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 Noise11 site is an article regarding Ryan's continuing absence from GROUPLOVE, which may potentially indicate more than just a change of heart regarding touring.
“Before this big Imagine Dragons we did last Fall in The States he strangely wrote us this email saying ‘I don’t want to go on this tour,” Grouplove singer Christian Zucconi tells Noise11.com. “I’m not saying I don’t want to be in the band anymore but I don’t want to go on the tour’, (he wrote). It’s a weird thing to say and express because to be in the band you need to go on tour.”
Back in October I had theorized that it seemed Ryan wanted to focus on Captain Cuts' artistic development for the time being as they have been signed to Sony and released several singles, including their collaboration with New York-based EDM duo The Knocks, "House Party." It's possible that Ryan might take more of what is traditionally characterized as a Brian Wilson-type role for GROUPLOVE and continue to write and produce on future albums but not tour. As he had stated in past interviews, before the formation of the band Ryan had already decided on a production career rather than a performing one. So this kind of direction doesn't really surprise me if in fact it is what Ryan desires to pursue in the future.
Captain Cuts recently celebrated yet another hit collaboration with alt-rock band Walk The Moon - last month their song "One Foot" from the album What If Nothing reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. And GROUPLOVE has filled Ryan's seat behind the kit with former Dashboard Confessional drummer Benjamin Homola.
Spotted on Instagram: here is a great moment we have previously seen from Chris and Trevor's reunion at the Imagine A Cure benefit show (coordinated by Alan White) in 2009, with some accompanying context courtesy of the photographer.
As evidenced by so many posts on social media, with every Olympics broadcast NBC reminds us all how powerful Trevor's music can be as the soundtrack for excellence and triumph, elation and adversity, and every emotion in between.
I’m watching @NBCOlympics wrap up closing ceremony highlights, but all I can think of is how they’re using Trevor Rabin’s “Titans Spirit” theme from Remember the Titans. #MusicianProblems#soundtrack
Whenever I hear "Titans Spirit" by Trevor Rabin at the end of major sporting events, such as the Olympics, I am hit with all the feels. It is such a powerful song! He absolutely nailed this piece! I might even like it more than most or all John Williams pieces.
A new article on the Best Classic Bandswebsite comments on recent ARW updates and includes one I hadn't previously been aware of. Last month Trevor was a guest on The Fab Fourum, a weekly call-in talk show on the SiriusXM Beatles channel.
On Jan. 24, Rabin was a guest on SiriusXM’s Beatles Channel. During an interview on the “Fab Fourum,” he was asked by co-host Dennis Elsas: “Let me get this straight – You are recording?” Rabin’s reply: “Yeah, we’re kind of doing so right now. It’s going slow but it’s going great.”
It would seem that this serves as Trevor's latest statement regarding progress on the new music.
Trevor, like so many of his generation, spent his formative years in the shadow of the band's extensive musical influence and so I imagine it was a great opportunity to hear him discuss the Beatles. This episode is not currently available for On Demand listening (although a couple of ARW's appearances on SiriusXM in October of 2016 are still accessible), so anyone who happened to hear the show please feel free to email me and let us know how it was!
A very Happy Birthday to the third Piscean bassist in the Yes continuum (which is why I like to say it's a rule that you have to be a Pisces to play bass in Yes) and this year is the big 5-0 for Mr. Poms, but agile and tirelessly cheerful as Lee is, he's got the energy of a man half that age...as they say in Hoxton, gawdblessya!
Uploaded today on the Yes Source YouTube channel are those tracks from the promotional advance sampler version of Union - there was an existing explanation in the Wikipedia article on the album but it appears it's been edited out within the last ten years or so:
Before the final Union album was released, a preview of a sort was released by the record company to generate interest. It contains significantly different mixes of most of the ABWH group's material.
However, it's also been documented that a bootleg release entitled The Perfect Union collects outtakes and demos from the period. So it appears that perhaps the Arista promotional release was then augmented with other material for that subsequent artifact.
