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Introduction:


A series of essays wherein I explore the numerous musical identities of my favorite musician: from child prodigy to teen idol to guitar hero to singer/songwriter to award-winning in-demand film composer.
Featuring news/updates and commentary/analysis of Trevor's career and associated projects.
Comments are disabled but please feel free to contact me at rabinesque.blog@gmail.com.



Friday, April 29, 2016

possible tour dates for ARW

Thanks to the eagle-eyed efforts of the Yesfans community, advance notice is beginning to appear for fall tour dates, and it does look like the tour is starting on the East Coast in October.  No official announcement has been made but it's not necessarily unusual for information to precede validation, as it were.  The existing caveat is that neither of the dates thus far advertised are listed on official websites for the venues.

The ensemble is being billed as "Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman - An Evening of YES Music & More," according to an ad in the New Jersey Star-Ledger for Borgata Casino & Spa in Atlantic City   It appears their US promoter is Larry Magid Entertainment, someone with well-known ties to Live Nation - which does have a placeholder page for ARW on their official website but no dates listed at this time.

Within the past three days at least two dates have been advertised; an ad in the latest edition of The Village Voice (4/27) for the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey lists ARW as appearing on October 24th.  The date listed for the Borgata Casino appearance is October 26th.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Knowing The Score: 12 Monkeys S2 E1 "Year Of The Monkey"

Content warning: contains SPOILERS! for S2 E1 of 12 Monkeys.

First things first: I don't wanna freak you out or nothin' but I'm loving this viral video which has a great Ringu kind of mood to it.  It is rather creepy, though, for those of you sensitive to such things.

Now onto the show, as they say...


Given that we fortunate viewers were afforded SyFy's largesse of a two-week lead for viewing the season premiere, I thought perhaps I could then take my time in studying it and render my impressions. But any snark is affectionate because I do like this show, overall.

PREVIOUSLY ON 12 MONKEYS:
Boy from the future - where everything is terrible - is sent back in time to attempt to avert total disaster.
Boy eats a lot of cheeseburgers and meets the Girl of his dreams.
Girl spends one year thinking she's crazy because this hot Boy from the future disappears before her eyes (like all men eventually do).
Boy returns from the future and they enact a hurt/comfort scenario.
This goes on pretty much all season.
Cole and Ramse's Epic Bromance is broken, Jennifer finds a way to make her unique worldview a corporate mandate, people in the shadows attempt to treat history like a game of chess (like they always do), and everyone has lost something which they may find again in either a dead future or a tragic past.

The great and wise Philip Larkin once wrote:
This is the first thing
I have understood:
Time is the echo of an axe
Within a wood.

The implacable nature of Time renders it a faceless, formless force and yet we all have a relationship with it which is strictly our own...to rage and to rejoice, to treasure and to mourn.

Why am I being philosophical? Well, because time travel stories are at least in part about our personal relationships with time and causality. And that will prove a sticking point in Season Two, I believe.

So we begin with a beautifully-edited dreamlike montage recap narrated by Madeline Stowe, who played Dr. Kathryn Railly in the original film. And it does sum up most of the major concerns of Season One, though with little of the actual nuance. But that's okay, because you can always return to that story in our archival streaming television-on-demand culture.  We then find ourselves in Budapest upon the Széchenyi Chain bridge serenaded by the original version of "Time Is On My Side" which is one of the classiest uses of licensed music that I've ever heard, I gotta say. Kai Winding, ladies and gentleman, whose trombone manages to sound a bit like a police siren in this particular scene whereupon Ramse is making a dash from The Usual Villainy through narrow streets and dark alleys, but alas they have him cutoff mid-span on that confounded bridge. Then all the sound is sucked out of the world as Olivia comes tap-tap-tapping onto the bridge like Three Billy Goats Gruff, black-clad and smirking. They have an exchange and we see that It's a trap! while Ramse bides for time, asking, "Why y'all tryin' to punch my clock?" He is calmly informed that his services are no longer required and just as the hit squad is ready to take aim he does that modern action movie thing: NOW WOULD A GOOD TIME TO SAVE MY ASS, JUST SAYIN.'

KABOOM!

