For People Who Love Trevor Rabin

[Ron Drummond]

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE POSTING!

Greetings to all Yesfans. This thread is intended for folks who love and appreciate Trevor Rabin's music in all of its forms, and who wish to discuss it with others who feel similarly in a respectful, upbeat, and considerate manner.

This thread is NOT intended for folks who wish to compare Trevor Rabin and Steve Howe to one another. If you wish to discuss or debate Rabin vs. Howe, please start another thread or contribute to any of the numerous threads that already exist on that topic. Please note that there are also Howe threads devoted to appreciating Steve's work.

Rabin fans: please, on this thread, let's discuss our appreciation of Rabin without comparing him to Steve Howe, positively or negatively. Let's just talk about Rabin here, and about the albums he made with Yes and his other musical projects.

Thank you to everyone for respecting the intent of this thread!

Sincerely,

Ron Drummond

[Ron Drummond]

I've only heard the 1989 album, Can't Look Away, once, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to getting to know it better. How do folks think this album compares to the Yes albums Trevor helped make? My own initial impressions of Can't Look Away and Talk were that I liked Can't Look Away better. Now I've gotten to know Talk more, and I'm not sure if I'd still feel that way.

I am pretty sure I will end up liking Can't Look Away better than Big Generator (though if I was forced to pick my single favorite song between the two albums, it'd be "Shoot High, Aim Low"). Although please, allow me to emphasize, it's not a contest here: I'm interested in people's experiences of the albums, and what resonates with you and why.

What aspects of Can't Look Away show the clear influence of Yes and Trevor's experiences working with the band? What songs on Can't Look Away strike you as arising out of areas that Trevor could not explore within the collaborative constraints of Yes?

[Thoughtbecontact]

Ron,
What a wonderful thread. I hope no one ruins it. I can't comment on Can't Look Away, since I've never heard it. I know one day I will, but in the meantime, I'll wait until the conversation on this thread turns to something I can comment on.

[Trevor Walker]

Well done Ron !

Has 90124 been released in the States yet ?

The UK release date is May 26 - I've had it on order since early March, the release date in UK keeps getting put back !

[Ron Drummond]

Originally posted by Thoughtbecontact
I'll wait until the conversation on this thread turns to something I can comment on. Hi, Thought! Don't hesitate to jump in with your own thoughts or concerns or questions about Rabin's career and music, that's what this is for! Maybe you could share with us your most joyful experience discovering Rabin's music.

Hi Trevor -- I heard 90124 is due out in June in the U.S. I don't know the exact date. Other folks here are much more conversant with Rabin than I am.

Best to all,

Ron
______________

"The foreignness of what you no longer are or no longer possess
lies in wait for you in foreign, unpossessed places."
-- Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities

[Trevor Walker]

Thanx Ron !

If I get it before you do, I'll post a review (probably here). I'm no musician - But I know what I like !

I'm thinking about ordering Live in LA. Have you, or anyone else, got it ? I'd love to hear what you all think of it.

[ycantibu]

To tell ya the truth, I don't really hear a Yes influence in any of his solo work - maybe I'm missing something? BTW, neat idea for a thread, thanks for starting it.

[ANTIOCH]

I think Trevor's contributions to YES were monumental and his 'solo' work certainly stands up on it's own merit.
My favorite song on "Union" is 'Miracle of Life' and the 'live' version of "Endless Dream" totally blew me away !
YES were never stronger vocally than with Trevor.

[RobAdams]

Had a listen to BIG GENERATOR today. What a great album. I always forget how wonderful this is until I play it.

[Q]

Rabin to me embodies the spirit of Yes spreading out beyond the "classic" model ... he demonstrates that the fire and beauty of those early works can grow and change and spread into other areas ...

[nightliner]

...is excellant cd. He does a killer version of Can't Look Away. There are 5 other songs, from that album, Heard You Cry Wolf from "Wolf", and Changes and Love Will Find A Way. I highly recommend it.

[Thoughtbecontact]

Originally posted by Trevor Walker
I'm thinking about ordering Live in LA. Have you, or anyone else, got it ? I'd love to hear what you all think of it.

Trevor, I know that Peter has had Live in L.A. since it was released--so he should post about it too.

