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Thread: Trevor Horn new album - Reimagines the Eighties

  1. #1
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    Trevor Horn new album - Reimagines the Eighties

    Anyone pick up the new Trevor Horn album - Classic tracks from the 80s reimagined by Trevor Horn with the Sarm Orchestra? It's the first time he has released an album under his own name.


    A couple songs from the album:

    Owner of a Lonely Heart:



    And one with Steve Hogarth on lead vocals:



    Tracklist:

    1. Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Robbie Williams
    2. Dancing In The Dark - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Gabrielle Aplin
    3. Ashes To Ashes - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Seal
    4. The Power Of Love - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Matt Cardle
    5. It's Different For Girls - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Steve Hogarth
    6. Slave To The Rhythm - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Rumer
    7. Brothers In Arms - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Simple Minds
    8. Girls On Film - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and All Saints
    9. What's Love Got To Do With It? - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Tony Hadley
    10. Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra
    11. Take On Me - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra
    12. Blue Monday - Trevor Horn Featuring The Sarm Orchestra and Rev Jimmy Wood

  2. #2
    Interesting....

  3. #3
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    it's creepy that when you play the videos his image blinks.

    interesting take on some classics.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Roth View Post
    It's the first time he has released an album under his own name.
    He's said that in a number of interviews, but then that's what the promo said about the last album released under his own name, The Reflection Wave One—Original Soundtrack! This is, I suppose, the first non-soundtrack album under his own name.

    I await delivery of my copy.

    Henry
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  5. #5
    Member Kcrimso's Avatar
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    I was pretty underwhelmed with this. Quite cheesy and obvious versions.
    My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/

  6. #6
    This is not a release to be taken lightly, it's a release which should be grabbed with both hands.

    And hurled as far away as possible. Williams, Hadley, All Saints...<shudder>

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Kcrimso View Post
    I was pretty underwhelmed with this. Quite cheesy and obvious versions.
    I think they vary in quality, but some are strong (e.g. Seal doing "Ashes to Ashes") and less obvious (e.g. "Take on Me", "Owner of a Lonely Heart").

    Henry
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  8. #8
    How is this different from Gabriel's "Scratch My Back" stuff?
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

  9. #9
    Member Kcrimso's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sturgeon's Lawyer View Post
    How is this different from Gabriel's "Scratch My Back" stuff?
    Gabriel's was art. This is not.
    My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/

  10. #10
    OK, I have now the CD. I like it. It's not as good as the last two album Horn performed on (his own The Reflection Wave One—Original Soundtrack or Legacy's 3 Chord Trick). I think if there is a problem with the album it's that it's ironically not a Trevor Horn album: it's more a Julian Hinton album, produced by Horn. Hinton did all the string arrangements and this is sometimes more his vision than Horn's. I can see that Horn + orchestra was an easy sell to the label, but what makes Horn Horn is what he does in the production studio, which doesn't work so well with an orchestral album.

    This seems to be selling reasonably well, which hopefully will encourage him to finish a new Buggles album or complete one of his musicals.

    Henry
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  11. #11
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    Very disappointed in this release. When I first opened the topic I thought how wonderful it was we would be getting a new Trevor Horn album. I love Trevor's voice and writing but this only a Trevor Horn produced album.
    Noting all the guest musicians the only one that interests me slightly is Steve Hogarth, the rest not at all.
    I can even accept the orchestra backing tracks(which I thought were mixed much louder than vocals(IMO-only).
    I enjoyed Owner, but what do we get? one more Trevor vocal featured song Take On Me...

    We often use the term auto buy here when referring to purchasing a new album, for me this is a auto pass..4 thumbs down out of 4.
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

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    I like it. And this is the first Yes-related release in a long, long time that my wife actually enjoys listening to. So there's that.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by malgeo View Post
    I like it. And this is the first Yes-related release in a long, long time that my wife actually enjoys listening to. So there's that.
    well I think Yes related is a bit of a stretch, but that's just my thought.
    By enlisting vocalists like Robbie Williams, he's obviously in touch with his commercial pop producer hat, and this album reflects that. Robbie Williams????? that's about as far away from Yes related as you can get.
    But I'm glad you and your wife like it, just not my thang.
    I think it's good to remind ourselves from time to time, when someone writes they like or dislike a song or album, they are writing from a personal place.
    Last edited by Top Cat; 01-29-2019 at 09:56 AM.
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

  14. #14
    I think there's plenty to like. These are, by and large, great songs to begin with. These are, by and large, good vocalists. I could listen to Seal singing anything, and I love his vocals on "Ashes to Ashes".

    It is very well produced. It's a big, lush, orchestral approach: some people like that sort of thing, some don't. For some songs, there's not much change. I like the version of "The Power of Love" here, but it's not a million miles away from the original. Other songs are more different: you have a version of "Slave to the Rhythm" without much rhythm, for example. I like the gender swapping with Tony Hadley on "What's Love Got to Do with It" and Gabrielle Aplin on "Dancing in the Dark".

    It is pop. Horn does have a proggier side, and if you want that, get Fly from Here - Return Trip. This is a pop album and, despite the title, this is as much about celebrating the original songs as it is about 're-imagining' them. In promo for the album, Horn has talked about the centrality of the lyrics and vocals/lyrics are at the core here.

