begin the Beginnings

Recently I came across some videos on YouTube (with thanks to YT user Gerald Tomoculus) of needle-drops of tracks from Trevor's debut solo album Beginnings - the original version released in South Africa - and combined with those uploaded by Duck Chowles, allows fans who are not familiar with the original version perhaps to have a better understanding of why it was such a great record (in my estimation, at least), and I was glad to be able to express that sentiment to him directly.  Trevor has noted in at least one prior interview that he wishes he never would have remixed/remastered the album (for international release) because in retrospect he believes the original version had a better sound to it.

There are obvious differences, for example, when you compare the original track "I Love You" to the reworked version "Finding Me A Way Back Home."

And I believe the original version of "Live A Bit" is also superior; the lead vocal is a bit drier and further upfront, the bottom end has more depth and the strings at the beginning are much sharper, the outro runs just slightly longer.

I think the differences between the mixes for "Love Life" are perhaps less obvious except, again, the vocal is more prominent.

There's some difference in the mix of "Fantasy" but more on the subtle side; I think the biggest difference is Trevor's voice is much higher on the original throughout.

Of the tracks which were omitted, it's a shame about "Could There Be" because I think it's one of Trevor's best moments of social commentary from that era.

The other track was "Love Alone."

Given that reissues are often bundled with a needle-drop of the original recording these days, I believe that would be a fine idea for Varese Sarabande to consider, and thus we could have another chance to experience Trevor's original vision for his solo debut directly - especially for those who do not collect vinyl.  There is much to discover in Trevor's legacy, and here's hoping the new year brings another opportunity in that realm.

Seasons Greetings

I'd like to wish all my readers around the world a very Happy Holiday season, whatever tradition you celebrate, with peace and joy and all good wishes for a wonderful New Year.  Thank you, as always, for your continued patronage.

I'm sure Rabinites have Trevor's version of "O Come All Ye Faithful" in their playlists and the only other holiday song I am aware of which Trevor played on was from Jon Anderson's 1985 holiday album 3 Ships - "Easier Said Than Done."  In the video, which is mostly a "making of" you can spot Trevor in some shots.

Next month, of course, will bring the premiere of the 12 Monkeys TV series on the SyFy channel, which is Trevor's latest scoring project and the second full series which he has scored.  There's been a fair amount of media coverage of late and I found this particular article interesting:
http://www.outerplaces.com/buzz/news/item/6367-6-things-we-learnt-watching-the-pilot-for-syfys-12-monkeys
For a bit of behind-the-scenes action you can check out these two Twitter accounts:
https://twitter.com/12monkeyssyfy
https://twitter.com/12monkeysroom

Filming for Season One just wrapped earlier this month, so I think it's safe to assume Trevor and Paul are still hard at work on the score.

There are plenty of ways to watch the show in the US: online at SyFy.com or by purchasing a season pass through Amazon Instant Video, and on Friday nights at 9 EST/PST, with the first episode airing January 16th.  I'm not certain yet whether I will be producing a Knowing The Score series for 12 Monkeys, but I may be recapping the first episode at the very least.

some traveling music

Monday brought the welcome delivery of the remastered Live In LA into my eager hands, and so along with a review of the release I thought I'd include some background about the tour.

It seems a missed opportunity that someone couldn't have provided a bit more research than was expended to prepare the liner notes but, as I noted in my previous entry regarding the reissue, the show which was recorded for Live In LA took place on December 13, 1989, at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles.  The tour to promote Can't Look Away was a three-week jaunt from late November to early/mid-December of sixteen dates; all clubs, some of which were quite well-known and some of them - such as San Diego's Bacchanal Club - no longer exist.  One of them, Chuy's in Tempe, Arizona, was owned by bassist Jim Simmons and his jazz-singer wife Nancy.

One other date - December 5th at Boston's Paradise Club - was also professionally-recorded for FM radio broadcast on WBCN.  Trevor states in the liner notes interview that the Roxy was the last date played, but actually the last date of the tour was two days later, in Sacramento at the Crest Theatre.

In an article published in the Phoenix New Music Times as the tour was making its way West, Trevor explained his reasoning for keeping it on a smaller scale:

"Management's idea was to get some bigger names," Rabin says from his home in Los Angeles. "They said, `You know all these well- known guys. You should get this one and that one, and we'll sell tons of tickets.' But I said, `No. That's not what this album's about. We should get people who are right for this thing, good players who are simply into the music.'"

Trevor noted the value of not only Jim's playing - as an excellent fretless bassist - but also his business acumen as a club owner.

"I'd never actually done a club tour," admits Rabin. "And for the past eight years with Yes, obviously I've done nothing but major arenas. So Jim, owning a club, really helped me scale my thinking down. He's been very useful."