"Lift Me Up" is the only track of Trevor's which was included and it is Trevor's original demo, as it does not feature Jon at all and in fact Trevor's vocal is in a completely different key for the opening verse. The end solo is also somewhat different to my ears as far as the texturing (which leads me to believe that two guitars were used rather than one, then edited together).
This is the best-sounding version I've heard, which would indicate that it is straight from the promo pressing as opposed to a second or third-generation copy. Long-time fans are aware that we are missing only the demo version of "Saving My Heart" to experience how Trevor's trio of submitted songs originally sounded.
Via PROG comes the good news that Our Guys have scheduled a pair of UK shows in advance of their headlining slot at London's Stone Free Festival in June.
One of a continuing series in regards to the myriad variety of Trevor’s discography.
Out of the many guest appearances Trevor has made on record for other artists over the years, one which he has noted on his own official discography is for Seal's 1991 debut album, produced by Trevor Horn. Mark Mancina also played keyboards on the release - but none of the musicians listed in the album's credits are specifically noted regarding which track(s) they played on, although according to guitarist Chrissy Shefts, she was the one who played all the guitar parts on "Crazy" as well as adding parts to other songs.
Seal was a definite hit for the British-born singer and his producer, reaching number one in the UK and number 24 in the US, as well as winning the award for Best British Album at the 1992 Brit Awards.
From my perspective, I would definitely cite it as one of Mr. Horn's best production efforts; it was one of the seminal albums of '90s-era genre blending - much as Sade did in the '80s with such albums as Diamond Life and Promise - a lush engaging mix of R&B, soul, pop and contemporary jazz styles. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't experienced Seal's specific talents or may only know of his song "Kiss From A Rose" (also produced by Mr. Horn).
As far as Trevor's involvement, I've given it much consideration - just as I have with his uncredited work on Welcome to the Pleasuredome (which is the subject of a previous entry) - and here's my conclusion: the only track which sounds as if he was selected for a particular type of texture he could definitely contribute (in Mr. Horn's estimation) is "Wild."
But what I consider the specific evidence for that theory isn't even on the official version of the album!
As documented on the Seal fansite Future Love Paradise, there are two versions of the debut album: the "normal" version which appears to have had the widest distribution, and what is known as the "premix" version. The site owner notes in their discography entry -
According to Seal, there are two versions because he and Trevor Horn had very little time to finish the first version (due to the demands of single releases), and later decided there were better versions of the three tracks (or as Seal puts it: "a bad habit that Trevor and myself share, THE INABILITY TO LET GO!!").
So this would indicate why the first version is referred as the "premix" version. The "normal" version was released to replace it and thus became the official version of the album.
Regarding "Wild" - here is the commentary from the fansite:
The version of "Wild" is an entirely different mix. The whole of the musical arrangement is different to that of the "normal" album.
It starts with the same guitar thrash, but instead of continuing with a basic drum beat and tame guitar, you are treated to a fantastic flick-bass line. Then the drums kick in. This is the same rhythm as the "normal" mix. With the drums comes the thrashing chords of a guitar.
With more bass and guitar, this mix seems to flow from the initial thrash and into the song more fluently. Finally, the track ends with another thrash which echoes to silence. In my opinion, it is much funkier :)
The "premix" version of "Wild."
If you compare the two versions, the rock-style guitar is far more prominent in the original "premix" version. "Wild" is the only song on the album which has a specifically crunchy type of guitar part, and it stands to reason Mr. Horn would ask Trevor to contribute that kind of vibe. Listening to the original "premix" version makes it a more obvious choice, in my opinion. However, the playing on the "normal" version also seems entirely the kind of articulation we know Trevor is capable of, even if it's less noticeable. Granted, Trevor could have played any guitar part on the album (except the ones on "Crazy," apparently) because as a seasoned veteran of recording sessions he can perform in any number of styles and idioms with absolute ease. But my prevailing theory is if Trevor played on only one song, it was likely "Wild."
Those of you who have heard the album, or if you have specific information as to Trevor's particular credit, please feel free to hit me up on email and share what you think and/or know. I'm more than happy to admit I'm wrong if we fans can finally know for certain.
