A look into the musical world of Trevor Rabin: composer, performer, and a man of many careers.
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.
Published today on the Guitar World website is an examination of Trevor's tone for "Owner of a Lonely Heart" which - for better or worse - has come to define his style of playing. But as it is such a key element of his reputation as a player it does deserve to be acknowledged and studied.
Of course over the years Trevor has explained the piece his own self, most notably in his instructional video for Star Licks.
This article is rather a more technical examination of his setup and effects, and specifically what was used for all the song's parts (of which there are many).
Spotted on Instagram for #tbt: the daughter of Trevor's guitar tech Curtis Laur posted some backstage photos from ARW's August 29th performance at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and you gotta wonder if Ana was imbued with some special mojo from getting to hold the Strat...
Spotted on Instagram: recently composer Charles Scott IV had an up-close encounter with the Strat and I believe he gave Trevor's baby the proper reverence in his post...
Spotted on Instagram: many thanks to the stratgallery account for giving me a shoutout in this post, which chronicles some aspects of Trevor's beloved Strat. The details and images are from my 2012 entry "The legend of TrevRa and other anecdotes."
The following contains my usual op-ed and analysis, so caveat lector if you're not particularly interested in such things or may take offense to my point of view. Also, this is a long entry with various photos/videos and so might be more of a strain on older/slower browsers.
Even as I did not attend a single ARW show this year (because they did not tour in Southern California this time) there is still so much to discuss, leastwise because they did play 55 dates total and it makes for lots of interesting details to ponder and comparisons to make. And I can do so because there is plenty of documentation out there to absorb. I am thankful for this consideration because, even as I understand why the tour didn't make it to my region, as someone who wants nothing more than to see at least one ARW show per year (although more than one would be nice) I was sort of dying inside.
(#fangirlproblems)
As we know, it really was a matter of two different tours: the dates in the UK, Europe and Japan were a continuation of last year's US tour as it was - for most performances - the exact same setlist. The North American tour later in the year could be considered a new(ish) tour with a few setlist changes and a beefed-up production design plus new venues and cities were visited. The primary difference, in my estimation, was touring under the new moniker and all which it implies. But I'm still not interested in engaging in the legitimacy debate so that's not happening.
First I wanted to include a few compendiums from various sources at different points during the year, to give everyone an idea of how both the performances and the staging evolved throughout the respective touring cycles. Of course those of us who have been assiduosly following along will have already watched these particular videos.
UK tour: Birmingham, England
Summer Festivals/European tour: Schio, Italy
Summer/Fall tour: Toronto, Canada
I find it easier to write about this if I break it down into subtopics so here we go; and I will continue to refer to the North American tour as "Summer/Fall."
Round the World
As someone who desires this ensemble to succeed and evolve, it was really nice to see the guys touring the world this year, with stops in Israel, the UK, Low Countries, Japan, Western Europe and North America. I can imagine many fans were grateful to have the opportunity to see them and I'm really looking forward to what could be considered a well-staged classic iteration of their performances with the release of the March 25th Manchester Apollo show on DVD.
Of those gigs elsewhere there are two I wanted to note in particular: one is the first show of the year at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, the only arena ARW has played thus far and even though the gig was a bit fast-and-loose there was also a lot of energy which makes it a great show to watch, in my estimation. And the stop in Rome at Cavea Auditorium Parco della Musica was also a great performance in a beautiful setting. No offense meant to Merrie Ole but I really wish the Rome date could have been professionally filmed as well.
Territories
The Summer/Fall tour itinerary was interesting in that while there were new cities/venues included - and a three-date stint in Canada which was excellent news for fans above the lower 48 - more than a few of the exact same venues were played, and more than half the tour could be considered as being booked in the East Coast/Northeast region of North America. And I can certainly understand varying the particular regions in order to give more fans a chance to see the band, but given that there were many of the same types of bookings made - multiple dates in New Jersey, New York and Florida - it suggests to me that the East Coast is the true stronghold for the band as well as Larry Magid having a vast network of bookers and local promoters, and therefore we can expect for the life of this band that they will always have a larger presence in that area of the country. Which, if you're an East Coast-based fan, is good news for you!