To qualify that statement, Trevor had never done a club tour in the United States.  And is it probably likely that he could have filled theatres and sheds if he had chosen to tour on a larger scale and with a Yes-heavy setlist, or even arenas on a double-bill with another act, but it's to his credit that he desired to focus on promoting the album and thus performed the majority of the new songs on the tour he did undertake.  And as long-time fans know, Trevor did so with the support of world-class musicians who are immortalized on this release.

I can't help but believe Trevor possesses the master recordings of the entire Los Angeles performance, and that's a bit of a letdown in terms of this release because it was a solid setlist packed with fan favorites and great musical interludes.  This is the full setlist based on the bootlegs of the tour I have in my collection.

Entrance: Lift Me Up (intro)
Cover Up
Sorrow (Your Heart)/Birdland (excerpt)
Heard You Cry Wolf
Changes
Etoile Noir (with Jim's bass solo)/Eyes of Love
Solly's Beard
Something To Hold On To
You Know Something I Don't Know (with Mark's keyboard solo)/Promises
Sludge (featuring Lou's epic drum solo)
I Can't Look Away
Encore:
Make It Easy/Owner of a Lonely Heart
Love Will Find A Way

Later in the tour Trevor changed the order of STHOT and LWFAW in the setlist, hence their positions on the Live In LA tracklist.

"Birdland" is a track written by famed keyboardist Joe Zawinul and performed by the jazz fusion ensemble Weather Report. "You Know Something I Don't Know" is a song which dates back to at least the writing sessions for Cinema, although it may have actually been one of the songs Trevor brought to Chris and Alan for the project, but this is an instrumental version - the rehearsal demo which has circulated among traders features vocals.

Trevor's onstage patter was largely the same for every date, and in one of them he gives thanks to the road crew for hauling the professional-calibre PA system used on the tour:

"Before we go any further, I'd like to thank a couple of people for a couple of things[...]when we started this tour, the business people said, 'You can't take a system on the road, it's too expensive,' and I said, 'Yes I can!'  So...but I would like everyone to give a big hand to the road crew for carrying it.  Thank you!"

The DJ at WBCN who did the live remote for the Boston show verified "there is an amazing amount of equipment here on stage tonight."

And as Trevor noted in the aforementioned article:

"I went whole hog," Rabin says. "We're now taking a semitrailer full of gear on the road. It's like a mini-arena tour in clubs."

The full story behind this comes from Jim Simmons:

"...So when we first started getting together with the management and the production staff and talking about what we were doing, I found out they were planning to go out on the road without taking any of their own equipment. 'Cause the clubs were telling them, `Oh, don't worry about gear. We've got a P.A. We've got lights.'" Simmons lets loose with a hard-bitten laugh of experience. "I said, `Wait a minute here. There's something you don't know about.'"
"I had to tell them that if you're going out to back up an album and you wanna get people talking about the music and wanting to buy the record, you don't go in and use the club's P.A. 'Cause in ninety percent of the cases, it's junk. Even Chuy's system is not big enough to handle Trevor Rabin and the way we're gonna be playing. And ours is better than most."

And that philosophy/strategy is what ultimately lends the recording its unique aura: it seems so big and yet intimate.  The band is performing and projecting at an arena level in terms of musicianship and presentation, and the sound system they used allows all of that to come through, but the mix retains the immediacy of performing to a smaller audience of enthusiastic fans (especially in Boston!).

I think it would have been interesting to have included in the liner notes an insight into the evolution of "Lift Me Up" and why he chose it as entrance music - though this is also an example of how Trevor was thinking big, by opening with an overture of sorts.  If nothing else it makes me wonder how old the song is and whether he had originally developed the piece for Can't Look Away.

What I immediately notice about the remaster is that the sonic picture seems brightened and further developed in regard to details, I'm hearing things I didn't necessarily hear or appreciate from the original version.  Lou's drums are massive, every fill and accent very crisp and present, really doing justice to his style.  And Jim's bass is equally warm, nuanced and expressive.  The top end is a bit squashed for my taste, but I expect this in releases nowadays so it's not totally egregious.  The only drawback for me is I wish there weren't fades/gaps between songs, it would be nice to have crossfades to provide that "live" intensity for the listener.

This record has a special place in my heart because - as I've written previously - it contains one of my favorite performances: the extended version of "Sludge," which is an amazing display of fusion fervor and masterful chops.  And positively epic versions of "Heard You Cry Wolf" and "I Can't Look Away" which illustrate everything we love about Trevor as a musician and performer.

The singalong strategy for "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was used for every performance, so there wasn't necessarily a need on Trevor's part to demur in the liner notes interview - in my opinion it was a good piece of stagecraft: the lead vocal was above his range, so to have the audience sing the verses allowed them to be a part of the show and saved Trevor the strain on his voice which three solid weeks of singing surely had placed upon it.  And that spirit of singalong carried over into "Love Will Find A Way" and "Something To Hold On To" as well, making them fun to listen to beyond the enjoyment we get from such well-crafted hook-laden songs.

