Going solo, but not going it alone

THE Passion of the Rob?

Not exactly, but when discussing “Something to Be,” the upcoming solo debut album by Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas, producer Matt Serletic is drawn to biblical imagery.

“I’m not overtly Christian, nor is Rob, but this was a spiritual journey of looking inside yourself, giving all that you are,” says Serletic, who has also produced all three Matchbox albums and, for his day job, is chairman and CEO of Virgin Records.

Serletic took that so far as to use musical instruments and styles from the time of Christ and before in the song “All That I Am,” arguably the emotional centerpiece of the album. There’s even a shofar, the ram’s horn still used in Jewish High Holy Days services.

“I found my books from my master’s degree studies and pulled references to the earliest instruments,” Serletic says. “The shofar is the thing that blew down the walls at Jericho, there’s an ancient Babylonian harp and an ancient oboe. And there’s a Christian element. I was trying to paint a picture of the time of Christ.”

Thomas isn’t quite as explicit about the song and, in fact, from the way he talks about the album, the biblical story that most comes to mind is that of the prodigal son. He felt that he had to strike out on his own -- but he will be returning home to his band.

“After a long time you can really start to realize the limitations of two guitars, a bass player, drummer and keyboard player,” says Thomas of the Florida band he’s fronted for a decade. “There’s only so far you can take that, especially a band like Matchbox, where every member has a deciding vote on every sound you lay down.”

That said, he didn’t stray too far. He stuck with Serletic as producer and some of his Matchbox mates make appearances on the album, due April 26 from Atlantic Records.

“If I went with other hit makers, I wouldn’t be sure if they did it or I did,” he says, noting that Serletic also produced the huge 1999 hit “Smooth” that Thomas did with Carlos Santana. “With Matt, who’s done almost everything I’ve done, I would be able to get the most honest thing out of me. With a lot of artists doing solo records, the focus became who they worked with -- ‘This was the Nellee Hooper record,’ or ‘This was the OutKast track and the Pharrell track.’ These are all Rob and Matt.”

But it’s not predictable. The sound is much different from the straight-ahead pop-rock of Matchbox and, in places, from directions Thomas says people seemed to expect from him.

“People thought I was making a Crowded House record or a singer-songwriter record,” he says. “But it’s louder than that, and people are surprised. It covers more ground than Matchbox does. It’s titled ‘Something to Be’ because it really is all over the place, from country to super pop-sounding.”

The thread through it, though, is in the rhythm section, with bassist Mike Elizondo (a regular on Dr. Dre and Eminem records) and drummer Gerald Hayward (Mary J. Blige and Beyonce) anchoring most tracks. Guests include guitarist Mike Campbell (Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers), Wendy Melvoin (of Wendy & Lisa), Jeff Trott (longtime Sheryl Crow collaborator), with steel guitar prodigy Robert Randolph driving the blues-rock burner “I’m an Illusion.”

Thomas says he was charged by the experience and wants to make more solo albums and is planning a solo tour this spring and summer. But he also said that there was no question about Matchbox’s resuming work as a band, possibly before the end of the year.

“We’ve become part of the song fabric of America with Matchbox, and we couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve done,” he says.

“But we did get to a point where if we didn’t take a break to do something else, we wouldn’t be able to continue.”

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Motorhead driver speeds along at 60 with a little help

WHEN Motorhead leader Lemmy Kilmister celebrated his 50th birthday in 1995 and the band marked its 20th anniversary, a tribute band did a set of the group’s songs at the Whisky, with the members all dressed up as Kilmister with long wigs and facial moles

That tribute band happened to be Metallica.

They’re not doing quite the same thing this year for the celebration of Kilmister’s 60th birthday and Motorhead’s 30th anniversary, but members of Metallica are among those working with the always-colorful Kilmister on an album of collaborations with acts he’s influenced. Others who are on board include Dave Grohl, Sum 41, Rancid, the Damned and Reverend Horton Heat.

“We’re doing songs I write with the people I’m playing with,” Kilmister says of the yet-untitled album. “It’s just bands I like. I want to do a track with Jeff Beck and some different stuff. Joan Jett would be great if I can get her.”

It seems odd that it’s taken three decades of Motorhead -- equally influential in punk and metal circles -- for Kilmister to make a solo album, and even more so considering that his career stretches through the early ‘70s with space-rockers Hawkwind and the ‘60s with the Brit R&B; combo the Rockin’ Vicars. He says it’s mostly because he’s been working pretty constantly all that time -- and it’s not that different now.

Motorhead will be touring starting in March with North American dates to be added and an album to be recorded shortly afterward and probably released before the solo project is even finished.

“I’m working on the solo project between Motorhead, and there’s not much between,” he says.

“I’ll have to sneak it out.”

Meanwhile, Kilmister is basking in the affection being shown by all the acts that have joined him on the solo project, acts who owe a lot to him in terms of inspiration.

“They say so, anyway,” he says. “Just politeness. No, it’s nice, I’ve been lucky.”