It seems there's a lot more violence in this one episode than I remember seeing all last season, but maybe that's just me. Cole comes strolling into frame, his theme playing - pounding drums and sprightly strings - and it's so action hero, but not in a bad way - we can see that he is not the same desperate haunted man as he was in Season One. The three plot points interact, with Cole and Ramse bantering even as they deny their relationship, "Us? Naw, we ain't together." And that was one of the things which made me so mad last season, when the bromance became a casualty of the narrative superstructure. I realize it had to be done, but it hurt me bad. Olivia kinda has this Trent Reznor in 1999 thing going on, as she calmly announces their inherent doom, and sure enough there's a brigade of mad bikers bearing down on that confounded bridge. A hail of bullets, they cower on the struts, and c'mon, it's a bridge, Ramse, you can say Don't do that! all you want but what are ya gonna do? So it's into the Danube for our bromance (yeah I know, but it's still a bromance if I want it to be, damnit!). Seriously though, they have tried to kill Ramse at least three times now and they keep failing...the Army of the 12 Monkeys has terrible logistical management, I'd say.


And...title card! I really love the title theme, it's all about the metallophones, or glockenspiel, or whatever that chiming accent is.

In the present, Olivia is dealing with some of those aforementioned logistical problems, and we are treated to a daytime overhead shot of that lovely city straddling the Danube (accompanied by a very majestic sort of cue), meanwhile Cole and Ramse scuttle like cockroaches to their underground hidey-hole (during which we see Trevor and Paul's leading credit). A meta-esque discussion follows which takes care of both exposition and bromance banter and I tend to think I really do care about them more when they're together than when they're apart - Aaron and Kirk have such great chemistry. Cole is adamant about his I AM HERE TO SAVE THE FUTURE agenda which of course Ramse has to puncture with his EXCEPT FOR MY SON rejoinder. Ramse says, "You believe in the past, I believe in the future.  It is what it is."  Or is it what it will be?  But anyway, who cares about the present is what I want to know.  Cole suggests that they split up once they've managed to ditch their creepy stalkers - wait, what?  Break up the bromance again?!  He has a Ah-ha! moment when he realizes the Army keeps finding them no matter where they run...except the one place where they never surfaced. It's not about their prognostication, it's about hardware. Specifically whatever they put into Ramse to track him.

The theme playing in this scene reminds me a bit of the second half of "Cole On The Move" but with a lighter touch.

Meanwhile, in the era of Everything Is Terrible (aka 2043), Cassie is reliving her brainwashing and its' subsequent effects and outcomes until she wakes up to find herself with Dr. Jones, who I'm convinced at this point just wants someone to mother, but is still at the ready with her gallows humor quips. There were no scenes showing Katerina smoking in this episode, so I wonder if they've cut that out of the show bible now. Cassie's all, "So I've been here in the future for four days now and it really SUCKS." She tells Katerina about Ramse's turncoat behavior and Katerina notes of Cole: "When it comes to Mr. Ramse his judgement has always been - (dramatic pause) - unreliable."


(See, clearly a bromance! You always want the one who is bad for you.)

A bit more exposition and then Deacon comes swaggering into the room just as Jones is shooting herself up with the Splinter serum and Cassie recites its' purpose, finally understanding what Cole told her in the past. You can immediately tell by the way Cassie and Deacon look at each other that there will be UST between them. I think that's a little too obvious, although I don't necessarily object to the subtext.  Deacon refers to Katerina as "Dr. Grimm" - whoa dude, harsh!  I'm pretty sure that's just her resting bitchface.

So the Messengers - like any post-apocalyptic cult worth their salt - give their time-traveling cannon fodder...uh...acolytes a pep talk full of grandiose metaphors and motivatiional psychobabble and "We will meet again," which never fails to make me think of Vera Lynn.  Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?  

(Whoops, wrong fandom, never mind.)

And dude is dressed like this is Carrousel from Logan's Run as he climbs into the chair (which showrunner Terry Matalas has already called dibs on when the show ends).  But...the good doctor has thrown a monkeywrench into their plan and the Messengers will not be meeting this guy again, as the splintering process basically liquified him.

I like the percussion elements in this scene, very compelling.

She's laughing (See what I mean by gallows humor?) but Messengers don't play,   Katerina basically taunts them to kill her, but as any effective terrorist knows, it's all about exploiting weaknesses.  And then they go off on a tangent of causality and...destiny?  I mean, that's how I interpret "If something is meant to Be, it shall Be."  But there's already a flaw in that logic because Ramse wasn't killed in the past.  Anyway, just as Cassie is about to be sacrificed to their pissing match, the Messengers' IT Support guy (seriously, dude could work for the Geek Squad) manages to bypass Jones' sabotage.