The version of "Solly's Beard," included as a bonus track is, as Trevor notes in the liner notes interview, not from the '89 club tour but an earlier Yes tour - as the version he played in 1989 was evolved from the version he played in 1987 and the precursor to the version which he played in 1991 on the Union tour (and also a little over a minute longer that previous versions), which would also be the last time he performed his signature solo piece, as he replaced it with a piano solo on the Talk tour.  However, this particular recording definitely has a better mix than the one used on the 9012Live: The Solos release.  But it's too bad Trevor couldn't have included the performance from that night as it had a very funny intro: "Thank you, we're gonna bring it down a little bit now and do something called 'The Clap.' Oh that's the other guy's!  This is 'Solly's Beard.'"  That last part where he says the name of the song is delivered in what I believe is Trevor's imitation of Jon Anderson.  So this particular performance was likely from 1984.

There are nods to Can't Look Away in the packaging, including the font used for Trevor's name and choice of an outtake from Lisa Powers' shoot for the album and promotional photos as the front cover, as well the image on the CD itself - it is a recreation of the old Elektra Records red-and-black LP label design used in the 1980s and for that album specifically.

This remaster is hopefully the first of other reissues and/or archival releases, as it seems Trevor is now officially aligned with Varese Sarabande as a distributor for non-soundtrack works.  For loyal Rabinites, Trevor's legacy is precious and deserves a good home and careful curating.  And this document of a little,big tour in 1989 looms large among those recordings we love.

Jack Bruce (1943-2014)

Today came the sad news of bassist Jack Bruce's passing, he leaves a legacy of legendary playing and singing in a number of ensembles and styles, the most well-known of which was famed power trio Cream, with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker.  And Trevor had the privilege of playing with Bruce in a similar configuration for his third solo album Wolf, with equally legendary drummer Simon Phillips.  Respected and highly influential as a performer and musician, he will be greatly missed.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/25/showbiz/cream-jack-bruce-bass/index.html

Media Watch: PROG magazine November 2014

(With many thanks to my dear friend Natalie Thake.)

The new issue of PROG (cover story: Pink Floyd's new release The Endless River) contains an article about the making of 90125 from their "The Albums That Saved Prog" series.  The article, featuring quotes from Trevor, Chris Squire and Jon Anderson is - in my estimation - mostly factual regarding events (which do get confused in the telling from time-to-time) and interesting in regards to some of the quotes.

For example, a funny detail from Trevor's recounting of his first meeting with Chris Squire and Alan White:

So, the three of us agreed to meet at a sushi bar in London.  Chris was late, which I was to discover was usual for him, but we eventually went back to his place and jammed.

And with the fullness of time we know The Two Trevors are good friends now, but it is noted that there was much tension between Rabin and Horn at the outset:

Chris thought we needed a frontman, someone who sang.  But Trevor and I just didn't get on at all.

Also noted is one of the most telling historical details...Phil Carson's unrelenting insistence that the Yes name be revived.  As he has recounted in other interviews, Carson put much of his own money toward the recording of the album but his boss, Ahmet Ertegun, was not interested in signing the band to Atlantic without the assurance of the brand name, and thus the only way Carson could recoup his costs was to present Ertegun with a new album by Yes.

There is also another mention of the alternate mix of the album which had been previously noted by Trevor Horn in his lecture for the Red Bull Academy in 2011, but Squire does not elaborate on the details:

Trevor Rabin wasn't satisfied and did a couple of his own remixes.  But the label were very happy with the original mix, and we didn't want to compromise and have a few Rabin remixes alongside the rest from Horn.

What actually occurred is Trevor desired a different mix of the album and enlisted producer/engineer James Guthrie - whom he had originally approached to co-produce Wolf a few years earlier - to create new mixes, which took place at Mayfair Studios in London.  But when Horn got wind of the project he asked Ertegun to put a stop to it and use the original mix.  Only two tracks had been remixed, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Hearts," when work was halted.

The article concludes with an observation that the popularity of 90125 helped to revive - and even reinvent - Yes for a new decade, with Trevor and Chris noting that their audience expanded thanks to the success of "Owner" and the album.

The November issue of PROG can be purchased now at all available retailers.

More good news!

Trevor just keeps the good stuff coming...a blogger can't keep up!

This update was delivered today via Facebook; Trevor's 2003 release Live In LA is being re-issued with a remaster of the audio, new cover art, and a bonus track - a performance of "Solly's Beard" not from the Los Angeles show but presumably from the club tour, as the song was featured in the setlist.  The recording used for the album was Trevor's show at The Roxy Theatre on December 13th, 1989.

Trevor posted a preview of the CD booklet along with the news and the Amazon purchase link, it features the cover (a shot from the photo sessions for Can't Look Away) along with liner notes penned by music journalist Jerry McCulley.
https://www.facebook.com/426522697375493/photos/a.479140745447021.122235.426522697375493/893659127328512/?type=1&theater

social media blitz

As a byproduct of Trevor's recently-increased social media presence (i.e. spending more time on Facebook to interact with fans), he decided - after crowdsourcing suggestions - to create a Soundcloud account in order to share items from the vaults.  And the first of these is the original mix of "Never Let Go" which was the end credits song for The Guardian, featuring Bryan Adams (and also vocalizing by Liz Constantine).  This mix is substantially different from the one which ended up in the film and on the score release, in that there is more guitar from Trevor as well as a repeating refrain of the title which is sung by him.