Venues
As I noted, some of the same venues were visited this time around in the US, such as the Goodyear Theatre in Akron, the Count Basie Theatre in Red Hook, and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. But interestingly there seemed to be more of an emphasis on theatre type venues, with more than a few Performing Arts centers booked rather than casinos. And then there was a winery, which was incredibly picturesque (and the show I would have chosen to attend had I been able to afford to travel to NoCal - even as its' small stage precluded the use of their backdrop, projections, and custom lighting rig), as well as Wolf Trap in Virginia and Toronto's Massey Hall which are historic venues in their own right. So I would say this enterprise is moving up in the world a bit but I expect that their preferences are not going to change in terms of the type of venues/capacity they will play in the future, and also that they will continue to tour solely on their own with no support act rather than as part of a double bill or package tour.
Fashion Watch
It seemed The Boys were each mostly committed to a uniform this year, although Rick did add a couple capes to his repertoire and Lee opted for casual with a rotating selection of t-shirts. But is it just me, or are those skinny jeans beginning to appear more and more like a tribute to Chris' black spandex? (I kid because I love.) Trevor continued his strategy of switching it up most nights, although it was primarily the same pieces as last year. But I do have to thank Whomever/Whatever it was which convinced him not to wear the track pants again for Summer/Fall. That was indeed an aesthetic too far.
The Setlist
As I had previously reported, there were changes made to the setlist for Summer/Fall but they were not extensive. Originally for the three pieces which were removed - "I've Seen All Good People," "Changes" and "Long Distance Runaround/The Fish" - there were supposed to be three additions: "South Side of the Sky," "I Am Waiting" and "It Can Happen." However, the latter song was never performed although Rick noted it had been rehearsed, as well as soundchecked at least one venue (with thanks to Judy Davis for that bit of info). "The Meeting" was also removed but as that had occurred in the previous touring cycle I wasn't considering it as part of this overall revision. Then ten dates into the tour "Lift Me Up" was directly swapped out for "Changes" and that was the extent of said changes, which resulted in a shorter setlist overall with 12 songs (when compared to the previous cycle with potentially 15 songs performed, depending on how you count).
I think "South Side" and "I Am Waiting" were great additions in terms of nods to both Classic Yes and YesWest, even as both eras are represented overall. Now there is an equal amount of material in the setlist and it would seem to me they will strike this same balance in the future. "It Can Happen" would have also been an refreshing choice and now I can't help but wonder if it partly had to do with providing something interesting for Rick to play as regards the various textures the song employs. I still believe "Hearts" would be a great choice for next year. As I don't expect the set will get any longer, I would be willing to swap out either "Hold On" or "And You and I" for it. But of course these decisions aren't up to me (or anyone else other than Jon, Rick and Trevor). As for replacing "Lift Me Up" with "Changes" although I was disappointed that Trevor was down to one song - and that is a consideration specific to those of us who were there to hear Trevor sing as well as play, and I am aware that is fewer people than those attending the show in total - I do believe perhaps the primary reason had to do with Trevor's comfort level in performance. It seems, when comparing the two, that he displayed more ease when it came to singing "Changes" versus "Lift Me Up" and given that this wasn't a one-off decision (i.e. it wasn't added on the fly at one particular show but rather was a permanent substitution) it would seem it was given ongoing consideration during those first two weeks of the tour and was an inevitable adjustment. And for those of us who pay attention to setlist statistics, the change occurred at almost exactly the same point as on last year's US tour, meaning that it was a previously agreed-upon intersection for making a change. As well as "Changes" being a signature song for Trevor in terms of both playing and singing, in the end it was the right choice, in my opinion.