Now the guy they tried to send to whenever looked normal, then one of their hooded own is sent instead and she's not gonna pass for normal in any time, I'm thinking, but as it turns out she cleans up okay.  So yeah, they cover themselves in ashes as part of their aesthetic regimen, apparently.  That's not creepy at all!  (Spoiler: it is.)

Cut to the present and a screed against bioengineering courtesy of Ramse's former colleague Dr. Benjamin Kalman - who, I observe, seems far more interested in hitting on students than teaching them - but Cole enters and interrupts to seek his assistance.  Kalman blathers more of his Mother Jones rhetoric before they finally negotiate and then he makes what I feel is a way-too-perceptive comment about Cassie, but I did like Cole's line "She made me better."

(Awwwww!)

Cut to: said healer, who is still stuck in the Year of Wretchedness and being led away by Deacon.  Cassie immediately diagnoses him with Wilson's Disease and attempts to bargain with her usefulness but as we know from Season One, Deacon is a guy who is not exactly the easiest to get along with.  And he's all, "You are adorable."

(Oh he's gonna pay for that little bon mot at some point, you can bet.)

Cassie is, like, "Dude, this apocalyptic shithole you call your world?  They're the ones to blame."  He shuts her down and shuts her in.  But Cassie is plucky, even as she's cussing in frustration.

(I'm showing my age but I will never get over the realization that people can now say shit on TV.)

Back to the present, where Dr. Kalman is performing a less painful form of trackerectomy than Ahnuld had go through in Total Recall.  He's too enamoured of the sound of his own voice - typical professor.  His speechifying has another purpose, though...he's actually hatching his master plan of deceit right under their noses and dropping hints at the same time.  Blah blah blah, betrayal and exposition.   Guess what: it really IS the Year of the Monkey!  (No seriously, it actually is.  Now that is some next-level marketing strategy shit.)  Because he figures Ramse will be dead soon, he tells him the master plan.  And Kalman obvs has no idea that Cole is a wiley kind of guy because he's all, "Stand still so I can kill you, mmmkay?"  There's some nice ambiance in this scene which I'm going to say is Paul's doing, just to heighten the tension a bit.  And Cole is, like, "Your narrative of redemption means nothing!" before he shoots Kalman in the head.  Because apparently he feels the same about his own arc at this point: simply heroically nihilistic.


(That could absolutely be a thing, y'all!  Greater good and so forth.)

In their expository aftermath, Ramse chooses not to share said Master Plan with Cole.

In 2043, Deacon has grown a mite desperate, since Cassie informed him he was going to die without treatment and he's all, "So this is a legit thing?"  And she's all, "Totally."  And that "make me better" thing comes back around...do you see where this is going, people?  Now I don't like it, not one bit.  But anyway, he is the vehicle of her possible escape, needs must.  So he says, "We're gonna take this goon out, but mostly you 'cause you gotta stab him in the neck."  And she's all, "Seriously?"  But Deacon says it's not enough to overpower these creeps, they must die in order to be neutralized as a threat.  Cassie equivocates...oh now she equivocates?  Because she told Katerina it wasn't hard at all to shoot Ramse.  And Deacon informs her that "Do No Harm died 30 years ago" which I'm assuming is a reference to the plague.  So they go out to take care of her guard and after the deed is done Deacon quips "Welcome to the future, Dr. Railly...WHERE YOU TOTALLY KILL PEOPLE."

Deacon's crew is at the back door, and hey, there's Whitley!  Who is surprised to see the woman he only knew from research in a future where she is supposed to already be dead.

Meanwhile, it's a fond farewell to Budapest and each other...and maybe it's because Cole calls him "brother" but...Ramse decides to tell Cole what's what.  Cole seems a bit confused at Jennifer's involvement (remember, she's the one who called you Otter Eyes!) and Ramse reveals that he still cares.

(Awwwww!)

People, this is what I need from 12 Monkeys.  For me, it's all about the bromance.

As they walk away from that confounded bridge they reminscise about old times, it's adorable.

