Thoughts on a Hodgson-Rabin Album

[Squids]

I remember in the 90s getting excited about a possible collaborate project between Roger Hodgson of Supertramp and Trevor Rabin of Yes. Apparently Chris Squire and Alan White were going to be in this band but it wasn't going to necessarily be called Yes. They wrote together but didn't manage to get it done together. Some tracks ended up on Roger's solo work and some stuff, or at least "Walls" ended up on Yes's Talk.

Would have been cool if they had finished an album together. Also interesting if they toured and played the new songs plus a bunch of Supertramp and Yes tunes with Roger singing. Thoughts?

[Dan Roth]

I really enjoy most of Roger and Trevor's work. That being said, "Walls" is the weakest song on the Talk album IMHO. Hodgson's In The Eye of the Storm and Rabin's Can't Look Away are two albums that I still really enjoy to this day
so I would have been keen to hear what the rest of the album sounded like.

The version with Roger on it is on the 90124 album:

[calyx]

At one point the songs they wrote together were going to be on a Supertramp reformation album. Roger and Rick plus John Helliwell had played together at an event in the spring of 1993 for the first time in ten years and for a short while it looked like the classic line-up might reform. After that failed, those songs (apart from "Walls") were basically forgotten about.

The teaming up with Chris and Alan was a brief affair, apparently. Seems it stopped after Roger was asked if he'd join Yes as the new singer (an offer also made to Steve Walsh of Kansas ca. 1990) and he declined.

[ronmac]

The teaming up with Chris and Alan was a brief affair, apparently. Seems it stopped after Roger was asked if he'd join Yes as the new singer (an offer also made to Steve Walsh of Kansas ca. 1990) and he declined.

I always thought that Steve Walsh would have been a great choice to sing for Yes. In fact, I tend to cite him as an example when i argue against hiring Jon clones.

[Squids]

Oh wow I didn't even know the version of "Walls" was released with Roger on it. Thanks for sharing that! Interesting to hear the two of them singing together at least. I agree it's not the best song but it's not bad either and yeah I wonder what the rest of the album would have sounded like. Apparently this is another song they worked on:



And they probably scared Roger away by asking him to join Yes. Would have been better as its own project/band without as much expectation as there'd be calling it Yes. It was a hybrid band and Roger had his own amazing back catalog to play as well. So, I think they kind of blew it. Of course nothing stopping Rabin and Hodgson doing it again. They should IMO. It could be cool. Don't you think? Rabin can probably kill the Rick Davies parts on Supertramp songs and Roger can do Yes songs justice. They can pick just the songs that work best. I'd go see it! A new album would be welcome too.

[Squids]

And if you haven't heard this one, the title track from Roger's 2000 solo album, this song would have been great on either a Hodgson-Rabin album OR a Supertramp reunion album! They really blew it on a Supertramp reunion. Such a shame. That was such a great band up to Famous Last Words.

[mozo-pg]

^^^^ Are you forgeting Brother Where You Bound? Closest to returning to quasi-prog roots and lots of excellent music.

[Squids]

^^^^ Are you forgeting Brother Where You Bound? Closest to returning to quasi-prog roots and lots of excellent music.

I like that album. It sounded great. But, of course, it did miss Hodgson when you compare it to the previous catalog of Supertramp albums. If you combined the best of that with Eye of the Storm that would have made a killer Supertramp album IMO.

[DarthVander]

I always thought that Steve Walsh would have been a great choice to sing for Yes. In fact, I tend to cite him as an example when i argue against hiring Jon clones.

And as a huge Walsh fan I always thought he was a weird choice. I guess it would have been interesting to hear 70s Walsh's take on classic Yes (though even then I don't think it would have been comfortably in his range, and would have rocked it beyond what is acceptable for Yes fans), but by 1990 his voice had already started to deteriorate quickly so live that would have been a disaster.
And as a writer he was more of a straight ahead rocker which probably wouldn't have worked with Yes.