As the show employed a static setlist for almost the whole of the tour, it's an interesting consideration for those fans who attended multiple shows - because fans being fans, they want to be supportive and also have that experience more than once - as to what is rewarding about such an endeavor. Good friend of the blog Cee attended three shows on this tour and she notes: "...even though the set list is the same, I find the vibe and energy are different at each show depending on the audience, and that makes them all unique."
And I would agree with this as it mirrors my experience last year in terms of the difference between the Los Angeles and Anaheim crowds and vibe in the venues.
One thing which strikes me about the Summer/Fall setlist is how it really seemed to be divided into two distinct acts (regardless of the intervals they did have at a few dates), as the first half is more YesWest-heavy and upbeat, whereas the second set has more of an epic feel to it. And that is definitely fitting for the ebb-and-flow of a progressive rock show, but the sense of two distinct moods is palpable to me now.
A post shared by Yes featuring ARW (@yesfeaturingarw) on
One of the very best changes in my opinion was updating the lighting for the Summer/Fall tour, although this was actually enacted with the staging of the Manchester Apollo show for filming purposes, as I had previously reported. From all the photos and video I have seen - when compared with the shows I attended last year - the new lighting makes a world of difference in terms of the presentation and impact, and an engaging production is always a plus in the contemporary concert market. As well it was nice to see the use of projections throughout the tour, as this is a particularly Yes-ish type of production value. I will also say that bringing Chris Fudurich onboard as the Front of House mixer was helpful in terms of achieving a better balance of sound even as there continued to be complaints from some attendees regarding the lack of bass in the overall mix - but as the guys from Progressive Palaver noted (and I agree with this) it really did seem to depend on where you were sitting as to how dynamic and full the mix sounded.
Although dynamic production values are something we expect from any version of Yes - and even progressive rock in general - and even more specifically from tours in the 21st Century, it's not always necessary. One consideration which comes to mind when I view the It Bites concert video It Happened One Night is it features a show with a very basic presentation - not much at all in the way of lighting or staging - but what it does have are four gentlemen who are consummate professionals (with a matching palette in stage attire), great songs, and spot-on intense and upbeat performances to an appreciative crowd. The stripped-down staging of it is something you don't notice unless you've watched it multiple times (as I have of late).
The Game
It was revealed in PROG's coverage of the 2016 tour that Rick and Trevor were playing a game (which dated back to their first experiences performing together) every night with "Changes" in that Trevor would find a way to include a word of Rick's choosing in such a way that the audience wouldn't notice - and thus his very noticeable seeming flub in the Union-era Denver concert footage was finally explained. But as "Changes" was not performed at the first nine shows it fell to "Rhythm of Love" to be the song for the game - I believe the word Rick gave Trevor in Saratoga was "crabs" - and while I get that they want to have fun and avoid tedium, look guys: don't mess with my favorite of the setlist. When "Changes" returned then so did the traditional iteration of the game but it doesn't appear they played it at every gig, unless Trevor was entirely stealthy on some nights.
The Guitars
Given that Trevor has a previously-stated preference for playing very few guitars onstage, it's not a surprise that he hadn't really changed it up much for Summer/Fall (there having been only a few changes to the setlist, so no need to change out guitars, necessarily). As usual Trevor plays the Strat on most of the material, busting out his custom Pantera for "Changes" (and previously "Lift Me Up") and "I Am Waiting" and using his signature model on "Awaken." However, he did bring along his candy apple red Strat to use for "South Side of the Sky." I imagined this was for the same reason as his choice of guitar on "Awaken" - because the song utilizes a specific tuning and therefore it's easier to use another guitar. But it was a change which also occurred mid-tour in Kettering. Prior to this Trevor was using the Strat on "South Side" so that may discount my theory altogether.
When I first saw/heard clips from Stockton and Saratoga, the detail which struck me immediately was the lack of solo spots for Lou and Lee. As "The Fish" had been deleted from the setlist I could understand why but I originally (erroneously) believed that Lou still had his drum solo, but then I watched the Saratoga show and saw that wasn't the case. (And in relation to a comment I made last year, "Lift Me Up" sounded far better without that drum solo intro.)