Cut to: Thee Beeg Apple, where we catch up with Riot Grrrl on sensory overload (and clearly off her meds), we get to eavesdrop on all that noise in her head...yeah, I feel for her.  But I'm not liking that version of "White Rabbit" so much.  Anyway, this is a setup for the most hilarious use of the speed dating meme I've ever seen.  Terry and Travis, I give you an A+ just for that scene alone.  Especially how it's a rather brutal indictment of male entitlement...because after 15 seconds I would have said: "Can you please stop the words coming out of your mouth before I dose you with this plague I happen to be carrying, OKAY?!"  You ask me, Jennifer was downright tolerant of that smarmy asshole.  But her speech is both funny and disturbing and I have a feeling Our Showrunners are going to walk that line throughout the entire season.


(Seriously though, dogfighting is a perfectly legitimate reason to usher in Armageddon.)

Okay so what is it with everyone asking to be killed?  Although I kind of get Jennifer's request because she is so incredibly fragmented.  But that self-involved nitwit wusses out and calls 9-1-1 instead, which will prove to be significant later on.

Meanwhile in the era of Everything Is Terrible, the calvary, such as it is, is going to attempt to Take Back the Machine (yeah my slogans are a little mixed, I know).  They enact a cunning plan, and Cassie frantically warns Jones to OMG DUCK! when suddenly...

KABOOM!

(There are a lot of echoes in this episode, have you noticed?)

The Messengers problem is dealt with, but at what cost?  Well I'll tell ya: the future ain't what it used to be because the machine is officially broken.  Again.  As Jones gives her WAG as to how long it's going to take to fix it, Cassie has a look of OH SHIT I REALLY AM STUCK HERE, and I totally sympathize, because as we know from Season One there are no bacon cheeseburgers in 2043.  This is what plague has rendered unto civilization.  But Katerina - like all the female roles in this show - is a plucky gal.  WE CAN REBUILD, she proclaims.

In the present it's now February 8th, Chinese New Year, and Cole and Ramse are playing Spot the Jennifer in Chinatown...in a city of, what, 8.5 million people (and two million rats), how hard can it be?!

Ramse still believes it's a fool's errand, but they split up, wandering amongst the revelers.  Cole sees someone he thinks is Jennifer, but he's mistaken and then he sees a sign which reminds him of the Army of the 12 Monkeys insignia, and then...

Jennifer seems conflicted, not wanting to encounter her Otter Eyes when she's ready to unleash Hell and all, so she runs.  They end up on the roof of some random building, and she's waving the Four Tiny Horseman and humming "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" for some reason.

(Well she is crazy, right?)

Anyway, she's now clearly relieved that Cole is going to stop her.  All she wanted was someone to stop (her) madness.  And here it is: the moment of truth, the moment that Cole has been traveling back-and-forth in time and all around the world for, and she's asking nicely and everything.  But...

Well c'mon, seriously, we knew he wasn't actually going to kill her, so to me the moment is rather leeched of its' intended narrative tension.  Even the Stabbing Violins of Significance cue is played for laughs.  But then those aforementioned pesky meddlers show up to remind her of the mission.  Cultists, what a buzzkill, am I right?!  And who is really the Witness anyway then, if not Ramse?

Speaking of: he's walking down an alley when suddenly WHAM!  The man has really taken a beating this episode, you know?  Is the Army of the 12 Monkeys going to ineffectually attempt to kill him again?!

Back on the roof, Cassie the Killer splinters from The Year of Continuing Wretchedness 2044 and makes short work of everyone save Cole and Jennifer.

I have returned from the Future, my friends, and I want a goddamn cheeseburger!

Their reunion is bittersweet once Cole realizes Cassie means to assassinate Jennifer because Cassie and Katerina figured out she was Vector Zero, so to speak.  But Cole knows there are greater forces at work - if Jennifer dies without freeing her Tiny Horseman, the Army will just find some other way to spread the virus.  

Thus we end in a standoff with Cole lecturing about choices again...my former boss used to say: "We all have choices."  I really hated that guy, btw.

"So what's it gonna be?"

Well lemme tell ya, Cole: while you two are bickering, Jennifer is gonna drop that vial right over the edge, is what.  Duh!