Also on the account is a shredding sample of the signature Washburn model - his new baby - and I'd just like to note that I've had that sample available here on the blog since January:
http://rabinesque.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-pxm-tr2.html
It definitely rips!

There is a link to Trevor's Soundcloud page in the "Neato Stuff" sidebar on the front page.  I know we're all looking forward to hearing more of the lost treasures!

An ode to the good things!

Today Trevor posted a video on his Facebook page set to the lovely blues stroll of "Georgia on My Mind" paying tribute to many people, places, and dogs beloved to him, and featuring rare family photographs.  Thank you, Maestro, for sharing your world with us fans!

Post by Trevor Rabin.

Update on new solo album progress

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).

new TV scoring project for Trevor (?!)

A very interesting tweet surfaced yesterday from producer Terry Matalas...

Composer Trevor Rabin is writing some pretty unbelievable music for #12Monkeys...
— Terry Matalas (@TerryMatalas) July 19, 2014

When asked for clarification he later responded:

@12MonkeysRoom @Rabin_News Yes! Trevor Rabin is doing the music for 12 Monkeys! We air in January.
— Terry Matalas (@TerryMatalas) July 19, 2014

If this is on-the-up-and-up I'm glad to see the Maestro getting back on the (scoring) horse, as I'm really interested to see what kind of direction he'll go in...maybe a retro-futurism vibe?

For more information on the show, here's an article from deadline.com:
http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/12-monkeys-syfy-remake-terry-gilliam-tca/

ETA 7/21: Film Music Reporter posted this article (I guess nobody works there on the weekends):
http://filmmusicreporter.com/2014/07/21/trevor-rabin-to-score-syfys-12-monkeys-tv-series/

Media Watch: "The most important thing!"

This nice little clip was uploaded just yesterday - courtesy of media outlet ScreenSlam.com - from the red carpet interviews for the Race To Witch Mountain premiere back in 2009.  Trevor displays a bit of his trademark humor but also I appreciate how he articulates the role of the score in a film.  As this was a nighttime premiere, the Maestro is handsomely attired in his customary black suit.

That same year saw the premiere of G-Force and here's a cute little interview, starting at the 1:24 mark.  I was in attendance for this event and my main recollection is how hot it was that day!  But Trevor's comment about Rompie is just too funny.

Media Watch: special sons

Today, the South Africa edition of Rolling Stone features an interview with Ryan which calls special attention to his roots and what they mean to him.  And as befits someone who quite often in performance wears t-shirts from his dad's old band, the article makes mention of Ryan's tattoo of the South African flag which can be glimpsed in the documentary I'm With You.

With this particular quote I believe Ryan truly is his father's son in expressing a particular sentiment:

“I get the same thrill from playing a show to thousands of people as I do crafting a record and listening back to it as it starts to really make sense to my ears.”

The link to the article for interested readers:
http://www.rollingstone.co.za/artists/item/3283-grouplove

Update from the Maestro!

Lucky us!  Today Trevor posted an update on his official Twitter and Facebook pages regarding the progress on his new album.

Hi everyone, sorry i've been missing in action,,,.but I have been 24/7 on the new solo album, and it's turning... http://t.co/65Hq3WhXKB
— Trevor Rabin (@Rabin_News) June 21, 2014

(Update to the update...)
Later on in the day, Trevor reiterated the album's direction and format:

I should clarify, the current album I'm working on is a vocal album.  I'm not sure where it will ultimately land up. But it's definitely a rock album at this point.  What I've been writing is definitely challenging my fingers. But I'm loving it.

I imagine we can estimate there's been about six months' work already accomplished, so here's hoping for a first or second quarter release in 2015!

The Man of a Thousand Credits: Pop Heart, Prog Mind

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

Yesterday I saw this Tweet, and it reminded me that I had written about this very thing over a year ago but had never posted it...so now's a good time as any:

One of prog’s eternal mysteries - what did Trevor Rabin do on WTTP? I’d like to think it’s him and Lippo on Ballad Of 32.
— Martin Ingram (@throg) June 12, 2014

So without further ado...WELCOME.

~*~*~*~

Her symphony and song,

To such a deep delight 'twould win me,

That with music loud and long,

I would build that dome in air,

That sunny dome! those caves of ice!

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Kubla Khan, or, A Vision In A Dream"

Trevor Horn (the other Trevor Charles in the history of Yes) is deservedly considered a Super Producer, one of those whose talent and methodologies signify that when he comes to a project, the end result will bear his unmistakable stamp, he puts part of himself in all the records he brings to fruition.  And at the beginning of his career as a producer there were two records he put more of himself into than perhaps any other, two records which have certainly defined his career over the whole and endure as classics not only of their time, but outside of it.  Both are – and this may be a hotly-contested opinion – Pop Prog masterpieces.