I felt it was a bad decision, and I'm glad they rectified this six gigs in. It appears it may have been first performed as a substitute for the walkabout as they weren't able to enact it in Littleton (a situation which would come up several times during the course of the tour). Instead they played an extended jam within "Owner of a Lonely Heart" which included solos from Lou and Lee and this was the way in which I truly felt the song was made newly dynamic, as well as a more organic way to include a solo spot within the show. And then choosing to continue it was a great decision! The walkabout is fine but I feel it's a bit played out and therefore what I've been calling the "bass battle" was a nice addition to this section of the show. Adding a bit of comedy - something natural to Rick and Lee from their time together in English Rock Ensemble - is fun for everyone.
Old vs. New
So now that the US has two tours to compare, are they equally enjoyable? Of course most fans would reply: "Yes!" and I would be apt to agree but I'd give the edge to Summer/Fall if only for the fact that this year's version of ARW is relaxed, honed and completely in tune as an ensemble. And I understand that it's a process and a continual evolution, but I think it's reasonable to opine that some markets deserved better than a band attempting to find their way to that professionalism, consistency, and entertainment which everyone paid to see at every performance on every tour. Thankfully, some of those areas were lucky enough to have another chance this year and from the reactions I've read, were wholly gratified by the second time.
My dear friend fiendish_thingy has attended gigs for both tours and she commented: "...this year it was obvious that they were 100% focused, back to playing like they could in their prime and everything fine-tuned. The effect was less cute and more powerful. It wasn't like they weren't having fun but they were having fun because they knew they sounded so good..."
The Merch
I have an upcoming Collector's Corner entry regarding this year's merchandise but I did want to acknowledge that different merchandise was being sold on the Summer/Fall tour reflective of the name change; but also they were indeed poaching the classic Yes bubble logo design which is - according to fandom research - jointly-owned by Roger Dean and Steve Howe. As we know, things are not always what they seem in Yesland but it appears - thanks to anecdotal evidence from various individuals - that ARW's management did not have permission to sell merchandise bearing the classic logo and had to pull the two t-shirts which featured it from their inventory in the last two weeks of the tour. Fans are of course free to speculate as to why a band would produce their own bootleg merchandise.
Also: the merchandise sold in Japan was, in my opinion, far superior in design and variety to anything which was sold in any other region.
***
As always to everyone who has requested and followed the Tour Reports, I thank you for your patronage Even as it's a lot of work to produce them, I love the process of finding everything I can related to each gig and I hope you've enjoyed the journey too. I suggest, if you're interested, to go back and check the entries because I've updated nearly all of them from this year in some way as more material is made available.
To everyone who attended a show (or shows) this year: I hate you. Just kidding! 55 down, none to go, another tour and no more shows...but for everyone who continues to support Our Guys, I hope it was a blast and here's to next year and whatever musical adventure we will all embark upon with Jon, Rick, Trevor, Lou and Lee.
Today, The Groovy Archives tumblr account is here to brighten our day with a photo of Trevor from the Rabbitt era, but what is most interesting to me about this image is it provides a rare close-up of the Strat and its' former decorative scheme, which indicates that it was/is Trevor's longest-running art project.
As now it has been reported by several fans that the Manchester show was indeed filmed by a fairly extensive camera crew, we can see the Maestro definitely dressed for the occasion in a shirt which nicely pairs with the Balmain blazer, just as Trevor wore equally eye-catching outfits in the available footage from 1984-85 and 1991.
Trevor hitting the road again gave us, as fans, the joy of fulfillment to witness him performing (which we'd all been longing for, of course) but also to see him play the guitars we know and love. Here is the line-up of those faithful few on the 2016 ARW tour.
and a Line 6 Variax acoustic
(likely the 700 series, which has been discontinued)
(Photo credit:Todd Petersen)
And as pictured here (with thanks to fellow Rabid Rabinite Kim Conlin McCall), we can see Trevor also continues to use his favorite soft red Sharkfin Goldprint plectrums.