Whew!  Huzzah, I made it through another recap (after thinking I was officially burnt out on writing them for life) and I continue to give props to those who recap for a living - or just for the love of a show on a weekly basis - because it's a lot of work.  It was a fairly propulsive episode, not overly burdened with exposition.  Although there were a few cues I enjoyed I would say that overall the music was rather expected, but in an episode which tonally was meant to just keep moving along, I can understand why that was a better choice from a production standpoint.

So here we are, in the Year of the Monkey, and from most preview reactions I've read, this season is going to be weird, wild and wacky.  Count me in!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

How I learned to love musical polymaths

If there's anything I mean to impart in the ongoing work of this blog it's this: it is, in fact, perfectly okay to do it all.  Trevor had to struggle a bit in the early years to be take seriously as someone who could do it all, but now of course he is respected and celebrated as a man of many talents.

Which leads me to Prince, whom as we know died suddenly this past Thursday.  Before I was introduced to Trevor - as most Americans were - in 1983, the first musical polymath I developed a direct relationship with was the aforementioned Prince Rogers Nelson, in January 1980 when he appeared on American Bandstand to promote his eponymous-titled sophomore release.

During the interview portion he gave one-word answers or even silence.  And while some may see that as early evidence of his notorious penchant for being difficult or eccentric, to the 14-year-old me it marked him as an enigma I didn't understand but wanted to know more about - and his performance only enforced that desire.  When I listened to Prince, and later on his debut album For You, I was amazed that someone so young was so talented and self-assured enough to do it all.  As Brian Raftery notes in his tribute article for Wired:
[...]his first truly great album, 1979’s Prince, was pure alchemy, a record that brought together dancefloor come-ons like “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and heavenly axe-shredders like “Bambi” so smoothly, it was as if those two sounds had always existed in the same space.
And it began a love of his work which has encompassed the whole of my life.

But it's also important to remember that when you are gifted enough to be able to go your own way, another measure of that talent involves collaboration and the generosity which is shown as a result of working with other musicians, making the effort to find the nexus of creativity and audacity; as well as the enactment of a strict work ethic and devotion to musical expression.  These are qualities I appreciate in both individuals.

The impact which the depth and breadth of Prince's artistic legacy had on his peers and the generations following after - but also the progenitors, many of whom respected him enormously - cannot be overstated.  I don't necessarily mean to draw direct parallels between their careers, but without Prince's example of auteur vision and control, I'm not sure that I could have appreciated Trevor's work as regards not only his various talents, but his need to express his creativity strictly by his own hands, as it were.  And someone who can make their music all on their own realizes the importance of not being restrained by labels and boundaries and perceptions.  Prince - in any incarnation, any moniker - was someone who was only himself.  His music was a mosaic of myriad influences and directions but containing an alchemy which was singularly solely his own.  His integrity would allow no less.

There was only one Prince, and he was indeed funky.  He was also so much more than that, but whatever he did, he made it joyful and reflective and sometimes raucous, sometimes sad, sometimes wild.  But like all musical polymaths he was innovative and uncompromising.  Prince walked his own path - and hoped we all might follow along - because there was no other way he could progress and evolve.

And Prince changed my life - and the lives of countless others - with his genius.

Because when you can do it all, what you do matters.  And it endures forever.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Trevor's music to be featured in Concert on the Bluffs event

It appears Trevor's Malibu connection has given him an in with the program for the first annual Concert on the Bluffs, to be held on June 12th at Malibu Bluffs Park.  The City of Malibu's website describes the event - a "summer symphony by the sea" - thus:
The Concert on the Bluffs will delight all ages with easy music from classical to film to pop, set against the sweeping views of Malibu’s stunning mountains and coastline. Featuring world-class musicians from the Malibu Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and composers Marco Beltrami, Maria Newman, Trevor Rabin and Sting, this is not your everyday symphony experience. With a special performance by principal members of the New York City Ballet, this will be an afternoon not to be missed. 
“We have an abundance of very talented artists living in our city, and we have long wanted to celebrate them. We’re famous for beautiful beaches and great surfing. It’s time we were recognized as an important arts destination,” said Mayor Laura Rosenthal.
An employee at the City of Malibu confirmed to me today that all the composers listed will be appearing at the concert, and the involvement of the New York City Ballet means that Trevor's niece Indiana Woodward will also be performing, as she is one of the four dancers appearing in the program. But when I say "Malibu connection" I refer to Trevor's sister Amanda who is a long-time resident of the area, and Indiana and her brother Ilan were raised in Malibu.  The other composers whose music will be performed also have ties to the area: Sting is known to be a some-time resident of the famous Malibu Colony enclave, and classical musician/composer Maria Newman - the daughter of film composer Alfred Newman (and cousin to composers Randy and Thomas Newman) - has been involved in the Malibu arts community for a number of years.  One assumes film composer Marco Beltrami also resides in the Malibu environs.  I was told details regarding the pieces to be performed will be released next month.