The first is Yes’ 1983 release 90125. The other is this album:

As time and various commentary has revealed, Welcome To The Pleasuredome is what is known as a “producers record,” a practice not unheard of in the 1960s and ‘70s; many of the biggest hits of those eras were simply studio projects, the brainchild of one particular producer or another featuring a cadre of studio musicians.  Frankie Goes To Hollywood didn’t necessarily start out as a pet project but evolved into one courtesy of Mr. Horn and his grand vision for world pop chart domination.  

And this is where the Maestro (Our Trev) enters the picture.  According to various accounts (among them The Two Trevors), Mr. Horn has Mr. Rabin to thank for bringing the Frankies to his attention, and ultimately massive success.  The story goes that the Maestro caught the Frankies performance on the Channel 4 music program The Tube and informed Mr. Horn this was a group he should consider signing to his new imprint ZTT.

As indicated on both his official discography and various citations in the media, he also played on the album, one of his more interesting credits, except…well, it’s not actually official.  Trevor is missing from the printed credits of the record.  Yet - and this likely put a self-satisfied smirk on the faces of any number of Yes purists - Steve Howe is credited for his contribution to the album's title track.  (The tr.net discography also lists the second album Liverpool and again no official credit can be found; but I am limiting the topic of this essay to the debut.)

But that may not be a surprise when you consider the credits as a whole.  As one of an unofficial group of Yes historians, Henry Potts commented a few years ago in a discography entry on a Yes fansite:

I've given the official credits above, but they are a pack of lies! Of the FGTH material, Johnson wrote all the lyrics and the music is mainly by Johnson/O'Toole/Gill. There are very significant re-arrangements and additions from Horn and his crew. None of the FGTH instrumentalists play on the album at all; again, Horn and his crew played everything. Horn himself probably plays on the album (keys? bass?) and certainly did programming for it. Howe is as credited and Trevor Rabin also did some uncredited guitar session work.

In an exchange with a fan on Twitter, vocalist Holly Johnson did not recall Mr. Rabin playing on the album, his answer to the inquiry was:

Steve Howe played on the title track only.  Steve Lipson played most of the guitar on the album.

I'm sure readers are asking, "Humble Narrator, whatever do you mean by 'Pop Prog' or by putting Frankie, YesWest, and prog in the same essay?  Have you lost your fangirl mind?!"  But I fully believe there is such a thing and the designation has to do with the scope of the ambition of the work, the sense of grandeur created by every aspect of the recordings.  Mr. Horn is viewed as the savior of Yes in no less than three different eras and in part it's because he does hold a certain reverence for the aims of prog, if not always the execution.  Pleasuredome is certainly one of the most well-crafted and sophisticated albums in the history of pop music, and more than a bit subversive in its aims: musically, socially and even politically.  Mr. Horn was always thinking big, not only in terms of his career but in his desire to craft productions which would dominate the taste of the entire world.  Consider the title track and the way it combines both a pop hook in the bassline as well as the movements of both melodic and ambient sections with other adventurous elements to create a literal imposing fanciful construction in the aural sense.  The suite (if you combine all those pieces into one, which I believe you are meant to) takes up the entire side of an album, a bit unusual for a pop song to do at the time.

It has been said this album is far too farcical, over the top, over-indulgent and just plain vulgar.  But I disagree, for underneath the winking sexual references, silliness and pandering is an elegance which could only be found in the 80s.  As critic Wyndham Wallace noted in an article for The Quietus upon the 25th anniversary of the album's release:

Undeniably far from faultless, Welcome To The Pleasuredome nonetheless challenged notions of authenticity, ridiculed the establishment, confronted taboos, embraced artistic and cultural literacy and dissected contemporary paranoid society. [...]  Maybe it’s simply that people consider Welcome To The Pleasuredome to contain too much filler, a swollen pustule of glossy style over little substance. But all of these things are what make this record so extraordinary, because Welcome To The Pleasuredome is much more than just music. It’s a manifesto, a satire, a historical document, and a masterpiece whose weaknesses may be evident but whose strengths are overwhelming.

So wherein lies our Maestro in all this sonic splendour?  The savage electric textures of the title track and "War?"  The shards of metallic sex in "Relax?"  In the reprisal of The Boss' classic riff in "Born To Run?"  The atmospheric Floydian layers of "The Ballad of 32?"  The crisp chords of "Krisco Kisses" and "Black Night White Light?"  It could be any one of those as Trevor can play anything (and has) to meet the needs of the session at hand.  So it makes for an interesting consideration at the very least, a game of Spot The Trevor.  And also interesting that no one has ever asked him about it, or at least not that I've ever read in my years as a Rabinite.