Ron, per your suggestion, when I started pulling out my Trevor-era CDs after not listening to them for a time, it was just like Antioch says--the harmonies are superb, much smoother than anything else before or since. But I think what amazed me the most was hearing Talk, not on the first go around, but after about the 5th or 6th time. That's when I realized what an incredible musician Trevor is, particularly as a keyboardist. I don't think he gets enough credit for that. The production values on that disc are simply amazing too. One can see that what Trevor says in the second half of the NFTE interview is true--he is very much the perfectionist.

[Trevor Walker]

Thanx, Dave - Thanx, Arlene !

I'll put it on my next order !

[Jackaranda]

I believe Trevor Rabin is one of the most talented musicians on the planet, and the only other person I know of that could have been a Yes guitarist other than Steve. I really, really wish they could work together. Just listen to YIND or Awaken from the 91 tour. Just breathtaking.

I love Steve Howe, but I wish they'd let TR back in (if he wanted to) and they work together, with Wakeman. Now THAT would be very interesting.

[Robert Shupe]

I am so grateful that Trevor has been in the Yes fold. To me, Trevor was proof that the idea that Yes could continue after we are no longer here was a possibility.

I still love the layering of Where Will You Be. It is crisp yet beautiful all at the same time. My appreciation of I'm Running came from fans here at yesfans saying that this is a good song worth checking out again. It was so true. I'm Running works and it is exciting. In many ways, I champion Where Will You Be in the same way.

Trevor was so much fun to see live also. He thrived on that performance format and man could he perform. Endless Dream was fantastic live.

When I saw the Big Generator tour it was so exciting as it my first experience with Yes live and in person. It rocked. I was so grateful that Trevor was waving the torch and that it was possible to see this wonderful thing called Yes.

Robert Shupe

[Jackaranda]

Imho, Talk is the closest thing to the perfect album as a band can make. I never, ever tire of listening to it. And if you're feeling a bit down, just put on The Calling or State of Play and it's like magic. To me, it's one of the most over looked rock albums ever.....

[1yesfan]

His work on Union was GREAT! I have a live version of him doing And You And I from another show (not the Jap. version) that is OFFICIAL RELASE quality and he is kick ass on the tune. So many folks say he plays with out and emotion and is just about how many notes can he get in. Well I will agree that may be the case if you don't like that style but WOW he shines on AYAI from the tour. This live cut I have He does the first main solo in the tune and it really soars.

By the way, moving this to the T Rabin forum since it really has nothign to do with current Yes happenings.

[Thoughtbecontact]

Tim,

I have to agree with you about Trevor on live versions of AYAI. I have a weed from the Talk tour and he's abstolutely magnificent on it, on keys as well as guitar.

[Ron Drummond]

The vocal harmonies really are beautiful with Rabin's voice added to the mix, especially on 90125. A very good point. And yet that blend is largely missing on Talk -- still some great vocals from both Jon and Trevor, but it seems Chris is completely missing vocally, and Jon and Trevor rarely sing together. So as good as Talk is, that's an interesting absence, and perhaps a loss. I also miss Chris's activist bass lines on Talk. His playing is superbly solid throughout, but there's not a single moment when he rises out of the mix with some kick-butt melody all his own, and I miss that.

Those absences are some of the reasons why, not here but elsewhere on Yesfans, a few times I've said Talk is liike a Rabin solo album with Yes as the back-up band. That doesn't mean it's bad or anything like that -- I like the album more every time I hear it -- it's more a descriptive observation. Very definitely the peak of Rabin's pop artistry, if you'll forgive my use of the word "pop" -- I mean it in the very best and the most expansive sense. But I think it is the least collaborative album in Yes's ouevre.

Robert, I think right now "Where Will You Be" is my favorite song on Talk -- I just like the groove it gets into, and Jon's singing. Will have to give "I'm Running" another spin -- all of BG, in fact.

Ycant, I didn't think there'd be any discernible Yes influence on Rabin's albums before Cinema, my question was focused on Can't Look Away in particular, and what influences might come across there after he'd made two albums with the band. Still curious about that. But let me ask you, and any Rabin fans who know his entire output as a recording artist -- what would you say is the single best album Rabin has made, whether as a solo artist or with a band or heck even as a soundtrack composer -- what's his single best album, in your opinion?