Although Trevor's choices primarily reflected what he used on the Eighty Dates tour - his Pantera rather than his Strat for "Changes" for example - one difference was choosing to play his TR signature guitar for "Awaken" rather than the Pantera as he had previously, which might indicate a special tuning strictly for that song.
Note: this post is image-heavy (for those of you with slower browsers.)
(With thanks to my fellow Rabid Rabinite Judy Davis for the Akron photo.)
As the first month of the ARW tour is now in the books, if we consider the wardrobe choices of the boys (including Lou and Lee as well), Trevor was the one who showed the most diversity in his onstage attire. Given that we live in the age of the Internet and can observe this tour occurring in real time, there is documentation of every show. Some nights featured similar outfits, but unlike Rick (who wears the same thing every night) and Jon (who has a couple suits), Trevor was switching it up more frequently. So let's relive the glory of the many looks of the Maestro - and hit me up on email to let me know what you think is the best outfit!
(Me? I think it was the dark flowered shirt and black pants - different from the black track pants - but I'm of the opinion that Our Trev was born to wear flowered shirts. A snazzy and classy Guitar God is what I like to see.)
Trevor confirmed he is not using his Washburn signature model on the current tour but we will likely hear it on new material in the future. And speaking of guitars, he also relates the familiar tale concerning the tragic injury to his Strat.
As I noted in my entry "Meeting the Maestro," one of the things which occurred during Trevor's in-store appearance to promote Jacaranda in August of 2012 was affording those in attendance a sneak preview of his video for "Rescue."
At the time, I truly expected it would be out when my interview with him was finally published in October of that year, as I had inquired about his decision to create his own videos to promote the album. I was interested in knowing if he had made any changes since the version he showed us. But as the delay grew longer I wondered if he was going to reshoot it - we had waited quite a while for the release of the video for "Anerley Road" so I chalked it up to Trevor's perfectionist streak taking hold once more. Thus I had to note in my text that the video would be released "in future."
But I - nor anyone else, of course - had no way of knowing that it would be years before everyone else was able to view it.
And it's two years ago today, in fact, when seemingly out of nowhere, Trevor posted an update to his Facebook page with the video. He wrote: I did this video a while ago. The record company was keen on doing a strategized release, I had decided not to release it.
I honestly don't know why he wasn't happy with the video and as the composition itself had great meaning for him it seemed a logical choice to be the next song to promote via a video release. Trevor had noted on a few occasions that he wanted to create a video for every song on the album but I imagine other promotional duties coupled with a return to scoring work meant he no longer had the time to devote to such a big project. From my memory of seeing it two years earlier it did not look as if he made any changes to it in the interim.
The video is an interesting mix of images: shots of Liz Constantine miming to her vocalization on the track either layered with or filmed while standing out on the back deck of the property - the background view is of the Los Angeles Basin at night. Also included are some of Trevor's paintings, such as Johannesburg, and extreme close-ups of the Strat. Stylistically-speaking it's a very simple kind of video compared to the one for "Anerley Road" but I think it fits the meditative mood of the song. I appreciate that Trevor allowed everyone to finally view it, but I have to admit I'm disappointed that there weren't any more videos filmed. For example, I think a montage of photos of Trevor and Ryan through the years intercut with footage of them playing in The Jacaranda Room would have made a fabulous video for "Me and My Boy."
As spotted on Instagram yesterday...
A few inferences could be made from the post I have embedded:
- Line 6 is creating a Variax modeling based on the Strat, and not only recreating the sound of the guitar, but the original styling of it as well - though with a few differences as long-time fans can immediately spot. Does this mean we'll see a Trevor Rabin Stratocaster Variax model in the coming year? It would certainly be a cool (and coveted) collectible for many Rabinites.
- This is noted as a "Helix hang" so it could be that Trevor will be using the master processor/controller on the upcoming tour. And/or perhaps some of his classic tones will be added to their effects library.