But I believe Welcome To The Pleasuredome deserves a spin for reasons more than mere investigation...because they don't make records like this anymore.  Not even by Trevor Horn.

Media Watch: human highlight reel go-to guy.

Today offered something I wasn't sure I'd ever see...a mention of Trevor in The New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/04/nba-music.html

The subject of Ben Greenman's Culture Desk column is "N.B.A. Music," as the first round of the NBA playoffs are nigh, and he traces the evolution of the organization's theme songs since the mid-1970s.  Trevor's contribution, which has served for many years as the main theme for TNT's coverage of the NBA, is given a namecheck and YouTube link for the composition illustrating his strengths in composing a memorable theme which provides the appropriate emotional cues in a short time span.  But I take exception to his statement that John Tesh's theme is superior...okay, sure, Tesh can deliver that big brassy sound which hijacks your attention from anything else, but Trevor is a rock star, okay?  And that's what counts in the grandeur of professional basketball.  Enjoy the drama...and when you do, you know the music of the Maestro will be leading the way.

A look back at Trevor's endorsements: Westone-Alvarez

Note: this post is image-heavy (for those of you with slower browsers).

This year saw the release of Trevor's new signature model guitar from Washburn, the PXM-TR2/TR20.  It is part of Washburn's Parallaxe series of electric guitars, built for the modern shredder.  But as long-time fans know, over 20 years ago Trevor also had a signature model which was manufactured by Westone-Alvarez, and he endorsed both the Pantera electric as well as the Yairi acoustic beginning in 1986.  Jon Anderson also had an endorsement deal for the Yairi acoustic, beginning in 1979, and I would posit that is how Trevor came to be introduced to the brand, but that's just my speculation.

There are plenty of resources online for information regarding the Westone-Alvarez models which Trevor utilized and endorsed, including The Westone Forums site where there are more than a few Rabin Rabinite fanboys available for such discussion.  And of course the Star Licks video which is all about guitars and gear, technique and tenacity (and Trevor is wearing one of his greatest outfits ever); a must-have for any fan's collection, readily available on DVD from various sellers on eBay.

In the video (produced in 1992), Trevor proclaims his deep and abiding love for his "baby" of the moment:

Here is a look at the signature model and its variants as featured in one of the Westone brochures, I believe this was from 1991 or '92:

From the fan/collector's perspective, what I desire is to pay visual tribute with the various endorsement ads which feature Trevor - he also officially endorsed D'Addario strings and Ampeg amps - starting with the three main ads for Westone-Alvarez.

In this ad Trevor is pictured with the Westone Pantera.

1986

This ad was photographed on the set of the video shoot for "Something To Hold On To."

1989

This ad is for the signature model with one of Trevor's most iconic photographs in the minds of most fans:

1993

Here's another ad noting Trevor as an official endorser.

1992

There were also three ads for Yairi, the first two are standard advertising format for the brand, there are also other versions with different guitarists pictured.

1986

1987

1987

Just sayin'

Not that I would ever presume to insist upon particular conditions in regards to my love and admiration of a certain insanely-talented musical polymath quadruple-threat but...Kate Bush announced today she is going to launch a new live production later this year in London (titled Before The Dawn) and if Kate - notorious for being shy and not fond of traveling or playing live (resulting in her only having toured once before in her entire career) - can hit the stage again then there might yet be hope for our Maestro...as we Pink Floyd fans are fond of saying, "Pigs still might fly!"

The news on Kate can be read here, for those interested:
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-26679515

Media Watch: pan-cultural outsourcing

With thanks to Henry Potts for this piece of news.

Jon Anderson says that Trevor Rabin has written a piano concerto for Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang http://t.co/SZrIZlkiu3
— Henry Potts (@bondegezou) March 17, 2014

If this is true (I suppose there's no reason it's not, save that Jon sometimes states things in a way which turns out to be rather different from what they actually are, bless him) it's a great thing to consider that Trevor may also be moving into a phase of his career where he is actively composing long-form classical works apart from his film scoring.  And Lang Lang is no stranger to collaborations with rock musicians, having appeared with Metallica to perform their song "One" at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

Hopefully further updates will be made available...the link to the interview is in Henry's tweet, and Jon's comment regarding Trevor's piece comes around the 22:15 mark in the recording.

Would you buy a guitar from this man?

This week Washburn put together a new endorsement ad of sorts for Trevor's signature model, and here is the image (courtesy of their Facebook page):

I apologize for the previous confusion on my part as there are two versions, one American and one for the rest of the world, and the model numbers reflect that difference.  And I understand the use of that particular photo as it shows off the body of the guitar nicely, but I'm more partial to this shot and the Maestro's grin which is always a pleasure to view.

Knowing The Score: Zero Hour S1 E10: "Escapement"

(Author's note: this essay contains spoilers for the tenth episode of Zero Hour, so don't say I didn't warn you!)
Yes it's back! (sort of)... I'd like to thank all those far and wide who have read these recaps and (hopefully) enjoyed them, as they have received much traffic on the blog.  I do plan to finish the series, but it takes a lot of time and effort to write these, as anyone who recaps movies and TV shows online (either in website. blog, or podcast form) can attest.  The Knowing The Score series is fun to do, just slow to be posted, is all.  But I truly appreciate your interest as always.


