A point is all that you can score: the best of Trevor Horn

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So much of how listeners define the eighties Trevor Horn shaped: orchestras, sampled and live, treated as punctuative noise; the manipulation of artificial sound for rhythmic or melodic ends; understanding the Bowie/Ferry legacy of bombast as expression of genuine emotion. From Grace Jones to Rod Stewart, Horn has done favors for stars in need, and with ZZT Records and the help of NME journalist Paul Morley creating his own stars. In the case of prog stalwarts Yes, Horn recreated them like Unicron did the corpses of dead Decepticons; however, “Leave It” made the final cut, not “Owner of a Lonely Heart” — did Lindsey Buckingham listen to its Muppets vocals when recording “Caroline” and “Tango in the Night”? Also, he understood a particular kind of gay sleaze, an unusual virtue in a putatively straight producer.

1. ABC – Valentine’s Day
2. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Two Tribes (Hibakusha Mix)
3. Art of Noise – Moments in Love
4. Seal – Crazy
5. t.A.T.u. – All the Things You Said
6. Pet Shop Boys – Left to My Own Devices
7. Godley & Creme – Cry
8. Grace Jones – Slave to the Rhythm
9. Yes – Leave It
10. Dollar – Give Me Back My Heart
11. Rod Stewart -Rhythm of My Heart
12. Belle & Sebastien – Step into My Office, Baby
13. Paul McCartney – Figure of Eight
14. Spandau Ballet – Instinction
15. LeAnn Rimes – Can’t Fight the Moonlight

7 thoughts on “A point is all that you can score: the best of Trevor Horn”

  1. Oh, nice. My evangelic preaching of “Rhythm of My Heart” has made effect in you. It’s an anthem, too. Anthems are not bad per se. Much more those who are passionate about a domestic concern like homesickness. Anthems are not neccesary hymns, which certainly are bloody disgusting. But, esentially, they are BLOODY. Like our national anthems, no?
    I love those bagpipes in the background. What was the last time before “Heart” that bagpipes made it to the top 40: Big Country? Back in the Highlife Again?
    We forget about them. My fondest recollection of them are as kid. In an Orlando hotel in a foggy winter day. The Band woke me up. Nice. I thought I was in Scotland. But no.

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