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Book recommendation - Trevor Horn: Adventures in Modern Recording


wateroftyne
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Hi gang

 

Just part-way through Trevor Horn's new autobiog, and it's blummin' marvellous. He's a humble, likeable bloke, and his journey from the pit villages of County Durham to the global pinnacle of polished pop via dancehall bands and Yes is remarkable. There's a reasonable amount of bass content in there too.

 

Well recommended.

 

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Will get that, thanks for the heads up. First month of my Electronic Music Technology course at ELP and we were marched round to Sarm East where we had the pleasure of seeing Trevor Horn recording ABC’s Lexicon of Love. At the time I was into Kraftwerk, King Crimson, Hawkwind, and Fischer-Z so wasn’t as impressed as I would be now 🤔

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  • 1 month later...

I've just finished my copy that the Mrs bought me for Xmas and it was as excellent as I expected. 

 

I agree with @wateroftyne's comments above, he is a very likeable and down to earth writer and gives a fascinating account of his experiences. 

 

Lots of interesting technical details about producing, studios, techniques etc, although apart from a reference to his Wal 5 string I would have liked a bit more nerdy info about the bass gear he has used over his career. 

 

On that note I've been watching the 2004 Princes Trust gig and he's actually a bangin' bass player! The bass is lovely and forward in the mix although hardly surprising- Trevor himself produced the sound of the DVD recording. 

 

Get the book, you won't be disappointed.

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This book is on my 'to get' list. 

I've got a few others to get through first so maybe by the time I'm ready it'll be out in paperback. Me? Tight? Noooo! 😁

 

Seems as good a time as any to rolling out this old gem. The joy of just jamming with some mates. 

 

 

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Largely on the recommendations here I bought the book. I've always liked TH and what he did, particularly on OOALH. But the most surprising thing to me - which won't be a surprise to any of you - is that TH started life as a musician and not just any musician but a bass player. I genuinely had no idea. And he could read music too. In fact he started playing double bass in big bands, encouraged by his DB-playing dad. All of this was revelatory to me and means I take his production credits even more seriously. I've always known him to be a great producer but this background and upbringing explains how he was able to front Yes when he did which I had always found a bit odd. The other thing that strikes me is how long it took for his career to take off. He was born in 1949 - so was in his teens and twenties in the crucial (for rock) 68-72 period, roughly the same age as Robert Plant - yet it took him till he was in his 30s before he became big. That's some apprenticeship he served, all of which has deepened my respect for him. So although he's associated with the 80s he's really from a previous generation.

Edited by Kitsto
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TH is clearly a wizard in the studio. We've all heard the expression " You can't polish a turd". IMO Two Tribes proves that you can indeed polish a turd: It's a thoroughly (below) average song, turned into a great record, thanks to TH's wonderful arrangement and production.

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