One thing which Our Guys can say they truly have in common is musically-talented progeny, and today Rick's son Adam released a second album with his long-time friend and collaborator Damian Wilson - The Sun Will Dance In Its Twilight Hour - the creation of which was crowdfunded on Kickstarter and is now available across all digital distribution platforms and on CD from Blacklake. A vinyl version is scheduled for release in March.
Their 2016 album Weir Keeper's Tale is a beautifully written and recorded work and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys acoustic-based music in the classic singer-songwriter mode. Adam and Damian are incredibly talented; and as they compromise 2/5ths of Headspace, one of my now-favorite groups, these albums are an automatic acquisition for me.
My favorites from the new release thus far are: "On This Battlefield" (with Adam on lead vocal), "Tried And Tested," and the title track.
And of course anyone who has followed Rick's career over the years knows that Adam and Damian (along with Lee Pomeroy) were a part of his New English Rock Ensemble from 2000-2002.
When the paisley scarf is on that means Prog Business! And just to note, none of the Headspace lads can seem to stay apart - Adam and Damian are touring the UK right now, last year Adam briefly joined Pete in Natalie Imbruglia's backing band as well as Rich and Lee reuniting at one of the Take That performances in London. Here's hoping we get to hear whatever this turns out to be!
An ongoing series in which I wax enthusiastic regarding Trevor's best themes from his film scoring work.
As part of my Knowing The Score series, I'm opining on some of my favorite themes in Trevor's scores. I'm going to begin with Race To Witch Mountain from 2009.
This score is actually one of my favorites in terms of blending orchestral, rock and electronica elements, but not in the same way as we've experienced in other scores doing the same thing, such as Gone In 60 Seconds or Bad Company. Race has a more analog - for want of a better term - feel to it, and I believe part of that comes from the story itself, as it involves extraterrestrials. The themes and cues involving the Siphon, an alien assassin, use vintage synth samples to evoke a definite sense of sci-fi menace.
But the score for Race To Witch Mountain was an online-only release. I am thankful Disney saw fit to release it at all, but it's still a bit disheartening that one of Trevor's best contemporary scores (i.e. from the last decade) was given such a seemingly ephemeral distribution.
The theme which plays behind the opening credits - "Unidentified Main Titles" - (see, I told y'all Trevor has a sense of humor) is one of his very best, though it appears in a movie which was likely not seen by the sort of people who pay close attention to scoring. "UMT" really displays his Bernard Herrmann influence in my opinion, combining a very complex time signature and momentum-driven motif with touches of guitar riffing, percussion and bass-bomb dissonance interwoven with strings which are pure ostinati, supported by the brass, piano and choir voicings. It's as heavy a thing as Trevor has ever written for rock n'roll, which only goes to support his contention that the weight of, say, a 40-piece orchestra can rival any rock band for sheer power. Trevor's sense of rhythm and melody allows him a perspective which someone working from a wholly classical orientation may not be able to utilize.
The theme returns at a few points, such as in "Tracking The E.B.E.s" and "Meet The Press" and is entirely compelling each time - it basically dominates the entire score, much as "Aftermath" did for Deep Blue Sea - and that is the hallmark of a truly memorable and compelling theme: no matter how many times you may hear it, you enjoy it fully every time it comes around.
In related news, never let it be said that Rick can resist a fart joke...
In the studio today recording stuff for ARW to send to Jon and Trevor . All electronic recording which is just as well as otherwise erroneous sounds may well have been recorded and the music turned into Close to the Veg.
As many of you have likely already read as it was posted today, the Grumpy Old Rick's Ramblings for February contained a tidbit of good news for those of us eagerly awaiting new music from ARW.
On the 7th, Erik Jordan and I will be recording bits and pieces to send over to Trevor and Jon as part and parcel of the new music we have been putting together and sending each other. It’s a good way of working when you all live so far apart!
Previously it had been indicated in interviews that they all would be recording together in situ (at the Jacaranda Room, one presumes) but working online is definitely the preferred 21st Century methodology for many artists, especially considering what an action-packed schedule Rick has - including a jaunt to South America towards the end of the month.