Information on the event can be found here:
https://www.malibucity.org/civicalerts.aspx?aid=335

Monday, April 18, 2016

The Man of a Thousand Credits: as heard on TV

One of a continuing series in regards to the myriad variety of Trevor’s discography.

As long-time fans are aware, since 2012 Trevor and his creative partner Paul Linford have moved into scoring for television more or less full-time, beginning with the ABC drama Zero Hour, which aired for one season in 2013 (and may have actually been created as a limited-run program from the outset).  Two more series have followed thus far: 12 Monkeys for SyFy - which begins its' second season today - and Agent X for TNT, which also ran for one season.

As scoring for television is an ongoing, lucrative and demanding field, it's not surprising to consider that Trevor had made a few forays into this area prior to Zero Hour.  For example, Trevor created the main theme for the NBA on TNT, which has been in use since 2002 and also serves as the theme for their Inside The NBA program.  His theme for Remember The Titans - "Titans Spirit" - has also enjoyed frequent use as regards sporting events, such as coverage of the Olympics.

Trevor also composed the opening themes for military dramas Soldier of Fortune, Inc. and E-Ring as well as the music for a Mountain Dew commercial featuring iconic action hero Chuck Norris.


In considering more ways in which we can hear Our Trev on TV, it would be interesting if, for example, a yet-to-be-heard song from him might be licensed for a commercial (GROUPLOVE took advantage of licensing their work for commericals, for example); or perhaps scoring for a miniseries or anthology type of format for premium cable.  But this lateral career move has allowed us the opportunity to listen to Trevor and Paul's scoring on a weekly basis every year of late and that's such an immediate and unique type of experience which I'm thankful for - because if you had told me, even ten years ago, that I'd be able to hear music from my favorite musician on television every week, I would have said Yeah right!

Update: to promote the 12 Monkeys season two premiere, Varese Sarabande is offering the season one soundtrack for the sale price of $6.99 on iTunes.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Mazel Tov!

Congratulations to Kyly and Ryan!   As we see here, the newlyweds are now embarking upon the adventure of married life.

May love and happiness, respect and understanding, be yours throughout a lifetime of deepest harmony.


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Celebrating five years! The best of Rabin-esque.

Today marks the five-year anniversary of Rabin-esque and I'd like to thank all my readers around the world for your interest; it's my pleasure to write in-depth about my (and I hope yours as well) favorite musician and I am grateful for the opportunity.  Although the blog did not take its' current form until 2011, I spent about two years working on my initial ideas/content and design from when the project was first suggested to me in March of 2009.  And that is in addition to more than half a lifetime absorbed in the musical progress of Our Trev, so it's been a very long time indeed!  I hope your enjoyment in the reading matches mine in the creation and ongoing work of this blog.  And a special thank you to all those who have taken the time to email me with questions and comments - I appreciate your feedback.

So much has happened with Trevor's career since I began this leg of my fandom journey and I look forward to the continual changes, evolution, and - most importantly - wonderful music to come from the Maestro and those he chooses to collaborate with in whatever realm he ventures into.

~*~*~*~

Recently a new reader wrote to me asking for suggestions on where to begin (I suppose five years of entries is a little daunting!) so I decided I would compile a list of those entries I consider to be the best of the blog, as an introduction to the content.

