, Wonder plays the drums, congas, bass guitar, organ, harmonica, piano and synthesizer. In his early career, he was best known for his harmonica work, but today he is better known for his keyboard skills.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder) I thought he played guitar as well but I may be wrong on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Trathena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Trathena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trathena)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025/49 "2007-05-04T14:56:18Z")
One more: Patrick Wolf. Out of the 20-odd instruments on his album _Wind In the Wires,_ he plays all but 3 of them. He also wrote and produced this album. I highly recommend it too, if you like pop/rock. It’s fantastic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-who-play-all-most-of-the-parts-on-their-albums/402025.md?page=2)