Previously on: COUNTDOWN TO ARMAGEDDON, APPARENTLY.
So the Faroe Islands isn't necessarily the best of vacation destinations if you're looking for the True Cross.  Plus, a random road sign tried to kill Hank.  Harsh!  And the Shepherds make a mean kaleidoscope.

Nine is the number of judgment
the measure of our soul.
When all secrets come to light
the truth shall take its toll.

Well duh!, Vincent!  That's pretty much the whole premise of this show, right?

In the year of Der Fuhrer, 1937: Sterm is asked to participate in Project Zero Hour.  Take a drink for the Godwin-citing inclusions of the phrase "Perfect German" and the playing of Wagner.  Sterm and Dietrich find themselves attempting to utilize irony as they donate their blood for the cause.  But is there juice and cookies?

Back on the island, the Unholy Trinity is being held at gunpoint while the Pyrate minions collect the True Cross-munching beetles, and as Riley is all FEELINGS OH GOD NO WHY?! at Molars, he is as cold as the North Sea...but no, wait, he says he'll shoot them, but he totally doesn't.  It's the old bait-and-switch while Riley cries, "You remember who we were, I can see it in your eyes!"  "I remember," Molars replies.  He warns her not to follow him, oh yeah, like that's gonna work.  Later, as they're all warm and safe in some waystation, Laila realizes her fear was misguided, and Jacinda has a moment of slippage where her normal speaking voice comes through, although I understand it could have been played deliberately.  Because Riley is the worst listener ever, she's going after Molars.  She makes a reference to her and Hank being alike in their predicaments, but she is still trapped in her delusion.

Back on the ship, Molars is science-ing, WV shows up with his usual obnoxious flirting, and Molars shoots him down with the observation that "you're just a hired gun, and you're about two days away from getting your pink slip."  He has to invoke Mommy Locust to put an end to the pissing match.  

Hank and Laila are on conference call with the Cute Squad, who regretfully inform him Hank's dad went off with the Pied Piper of the Apocalypse, aka Mommy Locust.  Oh crap!  Ever helpful, Laila states the obvious about it not being over after all.

We flashback to A Moment of Destiny in 1963, where Hank's dad is being headhunted for Project Zero Hour due to his "unusual interests" in molecular biology.  The recruiter is, of course, Melanie's father.  Hank's dad is all, "Yeah but, Albania," and Melanie's dad says, "But we'll let you do your crazy secret experiments!"  In cross-cut to the present day, Hank's dad is in the possession of a file cache inscribed with an ouroboros, and being told that he is the only one who can finish the project.

I realize now there's a difference between when the title sequence starts online as opposed to broadcast television.  I watched this episode on TV and it was at five minutes, which is probably the norm.  So online the sequence starts at eleven minutes and that just feels too long.  It's interesting how ingrained these little things are in regards to viewer reaction.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the North Sea, mutiny is a-brewing as the crew wonders what is going on with all the hazmat stuff, and gives WV an ultimatum.  Guys, that's so not the right decision, sorry to say.  WV calls Mommy Locust who tells him to clean it up.  Hank and Laila manage to track down Roland, who stonewalls them with all kinds of obfuscation and gruff retort, the kind that historically silly fools employ when they believe they've got a handle on the situation.

I also get now that Arron is meant to be the metaesque commentator on the narrative superstructure and what-have-you as he tells Hank, "This is insane...why is everyone in your life hiding some secret from you?"  Good question, dude, but uh...that's it, that's the show right there, as they say in memeland.  The Scoobies split up with the respective research assignments as Hank and Laila visit the Galliston homestead.  Hank wants to find his mom and so they begin searching for clues again, and Laila is having FEELINGS, nostalgic for their lies-all-lies fake marriage and Hank makes it clear that he forgave but he didn't forget being married to the Lying Liar Who Lies.  Remembering that Roland was nifty with code as well, between the two of them they figure out the puzzle of where Rose ran off to, as Hank finds a book with a hollowed-out hiding place containing a gun and a cellphone.

Somewhere in the North Sea an insertion team is boarding what is now a ghost ship: the entire crew is dead, but White Vincent and Molars are gone.  It's noted by a member of the team that once again Riley's obsession is putting others at risk.  Gee, ya think?

Hank and Laila show up at the safe house where Roland and Rose had been hiding.  Mom is rather frazzled - she keeps wanting to make tea - and Hank finally gets her to focus enough to start Expositioning Or Else.  Rose relates the story of Project Zero Hour, she and Roland met while working for The 41 Trust in Albania, Roland was your typical arrogant doctor, Closer To God than anyone else.  He actually says, "I have a moral obligation to the future of science."  SCIENCE!  And because it's 1968, he can fully enact his white male privilege by responding to her opinion of his work, "Don't condescend, a clever nurse is still a nurse."  

