Echoes: Ancient & Modern Explained
Echoes: Ancient & Modern is a covers album by English music producer Trevor Horn, released on 1 December 2023 through Deutsche Grammophon.[1] Like his previous album Reimagines the Eighties (2019), the songs feature orchestration and are sung by guest vocalists, with the exception of "Avalon", sung by Horn himself. Three of the tracks included—"Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Slave to the Rhythm" and "Relax"—are tracks whose original recordings were produced by Horn.[2]
Background
Horn first mentioned the album in an August 2021 interview, suggesting that it was "eighties chill" compared to his previous album, Reimagines the Eighties (2019).[3]
Horn stated that "finding the right singers was as important as finding the songs, probably more so" and called it an album by himself "as a kind of auteur" that is "the artist commissioning other artists rather than them hiring" him.[1] In regards to recording new versions of tracks he originally produced, Horn commented that as it is "an album under [his] name, there is a certain expectation to do the big hits" and he tried to think of different ways to approach his previous productions.[4] Aside from these, Horn chose to cover "hit singles" that he enjoys.[5]
Critical reception
Retropop commented that it is "all too easy to slip into karaoke territory, but one so masterful as Horn knows how to avoid such pitfalls and, with a stellar ensemble of vocalists at his disposal, shows himself once again to be one of British music's finest". Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman called Horn's cover of "Avalon" both "tasteful" and "twinkling" but called his version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" an "overly melodramatic orchestral" rendition and found there to be "odd matches", namely Corr, Astley, Wilcox and Fripp's contributions.
Reviewing the album for The Arts Desk, Thomas H Green felt that the trend of slowing down pop songs into acoustic or orchestral versions "renders sonic perfection as bland, naff slop. Such is the case with Trevor Horn's latest" as beyond Tori Amos's version of "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "things flop about between the dismal, the pointless and the excruciating". Is Ed Power opined that the album "never really justifies its existence", calling Astley's take on "Owner of a Lonely Heart" a "karaoke go" and the following tracks "wildly uneven".
Personnel
Musicians
- Trevor Horn – keyboards (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8–10), guitar (3, 5, 9), background vocals (3, 5, 7–9), bass guitar (4–10), drum programming (4), double bass (7), vocals (11)
- Alan Clark – keyboards (tracks 1–9, 11), piano (2, 7, 8), synthesizer (8)
- Julian Hinton – string arrangement (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
- Tashya Lorien – background vocals (track 1)
- Jon Evans – bass guitar (track 1)
- Ash Soan – drums (track 1)
- Tori Amos – piano, vocals (track 1)
- Tim Weidner – programming (tracks 2–9, 11)
- Lol Creme – guitar (tracks 2–4, 6, 8, 9, 11)
- Simon Bloor – guitar (tracks 2, 4, 11), keyboards (2, 9)
- Phil Palmer – guitar (tracks 2, 5–7, 9, 11)
- Earl Harvin – drums (tracks 2, 7, 9, 10)
- Jamie Muhoberac – bass guitar, keyboards (track 2); additional keyboards (9)
- Izzy Chase – background vocals (track 2)
- Steve Sidwell – trumpet (track 2)
- Seal – vocals (track 2)
- Jesper Nielsen – programming (tracks 3, 5, 8, 9)
- Tessa Niles – background vocals (track 3)
- Rick Astley – vocals (track 3)
- Lady Blackbird – vocals (track 4)
- Bryan Chambers – background vocals (track 5)
- Louise Marshall – background vocals (track 5)
- Marc Almond – vocals (track 5)
- Mica Paris – background vocals (track 6)
- Alex Torjussen – drums (track 6)
- Phoebe Lunny – guitar (track 6)
- Alex McArthur – guitar (track 6)
- Jimmy Wood – harmonica (track 6)
- Danny Cummings – percussion (track 6)
- Dave McCracken – programming (track 6)
- Iggy Pop – vocals (track 6)
- Hayley Sanderson – vocals (track 7), background vocals (11)
- Calum Landau – percussion (track 7)
- Steve Hogarth – vocals (track 7)
- Robert Fripp – guitar (track 8)
- Toyah – vocals (track 8)
- Jack Lukeman – vocals (tracks 9, 10)
- Andrea Corr – vocals (track 9)
- Alan Connor – piano (track 10)
Technical
- Trevor Horn – production
- Sidney Claire Meyer – mastering
- Tim Weidner – mixing, engineering
- Jesper Nielsen – engineering, mixing assistance
- George Oulton – engineering (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
- Mat Bartram – engineering (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
- Mark Hawley – engineering, additional production (track 1)
- Alex McArthur – engineering (track 6)
- Luis Gómez – engineering (track 6)
- Max Bisgrove – engineering (track 6)
- Tashya Lorien – vocal production (track 1)
- Tori Amos – vocal production (track 1)
- Aaron Horn – recording arrangement (track 5)
Notes and References
- Steve Hogarth, Robert Fripp and more step up for Trevor Horn's new Echoes – Ancient & Modern album. Prog. Ewing. Jerry. 22 September 2023. 26 November 2023. Loudersound.
- Web site: Trevor Horn / Echoes: Ancient & Modern. Super Deluxe Edition. Sinclair. Paul. 25 September 2023. 26 November 2023.
- Web site: Trevor Horn interview at Rewind Festival 2021. Choose 80s. YouTube. 5 December 2023.
- Web site: Trevor Horn & Rick Astley Cover Yes' "Owner Of A Lonely Heart": Listen. Stereogum. Chelosky. Danielle. 18 November 2023. 26 November 2023.
- Web site: Tori Amos, Iggy Pop, Toyah & Robert Fripp, and more guest on Trevor Horn's new album Echoes (listen). BrooklynVegan. Pearis. Bill. 2 October 2023. 26 November 2023.