At the top of my list is my proudest achievement; I was invited to interview Trevor during the promotional cycle for Jacaranda in 2012, he was very kind and incredibly generous with his time, resulting in one of the more unique interviews of the period, if I do say so myself.
"Trevor Rabin: the cultivation of Jacaranda"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/p/trevor-rabinthe-cultivation-of.html

In anticipation of the release of Jacaranda about a year prior, I wrote the following editorial and I was told Trevor had read this entry and appreciated its' insight.
"Fusion Furor: fulfilling the promise of Trevor's (jazzy) artistic destiny"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2011/04/fusion-furor-fulfilling-promise-of.html

I've written a few record reviews, but this essay regarding Rabbitt's second album is one I'm particularly proud of, as it contains several years work as regards research, listening and writing.
"A (Quantum) Leap and A Hop in the Life (of Rabbitt)"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-quantum-leap-and-hop-in-life-of.html

This is another editorial, posted on Trevor's birthday in 2013, which I believe represents not only my personal viewpoint of his artistic legacy, but the fundamental values of this blog; and an entry which has proven to be quite popular with readers.
"the dreaded box"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-dreaded-box.html

Here's a "listicle" type entry regarding what I consider are the best tracks from each of Trevor's solo albums.
"Five from five"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2012/07/five-from-five.html

My first tribute to the Epic Bromance of Chris and Trevor.
"something Fishy"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2013/03/something-fishy.html

My review of the reissue of Live In L.A. which includes historical commentary on the club tour of 1989.
"some traveling music"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2014/10/some-traveling-music.html

An essay on one of my most prized collectibles as well as Trevor's most popular video.
"Collector's Corner: something I will hold on to"
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2013/04/collectors-corner-something-i-will-hold.html
                                        ~*~*~*~

If there are any entries which you would like to see added to this list, please email me at rabinesque.blog@gmail.com and I will be happy to consider them for inclusion.  As always, thank you for your continued patronage, and my immense gratitude to Trevor for the eternal joy of his music...then, now, and always.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

update: SCORE documentary release

Tonight, contributors to the fundraising campaign for SCORE: A Film Music Documentary (which features an interview with Trevor among many many other legendary composers, directors, and other film-related participants) received word from the filmmakers that the project is complete and will host its' Los Angeles premiere on June 27th.  They are also hoping to be part of the programming at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.  But for those of us waiting for our perks, it's gonna be a while...
On November 18, we will release SCORE as an HD digital download, and begin shipping physical rewards. This date is not an estimate or best guess; it is our commitment to you.
The delay stands to reason if they're looking for an international distributor and wanting to hit the festival circuit.  However, it's nice to know there is a firm date for home video distribution.  If you want to contribute and get yourself a copy of the DVD or Blu-ray, it's probably not too late - just visit the campaign page at Indiegogo:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/score-a-film-music-documentary#/updates

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

preview to the premiere

It wasn't an April Fool!  On Friday it was announced that thanks to the good people at SyFy we would be able to watch the first episode of Season Two of 12 Monkeys online two weeks before the official season premiere.

Here is "Year Of The Monkey" streaming on the official site:
http://www.syfy.com/12monkeys/videos/201-year-of-the-monkey

With this head start I might even manage a Knowing The Score entry out of it...but unlike Cole and Cassie, I'm going to try not to get too ahead of myself. (*rimshot*)

(And it's nice to see Trevor and Paul have a leading credit this season!)

Monday, April 4, 2016

exciting times

According to Rick Wakeman's latest Grumpy Old Rick's Ramblings, there's definite cause for celebration this Spring:
Anderson / Rabin & Wakeman continues to gain pace and all is looking tremendous. Performance dates are coming in thick and fast and the new music is just everything I believed it could be. Indeed, as I write this GORR I know that Jon is actually spending a few days with Trevor before Trev scoots off to South Africa for his son’s wedding.
This confirms a comment Jon made in a recent interview regarding going to visit Trevor this month.

Ryan's impending nuptials this month might, in part, explain the big push to completion for #tonequest, as Friday's update on Instagram depicts, with Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Greg Calbi (who also mastered Spreading Rumours).
A photo posted by GROUPLOVE (@grouplove) on

Friday, April 1, 2016

here is my Sole

An ongoing speculation for YesWest fandom involves a certain infamous line in "Love Will Find A Way" which did not exist when Trevor originally wrote the song, and as we know the composition was going to be given to Stevie Nicks, presumably for inclusion on her album Rock A Little.  Alan White then insisted Yes needed the song more than Stevie did.  But apparently this "feel-good song" (as Trevor has categorized it) required a further culinary subtext, such as: how difficult it is to get reservations at the hot restaurant of the moment.  Some choose to believe the line is a metaphor for fidelity, but I prefer my theory...

Lunch will find a way
if you want it to.
Lunch will find a way for me and you.