[Q]

Ron, you make a really good point. 90125 was a stunning vocal mix of Trevor/Jon/Chris ... Talk tended to dwell on Jon and Trevor, and I wonder if this is simply because Jon and Trevor sat for endless hours, just the two of them, writing the songs (a good thing) --- and getting locked into certain vocal pathways that didn't include Chris so much or leave him his usual space (a bad thing) ...

Q

[Jackaranda]

Trevor Horn should probably get his share of credit for the vocals on 90125, and they were great. He also sang on parts of it........

[Dale Cleary]

I love Trevor's work, always have since I first heard him. I particulary enjoy the music he is writing for movies. His soundtrack for Enemy of the state was perfect for the images and story it surrounded. He reminds me of a rock version of Gil Evans when I hear his compositions. I can't think of higher praise.

[Alex-a]

Originally posted by Trevor Walker


I'm thinking about ordering Live in LA. Have you, or anyone else, got it ? I'd love to hear what you all think of it.

I have it. If you got to any of his 89 solo shows, this CD is a good representation of what you heard. If anythign bothers me about it, it's that it seems a bit over-produced for a live album. However it's got everything I expect from Trevor and his music--"big" sounds, excellent musicianship. BTW, the cover photos are excellent!! :1quiet: That's one life-long dream fulfilled! ;)


I'm a Rabin fan who's glad he left the band. It was not an easy period in his life, with the critics all over him, with the fans hating him and his music and his production work. I've always wanted to hear his garage tapes, the stuff he just fiddles around with b/c I have a feeling we fans have heard the mere scratching of the surface.

Aside from his music, may I add a few things about Trevor the person? This is something I've always considered right along with his music, sometimes above his music, maybe b/c I met him in 84 and had encounters all along the way. Trevor is an incredible person. He's humble and he's got a dry wit that will have you holding your sides with laughter, especially when he opens up. He likes to talk music, he likes to know what you think of his stuff and he'll ask you to compare it with other music. He is politeness defined, even when he's being crazy. And he is appreciative of his fans and of his friends. I also think he's an incredibly good-hearted person, and that's based on knowing what he's done to help his guitar tech "find his niche". The more I think about it...the more I see the music and the personality are rolled into one and are intertwined!!!

[TNyesfan]

I saw Yes 4 or 5 times while Trevor was in. They were all great shows, especially Big Generator. Chris and Trevor were always having a blast on stage. Besides his obvious musical talent, (I just HAVE to say it!) Trevor is gorgeous, moviestar handsome!

[ycantibu]

I'm not trying to dispute a Yes influence, but maybe I'm just a bit daft cause I don't actually know what that means! I think his best solo Lp is "Can't Look Away", but I also quite like "Wolf." OK, I like all his solo LP's, but those are probably my favourites. His first three solo LP's are maybe what you would call harder rock? Not metal, mind you. Maybe along the genre that you would put Foreigner or Boston in?

For his soundtrack work, I really like the Armageddon Theme. It starts off delicately, beautiful keyboards and acoustic guitar, then just hits you. I also like Gone in 60 Seconds because it rocks baby! Lots of guitar and synths. Very electronic sounding.

It's hard for me to pick a favourite LP because I tend to go for individual songs more, so I probably wasn't much of a help. Sorry.


Originally posted by Ron Drummond


Ycant, I didn't think there'd be any discernible Yes influence on Rabin's albums before Cinema, my question was focused on Can't Look Away in particular, and what influences might come across there after he'd made two albums with the band. Still curious about that. But let me ask you, and any Rabin fans who know his entire output as a recording artist -- what would you say is the single best album Rabin has made, whether as a solo artist or with a band or heck even as a soundtrack composer -- what's his single best album, in your opinion?

[ycantibu]

Thanks Alex, that was beautiful. Trevor always struck me as intelligent and, of course, diplomatic and benevolent. I've mentioned before on here that one of the things I really like about him is that his with his music, you feel like he's only scratching the surface. You ever see some musicians and you watch them and you feel like yeah they're great, but you're seeing everything they have to offer? I always have the opposite feeling with Trevor. It just seems like there's so much more and he's just revealing bits and pieces at a time. It always leaves me wanting even more.