(Oh wait a minute, doctors are still saying that today...never mind.)

Their dialog is a bit anachronistic, however, even with the proper cultural orientation, but we are given a first glimpse of poor old WV, already outcast as a failure of the project.  Rose reveals to Hank that, yes, he is the first successful lab rat, er, gestational cloning of a human being.  Understandably, Hank freaks out.  Laila stops lying long enough to be supportive in an appropriate fashion.  Rose discusses his birth, and in flashback we see he is perfectly normal, but still just Subject 352 in the overall scheme of things.  Roland and Rose, realizing this perfect baby will be dissected to discover why the process finally worked, plot to rescue him from his lab rat future and disappear into the world at large, forever hiding from the greater agenda of The 41 Trust.  Mom tells Hank he's got to run and never look back, but Hank gets all Quixotic and declares he's going to rescue the only dad he ever knew.  D'awwww....kinda has a nice symmetry to it, non?

Meanwhile, the Cute Squad has their research-fu going on and Girl Genius has an epiphany, as you do when you're a genius.

The investigation aboard the ghost ship reveals the crew was deliberately gassed, there is no actual hazmat contamination, the use of the canisters and so forth was just a ruse to keep them from being too curious about the cargo.  Looking through the lanyards left behind, we see ID for both WV and Molars, and cut to some other facility where the two are in a ultraviolet-lighted lab, WV is, in his passive-aggressive petulant way, demanding answers.  Mommy Locust informs him he is a failed experiment but won't reveal the plan, and he tries wheedling to be allowed to remain.  He's never really grown-up, poor White Vincent.

Roland is taken to the Lab of Villainy as Mommy Locust knows he is close to discovering the correct sequence so that the plot device, er, Final Solution or, you know, whatever, can move forward.  He manages to get a message to Rose that he's being moved.

Hank breaks the news of his lab rat origins to the Cute Squad and they are, understandably, freaked out.  That's gotta fuck with your head, am I right?  They theorize about WHY someone would want to clone humans, way back when, and Arron lets them in on the significance of the bugs which were found having chowed down on the True Cross in the Faroe Islands, the Death Watch beetle.  The Shepherds hid the Cross when they discovered the Nazis were trying to clone humans because they wanted to do so using the blood of Christ.  

And then we are granted the sight of His Holy DNA spiraling upon a computer screen in the Lab of Villainy.

Hank and Laila have a martial-type spat regarding Hank's plan to rescue his not-dad.  She insists, "You know you once said to me that you would do anything if I asked," reminding him - and us - that she is still a Hot Girl even if she's not utilizing any particular fu at this time.  Sensibly, Hank points out that no matter where they would run to, they would be pursued.  But I think it's too late for the beautiful one (Laila is aptly-named) and his FEELINGS! for her.

Meanwhile, the Lab of Villainy and discussion of The Final Solution, er, plan.  Mommy Locust announces the return of noted scientist Roland Galliston, however she doesn't believe his explanation for his interestingly-timed appearance and WV gets all thuggish, sensing he can at least step back into his old role as the enforcer once more.  Riley shows up at the Media Empire with one of the hazmat canisters and she's still under the impression that Molars was once her husband rather than a Deep Cover Lying Liar Who Lies, but she's figured out that the canister points to the agenda of The 41 Trust and the Scoobies enact their research-fu once more.

Hank's dad is stalling again and is visited by WV who confronts him, revealing that he remembers who Roland is, and his part in WV's continued existence (which he may or may not be grateful for).  Riley asks where Laila is, and we see she has gone out for forged identification and documentation for herself and Hank, still hoping she can convince him to disappear with her.  But really, she should know that her Skeptical Schlub is on a Mission from The God He Doesn't Believe In to try and save his not-dad.  Because he's the good guy.

Back at the Lab of Villainy, WV plays host for Roland's This Is Your Life as we see via flashback how the rescue operation came to pass, but not without sacrifice.  Knowing that WV's freaky-ass sclera is going to give the whole game away, there is an incredibly sad scene where he is delivered to the orphanage from the past flashbacks (it's dark and snowing, what is this, Dickens?) and we understand why WV has referred to Hank as "brother" whenever they've met.  Hank's blood is what they want, that's what makes him the device.  To quote any number of vampires, the Blood is the Life (they seek to recreate).

Hank makes a connection with one of the Modern Skeptic magazine covers (See, the Media Empire is relevant to our interests!) and leaves Laila a message saying he thinks he knows where to find Roland.  He goes out to a certain spot by the harbor and is nastily ambushed by WV, who apparently doesn't truly apprehend the meaning of "brotherly love."

Now to the good (scoring) stuff: again there are lots of great action cues in this episode given all the crosscutting scenes and so forth, but what really caught my ear was an interesting ambient cue, although I wonder if it was one of Paul's.