- Possibly the Strat has been given a face lift of sorts before she hits the road! Or a replica has been created so as not to put the original at risk due to the rigours of traveling...none of us are as young as we used to be, after all. (Actually, the restoration had been mostly accomplished prior to this, if you examine the Strat in the portrait photo of Trevor from the Jacaranda booklet, it's primarily the same.)
Note: this post is image-heavy (for those of you with slower browsers).
Now that Tour Fever has set in and the fandom conversation regarding ARW grows ever more lively and anticipatory, full of speculation - setlists, lineups, musical styles, are they yet another potential faction of Yes - I say as Rabinites what we really need to focus on is: what is the Maestro going to wear for his return to live performance after twenty-one years?! I believe I can state with a fair amount of certainty that Trevor still owns every shirt he ever wore on tour, so which ones are we likely to see (again)? Or will the love of his life and their drumming progeny gently advise him to invest in some new threads?
On the other hand, we wouldn't expect Trevor to hit the stage without his beloved Strat (to play "Owner" of course) so why would we think he wouldn't also pull out the well-worn and much-loved black-and-green buttondown?
Tremander rocks the ASCAP Awards
We first saw this infamous shirt on the Talk tour...
Post-Yes it seems Trevor began wearing it for (almost) every public appearance.
Trevor even donned it (along with the leather vest he wore for the cover of Can't Look Away and the club tour of 1989) for a scene in Jack Frost, his one-and-only feature film onscreen appearance.
It's probably his lucky shirt, or at least a shirt which knows how to behave in public. It just hangs there and looks good. Whenever we see it, we know Rock Star Trevor Rabin is in the building.
But I am also in favor of another shirt from the Talk tour; it is similar to the black-and-green shirt so I tend to think they came from the same source.
But if new shirts are acquired, I say: go for it, Maestro. You love yellow-and-black so get something so bright and festivewe'll be able to see you all the way from the back of the venue. Any venue. Don't go all wishy-washy on us. I say this with the utmost respect: this is not my idea of a yellow shirt for you.
Seriously Trev, no. Just no.
I care about you enough to attempt to save you from yourself and your potentially disappointing shirt selections. Return as the conquering hero you are, in the fabulous style we know so well simply because you never get rid of anything. And that is why we love you!
The past couple days brought some welcome updates from Trevor on his Facebook and Twitter accounts:
thought I'd through up some shots from sessions of the new album.
Lou and I putting down the basic tracks.
No... http://t.co/ouBEp5vewe
— Trevor Rabin (@Rabin_News) September 15, 2014
...with some great shots of Trevor and Lou working on tracks during prior sessions at The Jacaranda Room. In a separate post he noted:
There will be some surprise guests on the album, however, i'm not ready to "do" this yet. Lou Molino is already kicking butt on the album, as I know Ryan will do so soon. There is one more drummer who will be playing on the album aside from other musicians, but I can't say yet.
Trevor also noted an upcoming collaboration with guitarist Jason Becker, which was a fitting reminder in regards to the increased attention on social media of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis via the ALS Association's Ice Bucket Challenge.
(Update to the Update):
In a comment posted today on his Facebook page, Trevor stated:
I'm looking at finishing the album by middle to late 2015. I wish it could be earlier, but other projects will slow it down a bit. But this is very much a HUGE passion for me. I think all artists say that the current work is their best. But I really feel this extremely and genuinely the case.
Trevor also noted that the bass he was pictured with is a Wilkins, and here's a photo from when he first received it, to my knowledge:
And this particular photo is proof enough that the inner Rock Star is ready to emerge (it's nice that the drum corner has a photo of Ryan).
As we know, Trevor's 60th birthday is less than a week away but this year also marks the 60th year of the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar which its maker proclaims as no less than "The World's Greatest Electric Guitar" and Trevor's signature solo on "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is cited by the company in their publicity for the anniversary.
On the page devoted to celebrating the Strat's history at the official website, "Owner" is listed in a montage of famous songs featuring the instrument...
...and in a press release issued by Fender it also receives a special namecheck.