    But I get why some people are disappointed: there could be more Trevor Horn in this Trevor Horn album. I too want more Horn composing and performing, but then we have had that across Made in Basing Street, 7 and The Reflection Wave One—Original Soundtrack. And this seems to be selling well, unlike Made in Basing Street and The Reflection Wave One—Original Soundtrack, so I hope that will pave the way for more projects.

    Horn's career in recent years is fascinating. He's divested himself of many of his business interests. He's stopped being a jobbing producer. He hasn't produced a regular album since Billy Idol's Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014). Seal's 7 in 2015 was more of a collaboration, with Horn co-writing 7 of the tracks. Since then, he's been more interested in performing, in the studio and live, and in composing. He did 27 live dates in 2018 (Dire Straits Legacy or the Trevor Horn Band), and I think guested at another 5 (mostly with Yes). He's talking about touring this album now.

    Henry
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  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post
    well I think Yes related is a bit of a stretch
    I support the usage of "Yes-related" to describe this album... but, no, it isn't very Yessy. But it does have a cover of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" on it. It's got Trevor Horn, of course. It's got another Yes producer involved (Tim Weidner). Joel Peters and Cameron Gower-Poole both worked on this and on Return Trip. Ash Soan is the drummer on a lot of this, and he's worked with both Wakeman and Downes.

    Henry
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  16. #16
    #6 in the UK midweek album chart, which also sees Hackett's new album at #14, Vangelis' Nocturne at #75 and Dark Side of the Moon at #86... and an album Steve Howe guests on at #10.

    Henry
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  17. #17
    I'm suprised people don't like this. I think it's a late-career masterpiece from Horn. Excellent choice of material and singers, and one of the best implementations of orchestra in a pop setting I have heard. And the sound is out of this world, especially on my studio monitors. Hats off to Trevor for this one! Of course, I'll add the disclaimer that I love good 80s pop, so most of these songs are very dear to me.

  18. #18
    Member chalkpie's Avatar
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    ^ I spun aa few tracks in my 'phones and really enjoyed it too. His voice still sounds quite nice also.
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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Holm-Lupo View Post
    Of course, I'll add the disclaimer that I love good 80s pop, so most of these songs are very dear to me.
    Me too, but when I heard a couple of these interpretations I decided I'd rather hear the originals.

  20. #20
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    I'm surprised he didn't collaborate with Lady Gaga, Beyonce or Taylor Swift on this.
    I had no clue who half these singers are, so I did some research and they look like a perfect lineup of English top of the pop billboard singers.

    I like what Trevor did with Owner and would've liked to have heard the songs done by him.
    I think the shame is, and I've always believed that Trevor is insecure with his vocals, and he came out of that whole Yes Drama thing and tour damaged.

    I'm sorry but this in my opinion is weird, and the only thing missing is an endorsement from Simon Cowell.
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post
    I'm surprised he didn't collaborate with Lady Gaga, Beyonce or Taylor Swift on this.
    I had no clue who half these singers are, so I did some research and they look like a perfect lineup of English top of the pop billboard singers.
    Well, we don't know who he asked and said no. Most of these are singers that Horn has worked with recently: Seal, Cardle, Aplin, Hogarth, Williams, Simple Minds. Some of those are frequent collaborators of his (Williams, Seal, Cardle).

    Henry
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  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by bondegezou View Post
    Well, we don't know who he asked and said no. Most of these are singers that Horn has worked with recently: Seal, Cardle, Aplin, Hogarth, Williams, Simple Minds. Some of those are frequent collaborators of his (Williams, Seal, Cardle).

    Henry
    I guess he's really been all over the map as a producer, doing pop one minute and Mike Oldfield the next. So it probably isn't that big a surprise he'd do an album with mostly pop singers. I'm just more familiar with his Yes work and Producer's music.(thanks for the reminder on Made in Basing Street)..need to pick that one up. I've watched some of the Producer's videos from a live concert and I like them.
    But my disappointment as I said before, came after listening to Owner, and it whet my appetite for more. And then to find he only did one more made me think of this album as a lost opportunity(but then again it probably pays the bills)

    Thanks again Henry for some of the details you've provided in this thread.
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post
    I'm surprised he didn't collaborate with Lady Gaga, Beyonce or Taylor Swift on this.
    I had no clue who half these singers are, so I did some research and they look like a perfect lineup of English top of the pop billboard singers.
    That's because the majority of the tracks were either composed by or sung by UK acts.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Halmyre View Post
    That's because the majority of the tracks were either composed by or sung by UK acts.
    I know that, but also I don't follow pop music. I've never even heard Robbie Williams unless it was unknowingly while at the dentist office in the background.
    Now the 80's stuff like Tears for Fears, Simple Minds, The Fixx, etc I really like, but today's commercial manufactured money machine music isn't my cup of tea.
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post
    I know that, but also I don't follow pop music. I've never even heard Robbie Williams unless it was unknowingly while at the dentist office in the background.
    Dentist AND Robbie Williams? Double whammy.

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