Originally posted by Alex-a
I have it. If you got to any of his 89 solo shows, this CD is a good representation of what you heard. If anythign bothers me about it, it's that it seems a bit over-produced for a live album. However it's got everything I expect from Trevor and his music--"big" sounds, excellent musicianship. BTW, the cover photos are excellent!! :1quiet: That's one life-long dream fulfilled! ;)


I'm a Rabin fan who's glad he left the band. It was not an easy period in his life, with the critics all over him, with the fans hating him and his music and his production work. I've always wanted to hear his garage tapes, the stuff he just fiddles around with b/c I have a feeling we fans have heard the mere scratching of the surface.

Aside from his music, may I add a few things about Trevor the person? This is something I've always considered right along with his music, sometimes above his music, maybe b/c I met him in 84 and had encounters all along the way. Trevor is an incredible person. He's humble and he's got a dry wit that will have you holding your sides with laughter, especially when he opens up. He likes to talk music, he likes to know what you think of his stuff and he'll ask you to compare it with other music. He is politeness defined, even when he's being crazy. And he is appreciative of his fans and of his friends. I also think he's an incredibly good-hearted person, and that's based on knowing what he's done to help his guitar tech "find his niche". The more I think about it...the more I see the music and the personality are rolled into one and are intertwined!!!

[yes_angel]

Rabin!!! Full of energy and very impressive on stage. I often wonder what Magnification would have been like with him

[Jackaranda]

Imho, Talk is the closest thing to the perfect album as a band can make. I never, ever tire of listening to it. And if you're feeling a bit down, just put on The Calling or State of Play and it's like magic. To me, it's one of the most over looked rock albums ever.....

Still.....

[JaneEyre]

You seem rabid for Rabin today, Jack!

[pianozach]

Imho, Talk is the closest thing to the perfect album as a band can make. I never, ever tire of listening to it. And if you're feeling a bit down, just put on The Calling or State of Play and it's like magic. To me, it's one of the most over looked rock albums ever.....

Still.....

I'll second that!

[PJH]

I remember seeing Trevor with Rabbitt back in 1976. It wans't cool to like Rabbitt in those days as they were a bit of a teenybopper band. I did eventually begrudgingly go and see them.

He absolutely blew me away. I'd never seen anything like it. The guy is one of the best musicians I've ever heard. He was very prolific in the "session" industry in Johannesburg in the 70's. Often turning up for sessions in his school uniform.

At that stage he was my favourite guitar player and Yes were my favourite band. So when he and them combined, well what can I say.....

[JiveNJingle]

I remember seeing Trevor with Rabbitt back in 1976. It wans't cool to like Rabbitt in those days as they were a bit of a teenybopper band. I did eventually begrudgingly go and see them.

He absolutely blew me away. I'd never seen anything like it. The guy is one of the best musicians I've ever heard. He was very prolific in the "session" industry in Johannesburg in the 70's. Often turning up for sessions in his school uniform.

At that stage he was my favourite guitar player and Yes were my favourite band. So when he and them combined, well what can I say.....

Thanks for sharing that with us. Excellent glimpse into the 'early years.' I did read an interview with him that he did say that Rabbitt were sort of 'bubblegum' and I equated that with the likes of the Bay City Rollers--not realizing at that moment that Duncan went on to join the BCRs! Thanks again, that was a sweet image that came to mind--Trevor in his school uniform!

:appl[1]:

Peace,
Mia

[Rabin105]

Trevor Rabin Rocks :)

[PJH]

I do have two short videos, one telling the Rabbitt story with a little bit of footage and interviews from a couple of years ago. The other one is an interview with Trevor at his house telling the story about how he got into film scoring etc. Problem is that it was recorded off TV and I don't want to upload it to a place like Youtube. Don't know what the legal implications are.

If I can compress them small enough I can probably send them to someone.

I also remember recording a video off South African TV just after 90125 where they interviewed Trevor and showed quite a bit of footage of Yes reheasing for Big Generator. It was in a rehearsel room and they one of those massive boards behing them with a whole lot of ideas written on it.

I'd love to watch that video now and check to see which ideas actually made it to a finshed album. Problem is that the damn thing is in Betamax!!!!!!

Cheers,

Peter.

[Jackaranda]

You seem rabid for Rabin today, Jack!

Well actually you Jane.

[JaneEyre]

:lmao: yeah