[ronmac]

I like Hodgson, but I can't see him singing "Heart of the Sunrise." He doesn't have the power in his voice for something like that, IMHO.

[LeFrog]

I've always felt that Anderson sounded uncannily like Hodgson on Walls, to the point it sounds like Hodgson is singing uncredited backing vocals on the chorus. This is probably because the melody is so typical of Hodgson.
I think this song is probably a fair representation of what a Hodgson Rabin collaboration would have sounded like.

[Squids]

I like Hodgson, but I can't see him singing "Heart of the Sunrise." He doesn't have the power in his voice for something like that, IMHO.

Doesn't have the power in his voice? I beg to differ. I bet he'd do a killer job on that one. He'd do it in his own style though but it could totally work IMHO.

[ronmac]

Doesn't have the power in his voice? I beg to differ. I bet he'd do a killer job on that one. He'd do it in his own style though but it could totally work IMHO.

Actually, I would want him to do it in his own style. I think he would struggle with it, if he didn't. I love the guy, and he can sound great live (sometimes not so great). But I never thought he had great pipes.

[Squids]

Actually, I would want him to do it in his own style. I think he would struggle with it, if he didn't. I love the guy, and he can sound great live (sometimes not so great). But I never thought he had great pipes.

The guy has amazing pipes! What are you talking about? He's an incredible singer with great range and intense power in his voice when he wants to go there. Of course he would do it in his own style and he'd probably be one of the few people to sing it in a different style and it still be good.

[ronmac]

The guy has amazing pipes! What are you talking about? He's an incredible singer with great range and intense power in his voice when he wants to go there. Of course he would do it in his own style and he'd probably be one of the few people to sing it in a different style and it still be good.

I'm stating what was clearly identified as my opinion. And I based it on the numerous live recordings I have.

Let's move on, shall we?

[Polypet]

Doesn't have the power in his voice? I beg to differ. I bet he'd do a killer job on that one. He'd do it in his own style though but it could totally work IMHO.

I agree. Hodgson is a brilliant singer with plenty of power to spare in his voice (at least based on his Supertramp work). That would be a very interesting thing to hear, his take on Heart of the Sunrise or Long Distance Runaround. But then, i'm perfectly fine with Jon's brilliant original versions

[mozo-pg]

I agree. Hodgson is a brilliant singer with plenty of power to spare in his voice (at least based on his Supertramp work). That would be a very interesting thing to hear, his take on Heart of the Sunrise or Long Distance Runaround. But then, i'm perfectly fine with Jon's brilliant original versions

I'd add after Supertramp. Saw Roger live about 2 years ago, brilliant and powerful. He had the audience in his hands.

[Squids]

I'd add after Supertramp. Saw Roger live about 2 years ago, brilliant and powerful. He had the audience in his hands.

Yeah that's the general consensus. I've never heard anyone say he didn't have good pipes or didn't have a powerful voice. I mean, even when Roger "strains" it's usually one of the cool things about his voice that makes it unique. Obviously we are talking about opinions though but still... some things I understand and some seem random. It's like saying Rick Wakeman isn't a great keyboard player. He may not always have the best sounds but I think we all agree he's at least a great keyboard player capable of playing a lot of things. But, anyway... I agree that it would be at least interesting to hear him sing some Yes tunes. Heart of the Sunrise in particular would probably work. Some others maybe not so much. The most interesting aspect would be to hear those songs sung in his natural style.

But, beyond that, it would have been cool to hear new songs with Roger and Trevor trading off vocals and collaborating and harmonizing. It's a shame that didn't work out.

[BravadoNJ]

Hodgson walked away from that project because he was outnumbered... they wanted to be Yes and he didn't.

[Sean]

I always thought that Steve Walsh would have been a great choice to sing for Yes. In fact, I tend to cite him as an example when i argue against hiring Jon clones.

70s Walsh, sure. But 90s Walsh would have been tough to witness. And it was anyway....