An especially colorful year for the Stratocaster came in 1983 with two chart-topping comebacks: David Bowie's Let's Dance, on which millions of listeners worldwide get their first tastefully blistering earful of a young Texas blues virtuoso named Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Yes's 90125, on which South African guitarist Trevor Rabin uses his '62 Strat, most notably for a strikingly angular solo on number-one hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart."
In a chronicle which features so many classic rock riffs, melodies and solos, it's wonderful to know that Trevor has been recognized for adding to such an amazing history, of coaxing brilliance - as many others have done - from a faithful and fantastic instrument.
Sometimes familiarity can make it difficult to know when to take someone seriously.
Trevor is known for his mischievous sense of humor, which manifests itself in many things - from songs to comments to pranks - and so when he stated during his August 17th Q&A at the Guitar Center in Sherman Oaks that he was learning to play the tuba, well...truly, my first thought was Pull the other one, Trev! After all, this is the man who allowed people to believe he possessed multiple spleens for decades, chuckling all the while, I'm sure. But you read it here first (unless, of course, you were at the event): we might be treated to a thundering tuba interlude on Trevor's next solo record. Unless he lets us in on the joke years from now and then I can declare Ah I knew he was just messing with us! But to watch him explain (and make appropriately comical grimaces) how awkward it is to hold a tuba - how heavy and how cramped one feels with it on the torso - was totally hilarious, as were his impressions regarding the different positions one can utilize in order to play a guitar.
Trevor also revealed during the course of discussion that he will be scoring the entire first season of the upcoming ABC series Zero Hour, which marks a new chapter in his scoring career and yet another reason for Rabinites to stay glued to their televisions (although I'm still confused as to whether the show is on the Fall schedule or is a midseason replacement, as there are conflicting sources of information).
A nice surprise for me was to hear Trevor recite some of the lyrics from "(Wake Up!) State Of Fear," a song which has taken on the feel of a folk tale because the version he recorded with Freedom's Children was never released and thus has never been heard save by those who had seen that particular lineup perform it. But it was a great example of how much he desired to address the problems facing South Africa at that time, when protest against Apartheid was usually squelched quickly and violently, and the song ended up becoming a casualty of the government's draconian censorship policies.
The audience was allowed to ask questions at the end of the session and I was the last of those participants. I came up to where Trevor was sitting because in order to ask my question - about his famous Strat - I needed to reference his new portrait shot, which was displayed in the promotional poster for the event on the table next to him. I recently obtained a hi-res copy of that photograph which allowed me to closely examine the Strat and I noticed something I'd never seen before in any of the photographs and screencaps I have of the guitar, and I was curious about what it was.
I started out by teasing him: "You know, it's not as if we don't know whose guitar this is, because your initials are all over it!" And he said, "Yeah I hate that," which surprised me, given that he's done the same to his favorite Alvarez, which was his main axe for many years. But also because he carved his initials into the body at the lower end many years ago.
Much love to Larry Mah for this wonderful photo.
Trevor noted that his son Ryan's name is on the guitar as well (there is a Ryan sticker on the scratch plate, which was added circa 1988, I like how he placed it so he could read it whenever he played the guitar):
The Ryan sticker when it was (relatively) new, from 1992.
...which is known to fans, of course, and so I asked for the story behind it and he replied, "I found this dynamite sticker and he's my dynamite boy!"
(Best. Dad. EVER!)
The Ryan sticker is a bit faded by time now but still legible:
But what I wanted to ask about was this, on the upper part of the body:
I stated that I had just noticed it thanks to being able to examine a hi-res version of the photo and asked what it was. Trevor explained it was a pin - a lapel pin, I'm assuming - from Chrysalis used to promote Trevor Rabin (the 1979 international release of his first solo album). I also asked and he noted it was broken because not all of his name is there now. It does feature the same typography as on the album cover itself:
Trevor and I agree this is his worst album cover ever.
As I returned to my seat Trevor declared, "Great question!" which was very kind of him. Driven by a need to know things...that's me! And it's finding things out which is the greater reward.
